In a vast and empty room, an old lady, wearing only her underwear, was currently seated in the middle with her legs crossed. Her calm and rhythmic breaths were the only sounds that echoed throughout the room. Her hair, which was already white with age, still reflected the lamps that were hanging on the ceiling.
In this room, there was nothing but peace and quiet--
"Mother, did you hear the news from some of the servants!?"
"What!?"
The old lady could not help but open her eyes violently as her peace was suddenly disrupted. A woman, with straight brown hair, barged inside the room. She looked almost identical to Victoria, except her eyes didn't contain a hint of fatigue in them.
"Victoria is bringing in some friends today!", the woman said.
"What!?", the old woman quickly stood up as soon as she heard the woman's words. The muscles on her legs, even though they were not big, were as if they were sculpted from marble, chiseled by the greatest of artisans.
"This is a pretty big deal!", the old woman said as she retrieved her robe that was hanging from the wall. "Have they prepared something for her friends to eat!?"
"Y… yes", the woman nodded, "That's how I came to know that she was bringing friends!"
"Good, good", the old woman nodded as she tied up her robe, "And my son? Where's my son!? He should be here seeing this moment!"
"That…", hearing her mother-in-law's words, the woman could not help but sigh, "He… is currently exploring a Portal that opened up in Vegas"
"Tch", the old woman could not help but click her tongue, "I swear, Paris, you need to be able to control my son!"
"S… sorry", Paris said as she slightly looked towards the ground, her words somewhat sedated.
"No matter, let's go and meet my granddaughter's friends!"
"N… no"
"What do you mean no!?"
"This is the first time she's bringing in her friends..." , Paris said as she glanced at the old woman, "Maybe... I was thinking you should stay here so as to not scare her friends away?", Paris said, slowly eating her words as she slightly winced to the side.
"What did you say!?", the old woman quickly raised her voice, "How am I going to scare my granddaughter's friends when we're just going to greet them!?", she said as she casually stomped her foot on the floor, causing the whole mansion to quake.
"Okay! Okay!", Paris quickly raised her hands, "Then… let's wait for them to arrive in the guest hall"
"Hm? Where are they now?"
"They are currently exploring the estate grounds", Paris said.
"Exploring the estate grounds? Is Albert with them?", the old woman slightly furrowed her eyebrows.
"Yes, mother", Paris nodded, "There… shouldn't be a problem."
"You don't think they'll be visiting him?", the old woman whispered as she placed her hand on her chin, the muscles on her arms slightly contracting.
"No, of course, they won't", Paris slightly chuckled and shook her head, "Why would she even bring her friends to the forest"
"Hmm…"
"...You think so?", the old woman squinted her eyes, "If there's one thing she got from my son is that she's extremely airheaded"
"M… mother!", Paris could not help but wave her hand towards her mother-in-law, "I am sure Victoria won't do that…
...right?"
***
"It's deeper inside"
Van could not help but blink his eyes a couple of times as he saw the lush collection of trees around him. Victoria really had their own forest inside their estate.
And their house, which he saw when they were landing earlier, was almost as big as the freshman's building in the Academy. He and Beatrice could not help but be in awe as soon as they saw it. Harvey, on the other hand, seemed to not even be bothered by it.
What bothered him, though, was that they were not led inside the house, but rather to the lush part of the estate.
"Miss Victoria… what are we doing here?", Albert, who was walking beside Victoria, could not help but rub his hands together nervously, "I already asked the maids to prepare snacks for you and your friends, maybe we should go back to the manor?"
"We will go after", Victoria said as she continued to walk deeper into the forest.
Van could not help but knit his eyebrows. Just what exactly is going on here?
"Your pet really is living in the forest?", Beatrice could not help but comment as she leaped over a huge root.
"Hm", Victoria nodded.
"Wait, a pet?", Albert slightly glanced at Beatrice before looking back to Victoria, "Miss… please tell me you're not bringing them to see… No! It's too dangerous", Albert shook his head numerous times, but alas, Victoria seems to not be hearing his pleas.
Van, Harvey, and Beatrice looked at each other simultaneously. They were starting to worry. They were being led deeper into the forest and the old man they were with sounded too nervous to their liking.
What kind of pet does this household have, exactly?
The group continued to walk for a few more minutes before reaching a gated area. The group could not help but look up as the gates were taller than what they have in the Academy.
"Oh, it's locked!", Albert said in a gleeful tone, "Let's go then, Miss Victoria--"
Before Albert could even finish his words, Victoria retrieved a key from her pocket and opened up the gates which were locked by a thick chain.
"!!!", Albert could not help but widen his eyes in shock, "W… why do you have the key!?"
"It's alright, Albert", Victoria let out a small sigh, "You can wait here for us"
"N… no!", Albert gulped nervously, "I shall come with you!", he then said before passing through the gates first.
"Let's go", Victoria looked at Van and nodded, "He is inside"
"...He?"
Van could not help but squint his eyes. Was she referring to his pet?
The group continued to walk deeper into the forest, but they could not help but notice the difference in the air inside the gated area. It was thicker, slightly making it hard to breathe.
Some of the trees were also split in half. No, perhaps mangled would be the better term for it. But of course, the most noticeable change was that there were all sorts of bones strewn on the ground.
"..."
"Uhm… Victoria", for the first time since they landed, Harvey opened his mouth,
"...How big is this pet?"
"Did Miss Victoria tell you it was her pet?", Albert's nervous breaths couldn't be hidden as he looked at Harvey.
"I… It's not a pet?", Beatrice could not help but adjust her glasses. Did they… actually make a mistake with following their new friend deep inside a forest?
"No", Albert quickly shook his head, "It's--"
But before he could even say a word, a thundering stomp echoed throughout the forest, slightly shaking it. The weird thing is, though, was that not even a single bird flew to the skies.
"We… we should run!", Albert said as his voice started to panic, "The three of you should run, he doesn't know any of you!"
"W… what?", Van, Harvey, and Beatrice once again looked at each other in confusion.
"It's fine, Albert", Victoria said, not even a hint of distress in her tone.
"N...no, miss", Albert shook his head, "He… He has yet to be fed today!"
"..."
"...Oh", Victoria muttered as her eyebrows slightly lifted,
"...We should run"