Chapter 47
The line kept moving forward steadily, and Draco could feel the anticipation building within him and his siblings as their turn to enter the city of Orario drew closer.
Draco had taken great care to mask his physical features with a heavy cloak, determined to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention to himself before they joined a familia and settled into their new life in the bustling city.
As they inched closer to the front of the line, Draco could see a short, stout woman who appeared to be a dwarf beckoning the next group forward.
"Next!" she called out in a gruff but professional tone.
Draco urged the carriage carrying his family– Clair, Michalis, Eleni, Nikolaos, Dimitra, Vasileios, and Vasiliki – to move up, and he stepped down to represent their group.
"Welcome to Orario," the dwarf woman greeted them.
"Which of the following would best describe your intentions for coming to Orario? Are you a registered adventurer, merchant, new citizen, or something else?" She asked.
Draco straightened his posture and replied, "New citizen."
The dwarf woman's eyes flicked towards Draco's companions, who were openly gawking at her.
"Should I assume that it is the same for them?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly.
Draco could feel a twinge of embarrassment at his siblings' behavior, but he understood that they had never encountered a dwarf before.
"I apologize for their behavior," he said, keeping his tone polite and respectful.
"It's their first time seeing a dwarf, and they're still adjusting." he explained.
The dwarf woman's expression softened, and she gave a small nod.
"It's fine, I'm used to that sort of reaction. Anyway, you'll all need to go join that line over there for inspection and an interview," she said, gesturing to a long queue of people waiting further down the road.
Draco let out a small sigh as he took in the sight of the lengthy line.
"Ugh, all that just to join another line," he muttered under his breath, his irritation starting to show.
The sun was already dipping below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the scene, and Draco couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration at the prospect of having to wait even longer.
"Here are your tags," the dwarf woman said, handing Draco a set of identification tags for himself and his siblings.
He felt a twinge of frustration as he surveyed the line, but he knew that security was of the utmost importance in a city like Orario that had many enemies.
Giving his thanks to the dwarf woman, he led the carriage towards the inspection line.
As Draco and his siblings joined the back of the line, Draco could hear his siblings whispering among themselves.
"Did you see how much taller she was compared to the those other small people we saw in the line? Are they of the same race?" Clair whispered, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Yea, she looked a bit taller but not by much" Michalis added, stifling a giggle.
Eleni elbowed her brother gently, her voice soft but firm.
"Hush, Michalis. We don't want to be rude." she said.
Nikolaos shook his head, his expression pensive.
"There are so many interesting-looking people here. It's a bit weird seeing so many different races in one place," he muttered.
Dimitra's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I can't wait to see more! This is so exciting!".
Vasileios and Vasiliki remained silent, content to observe the world around them with curious eyes.
Draco sighed, realizing he needed to provide some context for his siblings.
"The shorter ones are pallums, and the taller ones are dwarves," he explained.
"Now, be quiet and stop talking about people. The last thing we need is trouble due to your rude statements. You never know who might be listening." he warned.
The wait felt endless, and Draco could see that some of the people further back in the line had already given up, unwilling to endure the lengthy process.
But Draco and his family had come too far to turn back now, and they had no choice but to persevere.
Finally, after what felt like hours, their turn came again.
The sky had grown dark, and Draco could see the exhaustion and impatience etched on the faces of those around them.
'Luckily, we got our turn,' he thought, relieved that they wouldn't have to wait until the next day.
As soon as they reached the front of the line, their carriage was pulled to the side, and a thorough inspection began.
Draco remained by the carriage, keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings to ensure that none of their belongings were stolen by the inspectors.
It was peculiar to Draco that no major inquiries were made regarding the substantial quantities of precious metals and gemstones in their possession.
One would expect the authorities to closely examine the origins and legitimacy of such valuable assets, particularly if they were obtained through potentially dubious means.
Draco made a mental note of the men who did the inspection, there was definitely something at play here.
Luckily he had hidden a large portion of the gems and metals not too far outside the city.
He had done this to reduce the amount in their possession to tolerable levels, planning to fly to the hiding spot at a later time to retrieve their loot.
Meanwhile, his siblings were called into a nearby tent, one by one, for individual interviews.
Finally, it was Draco's turn to enter the interview tent.
As he stepped inside, he was greeted by the sight of a half-elf woman, her short pointed ears betraying her heritage.
Draco took a deep breath and removed his cloak, deciding that there was no need to conceal his identity.
He reasoned that there was no point in making himself look suspicious to a guild employee.
The half-elf woman studied him with a calm, professional demeanor.
Draco could tell from her initial expression that she was a bit stunned by his appearance, but she had quickly composed herself.
'As expected of a guild employee,' he thought.
"Welcome to Orario," she said, her voice soft and measured.
"I'll be conducting a brief interview to ensure that you and your family pose no threat to our city. Please, have a seat." Draco nodded and settled into the chair, waiting for the questions to begin.
"Name," she asked, adopting a more formal demeanor.
"Draco Black," he responded.
"Race, hometown, and age?" she inquired, her voice devoid of emotion.
"To the best of my knowledge, I am a Dragonkin. I am currently 12 years old, and my hometown was destroyed during a monster stampede, so I no longer have one," Draco explained.
The woman turned her attention to a device on the table, her expression unreadable.
"Have you ever been part of a familia?" she asked.
"No, I have not," Draco replied.
"Have you ever been in possession of or involved with any harmful or illegal items?" she questioned, her eyes focused on the device.
"Not that I'm aware of," Draco answered honestly.
“Do weapons for self defense count?” he asked.
"Hmm, no" the woman hummed, her gaze flickering between the device and Draco.
"Have you received any form of combat training or been affiliated with any organizations outside of Orario?" she inquired.
"My grandparents were retired adventurers, and they provided me and my siblings with combat training. I don't belong to and haven't joined any organizations," Draco responded.
The woman proceeded to ask several other personal questions, which Draco answered truthfully.
Based on her frequent glances at the device, he deduced that it was likely some kind of truth-detecting mechanism.
"Lastly, what is the reason you desire to be a citizen of Orario?" the woman asked.
"To become an adventurer," Draco stated with conviction.
The woman took one final look at the device, seemingly satisfied with his responses.
She began writing on a piece of paper.
"Here is the bill, and these are your papers. You've passed the interview. Once again, welcome to Orario” she announced, handing the documents to Draco.
'Ah, so they've billed everything to me,' Draco realized, taking note of the charges for himself and his siblings.
Exiting the tent, Draco boarded the carriage and joined the final line of people with the necessary paperwork to enter the city.
The queue moved swiftly, and soon a heavily muscular man with a gruff voice requested their papers at the gate.
"Here you are," Draco said, handing over the documents.
"Everything looks in order. Would you like to purchase a basic map of the city?" the man offered.
'Well, we do need to find an inn, and it's too late to go to the guild now,' Draco thought.
"Yes, please," Draco replied, paying the small fee before the carriage was allowed to enter the bustling city of Orario.