The next day, the group left the campsite. Joshua, Winnie, and Hawat were once again bundled into the carriage, and they continued northwest.
After traveling for most of the day, the carriage finally stopped again when the sun was at its hottest.
When Joshua and Winnie stepped out of the carriage, they were surprised to find that, although they could not quite call this place the middle of nowhere, it came very close.
Apart from an enormous-looking manor before them, all they could see around them were rolling hills and dense woods, with no sign of any other human habitation.
Winnie frowned slightly and asked the middle-aged mage, "Hey, you brought me here to research magic machinery for you, right? Don't tell me this is where I'll be doing it."
The middle-aged mage glanced at her without answering, then signaled his men to escort the two of them and Hawat into the manor.
Winnie asked him a few more questions, but he remained silent, quite unlike the way he had occasionally exchanged a few words with them during the journey.
Shortly after they passed through the manor's gates, a group hurried over to meet them.
At their head was a dignified-looking middle-aged man dressed in noble attire. A flicker of delight crossed his face when he saw Winnie, and he asked the middle-aged mage, "Mushel, is she our target?"
The middle-aged mage, whom he had called Mushel, bowed slightly and answered solemnly, "My lord, this woman is the target of our operation, Winnie Spinsa, a third-grade researcher at the Xinfei Merchant Guild Magic Research Institute. The young man beside her is her husband, Lierno Joshua. This little boy is her nephew, Hawat."
The imposing middle-aged man's gaze swept over Joshua and Hawat without much interest. He then turned to Winnie