Frederick sped up his trot as the first hints of dawn began to show on the horizon. The blackened sky began to turn a deep, dark purple as the great blue orb of fire began rising in the sky. Sunrise is much quicker than in my world… Despite this, based on the star that this planet revolves around being a pale blue hue, I’d wager it’s a blue star in the main sequence of its life cycle… of course, assuming this universe follows any kind of similar logic to my own.

While Frederick was absorbed with various academic thoughts and theories, his horse came to a stop, snapping him back to his current situation. The horse had stopped about fifty or so yards from a fortified gate and stone defensive walls. There was a narrow moat circling the outside of the walls as well, likely to slow invading forces and as a method of disposing of waste. There were a fair number of armed and armored guards at the gates, as well as several patrolling guards holding crossbows atop the walls.

Frederick dismounted his horse and brought it up to the gate by the reins. He was greeted by one of the guards who had just cleared another traveler for entry, and it seemed Frederick wouldn’t be the last to enter, as a wagon was approaching behind him a fair distance away.

The guard eyed Frederick with suspicion. “You’re a long way from home, kid. Why are you here?”

Frederick took out a sealed letter his father had prepared with the “seal of trials” stamped on the back in green wax.

The guard nodded. “You’re a lot younger than most who come to prove their worth. I’d wager you’ll need directions to the cathedral, then?”

So there isn’t a gate toll… I assumed this could be the case, since father didn’t send me with too much money on hand. “Yes, sir. That would be very helpful.”

The guard chuckled. “Been a while since I’ve been called, sir. You know what kid, you’re funny enough I’ll give you a good tip, too. Steer clear of the slums… it’s normally not dangerous for adults, but at your size, you would be an easy target for some… unsavory types. Anyway, we have a stack of city maps for those who are supposed to take their personal trials… if you’re being sent here at your age, I assume you can read one, at least?”

Frederick nodded. “I’m still new to it, but I can manage,” he lied in order to act humble.

This seemed to please the guard, who went to retrieve something from the tower for a moment, leaving Frederick under the watch of two other guards temporarily. After he returned, he handed over a map. “Not everyday we get such young visitors who are as bright as you. Even so, I’d advise caution. Better to act ignorant than to show your intellect in some cases around here. Best of luck with your trial.”

Well, that at least confirms there is some kind of test required to obtain my freedom as an adult. “Thanks for your support, as well as the kind warning. I’ll take it to heart.”

The guard waved Frederick past as the next wagon approached, clearly used to doing this kind of thing and wanting to move on to his next task. Frederick led his horse into the city by the reins, figuring it was a good time to find a place to stay and also to allow his horse to rest. Before that, however, he’d need to locate the cathedral.

He took a look at the map of the city the guard gave him, noticing that the main streets were neat lines that overlapped near the central square, but that many adjacent areas were not well-organized, and the buildings seemed to be built with the river running east-to-west through the city in mind when concerning the layout. He noticed a few larger buildings that stood out among the rest, albeit one was far larger than the rest.

That’s either the cathedral, the keep area, or a medium-scale training grounds, most likely. Frederick noticed that his presence wasn’t taken note of by anyone around him, as they seemed too busy with their own work or tasks to care what he was doing in the street. A few vendors eyed him occasionally, probably trying to size him up as a potential customer for their stalls. I need more info, and buying from the local markets can’t hurt to establish a connection or two.

Frederick approached a stall that was selling various meats, checking to ensure his coin pouch was still attached to his belt. Good, no one has robbed me yet at least… Frederick knew he had a silver coin inside among the copper and tin ones, but that would draw too much attention to himself for even pulling it out, so he made sure to keep it near the bottom of his pouch. Additionally, he chose to carry less coinage in his pouch than he had, storing the rest in his backpack so that his pouch seemed somewhat empty. No need to seem like a mark for others to steal from.

