The first thing Hugo did was sell some jewelry at a pawnbroker for some spending money. He had made a variety of titanium rings and necklaces on the train ride to Fontain. Once he had a few coins in his pocket he bought a train ticket to Tembisa. It was a city on the other side of shimmer mountain, sitting between Deva and Paarl. Then he spent the rest of the money he had earned on several new outfits. He went for a low class merchant style and changed before he boarded the train again.

The trip around the mountain was going to take the rest of the day. He had the time to think about his plans once he got there. Tembisa was similar to Deva in that it had a mixed population, plenty of nox and humans. There were some riese as well, but not many. Most cities far from The Mother had small populations of riese.

Hugo wasn’t terribly worried about standing out among the small population. He doubted the royals would care enough to track him down mundanely. When their seers couldn’t find him, they would probably just give up. So he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted there. The question was, what did he want to do?

He had no idea.

Since even before shimmer mountain blew up, Hugo had been hyper focused on achieving his goals. At first it had been training to be a shimmer corpsman. Then a mage. Then saving the cities on the wheel. He didn’t know what to do with himself when he didn’t have any goals to work towards.

He knew what he didn’t want. He didn’t want to hide away, poor and alone. So the first thing he needed was money. First thing in the morning, he was going to make some runed weapons and armor. Hopefully he could find a shop willing to buy his creations. He figured as long as they thought it was second hand, he could get some decent money from them.

Before then, he wanted to fabricate something so he could afford a place to sleep tonight. His mana was low right now after walking on air and fabricating things to sell. Later in the year his mana would recover faster, but right now he was still at fifty points. Which was plenty for most people, but for him was low. He could just make another titanium necklace, but he had the time and wanted to challenge himself.

Looking out the window helped him daydream and he eventually came up with the idea to fabricate a locking jewelry box. It was something he felt like he could sell at a variety of shops and would be a pleasant challenge to calculate out. The next few hours were spent scratching out a variety of formulas and equations. He was pleased to discover that he could adjust the creation slightly using his instinct. It was a combination of how he used his formation and barrier domains. He rounded edges and created snug fits as he assembled his orange osage box with titanium lock and key. He thought the octagonal design would make it particularly interesting to a nox.

He had to redo the lock a few times before he got it right. He had figured his experience with picking locks would grant him the ability to create complex locks. It did not. He had to simplify the lock before he could get it to work correctly.

Completed box in hand, he set out to explore the new city. Tembisa was located near a rock quarry and that affected the look and feel of the city. Stone was used widely throughout construction and wood was only used as an accent or for temporary structures. Instead of cobbled streets, large stone blocks made up the gray streets. It contrasted nicely with the white and red marble buildings in the rich districts. The poorer districts had a more drab limestone gray and pink feel, but the whole city had an upscale feeling to Hugo. It all had an established and permanent feeling.

Hugo’s favorite part of the merchant section of town was the signs. They stuck out into the street and advertised their business in big garish colors. In addition to the name of the business, most shops had a symbol showing off of their wares. Mortar and pestle for an alchemist, needle and thread for a tailor. Hugo enjoyed deciphering the art for the more esoteric shops. The plumber sign made sense when he realized it featured a stylized shower. The sundry store was an overflowing basket of bits and bobs.

Turning into the last one, Hugo walked up to the human shopkeep and said, “Hello there, do you buy things as well?”

“Yes, but you will have to talk to the owner,” she said and turned to the back of the store and called out, “Lars, customer for you.”

An old man waddled out from the back and walked up to Hugo and said, “My, you are a big one, aren’t you?”

Hugo shrugged, “Not particularly. My dad is much taller.”

“Of course, of course,” he said with a smile, “Are you looking to part with that?”

“Yes, I wanted to see what I could get for it. It’s a locking jewelry box with three trays inside,” Hugo said and set the ornate octagonal box down on the counter and demonstrated it. Hugo was proud of himself when the lock and hinges smoothly operated.

Lars picked it up and looked it over, “It’s a nice big jewelry box. Good craftsmanship. We will have to lacquer it before we sell it though. Where did you get this?”

Hugo shrugged, “Does it matter?” He didn’t particularly feel like lying.

“I just need to make sure you didn’t steal it. It’s a hazard in my line of business, and I won’t deal with that sort,” Lars said seriously.

Hugo smiled, “No worries there. I made it myself.” He fabricated a human sized wooden ring so there would be no doubt about his claim. He placed it inside the jewelry box and said, “Price just went up a bit.”

