After the questions were over they told me it would be about an hour before we got to the city. This made me wonder if I would have even gotten there on foot today if I had continued to walk. As I sat behind them, my new companions started to talk about the journey they had so far. It turns out that the town we were heading towards is on the border of the Kingdom of Cardon. Apparently the mountains and forest I saw earlier are the home land of the dwarves and elves respectively. This confused me even more because for some reason I thought that things like elves and dwarves shouldn’t exist, but that thought itself was confusing to me. Why shouldn’t they? My head hurt just thinking about it.
Something else became clear. I only felt uncomfortable when someone was talking to me if they were facing me. That confused me as well, but that seemed unimportant.
It seems that the elves and dwarves are mostly self sufficient nations but they do have some do some trading with sine human nations for things not needed for daily life but for quality of life improvements. But the real reason that Henry was doing this is that the elves and dwarves very much do not get along, to the point where they refuse to trade with each other. But since they still like the things the other produces, they found a middle man to acquire the things from the other. This is the main reason that the head of the Card Trading Company would be in this remote part of the Cardon kingdom.
I also learned that the first Henry Card was the youngest brother of a king a few centuries ago. When his older brother became king Henry left the palace and set out on his own, founding the Trading Company based on the elves and dwarves' wants as his first customers. It spread very far over the next 14 generations, now having outposts and stores in almost all human countries.
Jacob on the other hand was, in comparison, very average. He is the second son of a Baker in the town we are heading towards and since his older brother and his wife are set to take over the story when his parents retire Jacob decided to become an adventurer. He is currently helping out his family as well since he also has a young sister and nephew at home.
The two of them met at the adventure guild. Henry’s previous guard had moved to the capital of the Cardon empire and he needed a new guard going forward. He put in a request with the guild and Jacob was a newly minted 9th rank, whatever that meant, who was looking for more experience as an adventurer. This was actually the first time that they did this trip and until the end it went very well.
After some time, the city came into view. To me it seemed quite big, though without a frame of reference I would have no way of knowing. When we got close enough we joined a queue to enter the city. After maybe 25 more minutes we got to the guard station.
“Welcome back to Black Hollow Mr. Card. I hope your trip went well.” the guard said.”Any imports to disclose?”
“Why yes, I have a few things to disclose. "Henry said to the guard. "I also picked up a traveler with no ID and two bandits that attacked my wagon.”
“Ah. That is bad to hear. Here is the disclosure form for the imports. We can also take the bandits off your hand, but the traveler with no ID will have to undergo a criminal record check and someone will have to pay a small fee to let him in, since this is a border town.”
“Yes, yes. I already know about the fee, which I will gladly pay for them, but is a criminal record check really necessary? They did save my life?”
“I am sorry sir but we do not know anything about them. Now, Traveler, please step out and place your hand on this tablet.”
“Alright” Henry huffed.
“Sure,” I said. As I got out another guard was waved over by the one talking to Henry. He was carrying a tablet a little bigger than what I thought would be a large handprint.
“Please put your hand here,” the new guard said. As I did the tablet glowed white. "No criminal record detected, Welcome to Black Hollow. Please enjoy your stay.”
The new guard walked away and the one from before wrote something down on a clipboard he was holding. "Excuse me '' I asked, "how does that tablet work?”.
“It is quite simple” the guard said, ”That tablet uses magic to connect to a record of all people currently considered criminals in the kingdom of Cardon and all countries whose laws we recognize. It allows us to make sure that you are not an escaped convict. Any details after that are beyond me. You would have to ask the Court Mages that created the device.”
After his explanation Henry came over with his finished document and two cards.
“Ah thanks Sir. With these your total entrance fee is only 5 copper and I will send the tax bill for imports over to the company building. Have a great rest of your day.”
With that we headed into the city. As we pass by the walls outside the city, for the first time I remember, I see a busy city. People all around, walking and talking to each other. For some reason both the city and the people remind me of the feeling I felt looking at the mountains and forest when I first woke up. After feeling this I sulk back into the wagon, not wanting to feel like that.
Leaning back against some of the creases in the wagon, I close my eyes trying to clear my head. Suddenly Henry calls back, ”Hey sense you don’t have a place to stay and i assume you don’t have money right now you can stay at an inn my company runs here in town, Then you and Jacob can go to the adventures guild tomorrow.”
Not completely sure why he keeps helping me I look at him and say, "Sure”.
