Chapter 42 – Peaceful and Boring? Most of the Time (Patreon)

I went to the docks to look for a ship sailing to Talis. When I arrived, it looked like a complete mayhem. People were walking or running in every direction, a lot of hand carts were pushed every which way, most of the communication was in shouts and bellows, and people were throwing crates to each other. It was chaos. I saw a man standing to the side and writing on something resembling a clipboard, and I approached him.

“Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where I can inquire about a passage on a ship?”

He didn’t lift his head from his clipboard but pointed to the right and said, “That building over there.” I looked and located the building.

“Thank you.” He grunted in acknowledgment.

I went to the indicated building and looked inside. It had an open first floor with a long counter and three people working behind it. There was a long line of people, and every time one of the clerks finished with a customer, the next person in line approached. After the chaos outside, I also expected a mess here, but it was very orderly and sedate.

I waited in line until it was my turn after about half an hour. I approached the counter, and the clerk asked without lifting his head from his papers, “How can I help you?”

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

“We mostly know if the ships are going west or east, not specific destinations, especially not Talis, which is very far from here. You have two options: I can give you a list of ships heading west, and you can approach and ask the captains, or you can pay one silver for a dock runner that will go and ask for you.”

“I will pay.” I gave him a silver coin and added, “The passage is for me and my dog, so I need a ship on which I can take my dog with me.”

He lifted his head for the first time and said, “Some captains might have a problem with that; not all dogs can do their business in a chamber pot.”

“I assure you my dog can, and you can promise the captain.”

He wrote my information on a piece of paper and said, “Come back in two days.”

“Two days? Why so long?”

“It’s late afternoon already, and most runners will be heading home. Your runner will start working tomorrow. He needs a day for each side of the river.”

“Thank you. I’ll return in two days.” He nodded, and I left.

Now, I had to occupy myself for the next two days and maybe longer, depending on the ship. I returned to the inn, had an early dinner, and read a book in my room while scratching Stretch’s ears.

The following morning, I approached Loman and asked, “Do you have pawn shops in the city?”

“Of course. What are you looking for?”

“I thought to go ask about jewelry.”

He thought momentarily and said, “I can direct you to two pawn shops I'm familiar with, but if you're looking for jewelry, I can pass the word between my customers. Many nobles sell their jewelry to buy new pieces.”

“Thank you. Please pass the word and direct me to the pawn shops.”

“Do you have paper and charcoal?”

I gave him a paper and a pen, and he looked at the pen suspiciously, “How do you use that?”

“Just write with it like with charcoal.” Now I understand why Rob, the bath owner, looked at me with such interest.

Loman drew a simple map and explained how to find the shops. I asked Stretch if he wanted to come with me and got a yawn in response. Message received, buddy. Message received.

The first pawn shop was everything I imagined when I looked for pawn shops on Earth. It was dark and dusty, with various unrelated stuff on the shelves. That is precisely what a pawn shop should look like.

The owner saw me and said, “Hello, good sir, how can I help you today?”

“I’m looking to buy jewelry.”

“Right away, good sir.”

He went to the back to get the jewelry, and I looked at one of the shelves. It was a strange assortment of stuff. On the same shelf, there were three spoons and a knife that looked like they belonged to the same set made of silver, a pretty doll of cloth and wood made with fantastic craftsmanship; the doll's face seemed almost life-like, a tool that looked like a big scraper with raised edges that I had no idea what it was used for, a box with an empty ink well and three feather pens; one of them looked broken, a ring made of iron and an ugly glass bowl shaped like a clawing hand—weird stuff.

He returned carrying a small wooden box and said, “That is all I have right now.”

The box contained three rings with gems, hoop earrings, a medal with a relief of crossed swords and a bird, a delicate tiara with diamonds, and three brooches with gems. The jewelry was all made of gold. I appraised it, and the total was 317 gold. I asked him, “How much?”

“250 gold if you take everything. Individual pieces will cost more.”

“I’ll take it.” I didn’t even try to haggle.

I visited the other pawn shop and bought some pieces as well. I asked about more pawn shops in the second shop and got directions to another one. I was told there were only three in the city. I didn’t like the look and feel of the third shop; the owner felt wrong and a criminal. I didn’t know if it was my Sense Honesty, Perception, or Luck, but I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. I just said, “Sorry, wrong shop.” And left.

