Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Grand Forest Villa

Our carriages travel in the middle of half-completed houses made of woods. We look at the surrounding through the windows. 

We are speechless. There are at least five thousand houses. According to Hyndel, those people are refugees from various places in Olga Federation that was destroyed by Negara invasion. 

We also have to pinch our nose as the air in here are full of strong stench. I am very familiar with this stinking smell. The houses reek of human feces. Probably, as refugees have no toilet, they relieve themselves everywhere.

Can they really stand living in this environment? 

It seems Hyndel who is awkwardly riding a horse together with another man, Sin, looks very uncomfortable, and is also pinching his nose.

Our carriages move proudly through the refugees settlement, led by the commander-in-chief, Hyndel. An almost painful amount of curious stares focused on us, while mothers who see us hide their children indoors. That makes me somewhat disappointed.

"My lady, the Winterwatch Tower is in sight.” Hyndel announces from the front.

As I turn to look in the direction where the commander-in-chief is pointing, a massive structure — extremely big for something in the woods, but sizable even by Minerva’s standards — comes into view. The noble girls look very impressed.

The destination is still far away but we could see the structure from the settlement. It is like thirty kilometres from us. The carriages are still moving.

After moving about 20 kilometres, there is no more dwelling. The path we are travelling on has short brick walls on either side. Beyond the thin walls, beautiful trees and grass decorate the surrounding beautifully. 

The path lead us slightly uphill and our destination is on higher land. 

As we closing in, the view becomes clearer.

Five broad, square towers reach twice the height of the next tallest building in this elegant castle and are connected by high, thick walls made of light pink stone.

Behind that walls, there is a narrow tower but it is the tallest structure compared to the surrounding towers. 

Tall windows are scattered thinly around the walls in fairly symmetrical patterns, along with small holes for archers and surveillance.

There appears to be no moat surrounding the walls and five flanking towers between the curtain walls. 

As we become nearer, the tower inside becomes viewable from outside. It is Winterwatch Tower. It is unique tower keep as it is narrow despite being tall. 

The walls are at the slightly higher ground. 

We finally arrive at the gatehouse. The entrance below the gatehouse is protected by a large portcullis. 

There is another man wearing priest like clothes behind the portcullis.

Hyndel approaches that man and tells him something while his finger is pointing at us. 

Soon, the portcullis is pulled up. 

Our carriages follow Hyndel into the opened entrance.

Inside, there are several double storey brick houses and a field, probably for sword training.

There is the Winterwatch Tower at the centre. 

A corner connecting two curtain walls is attached to a rocky hill.

Not far from that corner, there is an elevated land. A mansion exists gallantly on top of it. It is one fourth of the size of Abram castle. 

"Grand Forest Villa" Minerva says while pointing at the mansion. 

A part of Grand Forest Villa is connected to rocky hill behind them. 

From the connected part,  there is something like water fall. Water continuously pour from the opening at the connected part. There is a pine tree at both sides of the waterfall.

It seems like a waterfall. Water probably comes from the rocky hill behind the mansion and past through a part of the mansion. 

The water flows into the waterfall before pouring into stream. The stream stretches until one of the wall, towards outside. 

"Here "

Our carriage slowly reduces its speed, until it finally comes to a halt. However, we still could not disembark immediately. It is troublesome, but Minerva and the girls have to attend to their own preparations for the sake of style and security.

The carriage stops in front of a stair. 

Minerva checks herself over one more time, to make sure that her appearance would not shame herself or the House of Blare.

"Sin. You return." 

As Hyndel instructs, Sin drives the horse away.

Minerva nods in satisfaction, and just at that moment, a knock rings out from the door.

“Then, I shall disembark first, My lady.” Ivanna says.

“Please do.”

After that short answer, Ivanna opens the carriage’s door.

It is a stately, proper exit that befits the carriage which bears the second highest authority in the Abram province. Just in case, I interpose myself between the Minerva and the outside as the door opens, serving as a shield for Minerva.

We could see what lay outside, beyond Ivanna.

The first thing that comes into view is the grass of the plains. After that are the other girls, lined up to face each other. Beyond them lay a hill that swells up from the plains, and a stair. 

"My lady. Please follow me."

Except the driver, everyone climbs out the stair. It is not steep and we could climb with ease.

