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On top of a fortress wall, a man was dressed in a full suit of armor that had a crest of two intertwined tigers emblazoned on its chest. He raised his helmet’s visor, a deep frown visible on his face. A line of wagons was approaching the fortress walls from the north, riding on a road that hadn’t seen much maintenance. He nudged the guard standing next to him with his sword’s sheath. “Who are they?”
“Sir Daniel,” the guard said. “That’s the Spring Ferret Merchants convoy. They usually pass through around this time after picking up goods from the tribes located within the wilderness.”
Apollonia’s trusted retainer raised his eyebrow before lowering his visor. “I see,” he said as the convoy stopped by the fortress gates. “To travel through the wilderness, they must be pretty strong. How long do they usually stay before departing?”
“Only a day,” the guard said as the people below them searched through the wagons. “There aren’t very many people here to trade with. After exchanging some goods, they move south to Bergia. I don’t know where they go after that.”
“A single day,” Daniel said. “There should be no issues then.”
“Captain!” a voice shouted from below. “There’s an issue!”
Daniel didn’t say a word as he stepped to the edge of the wall and leaned over, looking down on the guard who had just spoken. The guard beside Daniel frowned and leaned over as well. “What is it?” he asked, scowling at his subordinate. A group of five strange-looking people were standing behind the man on the ground. “Haven’t you processed a group of merchants before, James?”
“Do you remember the orders we received two days ago, Captain?” James asked in reply. “These people are undocumented. They have no form of identification.”
“Then refuse their entry,” the guard captain said. “Orders are orders.”
“But, Captain, they’re coming from the north. If we don’t allow them in, they’ll die to the beasts. Can’t we make an exception this one time? We can even hold them in the cells until those orders are lifted.”
Beads of sweat formed on the guard captain’s brow as his irises shifted to the corner of his eyes, sneaking a peek at the knight that had given them the orders to prevent all undocumented people from entering the fortress. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell what Daniel was thinking due to the visor covering his face. The guard captain’s lips spread into an awkward smile as he turned towards the knight. “What do you think? They really will die if you turn them away here.”
Daniel didn’t respond as he turned around and walked down the stairs leading towards the ground. He stepped outside the gate, stopping in front of James and the group of five. He lifted his visor and crossed his arms over his chest. Before he could say anything, a bald merchant came up to him, rubbing his greasy hands together. “They’re not with my group,” he said as he reached towards his waist, his hand disappearing into a sash. A small brown pouch appeared in his palm, which he offered towards the knight. “I hope my Spring Ferret Merchants group won’t be affected by their arrival.”
The knight slapped away the pouch, glaring at the merchant. He pointed at the half-naked man with brown hair and golden eyes who seemed to be the leader of the group. “Who are you?”
“I’m Vur,” Vur said. He paused for a moment before adding, “Hi.”
The girl with purple hair ornaments that resembled horns sighed as she stepped forward. “We’re adventurers,” she said. “Is there a problem? What kind of city doesn’t allow people to enter even with a small fee?”
“This is a fortress, ma’am,” Daniel said. “It’s not meant for civilians. What do you mean by you’re adventurers? Are you seeking death in the wilderness for the thrill of adventure?” He frowned at the knight dressed in a full suit of plate armor. “Which noble do you serve? Taking noble ladies outside to uncharted lands to impress them is highly irresponsible. If your liege found out, what would he say?”
“I guess there aren’t any adventurers on this continent,” Tafel muttered. She touched her horns. “At least there are demons.”
“Oh-ho?” Mr. Skelly asked. “It seems like I’m the one with the highest authority here?” He placed his armored hand on Vur’s shoulder before walking past him. He stopped right in front of Daniel and crossed his arms. “Don’t be such a stickler. Haven’t you ever wooed any women while in uniform? Honestly, between us knights, we shouldn’t have to abide by so many rules, don’t you agree?”
“Don’t lump me together with scum like you,” Daniel said, his face contorting.
Mr. Skelly clacked his teeth, creating a sound like someone clicking their tongue. “Are you sure that’s how you want to be treating me? You don’t even know who my liege is while I know exactly who yours is.” He reached forward and poked the intertwined-tigers crest on Daniel’s breastplate. “If I complain to my liege, do you believe he won’t be able to cause trouble for your master? I’m certain he can.”
Daniel gritted his teeth as his eyes flicked downwards, searching for a symbol to identify the noble behind the knight in front of him, but there wasn’t any. If this knight was sent by someone allying with the Grand Duchess, then he couldn’t afford to offend him now. But if he belonged to a faction loyal to the empress…. Daniel took a step back, turning his head towards the guard captain, who was still on top of the fortress walls. “Escort these group of thrill seekers to the guest lodgings. Make sure people accompany them at all times for their safety.” He narrowed his eyes at the knight standing before him. “The streets of a fortress this close to the wilderness can be dangerous. It’d be best if you didn’t wander lest an accident occurs.”
Mr. Skelly chuckled. “If anything happens to us, your master will be the first to hear about it.”
The two knights glared at each other, unmoving.
“Why would the streets be dangerous?” Vur asked, breaking the tension. “What’s the point of having guards if they can’t do their jobs?”
“Vur, let’s not antagonize them further,” Tafel said, grabbing onto Vur’s hand. “You can’t just call people weak like that.”
Vur tilted his head. “Because the truth hurts?”
“Alright, just stop talking,” Tafel said, ignoring the glowers of the guards surrounding them. “Let’s not start a war in the very first week that we’re here.”