Lars laughed and slapped his knee. “That it did. Don’t get too many mages in my store, particularly not riese mages. I can offer you four silver for the box and a copper for the ring.”

Hugo shook his head, “Even without lacquering it, you could sell it for eight silver. After you have it done, it’s at least ten. Give me five silver, or I walk into the beautiful night.”

Lars considered it for a moment and said, “Done.” He dug into a pouch on his stomach and brought out five silver. As he handed it over, he said, “Don’t spend it all in one place.”

“Actually, I was hoping to do just that. I am new in town. Any hotels you can recommend that would give me an excellent night’s stay for five silver?” Hugo asked.

Lars slapped his knee again and said, “I should have known a mage would spend coin like water. Your best bet is the Gilded Lily on high street. It's the most expensive hotel in town. Two silver will give you a nice bed and dinner to boot.”

Thanking the man, Hugo went back into the night. The sun was just setting and it was a pleasant walk to the hotel the man recommended. It was a three story stone building made of mostly white marble. There were veins of red throughout, artfully placed to create a design. Up close it looked like natural stone, but from a distance it formed a flower. Hugo assumed it was the shape of a lily. Walking inside, Hugo saw a nice lobby lined with purple and gold flowers.

An clerk walked out from the back, faltering when he saw Hugo. He plastered a fake smile on his face and said, “Welcome to the Gilded Lily, how can I serve you today?”

“I would like a room for the night, and dinner brought up to me,” Hugo said. After everything that had happened today, he just wanted a chance to relax and rest.

The clerk just looked him up and down and said, “I am not sure if this hotel would be the best one to meet your needs.”

“Oh, you don’t have big enough beds? That’s too bad. I was referred to you, but they must have forgotten how tall riese are,” Hugo said dejectedly. He really didn’t want to go back out tonight.

“No, we have a few beds available. I am just not sure if the Gilded Lily is the best choice for someone of your means. A night’s stay with dinner costs four silver and twenty copper,” he said primly.

Hugo scowled and said, “Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to question the customer’s finances?” He took out the five silver and placed them on the counter. “I trust that is enough to get me a room for the night, and a more polite clerk.”

“Yes madam, right away,” the clerk said, his attitude completely changed. He swept up the money and ducked into a back room.

Moments later a young woman came out to the counter and said, “Good evening, my lady.” Her voice wavered as she spoke. “I apologize for the earlier unpleasantness. My name is Aria and I will be your personal attendant for the length of your stay. May I carry your luggage for you?”

“No thank you. This is quite light,” Hugo said and gestured to the bundle of clothes over his shoulder.

“Then please follow me,” she said as she picked up a room key. She seemed to remember something and swapped out the key.

Hugo followed her up to the second floor and she unlocked a room and showed it to him. It was a large room, only slightly smaller than the one he had as a princess. It was well appointed. A four poster bed with blue silk comforter stood in the middle of the far wall. A clawfoot tub sat opposite a runed box and a large wardrobe dominated the opposite wall. He did notice something strange though.

“No windows?” Hugo said. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t see any on the building as he walked up either.

Aria looked awkward as she explained, “None of our rooms have windows. It’s one of our signature features. Our entire hotel is lit only by mana lights and cooled by the rune boxes. Windows would interfere with that. Our other claim to fame is the casino in the basement. Many of the rich in town regularly visit to gamble and eat. Speaking of which, let me get your dinner. The house special is roast lamb with fried potatoes. We are also offering meat filled potato dumplings or beetroot and mushroom soup tonight. What should I bring up?”

Hugo appreciated that he had a choice. “I will go with the lamb, thank you.”

The attendant handed him the key and quickly excused herself. Hugo tossed his bag into the wardrobe and sat down on the bed. He kind of wanted to stare out the window, but they had none here. It was weird, not having windows. It did seem pleasantly cool in the room, but it was pleasantly cool outside too. He didn’t plan on staying here for long. Maybe he would return in the heat of the summer. At least the bed was big enough.

A few minutes later, Aria returned and placed the serving tray on the table by the bedside. She pointed to the tray and said, “I forgot to ask you what you wanted to drink so I brought a variety. This is water, this one is the house mead, and this one is a spirit cider. Is there anything else I can get you?”

“No, that will be all for tonight,” Hugo said.

