Hugo held out his hands and said, “Calm down. You are going to have to explain things to me. I took a head injury up on the mountain and I have forgotten some things. What is making you so upset?”

The maid took a deep breath and said, “I would like to fulfill my duty to make you happy. Please let me do that.”

“No. No one is taking off any clothes right now,” Hugo said, “Come on then. What is going on here? Why are you worried that I don’t want to do it?”

“Lord Florin, it’s hard to... I don’t want to...” she stammered.

“Out with it,” Hugo said.

“When your mother found out that you were having the maids service you, she tasked us with keeping you happy and at home. If she finds out that you went to the pleasure house tonight, I will get in trouble because it was my night,” she said.

Damn. Florin was the worst kind of misogynistic jerk, and his mother isn’t much better. She was asking the staff to use their bodies to make sure he didn’t leave the mansion. How bad were Florin’s trips to the pleasure house that she considered that a reasonable reaction?

Hugo took a breath to calm himself and said, “Don’t worry. I am not leaving the house tonight. I am also done with the pleasure house. Please get dressed again.”

The maid reluctantly got dressed. Hugo could tell that she thought he was just lying and planning on sneaking out later. To put her mind at ease he said, “As part of me being a better person, I am going to try and do a better job at the Demeter reception this eighthday. But I haven’t been paying attention at all. Grab a chair and tell me everything I should know.”

Hesitantly she grabbed a chair and sat down near the bed. She said, “I don’t presume to know everything, but I can tell you what I know. Your mother is hosting a party dedicated to the goddess Demeter. She is a popular goddess, particularly here in Tallinn. Some of the richest people in town are going to come here. It’s a chance to socialize, but more importantly, network.” She continued to explain who would be there and why they were important. She didn’t know what his parents expected of him, but she guessed that he was there to build relationships that their agribusiness could profit from.

The whole night sounded terrible. Hugo from five years ago would have run screaming into the night. Now, he had experience talking with powerful people in government and commerce. He could do it even though he knew it would be excruciating. The whole night would be egos bumping into each other.

Hugo sent her away and drifted off to sleep. The next morning he was woken up by the smell of bacon. He opened his eyes to see a full breakfast laid out on a table nearby. That was nice, breakfast in bed without anyone waking him up.

After he was done with breakfast he wandered around his room. There had to be money in here somewhere. He tapped the wooden floors and the metal plated walls, looking for a hidden stash. He wondered why the walls were covered in the first place. It was the only room in the mansion like it, and Florin didn’t seem like the type to care how his room was decorated.

A possibility occurred to him. His father was very high ranked. Was he high enough ranked to see through walls? Was that even possible? Hugo shivered. That probably wasn’t the reason, but he planned on assuming he only had privacy in this room, regardless of where his father was.

...

“It was excellent meeting you, Lord Mark,” Hugo said, “Please bring your daughter next time, I would love to meet her.”

“Oh ho ho. Already asking to meet my daughter? What kind of man does that? ... The kind of man I used to be at your age, that’s who!” Lord Mark said and laughed at his own joke.

Hugo laughed along with him, dying inside. This party for Demeter was so boring. Some of the most powerful people in Tallinn were here, but they were the worst. Each of them wanted him to be impressed by how important they were. They were all in the agriculture business in one way or another, and wanted to talk shop the whole party. It was interminable.

As he wandered away from yet another boring man, Hugo’s mother came up to him.

“Don’t think I haven’t seen what you have been doing,” Ana-Marie said.

What now? Hugo thought he had been fairly pleasant. He hadn’t known any of these people before today, so he couldn’t have any history to mess up.

“I have seen you talk to no less than four heads of households and three scions. You are a natural at this type of business work. It’s amazing. I couldn’t be more proud,” Ana-Marie said with a smile.

Sebastian walked up and said, “Yes, I agree. Excellent conversation skills, Florin.”

Wow, how terrible must Florin be that Hugo was getting this much praise from his parents? Hugo didn’t like being here, but even he could make small talk and stroke egos. Then again, he did have some experience with this. As far as they knew, this was his first party with the movers and shakers of the world.

Sebastian turned towards his wife and said, “Dear, an excellent opportunity has arisen. Lady Arina has invited me to join her for a trip to Gugulethu.”

“Why? Has she gotten an audience? What for?” Ana-Marie asked.

“Yes, golden rice. Naturally as the largest rice sellers on the wheel, she felt like house Baden should be represented,” Sebastian said happily.

Ana-Marie frowned and lowered her voice, “I don’t like you spending time with that woman. You know how I feel about her. Plus, we agreed that the next one to take a trip would be me. Don’t you think I feel the lack of mana just as much as you?”

“Of course you do, honey. If I thought the planting would go well without you, I would take you with me. You know that. And I don’t want to spend time with Lady Ariana any more than you do. But this is golden rice. You know what that means. We could go back to real civilization in years instead of decades,” Sebastian said.

Ana-Marie’s frown grew deeper. She said, “Yes, yes. You have to go. But you owe me for this. Maybe my own house in Gugulethu once Florin takes over operations here.”

“Yes, dear. Anything you want,” Sebastian said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She just waved her hand at him as he walked back to a woman, presumably Lady Ariana.

Hugo wandered away, he could tell that his mother still wasn’t happy about the situation. There was more to it than just a business deal, that was for sure.

He wasn’t in the mood to mingle any more. His willpower had been stretched thin after talking to that many people. He walked over to the shrine to Demeter. They had placed a lifelike statue of the goddess at the first landing of the mansion's stairs. She held two cornucopias and a wide variety of produce spilled from them and down the stairs. He stood in front of her and bowed to her, pretending to pray.

