After hours of flying, we found a dirt road that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Two perfectly maintained lanes with gutters on both sides. We continued along it until I was hit by a severe bout of dizziness. With my mana gone, I no longer had the strength to fly. Neo, as always, saved me from falling. And although I still had a lot of energy to continue on the road, fatigue won.
The next morning, around noon, the landscape was even more impressive. Behind a hill, a river wound its way near the city. The river separated the city from one side by a labyrinth of two- or three-story houses with thatched roofs, surrounded by plots of unparalleled golden crops.
On the other side of the river, an imposing wall awaited a chaotic city. In the center of the city, a snow-white temple dominated the landscape, emanating immense power, like a beacon in the darkness.
The chaotic city had a strange harmony, four main avenues branching out into streets full of life, five or six-story buildings.
The northern end was highlighted by green gardens that invited one to enter two enormous buildings, two palaces with a grandeur worthy of the European nobility of the modern age.
The gates in the wall were a spectacle in themselves, mesmerized by the crowds moving in and out, looking for things to do. We walked for hours before reaching the village. (We didn't want to be seen flying.)
The aroma of roasting meat and the smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. The sound of hundreds of conversations among the locals filled me with a strange sense of longing. Neo and I had been alone for the last six years. Seeing and hearing this characteristic city noise caused us to feel a little paralyzed and shed a few tears.
—A merchant— First time at Anita's, huh? You're not the first to be left open-mouthed— he said with a smile as he arranged his merchandise in the caravan.
■— An amazing place, that's for sure. —
●— Both structurally and economically, it is very good. —
—The merchant— My name is Theodore— Extended his left hand.
■— My name is Hunt, and excuse my ignorance. Would you like me to shake your hand? You're a kind of "say hi from here?"—
—Teodoro— Nice to meet you, Hunt. I'm surprised you don't know, but here we greet with the left hand. We should align our fingers one in front of the other and then close them in a spiral until forming a single fist with both hands, as if we were braiding our fingers.—
●— Nice to meet you, I'm Neo—
—Teodoro— Are you coming to trade or just passing through?—
■— A little bit of everything. But before that… how does entry work? Any special, I see there ara guards, is there a toll or requirementes?
—Teodoro— Yes, of course. Entry depends on who you are and what you bring with you.—
As Teodoro explained to us:
The rules for entering the city:
-- Villagers with citizen registration → Free admission.
-- Registered travelers → 1 silver coin per person (1 week of free admission).
-- Official registration of foreigners → 1 gold coin per group (Max 10 people).
-- Merchants with merchandise → 5 copper coins per merchandise cart.
-- Guards check the merchants' merchandise before letting them through
■— I understand... So, in order for us to get in smoothly, we need some local money. Are you interested in a small business? —
—Teodoro— It depends on what kind of business we are talking about.—
I took out a small 100g gold ingot and rolled it between my fingers with a carefree smile.
■— I have this gold ingot. But it's no use to me in this form, so I was thinking of a fair exchange.—
—Teodoro— That's worth a lot more than what you need to enter the city.—
■— Of course, but we can't go around paying with lumps of gold. Tell me, how much could you offer me in coins?—
—Teodoro— Being fair, for their weight and purity, I could give you 7 gold coins or if you want we can exchange some gold coins for silver ones—
According to Theodore:
-o Iron Bars 1
-o 1 round iron coin = 10 iron bars
-o 1 Round Copper Coin = 10 Round Iron Coins
-o 1 Silver round coin = 10 Copper round coins, 100 Iron round coins
-o 1 Gold Round Coin = 10 Silver Round Coins, 1,000 Iron Round Coins
-o 1 Platinum Square Coin = 10 Gold Round Coins, 10,000 Iron Round Coins
-o Marathi Coins (if there is much information about their value)
■— We know we can't pay with ingots. Seven gold coins will suffice, but could you exchange 2 gold coins for 20 silver coins, and 1 gold coin for 100 copper coins?—
—Teodoro— Good, good, I like your style. Here you go. If you need to make more trades, ask for a merchant named Orlan in the commercial district.—
●— We'll keep that in mind. —
We said goodbye to Theodore and headed to the city gate
■●— Good morning. —
—Guard —Why are you entering the city? — The Guard said in a cutting tone.
