My body, already accustomed to the routine of survival, didn't take a second to activate. Waking up knowing I was in a city gave me mixed feelings. After six years of isolation, surrounded only by nature and Neo, just knowing there were hundreds of people nearby was strange.
I stood up, quickly checked my things, and put on my shoes. Neo was still asleep.
(Tch, this one sleeps too much. I'm going to explore the city without him.)
I stepped out of the subdimension, snapping my fingers to make the door disappear. But the moment I stepped into the inn room, the sounds of the city began to filter in. The wooden walls weren't thick enough to completely block out the morning bustle of hurried footsteps on the street, distant conversations, and even a merchant's cry echoing through the structure.
It was… strange. After years in the forest, where the only noise was the wind through the trees or the crunch of branches underfoot, being surrounded by human voices felt almost alien. And yet, a part of me felt nostalgic. There was something familiar about the murmur of people, the typical sounds of a city at the beginning of the day. They were just an echo of what I used to hear on Earth, before everything changed.
I walked down the stairs with firm steps. The wood creaked under my weight, a reminder that the inn was nothing more than a rustic building, lacking the solidity of the modern buildings I once knew. With every step, I could clearly hear the movement of guests downstairs, the clatter of plates and cutlery, the morning's activity coming to life.
The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air, mingling with the sound of plates and cutlery clinking together.
The three waitresses were arranging the tables. One of them, Liria, the same one who served us last night, looked up and smiled at me.
—Liria— Good morning, Hunt! Did you sleep well? —
I paused for a second.
■— How do you know my name? —
Liria casually pointed to a notebook on the counter.
—Liria— I saw it in the guest register. The lady writes down the names of everyone who stays at the inn.
■— Huh, that makes sense. —
The other two waitresses were also looking at me curiously.
—Cloe— While we're at it, I'm Chloe. —
—Sera— And I, Sera. Nice to meet you, Mr. Hunt. —
I nodded.
—Liria— Are you going out? —
■— Yes, I want to see the city. —
—Liria— Then you should stop by the bakery in the central square. Their sweets are famous throughout the region.
I nodded, but noticed they were watching me curiously.
—Liria— You smell… good. —
■— Is that weird? —
—Liria— A little. Most places here smell of wood, smoke, or sweat, especially this time of year.
I frowned a little. It's not like Neo and I were wearing perfumes.
■— It must be the soap. —
The three of them blinked, clearly surprised.
—Liria— Soap? The kind nobles use? —
■— No, Neo does it. —
There was a brief silence.
—Liria— Really? I didn't know you could make soap at home… We use ash and water.
■— I guess it works. —
—Cloe— But the nobles smell different. Is your soap like theirs? —
I shook my head.
■— It's nothing special, just regular soap. We use it more out of habit. —
—Is it— Custom? —
■— We bathe before going to sleep or when we get home. —
The three of them looked at me as if I had just said that we came from another planet (Which I did too).
—Liria— Every day!? —
—Cloe— That's noble... —
—It will be— More like kings. —
■— Isn't that normal? —
Liria still looked surprised, but then shrugged with a small smile.
—Liria— Hm… I guess it's not bad. —
■— Thanks for the bakery recommendation. By the way, how much do you know about the guilds? —
—Liria— The basics. I know there's the employment office and the merchants' guild, but there are many more. —
He explained how to get to the most important buildings. I paid special attention to what he said about the merchants' guild.
Just as I was about to ask more about the merchants' guild, an authoritative voice interrupted the conversation.
—The Owner— Leave the gentleman alone! —
The three girls jumped. I turned around and saw the owner, a stout, middle-aged woman, with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.
—The Owner— Excuse me, Mr. Hunt. These girls these days have no respect… instead of working, they waste their time chatting. —
■— No problem. The conversation was interesting. —
It wasn't a lie, although I was beginning to feel like I was being watched as if I were some kind of exotic creature.
■— I appreciate the information. —
Liria smiled and nodded.
—Liria— Have a nice day, Mr. Hunt! —
I headed towards the exit.
As I left the inn, the fresh morning air hit me gently. The city was already bustling with activity. Merchants were opening their shops, workers were loading merchandise, and the murmur of conversation filled the streets. The cobblestone floor bore the marks of wagons that had passed through during the night, and the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air.
I walked aimlessly at first, simply observing. Unlike the forest, where every day was a struggle for survival, here everything had a structured rhythm. People of different ages and occupations moved with purpose, following a cycle they'd likely been repeating for years. It was interesting to watch, though also a little strange after so much time in nature.
First stop: Pastry shop.
I walked past the bakery Liria had mentioned. The window displayed appetizing-looking cakes and sweet breads. A boy looked at the shop with shining eyes while his mother negotiated with the baker.
The interior of the bakery was filled with the smell of sugar and freshly baked dough. Behind the counter, a middle-aged woman in an apron with flour-covered hands was placing rolls on a tray.
—Baker — Welcome! Are you looking for something special, young man? —
■— Just taking a look. This place was recommended to me. —
—Baker — Oh, yeah? Who had the good taste? —
■— Liria, from the inn near the temple. —
—Baker — Ah, that girl has a good eye! I expected nothing less. So, what would you like to try? —
I looked at the variety of sweets on display. There were cream tarts, fruit-filled buns, and some golden-frosted rolls that looked especially good.
■—Six of these.—
—Baker — Good choice. They're honey and almond rolls, the house specialty. —
(Technically they weren't almonds, but they looked pretty similar.)
The woman wrapped them in a small cloth package and handed them to me. —
— Baker — That's fifteen iron coins. —
■—Here you go. —
I paid and took the package. Before leaving, the woman looked at me with a curious smile.
—Baker— You're not from around here, are you? —
I paused for a moment.
