Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The City of Tiara

Chapter 11: The City of Tiara

Lily was walking towards the gates.

Sevrin’s smugness had piled up until Lily finally snapped inwardly. Without a word, she raised her hand and cast [Town Call]. The skill dragged them all to the nearest big city, and the moment they arrived she left them standing there. Marie and Sevrin could manage on their own. She didn’t care.

Marie had called this place Tiara. Lily had never heard the name before. But that wasn’t strange. Even as a seasoned player she hadn’t known every city on the continent back in Xantia. It was like Earth—people remembered the capitals, a few important cities, but not every major place in every kingdom. So, Tiara meant nothing to her. Just another dot on the map.

The path led her straight onto the main road toward the gates. Her steps slowed as she saw the scene ahead. The gates had just been opened, maybe minutes ago. The lines were only now forming. Carts were rattling forward in a long, heavy line. Travelers on foot queued beside them, waiting their turn. And to the far right, a much shorter line—polished carriages, gleaming wood, metal crests shining in the morning light.

“The noble line,” Lily muttered to herself. Of course, they had one.

So, what should she do? Just queue at the end with the common travelers? That would look awkward when Marie and Sevrin eventually showed up right behind her.

Her eyes dropped briefly to herself. The green dress she wore looked far more expensive than anything the travelers in line were wearing. Silks, embroidery, the way the fabric shimmered faintly when she moved, it screamed wealth.

And Lily wasn’t so oblivious that she couldn’t see the problem. An elven noblewoman appearing out of nowhere and lining up at the city gate? That would cause a commotion.

She sighed. Sadly, everything she had in her inventory was flashy. She had never gone for understatement in Xantia. Why should she? It had been a game, and games were meant for living more extravagant, flashy lives than real life allowed.

But she had more options. Before anyone could really notice her, she whispered the command and cast [Invisibility] on herself.

The moment the spell took hold, the familiar surge of knowledge rushed into her mind again. As if she had always known the structure of the spell, the runes, the flow of mana. It hammered in her skull, wisdom writing itself into her head like it had always been there. She blinked, and vanished.

The world around her turned flimsy, blurred at the edges. Not the nicest feeling. It was like being just a little drunk. But it wasn’t unbearable.

Invisible now, she walked calmly toward the gates. She slowed her steps near the lines, careful not to bump into anyone. Nobody looked her way. The guards kept their attention on the carts and papers. People in line chatted or waited.

Lily tilted her head, curious. She could see now how the entry was handled. Travelers gave their names, some paid a toll, the guards checked carts for goods. Nobles in carriages barely stopped, they handed over a token or some kind of seal, and the guards waved them through.

She slipped closer, weaving between people, keeping her steps light. No one reacted.

One guard yawned. Another scribbled notes onto a wooden tablet. A merchant tried to argue about fees for grain. Everything looked mundane, it was all a boring routine.

Lily smirked faintly. So that’s it? That simple?

She stepped past the lines, careful not to brush against a cartwheel or a waiting traveler. Then, before anyone could blink, she was under the shadow of the gate’s arch.

And just like that, she was inside the city.

The first breath she took inside Tiara was different. The air was thicker, alive with smells. Roasted meat from a food stall, smoke from a blacksmith’s forge, the sweet tang of crushed fruit, and somewhere above it all the faint scent of flowers drifting from terraces higher up the slope.

The city stretched before her in layers. Streets rose in gentle steps, lined with rows of stone and timber houses. The lower district bustled with peddlers calling out their wares, carts loaded with vegetables, and apprentices running errands. Children darted between the crowds. Signs hung over doorways, creaking in the wind; inns, taverns, shops, even a few shady-looking stalls selling trinkets.

All of it shimmered strangely through her vision. [Invisibility] wrapped around her like a second skin, but it bent the world in odd ways. Edges looked softer, as if everything had a faint blur. Every step made her feel slightly off balance, like walking after one glass too many. Not dangerous, but distracting.

Still, it was interesting. For once, she wasn’t the center of attention. She moved like a ghost, watching. Nobody called out to her. She simply wandered, unseen.

When she reached a broader avenue, the buildings changed. The shops here were larger, cleaner, and more decorated. Expensive fabrics hung in windows. Jewelry glinted behind glass cases. An inn displayed polished wooden signs and servants in neat uniforms. Bakeries gave off the warm, mouthwatering smell of fresh bread, while cafés with little tables out front were already filling with well-dressed patrons sipping from cups.

So, this is the richer part of town, Lily thought. Makes sense. Every city has one.

She drifted toward a side street, narrow and quiet, away from the bustle. The blur around her vision was starting to press on her nerves, tugging at her balance with every step. Time to drop the spell.

She found a spot between two shuttered shops, checked once to make sure nobody was too close, and whispered the command.