■— Commerce, Sir. — I said while showing my best smile.
—Guard —All right. Show your ID.—
●— Heeee... We don't have any. — Neo said, crossing his arms before speaking.
—Guard — Then, you must pay a gold coin to register.—
■— #Good thing we exchanged the ingot...#— I sent a message to Neo.
●— #Even if it's a little expensive, right? #— We texted while Neo paid.
●— Excuse me, sir, but how exactly does it work? Does it have some kind of magic seal? —Neo said, looking at a plate with curiosity
—Guard— It's a link system (it probably used some kind of magic-based communication system). All the plaques are connected to the city's main records. Every time you pass through one of those registration points, your information is automatically updated,—the guard said proudly.
■— And what kind of information is stored? What are the recording points? —
— Guard— As you can see here. Name, age, marital status, residence, and profession.—
●— #Did they just put us under 24/7 surveillance? # —
■— #Welcome to bureaucracy with magic. # —
■— Debts? I don't like that at all.—
●— It's a pretty intrusive system… If someone doesn't pay for something, it's directly reflected in their record. As if it were flagged.—
—Guard— Here, the guilds also have the right to track those records and take action.— He said with a shrug.
—Guard— Here are your badges. From now on, every time you enter or leave the city, you will be automatically logged.
■●— Thank you very much, I have a nice day. —We said before leaving.
==+-+-+-+==
—Another Guard—Those two are very nice, aren't they?—
—Guard—Yes, they have said good morning and goodbye.—
—Another Guard— It doesn't usually happen.—
—Another Guard— It doesn't usually happen.—
—Guard— I hope those two don't get into too much trouble, they didn't seem like bad people.—
—Another Guard— Namely… Reason for entering the city?
==+-+-+-+==
●— Well, we're in the city now. Now what? —
■— Food. —
●— Do you only think about food? —
■— Neo, we've been eating dried meat and stored fish for years. I need something that doesn't taste like cardboard. —
●— Okay, I understand. But first, let's go to the temple. —
■— Since when have you been interested in religion? —
●— Since a god reincarnated me and keeps sending me passive-aggressive emails. —
■— You're right... It's better to go ask him in person before he gives us another divine slap. —
●— Exactly. Besides, that temple surely has interesting information about the magic of this world.—
■— If you promise me we'll get something to eat later, I'll follow you. —
●— Deal. —
■— Good. Now tell me, how do we get in without looking like two hicks who've been in the woods for six years?—
●— We stood up straight, said little, and nodded with wise faces. —
■— Basically, we act as if we were NPCs. —
●— Exactly. —
■— Great. Let's go before I change my mind.—
…
The temple rose before us as an imposing white marble structure, its tall pillars reflecting the sunlight, giving it a heavenly air. Despite the building's grandeur, the main entrance was wide open, allowing free passage for the faithful and the curious.
Neo and I, with our habit of remaining impeccably polite, walked with our backs straight.
Inside, the scent of incense wafted through the air, and the stained-glass windows cast a soft, colorful light that illuminated the mosaics. In the background, several statues lined up in a semicircle around an altar, each representing a different figure. A man wearing a long robe and gold embroidery approached us with a calm expression.
We politely apologized for our ignorance of the city's religion and asked him to whom the temple was dedicated. The priest looked at us with a mixture of surprise and curiosity before answering:
—The religious— This temple is dedicated to the Seven Envoys of Tolmas, those who guide humanity on their respective paths.—
He pointed out the statues to us and explained the names and domains of each one:
Zoric – The Trade Envoy.
Vasli – The messenger of the artisans.
Dragan – The Envoy of Wisdom.
Micodan – The messenger of health.
Ralzeth – The Envoy of Power.
Cezar – The Envoy of Skill.
Iliathis – The messenger of magic.
Tolmas was recognized as the god, but seemed to have a secondary role in the faith, while these seven envoys were the basis of the faith.
