After a final detour so Lena could buy some honey nougat, they finally arrived at Nokia at sundown.

  The entrance to the Township of Nokia was marked by a pair of towering stone gates grander than the simple terracotta in Iakesi could ever be. The surfaces of the gates etched with faded carvings of trade emblems and a guild sigil that looked like a boar. A heavy iron portcullis loomed overhead, its bars thick enough to stop a charging orc in its tracks. To the sides of the entrance stood two weathered watchtowers, their torch-lit windows blazing against the deepening dusk.

  Just outside the gates, a cluster of merchants had set up makeshift stalls, loudly hawking their wares to travelers before they even set foot in the city. Some man in a pink shirt waved a string of smoked sausages at a passing noblewoman, while another tried to convince a weary-looking farmer that his rusted trinkets were "ancient relics of unparalleled power!" A pair of guards stood by the gate, paying more attention to a heated argument over the price of a single turnip than actually overwatching the wagons passing by.

  A massive wooden plaque was nailed beside the entrance, proudly displaying a bold inscription:

  “Welcome to Nokia! Home of the #5 Knight Guild in the Country—The Indomitable Iron Brand!”

  Underneath, a smaller, hastily added engraving read:

  “(Ranked by the Caerfort Annual Knightly Competency Survey—Accuracy Not Guaranteed)”

  Ducaz let out a low whistle. “Ah, the prestigious Iron Brand! Holding strong at a very respectable fifth place. You’d think that would mean something, wouldn’t you?” He leaned back against the wagon, grinning. “You ever heard about their captain?”

  Lena raised an eyebrow. “Should I have?”

  Anders scoffed. “You shouldn’t. Even I don’t know of that guy. He must not be important.”

  “Oh, he’s somewhat famous,” Ducaz said, gesturing vaguely. “B-ranked, even! Goes by the name Stevie Jobs Motorola.”

  “That’s an odd name,” Lena said as she popped a nougat into her mouth. “It’s like a name from another world.” Tabby kept meowing on her lap. The little thing hadn’t gotten a thing to eat since the start of the trip.

  Good. Let it be the one suffering for once. Blorbo had given up on trying to get Ducaz to sit on him.

  “You think?” Leaning against the side of the wagon, Ducaz waggled his brows. “He’s more known for running a barely legal wild boar fight ring than for any of his actual achievements on the battlefield. Supposedly, he made more coin last year off gambling bets than the entire guild did through official contracts.”

  Anders threw his hands in the air. “Fantastic. That’s exactly the kind of knight I want in charge of city security.”

  I mean you should be happy if they’re crooked and incompetent. It’s very much possible that you’re breaking into someone’s property to steal their knives tonight.

  “Why are you with us again?” Rob asked Ducaz.

  The aspiring rogue shrugged. “I know of your secret now. Would you rather I be off to Lord-knows-where next?”

  Oh yeah. I never realized that until now. There goes Lena’s attempt at leveraging him.

  As the wagon rolled forward, Lena leaned forward, peering at the distracted guards, then waved a hand. “Hey! We’re coming in! Don’t you need to check our wagon or something?”

  One of the guards, a thickly built man with a patchy beard, barely glanced her way. “Just pass! Don’t you see we’ve got an important matter to settle?”

  The ‘important matter’ in question seemed to be yet another squabble between a merchant and an old woman shaking a particularly ugly turnip in his face.

  “You said two copper per turnip! Now you want three?!” the old woman snapped.

  The merchant extended his hands forward. “That was before I realized how firm and well-grown this one is! Look at the texture, the depth of color! This is no ordinary turnip, madam. This is a premium-quality root vegetable!”

  Lena gave the guards an incredulous look. “Are you serious?”

  The second guard, a lanky man with an unfortunate mustache, barely acknowledged her. “Shush. It’s getting good.”

  The first guard handed him a smoked sausage, and they both took a bite at the same time. “Mm. She’s about to hit him.”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  “She is. You see how she’s gripping that turnip? Classic winding-up motion.”

  “She’s got good form.”

  “That comes from experience. She’s grabbed turnips all her life.”

  These are the people keeping the city safe?

  The wagon entered the town without anyone stopping them.

  Anders muttered under his breath, “Knights.”

  As the wagon clattered past the completely useless guards, Rob reached into his coat and pulled out a rolled-up map. He unfurled it over his lap and smoothed the parchment with his palm. Several markings dotted the city’s layout, with three bold circles standing out among the rest.

  “We’re actually not far from the first location,” Rob noted, running his finger along the street names. “The Noka Merchant’s Guild Hall is just a few turns from here.”

  Rob nodded. “One of the largest in the region, supposedly. It’s got silver utensils from the Old Empire, a ceremonial bread knife from the Ascetic Monks of Saint Baguette, and even a soup ladle carved from enchanted wyvern bone.”

  Wyvern bone ladle? That sounds absolutely ridiculous. Who would touch such a thing, let alone use it? That’s like taking the spine out of your pet and using it to stir your stew.

  A quest popped up.

  [NEW QUEST AVAILABLE: A Most Questionable Utensil]

  Objective: Make physical contact with the enchanted wyvern bone ladle.

  Reward: +75 EXP

  Prerequisite: None.

  Failure: None.

  Accept: YES/NO

  Of course.

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