On the morning of our sixth day in the wilderness, I stepped out of the tent, and a thin carpet of snow covered everything. It was thin on the ground, and I knew it would melt soon, but it was still snow. The air didn't feel cold, but whether that was the actual weather or my enhanced stats, I couldn't tell. It was a good idea to pick up the pace. If it started snowing, the temperatures might drop fast. Before, this extended "shortcut" was about giving myself time to clear my mind and recharge my social batteries rather than reaching the destination quickly. Now, I had to push to reach the capital.

After coffee and breakfast, I packed up the camp, checked the Map to orient myself, and walked faster toward the city. The crunch of snow under my boots was oddly pleasant. After half a day, we passed between two hills, and the city spread out before me, about two kilometers away. It stood on both sides of a wide river that reminded me of the Hudson River in New York. Climbing the hill to my left, I took out my binoculars and surveyed the city. Stretch looked at me and sent a wave of curiosity through the bond.

"I just want to see where we're headed," I told him.

The city was enormous compared to the towns we had visited. It spread across both sides of the river, with rows of two- and three-story wooden houses and larger stone mansions. The mansions sat behind their own walls, but the city itself had none. It struck me that on Earth, in medieval times, almost everything was built behind walls, yet here this was the first time I had seen such fortifications. Since only the mansions were walled off, I suspected those barriers were meant more to separate nobles from commoners than to provide protection. Still, the lack of defenses seemed strange. This world was peaceful, yes, but monsters did exist, and I had purchased weapons left over from the war.

On the opposite side of the river, a massive mansion, likely the royal palace, stood on a hill overlooking the city, with flags flying from the watchtowers. Boats and barges of various sizes moved along the river in both directions.

Hmm, that can be an option, I thought. Maybe Stretch won't mind a bigger boat?

Bridges spanned the river, connecting both sides, and people bustled back and forth. It looked nice and peaceful. I crossed my fingers it was clean; medieval cities were often quite stinky, according to what I'd read.

Before heading into the city, I opened my Profile to review my skills. I didn't want to forget any of them like I did Appraisal.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: John Rue Age: 37

Hidden Class: Gate Traveler Level 3 Gates to the next level: 2/8 Class Abilities:

Conversion Travelers' Archive Identify Storage x4 (4,096m³) Local Adaptation Spoken Language One of the Crowd Traveler's Map

Display Class: Healer Level 10 Healer Spells:

Heal Muscles (17) Diagnose (11) Stop Bleeding (3) Heal Bone (7) Control Blood (11) Healing Touch (23) Clean (10) Neutralize Poison (1) Purify (9) Anesthesia (7) Regrow Flesh (3) Fortify Life Force (5) Cleanse (1)

2nd Sub-Class: Wizard Level 2 Wizard Abilities:

Mind Split x3 Mana Sensing [Apprentice] Mana Saturation [Apprentice] Harvest Mana Crystal [In Progress] Harvest Game [In Progress]

Profession: Merchant Level 5 Merchant Skills:

Bargain (3) Sense Honesty (2) Appraisal (5) A Nose for Business (6)

General Spells:

Mana Dart Mana Shield Spellbinding (2) Invisibility (1) Mend (2) Adaptable Light Ball (6) Restore (4)

General Skills:

Staff Fighting (11) Krav Maga (10) Archery (12) Pencil Sketching (1) Making Beer (1) Minor Spell Adaptation (1) Mana Sense (3) Mana Meditation (8) Photography (4) Develop Negative (2) Print Photograph (2) Guitar Playing (5) Skinning (1) Butchering (1) Mining (6)

Health: 3,650/3,650 Mana: 7,200/7,200

Strength: 27 Agility: 27 Constitution: 29 Vitality: 44 Intelligence: 49 Wisdom: 56 Perception: 33 Luck: 29

Trait points: 0 Ability points: 43

My mana had risen again from 6,900 to 7,200, and once more, I didn't know why. Shaking my head, I activated my Luck and sensed the same direction and "No hurry." Answers would come soon. Whoever they were, they needed to write the book faster. The lack of understanding was driving me crazy. I reviewed my skills and spells twice to ensure I remembered them all.

I still hadn't used the Mana Dart.

Oh well, one day...

We descended the hill and headed toward the city. On the way, we passed a cluster of wooden buildings that looked like warehouses set apart from the rest of the city, and the air around them reeked. I was about to turn and make a wide arc around them when I noticed leather sheets hanging on lines strung between two of the buildings.

Tanners?

Tanning was notoriously smelly work in the past. Breathing shallowly through my nose, I braved the stink and scanned the yard for people to ask. Two men stood near one of the buildings, talking. The older one had broad shoulders and leathery skin, his gray-streaked hair tied back with a strip of cloth. Beside him stood a younger man with a strong resemblance to the older one, probably his son, slimmer but with the same rough hands and hair tied back.

I walked toward them with a friendly smile. "Good day, gentlemen."

They exchanged a look before the older man gave a short nod. "Hello, stranger."

"Are you, by any chance, tanners?"

"Yes..." the older one said cautiously.

