Henry the Griffin soared above the Falling Star Mountains. The steep ridges, treacherous swamps, and towering snow-capped peaks all became unobstructed plains beneath its cloud-like silhouette.
Listening to the whistling wind in his ears and feeling the immense pressure on his face, Todd lay on Henry's back, feeling so happy he wanted to sing out loud.
This indescribable feeling belongs to those who have been away from home for ten years and are on their way back; the closer they get to their hometown, the stronger it becomes.
This journey through the sky lasted eleven hours. After two rest stops along the way, the man and the bird quickly approached the border of the Muxi Kingdom with their third takeoff.
Watchtower, Silver Ring, Northrock Fortress—these familiar locations flashed by one by one. Finally, scattered villages and houses appeared in his field of vision.
Todd patted Henry on the neck and shouted happily, "This is the Kingdom of Muxi! This is my kingdom!"
The latter let out a loud cry, flapped its wings faster, and sped away towards the distant city.
Sitting on the griffin's back, Todd looked down at the endless rows of buildings on the ground, which secretly alarmed him.
In just six months since I left, such a large number of immigrants have gathered in the surrounding area. Flying from the border, it's been about ten kilometers. I haven't even reached the western part of the city yet, but the houses in the immigrant area outside the city are becoming more and more densely packed. Occasionally, I can see open-air theaters, parks, entertainment streets, markets, and other functional buildings that are usually only seen in ordinary towns.
After flying forward for another minute or so, the buildings grew taller and more luxurious, and the densely packed residents moved about the streets like a gurgling, ever-flowing river.
The urban area of Muxi City was now in sight.
A massive castle under renovation stands atop the hills of the royal city; countless luxurious buildings are scattered throughout the city center.
Todd told Henry in the spirit space that they could lower the altitude.
The griffin slightly folded its wings, tilted its body, and flew swiftly towards the city below.
Suddenly, deafening alarm bells rang throughout Muxi City. People looked at the figure swooping down from the sky, screaming and shouting as they took cover in the nearest buildings.
Fully armed soldiers marched out of the outpost, setting up shields, raising spears, and drawing their bows in the direction the griffins had landed.
As Todd swooped down on his griffin toward the ground, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten something extremely important.
Before leaving, he had forgotten to inform the officials of Muxi City that he would be returning today...
He quickly ordered Henry to stop diving, spread his wings, and increase his altitude. The man and the bird began to circle in the air.
Todd immediately entered the soul space and summoned Cumberland and Hudgens, instructing them to order the army to immediately lift their guard and retrieve their weapons.
A few minutes later, Cumberland, in a frenzy, rode his warhorse at breakneck speed from the Knights' headquarters to Twilight Square. He brandished his whip and loudly ordered all the soldiers to line up and greet him.
Harkins arrived second. Unable to ride a horse due to a spinal injury, he had his subordinates drive a carriage to the square as quickly as possible. Upon disembarking, he immediately arranged for government officials to clear the area and summoned the kingdom's honor guard.
The residents hiding nearby, witnessing this strange scene, were filled with curiosity and began to discuss it amongst themselves. Some of the bolder ones even ran out of the buildings, hiding at the edge of the square, looking up at the monster in the sky.
Ten minutes later, Todd, who was circling in the air on his griffin, saw that everything below was ready and then let Henry slowly descend, finally landing in the center of the square.
A sharp-eyed person recognized Todd's identity and shouted excitedly, "It's the Holy Son! The one riding on the monster is the Holy Son!"
After confirming the visitor's identity, the residents of Muxi City spread the news like wildfire, and it quickly spread throughout the city.
The entire royal city was in an uproar. Docks, workshops, markets, taverns... people emerged from all sorts of places, forming huge streams of people that surged toward Twilight Square.
As Todd flipped off the griffin, Cumberland stared blankly at the legendary war beast, then at the tanned, fur-covered king, speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say.
Huggins was busy directing his soldiers and subordinates, doing his best to maintain order in the square.
Todd looked around at the familiar yet unfamiliar scene, then laughed and said, "I'm back!"
Two hours later, at the public bathhouse.
Soaking in the vast bath, enjoying the warmth of the hot water, all the fatigue in my body seems to overflow through my pores.
Todd let out a satisfied exclamation: "I've wanted to have a private bath all to myself for a long time, and today my wish has finally come true."
An abrupt voice shattered his precious moment: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid I must remind you that there are hundreds of officials waiting for you outside."
Todd glanced at Hudgens, who was sitting on the bench, and snapped, "You could have waited for me outside. Why are you sitting here watching me shower?!"
“The officials in the kingdom are worried that you’ll slip away without a word again…” Huggins gestured with his hand as if to run away, tilting his head and laughing, “You know what I mean.”
Todd shook his head helplessly, turned his face to the ceiling, and said softly, "Tell me, what happened in the kingdom while I was away?"
"Hmm, let me think. Your palace is basically completed, the Muxi Cathedral is undergoing structural capping, the farmland in the immigrant area has yielded a bumper harvest, the official examination has recruited nearly a thousand administrative personnel, and Muxi Academy has made great progress in supernatural abilities and technological research..."
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