The chief guard knocked cautiously on the neat, luxurious door.
From within, a voice beckoned him to enter.
He opened the door and stepped inside, bowing respectfully. A middle-aged man sat behind a large study desk, which was buried under hundreds of scattered documents—the clear aftermath of a long day’s work.
The man, his hair thinning and streaked with gray, spoke without looking up.
“Four outsiders have entered the territory.”
“Is that
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