Chương 47: Chapter 42: Peaceful and Boring? Most of the Time

Most of the Time The docks were a crazy pandemonium that assaulted the senses from every direction. Complete mayhem. People darted from one end to another in erratic paths, crisscrossing and almost colliding. Shouts filled the air in a disorienting cacophony. Workers pushed handcarts stacked with goods, while others tossed crates or ran with them in every direction. It was a madhouse.

The air was thick with the smell of fish and refuse mingling with the scents of various cargoes—spices, leather, fresh produce, and God knows what else. It all blended into an olfactory assault; a different madness that left me dizzy from sensory overload. Above the din, seagulls squawked, their cries cutting through the human noise. They were nearly twice the size of Earth's seagulls and black instead of white, but still the same flying rats I knew. You couldn't mistake them, no matter the world or the color.

A man stood amid the chaos, detached from the frenzy around him, jotting notes on something resembling a clipboard. I wove through the crowd toward him, dodged an errant handcart that nearly clipped my heels, and ducked under a flying crate.

"Excuse me, sir. Where can I ask about a passage on a ship?" Without lifting his head from the clipboard, he pointed right.

"That building over there." I looked and located the building.

"Thank you." He grunted in acknowledgment. The indicated building had an open first floor, a long counter, and three clerks working behind it. A long line of people waited, and each time a clerk finished with a customer, the next in line stepped forward. After the chaos outside, I expected a mess here too, but it was quiet and polite, almost surprisingly so compared to the insane pandemonium outside. I waited about half an hour for my turn.

When I finally reached the counter, the clerk didn't glance up, his quill scratching steadily across the page.

"How can I help you?" he asked, still focused on his papers. I rested a hand on the counter and leaned forward to catch his attention.

"I'm looking to buy passage on a ship to Talis. Do you know of any sailing that way?"

"We mostly know if the ships are going north or south, not specific destinations." He flipped a page without looking at me.

"Especially not Talis, which is very far from here. You have two options: I can give you a list of ships heading north, and you can ask the captains yourself, or you can pay one silver for a dock runner to go and ask for you."

"I'll pay." I slid a silver coin across the counter; the clink finally made him pause.

"The passage is for me and my dog, so I need a ship that will allow him on board." That made him raise his head. His eyes flicked to me, skeptical.

"Some captains might have a problem with that. Not all dogs can do their business in a chamber pot."

"Mine can. You can promise the captain." He gave a small grunt, then bent to scribble my information onto a slip of paper. After a moment, he straightened.

"Come back in three days."

"Three days? Why so long?"

"It's late afternoon, and most runners have already gone home." He stacked his papers neatly and set the quill aside.

"Your runner will start tomorrow. He'll need a day for each side of the river."

"Thank you. I'll return in three days." He tilted his head in acknowledgment and moved on to the next person in line. Turning away, I left the building. Now I had to occupy myself for the next three days, maybe longer, depending on the ship. Back at the inn, I ate an early dinner and read in my room while scratching Stretch's ears. The fireplace's quiet crackling created a cozy atmosphere. Stretch lay beside me, content, occasionally tilting his head to grant better access to his ears.

The next morning, I approached Loman while he inspected a shipment of goods. I cleared my throat to get his attention.

"Do you have pawnshops in the city?" Loman looked up, set his ledger down, and brushed the dust from his hands.

"Of course," he said.

"What are you looking for?"

"Jewelry." He tapped the side of the crate thoughtfully before replying.

"I can direct you to two pawnshops I'm familiar with, but if you're looking for jewelry, I can pass the word among my customers. Many nobles sell their jewelry to buy new pieces."

"Thank you," I said with a nod.

"Please pass the word and direct me to the pawnshops."

"Do you have paper and charcoal?" I pulled a sheet of paper and a pen from my Storage and handed them over. He took the pen and turned it over in his hands, rolling it between his fingers.

"How do you use that?" Smiling, I clicked the pen and drew a line on the paper. The sharp click made him flinch, and his eyes widened in surprise as the ink glided across the sheet.

