🎀 Wisteria 🎀

"Oh," the merchant shook his head. "The adventures are just beginning, my dear friend. That Fury? The one who greeted us at the gate? She's just one of the heads of the local hydra, coiled around the region's wealth. Her fangs are sharpened, and her aim is off – she can't handle either smuggling or terrorism. The others are even worse. The monster raging because it lacks certain… male attributes, and the little brat on the throne who hasn't held anything heavier than a hairpin – he said all this, of course, in a voice loud enough for only the two of them to hear.
“Surprisingly, this works for now – the fat cats are living like kings,” he said as they passed through the gate into a wealthy district. “Can you imagine? Back home, I had to stop under the scorching sun and wait while my guys beat up some vagrant and cleared the way, but here, a plump, complacent fish swims in its aquarium as if it owns the place. That’s the new world for you. Our Baron is thrilled by this extravagance and the aura of a fairy-tale kingdom; we just need to channel his energy in the right direction – the Imperial power promises hard but rewarding work, and most importantly, interesting work. And with the incompetence that surrounds the local government in all areas, talented people like us won't remain unknown for long. That's how I see it, at least.”
He took a sip of his “Sage’s Brew” and paused, savoring the drink.
“The rest is just boring administrative routine. Tell me, what happened to you? Did you just have to sit it out for a day? Everyone kept assuring me that nothing terrible happened, but I won't believe anything until I hear it from you.”