Alexander, accompanied by Maria, followed the middle-aged man to the suburbs of Lake City.
As they ventured further into the outskirts, the surroundings became more open and sparse in population.
Throughout the journey, Maria remained in a state of limited thought, silently trailing behind Alexander without uttering a word.
After half an hour, an ancient castle-like building appeared before them. It was about five to six stories tall, covering a large area, at least around 10,000 square meters.
Beside the gate of the courtyard stood two statues. They were humanoid in shape, but their faces were not human-like, resembling more of a ghastly visage with wide mouths and protruding fangs.
Atop the building stood another statue, a winged humanoid creature.
It held a scepter in its hand, its body poised as if ready to surge forward at any moment.
