Emma guided Wallace towards the Guest Room, which was reserved for honored guests.
After that, she took Ethan on a tour around the castle, telling him the most interesting places that could be found in it.
The young man was amazed because not only was the castle very spacious, but it was very clean as well.
One could tell that it was properly being maintained by the maids that they would see from time to time as they walked through the hallways.
"There are around a hundred people maintaining this castle, and they are all from the Meredith Clan," Emma explained. "As you may already know, the Four Protector Clans have their own roles to play here in Caer Wydion.
"Crafting, construction, and mining are done by the Dwarves of the Offrid Clan."
"Information gathering, as well as covert operations are done by the Catkins of the Orpheus Clan."
"Alchemy, Farming, Healing, and maintaining the surrounding nature falls to the Elves of the Argus Clan."
"Lastly, businesses, mercenaries, exploration, maintaining the castle, and human interactions are done by the Meredith Clan. Each Clan can mobilize with any given notice in times of war."
Ethan, who walked behind her, didn't say anything and simply listened to her explanation.
Now that they were in Caer Wydion, Emma could explain a few things that she couldn't explain back then.
"Do you remember the misty path that we took before reaching this place?" Emma inquired.
"Yes," Ethan replied. "Is that just a seasonal thing, or is it a permanent one?" Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Make a guess, Ethan."
"A permanent one."
Emma smiled before nodding her head.
"You're right." Emma then led Ethan to the Balcony of the Palace, where an exceptional view of the surrounding lands could be seen. "You will learn this in the academy when you become a Second Year, but we are currently in a place that people referred to as the 'Forbidden Grounds'.
"These are places that no one should casually enter because it is a very dangerous place. The chances of an ordinary person leaving a Forbidden Ground alive is nearly zero.
"Because of this restriction, Caer Wydion has become a safe haven for the Four Protector Clans, and allowed them to prosper.
"Only your bloodline and us, are able to enter that mist without being brutally killed by the creatures who lurked just within striking distance of anyone who traverses the Mists of Rocabarraigh."
"Is the name of this Forbidden Ground, Rocabarraigh?" Ethan inquired.
Emma nodded. "Yes. But, even if you know where it is located, unless the white mist appears, you will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Caer Wydion. It will only appear when the Four Protector Clans, as well as those who have your bloodline, enter this mountainous region."
"I didn't see any mountains earlier." Ethan pointed out.
"You're right." Emma smiled faintly. "It is because the mountains are hidden by the mist. You can only traverse a certain path safely, which is the same path we took earlier."
"Then, what would happen if someone entered this place without permission?"
"They will not be seen or heard from ever again."
After the tour ended, Ethan retired to rest in his room, while Emma went to visit her family.
Ethan wanted to accompany her, so that he could introduce himself to Emma's family, but the young lady only shook her head, and told him that he would be able to meet her parents during the feast that would be held tomorrow.
Ethan relented, and stayed inside his room until dinner time.
He, Emma, and Wallace dined together and retired shortly after.
Ethan's father admitted that he needed to rest early because he still hadn't fully recovered from his exhaustion of managing the Flying Ship during their long journey.
Even if the ship was on auto-pilot, Wallace didn't take any chances and kept watch just in case something happened.
Ethan, Emma, and Lilith then went to the ramparts on the castle and did some stargazing.
"It's quite humbling to know that even if we are far away from Eastshire, the stars are the same," Ethan said softly. "Maybe the others are also staring at the same stars right now."
"I wouldn't be surprised if that was true," Emma commented. "Lily liked to look at the starry sky for some reason."
Ethan chuckled internally because he and Lily always stargazed while hugging each other to sleep.
The Pyramid of Centris allowed them to view the stars unobstructed, even from their own bedroom.
Both of them had been trapped in the past, and the only solace and entertainment they had during the evening was gazing at the starry sky.
"Ethan, I didn't really plan on telling you this, but aside from you, there is another person from your family that is residing in this residence," Emma stated.
"I have a family member who is here in the castle?" Ethan asked just to be sure that he hadn't misheard his Promised One.
"Yes." Emma nodded. "The Young Miss is here. She is also your little sister."
"… A little sister?"
"Yes."
Ethan was caught completely off guard by this revelation.
He had always thought that he was an only child, but after hearing that he had a little sister, and she was currently inside the castle, he didn't know how he should react.
"Then, why didn't she meet me earlier?" Ethan inquired.
"I don't know," Emma replied. "But, the Young Miss is… a strong-willed person. We don't like to be on her bad side."
Ethan could tell from Emma's tone that his sister wasn't someone to be taken lightly.
Even so, after knowing that he had another family member, he wished he could meet her right away.
Perhaps, knowing what he was thinking, Lilith spoke what she had in mind.
"You don't need to hurry to meet the Young Miss, Master," Lilith stated. "I'm sure that she will eventually make her appearance. Knowing her personality, maybe she already knows about the Feast tomorrow, and will participate as well."
"What is her name?" Ethan asked. "Also, how old is she?"
"The Young Miss' name is Joanne," Lilith answered. "And she had just had her eleventh birthday."
Ethan always wanted to have a sibling because he felt jealous of the other kids having an older sister, an older brother, a younger sister, or a younger brother.
"Joanne… a good name," Ethan muttered. "I can't wait to meet her tomorrow."
While the young man was looking forward to meeting his little sister, Emma and Lilith, on the other hand, felt anxious.
They didn't want to say anything bad about the young man's sister, so they decided to just let him discover what she was like when the two of them finally met each other.