Neo and I looked at the statues carefully before heading to the image of Tolmas at the back of the temple. It was a majestic statue, carved from white stone, with a serene and wise expression (it hardly resembled Tolmas). Without hesitation, we knelt before it in a posture that on Earth would be considered common for prayer, but here it seemed completely unusual.
The priest who had accompanied us frowned, puzzled by our way of praying. Then, something happened that no one expected.
The white stone statue turned completely golden in a single instant. A blinding glow filled the temple, and the murmurs of the faithful turned into gasps of awe. The priest froze, his eyes wide open as he tried to process what had just happened.
The subdimension was as vast as the last time we'd seen it, but now Tolmas was waiting for us at a stone table with a steaming teapot and three cups. We sat down unceremoniously, as if it were a university cafeteria, while he watched us with a mixture of pride and annoyance.
▓— They took too long to get out of the forest.— His tone was reproachful, but his expression betrayed that he was really amused by the situation.
Neo calmly took a sip of his coffee.
■—We were busy surviving.—
▓— Six years? —He said, raising an eyebrow.—
▓— I've seen turtles learn to run in less time.—
I shrugged
●— It's not our fault the world is full of giant monsters.—
▓— Of course, of course, because two engineers with unique skills and otherworldly knowledge obviously didn't have way to fix that before.—
●— You should have given us a tutorial instead of leaving us adrift.— Neo retorted with a mocking smile. Tolmas rested his forehead on the palm of his hand and sighed.
▓— Sometimes I wonder why I chose you two…—
Neo and I exchanged a look.
■●— Because we are the best.— We said in unison. —
Tolmas glared at us, but then simply snorted, giving up.
■— If by "the best" you mean "the most stubborn," then yes, you got it right.—
Tolmas exhaled with resignation, resting an elbow on the table and looking at us with that mixture of annoyance and amusement.
▓— Speaking of doubts… Why did it take you so long to get out of the forest?—
Neo and I were silent for a second. Then we slowly turned to face each other.
■— He hasn't done it…—
●— Yes, he did…—
■— He just dodged the question. —
●— With the nerve. —
▓— Six years isolated in a forest full of monsters is quite a long time. —
Tolmas shrugged, with a satisfied smile.
■— Fine, fine, whatever you say… But that doesn't answer our question.—
●— So let's try again… Who were the Seven Envoys of Tolmas and why do we have their title? —
Tolmas looked at us calmly, took another sip of coffee, and, as calmly as he could, placed the cup on the table before answering.
▓—Everything comes in its own time. I can't tell you everything at once... It loses its charm. —
Neo and I stared at him.
●— That doesn't answer anything. —
■— And you know it. —
Tolmas gave a light laugh and rested his chin on his hand.
▓— The only thing I can tell you for now is that those titles are not new. The original holders of those names… were your predecessors.—
The silence that followed was heavier than any revelation he had given us before, Neo and I let out a long, heavy sigh.
■— Okay, that sounds at least a little interesting. —
●— Yes, but it also sounds to me like he's telling us just enough to make us more frustrated. —
■— I confirm. —
Tolmas looked at us with an amused expression.
■—See? This is more entertaining. —
Neo and I let out a sigh. Tolmas straightened slightly, and for the first time in the entire conversation, his tone became serious.
▓— Your arrival in the city did not go unnoticed. There are those who have already set their eyes on you.— He made a pause, observing our reactions.
▓—It's not just the different looks... Hunt, they've seen you playing with the gold bar. In this world, as in yours, gold coins are a luxury; someone showing off gold bars like that is too conspicuous.
●— Don't worry, Tolmas. We'll manage as usual. We'll probably end up in some kind of trouble sooner or later...
■— Or in several at once. —
●— Probably in several. —
Tolmas shook his head and sighed, but he didn't seem surprised. Then his expression became more distant, almost melancholic.
▓— Before you go... —His voice lowered a little.
▓—This is, possibly, the last time we speak. I can't interact with the world anymore.
Neo and I put our cups down on the table at the same time. For a moment, our teasing and joking disappeared. We stood up straight and gave him the most polite goodbye we'd ever given.
●— Thank you for everything, Tolmas. It's been an honor. —
■— We hope we haven't given you too many headaches. —
Tolmas looked at us with an arched eyebrow, as if he couldn't believe we were actually acting formally, but eventually he smiled somewhat wistfully.
