The muffled roar of New Shinkotsu faded into a rhythmic hum as Nico approached the towering stone arch of the Western Gate, which was heavily fortified by a detachment of knights who stood like blue-and-gold sentinels.
Nico stepped toward a simple wooden table positioned in the cool shade of the left archway, where a helmetless knight sat reviewing paperwork.
The man looked up with tired eyes, taking the stack of documents Nico offered before scanning the permits with a practiced gaze, making Nico pour his mana into the Adventurer's Card to ensure everything matched the records.
"Everything seems to be in order," the Knight said as he stacked the papers together.
"Good luck, kid," he added with a tone of genuine professional concern as he returned them after a stamp. "That's quite the undertaking… soloing the Goblin's Nest like that. Be careful out there."
Nico took the papers with a respectful nod before slipping them into the pocket of his Samue.
