Chapter 817: Open Borders

The Gate released them into noise.

Trafalgar stepped through first, Cynthia and Rhosyn following only a moment behind him, and found himself in the middle of one of the busiest Gate hubs he'd seen in quite some time.

People moved through the enormous hall in every direction. Travellers entered through one Gate while merchants pushed loaded carts toward another, guards directed traffic around the larger transports, and voices mixed with the constant hum of active mana formations.

Most of those voices belonged to Beastkin.

Wolf ears, feline tails, horns, scales, feathers, and more passed through Trafalgar's sight as they moved away from the Gate. Humans were mixed among them too, along with several other races, but there was no mistaking whose territory they had entered.

'This is already different.'

The last time Trafalgar had travelled through Thal'zar territory, moving unnoticed had been preferable. Hoods, caution, private routes, and as little attention as possible had made sense when Darian's position wasn't what it was now.

Today he walked through the hub with his face uncovered.

Nobody seemed particularly concerned.

A broad avenue ran through the centre of the building, with signs directing travellers toward different districts, transport stations, inns, and registration offices. Even the guards looked more interested in keeping people moving than questioning everyone who didn't have fur.

"They weren't this open before, were they?" Cynthia asked beside him.

"Not even close."

Rhosyn studied the crowd. "It seems to be working for them."

Trafalgar couldn't disagree.

There were too many merchants here for this to be some recent experiment. Wagons loaded with crates waited near the freight section, money changed hands at several counters, and foreign clothing appeared often enough among the crowd that outsiders had clearly become ordinary.

They hadn't gone far before a uniformed Beastkin guard stepped into their path.

"Identification, please."

The request was polite enough.

Trafalgar had expected it. Darian might have opened the larger Thal'zar cities to outsiders, but apparently he hadn't been stupid enough to simply throw the doors open and hope everyone behaved.

Trafalgar reached toward his coat.

Before he could take anything out, another voice interrupted them.

"That won't be necessary."

A man was approaching through the crowd.

He looked to be somewhere in his thirties, with short dark hair, grey wolf ears rising from it, and a matching tail behind him. His clothes were good without being noble, practical enough for travel but expensive enough that Trafalgar doubted he was an ordinary servant.

The guard recognized him immediately.

"Sir."

"They're expected." The wolf Beastkin gave the guard a small nod before looking toward Trafalgar. "Lord Darian asked that I meet you personally once you arrived. Please, follow me."

The man turned and began guiding them through the hub, walking at a comfortable enough pace that they could speak without having to chase him.

"Lord Darian is waiting farther inside the territory," the guide explained. "He wanted somewhere private for the meeting, and there isn't a Gate close enough to take you directly there. We have a carriage prepared outside."

"A carriage?" Cynthia asked.

The Beastkin glanced back at her. "A little traditional, I know."

"I wasn't complaining. I haven't used one for a while."

"Then perhaps you'll enjoy the change."

Trafalgar looked around as they passed beneath another high stone arch. "When did the borders open this much?"

"Gradually over the last two years." The guide seemed pleased by the question. "Lord Darian didn't remove everything at once. The largest cities opened first, then the trade routes. Identification became mandatory for visitors, but as long as you aren't carrying anything illegal or causing problems, travelling here is fairly simple now."

They emerged from the Gate hub onto a wide street.

That was where the scale of the change became much clearer.

The city stretched ahead of them in layers of stone and timber, its streets wide enough for several carriages to pass without slowing. Shops lined the lower floors of taller buildings, colourful signs hung above entrances, and crowds moved between stalls selling everything from food to weapons and imported fabrics.

Beastkin still made up most of the population, but outsiders were everywhere.

Trafalgar spotted a group of humans negotiating beside a merchant wagon, two elves leaving what looked like an inn, and an elderly dwarf arguing loudly with a smith whose ears twitched every time the dwarf raised his voice.

"Darian did all this?" Trafalgar asked.

"Not personally, obviously." The guide laughed. "If Lord Darian had to lay every road himself, we'd still be waiting for the first one. But opening trade was his decision, and he pushed hard for the cities to adapt quickly."

There was genuine respect in the man's voice.

Trafalgar noticed that too.

"People supported it?"

"Eventually." The guide glanced toward a busy market square as they passed. "There was resistance at first. Some families didn't like outsiders coming in. Others thought we'd lose control of our own cities."

"And now?"

"Now those same people rent warehouses to foreign merchants."

Cynthia laughed. "Money has a strange way of improving people's principles."

The Beastkin gave her an approving look. "You understand our politics remarkably well."

"I understand people."

The guide smiled. "I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but I wasn't told Lord Morgain would be travelling with such pleasant company."

Cynthia looked down at her hand and raised it enough for the ring on her finger to catch the light.

"I'm married."

The man's ears shifted slightly.

Then he laughed. "My apologies. Your husband has expensive taste, at least. That doesn't look like a cheap ring."

Cynthia's mouth curved. "He can afford it."

Trafalgar turned his head toward the street before the amusement on his face became too obvious.

The guide then made the mistake of looking toward Rhosyn.

"And you, Lady...?"

"I'm not interested."

He hadn't even finished the question.

For a second, the wolf Beastkin simply stared at her.

Rhosyn kept walking as though nothing had happened.

Cynthia bit the inside of her cheek, visibly trying not to laugh.

The guide recovered with admirable speed and gave a short nod, as if deciding that the safest course of action was simply to move past the awkward moment. "Understood," he said, and gestured for them to continue.

Trafalgar glanced toward Rhosyn as they resumed walking, his tone carrying a hint of dry reproach. "You could have at least let him finish what he was going to say instead of cutting him off like that."

Rhosyn did not even slow her pace. Her answer came without hesitation, as if the matter had already been settled in her mind long before anyone else spoke. "I knew where it was going."

Trafalgar raised an eyebrow slightly, unconvinced. "You didn't."

"I did," she repeated, this time with the same quiet certainty, leaving no room for argument.

Behind them, the guide cleared his throat, clearly eager to defuse the situation before it lingered any longer than necessary. "In my defence, I was only going to ask your name," he said, trying to sound lighthearted.

At that, Rhosyn finally turned her head to look at him properly, her expression unreadable.

"Rhosyn," she said simply, as if offering the information out of obligation rather than interest.

The guide blinked once, then let out a small, relieved breath as if the tension had finally resolved itself. "See? Completely innocent," he replied, attempting a faint smile.

Rhosyn did not respond immediately. Instead, she held his gaze for another brief moment, long enough to make it clear she was not particularly impressed by the exchange. "Now you have it," she added flatly, before turning her attention forward again.

The man seemed to take the hint at last, wisely deciding not to push the conversation any further.