—What a wonderful view! —Rogdan exclaimed, admiring the surroundings of the empire as the party headed towards the border post. —It's a pity I don't have any artistic talent. Truly, these places deserve to be immortalized on canvas.
Upon reaching their destination, he immediately rushed to the newspaper, eager for the news.
—Jewel... blah-blah, tax, air, uh-huh... —he quickly skimmed the boring news and moved on to the next article. —Oh, this is more interesting. I hope such projects don't cause too much outrage. Conflicts are quite dangerous. And non-humans are really unlucky.... What a wonderful newspaper! I really liked the publisher's style. It puts you in a good mood and gives you hope for the future. Just what we need right now!
—Boss, about the registration. —Zerek distracted the baron from studying the latest laws. —I wouldn't really like to get involved in all this; it's quite a hassle.
—What's the problem? —Rogdan asked, spreading his hands in confusion. —You're with us legally; look, all our comrades are getting through without any problems.
—Well, that's true, but still...
—...Oh, I thought I was going to die. —Ilensiya sighed with relief as she headed towards the dining hall. —I hope they at least have decent food.
—Watch out, you'll get fat — the former rogue smirked. —Your armor won't fit.
The girl responded with an ambiguous gesture, raising her middle finger.
Darbon shifted restlessly from foot to foot. He really disliked crowds of people — and official checks even more. He also had no doubt that he would somehow cause problems for the others, or be the only one who wouldn't be allowed through. Or the inspector wouldn't like his face. Or he would somehow embarrass himself. He was distracted from these thoughts by the baron's voice.
—Don't worry, my friend! —Rogdan reassuringly patted the old man on the back, causing him to almost fall to the floor. —As long as you're with me, we won't have any problems! Let's go and have some of the local food while the others are in line, and then we'll hurry to the border; I wouldn't want to waste such a beautiful day on paperwork!