Frederick eyed the meats under the watchful eyes of the stall owner, a somewhat muscular middle aged man with a protruding belly and a long, bushy brown beard. He seemed somewhat weathered for his age, as well, his face showing signs of wrinkles and his medium-length dark brown hair having gray strands mixed in. Frederick noted his appearance, in particular, because of his attitude of being watchful but not showing any signs of disdain or hostility to Frederick despite his intentional bit of ‘window shopping’.

Eventually, the stall owner spoke while Frederick was eyeing the various meats. “See anything you like, kid? Though, most of the meats here are pricey. There’s a shortage of livestock this season.”

He even gives a bit of unsolicited information to prospective customers. Someone with good business acumen like this is worth taking note of. “Which are your cheapest meats?”

The stall owner stared at Frederick for a moment, likely performing some mental calculation. “Five coppers per small box of the dark meats you see over there. They don’t spoil as quickly as others here since they’re cooked a certain way, but they’re already stale and don’t taste great to begin with. I have some slightly more expensive meats that are fresher as well, running up to around a tin piece per small box… depending on which meats you’re interested in.”

Ah, he’s likely trying to draw my attention away from those cheaper meats now that I’ve shown interest in buying something. However… taste isn’t that important to me now. “If I were to pay for ten small boxes of the cheapest meats, could I take one now and bring proof of purchase before I leave the city for the other nine?”

The stall owner adjusted his expression to a neutral one, nodding. “No problem. I am not the best writer, but I can tell my own handwriting. Bring my order note back when you’re ready for the other nine. For now, I’ll pack the first one for you as you wish. That comes out to fifty coppers or five tin pieces, but I can give you a discount since you’re buying in bulk… How does forty-five copper sound?”

Frederick pondered the price for a few moments. I have more than enough, but I should probably still haggle a bit to see if I can do so successfully in this world. “Hm… I’m only taking one box with me now, and by the time I leave the other meats will have aged a bit more. How about forty?”

The stall owner shook his head. “Lowest I can reasonably go is forty-two coppers.”

Frederick held out his hand for a handshake, which confused the stall owner. “Uh, you have to pay first, kid.”

So the handshake isn’t a known gesture in this world… or at least, not locally. “No, it’s called a handshake. You grip my hand the same way I grip yours after extending your hand in response. It’s a sign of trust among people who trade, or at least it is where I came from. We do this when a deal is made.”

The stall owner seemed a bit baffled by this, but reluctantly performed a handshake with Frederick. The man’s hands were much larger, so when his hand closed on Frederick’s, it seemed like his childish hand disappeared. Then, Frederick released his grip, and the stall owner followed suit. He’s clever enough to recognize foreign signs of trust as being potentially beneficial as well, Frederick noted as he opened his coin pouch.

He collected four tin coins and two copper once, equaling the value of forty-two copper coins as agreed. He also pulled out an additional three coppers. “Forty-two coppers for the meats, and an extra three if you’d be kind enough to tell me where a reasonably priced inn or tavern is that I can stay for the night tonight.”

The stall owner grinned as he collected the coins from Frederick. He placed them into a slit in his stall’s surface, likely dropping the coins into some kind of box below. “No problem at all. I’m happy to help,” he replied before taking out a map of his own. It was similar to Frederick’s, but older and had several locations marked on it. Frederick took out his own map to compare. The stall owner smirked as he noticed this while spreading the map out atop an empty space on the stall’s surface. “This is where my stall is. There are four nearby inns on this street that are decently inexpensive and not too poorly maintained,” he explained as he pointed out his stall, marked in green, and the nearby locations he mentioned, which were marked in red.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The stall owner then pointed at a building on the map that was much further away, but Frederick also noted it was closer to the largest building in town, which he needed to visit today regardless. “This is the cheapest inn in town, albeit I wouldn’t recommend it unless you need to go to that area already, since they have some of the worst food in town. Their ale is terrible too, but their water is decent enough I guess. You’ll probably have to eat your own food there, that’s how unpleasant it is. Also, even though the rooms are cheap, they charge for drinking water. Regardless, it’s an option and I don’t want to deprive a paying customer.”

