The group stopped in a tavern and drank some beverages with hoods up, staring at each other. Isolated in that new world, Rargnes felt like he would be with them for quite some time.
"So, what are we doing now?" asked in a hushed voice a blond man - Jean, if his memories were correct. "The goblin is wanted, and there's not much people like us."
And all of those earthlings were slaves here. They could barely make it like they were Sengrar's slaves thanks to his strong physique and resemblance to the natives.
As Rargnes stared at the others in silence, the man he had assaulted with Sengrar averted his eyes from him.
"They don't seem to care all that much," said RedStar, "probably because the tutorial is over already, and they are taking warrior earthlings to fight."
"So? That won't make us a living. I only got a few pieces of silver from goblins at the start of the apocalypse and the end of the tutorial, but the prices are crazy."
"Border's price." Said RedStar with a shrug. "there wouldn't be anyone wanting to attack if it weren't for benefits."
"Is there any way to come back to our world?" asked Rargnes
"We need to be citizens of this country to be able to use the portals. It would mean we have obtained the noble's approval."
"Aren't there any clandestine portals? I mean, can't we go back now? They might have left."
"You underestimate how greedy the noble is for those powers. He wants to make a notorious contribution to the king! He'd have left a few of his entourage. No, I know what you will say; they'll beat us a hundred percent of the time. We couldn't even fight back one mage and a few warriors."
"So?" asked Sengrar
"As long as you have a paper saying you're a noble's man, they'll accept us no matter how much they don't believe us."
"Yeah, nice. How -" Jean felt silent as a waitress came by, then he continued. "How do we do that when you're fucking wanted?"
"The noble has power enough to kill us all in moments. Only other nobles and the king can defeat him. He'll know immediately if someone kills on his territory, so for every matter, it would require heading to some invaded worlds. I tell you, we need to romain here. A goblin can't lie."
"How does he do that?" Asked the second person they took from the group. Rargnes didn't remember his name."I mean, knowing if we kill."
"The lord class."
"There are other worlds? Not only earthling?" Asked Sengrar
"Yup, more of wastelands, but with some energy to take, as long as we don't enter them or cross a noble's entourage, it'll be fine."
As night fell, RedStar, one step behind Sengrar, led them to see one of the goblin's administrator known for corruption.
The administration goblin glanced at them and asked, "And how are you going to use your citizenship's right?"
"It's for the border," Sengrar said. "We want to go to the other world."
"Hmm... yeah, your accent is good enough. Do you know the rules?"
Rargnes shook his head.
"Only those who have the lord's permission can enter the borders. Of course, I can give them to you, but you must pay quite some silver. I suppose you don't have enough?"
It was a few hundred times the monthly rent of a noble class - 6000 thousand silver crowns.
"Then this will only give you the right to take the portals leading to this one country; for the others, you will need to head to a different noble area."
"That's too much!" RedStar said, shaking his head.
"What happens if the lord who got know of this? I'll pay it, and you too. Then we would have to migrate to another country, going to a smaller noble with a grasp on every administrator, pressing them like lemons, never granting you anything just to respect their never-seen 'king'. And if that minor noble were to give you these rights bouger for a hefty sum of silver and got killed, his killer would obtain his rights and steal you again. I have plans to live well with my money in other countries, and I sure hope you have the means to do so if you refuse our deal."
"We don't have enough."
"15000 silvers crown. Double for the time you will make me lose and half for the magic contract."
They acquiesced and continued providing information for the papers. Rargnes noticed that he seemed accustomed to this kind of scenario.
How many people had come like this? How many people were absorbed like this?
"Here, sign here." The administration goblin slipped a paper.
"What is it?"
"It is a magical contract. If we don't abide by it, the magic inside us will retaliate - you will die, basically."
Rargnes read it. It explained the repayment that they had to provide for their status over a reasonably long period, and if they didn't, they would be paid by being slaves. All were forced to sign it.
"Oh yes, one last thing," he said, "now that the tutorial is over, be careful. If you go through the portals, most people might kill you to retrieve your energy."
"What do you mean?"
They knew they could gain energy in battles and by killing goblins, but did it also work if they slaughtered each other?
That'd be one hello of a reason to get rid of a fucker who broke trucks.
"It means that you can get energy from the dead. Do you see the opportunity I'm giving you now? Stop glaring at me like this. Our noble doesn't accept those transnational companies, but that doesn't mean he can stop them entirely from coming. Some groups are building in powers and attacking groups like yours. Be careful there. Oh, and if you need information in the future, I also sell those."
Before leaving, Rargnes asked:
"If someone somehow kills the noble, won't the king do anything? Or others nobles?"
"I wouldn't consider that with your strength. The contract said you can't attack him before paying me full. But if you do kill him, you'll replace him without trouble. The first minister wants the best. It's natural. He chooses the best by letting those who could harm him fight each other... You know, the first minister established it to honor the king. Now get out already."
"No, but seriously... if he wants some kind of power, and is even willing to put his entourage guarding, he's gonna ask for sure the only one who can't lie! Why else would he put them here for?! That's the shitiest idea I've never seen." Said Jean.
"When will you learn that the world is mostly composed of dumb people like you who think they are genius?" Asked Rargnes. "People don't chose the best option everytime, look how many people with problems they could easily solve there are, then shut the fuck up and follow what works."
"If it exists then that mean it works, just tell yourself it's a goblin thing." RedStar said then laughted with a large smile.