The room they both arrived at was fundamentally identical to Daniel’s, Finnean’s personal belongings haphazardly placed in the weirdest of places. A silver sword, a wooden staff, a stack of books, and several scrolls littered the floor, with no apparent care for their preservation.

Despite the chaos, there were a few things still in order. An open wardrobe housed several outfits of high quality, various materials carefully stacked at the bottom of it. A sewing kit stood neatly on the table, holding needles and pins of various sizes. Scissors, thimbles, spools and a spindle sat in their respective corners, each slightly different than he remembered from history classes.

The most surprising thing in the room was the magical loom, constructed from high-quality birch and engraved with several interlocking runes. Daniel could feel a hum coming from the loom, as well as a feeling that something was there. Thread magically aligned itself along the loom, slowly but methodically being woven into cloth. Based on instinct more than anything else, he activated his Reaper’s Eyes, the world turning monochrome.

There, sitting next to the loom, was a phantasmal figure. It was a woman, though it was hard to make out any specific features other than her slightly hunched back, and Daniel swore he could see wrinkles on her face. The old woman looked over her shoulder, meeting his gaze. She shook her head at him, hunching her back even further. Then, she resumed her duty.

“What was that?”

The question snapped him out of his trance. Daniel looked at Finnean inquisitively.

“Pardon?”

“Your eyes. They turned black,” he said, stepping a few steps back.

“It’s a skill of mine. It lets me... see things that aren’t there. That’s a very interesting loom you have there,” he said, approaching it.

“It’s an heirloom from my grandmother. My parents wanted to sell it, but I fought tooth and nail to keep it,” his face softened, the previous aggression nowhere to be seen.

“She must have been very attached to it.”

“That she was. Would spend days working on clothes, both for the poor and the rich. Even now, most of the designs in the city that were made by her are still in circulation.”

Finnean approached the loom, cleaning the dust on it. Daniel observed it in action for a few seconds as if entranced. Magic continued to amaze him more by the hour.

“Anyways, give me the shirt. I should be able to completely restore it, but I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Daniel obliged as Finnean began to pick out the right thread.

He wasn’t sure what he expected, but it wasn’t the needle swimming through the air like a fish, rapidly piercing his shirt. The movements were beyond precise, and, turning to look at Finnean, they didn’t take much effort.

“As I was saying, people like Eris annoy me to no end. If I was you, I wouldn’t get involved with her,” he said, a sneer returning to his face. His fingers moved up and down as if he was matching a melody heard only by him.

“Why’s that?” Daniel asked, sitting down on one of the spare benches.

“She’s a venomous snake that will use you until you have nothing left to give her. I’ve met several people like her. She will do anything it takes to get power and rise in status.”

Eris had seemed nice enough, but there was indeed something in her gaze that unnerved him.

“The first day I arrived here, she had already found out who I was. She tried to sleep with me the same night. That’s the same reason she was trying so hard to get along with you.”

He paused for a moment and chuckled.

“Well, until you showed off that skill of yours. I don’t think she’s going to bother you anymore. Instead, Brielle will ask you every question known to man. Truly, the only normal one in our group is Dernell.” He saw the confusion in Daniel’s eyes before adding, “The alchemist.”

“I don’t get it. Earlier you said I was a noble, now you mention my status. What part of me makes me a noble?”

“Truly a mystery. Perhaps it’s your strange, colourful, and well-made clothes. Or maybe it’s your height and frame, the lack of any scars, the way you carry yourself, and the way you speak perfect Astorian. There’s a chance it could be your unique rank class or your lack of deference to mages.” He laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

“By the way, it’s all of these. On the off-chance you’re not a noble, you’re definitely the kid of someone high level, which practically makes you nobility. Perhaps you’re a runaway, desperate to prove yourself to someone.”

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“I should’ve done that as well,” he sighed, the earlier enthusiasm deflating like a balloon.

Daniel winced. He would consider himself middle class, but there was no way of explaining it to Finnean without a bunch of trouble coming his way. Deciding he didn’t want Finnean digging in deeper, he let a few seconds pass before changing the topic.

“Well then, let’s consider that I am a noble. For a noble, I find myself with a suspicious lack of crowns. Do you know of a way to make some?” Daniel spoke, watching flying scissors snip a piece of loose thread.

“Most people have a common rank job for that, a trade skill they pick up from another. Yet another sign pointing to noble upbringing,” Finnean spoke, clicking his tongue.