"Just write with it like with charcoal." Now I also understood why Rab, the bath owner, looked at me with such interest. Loman drew a simple map. I asked Stretch if he wanted to come with me, and he answered with a yawn, stretching his legs before curling back down. Message received, buddy. Message received. The first pawnshop was exactly as expected: dark, dusty, and crammed with unrelated stuff—just as a pawnshop should be. As I stepped inside, the owner's eyes lit up with a welcoming smile.

"Hello, good sir, how can I help you today?"

"I'm looking to buy jewelry," I said, glancing around at the displays.

"Right away, good sir," he said with an eager nod. While he went to the back for the jewelry, I inspected the shelves. They held a strange assortment of things. Three silver spoons and a knife that looked like they belonged to the same set. Beside them was a cloth-and-wood doll of remarkable craftsmanship, its painted face so detailed it seemed almost lifelike. A heavy tool that resembled a scraper with raised edges leaned against the wall; I had no idea what it was for.

On another shelf stood a small wooden box with an empty inkwell and three feather pens—one snapped in half—a spiked iron ring, and an ugly glass bowl shaped like a clawing hand. One shelf lower stood a cracked hourglass with sand stuck halfway, a leather mask with only one eyehole, and a brass key so large it looked like it belonged to a giant—weird stuff. He returned with a small wooden box, set it on the counter, and slid it toward me.

"That is all I have right now." I lifted the lid. Inside lay three rings set with gems, a pair of hoop earrings, a medal etched with crossed swords and a bird, a thin diamond-studded tiara, and three jeweled brooches. All the jewelry was gold. Appraising the lot brought the total to 317 gold.

"How much?" I asked.

"Two hundred fifty gold if you take everything. Individual pieces will cost more."

"I'll take it." I snapped the lid shut, not bothering to haggle. I picked up a few more pieces at the second pawnshop. When I finished, I asked, "Are there any more pawnshops in the city?" The proprietor, a balding man with deep lines across his forehead, counted the coins carefully before sweeping them into a small wooden box. He looked up at me and nodded.

"There are, yes."

"Could you point me to them?" He pointed toward the street outside.

"From here, take the main road east until you reach the square with the fountain. There's a shop just beyond it."

"I've been there already," I said. He pursed his lips, then nodded slowly.

"In that case, go past the fountain and continue to the market street. Two blocks in, you'll find the last one. There are only three in the city."

"Good to know." I tucked the purchases into my Storage and gave him a nod of thanks. Something about the third shop felt wrong; the owner looked suspicious. I didn't know if the feeling came from my Sense Honesty, Perception, or Luck, but I didn't want to have anything to do with him.

"Sorry, wrong shop," I said and left. When I returned to the inn, Loman told me some people would come to see me later. The smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread filled the air, making my stomach growl. I spent a few hours in front of the fire with Stretch and witnessed firsthand how many pets and treats he received from the staff and customers. He exuded smugness like body heat whenever I told him they were spoiling him rotten.

In the late afternoon, Loman approached me to say the first seller had arrived but preferred to meet in my room. Two minutes after I went up, someone knocked on the door. When I opened it, a pretty young woman stood on the other side, her hands clasped in front of her and a cautious smile on her face.

"Hello, madam. Please, come in," I said, stepping aside. She entered, eyes scanning the room before asking, "I heard you are buying jewelry. Is this true?"

"Yes."

"Can you guarantee that no one will know about it?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Yes. I'm a traveling Merchant and don't know anybody in the city. I'm also leaving in the next few days." She relaxed visibly, her shoulders lowering as she produced a cloth pouch from her cloak. She carefully opened it and spilled the contents onto the table, revealing several gold pieces.

"Would you be interested in those?"

"Depends on how much you want for them," I said, picking up a piece and inspecting it.

"250 gold," she said in a firm tone. I appraised them quickly. Their actual value was 207 gold, but I sensed something fishy about the transaction.

"Sorry, madam," I said, shaking my head.

