Soon, the promised "Roast Goose Mountain" appeared on the long table in the castle's dining hall. Twenty roast geese—with skin golden and crispy, and meat tender and succulent—were meticulously stacked to form an enticing little hill, filling the entire room with a rich aroma.
Since the cook, Marlene, had joined the staff, the quality of the castle's meals had skyrocketed. These roast geese, in particular, were charred on the outside yet tender on the inside, rich with fat but not greasy. Sprinkled with special spices, the flavor was indescribable, earning the deep affection of a certain picky "little cat."
Moonlight circled the roast goose mountain twice, eyes sparkling and throat emitting satisfied purrs. Abandoning all courtesy, it leaped onto the table and extended a paw toward the nearest goose, skillfully tearing off a large, glistening drumstick before burying its head in the feast.
Watching Moonlight eat with such gusto, a hint of a smile played on Leylo's lips. This reward was indeed over the limit, but he had his own calculations. The Storm Griffin had been tamed, but a new Tier 3 magical beast, the Ironclad Land Dragon, had appeared in the northern mountains. Those massive creatures were thick-skinned and possessed immense strength, making them perfect heavy-duty mounts and transport units; however, they were equally ill-tempered and difficult to subdue. To tame one, he would inevitably need Moonlight's help. These twenty roast geese—specifically the extra ones—served as an advance "down payment."
Ed stood to the side, watching the rapidly shrinking mountain of geese and the grease-covered Moonlight. He found it difficult to reconcile the harmless, gluttonous, and adorable cat before him with the entity that had cowed a Tier 3 Storm Griffin through sheer presence alone. But Moonlight had performed so many miracles that everyone in the territory had grown accustomed to them.
Moonlight's appetite was staggering. It decimated the entire mountain of roast geese like a whirlwind before letting out a satisfied burp. Wiping its mouth with its paw, it leaped back into Leylo's arms, curled into a comfortable position, and began lazily licking its paws—a perfect picture of "full stomach, all is well."
"Alright, now that you're full, it's time to work," Leylo said, rubbing the cat's warm little belly.
Moonlight looked up indignantly, letting out a "Meow" and pushing Leylo's hand away with its paw, seemingly protesting the interruption of its post-meal nap. Leylo wasn't annoyed; he simply laughed. "There's a big guy waiting for you in the northern mountains. This target is even more resilient than the Griffin."
At the mention of a "big guy," Moonlight's ears twitched and its eyes narrowed, showing a spark of interest. To it, taming magical beasts was perhaps just a high-level game of "cat teaser."
"Ed, summon the first and second Pegasus squads. Prepare to move out." Leylo stood up.
"Yes, My Lord," Ed bowed and left quickly.
A moment later, twenty Pegasus knights stood ready in the clearing outside the castle. Clad in light leather armor and armed with spears or heavy crossbows, their Pegasi were spirited, occasionally flapping their wings with a soft whistling sound.
"Target: Northern Mountains. Stay alert and maintain reconnaissance," Leylo issued a simple command.
"Yes, My Lord!" the knights shouted in unison.
With the order given, twenty Pegasi took flight, soaring into the sky like arrows from a bow, quickly forming a formation and heading north. Moonlight was tucked into Leylo's cloak with only its small head peeking out, feeling the wind howl past its ears as it curiously watched the landscape zip by below. It seemed to enjoy the sensation of flight, excitement gleaming in its emerald eyes.
The terrain in the northern part of the territory was complex, with rolling mountains and dense forests. The Pegasus knights circled at high altitude, searching the ground below like hawks. The Ironclad Land Dragon was massive; while not as conspicuous as a Griffin, the traces of its movements—such as flattened trees and giant footprints—could not escape the knights' sharp eyes.
After about an hour of searching, a sharp-eyed knight signaled from above. "My Lord! Southeast, about five miles away, I've spotted traces of a massive beast!" the knight shouted.
"Approach for reconnaissance, stay hidden," Leylo ordered.
The squad adjusted its direction and lowered its altitude, cautiously flying toward the target area. Soon, they spotted the target in a relatively open valley. It was a massive reptilian behemoth, over ten meters long and nearly three meters tall. Its body was covered in thick, rock-like scales of deep iron-gray. Its limbs were thick and powerful; every step it took seemed to cause a slight tremor in the ground. Its head was small, but its mouth was filled with thick teeth, and a long, sturdy tail trailed behind it, ending in a bony heavy mace.
It was exactly their target—the Ironclad Land Dragon. This dragon appeared to be in its prime, brimming with energy. It moved slowly through the valley, occasionally sniffing the ground as if searching for food or patrolling its territory. The heavy scales reflected a cold metallic glint under the sun, radiating a sense of raw power.
Leylo's eyes lit up with delight. The quality of this Land Dragon was superb; if successfully tamed, it would be a massive asset to the territory. He glanced at Moonlight in his arms; the little fellow was staring unblinkingly at the big guy below, seemingly assessing where would be most appropriate to "land its paws."
"Maintain distance, prepare to descend. We'll go down once it enters that clearing," Leylo whispered.
The knights obeyed, circling in the air as they waited for the perfect moment. However, at that very second, a sudden change occurred!
A sharp, high-pitched screech tore through the sky, carrying a powerful pressure from the horizon. The faces of Leylo and Ed changed simultaneously as they jerked their heads upward. High in the clouds, a massive black shadow was diving at an incredible speed!
It was a gargantuan flying beast with a wingspan exceeding twenty meters. It possessed two thick hind limbs and a pair of massive, scale-covered wings, but lacked front claws. Atop its slender neck sat a hideous head with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, and its dark red eyes were filled with brutality and greed.
"A Wyvern!" Ed blurted out, a hint of unbelievable tension in his voice.
A Wyvern! This was an existence of a higher tier than both the Storm Griffin and the Ironclad Land Dragon—a top-tier predator of the sky known for its ferocity and strength. Why was it here?
Before Leylo and the others could react, the Wyvern pounced like black lightning toward the Ironclad Land Dragon in the valley!
"Roar!"
The Ironclad Land Dragon had clearly sensed the threat from above. It stopped abruptly, raised its head, and let out a dull roar. Its muscles tensed instantly, and its heavy scales bristled as it entered a defensive posture.