The blur peeled away like mist burning off in the sun. Her body came back into sharp focus, her hands, her dress, her shadow on the stones.

“Puuh… finally,” she muttered under her breath. The strange haze was gone. She felt solid again.

Lily straightened her dress, brushed imaginary dust from her sleeves, and stepped back out of the side street, this time visible.

Her eyes lingered on an expensive inn she had passed earlier. The thought came to her at once. She could use this chance to establish her second persona. Or was it her third? Technically she was Lily Carter, not Lilithia Nocturne, in the first place. She sighed inwardly. Whatever.

Her experience from Xantia told her one simple truth: it was always smart to have an address in a new city. If she wanted to use Tiara for more than just a quick stop, she needed a place where people could find her, where she could deal with locals properly. An address meant legitimacy. If she wanted to order something that took time, or handle business that required waiting, she needed somewhere official to point to.

Sure, she didn’t really have solid plans for the future here. Just a few vague ideas. But it was better to follow the established playbook first, then improvise later.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

As she walked back toward the inn, she paid closer attention. People definitely noticed her now—heads turned, eyes lingered on her ears and her dress—but it wasn’t the stunned reaction she had feared. The stares were curious, cautious, but not open-mouthed shock. At least in this part of the city, she wasn’t treated as something completely alien.

Good. At least here I’m not completely strange, she thought, letting out a quiet breath of relief. Phew.

With her head high and her dress flowing at her heels, Lily stepped toward the inn’s entrance.

The inn stood tall on the corner of the street, its timber walls freshly painted, the roof tiled in dark slate that glistened faintly in the sun. Wide windows framed with flower boxes looked out onto the road, and a polished brass sign swung gently above the entrance. The double doors were heavy oak, carved with patterns of vines and crowns. Even from the outside it was clear, this was no common traveler’s rest. This was the kind of place that catered to nobles, merchants with too much coin, or adventurers who wanted to flaunt their success.

Inside, the air was warm, touched with the faint smell of polished wood and sweet pastries drifting from the dining hall. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each candle carefully trimmed to burn bright without smoke. A plush carpet ran across the lobby floor, soft under Lily’s steps, muffling the sound of her heels.

She wandered straight toward the counter. Behind it sat a girl, maybe sixteen, dressed neatly in a cream-colored uniform with gold trim. Her hair was tied back into a braid, and she bent over a stack of papers, scribbling something with deep focus. She didn’t notice Lily at first.

When Lily reached the counter, she tapped a single finger against the polished wooden desk.

The girl startled, snapping her head up. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t—” Her words froze as she got a proper look at Lily. Her mouth dropped open. She gasped audibly, staring wide-eyed.

Lily raised one eyebrow. The display wasn’t exactly professional.

But the girl managed to gather herself quickly, fumbling with her papers and bowing her head. “I-I’m sorry, miss! I just… I thought you were someone else and—elves are so rare in these parts. Forgive me, please.”

Lily brushed the apology aside with a faint smile. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” She leaned lightly against the desk, voice calm. “I was wondering if I could rent a… suite?”

Of course, she could have just asked about a normal room. The inn was clearly expensive enough already. But if she asked for the highest accommodation, maybe she could better judge how much a crown was actually worth in this world. In Xantia, a month’s rent in a high-class inn could run her fifty till hundred platinum crowns.

The girl gasped again, eyes wide. “A suite! M-my lady, of course you can!” She bobbed her head furiously, fumbling for her words. “I just need to fetch the boss—no, I mean the superior officer in charge!”

Without waiting for an answer, she bolted from the counter, skirts swishing, almost tripping on the edge of the carpet as she hurried through a side door.

Lily sighed softly, resting her chin on one hand. Maybe I overdid it. Transform, illusion, and then asking for the most expensive room in the place…

She let her crimson—well, currently emerald—eyes wander around the lobby. Yeah. Definitely overdid it.

While she was waiting, her gaze caught on another patron sitting at one of the lobby tables. An elderly gentleman, his coat neatly buttoned, a small glass in hand. He noticed her looking, and gave a polite nod. Lily returned it with the faintest tilt of her head. The liquid in his glass was amber, and she suspected it was whisky.

I hope that’s not his breakfast drink, she mused.

Just then, the girl returned, a little breathless, followed by a middle-aged man who was clearly her superior. He wore a dark vest over his shirt, a pocket watch chain visible at his side. His hair was combed back neatly, though streaked with gray, and his sleeves were rolled up just enough to show he worked rather than postured. The kind of man who kept an inn running, leading a shift, making sure things stayed in order.

He came behind the counter with a polite smile, then paused when he got a proper look at her. “Lady… Adventurer?” The question mark in his tone was clear.

“Lysaria. I’m Lysaria Greenwood,” Lily answered smoothly, her faint smile never slipping. “And sadly, I have to deny—I’m no adventurer.”

