Chương 45: Chapter 40: First Capital in Shimoor

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 it looked like 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 packing up the camp and checking the Map for orientation, I quickened my pace toward the city. Snow crunched under my boots, oddly pleasant. After half a day, we passed between two hills, and the city spread out before me, about two miles 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 as odd. On Earth, in medieval times, they built almost everything behind walls, yet here this was the first time I had seen such fortifications.

I suspected those barriers separated nobles from commoners more than they protected them, since only the mansions had walls. 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. All the turrets and watchtowers had flags on them, depicting a red bird I had never seen in this world, wearing a crown.

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? High bridges arched over the wide river, tall enough for ships with masts to glide beneath. Their stone pillars disappeared into the mist that hung over the water, each span broad enough to hold a line of carts and pedestrians without crowding. It looked nice and peaceful.

I crossed my fingers that 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 with Appraisal.

PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: John Rue Age: 20 Display Class: Healer Level 10 Healer Spells: Heal Muscles (17) Diagnose (7) Stop Bleeding (4) Heal Bone (8) Control Blood (8) Healing Touch (21) Clean (5) Neutralize Poison (1) Purify (6) Anesthesia (6) Regrow Flesh (3) Fortify Life Force (4) Cleanse (1) Class: Gate Traveler Level 3 Gates to the next level: 2/8 Class Abilities: Conversion Travelers' Archive Identify Storage x 4 (512 m 3) Local Adaptation: -Spoken Language One of the Crowd Travelers' Map 2nd Subclass: Wizard Level 2 Wizard Abilities: Mind Split x3 Mana Sensing [Apprentice] Mana Saturation [Apprentice] Wizard Spells: Harvest Mana Crystal [In Progress] Harvest Game [In Progress] Profession: Merchant Level 5 Merchant Skills: Bargain (3) Sense Honesty (2) Appraisal (4) A Nose for Business (5) General Spells: Mana Dart Mana Shield Spellbinding (2) Invisibility (1) Mend (2) Adaptable Light Ball (6) Restore (1) General Skills: Pasta Making Beer Brewing Pencil Sketching Staff Fighting (11) Krav Maga (10) Archery (12) Minor Spell Adaptation (1) Mana Meditation (4) 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 Free 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 a notoriously smelly business in the past. Breathing shallowly through my mouth, I braved the stink and scanned the yard for people to ask. Two men stood near one building, 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 curt 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. Noticing the limp, I 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 am from the islands in the south, which are very far from here. What exactly happened?" He slowed his steps, his expression tightening as he answered.

"The three northern kingdoms of Doran, Velar, and Kethis were always close allies. They were so tightly bound that everyone referred to them as the Trifecta Kingdoms. Their fortunes changed overnight when they discovered rich iron deposits in the Silan mountain range, which runs through all three of their territories. Wealth poured into their coffers, and with it came ambition. They convinced themselves that they could unite the world under a single banner and crown themselves as the Trifecta Empire.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Some kingdoms, believing they might profit from such an alliance, threw in their lot with them. Misguided fools. They probably thought they would gain special privileges or elevated positions as supporters. Others saw the danger and rallied against them, and before long, a big part of the continent was caught up in the conflict." He gave a bitter chuckle and shook his head.

"How did it end?" He paused at the doorway, shoulders sagging.

"Several of the allied kings who had supported the Trifecta were killed in the fighting. Their heirs refused to continue with such folly, and the resistance gradually gained strength. Eventually, the Trifecta's armies were defeated. The three ruling kings were executed, and their heirs were forced to sign binding contracts to supply cheap iron for two generations as punishment and compensation for the war they had caused." I grimaced.

"Sounds unpleasant." 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 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'd 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, gaze dropping to the ground.

"I need to think about it and talk to my wife. Where are you staying?"

"I don't know yet; I just arrived. 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 took the role of a background singer and occasionally howled softly. That was adorable. When I told him so, he planted his paws on my shoulders and licked me from chin to forehead. The city pleasantly surprised me. I didn't know what to expect, yet it still caught me off guard. Maybe because I had expected something from Earth's history—crowded, dirty, and stinky. It was none of those. The city was spacious and spread out.

The streets were wide and paved with cobblestones. 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 pass side by side, and the pedestrian section stayed wide enough that even stalls selling food or trinkets never blocked traffic. Each house stood on its own plot with front and back yards, and enough space between them to fit one or two more houses. It made sense.

I had traveled in the wilderness for weeks without seeing towns or cities. They certainly had enough space. 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, each with maybe one bedroom, their exteriors weathered and faded, with chipped paint and sagging roofs. Overgrown weeds filled the front yards, and the windows had no glass, only shutters hanging loosely on their hinges.

Beside those shacks stood a beautiful three-story house of wood and stone. The house's walls were freshly painted, the wooden sections featured ornate carvings, and the stonework appeared meticulously crafted. The large windows had glass, and the front yard was neatly kept, blooming with flowers and lined with trimmed hedges. Farther up the street stood a few modest two-story wooden homes. They were modest but well-kept, with relatively fresh paint and 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 an enormous mansion, surrounded by a high stone wall, with guards at the gate in uniform. The mansion itself was a massive stone-and-timber structure, with tall, arched windows and several turrets. Through the gate, I glimpsed a sprawling front lawn with a fountain and manicured bushes trimmed into the shapes of various animals.

The contrast stretched all the way to the second bridge and across 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, which 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. Most wore the same simple clothes I'd seen on travelers along the road.

Long tunics and loose pants, or skirts, in natural tones like beige, light or dark brown, with embroidery on the women's clothes, paired with wool cloaks thrown over their shoulders, some with hoods and some without. However, the rich immediately stood out. 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 beneath 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 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 also had fur cloaks draped over their shoulders. Just looking at them made me break out in a 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 rich kids ran around in pants. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

Who in their right mind would send a girl outside to play in an evening gown? While I walked, I looked at all the signs. At first, only a few words made sense, but with each sign, my reading improved. The language abilities are just awesome. Following the tanner's directions, I soon spotted the Peaceful Nights Inn. 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-hand wall.

Over thirty tables filled the space, several already occupied by diners. Three servers moved between the tables. On the right stood a long wooden bar, where one man polished glasses while the other shouted through the window behind it. Probably the kitchen. The right side also held 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 a feeling equivalent to a shrug. I shrugged too; it was the correct 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 blinked in surprise.

"Of course it can. It's a dog, not a horse. Do you want a regular room or one with a sitting room?" After a moment's thought, I said, "With a sitting room." If I planned to 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.

"Why? Go to the bathhouse. It's much nicer and right around the corner." After thanking him, we headed upstairs. The room turned out surprisingly nice. The sitting room had a fireplace with five armchairs set in front of it. To the right, a small dining table and two chairs sat beside a wide window overlooking the street. The bedroom was smaller, with a twin bed, a large chest at its foot with the key sticking out of the lock, a small table with a bowl, cup, and pitcher of water, and a door leading to the toilet.

Unfortunately, no plumbing—just a chair without a seat over a bucket that had to be carried out. Worse yet, the room had faithfully collected that scent 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: 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 was nutty in flavor, and a side of grilled purple vegetables shaped like bell peppers but crunchy like cabbage, with a sour undertone that reminded me of artichoke. To wash it all down, they served me a tall glass of honey ale. Stretch got a bowl of mukar stew, cooked over a campfire while he was awakening.

Back in the room, I spread his blankets, gave him a thorough round of petting and ear scratches, then we settled in for the night. Tomorrow, we would see what the city had to offer.