A woman sidled up and looked at the statue with him. She said, “You know, prayers aren't the best way to worship Demeter.”

“I didn’t know that,” Hugo said and turned towards her.

She was wearing the robes of a priestess of Demeter like many of the attendees today. Most of them were basically costumes for the party, but apparently she was one of them that took it seriously.

“What is the best way to worship Demeter?” Hugo said, since she seemed to be waiting for him to ask.

“She is one of the goddesses that prefers action. Sewing your fields is better than a prayer for her. Of course, there aren't any fields in this mansion. So we will have to come up with something else to honor the fecund goddess,” she said and lightly touched his upper arm.

Hugo subtly moved away and said, “I have heard she is the goddess of the hearth as well. Should we light a fire for her?”

“No, nothing like that. I was thinking more along the lines of something just the two of us could do. I am sure someone with your reputation has an idea,” she said with a smile.

Hugo glanced up at the statue and a few things clicked together in his head. Demeter was naked because she was the goddess of all things growing, including pregnancy. This woman he didn’t know was asking him to have sex in the middle of a party. A glance around showed that she wasn’t the only one with the idea. Other partygoers were sneaking into back rooms in pairs.

Well then. What was the proper way to turn down a woman throwing herself at him? Particularly since he was in the body of someone who had a reputation for saying yes to these types of questions. He gulped.

“Lady Artemis, so good to see you again. It’s been too long. Looks like you have already met my son, Florin,” Ana-Marie said.

“We hadn’t gotten properly introduced yet,” Artemis said suggestively.

“She was just telling me about the proper worship of Demeter and how wonderful the cornucopia display was,” Hugo said, stepping closer to his mother. Thank goodness for her. He didn’t plan on leaving her side all night.

“Oh, you should show her the statue up close. It’s a beautiful work on loan from the temple. While you are up there, you should show Lady Artemis your room as well,” Ana-Marie said.

Hugo’s eyes bulged. Was his mother trying to set him up with this woman? She was twice his age!

“Yes, I imagine there are other works of art you would like to show me,” Artemis said with a sultry voice.

Hugo looked at the two women in horror.

Ana-Marie burst into laughter. “Works of art? What kind of line is that?”

Artemis laughed and said, “I thought it was good. Lots of men would have fallen for that.”

Now he understood. They were just messing with him. Jerks.

“Well then, if you two are done having your fun, I believe I will be retiring for the night,” Hugo said stiffly.

“Come on, it was just a joke. Stay here, let me get to know you,” Artemis said.

“No, no. It is clear you two are old friends. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of you two catching up with each other,” Hugo said.

He didn’t wait for a response and just headed up the stairs, stepping over vegetables as he went. His mother called after him, but it was half hearted. One of the advantages of having Florin’s reputation, they expected him to be rude and impulsive.

The next day they saw Sebastian off for his journey. The city of Gugulethu was far enough away that he had several bags and a servant was going along with him. The journey was still via train, but since it went out of the wheel, it was slow going out there. Instead of levitating over the shimmer vein, these trains rolled over a large metal track.

Since his father wouldn’t be back for another month, it was his mother that took him to get soulmarked. His sister was invited along, but she scowled at the suggestion and left the house in a huff.

Hugo was happy to see their destination for the soulburning. It was the Blue Lion Academy. Although Tallinn had their own tamoko, apparently the one in Reval was better. It was nice seeing his home town again. He felt warm fuzzies as he walked through the academy gates. Some of his best memories were made here.

New foods and experiences. Friends and knowledge. It all started here. He smiled when he saw the tree he sat under with Lenna. She was a good friend. He hoped that he would be able to meet up with her again after this was all over. Her shimmer proof armor would be a good way to reconnect with her.

He really wanted to reconnect with the best girlfriend he had ever had, Daniela. She was beautiful, kind, and loving. She got him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of a way to reconnect with her. It would be almost impossible to have a relationship with her while she was at the academy. And a girl as wonderful as her would certainly be in a relationship by the time she graduated.

Now he was sad again. He followed his mother into the administration building much more subdued.

It was clear that Mia had talked to Dean Artjom already. When the receptionist introduced them, the dean's eyes immediately locked onto Hugo and sized him up. Hugo gave him an awkward greeting and the dean seemed to get ahold of himself again.

Hugo tried to convey that they would talk again after the monster surge, but he wasn’t sure if his eye rolls and subtle hand waves were enough. Either way, Hugo was soon hooked up to the tamoko and soulburnt into the life domain.

The pain was worse this time.

Much like how the pain of traveling back in time had been increasing, so too did the pain of soulmarking. It was excruciating. He bit clean through the leather mouth guard as he writhed in agony.

He came to an unknown amount of time later. It still hurt, but the pain was within mortal bounds again. Thank the gods that was the last time. He might die if he tried that again.

Not even attempting to sit up yet, Hugo glanced around the room. He was in the infirmary. Huh. They had gotten worried about him when he passed out, apparently.

Neither his mother nor the life mage were around though. He must have been out for some time. He wondered how long he had been out. There were no clocks in here, so he looked at the second best thing. His stat screen. The amount of mana regenerated should tell him if he had been in here for minutes or hours.

Judging by the ten mana in his pool, he had been in here for more than half an hour, but less than two hours. His head hurt too much to narrow it down further with math.

Something else caught his eye on his stat screen and gave him the shivers.