Stepping forward the Head Butler greeted them, "Welcome to the Grayhall house Young Master and guests."
Having been greeted by the maids and butlers, Sariah was feeling like a proper noble now. But Lyla felt that something was a bit off.
The Ulv family was a militaristic family that had defended the northern pass for centuries; there was no way they would have a regular noble mansion.
Then she saw the fittings on the mansion itself.
The mansion was made of regular white plains stone, but the windows were a little too small with black shutters made from some type of durable northern wood, that she didn't know the name of. And the front door was made of the same wood with dark iron bands reinforcing it.
In fact, all of the metal fittings on the building looked like they were made of dark iron including the spear fence around the yard.
She knew that dark iron wasn't an uncommon metal but to use it in nearly all of your metal work was a bit extravagant for a family like the Ulv's. Normally it would be reserved for low-level soldiers and other military applications.
"Your family must really like dark iron to buy this much of it."
"Oh, we didn't buy it, the northern pass my family protects has the largest dark iron mines in the nation. It's a very durable metal so we use it in nearly everything," Chronos explained. "Still, I wasn't expecting the topiary to look like this."
Looking around Chronos could see two wolf bushes sitting on either side of the main walkway with tall hedges topped by hawks around the border of the yard. Off to one side was an excellently cut hedge in the shape of a horse and just behind it he could see the stiff shape of a small bison.
He assumed that one had been mishandled, probably on purpose from the way it was shaped.
"Young Master, the current trends in Malark are for nobility to show off with topiary beasts. To keep up with the times we have brought in several skilled gardeners to assist us in this endeavor." The head butler explained.
So that was it.
The Ulv family didn't really care about topiary or most fashion for that matter, however it was important to keep up appearances in places far from home.
But only Chronos and Gregory understood what the butler was really saying. He was secretly warning them that there were outsiders in the mansion and not to mention any of the mansion's secrets out in the open.
"Right, then Butler Ronald please guide us to the private parlor. It has been sometime since I was last here and I'm afraid that I've forgotten the layout of the house."
Nodding in understanding Head Butler Ronald led them inside while the maids and butlers returned to their regular duties.
As they passed through the main hall Sariah and Lyla admired the portraits.
Most of them were of the Ulv family ancestors with a few of them being landscapes but one of them caught Lyla's attention.
"Is it fine to display a map of the northern passes where anybody could see it?" She said gesturing at a map of the northern pass and the mountains beyond it.
Such knowledge could be considered national secrets as it revealed all of the defenses and topography of the pass.
"It is, you see that map is nearly three hundred years old. After so long and with how often battles are fought in that pass it is one of the most inaccurate maps you will ever see. Nowadays it's little more than a reminder of what the pass used to look like," Chronos stated.
In high rank battles it wasn't unusual for the terrain to be damaged. And after three hundred years of battles nothing in that pass would look that same as it had in the past.
Understanding why the Ulv family didn't care about it, they continued their walk to the private parlor while taking in the rest of the house. Overall, the mansion looked much the same as any other noble mansion with guest rooms, dining halls, and even a dance hall.
The only room of note that Lyla wanted to visit was the trophy room where she could see old weapons and a large beast skull mounted on the walls.
But that would have to wait, Chronos had specifically asked for them to be led to the private parlor so he must have something important to tell them.
Entering the private parlor Butler Ronald closed the door then turned a dark iron wolf's head on the doorframe and several silencing and secrecy enchantments activated around the room.
"Well, this is a bit much." Sariah complained.
"Actually, this much is pretty normal for a noble's house. Most noble houses have far too many secrets for their own good." Sariah made a sour face as Greogory explained this.
Why did they keep so many secrets anyways? It wasn't like most people cared unless they were breaking the law.
Seeing Sariah's face Chronos decided not to keep them in suspense.
"Now I should warn you that what you hear today is not to be told to others lightly. It involves the survival of the Ulv family outside of our territory after all. Can you two promise me that?"
Sariah and Lyla looked at each other than nodded.
Gregory, being an Ulv family informant and practically an adopted son, already knew what Chronos was going to say. Instead of listening he was watching the windows to make sure nobody tried to listen in.
Having received their promise Chronos continued, "Every Ulv household has a secret den beneath it. A type of safehouse we use during emergencies."
"That's not surprising. I thought every noble has something like that," Sariah said.
"Yeah, even temples have a basement level," Lyla added.
"Do their basement levels go 5 stories deep and contain weapons, training grounds, sleeping facilities, and enough food to survive a six-month siege?" he said with a cheeky smile.
They both stared at Chronos.
It was true that most nobles had a secret saferoom in their house, but what Chronos was describing to them sounded more like a small fort built underground. Only the most paranoid of nobility would go that far.
"You're joking. You have to be. Someone would have noticed if you'd been bringing that much food and water in and out of your house every six months," Sariah refused to believe that they had an entire fort under their feet.
"I'm afraid I'm not joking. We werewolves don't feel secure unless we have a small armory in our dens. As for the matter of food that's easy enough to hide by buying it in large amounts and mixing it with other large purchases."
"But what about your servants? Surely one of them has noticed," she pressed.
"Oh, I'm sure they've noticed. All of them train in the first basement level and many of them train in the second as well."
Lyla had an expression of disbelief.
"How do you keep it secret then?"
"Well, the Ulv family typically funds an orphanage in every city we have a house in. We watch the kids grow up and once they are old enough, we give them a test, those that pass the test join the Ulv family as servants.
Keeping them from betraying us isn't hard when nearly everyone they know and care about is a part of the Ulv family," Gregory said as he watched one of the gardeners come close to the window before walking away.
An excited look slowly appeared on Lyla's face.
"You have to show me," she demanded as she shook Chronos's arm.
Chronos chuckled, "Alright, alright. Give me a moment to open the passage. Oh, and Sariah you should be able to find someone down there willing to help test [Phantom Malady]."
Now Sariah was looking excited as well.
Walking up to a large elk head on the wall Chronos made sure he was standing on the half-moon image on the tile floor and then twisted one horn at the back of its head.
In response a wall to his right opened showing a narrow stairway leading deeper underground.
Unable to wait any longer, Lyla and Sariah ran down the stairs as Gregory and Chronos trailed behind them.
The door silently closed behind them as Head Butler Ronald went to inform the servants that the Young Master and his friends had retired to their rooms for the evening.