IV

━━━━━━┓༻❁༺┏━━━━━━

Arc IV Chapter 6

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━

7th Ignis Solar 753 AAC

The grumpy gatekeeper welcomed them from behind his counter, armed with a log book, an abacus for the purpose of calculations, and hawkish scrutiny. “Greetings. Name and occupation. State your purpose and intent. Be succinct. Time is precious.”

Lambert was rummaging through his pockets with a certain sense of futility and obvious annoyance. He was searching for something. “Lambert. Adventurer. We are adventurers from the local adventurers’ guild. We are returning from a completed mission.”

The clerk looked up from the top of his counter, scrutinising their entire group with his icy glare. His clicking tongue betrayed his mild annoyance. As if they were wasting his time. “From the adventurers’ guild ... I see ... Show me your badges.”

Lambert knew the drill and presented his golden badge for identification.

Aurora's eyes followed the movements of his hand. His badge were little more than a glorified trinket. Nothing elaborate. Nothing remarkable. No work of art, just a plain gilded metal badge decorated with some sort of crest, presumably that of the local adventurers’ guild. Yet the badge served its practical purpose, verifying his affiliation beyond any reasonable doubt. Lambert and his party were indeed adventurers.

The clerk judged the badge genuine after a brief inspection and returned it. “Gold rank ... ”

“Correct.”

The clerk folded his hands. “Then why the hell are you bothering me and wasting my time? According to article 5, paragraph 7, point 3 of the unified tax and toll code of the city of Freyburg, registered adventurers are officially exempt from gate toll.”

Lambert tries his best to defuse the situation and pacify the visibly angry clerk. “I know. I know. Trust me, I am well aware of article 5 paragraph something. ”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Because we are not alone. We have picked up a girl along the way.”

“A girl?” The clerk raised his eyebrow.

Lambert nodded.

Rising from his seat, the gatekeeper leaned over the counter. His watchful eyes spotted her.

Aurora and her doll waved back at him, armed with a bright and charming smile. The clerk didn't react in the least. His stone heart remained unmoved by mere human emotions. His realm was one of law, order, rules, and regulations.

The clerk returned to his seat. “Lambert ..., who is this girl? Please don't say she is your niece ... That would be the oldest trick in the gatekeeper book”.

Lambert scratched his hair. “Oh well, I guess she is ... our companion.”

“Your companion?” The gatekeeper sounded less than convinced.

Lambert confirmed, “Yes, our companion.”

“...” The clerk resorted to a heavy sigh. “Let me guess, the girl has no documents whatsoever ...”

“Correct.”

“No noble privilege ...”

“No.”

“No official permit ...”

“No.”

“No valid letter of introduction ...”

“No.”

“You are taking her under your tutelage, aren't you?”

Lambert merely nodded.

The clerk sighed and scribbled something down in his register and stamped it. His quill moved with the dispassionate enthusiasm. “That makes twenty silverlings for the girl.”

“Wait, what? Twenty ?” Lambert didn't believe his ears. Aurora couldn't tell whether twenty silverlings were a lot, or not, but judging by his prompt reaction, it had to be a considerable sum.

Meanwhile, the clerk couldn't care less about Lambert’s pained purse. “Wasn't I clear enough? Twenty silverlings, not more, not less. Twenty for any first entry.”

“This is open robbery if nothing else! Twenty silverlings are a small fortune!. You can't do this! Twenty for a single girl? That’s ludicrous?” Lambert protested, wildly, gesturing with his arms.

The gatekeeper remained unfazed.“Lambert, I am only following regulations and procedures. Be glad that you are even allowed to take some random peasant girl inside with you. The regulations are usually quite strict about unregulated immigration. The city doesn't need any more paupers filling the streets. The walls harbour have enough peasants already.” His cold gaze fell onto her. His disgust was apparent.

Aurora and her doll pouted. “I am not a peasant~.” Yet everyone ignored her.

Lambert continued arguing. “But still ... Twenty silverlings ... for a girl ... Come on.”

The clerk defended his position. “I assure you that our intention is not to impoverish your person, ...

“I strongly doubt so.”

“... but to keep all the moneyless rabble out. I hope you understand, we are only acting according to the regulations.”

Lambert was forced to concede defeat. “I get it, but can't we receive any reduction? Look, the girl is practically already part of the party. Look, aren't her cheeks adorable?”

The gatekeeper was less than impressed. “If she is practically already part of your party, does that mean she is registered with the adventurers’ guild?”

“Well, no.”, Lambert admitted.

“Does the girl per chance possess burghership?”

“Not that I am aware of …”

“Does the girl have a letter of introduction? A letter of recommendation? Any official document?”

“... No.”

“Is she a noble, a cleric, or perhaps a scholar?”

“...” Lambert turned to the girl and her doll. In her ragged clothes, she looked neither like a noble, nor like a cleric, nor like a scholar.

The gatekeeper remained thus unforgiving. “No exemptions. No reduction will be tendered. The price given stands. Twenty silverlings.”

Lambert grumbled, but to no avail. He started counting the silver from his purse. Their little princess was gradually becoming quite expensive. Hopefully, the ungrateful brat was worth every last piece of silver. “One ... two ... three ... five ... seven ... ten ... thirteen ... sixteen… twenty ... Here. Here you have it.”

The clerk accepted the coins. The transaction was completed. “Twenty taler. You may pass.”

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━

The midday sun broke over the bustling city of Freyburg with the warm, yet delicate rays of a late summer day. Amidst horses, carriages, and heavy carts groaning under the weight of their loads, travelling folk and common townspeople populated the vibrant streets, bringing life to the proud capital of Schwarzwalt.

Noise and fumes permeated the air. Stores opened their doors and shops threw open their gates. Stalls and vendors offered wares and goods from far and close, among them exotic goods from countries only known from hearsay and rumours. Spices and herbs, metals and gems, fabrics and dyes, weapons and armour, they all changed their hands in exchange for honest coin. Freyburg was indeed a city of trade and commerce.

The party reached an open square covered in cobblestones and market stalls. A central fountain promised refreshment and potable water. Tall buildings of stone and mortar flanked the square from all directions, towering over their lesser neighbours. Even the most grandiose cottages and manors of the countryside, nothing but, paled in comparison. Judging by their central location, their size, and their ostentatious grandeur, all these buildings appeared to be important.

No wonder that a little girl like her felt lost in such a large city. All the chaos, the people, the crowds, the unknown, unsettled her. Little Aurora only knew the tranquil life of the castle and of the academy, a life surrounded by loyal maids and servants. The bustling city life was a curious experience for a sheltered noble girl of her status. The streets resembled a foreign world.

Among stone and wood, stood the proud adventurers’ guild, the home of honest adventurers and cut throat bandits of dubious reputation alike. A wooden sign board hung above at the entry with a familiar crest welcoming her. So this was the adventurers’ guild ...

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━