Frederick bowed his head a bit in gratitude. “Thanks a bunch. One more question. Where is the local cathedral?”

The stall owner chuckled. “Not from around here, huh? You can’t miss it. It’s the largest building on the map, and if you keep going up the hill on this street, it’ll soon come into view. I won’t pry, but I can take a guess as to why you’re here now. Take care and good luck. I’ll be ready to get the rest of your meat packed into boxes when you return.”

Frederick smiled and waved as he turned to walk away. He observed his surroundings, as well as the nearby people, just in case anything was awry. However, this time at least, no one was watching him or taking any note of him as he walked by. That doesn’t mean I can relax yet… I’m in a new and unfamiliar place. Better to stay vigilant and not regret my laziness later. Frederick pondered this thought for a moment.

Regret my laziness? I remember decades passing where I did nothing significant and put no effort into life, but in this life I’ve been different. At least, so far. Frederick noted the various styles of clothing people wore as he passed by, also noticing several groups doing business that seemed to be either foreigners or non-local residents of the territory. Various discussions could be heard as well, albeit from the safe distance Frederick remained at, he could only hear snippets and a few words on occasion. Nothing important or noteworthy stood out so far to him.

The poor and working class seemed to wear woolen clothes, or sometimes low-grade leather items such as their shoes or boots. Few seemed to wear gloves, and at even the two blacksmith shops he’d passed so far he’d noticed no aprons and a scarcity of raw materials about. I knew this world was short of usable resources, but I didn’t think it was really to this extent. In that case, how astronomical must the expenses of having built the enormous cathedral have been? Frederick viewed the twisted spires and ornate peaked towers of the Cathedral as he walked uphill and the building came into clear view. It’s also reasonably close to reach on foot, thankfully.

Frederick continued walking and observing his surroundings without being too obvious about it. Around twenty minutes had passed by his own world’s reckoning of time when he’d reached the area surrounding the cathedral building proper. Looked for the main entrance for a moment, finding it easily by how overly-decorative the archway around the double doors was. As he approached, a woman wearing simple brown robes was sitting on a simple stool. She appeared a bit cautious of Frederick, a child who seemed abnormally fit and carried a heavy load.

But moreover, she took note of his horse. “There is a stable around the left side, but you can only use it while you’re here. Return here once you stable your horse.”

Frederick nodded, leading his horse around the side of the Cathedral to the stable area as instructed. It was a fairly clean stable, but then again, the stable having been attached to a cathedral likely meant there were extra hands to do the chores and cleaning. There was another younger girl who was wearing simple gray robes, likely an apprentice or trainee of some kind. She noticed Frederick enter and came up to him with a curious look.

“You’re not from this area,” she stated. “I don’t see many kids around my age here from outside of town.”

Frederick handed the reins to her with a neutral expression. “I’m a bit unusual, since I’m here for my personal trial this early.”

The girl shook her head. “Unusual? Not at all. Rare to see those as young as you do so, but I don’t think that’s weird or anything. You’re certainly not the youngest to have done so recently.”

So, there are others who are gifted enough to qualify. I wonder if they’re also reincarnated here, or if they’re simply young geniuses from this world? “Thanks for your kind words. I’ll be back when I’m finished.”

The girl closed her eyes for a few moments in silence, then opened them again. “I pray for your success. Do your best to survive.”

Survive? That must mean the trial is either dangerous to people my age, or dangerous in general. I’ll have to be extra careful. “I appreciate it, farewell for now,” Frederick responded as he turned away.

The young girl’s very plain appearance was mismatched with her kind and friendly demeanor. She was around his own age, and had short hair as well as freckles here and there. Perhaps people with plain or undesirable appearances were not discriminated against as naturally here as they were in his previous world, but he decided he would look into this in more detail later to see if it’s just individual traits of the people he’s met so far, or if there are cultural or societal factors at play.

