Once Hans's entire team had climbed aboard, the Storm Dragon Eagle spread its wings and shot into the sky.
The sudden ascent caught Hans and the others off guard. They staggered and nearly fell, only managing to steady themselves with difficulty.
Duke had been watching them all along, so naturally he would not let them actually fall. Still, Hans and the others were thoroughly frightened.
In truth, the Storm Dragon Eagle had merely been mischievous, deliberately teasing the players. Or perhaps it simply thought they were too weak to deserve a place on its back.
But since it was Duke's order, it could only obey.
The Storm Dragon Eagle flew at incredible speed, its massive wings tearing through the clouds as the snowy plains below rapidly receded.
Hans and his teammates clung tightly to the feathers on the dragon eagle's back. After their initial nervousness faded, excitement filled their hearts. This was an experience they had never had before.
In reality, they could at most ride in aircraft, but that was completely different from this.
Although the violent winds were blocked by the shield Duke had cast, they could still breathe the thin air at high altitude, feel the breeze against their faces, and experience passing through the clouds firsthand.
Duke stood behind the dragon eagle's neck, his robe fluttering slightly. Daili sat quietly nearby, like a sweet and obedient girl next door.
Before long, the outline of Sky City's walls appeared on the distant horizon.
The round trip had taken only a few hours. With the Storm Dragon Eagle, traveling was indeed much faster.
With such rapid travel, even if someone wanted to track Saintess Daili, they would have no way to do so.
In a secluded woodland some distance from the city gate, Duke had the Storm Dragon