▓— I wish you luck... you'll need it. —
Without adding anything else, we disappeared from the subdimension. Back inside the church. The evening light filtered through the stained-glass windows, dyeing the golden marble orange. Around us, the faithful and priests remained transfixed, still processing what they had witnessed.
Without saying a word, Neo and I dusted ourselves off and left the temple as composed as ever. We offered no explanations. We didn't stop to answer questions.
We disappeared into the crowd, leaving behind the temple and everything that had just happened. Now... it was time to eat something.
...
The streets were bustling with life. We walked in search of a place to eat. The aroma of freshly baked bread mingled with the sound of vendors selling their wares completely enveloped us.
We sat down and ordered something typical of the place. The waitress, a young woman wearing a somewhat worn apron, served us each a steaming bowl of soup, along with two rolls of bread. The soup had a strong aroma and a creamy texture. The soup was called ciorba, a thick soup with cream and a slight acidic note. The flavor surprised us; it wasn't like the mild soups we were used to, but it had something comforting about it.
After finishing the last bite of bread and taking a last sip of the thick ciorba, Neo leaned back slightly in his chair, satisfied.
●—That was amazing… I don't think I've tasted anything that good in years. —
■—Yeah, well, anything's better than dried meat or fish sitting in inventory for months, I said, wiping the remnants of soup from the bowl. (To be honest, I have to admit it was pretty good.)
Neo raised his hand to get the waitress's attention. The young woman, who was cleaning another table at the time, approached with a smile.
—The waitress— Was everything to your liking? —
●—So much. How much is the bill? —
The girl took out a small wooden tablet where she had written down the orders and counted on her fingers.
—The waitress— There were eight bowls of soup, at 4 iron coins each… That's 32 iron coins. And the two loaves of bread are 8 iron bars each, which makes 16 iron bars. In total, that's…—
■— There are 33.6 iron coins in total. —
—The waitress— Excuse me, I'm not very fast with sums.—
Neo took out a silver coin, which he placed on the table without hesitation. The waitress looked at the coin and her eyes widened in surprise. It was much more than the meal cost. She hesitated for a moment, as if waiting for us to ask for change, but when Neo didn't say anything, I smiled and nodded.
●— Sorry, we don't have any smaller change.—
■— You can keep the rest. —
The waitress stared at the coin with wide eyes and then looked at us, clearly surprised.
—The waitress— A-are you sure? This is a lot of money…—
His eyes lit up immediately. We'd left a tip of 66.4 iron coins, which seemed like a large amount. (I'll leave it, I'll leave this one.)
■●— Yes, yes.
The young woman couldn't hide her joy. She put her hand to her chest and gave us a big smile.
—The waitress— Thank you very much! May the Envoys of Tolmas guide you! —
Neo and I nodded with a slight smile, and before the girl left, we asked her another question.
●— By the way, do you know of any nearby inn where we could spend the night?—
The young woman blinked a couple of times in surprise and then let out a small laugh.
—The waitress— An inn? This is an inn, you can sleep here.—
■— Here? —I frowned, looking around.
—The waitress— Yes, this is an inn, not a restaurant. —
Neo and I exchanged a look.
■●— Aaaaa. —
■— That explains why so many people are prepared to stay overnight.
The waitress let out a small laugh and nodded
—The waitress— Yes, this is an inn, not a restaurant. It's two copper coins a night. —
Paying four copper coins for two rooms didn't seem like much to us.
After receiving the keys to our rooms, we climbed the wooden stairs, which creaked slightly with each step. The hallway was simple, with several doors lining both sides and small oil lamps lighting the way.
Each of us entered our room, we both did the same thing, before doing what was already customary, we checked everything. The windows were closed, the door was locked, and there were no suspicious openings.
A door emerged from the wooden planks, tall and with a faint, ethereal glow. (A door that only we could open.) Before crossing through, I made sure to block the door to the room with a chair. Just in case anyone tried to get in. Finally, we entered the subdimension, took a shower, and went to sleep.
(It was time to rest. Tomorrow we would begin our real exploration of the city.)