It took almost two days to get here, and will likely take as long if not longer to return home since I’ll need to be extra careful to avoid trouble. That means I can’t stay more than two days in the city if I am to keep my word and arrive in time for the clandestine appointment I set with those menaces that accosted my father and I. I should prepare in any ways that I can. Frederick returned to the front entrance where the woman in brown robes was no longer sitting, but standing by the doors with her hand on one of the handles.

“For what purpose have you come to this Cathedral of the Sacred Light?” she questioned.

Frederick took out the envelope with the green seal once more, showing it to the woman. “I am here for my coming of age trials.”

The woman nodded as she opened the door. “Enter in silence and remain standing aside the doors as there is a service happening right now. When the pews begin to empty, only then should you approach the Bishop who stands at the altar and show him your letter. Speak no words within unless spoken to first—that is one of the laws outsiders must observe here.”

Frederick nodded silently in response, not wishing to endanger his stay by responding verbally. The woman opened the massive wooden door and allowed him entry, though doing so seemed to take her a fair amount of effort. The door closed slowly behind him, creaking loudly as it did so. Despite this, not even one person in the service turned to face him, and the person who was speaking at the altar continued their speech uninterrupted. The speaker seemed like an average citizen, while the Bishop stood off to the right-hand side of the Altar in silence from Frederick’s point of view.

The bishop wore simple white robes, and though white fabric itself was fairly scarce in this world, there were no jewels or embroidery or any kind of designs on his clean robes. The worshippers here must not enjoy opulent vanity as much as the priests in my own world did… Although, that makes me curious about why the architecture of the building itself seemed so grand by comparison. It may be worth asking around for information about the building later.

Frederick stood in silence as he stepped quietly to the left of the doors. He listened to the speakers and sermons half-heartedly, knowing that people who firmly believe and are outspoken about it are usually zealots, and those who are merely followers don’t have much to say about their religion while they live their day-to-day lives. The service continued for what seemed like all day, but by Frederick’s sense of time, couldn’t have taken more than a quarter of the day’s light.

I need to develop a precise way to measure time in this world at some point. It will be an enormous advantage when it comes to managing my daily activities. He noted repeatedly during his time in this world, as well as his observations in this city, that nothing similar to a clock exists here. It’s likely that such an invention hasn’t even been considered at this time, but seeing as others aside from myself reincarnated here… well, it’s only a matter of time before one of them invents a timepiece.

After the last speaker, the Bishop offered some closing words, after which a closing prayer was offered. Frederick respectfully bowed his head and closed his eyes, even if he didn’t know anything about this world’s religions. I did read about the Sacred Light briefly in a few childrens books a while back, but there wasn’t much said there other than that a ‘blessed hero’ once vanquished the darkness after much tragedy. The Bishop looked around as people left, chatting to one another quietly. I supposed the silence rule doesn’t apply to people attending the service, Frederick noted as he made eye contact with the Bishop.

The Bishop beckoned Frederick with a smile. “What can I help you with, child?”

Frederick pulled out his envelope, still stamped with the green wax seal, and handed it to the Bishop after approaching. “I am here to attempt my trials today.”

The Bishop’s smile vanished, replaced with a look of concern. “Are you certain? No youth should have their future cut short this soon unless necessary. Are you absolutely certain?”

Frederick stood resolutely. “I am. I have my reasons.”

The bishop sighed, running a hand through his thinning, short gray hair briefly. “You are the second youth so young to attempt their trials this week. I pray you will succeed where they did not. No one can assist you, so once you enter the chamber, you must find your way alone.”

Someone my age tried and perished in the process, it seems. The bishop led him to a plain wooden door set in a simple frame stone bricks without decoration. Clearly the area for undergoing the trials was meant to showcase humility. “Beyond this door, your trial will begin. Enter when you are ready,” the Bishop instructed. He then walked away, leaving Frederick alone.