"Would you be interested in buying mukar pelts?"

The older man turned and walked toward the building, his gait marked by a noticeable limp. "Come inside, and we'll see," he called over his shoulder.

I noticed the limp and quickened my step to catch up. "Excuse me for asking, but I'm a healer. What happened to your leg?"

He glanced at me briefly before looking ahead again. "A war injury from a sword. Got me home early from the fighting."

"I heard about the war during my travels in the area, but I'm from the islands in the south, which are very far from here. What exactly happened?"

He slowed a little, his face tightening as he answered. "The old king died, and both his sons wanted the throne. Both had nobles who supported them and assembled their vassals to fight. It was a bad time for our kingdom." He shook his head with a sad expression.

"How did it end?"

He stopped at the doorway, his shoulders sagging. "The older prince was killed in the fighting, so the younger ascended the throne."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Sounds unpleasant." I grimaced.

He winced. "Very."

I gestured toward his leg. "Would you like me to examine it to see if I can help?"

His gaze snapped to mine, suspicion written across his face. "I saw a healer once. He charged me a silver for the consultation and said he couldn't help."

I held his stare, my tone steady. "I won't charge you for checking. If I can help, I'll tell you the price in advance."

He rubbed at his thigh, then nodded toward the door. "Let's see those pelts first, and I'll think about it."

I took out all eight pelts I had collected and showed him. He examined them all and pointed at the first two pelts I collected by "exploding" the bison. "You didn't do a good job there." Pointed at the other six. "Much better."

"I was learning. Thanks for praising the rest," I said with a smile.

"I'll give you three silvers for the bad ones and six for the good ones, totaling four gold and two silvers. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, thank you," I said, nodding. "Do you want me to check your leg?"

He hesitated momentarily, then nodded. "Go ahead, but I'm not promising I'll pay for the healing."

"No promise needed."

Diagnose revealed severed muscles, something I already knew how to fix after treating Stretch when we first met.

"I can heal your leg, but it's more complicated than just casting a healing spell." I kept my tone steady, watching his expression as I spoke. "I'll need to put you to sleep so you won't feel anything. Then I'll cut your leg open, regrow the muscle to reconnect it, clear out the scar tissue, and close it up again. It will take a while, and you'll be starving and tired after the healing. If you eat and rest more than usual before I treat your leg, the hunger and tiredness will be less severe. The healing will cost you one gold."

He shifted his weight, eyes narrowing as he absorbed my words. After a long pause, he asked, "Can my wife be present when you heal the leg?"

"Of course."

He rubbed his thigh and looked down. "I need to think about it and talk to my wife. Where are you staying?"

"I don't know yet; I just arrived." I tilted my head slightly, hopeful. "Do you have a recommendation?"

He thought for a moment, then raised a hand to gesture vaguely down the road. "Cross the second bridge from here, head straight, and turn left on the third street; look for the Peaceful Nights Inn."

"Thank you." I gave him a slight nod. "I hope I'll see you again."

It occurred to me that while I had learned to speak the language, I couldn't read it. I needed to buy the ability to learn written Shimoorian and spend the mana.

Bye-bye, another Ability Point.

Following his directions, I quietly sang "Bye Bye Miss American Pie" by Don McLean under my breath.

"A long, long time ago, ​I can still remember..."

Stretch occasionally howled softly as a background singer. He was adorable. I told him that, and he put his paws on my shoulders and licked me from chin to forehead.

The city pleasantly surprised me. I didn't know what to expect, but it still caught me off guard. Maybe because I had expected something from Earth's history—crowded, dirty, and stinking. It was none of those. The city was spacious and spread out. The streets were paved with cobblestones and wide. There were no sidewalks, but short spikes along the road marked an obvious line between the cart lanes and the pedestrian paths. Four carts could drive side by side, and the pedestrian section was wide enough that even the occasional merchant stall selling food or trinkets didn't block traffic. All the houses stood on plots of land with both front and back yards, and there was enough space between them to fit another house or two. It made sense. I had traveled in the wilderness for weeks without seeing towns or cities. They sure had enough space.

From what I could see, there was no separation between the rich and the poor. Homes of every kind stood side by side, wealth and poverty pressed together. I passed two tiny wooden houses, maybe one bedroom each, their exteriors weathered and faded, with chipped paint and sagging roofs. Overgrown weeds filled the small front yards, and the windows had no glass, only shutters hanging loosely on their hinges. Right beside these shacks rose a beautiful three-story house of wood and stone. Its walls were freshly painted, the wooden sections carved with ornate designs, and the stonework looked meticulously crafted. The large windows had glass in them, and the front yard was neatly kept, blooming with flowers and lined with trimmed hedges.

Further up the street, I passed a few average two-story wooden homes. They were modest but well-kept, with relatively new paint, and also had glass windows. The front gardens, though not lavish, showed care, with neatly planted rows of vegetables and a few flowerbeds adding a splash of color. Right after them stood a huge mansion surrounded by high stone walls, with guards at the gate wearing uniforms. The mansion itself was a massive structure of stone and timber, with tall arched windows and several turrets. Through the gate, I caught a glimpse of a sprawling front lawn with a fountain and manicured bushes trimmed into the shapes of various animals.