"That's more than they're worth, and it's definitely not the price for second-hand jewelry sold in secret." She deflated.

"I told my father my looks wouldn't help get a good price. How much are you willing to pay?" My intuition told me that if I bought them cheaply, she might get in trouble with her father. So, I took a different approach.

"You, nothing," I said.

"If your father comes, I'll negotiate with him." She looked relieved.

"Thank you," she said softly, before turning to leave. After she left, I started downstairs, but Loman stopped me and told me to go back up to my room. I had more nobles coming, and they didn't like to be seen selling their stuff. A gentleman soon arrived and sold me his late mother's jewelry. I sensed nothing wrong, and we negotiated a fair price. Another lady came next, selling the jewelry her late husband had given her.

We negotiated a reasonable price, and after I promised her not to tell her new husband, she left. The third was another man selling women's jewelry. I still sensed nothing fishy, so we negotiated a price, and he wanted a promise I wouldn't tell his wife. The pattern continued until late evening. I saw eleven different people, not including the first lady, and only two didn't ask for a promise not to tell this person or another. Nobles sure were a special breed.

It snowed heavily during the night, so I stayed at the inn the following day. On the third day, I returned to the docks and met with the clerk. He gave me the name of a ship sailing to Talis in five days and where to find the captain. I found the ship quickly based on its description. It was long and wide, with a relatively flat bottom, at least the part I could see, two big square sails, and upright oars like two lines of sentries. I approached the people near the ship's docking and asked about the captain.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. After someone shouted "Captain" so loudly that my ears rang, an older gentleman walked over to me on the dock. He had sun-browned skin, a short gray beard, and broad shoulders that filled out his worn coat. He stopped in front of me, looking me up and down.

"You're the one asking about going to Talis with a dog?"

"Yes." His expression soured. He folded his arms across his chest.

"I don't like dogs on my ship. They piss and shit everywhere." The deep frown on his forehead tightened.

"The dock runner promised me I won't have a problem like this, but I'm not sure I believe him."

"I understand your care for your ship; it's commendable." I kept my voice steady.

"But my dog is smart and well-trained as a merchant guard. He can travel on anything with no problems. He does his business in a bowl. And besides, I'm a Healer and a Merchant. I have a cleaning spell. If he has an accident, I can clean up after him." A flicker of interest passed through his eyes, so I pressed on.

"I have an idea. I heard you leave in five days. How about my dog and I board the ship the day before? You can see for yourself, and if there's a problem, you can kick us off before sailing." The corners of his mouth tugged upward, and he extended a calloused hand.

"If you're a Healer, I don't mind even if your dog has an accident." I clasped his hand firmly, meeting his gaze.

"My name's John. It's nice to meet you. What time do you want us to come in four days?"

"Captain Natav." He released my hand with a nod.

"Come in the evening. We sail at first light, and I don't need to test your dog."

"How much will it cost, and how long is the passage?"

"Do you want me to feed you both, or do you have your own supplies?"

"We have our own."

"Three gold for the two of you," he said.

"And how long is the trip?"

"It'll take about two weeks to reach Mormet without stopping, depending on the wind." He waved a hand toward the sails.

"In Mormet, we stop for at least a week, maybe ten days, to unload and load new cargo. After that, eight to ten days to Talis without stopping."

"Sounds good. I'll see you in four days."

"See you then, lad." It still struck me as odd, being called lad. I knew I looked young, but I didn't feel young. I returned to the inn and asked Loman.

"Do I have more nobles coming?"

"I think a few more, but only tomorrow." I thought about going to my room to relax, but then I got an idea.

"Do you know where I can rent a big warehouse for two or three days?" He thought momentarily and said, "Go past the docks to the west, and you will reach the warehouses. Ask around there; I'm sure you can find something." In the warehouse district, I found a place available for rent for three days. I emptied everything from my Storage, except for the food, and began organizing. Over the last months, I sold about half of my inventory.