She stood there for a moment before bowing and leaving. Hugo remembered that you were supposed to tip people at hotels after she left. Oh well. He would have to sell some stuff tomorrow and give her a tip before he left.

The lamb was good, but the star of the dish was the fried potatoes. They were cut in long thin strips and had a crispy outside and a pillow soft inside. Hugo devoured the whole thing in a matter of minutes. He had been hungrier than he expected. The mead was tasty, he finished that too. He almost tried the spirit cider, but stopped at the last moment.

Instead of an alcoholic cider like he expected, the drink seemed to have an actual spirit in it. When he picked up the class, a tiny ethereal spirit slid out and walked around the glass. It looked like a miniature prong deer. He decided not to drink something that he didn’t know how it would affect him.

He fell asleep shortly after that. He had been more exhausted than he had expected. When he woke up next, he had no idea what time it was. He felt well rested, but without windows, he had no idea if it was morning or the middle of the night. He decided to take a long bath while he thought about what he wanted to make and sell.

There were still a few months until the end of the year, so he couldn’t flaunt his skills quite yet. He decided to go with the stereotypical sword. It was the most common weapon he had seen when he went weapon shopping. It shouldn’t be too hard to sell.

The design was more complex than he had expected. He could easily make a dagger, but a sword hilt needed to be fancy if he wanted anyone to take him seriously. After an hour and a half and a depleted mana pool, he had his sword. He had made it with an alloy of mostly titanium and a little mithril. It should be incredibly durable. Next he fabricated a bit of mithril rod and inscribed a sharpness rune on the blade. While he was at it, he added a pool rune. After the sword was charged, he was almost out of mana.

He laughed. He knew that even skilled masters with mana rings to spare couldn’t normally do all that in a few days, let alone an hour. He was happy for his huge mana pool, no one else could boast a pool of one hundred and eighty two at rank sixteen. He was also fairly certain that his multiple domains made everything easier.

Calculating everything was easier because of his high intelligence, fabricating everything was easier because of his barrier domain techniques, manipulating mana was easier because of his high wisdom. It was all interconnected. He couldn’t wait to get his next domain. He was fairly certain that five would be enough. His next life would probably be his permanent one. He would save the wheel and stop traveling back in time after that.

He got dressed in his nicest clothes and used a bit of his mana to fabricate a wooden comb. He only had eight points left after that, but the expenditure was necessary. After he combed out his hair, he styled it and made himself look presentable. He vowed to never wear makeup again. That was one hassle he refused to deal with.

The sword wrapped up in the tablecloth, Hugo walked down to the lobby. The sun told him that it was well past morning. His stomach was telling him the same thing. He would have to track down something delicious after the sword was sold.

The attendant from yesterday was at the counter today and he walked up to her. “Hello Aria, good to see you again. I am looking to sell some arms and armor over the next few days. Can you point me in the right direction?”

Aria bobbed her head and said, “Mundane or enhanced?”

“Enhanced I guess? They are all runed,” Hugo said.

“You will want to go to The Blue Gauntlet then. Soulmarked harvesters and sentinels go there when they can afford it. It’s on this same street, four blocks west. Don’t tell her the Gilded Lily sent you though. She is not a fan of this place,” Aria said.

Hugo thanked her and headed out. His stomach grumbled as he walked. He hoped that there was a restaurant near the store.

“You should smile more,” a voice called out.

It took Hugo a moment to realize they were talking to him. Still, when he turned towards the human standing on the street corner, all he could reply was, “Huh?”

“I said, you should smile more, a pretty face like yours shouldn’t frown so much,” the man said. He was tall for a human and wore dirty clothes. A laborer of some sort.

“Shut up,” Hugo said and kept walking. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to idiots today. He had better things to do.

“Hey! You can’t talk to me like that. I’m just trying to be nice and you insult me? No one talks to me like that,” the guy said. He moved to stand in Hugo’s way.

Hugo solidified a mana paddle three feet wide and anchored it to his arm. With a smooth motion, he smacked the blue paddle into the man and sent him flying. He fell on the other side of the street in a groaning heap. Hugo didn’t bother to stop walking and continued on his way.

Two blocks later he was almost to his destination when he heard a commotion a block away. He glanced over and saw a woman running by, wearing the distinctive red sash of the hedge mages. She seemed to be fleeing from someone.

Shit. Now he had to decide if he wanted to figure out what was going on with the hedgies and get a contact in this city or sell his sword and get some food.