When I returned to the inn, Loman told me some people would come to see me later. I spent a few hours in front of the fire with Stretch and witnessed firsthand how many pets and treats he was getting from the staff and the customers. He exuded smugness like body heat when I told him they were spoiling him rotten.

In the late afternoon, Loman approached me and said that the first seller was here but would prefer to meet with me in my room; I agreed and went up. In two minutes, there was a knock on my door, and when I opened it, I saw a pretty young woman.

“Hello, madam. Please come inside.”

She entered and asked, “I heard you are buying jewelry. Is this true?”

“Yes.”

“Can you guarantee that no one will know about it?”

“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 and produced a cloth pouch, which she opened to spill its contents on the table. It contained quite a few lovely gold pieces. She asked, “Will you be interested in those?”

“Depends how much you want for them?”

“250 gold.”

I appraised them for 207 gold and also felt something fishy, so I said, “Sorry, madam. But the price is higher than their worth, and it’s definitely not the price for second-hand jewelry bought in secret.”

She deflated and said, “I told my father my face won’t help get a good price. How much are you willing to pay?”

I had a feeling that if I bought them for a low price, she would get in trouble with her father. So, I said, “You, nothing. If your father comes, I will negotiate with him.”

She looked relieved, got up, and said, “Thank you.”

After she left, I went downstairs, but Loman told me to go back up and stay in my room. I had more nobles coming, and they didn’t like to be seen selling their stuff. So, I went back up and waited.

Shortly, a gentleman arrived and sold me his late mother's jewelry. I didn’t sense anything wrong, and we negotiated a price we were happy with. After him, another lady arrived. She was selling the jewelry her late husband gave her. We negotiated a reasonable price, and after I promised her not to tell her new husband, she left. The third was again a man selling women's jewelry. I still didn’t sense anything fishy, so we negotiated a price, and he wanted a promise I wouldn’t tell his wife. It continued like this until late in the 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. I concluded that nobles are a special breed.

The next 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 resembling two lines of sentries. I approached the people near the ship docking and asked about the captain.

After somebody shouted for him so hard that my ears rang, an older gentleman approached me on the dock and asked, “You’re the one asking about going to Talis with a dog?”

“Yes.”

He looked unhappy about the idea and said, “I don’t like dogs on my ship. They do their business everywhere. The dock runner promised me I won’t have a problem like this, but I’m not sure I believe him.”

I thought momentarily and said, “I understand your care for your ship; it is commendable. But my dog is very smart and well-trained as a merchant guard. He can travel on anything with no problems. He does his business in a container. And besides, I am a healer, not only a merchant, and I have a cleaning spell. If he has an accident, I can clean after him. I have an idea: I heard you are leaving in five days. How about my dog and I board the ship in four days and stay the last day on the ship? This way, you can see for yourself, and if there is a problem, you can kick us off before sailing.”

He smiled and held his hand for a handshake, “If you are a healer, I have no problem even if your dog has an accident.”

I shook his hand and said, “My name is John. It's nice to meet you. What time do you want us to come in four days?”

“Captain Natan,” he said, “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 food and water?”

“We have our own.”

“Three gold for the two of you.”

“And how long is the trip?”

“It will take about two weeks to reach Mormet without stopping, depending on the wind. In Mormet, we stop for at least a week or maybe ten days to unload and load new cargo. After that, it will take eight to ten days to Talis without stopping.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you in four days.”

“See you then, lad.” It still sounded strange to me that people called me 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.”

I went to the warehouse area and found a warehouse to rent for three days. I removed everything except food from my Storage and began to organize things. During the last month, I sold about fifty percent of my inventory. I had empty boxes and crates, and the shelves were half empty. I sold about sixty percent when I added everything I sold on the road and in towns.

I sold almost all my fabric, yarn, knitting, and sewing supplies, ninety percent of the metal cookware, most of the toys, all the towels, a big chunk of the linen and blankets, and about twenty percent of the glassware.

I began to refill the empty boxes and crates by categories, did an inventory of all the cloth products I had left except clothes, and collected all the glassware on twelve shelving units instead of nineteen.