■— What makes you think that? —
—Baker— You don't smell like smoke or sweat... besides, you dress strangely. —
■— You were the second person to tell me about the smell. Is bathing that weird?
—Baker— For most people, yes. People usually bathe once a week… some, once a month.
Then she points at herself with a smile. —
—Baker— But bakers, butchers, and any trade that works with food have to bathe every day. No one would buy bread from someone who stinks.
■— I guess you're right. —
— Baker — But hey, it's not bad. I just found it curious. Enjoy the rolls! —
■— Thank you. —
I kept the candy in the subdimension, pretending to put it in my backpack.
■— #Neo I bought some cupcakes, don't even think about eating them all.# — (I didn't get a response)
Second stop: Clothing store.
I didn't expect to find anything special, but I was curious about the quality of the materials. Inside, the clothes were arranged on wooden shelves and racks. Many fabrics were rough and dull in color, nothing like what Neo and I had in the subdimension. I touched a thick wool jacket and was surprised by how heavy it was.
-The tailor— Are you looking for anything in particular, sir? —asked the salesman, an older man.
■— Just curious. — I replied while checking a robe. —
Analyzing the clothing here, it was functional, not aesthetic. They had no decent pockets, and the seams were rough, likely hand-stitched without specialized tools.
—Tailor— Excuse the indiscretion, but… what material is your garment made of? —
■— The sweatshirt?
—Tailor—Yes, " your sweatshirt . " —He pointed at my torso with a firm finger. —
—Tailor— This is arachnoid silk, isn't it? —
■— I don't know, it's just a normal fabric. —
—Tailor— Ha! You don't fool me, young man. I've been working with fabrics for over thirty years, and no ordinary fabric has that softness and that look.
(Shit.)
—Tailor— This is worth a fortune . How did you get a garment made of mutant spider silk? —
—Tailor— And would you be interested in selling it? —
■— No.
—Tailor— But we could make a deal! —
I saw his eyes shining with too much emotion.
■— Well, it was interesting, but I must be on my way! —
I quickly turned around and left the store before he could pester me with more questions.
(Great. Now I have to worry about people wanting my damn hoodies…)
…
Third stop: Blacksmith.
The sound of metal clashing against metal greeted me as I entered. Weapons were displayed on wooden stands, from longswords to short daggers. It wasn't a large armory, but the quality wasn't bad.
I picked up a short sword and weighed it in my hand. The balance was decent, though the edge wasn't as refined as I'd like. The swords in this world were well-made, but nothing I couldn't replicate in the subdimension given some time.
-The blacksmith — Good eye. That blade is made of iron, forged only with a hammer, no magic, eh? — (He was a burly man with his face covered in sweat.)
■— Looks sturdy. — I put the sword back and checked some daggers.
■—A question, sir. Do you make custom orders? —
-The blacksmith — Only if you pay in advance. —
■—I'll keep that in mind. —
...
Fourth stop: Magic shop.
This was the shop that caught my eye the most. The interior had a strong smell of herbs and old scrolls, and the shelves were filled with jars of strangely colored liquids. I approached the counter where an old man in dark robes was organizing crystals.
-The old man— Welcome. Are you looking for something in particular? —
■— Do you have tools to analyze materials? —
The old man raised an eyebrow.
-The old man— Do you mean identification devices? They're rare and expensive.—
He showed me a small monocle with runes etched around the edges.
-The old man— This allows you to read the basic properties of an object.—
I tried it with a copper coin, but the information it gave was basic.
■— Interesting, but limited. —
-The old man— If you're looking for something more advanced, you'll need a runecrafter. —
I thanked him for the information and left the shop with some doubts. The magic in this world was more backward than I expected, at least in terms of artifacts. Neo would surely be excited to see this and want to improve it.
(I sent him a message to come to this store, but he didn't reply, it was almost noon.)
...
Last stop: Food market.
By now, hunger was making itself felt, so I stopped by an open-air market. The stalls were filled with fruit, cured meats, and freshly baked bread. I stopped at a stand selling grilled meat skewers and bought one.
#●—Thanks, I only ate 1, there are 5 left—#
The first bite was surprising. After years of eating chewy, flavorless mutant meat, this was a luxury.
My money was almost gone, so I decided it was time to head to the merchant guild to exchange more gold for local currency.
With one last look at the market, I set off for my next destination.
The Merchants' Guild was undoubtedly one of the most ostentatious buildings in the city. It didn't have the majesty of a palace, but it was clear that money flowed freely here. The ornately carved columns, the polished wood of the entrance, and the large windows conveyed a sense of order and power.
Upon entering the doors, the atmosphere changed completely. There was no more chaos or disorder, only efficiency. Merchant after merchant negotiated, signed contracts, or exchanged documents with guild officials...
There were boards with regulations, market prices, and even a list of products with import and export taxes.
I walked confidently up to the counter. The receptionist, a young woman with a professional expression, greeted me with a quick visual inspection. It didn't surprise me that she analyzed my appearance before speaking. After all, for someone new to the guild, I looked well-dressed, clean-cut... and calm.
After a brief exchange, he explained the procedure to me. To obtain a merchant's license, I had to pay six silver coins and pass two exams: commercial regulations and mathematics.
I paid without hesitation. The sound of coins clinking on the wood caught the attention of some nearby employees.
She handed me a reference book, recommending I study it before the exam. I skimmed it out of curiosity, but as soon as I saw the page count, I decided to do something more efficient. I put the book in my backpack and secretly used the Analysis and Supercomputer skills to create a "digital" version. I confidently asked her that I wanted to start the exam right away. The receptionist was amazed and took me to the exam room, where I had to wait for the examiner. (You could say I'm cheating, yes, but it's only the law, which I can read later... and as Manuel, a friend from college, said, if you don't get caught, it's not cheating.)