In a moment, the giant Mythical Wolf shrank into a small puppy-sized version of himself and jumped onto Mike's shoulder, sitting there proudly like nothing happened.
The guards' eyes widened.
"That's… convenient," the chief guard muttered.
Mike shrugged. "He likes doing that."
The chief guard sighed in relief, then stepped closer.
"Listen, wanderer. You should head to Valor City and get registered there. It's the closest major city. A normal person would take three days on foot, but with your mount, it might take less than one."
Mike nodded. "Got it."
The guard continued, "If you walk around without proper identification, you could get into serious trouble. Knights, guilds, and even patrol squads won't trust you."
"Thanks for the warning," Mike said.
The chief guard pointed toward the main road leaving the village.
"Follow that path. It will lead straight to Valor City. Just… try not to scare anyone on the way."
