Luo Wei felt a bit disappointed. The pegasus had dodged her question. If its companion didn't agree, it probably wouldn't come back.

  She looked at the pegasus. "I'll give you three days. If you don't bring your companion back within three days, I'll consider it a rejection of my offer."

  At that point, she'd have to use more forceful methods.

  The pegasus had no idea what Luo Wei was thinking. It pressed its ears back and promised her: "Neigh neigh neigh..."

  I'll definitely bring him back. We were planning to come to Siria anyway. My companion Aiden wants to study magic here.

  Luo Wei thought: What a good horse—just selling out its companion like that.

  "Fine, I'll trust you for now," she asked the pegasus. "Where is your companion? How are you planning to get back?"

  The summoning rune could only summon, not teleport. The pegasus had already been summoned. If she opened the summoning scroll again, it would at most move from her left side to her right side.

  The pegasus was also troubled: "Neigh neigh neigh..."

  I can only fly back to find him myself, but it's a long way. I might not make it back in three days.

  "Then there's no time limit," Luo Wei said generously. "Take your time."

  They were coming to Siria eventually anyway. She wasn't in a rush. There would be plenty of opportunities to poach them later.

  The pegasus was delighted: "Neigh neigh neigh..."

  Wonderful! Thank you, Your Highness!

  Luo Wei's smile deepened. "When are you leaving? Why not eat first before you go? I'll have the kitchen make you some provisions."

  "Oh, and what does your companion like to eat? Let's pack some for him too, as compensation for calling you away from him these past two days."

  The pegasus, completely oblivious to Luo Wei's scheming, called out with shining eyes: "Neigh neigh neigh neigh neigh..."

  Yes yes, I'll eat before I go! My companion loves malt candy most—just bring him some malt candy!

  Luo Wei glanced at it. Its companion loved malt candy most?

  She had a feeling it just wanted to eat it all itself.

  That wasn't a good habit. Horses needed to learn to share.

  Luo Wei immediately ordered the kitchen to pack bread, cookies, nougat, and dried spiced meat—one portion of each. They locked everything in a metal box and hung the key around the pegasus's neck.

  "This is an apology gift for your companion. Tell him to take the key from your neck to open the box. Make sure you tell him when you see him!"

  Luo Wei put the metal box in a large cloth bag and tied it with rope between the pegasus's two large wings.

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  The pegasus looked back at the "apology gift" tied to its shoulders, then tried hard to look down at the key hanging below its neck. Its eyes nearly crossed.

  Tied so tight was one thing, but locked too? How was it supposed to sneak any now?

  Before leaving, the pegasus wolfed down two large baskets of carrots and a bag of malt candy, then spread its strong wings and flew into the sky.

  Luo Wei watched its figure shrink to a black dot and disappear on the horizon. She withdrew her gaze, turned, and walked into the living room.

  Bella followed mysteriously. "Master, you asked me to observe if Big Orange had any special abilities. I observed yesterday—it can phase through walls!"

  "Phase through walls?" Luo Wei stopped and turned. "You saw it yourself?"

  "Chris saw it with her own eyes. Big Orange ran to the base of the courtyard wall, flashed, and disappeared!"

  After speaking, Bella pulled out a handkerchief from her waist pouch and opened it to show her the orange cat hair wrapped inside.

  "Look, I picked this up at the base of the wall last night. It must have scraped off its tail when it phased through the wall!"

  Luo Wei picked up the tuft of yellow fur and examined it in the sunlight. It did look like hair from Big Orange's body.

  "Where's Big Orange? Has it come back today?"

  "No," Bella shook her head. "After phasing through the wall last night, it hasn't come back."

  Luo Wei asked again, "Did Laura go supervise the mulberry orchard yesterday?"

  Bella didn't understand why she suddenly mentioned Laura, but quickly answered, "Yes, Miss Laura came very early yesterday and worked very diligently. When I left, she was still checking the chicken coop fences!"

  Luo Wei made a thoughtful sound and put the cat hair back in Bella's handkerchief. "Take me to where Big Orange phased through the wall yesterday."

  "Yes, Master. It's right over here. Follow me." Bella eagerly led the way.

  When they reached the courtyard wall, Luo Wei immediately noticed the stones scattered in the grass.

  She suddenly remembered—once before, the raven had argued with the kitten, saying it wanted to ask why the kitten could drill into stones. Turned out it wasn't insulting the kitten's hard head, but describing what it actually saw?

  Luo Wei crouched down and turned over the stones in the grass one by one. Finally, from under a pile of stones, she found a flat stone carved with intricate, complex patterns.

  "Huh, who did this? Carving so many flowers on a stone?" Bella said, puzzled.

  Luo Wei brushed the dirt off the stone. "These aren't flowers. This is a teleportation rune. It can transport Big Orange from one place to another."

  Bella exclaimed in surprise, "So Big Orange didn't phase through walls—it teleported itself somewhere else!"

  Luo Wei stared at the rune on the stone for a while, then put it back in its original position and moved the grass to cover the stone.

  "Let's pretend we don't know about this," she stood up and said. "The kitten has its own secrets. We should give it some private space."

  Bella nodded. "Understood, Master."

  Luo Wei looked at the grass with mixed feelings. If Laura hadn't carved this teleportation rune, she'd write her name backwards!

  She just didn't know why Laura had been summoned by her and was disguised as a magic cat staying by her side. Now she couldn't even complain to Professor Tobias about it.

  After thinking for a moment, she ordered, "Have Yves prepare the carriage. We're going to the mulberry orchard."

  Bella was about to respond when a sudden gust of wind whipped through the courtyard. The sand made it hard for her to open her eyes.

  A shadow passed overhead. Luo Wei looked up, and before she could see what was flying over, a sweet chirping voice came from above.

  Sweet-smelling Master, I'm back! Did you miss me?

  The griffin?

  Why was it back at this time?

  Luo Wei squinted toward the front. The griffin was controlling its massive wings, slowly descending onto the open space in the middle of the courtyard.

  The wind died down. A tall black figure jumped down from the griffin's back and strode quickly toward her.

  After many days apart, the young magic swordsman's form was still as upright as ever. But his black robes, billowing in the wind, were now stained with the marks of battle and frost, and several drops of crimson blood spattered his pale jaw.

  Luo Wei stood in place, quietly watching him walk toward her.

  Reaching her, the tall knight suddenly dropped to one knee. His left hand rested on his knee, his right hand held his sword with its tip touching the ground. He bowed his head and reported: "Your Highness, the Sebanli army broke camp and withdrew at noon today. The battle at Golu City has been settled. Mission accomplished!"

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