The carriage carrying Kurt and Ayako inside had arrived at the grand gates of Eldoria. When they finally reached the head of the queue, Isabel pulled on the reins, bringing the horses to a rhythmic halt.
"Good morning, sir." Isabel greeted the guardsman.
"Morning. Reason for egress?"
Isabel reached into her apron and handed the F-rank request form Kurt had snatched from the board. The guard took the parchment, scanned the seal of the Adventurer's Guild, and nodded. "Herb gathering. Simple enough. Carry on."
He handed the paper back and let them through. But as the carriage began to roll forward, the guard's expression shifted as if he had remembered something.
"Wait! Hang on a minute, missy! One more thing!"
The carriage stopped and Kurt poked his head out the window to ask, "Is there a problem?"
"Maybe," the guard said, wiping sweat from his brow.
