“Trip?” Gina stood at the side with a perplexed expression as she didn’t quite understand the term.

  “Yes, Amy and I are going on a trip.” Mag nodded. He turned around with a smile, and asked Anna, “Do you want to go with us, Anna?”


  Anna thought worriedly before shaking her head, and said, “No, thank you. I will go to Big Sister Miya’s ice cream shop.”


  “Alright then.” Mag didn’t insist. The trip to the dwarves wasn’t actually a real trip. He wasn’t sure if they would encounter any danger during their journey. Then, he asked Gina in the merfolk’s language, “Gina, we need to go on a trip for a couple of days. If you are bored, you can return to Lantisde or go have fun with Miya.”


  Shaking her head, Gina said, “Lantisde is too far away, and I don’t want to bother Elizabeth. I will go to the ice cream shop with Anna.”


  “Alright then.” Mag nodded. It was indeed very troublesome to travel to the Boundless Sea Realm without a flying mode of transport.

  “Father, where are we going to play?” Amy asked curiously, hugging Ugly Duckling.

  “We are going to a far away place. Wait here for me, I need to get something first.” Mag went back to the restaurant to scoop up the fat head fish that he had hacked on its head this morning. He put it into a small bucket, and took out a set of ingredients for making steamed fish head with diced hot red peppers from the fridge. Then, he lowered his head and said to the fat head fish swimming leisurely in the small bucket, “Don’t think I can’t do anything to you. I will eat you on our way there. I may not have a cleaver, but I have a sword.”


  The fat head fish glared, and started to jump hysterically in the bucket.

  Mag covered the bucket, which was a special bucket he bought from the System. Even a 3rd-tier magic beast like it couldn’t burst out of it. He was going head-on with this fat head fish.

  “Let’s go. We will go to the ice cream shop first as I have something to tell them before we depart.” Mag came out and locked the door. He held Anna with his right hand and Amy with his left, and walked toward the ice cream shop.

  Gina looked around her for a moment before she ran to catch up with them. She held Amy’s hand with a radiant smile.

  Mag told Miya and the gang that he needed to go on a trip, and would only be back two, three days later. The restaurant would suspend its business until he got back. Then, he left with Amy.

  After getting out of the city, Mag brought Amy to look for Ah Zi on the mountain. Mag whistled when they reached the middle of the mountain.

  Ah Zi dashed out of the cave rapidly, and let out a surprised call as it dived toward Mag and Amy.

  Ugly Duckling, which was lazing comfortably in Amy’s arms, opened its eyes and saw a huge griffin diving toward them. It jumped out of Amy’s hands and hid behind her, shivering badly.

  Ah Zi landed in front of Mag and rubbed its head against Mag’s hand. It moved back instinctively when it saw Amy reach out, but it quickly went back to let her caress its head when it saw her expression become stern.

  “How are you, little Ah Zi?” Amy said smilingly. She wasn’t scared of the griffin’s massive size at all.

  “Meow~” Ugly Duckling called out weakly as if it was trying to remind Amy of its existence.

  “?” Ah Zi was surprised to hear that call, and it stretched out its neck to look behind Amy. Its eyes lit up when it saw Ugly Duckling which was hiding behind Amy.

  “Meow!” Ugly Duckling was shocked. It hugged Amy’ leg and buried its head into her shoes. It didn’t dare to raise its head and huddled itself.

  “You are such a scaredy-cat, Ugly Duckling,” Amy said with disdain.

  Ah Zi slowly lowered its head and gave Ugly Duckling a puff.

  Puff~

  As if a strong wind was blowing at it, Ugly Duckling fell back and rolled several times before lying on the ground and looking up at that huge head with a befuddled expression.

  The furry head had dazzling purplish-golden fur and looked very majestic.

  Ugly Duckling rolled its eyes about, and dared not make a move as it looked at Amy for help.

  Ah Zi got closer to sniff at Ugly Duckling. An expression of ponder appeared on its face, and it went over to the other side to give Ugly Duckling a puff again.

  Ugly Duckling fell back and rolled several times before lying on the ground with its white belly facing the sky. It rolled its eyes back and stuck its tongue out to play dead on the ground.

  Mag, who was about to stop Ah Zi from hurting Ugly Duckling, faltered. He was watching Ah Zi size up Ugly Duckling with interest.

  What was Ugly Duckling actually? So many customers came to the restaurant every day, but none of them knew what Ugly Duckling was. This made him really curious.

  Ah Zi was a 10th-tier purple-striped griffin. It always treated the usual magic beasts with disdain, and seldom paid attention to them.

  But now, he was surprised that it was so interested in Ugly Duckling.

  Could Ugly Duckling be the offspring of some super magic beast too?

  Ah Zi went close to Ugly Duckling, which was playing dead, and bared its scary teeth suddenly.

  “Meow~”


  Ugly Duckling was so shocked that it opened its eyes immediately and smacked Ah Zi on its face. Then, it jumped up and dashed back into Amy’s arms. It hid its head in her arms, leaving its butt facing out.

  “Hahaha.”


  Ugly Duckling left three light white scratches on Ah Zi’s head and made Ah Zi laugh hysterically.

  “See, Little Ah Zi is laughing at you because you are fat. You are a fat and scaredy-cat.” Amy poked Ugly Duckling’s fat butt with disdain.

  “Meat for you, Ah Zi.” Mag took out a big piece of beef from his backpack and threw it into the sky. Ah Zi leaped into the sky and caught it with its mouth. It chewed and swallowed before landing in front of Mag and shook its tail vigorously.

  “I only brought a piece with me. You can catch your own prey along the way, and I will roast it for you.” Mag laughed and shook his head as he stroked it. Then, as he carried Amy and jumped onto the griffin’s back, he said, “Ah Zi, bring us to Issen Castle. Don’t let anyone see us on our way there.”


  “Howl!” Ah Zi let out a long howl and took off toward the west, spreading its wings.

  “Meow!” Ugly Duckling poked its head out Amy’s arms and looked down. Its eyes became two spirals instantly, and it fainted in Amy’s arms. This made Ah Zi laugh out again.

  Ah Zi caught quite a big goat on the way, and Mag roasted it on the spot. He cut out two pieces for Amy and his lunch, and then gave the rest to Ah Zi as a reward.

  After eating the roast goat, Ah Zi continued to fly toward the west with them on its back. After a while, a castle built in the midst of mountains appeared in Mag’s vision.

  Black steel embedded into the cliffs and interconnected tunnels built up a nation in the mountains.

  This was the Issen Castle, a nation that belonged to the dwarves, and the capital of forging of the Norland Continent.

  Ah Zi landed in a valley not too far away from Issen Castle. Mag leaped to the ground with Amy. He stroked Ah Zi’s head, and said, “Play around here, Ah Zi. Don’t be discovered by others. We will stop here for a maximum of three days.”


  Ah Zi nodded, and its gaze landed on Ugly Duckling in Amy’s arms.

  “Even though Ugly Duckling is a little stupid, it’s still mine. You cannot have ideas on it, Little Ah Zi,” Amy said sternly.