Ayu lifted a hand to his face, placing his fingers into his mouth, and blew out a sharp, piercing whistle that echoed loudly.

The high-pitched sound cut cleanly through the stagnant air of Ter, vibrating against the surrounding stone buildings before fading away into the distance.

For a few seconds, absolutely nothing happened. The street remained entirely quiet, and the heavy, awkward silence stretched between the group as Yuan and Varis nervously shifted their weights, wondering what the magus was trying to accomplish with a simple whistle.

Suddenly, a loud, ear-splitting caw echoed violently in the air above, the sheer force of the cry carrying a powerful acoustic pressure that made the windows of the nearby houses rattle.

High above their heads, the thick, gray clouds that had been blanketing the town parted rapidly, torn asunder by a sudden disturbance in the upper atmosphere.

A large, majestic black eagle with a gleaming golden neck and a razor-sharp white beak swooped down from the sky at a breathtaking speed.

It folded its massive wings slightly to cut through the air resistance before flaring them out at the last possible second, landing directly in front of them with a soft, concussive whoosh of wind that kicked up a small cloud of dust and dried leaves from the road.

Noah gasped in shock behind the absolute concealment of his matte-black cat mask, his body instinctively tensing as he stared at the magnificent beast that had just descended into the middle of the street.

The sheer scale of the creature was far larger than any ordinary predatory bird he had ever read about in regional encyclopedias.

It was almost two meters tall from its massive, curved talons to the crown of its golden-feathered head, possessing a deeply intimidating physical presence.

Its sleek, overlapping body feathers seemed almost as black as midnight itself, absorbing the natural sunlight in a way that made its outline look incredibly sharp and menacing against the dusty backdrop of Ter.

Fascinated by the sudden appearance of such a massive avian creature, Noah looked up at it, his golden eyes flaring with a hidden light as he quickly activated his Eye of Truth.

[Name: Goldie Neckie]

[Race: Golden Neck Eagle]

[Title: Ayu’s Pet]

[Grade: High]

[Elements: Wind]

[Mana: 430/470]

[Health: 150/150]

[Strength: 39]

[Agility: 100]

[Stamina: 50]

[Endurance: 35]

[Sense: 50]

’A high-grade mana beast! And what kind of name is that... Goldie... neckie...?’ he thought in shock.

Finding a high-grade companion beast capable of wielding pure wind elements was exceptionally rare even among the wealthiest noble houses of the capital, making it a highly valuable asset for long-distance travel.

But the childish, literal name assigned to such a terrifying apex predator felt completely ridiculous to Noah.

As if to confirm its ridiculous name to the entire group, Ayu suddenly threw his hands into the air and shouted enthusiastically: "Goldie Neckie! You’re here!"

The calculating, professional aura he had used to evaluate Noah completely disintegrated as a broad, joyful grin broke across his face, and he dashed forward towards the giant eagle with absolute excitement.

He threw himself forward, jumping directly towards its massive, muscular neck, and wrapped both of his arms around the thick plumage, hugging it firmly like a child reuniting with a beloved family pet.

The terrifying, midnight-black eagle, or rather, Goldie Neckie, didn’t show a single shred of its natural predatory aggression.

Instead, it leaned into the touch, shaking its golden-feathered head warmly from side to side as it issued a soft, pleased trill, thoroughly enjoying the tight hug from its master.

Goldie Neckie suddenly moved its powerful, muscular neck in a swift motion, effortlessly flinging Ayu upward through the air until he landed perfectly atop its massive, feather-lined back.

The transition was seamless, demonstrating a deep bond of muscle memory and coordination between the high-grade mana beast and its rider.

The arch magus chuckled loudly, the boisterous sound echoing down the dirt street of Ter as he leaned forward, patting the bird’s sleek, midnight-black plumage with genuine affection. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

He rubbed the golden crest of its neck, his previous calculating demeanor completely buried under his current wave of excitement.

"We’ve only been apart for a few days, but I miss you already. Hahaha!" Ayu shouted merrily, his laughter ringing out clear and unrestrained as the massive eagle adjusted its stance beneath his weight.

Noah’s eyes narrowed slightly, his mind instantly seizing upon the casual statement.

’Being apart for a few days? Could that be the time he had already spent here, waiting for us to arrive...?’ he thought.

If Ayu had sent his flying mount away days ago to keep a low profile while he personally staked out the area, it confirmed Noah’s suspicions that the guild’s surveillance on this mission had been far tighter and more calculating than they had led on.

Ayu then turned back toward him, breaking Noah’s train of thought as he gestured with a welcoming wave of his arm, inviting the masked magus to climb up onto Goldie Neckie’s massive back as well.

There was plenty of room across the eagle’s wide, aerodynamic spine to accommodate multiple passengers for the high-speed flight back to the central territories.

Deep within the mental link, Kael suddenly sneered, his rumbling, draconic voice dripping with supreme arrogance and wounded pride as he spoke directly into Noah’s consciousness: ’Riding on my back would feel a lot better than that stupid chicken, master, humph!’

The ancient dragon was clearly offended by the sight of his master being offered a ride on a mere avian mana beast, viewing the creature as an absolute downgrade compared to his own majestic, draconic lineage.

Noah chuckled inwardly, a faint smile touching his lips beneath his mask as he sent a reassuring thought back through the bond, thinking to himself, ’yeah... but that’s for when you get even bigger!’

While Kael was a proud and lethal combat partner, his current physical size wasn’t quite ready to serve as a long-distance aerial mount across continents, though Noah fully intended to take him up on that offer once the dragon matured.

Turning his attention back to the captive supervisor, Noah stretched his right hand out toward Yaroth.

Instantly, the atmospheric moisture in the air condensed with a sharp, crackling hiss, and a thick, impenetrable encasing of solid, deep blue ice immediately rose up from the cobblestones around the demon.

The frost clamped tightly on his body, forming a heavy, reinforced prison that completely locked his limbs in place to prevent any sudden movements or attempts to fall off during flight.

With a smooth, practiced motion, Noah swung his hand upward, channeling his domain’s gravity manipulation to lift the heavy load.

The massive block of ice, which Yaroth was now rigidly trapped inside like a frozen statue, flew up through the air in a perfect arc, landing heavily right at the back of Goldie Neckie’s spine behind Ayu.

The sudden, freezing temperature radiating from the deep blue frost immediately penetrated the bird’s feathers, and Ayu winced in visible disgust the exact moment the ice touched him, shivering slightly from the abrupt wave of unyielding cold that settled right behind his seat.

It wasn’t just the cold, but also the fact that a demon was within it.