“Ah, excuse me for the assumption,” the man said quickly, bowing his head. “It was only because you were traveling alone.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Lily waved her hand lightly. “I’m here to visit the town, and I expect to stay for some time. So, I need a place.”

“Oh, a longer time?” His eyes flicked toward the girl who had fetched him. “My colleague here told me you wanted to rent one of our suites?”

“That’s right,” Lily said with a smirk. “Can’t really stay in a shack, can I?”

The man chuckled warmly. “Of course not. Luckily, here at the Golden Swan Inn, we don’t only have the best reputation in the city, but also the best suites. And one is ready, just for you. So, Lady Greenwood, how long do you intend to stay?”

Lily tilted her head in thought. In truth, what she was doing right now was little more than wasting money. She doubted she would even sleep a single night here. But like she had reasoned earlier, an address was useful, and her elven princess persona demanded appearances. She couldn’t just rent a cheap room.

“I intend to stay for quite some time,” she said at last. “Would it be possible to rent the suite monthly? I don’t know yet if I’ll stay only a month or longer, so…”

Her emerald eyes locked on his. The man gulped, but kept professional. “Yes, of course. If you pay upfront for the month, we can offer a discount. Or you can pay weekly if you prefer.”

“I’ll pay monthly.”

The man’s smile deepened. “All right, then. It would be…” He quickly scribbled on a slip of paper and slid it across the counter to her.

Lily raised an eyebrow. So, we don't talk about money hm?

The writing was in runic symbols, but just like with her skills, she found herself able to read it when she focused. Two platinum crowns and seventy-five gold crowns for the month. A discount of twenty-five gold was marked clearly with a minus sign, showing her how much she was “saving.”

Really? Only three platinum for this? The best Inn in town? At this rate I’m not just rich—I’m Jeff Bezos rich.

Lily nodded once. Then, with a flick of her hand, she produced three platinum coins out of thin air and placed them neatly on the counter.

The man’s eyes widened. He quickly reached to prepare change, but Lily shook her head. “I’ll pay the full price. The rest is for your trouble. Just make sure no one disturbs me in my suite. All right?”

He froze, then nodded eagerly, understanding at once that his new guest was far wealthier—and more important—than he had first assumed.

“Of course, my lady. No one will disturb you. I’ll see to it personally.” He cleared his throat, regaining composure. “Breakfast and dinner are included. Two meals per day, and as much water or beer as you like.”

“Good,” Lily said simply.

“Then please, allow me to show you to your suite.”

He stepped out from behind the counter and gestured toward the staircase. Lily followed, her dress whispering against the soft carpet as he led her up to one of the upper floors. At the end of the hall, he unlocked a door with a polished brass key and pushed it open with a small bow.

“Your suite, Lady Greenwood.”

Lily’s eyes flicked past him into the room.

The suite opened into a wide sitting area with polished wooden floors half-covered by a thick red carpet. A long sofa stood against the wall, matched with two comfortable chairs and a low glass-topped table. Candlesticks were arranged neatly at the corners, enchanted to burn steady without smoke. On the far side, tall windows let in the sunlight, framed by heavy velvet curtains in deep green.

To the left was a bedroom—large, with a bed big enough to roll across without falling out, draped in white sheets and soft pillows stacked high. A wardrobe and vanity stood at the far wall, the wood carved with delicate vine patterns. On the other side was a private bath, tiled in pale stone, with a copper tub polished so bright it gleamed.

The man stepped aside and handed her the brass key. “Please, make yourself comfortable. If you require anything, simply ring the bell on the desk.” Then he bowed again and excused himself, leaving Lily alone.

As the door closed, a thought struck her. Didn’t I overdo it with that tip? I mean, I just rounded up… but twenty-five gold?

She let out a quiet sigh and flopped onto the sofa. Ah, it’s fine. Probably. It was a tip for a whole month, after all. But seriously, I need to get a better handle on money.

The suite was nice. Way too nice. In her old life she could only dream of having this much space in her flat. Of course, her mansion here in this world was even grander, but still, this was a luxury most people couldn’t imagine.

It felt strange how normal it had become to just spend money like this and live surrounded by luxury. Maybe it was because, deep down, it still felt like Xantia. Like a game.

Is this what it’s like when you win the lottery in the real world? Just doing whatever you want with your money?

She smirked faintly. Nah, whatever. I should try to save anyway. Who knows how expensive things will get. Maybe this part of the continent is just cheap, maybe it’s underdeveloped. I don’t know what the future holds. In Xantia the most expensive things were always gear, and there was no upper limit to what you could spend. It’ll probably be the same here.

Lily leaned back against the cushions, staring up at the ceiling. Still… it feels pretty damn good to live like this.