The road was muddy, with plains stretching out on both sides. On the fertile land grew various crops, further divided according to soil and rainfall conditions into cotton plantations, sugarcane plantations, vineyards, flower plantations, and large stretches of rubber forests.
On the barren land, weeds had taken over. Crows returning from unknown places in search of food gathered in flocks, landing on old trees that had likely stood for many years.
At the end of the road was a small town. At the entrance stood two large waterwheels, slowly turning as a stream used for irrigation flowed past and pushed them along.
Lazy sunlight fell on the farmers cultivating fields on both sides, while herds of cattle grazed on grass as they made their way back.
After entering the town, the road was still a dirt road, but it had been pressed flat enough that passing carriages no longer kicked up obvious clouds of dust.
The goods sold on both sides of the road were ordinary fruits and vegetables, along with clothes that had been sewn by hand, or freshly hunted animals that had just been cut apart.
Most of the houses were two stories tall. The lower level was generally built from stone, while the upper level might be wooden, made of packed earth, or roofed with tiles that had been bought at a high price.
The center of the town was the busiest area. There was a large square where townspeople could rest and chat daily, with a beer house, a flower shop, and a tailor shop nearby.
Passing through the town and continuing forward, the road once again became a barren dirt path, but rows of fences had been erected on both sides, seemingly to block something.
Following this road to its end led to a castle, standing alone among the forest.
This ancient castle had a history of nearly two hundred years. After being repaired by several generations of the Campbell family, it was now entirely constructed of black stone. Its architectural style preserved an ancient flavor, and a tall tower had been built toward the rear.
It was said that one of the Campbell heirs once believed that magical wizards truly existed in this world and decided to build a tower to attract a wizard to live there.
Unfortunately, he never seemed to meet the wizard he had longed for, leaving only this tower to be passed down to the present day.
The sound of carriage wheels shattered the quiet of the forest. Birds within the woods were startled into flight, and from the distant tower a large flock of dark crows burst into the sky.
About two hundred meters from the castle, the dirt road had been replaced with a smooth stone path. The surrounding weeds gradually disappeared, replaced by carefully maintained clusters of flowers and plants.
When the carriage stopped at the castle entrance, quite a few people had already gathered there.
There were maids responsible for sweeping, a gardener holding large shears, a coachman leading a horse, and even a chef who had appeared holding an oversized butcher knife.
Standing in front of them was a somewhat familiar figure, Caius.
He had indeed been waiting here in advance, which meant the Yellow-Robed Monks hiding in the shadows knew roughly where he was going.
Perhaps the ones who secretly targeted Ince Zangwill before were also them.
Had they deliberately allowed him to obtain 008? Hastur did not think too deeply about it. Under the gaze of many people, he stepped down from the carriage.
"Count Hastur Campbell, the true master of this castle."
Caius faced the gathered crowd and gave a simple introduction. Clearly, he held a certain degree of authority here.
Hastur noticed curiosity and excitement in their eyes. Some even seemed eager to step forward and reach out to confirm whether he was truly alive.
A bit strange.
"Please rest assured, Count Campbell. None of them harbor any ill intentions. They only wish to see the true master of this castle with their own eyes." Caius's face was full of smiles.
Hastur narrowed his eyes, a dangerous aura flickering around him. "They are all ordinary people guarding this castle?"
Caius replied respectfully, "They are indeed guarding the castle for you."
"You seem quite familiar with them."
"With some of them, yes. Others I have only just met."
"Just met? Were they recently hired?"
"Yes. When you arrived in Southville County, we wanted to prepare a surprise for you."
"We?"
"Yes, we." Caius slightly lowered his head, his attitude even more respectful than before.
The maid, gardener, coachman, and chef beside him also bowed slightly.
"Only these few people?"
"There is also a butler inside the castle responsible for its daily operations, and Madam Lisa who manages all financial expenditures. Two others have gone out to work."
"That's really not many people."
"Not just anyone can come here. We determined who would come through a fair lottery."
Hastur fell silent. His gaze toward the castle became somewhat more complicated.
He had actually come to the Yellow-Robed Monks' headquarters!