The only products that didn’t sell well were the clothes and the office supplies, which I actually didn’t offer. I tried to think about how to sell the clothes and had an idea. In the clothes shops where I sold my fabric, I saw they had something similar to hangers. They looked like an F made of wood with the bottom horizontal line extending to both sides. I decided to go look to buy some and hang the clothes; maybe I can sell them better if they are displayed individually and not in baskets.

It was already dark outside, so I headed back to the inn. After I passed the dock area, I walked through an alley to get to the main road and suddenly felt an intense pain in my shoulder, and my back slammed against the wall. The pain was so intense that my mind blanked for a few moments. I was in shock. When my mind cleared, I looked and saw a crossbow bolt sticking out of my shoulder and a group of people approaching me. They slowly surrounded me, and I saw that there were nine people, three of them with crossbows, and one of them the pawn shop owner I didn’t like.

He spoke first, “We saw you run 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 got terrified for a moment, but then my adrenaline kicked in, and my mind cleared. I was strong and had magic; I didn’t need to be afraid. I split my mind and, with one side, grabbed my blood so I wouldn’t bleed out, and with the other, cast a mana shield on myself, straightened, and lifted my left hand. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use my staff because I couldn’t move my right arm.

I looked at him and said, “Leave, and you might live.”

They all laughed at me, and the leader said, “Your guard dog is not here, and we outnumber you. For your audacity, you owe me all of your gold now.” He turned to the crossbowmen and said, “Shoot him; we’ll take his inventory.”

The three of them shot me, and the bolts bounced off my shield, but the shield also shattered. I felt a backlash in my mind from the shield breaking, but I kept my wits. I cast it again on myself, pointed my hand at the leader, and shot a mana bolt. I’m not sure if I was shaking or if I needed to train accuracy, but my aim was way off. I aimed for center mass, but he grabbed his crotch and started screaming. Oops! I winced and felt a sympathetic twinge of pain.

The rest of the robbers froze and looked at him in shock. Two of the crossbowmen shot me again. My shield held but was on its last leg. I cast it again and hit one of the crossbowmen. This time, I aimed higher, just in case, but my aim was “better”; I shot him in the neck. He grabbed it and started to make choking sounds. Oops again? Still better than the crotch. I noticed that I wasn’t scared anymore, 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 read in the forums. I was OP compared to them. It boosted my confidence even higher.

Three of them turned around and ran away, but the other four that were still standing took out knives and attacked me. I reacted on instinct and 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 didn’t move anymore. 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 away.

I walked out of the alley, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of my lungs, “Guards! Guards!”

I waited for a moment and heard running in my direction. It took a few moments, and two guards appeared. One of them looked at the bolt in my shoulder and asked, “Do you need a healer? What happened?”

“I’m a healer; I don’t need one. But I need help removing the bolt; I can’t do it one-handed.”

The other guard asked, “What happened?”

“I’m a healer and a merchant and sold many things in the city. I was accosted by nine robbers who demanded I hand half my gold as a toll. They shot me, and I defended myself. Four ran away, and the rest are in that alley.”

The first guard asked, “You defeated nine robbers by yourself?”

“I was well trained before starting as a traveling merchant and have some basic spells for protection.”

They looked at me with astonishment, and one of them asked, “You’re a mage too?”

“No. I was taught two protection spells.”

“Without being a mage? How?”

“A mage taught me. Can you please help me remove the bolt? It hurts.”

The first guard approached me, looked at the bolt, and said, “I’ll need to push it out. It will hurt.”

The other guard, in the meantime, went into the alley.

I stored my shirt and jacket, took out a stick I had for fire to bite on, and said, “Do it.”

He broke the end of the bolt and pushed it out. Oww, oww, oww. The pain was like nothing I felt in my life. It hurt!

When the bolt was out, I cast two Healing Touch on myself until the wound closed, cast Clean and Purify, took out clean clothes, and dressed.

The other guard called his partner, and I joined them in the alley. The five I fought were still in the alley. The one I accidentally shot in the crotch was lying on his side, bleeding and whimpering quietly. The rest were unconscious. The guards looked around, picked up some of the bolts, examined them, and checked the hands of the people on the ground.

One of them said, “Criminal underground. Please describe to me what happened exactly.”

I walked them through the events as they happened, and one of the guards asked, “So this one was their leader?”

“Yes.”

“Can you stop his bleeding so he won't bleed out before we have a chance to question him?”

