From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 429: Rose Morning Monastery Path

When Ivy and Yingxin returned to the banquet venue, it was already the next morning.

The evil thoughts still trapped her in the blood-red outfit, along with her many questions: "Ivy! Where have you been? I haven't seen you the whole night! I wanted to have a few drinks with you!"

Before Ivy could answer, Xie Nian's eyes shifted to Ying Xin. She asked suspiciously, "You look good. You must have had a good rest last night, right? Ying Xin?"

"Although I slept in the open air, it was really not bad." Ying Xin nodded slightly to Xie Nian and was about to turn around and leave. "The team is about to set off, right? Then I must get my equipment dressed. See you later, Xie Nian."

Looking at the bouncing braids behind Ying Xin, Xie Nian frowned and muttered to himself: "Her braids didn't look like this yesterday... What's going on..."

"From your performance in battle, I always felt that your insight could easily detect the tiny gaps between muscles and bones, and then use daggers and rapiers to complete bloody and efficient killings. But now, I suddenly am not so sure." The Gisyanki female warrior was ready to go, because today's target was the breeding room in the northern mountains, and she had been waiting for this day for too long.

Laizer took a step forward, her golden eyes scanning Ivy's body, as if looking for something. But after a moment, she shook her head in disappointment: "Yingxin and Ivy obviously just spent a fulfilling night. But judging by the results, your sex life can be described as dull. There are no scars, no bruises, and even no tired breathing. You should find time to ask me, Ivy, and I will let you know what turbulent waves are."

"Ah!" The expression on Xie Nian's pretty face was completely distorted. She pointed a trembling finger at Ivy, "You and... Ying Xin... last night..."

"If you're talking about the male-female aspect, then we've made some progress," Ivy nodded in acknowledgment.

Xie Nian covered his face with his hands and tried to calm his expression: "Oh my God... I have always been wary of Minsara and Kalak, but who would have thought that Yingxin, who always talks about Shar, is the most dangerous guy!"

She waved her hand and said weakly, "Let's get on the road quickly."

As he turned and left, Xie Nian was still mumbling, "If the nursery can really help get rid of the Mind Flayer tadpoles in my brain, then I won't have to worry about dying without having tasted what it feels like... Who knows if this is a good thing or a bad thing?"

The relevant information on loading supplies and route planning has been communicated to everyone through the representatives involved in the discussion early this morning.

So when Ivy returned to the camp, the team immediately prepared to set off.

Not having to carry supplies is a huge advantage. The mediocre treasure chest modified by Ivy is enough to carry all the bulky guys in the team.

Thus, apart from the oxcart that held the mediocre treasure chest, there was only a cart for the tiefling children to ride on.

Warriors with combat experience are scattered in the front and back of the team, while the archdruid acts as a mobile force to protect the middle section.

The team with a clear goal marched at a fast pace, and by lunch time they had passed the place where Ivy and his companions had encountered the Githyanki red dragon riders.

By the evening, the team climbed up a high peak along the mountain road, which was high enough to overlook the vast valley and temple buildings below.

“Hahahaha——” Looking at the sedimentary rock peaks in the distance and the temple hidden among the vines and ancient trees, Kalak couldn't help but burst into laughter. “What a spectacular sight! We should stop and have a nice dinner and enjoy it!”

"The mind flayer tadpoles must have eaten all the gray matter in your brain," Laizer hissed. "The breeding room is just around the corner. We must seek purification!"

"You're right..." Kalak's voice became much lower, but his joy did not diminish. "First, purify the Mind Flayer tadpoles, and then have dinner."

"The location of this monastery is really remote. I think they want to ensure that the monks can avoid temptation." Yingxin loosened his arm guard slightly so that the damp feeling inside the armor could be relieved by the mountain breeze.

"That's right!" Kalak's heart still lingered on the scenery in the mountains. For a champion warrior who had fought in the Nine Hells for more than ten years, he really couldn't ask for too much. "Look at these mountains - their tempting heights!"

"No..." Yingxin's gaze lingered on Kalak's forehead for a while, probably wanting to see if her gray matter was really eaten by the Mind Flayer tadpoles as Laizer said. "I'm actually talking about bad habits, you know - physical pleasure."

"Oh..." Kalak nodded suddenly, revealing a teasing smile that made Yingxin frown fiercely. "Is this some kind of confession from a priest? After all, many people saw you leave with our captain last night, and return together in disheveled clothes in the early morning?"

Yingxin tried her best to maintain her expression of "disdain" and said as seriously as possible: "I was just celebrating in my own way, and Ivy just happened to want to accompany me. Don't worry, Kalak, we haven't crossed the line of friendship... at least not too much... Ms. Shar... please forgive my indulgence last night."

Yingxin's concealed expression and regretful confession attracted the attention of another person. The sun's rays were running low, and the drow elves who had been silent all the way began to become more active: "I can't tell whether you are more like a rebellious girl or a celebrity entering the social world, Yingxin. The next time you find yourself alone at night, I want to test the two sides of your character."

"I'm not sure I like this development of events." Yingxin buckled the arm guard back on and shook his arms. "How about we change the subject?"

"Don't!" Kalak was still laughing, "I can assure you that even the devils in hell would be interested in gossip! You know what? I've even heard of the Romara demon who married the mountain!" The Romara demons are a large group of demons that participated in the bloody battle of Avernus. They come from the Abyss and are a kind of ethereal demons born between dreams and thoughts. For mortals in the main material plane, they are more like ghosts, or a nightmare that is not bound by the laws of physics. Although this kind of ethereal demon is like a cloud or mist most of the time, sometimes people can also glimpse its outline.

