The gate opened on its own, and after walking through the gate, Viktor was impressed by the sight before him. He could see several low buildings that were grouped around a central courtyard.
The buildings were a mix of white with the roofs being red in color, making a perfect contrast, and since wood seemed to be the primary building material, it looked quite good as well.
He could see some men and women practicing their mystical arts in a separate enclosure with a master overlooking them.
The rest of the surroundings were filled with pleasant-looking greenery, especially the beautiful colorful flowers that seemed quite out of the world.
*Hrnnng!*
Viktor suddenly heard the sound of an animal neighing and looked to the side to see a strange animal that resembled a horse.
The horse was black in color, but bright orange flames were escaping from its eyes, limbs, and its mane, making it look quite intimidating and powerful.
In fact, in the shed far away, he could see four such horses, and seeing these horses that look like they came straight out of fairy tales, Viktor couldn't help but ask Ayana, "Hey, what kind of horses are these?"
"Aha, these are our most prized horses. They are called Flame Steed. They are quite strong and fast. And since they have the ability to use flames, they are a good match for us since at least the expert members of our clan mostly use flames. You would be quite surprised to see other mythical beasts though now someone has taken all of them to roam around outside and get some air," Ayana felt a bit amused seeing how Viktor was filled with a pure child-like curiosity about these things.
But then again, she was used to all this while he was seeing this for the first time.
Brad was the one who was even more shocked than Viktor and had to rub his eyes to make sure he was not dreaming about these creatures.
He couldn't help thinking that with Viktor in his life, the world around him never seemed ordinary. And now he only realized it again.
"I can get one of these too, right?" Viktor eagerly asked as he already started to dream about him riding majestically on these beasts and looking down on the world...well at least just for show.
Hearing his question, the three maids suddenly gave him a strange glance before turning around while Ayana coughed and said, "Ahem, these horses are used by the main family or Nyissa's direct family. So not even we are allowed to ride them. The best we can do is touch and take care of them."
"Oh, is that all? Don't worry, soon enough, I will be riding one," Viktor confidently said with a big smile, making Ayana snort, thinking that this guy was bragging too much and hoped that he wouldn't offend the patriarch with any brash comments.
As they walked through the halls, the people that were passing them by gave a bow while taking a quick, curious glance at Viktor and Brad, wondering why there were two people when they only got word that only one special guest was coming.
But the burning question was why this guest was 'special'?
Viktor passed by many single-story buildings while walking down the footpath. However, just as he was about to reach the central courtyard, he saw a handsome young man in his late twenties coming out with a stoic expression.
He was tall, dark, and handsome. If he was to enter his world, girls would be circling around him within seconds.
He was dressed in casual black robes, but Viktor felt that this guy was not a nobody based on the look in his eyes and his natural bearings.
Upon seeing Ayana, the maids, and these two strangers, the man slightly frowned and stood before them, making them come to a stop. The three maids had fawning expressions on their faces the moment they saw this man, making Viktor confirm his suspicions.
"Oh, he is here…"
"Who is this guy?" Viktor asked while maintaining his gaze with that man who seemed to stare at him with an expressionless face.
"He is Laynar, the only son of the first chief of our clan. Our clan only has four chiefs, and they are kind of important figures and only below the patriarch himself. He is kind of a bigshot in our clan and considered to be only weaker than Nyissa. But I guess that's why he...."
"That's why, what?"
"Is this our special guest? What is your name?" Laynar asked with a firm gaze.
"Isn't it considered mannerful to first introduce yourself before asking for others' names?" Viktor asked with his hands behind his back while the three maids had their eyes widened hearing Viktor talk like this and made a low gasping sound.
Ayana inwardly sighed, seeing that there was some kind of tension in the air.
Viktor felt that this guy was annoying, standing in their way and asking questions like this. It was not like he was the patriarch of this clan. He couldn't understand what this guy's problem was.
"Didn't Ayana tell you my name just now? I didn't see a need for you to hear a name twice to learn it," Laynar said, his eyes narrowing.
"Hearing it from someone else is not the same as you saying it yourself. Didn't your elders teach you this?"
"You!" Laynar couldn't no longer maintain a calm expression as he never expected this man to be so bold enough to talk to him like this. Ayana had told him about his status as well but seeing how he was not giving him any face made Laynar clench his fists.
Ayana wanted to tell Viktor not to simply irritate Layna, but she felt that it was not right to tell Viktor in front of Laynar.
*Click!*
Suddenly the wooden doors of the central courtyard as a sound came out, "What's going on here?" Hearing this voice, Laynar immediately swallowed the words he was going to say, and the maids and even Ayana suddenly had their expressions change into one of reverence and respect as they bowed, making Viktor and Brad glance at each other before looking at the person who came out.
