An old-fashioned manor stood quietly on the outskirts of the city.
Many manors dotted the vast plain. Here, one could enjoy the peace and admire the grandeur of the Imperial Capital at the same time.
When the Carriage carrying the teachers and students of Solz Magic Academy stopped before the manor, a servant hurried inside to deliver the news to a sharp-featured woman with a ponytail and a man's shirt.
"Solz Magic Academy? They defeated Siltovis Academy? Siltovis always finds a way to surprise us..." The woman turned to a tall guard standing nearby. "Go with the servant and confirm their identities. I'll tell the Old Ancestor."
She made her way to the garden on the north side of the building. Leaning close to an old woman wrapped in a blanket and reclining in a chair, she called loudly into her ear, "Matriarch, two of your granddaughters have come to see you!"
The old woman's narrowed eyes opened a crack. "My what?"
"Your granddaughters!"
"Aren't you right here?"
"Not me. The Watt family! The Waters family from Siltovis!"
"The Waters family..." The old woman turned the name over in her mind. Old memories surfaced, and wrinkles gathered at the corners of her smiling eyes. "Take me to them."
At the manor entrance, Annan and the others had their identities confirmed, then were led inside to a reception room.
They had barely sat down when a capable-looking woman entered, supporting the old woman. With short hair, she would have looked even more masculine than Olmedo—though when Olmedo smiled faintly, the ends of her brows dipped and her face softened.
"Where's my little Manny?" the old woman asked eagerly as she came in.
Everyone rose. Aixue's cold manner vanished, and she smiled. "Old Ancestor, Mother is still at home. We came with