Empty boxes and crates were stacked up around me, and the shelves were only half full. Adding up everything I had sold on the road, in the towns, and in the city, the total came to about 60%. I had cleared out almost all the fabric, yarn, knitting, and sewing supplies; 90% of the metal cookware; most of the toys; every towel; a sizeable portion of the linen and blankets; and about 20% of the glassware.

I refilled the empty boxes and crates by category, inventoried all the remaining cloth products except clothes, and arranged the remaining glassware across twelve shelving units instead of nineteen. The only products that didn't sell well were the clothes and office supplies, which I hadn't offered. I thought about how to sell the clothes and came up with an idea. In the shops where I sold fabric, I noticed they used something similar to hangers.

They resembled an F made of wood, with an extra horizontal bar at the bottom that extended to both sides. I decided to buy some of those hangers and display the clothes individually, rather than keeping them in baskets. That might help them sell better. It was already dark outside, so I headed back to the inn. After passing the docks, I cut through an alley toward the main road. The narrow alley smelled of fish and damp wood, faint echoes of dockside voices drifting in.

A sharp warning from my Luck jolted through me, and I flinched in surprise. Pain exploded in my shoulder, driving me hard against the wall. The force knocked the breath out of me, and for a few moments, my mind went blank from the shock of the pain. When I managed to focus again, I saw a crossbow bolt jutting from my shoulder; the shaft quivering with the impact. If I hadn't moved, it would have pierced my neck. Shadows shifted at the far end of the alley. Figures stepped out, boots scraping the stone.

One by one, nine men closed in, three aiming crossbows at me. At the front stood the pawnshop owner I'd distrusted from the start, his eyes glinting in the dim light as he smirked. He spoke first.

"We saw you running around the city selling. Nobody sells in my city without paying a toll. Hand over half of your gold, and you'll live and get to leave with the rest of it." I was terrified for a moment. Frozen. My years as a doctor didn't prepare me for this. I had treated wounds, stitched flesh, and faced the slow creep of death in hospital rooms, but I had never stood in an alley with a crossbow bolt in my shoulder and men closing in.

Then the adrenaline kicked in, my mind cleared, and I reminded myself this was the very reason I had trained so hard. Even my meager magical abilities, as unpolished as they were, gave me a chance. I split my mind, one side clamping down on the flow of blood so I wouldn't bleed out, the other casting a Mana Shield around me. Straightening with effort, I lifted my left hand. My right arm hung uselessly, and without it, I couldn't wield my staff. I met his eyes.

"Leave, and you might live." They all laughed, and the leader sneered, "Your guard dog isn't here, and we outnumber you. For your audacity, you owe me all of your gold now." He turned to the crossbowmen.

"Shoot him. We'll take his inventory after he dies." The three of them fired, and the bolts bounced off my shield, but it shattered on the third hit. An intense wave of pain spiked through my mind when the shield broke, but it passed so quickly that it didn't have time to affect me. Recasting the shield, I aimed my hand at the leader and launched a mana dart. I wasn't sure whether I was shaking too much or just needed more training to improve accuracy, but my aim was way off.

I aimed for his gut, yet he clutched his crotch and screamed. Oops! I winced, a sympathetic twinge running through me as his high-pitched scream tore through the air. The sound was gut-wrenching, enough to make anyone's stomach turn. The rest of the robbers froze, faces paling as they stared at him in shock. One dropped his weapon, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Another stepped back, eyes wide with horror, unable to look away from their writhing leader.

He collapsed to the ground, clutching himself and curling into a fetal position, his screams growing shriller and shriller. Two of the crossbowmen fired at me again. My shield held, but it was on its last leg. I recast it and sent a Mana Dart at one of them. This time, I aimed higher, just in case, and my aim was "better." The shot hit him in the neck. He clutched at it, making choking sounds. Oops again? I shrugged. Still better than the crotch. I wasn't scared anymore, not even a little.

