Sir Maron sat in his office, his eyes scanning the stack of reports in front of him. His hands trembled slightly, not with fear, but with rage. The guards standing before him swallowed nervously, glancing at one another as sweat beaded on their foreheads.
"Are you taking bribes?" Maron's voice was cold, sharp as a blade.
"N-No, sir!" one of the guards stammered. "We would never—"
Maron slammed his fist on the table, making the papers jump. "Then explain this!" He held up a document, his glare fixed on them. "Names are missing! People have entered the barony without proper merchant guild documentation!"
The guards paled, their denials dying in their throats. One by one, their heads lowered. Finally, one of them whispered, "We... we allowed some merchants in. They paid a small fee to avoid the lengthy process. We didn't think it was a big deal."
