How dare they?!
Riding on the dragon's back, Joan racked her brain but couldn't understand why Kilian had attacked her.
Surely he hadn't been so embarrassed by her scaring him off last night that he'd lashed out in anger?
Or had he discovered she was a fake princess? But she really was an envoy from Free City...
Joan cursed herself for choosing Mountain Essence. If she'd taken the potion that would turn her into a Magic User instead, she could have figured this out!
After considering jealousy, a grudge, and a preemptive strike, she ruled out everything else. What remained, however unlikely, had to be the truth: Kilian was in league with the Ratfolk!
Or possibly the Demons!
Who else hated Free City that much?
She had to get word back to Free City...
Joan leaned forward to look ahead. Knight Makarov's drab Territory appeared on the horizon.
Then the vast landscape beyond the Broken Mountains caught her eye, and she gazed at it, entranced.
Joan could enjoy the scenery because magic protected her. The Guard had no such luxury. Clutched in the dragon's claws without magical protection, he had endured the howling wind for over ten minutes. If he hadn't been an elite, it would have left him weak for at least a month.
Twenty minutes after leaving Kilian Territory, the Blue Dragon landed before Knight Makarov's Castle amid an uproar.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! An Evil Dragon is invading!"
The sentry on the Watchtower rang the Alarm Bell. His frantic cries drowned out even Joan's shout of "The Evil Dragon is with us! Don't panic!"
Joan had no choice but to climb down from the Blue Dragon's back and let the Guard speak to the nervous soldiers.
"Illymoyas..."
She was about to say something quietly when Illymoyas whispered,