It felt like I was the predator and they were the prey. For the first time, I understood the OP concept I'd read about in the forums. I was OP compared to them, and the thought boosted my confidence even higher. Three ran away, but the other four that were still standing took out knives and attacked me. I reacted instinctively, drawing on my Krav Maga training. One of them tried to stab me, so I grabbed his arm and, with all my strength, threw him sideways.

He flew across the alley, hit the wall hard, fell, and no longer moved. Two of his friends stabbed me simultaneously, and the knives bounced off my shield. I grabbed one of them by the neck and slammed his head into his friend's head. Both of them fell to the ground, unconscious. The last one turned tail and ran. I walked out of the alley, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of my lungs, "Guards! Guards!" Running footsteps approached me rapidly.

It took a few moments, and two guards appeared, their expressions shifting from alertness to concern when they saw me. The older one looked at the bolt embedded in my shoulder and asked, "Do you need a Healer? What happened?"

"I'm a Healer, I don't need one. But I do need help pulling the bolt. I can't do it one-handed." The other guard, a younger man with a stern face, asked, "What happened?"

"I'm a Healer and a Merchant who sold goods in the city. I was accosted by nine robbers demanding half my gold as a toll. They shot me, and I defended myself. Four ran off, and the rest are in that alley." I nodded toward the dark passage. The first guard gave me a suspicious look.

"You defeated nine robbers by yourself?"

"I was well trained before starting as a traveling Merchant and learned a few basic spells for protection," I said, keeping my voice civil despite the pain in my shoulder and the fact that this guard was wasting time with stupid questions instead of helping me pull it out. They stared at me in astonishment until one asked, "You're a mage too?"

"No. I was taught two protection spells."

"Without being a mage? How?" the younger guard asked. I was getting pissed off with all the babble and the pain.

"A mage taught me," I snapped.

"Now help me pull the bolt out—it hurts." The first guard approached me, examining the bolt.

"I'll need to push it out. It will hurt," he warned, meeting my eyes with a serious expression. Meanwhile, the other guard entered the alley to check on the robbers. I stored my shirt and jacket, took out a branch to bite on, positioned it between my teeth, and nodded.

"Do it." The guard nodded and placed a firm hand on my shoulder to steady me. With a swift motion, he pushed the bolt through. White-hot pain flared through me, and I bit down hard on the stick. My vision swam. Ow, ow, ow. The pain was unlike anything I'd ever felt. It fucking hurt. Once the bolt was out, I cast Healing Touch twice until the wound closed, then Clean and Purify before dressing. The younger guard called his partner, and I followed them into the alley. The five I had fought were still there.

The one I'd accidentally shot in the crotch lay on his side, bleeding and whimpering softly, while the rest were unconscious. The guards moved among them. One bent to collect the fallen bolts, turning them over in his hand before slipping them into a pouch. The other crouched, rolling a body slightly to check the wrist. All of them had the same tattoo—an inked circle with a line running straight through it.

"Criminal underground." The older guard straightened and fixed me with a steady look.

"Please describe exactly what happened." I walked them through the events as they unfolded, pointing out where the attack started, where I'd been standing, and how it ended.

"So this one was their leader?" The older guard asked, nudging the man on the ground with the toe of his boot.

"Yes."

"Can you stop his bleeding so he won't bleed out before we have a chance to question him?" I approached the ringleader and cast Diagnose. His crotch was a mess. I chose not to heal it, only to stop the bleeding. Better not to facilitate the procreation of more criminal elements. After patching him up, I moved on to examine the others. The one I'd hit in the neck with a Mana Dart was dead; the shot had cut and cauterized his airways.

The two whose heads I'd slammed together were alive but concussed, and the one I'd thrown against the wall was dead, his neck broken. The attack shook me, particularly after taking two lives, though it wasn't as bad as the first time. I spent another three hours with the guards while they brought men to remove the criminals and summoned a mage with a Truth spell. He confirmed my story and was also shocked that I was a Healer-Merchant who could cast spells.

