The discussion concerning Westmark's fifteen regions had given Sage considerably more to think about than he had anticipated.
By the following afternoon, the enormous map Lucan had brought remained spread across a table in his office.
Several smaller sheets of parchment had been placed beside it, containing preliminary estimates of the expenses involved in establishing additional Adventurer Guild branches throughout the Kingdom.
Unfortunately, the more Sage examined those figures, the more troublesome the undertaking appeared.
Constructing buildings and hiring personnel were relatively straightforward matters. Securing permission from dozens of territorial authorities, however, was an entirely different problem.
And that was assuming those authorities were willing to cooperate.
Sage was studying a particularly troublesome stretch of territory when a knock sounded against his office door.
"Come in," he called without looking up.
