Chapter 239

Arran eagerly accepted the Elder’s offer to show him the mansion . He could still scarcely believe that the palatial manor house would soon be his, and the prospect of exploring it filled him with excitement .

He had grown up the son of a simple guard, lucky just to have a bedroom of his own . Yet now, he was casually granted a mansion bigger than those of even the wealthiest merchants in Riverbend .

It was a place he would once have thought fit for kings and princes, and the idea that it would be his seemed almost absurd .

Of course, he knew the mansion wouldn’t truly belong to him — a single word from the Matriarch and it would be taken away . But even so, at least for the moment, it was his . And if he was hardly preoccupied with luxury, he wouldn’t reject it, either .

It took the Elder a few minutes to set his servants to work clearing the mansion, and there were far more of them than Arran had expected . At a glance, he thought there were dozens if not more, though he had no idea where they had been hiding earlier .

“You have so many servants here,” he said with a puzzled glance at the Elder .

The Elder laughed in response . “A place such as this requires a sizable staff,” he replied . He let out a small sigh, then added, “You will find your own servants struggle just to keep it clean . “

“My own servants?” Arran looked at the Elder awkwardly . “I don’t have any servants . “

The mage sent to accompany him by the Matriarch coughed softly . “Naturally, a full detail of servants and guards will be arranged for you,” he said, his tone suggesting that this wasn’t a matter to be discussed in polite company .

“Now then,” the Elder said, his voice loud as he changed the subject . “You must be anxious to see your new home . Let’s have a look, shall we?”

Arran responded with an eager nod, and with that, the old man began to show him the mansion .

It wasn’t long before Arran found himself shocked by the sheer size of it . He’d already seen that the building was large, of course, but only now did he begin to understand just how massive it actually was .

There were numerous offices, bedrooms, dining rooms, sitting rooms, studies, libraries, and a plethora of other spaces whose purpose eluded him . From what he could tell, the building could easily accommodate hundreds of people — and that was without including the servants’ quarters, which would fit hundreds more .

Yet that was only the beginning .

“Now that you’ve seen the upper levels, let’s take a look at the lower levels,” the Elder said . “I suspect you will find those more interesting — and a fair bit more useful, as well . “

The Elder guided them to a steep stone staircase in an inconspicuous corner of the mansion’s bottom floor, then said, “This is the main path into the basement, though not the only one . Actually…”

He frowned, then produced a small amulet from a void bag and handed it to Arran .

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting .

“This details the more discreet paths within the building . I suppose I no longer require it . ” As Arran accepted the amulet, he gestured at the staircase . “Follow me . “

He began to descend the staircase, Arran following close behind .

The staircase was far longer than Arran had expected . The basement the Elder had mentioned was located at least several hundreds of feet below the mansion, buried deep within the rocks of the mountains .

They finally reached the bottom of the staircase, finding a hallway . Although it was shrouded in darkness, Arran’s Sense and Shadowsight told him that the space was vast, hundreds of paces across with dozens of doors on either side of it .

The Elder waved a hand, and a moment later numerous small crystal orbs lit up along the sides of the hallway, illuminating the area in a soft light .

“There are several things here that will be of interest to you,” he said, then began to detail the facilities in the basement — though, to Arran’s eyes, it was more of a dungeon than a basement .

There were half a dozen training rooms, each featuring strong wards that would allow a mage to train without worry of causing damage . If the Elder could be believed, even an Archmage would struggle to destroy them .

The basement also held a small library, a study, an alchemical laboratory, and various other features, along with two dungeon cells — both empty, to Arran’s relief .

Yet while some of it would certainly be useful — especially the training rooms — Arran could not help but think the Elder had exaggerated the basement’s value . For all intents and purposes, it merely seemed to be adding more rooms to a mansion that had plenty of them already .

The Elder glanced at him, an amused glint in his eye . “You seem unconvinced,” he said, smirking slightly . “But there’s one more thing you should know . “

With a gesture at their surroundings, he continued, “All of this was built below the Valley’s wards . Nobody can spy on you here — whatever happens here is hidden even from the Matriarch . ” He shot a glance at the mage who accompanied them, then hurriedly added, “Not that you need to hide anything from her, of course . “

Arran nodded thoughtfully, already considering the many ways he would be able to use the place . He would have to ask Brightblade if the Elder was correct, of course, but if he was, then the dungeon would be exceedingly useful .

There was one thing the Elder hadn’t yet mentioned, however . At the end of the hallway lay another staircase that led even deeper into the ground .

“What’s down there?” Arran asked .

The Elder’s expression instantly turned uncomfortable . “That,” he said slowly, “leads to the Depths . One of my predecessors built it, though for what reason I cannot say . Naturally, it’s warded every bit as well as the Valley itself, though I would still suggest staying clear of it . “

The words meant little to Arran, but he sensed the subject was one the Elder would not gladly discuss any further . Another question for Brightblade, then — one among many .

“But let’s not linger here any longer,” the Elder said . “I still have to show you the gardens, and I expect you will particularly like the hot spring . Come along . “

Without any further words, the old man led the small group back up the stairs .

The gardens turned out to be everything Arran could have hoped for . There were several large training fields that were perfect for practicing swordsmanship, along with a handful of wide patios among the well-kept plants and trees .

As the Elder had predicted, Arran was especially pleased with the hot spring . He could Sense that its steamy waters were brimming with Natural Essence, and as Elder Niklas explained, they supposedly held additional restorative properties as well .

“But I think I’ve shown you all need to know,” the Elder finally said . “My servants should be just about done clearing out the mansion, so I won’t take up any more of your time . Doubtless, we’ll see each other again soon enough . “

He said some more words in goodbye, though his voice held more than a hint of impatience . It seemed that he was eager to take possession of his new tower in the city .

Arran, for his part, was every bit as eager to see the old man leave . The day’s events had left him weary, and he could barely wait to be left alone .

It still took the Elder and his many servants some time to clear out the mansion — though they left behind a large amount of furniture and several libraries worth of books — but finally, the last of them walked through the gate .

Only Arran and the mage sent by the Matriarch remained behind, and as they walked the mansion’s grounds, the man gave Arran a studious look .

“I suspect you would like some time to adjust to your new surroundings,” he said . “It will take me some hours to gather a detail of servants and guards, but until then, get some rest . Once your training starts, I expect you will have little opportunity for that . “

He turned to leave, then briefly glanced back at Arran . “You like women, right?”

“What?” Arran gave the man a non-plussed stare . “I suppose so, but why…”

He had no chance to finish the sentence, however, as the man had already left .

While the mage’s final question caused him some confusion, he quickly set the matter aside . If this was his last chance to rest before his training began, he would make good use of it . Without a second thought, he headed to the hot spring .

He sighed contentedly when he slid into the hot water, feeling its Natural Essence nourish his body . Whatever the months ahead would bring, at least he would be able to spend his free time in comfort .

Between the eventful day and the warm embrace of the hot spring, the relaxation proved too much for Arran — within seconds, he felt his mind slipping, and just a few moments later he was fast asleep .