They had been waiting here for him all along. That was why they had never been anxious. They were certain that one day he would set foot here, they only needed to wait quietly.
"The surprise we prepared is inside the castle. Would you like to go in and see it now?"
After speaking, Caius placed his left hand at his waist and gracefully extended his right hand in an inviting gesture. The other four people split into two lines and stepped aside to clear the path.
"Meow!" Ariella moved restlessly in Hastur's arms, seemingly reminding him that he should not simply walk in like this.
Hastur sighed. "Have you been preparing for a long time?"
Caius answered honestly, "Yes. For a long time."
"When we were in Backlund, you lied."
"Yes. No one dares claim that everything they have said in their life is the truth."
"What if I choose not to go in today?"
"Then we will wait for your next visit."
"You really are patient." Hastur looked up at the dark castle. Under the glow of the setting sun, it appeared especially mysterious and solemn.
"Lead the way."
"This way, please." Caius was not surprised by Hastur's decision.
Caius walked in front, Hastur carried Ariella in the middle, and behind them were the maid, gardener, coachman, and chef.
The six of them remained quiet along the way. Since Hastur did not speak, Caius and the others also kept silent.
When Hastur stopped to admire the surrounding buildings, they stopped as well, without uttering a single word urging him forward.
When Caius pushed open the castle's main doors, bright candlelight suddenly flared to life all at once.
In this era where oil lamps and gas lamps had already become common, few people still used large numbers of candles to illuminate a house, except in churches.
At the very center of the hall, Hastur saw the butler and Madam Lisa that Caius had mentioned earlier.
One man and one woman, both elderly. They stood to the left and right of a golden box placed upon a wooden stand.
The golden box was forged from a single piece of gold, without a single crack or scratch. Under the flickering candlelight, it emitted strands of golden radiance.
Hastur was very familiar with this thing. Since the day he was born, it had been entangled with him.
Wherever his home was, it would appear there.
Counting it up, it had already followed him through two relocations.
The first time was from the West District to the Queen's District. Now it had followed him from Backlund to this castle.
Even though he had never brought it with him, it had arrived uninvited.
A trace of mockery appeared at the corner of Hastur's lips. "This is the surprise you prepared for me?"
Caius said with devout sincerity, "This is your gift of fate. It has always been waiting for you to open it with your own hands."
"You want to know what is inside?"
"Yes. We have always been pursuing an answer."
"Why don't you open it yourselves?"
"We cannot."
"What if I don't want to open it right now?"
"Then we will wait until the day you wish to open it."
Hastur said nothing more and simply looked at the golden box.
It was not large, about thirty centimeters long, and around five centimeters in both width and height.
There was nothing unusual about it either. It seemed like a lifeless object without a soul.
Hastur stared at it for a while, then finally chuckled softly.
"I'm a bit tired today."
"We have already prepared a room for you. This way, please."
Caius did not dwell on whether the golden box would be opened. He continued leading the way, bringing Hastur to his room.
In the hall, the candles flickered faintly. The golden box on the wooden stand continued waiting quietly… waiting for someone to open it.
In the room on the second floor, Hastur asked Caius to leave first. After closing the door, he set Ariella down from his arms and placed a mirror on the table.
Only then did he begin to examine the room. It was even more spacious and luxurious than the room in Greg's villa.
On the display shelves were all kinds of collectibles. Any random piece among them had a history of over a hundred years.
The chandelier in the room looked somewhat old-fashioned and was also lit with candles.
These were specially made candles that could burn for a long time without needing frequent replacement.
Walking to the window, he opened it. The scenery outside was beautiful. Various plantations were scattered across the flat land like stars, stretching all the way to the horizon.
From here he could also see the small town they had passed earlier, though it appeared only as a tiny black dot in the distance, one that required a telescope to see clearly.
After admiring the view for a while, Hastur walked over to the specially made bed.
It was about three meters wide and five meters long.
Not only could a person roll around on it freely, there was even enough space to dance on it.
"This really is a nice place… unfortunately."
Lying flat on the bed, Hastur put away his smile and began thinking about how to deal with this matter.