Die. Respawn. Repeat.

The actual process of getting our papers done takes only a few minutes, partially because Naru's presence right there makes every one of his guards snap to attention. They get everything approved and signed in record time—in large part because Naru is there to immediately sign them off—and I tuck the papers I've received into my pocket.

I do note that Versa wasn't kidding about the guards being draconian. They are, both metaphorically and in a literal sense. They're probably the closest thing I've encountered to actual humanoid dragons on Hestia. Each of them are enormous—at least seven feet tall—and have tails long and heavy enough to dig into the ground they walk on.

And that's just the men. The women are all at least nine feet tall. It's been a while since I've felt this physically small, though they all give me enough distance that I can tell they're aware which one of us would win in a fight.

It's almost a pity. I wouldn't mind brawling with a few of them. Or that might be the Knight within me—it's been largely quiet within my core so far, but strangely, I can feel it stirring at the presence of these guards.

I'll leave them alone. I have no particular desire to start a fight, at least for now.

I make Naru spend the next minute or two signing off on the papers of everyone else who's waiting at the guard post. He looks uncomfortable with the process, and the reason why is clear: I don't think he's ever actually been down here. He sends his orders from afar and gets all the paperwork sent to him, or sometimes not sent to him, depending on how his guards are feeling that particular day. He's never had to look people in the eye while rejecting them for entry into the city.

Not that I know why anyone would want to get into Carusath to begin with. The place is blisteringly hot, and the sounds of fighting haven't abated. He-Who-Guards shifts uncomfortably in place, like he wants to interfere, and I don't blame him—the only reason we don't is because... well, the loops would cancel out any good we do, and any problems Carusath has is systemic. I doubt I'd be able to fix its issues just with my fists, as tempting as it is to try.

My heart breaks as I listen to the pleas, though. Because there are things about the Great Cities that I've been entirely unaware of until now.

Anyone who's part of any Great City is technically, by Trialgoer agreement, allowed to travel between them—they're citizens of all the Cities, in effect. Of course, that's not how it works in practice: each Trialgoer in charge of a Great City has their own arbitrary entry requirements, and even if those requirements are met, they can arbitrarily decide to veto an entry.