After some bickering and playful banter, the Aozaki sisters flew over the gates of Winter Castle and landed steadily in front of them.
The moment Aoko and Touko touched down, it was as though they had triggered some sort of detection mechanism. Dozens of white-haired, red-eyed maids armed with cold weapons emerged from the paths on either side of Winter Castle's gates, glaring at the two of them.
"Tell your Acht," Aoko said, tossing a letter to the lead maid, "that the Fourth Magician has come to visit."
The maid caught Aoko's letter as it floated through the air. After giving her a glance, she silently returned to the castle through a small side door. Another maid beside her immediately stepped into the lead maid's position, raising her weapon as she remained on guard against Aoko and Touko.
About twenty minutes later, the lead maid returned to the gates and gave Aoko and Touko a perfectly formal bow. This time, she was not carrying a weapon.
Seeing the head maid's posture, the other maids also returned their weapons to their waists. They lined up in two flawless rows and made way for the visitors.
"Please follow me," the lead maid said. "Acht wishes to see you."
Aoko and Touko followed the artificial maid's leader through the gates of Winter Castle.
The moment they entered, they saw the castle's extravagantly luxurious interior decorations. Aoko almost felt as though she had stepped into an imperial palace.
Of course, the Einzbern family was not royalty, nor was this castle an imperial palace.
In the castle hall, intricate crystal chandeliers gave off cold light. Towering walls cast heavy shadows across the expensive carpets, while the figures in the paintings on the walls seemed to be watching the visitors, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Over the