The region near the mountains in the southwestern part of the Kingdom was an airy one, and as we stood waiting for the guards to call us, although there was no one near the gates, it wasn't once that I shuddered from the smells coming from this so-called outer Chubu. With each current of air, smells of grime, feces, and rot entered my nostrils, and however skilled I was at maintaining a poker face, I shuddered and made faces.

"Please wait for a bit more, Maester. Inside the city proper, you will not face such an assault on your nostrils." Probably because of the local guards being in range to overhear us, Yuld acted absolutely servile, and he even accompanied his words with a bow.

"I seem to have forgotten the smell of common men." Considering that I probably should act my part, me being a guard commander and everything, I nodded while saying that in the most disdainful tone I could summon.

From what I learned before, thanks to Gris, and a few observations of my own, I could be sure that a guard commander was at least someone of bronze rank in the [Cadowden Trade Guild], which, in turn, translated into something like a minor, petty noble. As there was no one to call me up on the farce, I could play the line of someone arrogant and haughty, as if I guarded VIPs or Branch Managers only, and I would not be far from the mark, with Gris actually being called to escort a Count!

As for explaining what the fuck someone so special was doing here, only with a single person alone, I had more-or-less prepared a story, with help from Falko, before I left Megvuroz.

I'm not sure if it was because of my manners or if the guards finished whatever they had to, but the same guard that asked us to wait before now walked towards us, asking us to approach the checkpoint.

The wall was pristine, and the sentry point was an actual in-built room in the wall. As for the guards, they also differed a great deal from the ones in the outer city. All carried polished chainmail, with most of them wearing plated breastplates over it, steel shields, full-steel spears, swords, and the ones on the top of the two towers around the gate bearing crossbows.

What did surprise me, but I did not show, was that the guard's emblems were not the crossed pickaxe and sword of Chubu visible on the wall's banners but a watchtower with an enormous bird over it.

"I am sorry for the holdout. We had some disturbance near the other gate, so for the time being, new entries had to be prevented, but it's all clear now." A guard that looked like some low-tier commander, wearing a cloak the same dark blue as the emblem on his breastplate, half-bowed to us.

Feeling that both Aison and Yuld looked at me, I assumed I was the one to speak, so I tried to follow the same type of speech that Gris and Reuben used during our caravan journey.

"I would have liked to avoid the standing, but I understand. Now, may we enter Chubu?"

A few questions later, mainly about what we were carrying, our reasons, plans for our stay, and so on, we were allowed to pay the relevant toll and passed an actual [Analyze Plate].

The toll was outrageous, amounting to a silver per person and two for the wagon, even if, thanks to Yuld's hints, I did explain we would be selling it outside Chubu's wall. As for the [Analyze Plate], it had been a source of worry for me, and I didn't expect to see one here. Yet, even if I hesitated a bit, I still ended up stepping on it.

[Analyze Plate], a treasure that would show the operator not only the titles of a person standing on it but also the stats, skills, perks, and other information that the creator was aware of. Thankfully, the creator ended up being a bit short of nearly half of my skills, and he or she wasn't an awesome mage either, as except for my magic affinity and mana sense, nothing else showed. Even my maximum mana amount was down to 20, something not very stunning.

Even so, the revealed amount of skills, not to mention my levels on them, were met with a gasp from the pretty average examiner and a few surprised glances from some other guards. After noticing this, and probably to cover up the lack of any title regarding the [Cadowden Trade Guild], Aison spoke up, spinning a few extras to my backstory.

"Maester Rador attracted the attention of several people back in Vruz and was recruited by Maester Eike just a few weeks ago. He's yet to visit Cadowden." As if he was someone delegated to follow me, Aison managed to mix just enough respect and explanations for the guards all around to nod.

The guard captain nodded towards Aison and turned towards me, asking, "I see, so this is something like your maiden trip?"

"I would call it a reward, as all the inventory is my own while the Guild provided me the connections." To connect my arrival here on something like an unofficial trade and the fact that the Guild did know, otherwise I would not have to visit the local branch, I decided to go with the easiest explanation.

"Oh, I will not hold you further then. Welcome to Chubu, Maester." I noticed how the guard's captain slightly stopped before calling me a Maester, probably considering if he should say Master in turn, but I chose to show I didn't detect that.

"Thank you for your work, and you can call me Rador. After all, we do a similar job of keeping stuff safe." I am unsure if such familiarity was acceptable, but being an eccentric one suited me anyway.

"It's pretty hot outside, isn't it, Maester?" As I turned to motion Aison to get a move on, he suddenly asked while lightly nodding towards the money pouch.

"Hmm, you may be right, and the outside isn't so nice either." Following his indication, I mumbled a line before reaching for the pouch, grabbing a few silvers and town coppers and thrusting them towards the captain, "Please have a drink on me after your shift ends."

"Thank you, Maester." Now, all smiles on his rough face, the middle-aged, cleanly shaved captain half-bowed again.

***

"Last time I visited, it was still Chubu's own guards on the gates." As soon as we had moved some ten meters from the gate, Aison mumbled in a low tone.

"The changes are recent, not older than a few weeks. But, it seems that the guard corps are now subject to the same misery as everything else in this city." Yuld responded similarly before pointing to one of the watchtowers with his head.

Following his motion, I saw some leather-dressed, not better equipped than the ones in the outer city, guards idly staying near it. The only difference was in their shields, as at least these were painted in a bright blue color and carried the emblem of Chubu.

"Well, I feel for them, but what's our next step? As I understand, we have to visit the Guild's branch, then probably find a place to stay overnight, and tomorrow you will accompany me to get rid of the wagon and merchandise?" While the beginning was for both, the latter, I asked while turning towards Yuld.

"Mmm, Maester is right. Tomorrow we will go to the [Dwarven District] through the gates on the left side of the walls, and there, I will organize everything." Yuld nodded in agreement while informing me of the plan but added just a moment after finishing, "I will follow you to the Guild, but you should have me stay out of it. Maester Gudea is not a person who will be keen to my presence."

"Agreed, I doubt the Maester will be too keen even to my company, no matter what friends I have, what to say about an out-dwarf." The last part of Aison's words oozed sarcasm as if he was aware of Yuld's not-so-authentic lack of status.

"Maester Aison is very insightful." Obviously, someone like Yuld would be aware of what even I managed to feel, but the dwarf only smiled with a nod that nearly turned into a bow.

"Yes, that I am. Now, the Guild is down that street on the right. Let's get a move on." Aison half smiled as well but chose to forget about the matter for the moment and pointed towards one of the corners we could see from our location.