Patience Tested
Astaroth, along with Phoenix and Rodney were brought to the first manor to the left, next to the castle, where they were led to a nice meeting room with very few guards watching them.
It looked to the three like they weren't considered threats in this part of the city. It did not surprise Rodney, but Astaroth wondered why this was the case.
Rodney knew this was the case because hardly anyone had ever tried fleeing from the matriarchal manors. But those that did never made it farther than three steps from the front doors.
And Astaroth quickly understood why.
Extending his mana senses outward once again, he quickly saw how the Ley lines cluster was denser under the manors, and powered them directly through some kind of magic tether. This tether was connected directly to a panoply of magical traps, defence measures, as well as concealed magic weapons, most likely of the projectile variety.