When I returned to the inn, Stretch immediately approached me, filling my mind with worry and a question. I patted him and said, "Don't worry, buddy, I'm fine. I'll tell you later what happened." Loman noticed Stretch's reaction and approached me.

"What happened?" After I explained what happened, he looked worried and avoided my eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I must ask you to leave. The criminal underground in this city is larger than nine men. I can't risk them attacking the inn in retaliation. Maybe you can stay on the ship earlier?" For a moment, my anger flared. I was the victim here, and he was kicking me out? But after a second, I cooled down. Unlike him, I was only passing through.

"I'll find a solution," I said. I extended my hand for a handshake, thanking him as he took it.

"I had a great stay at your inn. No hard feelings." He looked puzzled but said nothing. I placed two gold coins on the counter.

"This is for all the help with the nobles selling jewelry."

"Thank you, lad, and I'm sorry again." Since there was nothing left in my room, we turned around and left. I returned to the rented warehouse and set up blankets for Stretch, a mat and sleeping bag for myself, plus a table and chair. We had a quiet dinner by the light of an oil lamp and fell asleep. Neither of us was in the mood for a beer. My sleep was awful—I tossed and turned all night. Somehow, the same setup that felt comfortable in the wilderness was miserable on a stone floor.

The following morning, I cast a shield on myself and told Stretch I'd be back in a few hours. He wanted to come along, and a powerful surge of protectiveness rolled off him. When I tried to cast the Mana Shield on him, nothing happened. I tried to convince him to stay, but he wouldn't have it. We headed back into the city, and with every step, I became increasingly hyper-aware of my surroundings. Twice, I felt eyes on me, but nothing came of it.

In one shop, I bought a feather mattress and silently berated myself for not having done so on Earth; the quality here was poor at best—another oversight. With a sigh, I moved on. We toured the food stalls, and I stocked up for our voyage. At one of the city wells—thankfully fitted with a pump instead of a bucket—I refilled two water tanks, cast Clean and Purify, and stored them away. We left the city to the east, passing the tanners' area.

For a moment, I considered checking with the tanner, but waved the thought away and kept walking. It was his choice to pass on the chance I'd given him. About a mile later, we stopped, and I built a fire. Cooking took most of the evening as I filled every takeout container and loaded my personal pots and pans with ready meals. I even made two pans of lasagna. The savory aroma of meat and herbs drifted through the air, bringing a smile to my face.

It felt almost like being alone in the wilderness again, free from robbers and the noise of the city. We stayed up all night, and by dawn, I still wasn't tired. One tank went to refill my empty bottles, and I used the time to rearrange the coolers to check my supplies. After all the rearranging, I had three coolers of meat, two of fish, and cooked food enough for two months, not counting the meals I'd bought. I also had more alcohol than I would ever use. That gave me an idea, and I headed back to the inn.

When Loman saw me, his face tightened with worry, but I waved it off.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to ask for a room again. I forgot to show you something interesting you might want to buy." I pulled out three crates of bourbon, uncorked one bottle, and handed it over.

"This one's a gift. Open it and taste the product." He took a sip, and his eyes went wide.

"What is that? It's amazing."

"A drink produced in my homeland. It'll cost you five silver a bottle, and as a gesture of appreciation, I won't offer it to any other inn." I'd never seen anyone agree so fast or so enthusiastically. His nodding reminded me of the dashboard bobblehead dogs. After that, we returned to the warehouse, slept for a few hours, and I headed to refill the empty water tank. The next day, I sat down with Stretch.

"Listen, buddy. On the ship, there won't be a convenient bush or backyard to pee or poop. You'll have to use a container." I pulled out a big plastic bowl and held it up for him to see.

"After you do your thing, I'll toss it overboard and clean the bowl. If you have an accident, it's fine, just let me know so I can clean it. But try to use the bowl, okay?" He didn't look thrilled about the arrangement, but agreed. I really love my dog. After a last check of my Storage and a sweep of the warehouse, we set out for the ship. The air was crisp, the sky clear, and for once no snow fell as we made our way to the docks, ready for the next leg of our journey.