Although I do not know much about architectures, I feel that this structure is  eye-catching.

But… that’s a big door… a double door, huh?

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Upon entering, we walk past a walkway and arrive at a hemispherical room. We stand before a pair of vast double doors.

We follow the commander in chief into the door and climb another stair and reach the third floor. 

"Meeting Room lies beyond. Speaker Anais waits for you within. But let me in first.” Hyndel says.

He subsequently enters the room. 

We don't know what happen as the door is closed. 

We wait for about fifteen minutes before the door is opened from inside.

Hyndel showing gesture to invite us in. 

We enter.

A vast room came into view, with a ceiling that was very high and very broad. 

There are two persons standing at the centre of the room. 

One old man in Christian priest clothing. 

Beside him there is a woman. She is definitely the Speaker Anais.

At last, we reach the base of the steps, in front of those two. 

"I am Berand. The advisor of One Gold Cultist." The grey haired man slightly bows. 

"I am Anais. The speaker for One God Cult." 

The sweet voice comes from the woman standing beside the old priest. Her sweet voice matches her radiant looks. 

Minerva makes a polite but confident gesture, 

"“I humbly thank you for your most generous welcome, Miss Anaïs. Mister Berand."

"My lady. Please just call us without honorific." The old man says.

*** 

(Anaïs' Point of view)

The burbling of the brook is tremendously comforting in this gloomy world. It is hard to resist the temptation to take a little nap, although there certainly isn’t time on this task. The temptation is all the stronger because this is her occupied turf, the sun-speckled chamber deep in the Grand Forest Villa. It isn’t as if working from dawn till dusk would actually make one more capable. And her guardian, elder Berand is always nagging at her to get more rest. Surely the world wouldn’t end if she takes an hour or two of sleep…

"Hmph. That’s just a convenient excuse, and I know it."

Anais gently pulls the over to her where she has been basking in the warmth of the afternoon sunlight. She hears footsteps coming up from the other side of the corridor. Familiar footsteps—but something strange accompanies them in the distance. A rattling of armour. The sound is one of disharmony. Confusion. A mix of races and physiques.

She slowly put up her dress and walk to the stairs. The four storey mansion has two stairs, one is accessible from the front door and a hidden one connected to the brook and tunnel in the rocky hill. 

She is now in the ground floor which is the first floor albeit the hidden one. The footsteps come from guest hall accessible from the front door. 

Anais walks up the stairs from ground floor to the second floor, then to the third floor. The stair leads to another upper floor but she walk to third  floor's walkway instead. The stair from the front door only reaches the third floor. 

At both sides of the walkway, there are ten rooms at each side. She sleeps in one of the room. Each room has two floors. The third floor in each room is connected to second floor. The rest of rooms are vacant. Hyndel and Berand sleep in the normal room accessible from the front door while another twenty seven of cult members live in small buildings on the bailey outside the mansion.

Upon reaching the end of the corridor, she opens the door to the meeting hall. 

Hyndel and Berand appear to have finished discussion and turn to her.

The old man, Berand tells her,

"As you know we have been occupying this place unlawfully. We have been discovered and one of higher noble from Ferelden, the famous Margrave of Lothering is here."

There are only handful of margraves in the whole Ferelden and Lord of Lothering is the well-known. Even Anais knows about this fact but Hinterland is within the province of Redcliffe. 

Hyndel shocks her from her reckoning,

"I bring them here as they don't seem to harbour ill intention. Furthermore, they could easily report us to the lord of Redcliffe."

She nods.

They open the second  door in the meeting hall. Eighteen persons enter. 

A brown skinned man with black hair and black eyes; a rare appearance, looks at her from head to toe. The rest of the group consist women of various physiques and attires. 

Two red haired women are standing side by side. One dons light armour while the one with spectacle wears spectacular clothing. The short haired girl beside her also wear spectacular clothing but her body is quite muscular. 

From the clothing alone, Anais figures either the red haired woman with spectacle or the short haired girl would be the Margrave. 

Anais and two men greet them.

The red haired woman with spectacle responds,

"I humbly thank you for your most generous welcome, Miss Anaïs. Mister Berand."

The old man beside Anais replies,

"My lady. Please just call us without honorific."

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