As for marrying a mountain, it is not uncommon for creatures in the Chaos camp to do so.

Kalak might have wanted to tell a joke, but it obviously had little effect. The several female adventurers in the team didn't even laugh once or twice in agreement.

"Where is Ivy again? He should order these civilians to set up camp on the spot and then follow me into the breeding room!" Laizer continued hissing.

"There seems to be a businessman in front..." Kalak's tall figure gave her a better view, "I saw him talking to an elderly lady. Oh, the conversation is over, and he is going to speak."

"We will set up camp on the lower cliff below! It's a sheltered spot! All the children and civilians must gather there!" Ivy announced loudly from a high place. "Sevlo! Take your men to set up sentries on the high ground to guard against all possible dangers and attacks. Those who are receiving military training will take part in the guard changes! Roland! Set up early warning magic in the bushes near the fork in the road. It doesn't need to be lethal, just make a noise to alert the sentinels. We need to be wary of those guys with bad intentions."

"Why should I listen to your opinion?" The apprentice of Baldur's Gate Archmage Lorukan expressed his objection loudly, not caring about his brothers and sisters' obstruction at all. It had been several days since Ivy used [Breaking Fingers] to counter his thunder wave, and this arrogant mage apprentice was obviously very dissatisfied with the extra time he had to wait in the Green Forest, not to mention that he had done almost nothing during these days.

"I thought this was just a piece of cake for a future great wizard." Ivy was not angry. In his opinion, Roland's behavior was no different from those little wizards in Hogwarts who wanted to slay dragons before they graduated. "Since you are unwilling to help, I will have to arrange more sentries. Carl, Leah."

Roland's brothers and sisters were too busy pulling their younger brother to listen to them. They both raised their hands to show that they heard him.

"That location is left to you." Ivy instructed, "The road to the west leads to the Moonrise Tower, so there is a high possibility that cultists of the Supreme God will appear there, so you must be vigilant."

"Understood! Lord Doom!" Compared to the troublesome Roland, his two brothers and sisters with a stronger sense of justice were obviously easier to control, and the two who had received warrior training also knew what they should do for the entire team.

"Okay, okay!" At least the apprentice Roland was willing to compromise for his family. "I'll do it..."

"Very good." Ivy nodded and stopped paying attention to them. Instead, she continued to speak to the entire team. "Tomorrow we will enter the Shadow Cursed Land of Rasven and get help from the Harpers at the Endlight Inn. Enjoy the afterglow of the sunset, my friends. But I promise you, this will never be the last time we see the sun! Your new life will begin in Baldur's Gate, and all those abducted by the Church of the Supreme God will be liberated!"

Ivy's words of encouragement worked, or at least the Ironhand dwarves and tiefling refugees were not much affected by the whole day's long journey.

Ivy jumped down from the top of the towering rock and came to her team. All the victims of the Mind Flayer Tadpoles had gathered and were ready to set off to the Guichen Monastery at any time.

"Master Harsin." Ivy looked at the man who had given up the position of chief druid. "I'll leave the camp to you and Sevro. I'm going to accompany my companions to the Githyanki breeding room. If everything goes well, we will be back before midnight."

"You can rest assured, Ivy." Halsin nodded and looked towards the Monastery of the Rose of Dawn hidden among the mountains. "It used to belong to Lathander, the God of the Dawn. I don't know when it started, but we haven't received any news from it. Who would have thought that such a sacred place would be used as a nursery by the Githyanki?"

“All the buildings in Faerûn are a waste of space and resources.” Laézel expressed a different opinion, “And the Son of Gith has given it new vitality. Those monks should feel honored to be used as a nursery by my people. Let’s not waste any more time, we should hurry and get on the road.”

"Don't worry," Ivy soothed, "We still have to pretend a little, just like last time."

"Are you going to wear green skin again?" Will touched the corner of his head. "I just hope the door frame in that nursery isn't too low."

As a fifth-ring spell, Disguise allows Ivy to change the appearance of all targets within thirty feet. This illusion can not only change the appearance and racial characteristics, but even the armor on the body can be changed.

But this is just an illusion effect after all, and it cannot be physically tested. So even if Ivy helped Kalak and Will hide the corners of their heads, they still had to be careful not to let their protruding parts hit anything. The door frame is the most typical example.

"Considering that the entire breeding room was built by humans, I think it's better to be careful." Ivy plucked the strings of the guitar to change the appearance of her companions while giving them some precautions. "According to Ms. Esther who was hired by the Radiant Society, the mountain path leading to the breeding room is full of traps set by the Githyanki. You can't just rely on watching your step."

“The Radiant Order?” Minsara raised a scimitar eyebrow. “I didn’t know those fools were operating on the surface. What were they planning on doing so close to a githyanki nursery?”

“It’s no different than being underground—a social experiment.” Ivy adjusted the silver Githyanki armor on Kalak. “They hope to get a Githyanki egg, then hatch it in a gentle environment, and educate it to be kind and peaceful. They hope to overcome the Githyanki’s nature.”

"I should slit her throat right now!" Laizer obviously took this as an insult. She looked at Ivy and said, "Tell me you're not going to help that idiot."

"I plan to use something else as a replacement." Ivy used magic to transform the evil prosthetic hand into a green hand with black spots on the Githyanki. "Owlbear eggs are not only more valuable, but are also much easier to tame than Githyanki."

Ivy confirmed the illusions of everyone one last time, and then said, "Because I agreed to help, Ms. Esther also revealed another route that can bypass those traps, a high-altitude cable car built by the monks of Lathander."

(End of this chapter)