I approached the ring leader and diagnosed him. His crotch was a mess. I decided that I was not going to heal it, only stop the bleeding. It’s better to prevent the procreation of criminal elements. After I healed him, I examined the rest. The one I accidentally shot in the neck was dead; I cut and cauterized his airways with the mana dart when I shot him. The two I banged heads were alive but had a severe concussion, and the one I threw at the wall was dead with a broken neck and spine. I was still shaken up from the attack and from killing two people, but less than the first time I killed a man; it was pure self-defense.

I spent another three hours with the guards while they called for help to remove the criminals and called for a mage with a Truth spell. I told him the story again, and he confirmed it. He was also shocked that I was a Healer and a Merchant and had spells.

I returned to the inn, and Stretch immediately approached me, sending worry and a question into my mind. 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, asking, “What happened?”

I explained what had happened, and he looked worried and said, “I’m really sorry, but I must ask you to leave. The criminal underground in the city is larger than nine men. I can’t afford for them to attack the inn in retaliation. Maybe you can stay on the ship earlier?”

I thought about it and said, “I understand your position and am not upset. I will find a solution.”

I held my hand for a handshake, and when he shook my hand, I said, “Thank you for everything. I had a great stay at your inn. No hard feelings.” He looked puzzled but didn’t say anything. I gave him two gold coins and said, “This is for all the help with the nobles selling jewelry.”

“Thank you, lad, and I’m sorry again.”

I had nothing in my room, so we just left. I walked back to the warehouse I rented and arranged blankets for Stretch, and a mattress with a sleeping bag for me. I should have stored a bed for such circumstances. It was warm enough in the warehouse, so we had dinner and went to sleep.

The following morning, I cast a shield on myself and told Stretch I’d return in a few hours. He wanted to go with me, and I felt a strong surge of protectiveness from him. I tried to cast the mana shield on him but got a message.

Your Mana Shield level is too low to cast on others

I tried to convince him to stay, but he wasn’t having it. We returned to the city, and I was hyper-aware of my surroundings. I sensed people watching us a couple of times, but nothing happened. I found a shop that sold furniture and bought a twin bed for myself with a feather mattress, a dining table with four chairs, and a couch. I was berating myself for not doing it on Earth; the quality here wasn’t great—another oversight. I sighed deeply and continued on.

We toured the food stalls, and I stocked food for our ship voyage. I found one of the city wells—at least it had a pump and not a bucket—and took out two water tanks that I emptied, filled them, and cast Purify on them.

We left the city to the east, past the tanners’ area. While walking past it, I thought about checking again with the tanner but decided against it. It was his choice to pass the chance I gave him.

After about a kilometer, we stopped, and I started a fire. I cooked until I filled all my takeaway containers and had ready food in all my personal cooking pots and pans. I even made two pans of lasagna. We stayed out all night, and it was dawn already. I was still not tired, so I used one of the tanks to fill all my empty water bottles and rearranged the coolers to see how much meat I had left. After organizing everything, I had three coolers of meat, two coolers of fish, and cooked food for two months for both of us, not including the cooked food I bought.

I also had a crazy amount of alcohol that I never touched and never offered for sale. I got an idea and went back to the inn where I stayed.

When Loman saw me, he looked worried for a minute, but I told him, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to ask for a room again. I forgot to show you something interesting to buy.”

I took out three crates of bourbon, took out one bottle, and said, “This one is a gift. Open it to taste the product.”

He tasted it, and his eyes widened, “What is that? It’s amazing.”

“A drink produced in my homeland. It will cost you five silver a bottle, and as a gesture of appreciation, I won’t offer it to any other inn.”

I don’t think he ever agreed so fast to anything.

After that, we returned to the warehouse, slept for a few hours, and went out again to refill the emptied water tank.

The next day, I had a talk with Stretch, “Listen, buddy. On the ship, there is no convenient bush or backyard to pee or poop. So, you will have to do it in a container.” I took out a big plastic bowl and showed him. “After you do your thing, I’ll throw it overboard and clean the bowl. It’s not a big deal if you have an accident, but tell me so I can clean it. But please try to do it in the bowl.”

He didn’t look pleased about the idea but agreed. I really love my dog.

I did a final check of everything in my Storage, and a final warehouse sweep, and we left for the ship.