"What are you thinking about?"

Troy's deep voice broke the silence.

Luo Wei pulled her drifting thoughts back. "Nothing much, just thinking about what we need to do next. How long do you think it will take us to gather Spiritwood in the Magic Beast Mountains?"

"Hard to say. It depends on our luck."

Troy explained, "Some magical beasts also like Spiritwood. They often transplant it to hidden locations to keep it safe. If we're lucky, we might find it in a day. If not, it could take months."

Luck... That had never been her strong suit.

"Then let's give ourselves plenty of time—ten days. After that, we'll head to the Demon Sea. Have those people wait for us along the coast, and we'll meet them there directly."

Troy: ...

As expected of a cold-hearted member of the royal family. Ten days later would be the first day of the new year, and she didn't even plan to let anyone celebrate it. What a ruthless heart.

But for the sake of money, he could only comply. "Got it."

"I've got three friends coming along too. The griffin should be able to carry the five of us, right?"

"No problem."

December 20th marked the start of the long-awaited New Year holiday for all students at Siria Magic Academy.

From early morning, the city began to see an influx of carriages and unfamiliar faces. Two long rows of carriages lined up in front of the academy gates.

The students here came from all over the country, and returning home was often a challenging long-distance journey.

Siria Magic Academy did not have long-distance teleportation arrays, so everyone had to travel back in the most ordinary ways.

The wealthy took carriages, those with modest means rode horses, and the less fortunate had no choice but to walk.

After the holiday began at noon, Luo Wei summoned Hol, Laura, and Theodore to Starry Residence, letting them stay for the night so they could depart together the next morning.

The night before departure, Luo Wei was busy packing her belongings.

The food outside was too unpalatable, so she had Bella bake plenty of cookies and beef jerky, as well as make some small loaves of bread.

She also brought along some salt, honey, and spices—who knows, they might end up roasting meat in the mountains.

Utensils were a must, too.

And a bit of alcohol, just in case of accidental injuries.

After packing these small items, she pulled out a roll of white cloth from the cabinet, cutting it into many small squares and packing them neatly into waterproof bags.

In this era, there was no toilet paper. She couldn't bring herself to use sticks or leaves, so cloth was her only option, though it felt a bit extravagant.

Once she had her own territory, the first thing she'd do would be to produce paper!

After cutting the cloth, Luo Wei even sewed a few pairs of undergarments for herself.

In this era, for the sake of convenience when using the restroom, people wore nothing under their skirts. Just lifting the skirt would expose everything, and she had no intention of traveling like that.

Her suitcase contained her personal clothing, a hammock she made herself, a few raincoats, two pairs of gloves, a coil of rope, and three small knives—all essential for outdoor camping!

Once everything was ready, the next morning at dawn, Luo Wei's belongings filled three large bundles, which were securely strapped to the griffin's back.

"Griffin, it's going to be a tough journey for you."

"Chirp chirp~" The griffin nuzzled her shoulder, letting out a tender sound.

Luo Wei patted its head and said to Troy, "I'll go call them over. You check if we've missed anything."

"Alright."

Luo Wei headed to the front yard.

As soon as she left, Troy turned to the griffin. "Why do you chirp so sweetly at her but only screech at me?"

The griffin shot him a disdainful look.

"You look down on me? Have you forgotten who fed and clothed you back then?!"

"Screech—"

The griffin lifted a front paw and shoved Troy aside.

Move along, little brother!

As the first light of dawn broke, the stars beyond the mountains still shimmered faintly. Excited voices echoed in the backyard of Starry Residence.

Hol and Theodore circled around the griffin, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

Having a griffin as a mount was the ultimate dream for any man, be they a giant or a lich!

Laura, on the other hand, let out a startled cry when she saw the griffin—not out of joy, but fear.

The griffin's body was at least ten times her original size. It could easily gulp down a "kitty" like her in one bite, and she was hesitant to get close.

Luo Wei hadn't expected the feline beastkin to be afraid of the griffin. She patted Laura's shoulder reassuringly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine," Laura replied, forcing herself to approach the griffin. Only after confirming that it showed no hostility toward her did she relax. "I'm not scared. I can do this."

She cheered herself on and carefully climbed onto the griffin's back.

Hol and Theodore also climbed up, poking and prodding the griffin's back like two clueless kids who had never seen the world.

Troy helped Luo Wei up, and the griffin spread its wings, soaring into the sky.

As the dawn broke, golden light filtered through the clouds.

The massive griffin's wings stirred the mist as it glided through the rising sun.

The sun traveled from the southeast to the southwest. Night encroached upon the day, with the eastern sky already shrouded in darkness while the west still painted shades of twilight.

The four youths on the griffin's back slept in a chaotic pile, and if not for Troy securing them with ropes, they might have fallen from the sky long ago.

The wind in the sky was biting, leaving everyone stiff and frozen.

Luo Wei had prepared well. She wrapped herself in a cloak as soon as they took off, covering Laura the "kitty" as well.

Hol and Theodore, who had come unprepared, ended up with icicles hanging from their noses. In the end, they buried their faces in the griffin's thick fur, sticking their rears up and refusing to move.

Troy, being a magic swordsman with strong magical energy, was unaffected by the cold wind. He stood tall among the group, like a steel warrior.

As the sky grew darker, the griffin descended toward the ground just before the last glimmer of twilight faded in the west.

The Magic Beast Mountains were over 1,200 miles away from Siria, and after flying for an entire day, they finally arrived.

The icy wind ceased as they landed, and Luo Wei and her companions staggered off the griffin, their feet sinking into the soft soil of the Magic Beast Village.

"Let's rest here tonight. We'll head into the mountains tomorrow," Luo Wei suggested.

Troy unloaded her luggage and patted the griffin's shoulder, signaling it to find a place in the mountains to rest.

He didn't need to say anything; the others were already unwilling to continue.

After a day on the griffin's back with no food, they were cold, hungry, and nauseous. Their bodies felt like frozen sticks, and even walking too briskly might shatter them into icy shards.

Luo Wei's teeth chattered. "Let's go find an inn and rest."

She was dressed the warmest but was in the worst condition among the group. After all, her three companions weren't human, and their physical resilience was far superior.

Troy carried the heavy luggage, leading the way, followed by four youths waddling like ducklings.

As they reached the central square of the Magic Beast Village, a gust of wind blew past, and the four let out a collective sigh of relief. "So warm~"

The wind was so gentle, its temperature so comforting, like the breeze from a sea of May flowers or the tender caress of a lover. It was intoxicating.

Passersby gave them strange looks. "Crazy!"