Chapter 57: Shock Entry
They didn’t waste time—there was no point in lingering, and frankly, they probably couldn’t afford to.
The journey itself was surprisingly smooth. Not difficult, not tedious. Their act played out flawlessly. While they did draw some glances along the way, none carried suspicion—just curiosity.
Surprised, intrigued faces watched as a high-profile noblewoman walked openly through a less-than-prestigious part of the city, escorted by a single man. It wasn’t a sight anyone saw every day, but it wasn’t alarming enough to provoke intervention.
And Irsted had been right: it would’ve been impossible to miss the baroness’ domain even if they’d tried.
It wasn’t just another sprawling estate tucked into a corner of the undercity.
Far from it.
The estate stretched high—soaring all the way to the jagged rock ceiling above and even extending into the upper city, connecting the underground world to the surface in a show of raw authority. The sheer verticality of the place made it feel like the baroness didn’t just control part of the undercity—she ruled above it as well.
The surrounding wall looked like something straight out of a medieval war novel—thick, fortified stone stretching dozens of feet high, complete with battlements patrolled by a constant stream of armored guards.
"Looks like an absolute fortress..." Corven muttered, his eyes sweeping across the dense perimeter brimming with security.
The number of guards was staggering. Even more notable was that they were all human—a risky job, given who they were protecting against.
The front gate alone was lined with at least thirty armored knights, every one of them dressed in silver-plated gear. The moment Corven laid eyes on them, a sharp discomfort pierced him. The silver didn’t just gleam—it burned.
"Can’t blame her for being cautious," Lilian said calmly, matching his pace. "We don’t even trust our own kind. This level of defense feels appropriate."