The contrast continued all the way to the second bridge and onto the other side of the river. Dilapidated tiny homes with peeling paint and rickety fences stood right next to well-kept two- and three-story wooden houses with fresh paint, sturdy fences, and thriving gardens. Massive stone houses that on Earth would have taken up half a block appeared here and there, each with large ornate doors and intricately designed facades. Mixed in among them were giant walled mansions, fortresses in their own right, complete with guards, extensive grounds, and lavish designs. Together, the jumble of homes gave the impression of a city that had grown outward on its own, people building whatever they could afford and leaving behind a patchwork of wealth and poverty.

The people themselves were just as varied as the houses. Many wore the simple clothes I'd seen on most travelers along the road. Plain shirts and pants, or skirts, in natural tones like beige, light or dark brown, paired with wool cloaks thrown over their shoulders.

But then there were the rich, who stood out immediately. The men wore suits cut in a strange style, tighter around the chest and waist with long, flared coats that reached mid-thigh. The trousers were narrow with buckles beneeth the knees, and some had shiny buttons or embroidery at the cuffs. It looked formal, almost theatrical, especially on a busy street in the middle of the day. The women, on the other hand, walked around in dresses I'd call evening gowns. Not the old-fashioned ones from Earth's history with massive skirts, but slim and straight like modern gowns, some of them floor-length and covered with crystals and stones sewn across the fabric. I understood it was their way of dressing, but it still looked ridiculous to be shopping in something meant for a ballroom. Most of the women had fur cloaks draped over their shoulders as well. Just looking at them made me sweat. It was cooler, yes, but nowhere near cold enough to justify fur, no matter how much money you had.

Another interesting point was that all the children wore loose shirts and pants. Some were clearly girls, with braids and softer, girlish faces, yet they all wore pants. Even the children of the rich. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Who would send a girl outside to play in an evening gown?

While I walked, I looked at all the signs. Initially, I could recognize only some words, but with each sign, my reading improved.

The language abilities are just awesome.

I quickly found the Peaceful Nights Inn, following the tanner's instructions. It was much larger than the other inns I had stayed in and made of stone, not wood. The common room was long and wide, with three lit fireplaces, one in the back and two on the right-side wall, and over thirty tables, some occupied by people eating. Three servers moved between the tables. On the right side was a long wooden bar with two people behind it; one was polishing glasses, and the other was shouting something through a window behind the bar. I assumed it was the kitchen. The right side also had a small stage between the fireplaces.

"It looks fancy. I hope they won't have a problem with you staying in the room with me," I told Stretch. He sent me the feeling equivalent of a shrug. I shrugged too; it was the right response.

When I approached the bar, the shouting man turned to me and said, "Welcome to the Peaceful Nights. Sit down, and a server will see to you."

I pointed at Stretch. "If my dog can stay with me, I want to rent a room."

He looked surprised. "Of course it can. It's a dog, not a horse. Do you want a regular room or one with a sitting room?"

I thought about it, "With a sitting room." If I'd see patients, that would be convenient.

"Two silver a night with dinner and breakfast. Food for the dog is extra."

I gave him two pouches, each with 50 copper coins from Earth. "Here's for five nights; I'll pay more if I stay longer. You can keep the pouches as a gift."

He examined the coins but didn't ask about them. "Third floor on the right, room 34," he said, handing me a key. "Breakfast is served from sunup until the third bell. Dinner is served from sundown until the ninth bell. Welcome, and enjoy your stay."

"I would also like a hot bath in my room."

He gave me a funny look and said, "Why? Go to the bathhouse. It's much nicer and right around the corner."

I thanked him, and we went up to the room. It was very nice. The sitting room had a fireplace with five armchairs set in front of it. A small dining table with two chairs stood to the right, beside an enormous window overlooking the street. The bedroom was smaller, with a twin bed, a large chest at its foot with the key still sticking out of the lock, a small table with a bowl, cup, and pitcher of water, and a door leading to the toilet. Unfortunately, there was no plumbing—just a chair without the seat over a bucket that had to be carried out. Even more unfortunately, the room had been faithfully collecting the scent of that arrangement for years.

Maybe I should 'invent' plumbing and sell the idea.

The thought made me snicker.

I postponed visiting the bathhouse until the next day. Tonight, all I wanted was a meal I didn't cook, some time to relax, and a soft bed to collapse into. Dinner was just what I hoped for: a baked poultry stuffed with a mix of sweet and sour fruits that burst with flavor in every bite. It came with dark brown, almost black rice that had a nutty taste, and a side of grilled purple vegetables shaped like bell peppers but with the crunch and flavor closer to cabbage. To wash it all down, they served me a tall glass of honey ale. Stretch had a bowl of mukar stew, cooked over a campfire while he was awakening.

Back in the room, I spread his blankets out for him, gave him a good round of petting and ear scratches, then we settled in for the night.

Tomorrow, we would see what the city had to offer.

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