The gate of the castle was heavy, embedded with bronze nails on hardwood, now tightly shut, leaving only a side door for passage.
The guards in front of the door wore emblems of the Lorand family, a white hunting falcon perched on a rock peak, their solemn expressions betraying a hint of hidden tension and fatigue.
The Duke presented his letter of introduction from the Knight Hall, which, after careful inspection by the guards, was swiftly reported inside through a communication device by the door.
A moment later, the side door opened fully, and a middle-aged man in a black butler's uniform, with impeccably combed hair and a stern face, quickly stepped out to greet him.
He looked about fifty, with sharp eyes, and carried the unique restraint and precision of a noble butler in his demeanor.