“You can go out hunting if you buy a permit, but you’ll probably end up at a loss if you’re not a part of the Crowned Dragon. More useful for levels than anything else,” he muttered, sinking deep into his thoughts.

“Could try going out to some of the smaller villages. The hunting grounds there are unregulated, which means a very uneven level gap. Always something wrong around there, though most village folk won’t have the coin to pay you. That’s a no-go as well.”

Perhaps he should’ve asked someone that wasn’t a noble. Finnean didn’t lack money from the way he was speaking earlier.

“Well, you should be able to figure something out. Making the best use of your class or job is what helps. If you’re good at something, take advantage of it. Like this,” he said, grabbing the nearly mended shirt.

His fingertips emitted a faint, shimmering glow. The fabric soaked in the colour, undoing any imperfection. As the magic faded, Daniel beheld his button-up, no trace of any tears or burns on it. As an added bonus, Finnean had also taken care of the blood and dirt on it.

“Can every common rank tailor do that?” Daniel asked, genuinely curious. To that, Finnean chuckled.

“Yeah, and every warrior is capable of slaying giants. Every common blacksmith here rides unicorns and smiths the finest orichalcum.”

“Wow, what a lovely city you have here,” Daniel said, playing along. Finnean’s personality was starting to grow on him.

“It’s my eighteen years of magical training doing that. It should go up to rare at the next level threshold. My class is unique, so it wouldn’t be fun if my job was the same rank. My mother would disagree, but she’s not here, so who am I to care.”

He wiggled his fingers, a series of needles dancing in the air. Daniel wanted to admire the scene, to enjoy the beauty of magic, but for some reason, it filled him with a sense of dread. It was similar to someone brandishing a gun right in his face. Logic dictated that he should be fine, that Finnean wouldn’t do that, but what if every needle in the room simultaneously pierced his skull? He desperately needed a way to protect himself in a world where most wielded magic with ease.

Daniel shook off the intrusive thought, looking at his mended shirt. Unfortunately, modern clothes would make him stand out too much.

“Say, would you be willing to purchase these clothes? The shirt, the pants, and the shoes.” Daniel stood up, grabbing the shirt before him.

“Not very noble-like of you. But yes, I’m quite interested in them. Name your price,” Finnean replied.

“Two sets of good clothes and some crests,” he said, trying to muster as much confidence as possible. How could he bargain if he didn’t even know how much a piece of bread cost?

Finnean hummed to himself, looking at Daniel’s jeans and Nike shoes. “I can do the two outfits, though even that will put me at a loss. Though I suppose it’ll be worth it if I level.”

“Put on the shirt first. I don’t have the clothes ready for your size. I should have them made in three days, though it might take longer if I can’t find the right materials.”

He tossed the shirt on the bed, swirling around and heading to his wardrobe. One by one, he began tossing out outfits, critically condemning them all to failure.

“Are they going to be noble clothes or regular ones?” Daniel asked, tilting his head. The first would still draw a lot of attention.

“Oh, don’t worry. The second outfit will be a regular noble’s garb. Tell me, are you purely a mage, or do you like to engage in melee?”

To that, he had nothing to say. Pacing back and forth, he thought about his class. His Soulbound Forge would imply a various array of melee weapons and armour, but currently, his only means of attack was a spell. He wasn’t too keen on getting face-to-face with a monster. Besides, magic interested him way more.

“A mage,” he said, uncertainty slipping into his voice. Finnean turned to look at him with narrowed eyes.

“It’s complicated,” Daniel sighed.

“I see. A bag full of mysteries. I’ve got the perfect outfit in mind for you, consider your unique abilities. I’m going to throw in some minor protection and mana conductivity runes as a bonus as long as you tell everyone I made this for you.”

Daniel nodded.

“Right, off you go then. By the way, I’d suggest joining the Crown Dragon guild if you wish to advance your capabilities as a mage. That, or steal as much free stuff as possible before they throw you out of here. The entire building is exclusively for guild-affiliated members.”

Finnean didn’t wave him off or anything of the sort. Instead, he continued fiddling with a few shimmering threads, scowling at them like they had just stolen his lunch.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Daniel said, steadily walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

All in all, that had gone well. Finnean seemed to be someone who knew what he was talking about, though he dominated the conversation too much when he got started. Although a minor problem compared to everything else he was dealing with, reigniting his conversation skills would go a long way in learning everything this world had to offer.

But now, it was time to make money.