Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Makarov, a lesser lord in the mineral-rich Broken Mountains, wants a dragon driven away from a mining site. He hopes the dragon’s lair may conceal valuable ore, though previous attempts to hunt it have ended disastrously.
• Joan Montreal arrives seeking coal for Free City and agrees to handle the dragon in exchange for Makarov’s coal. Learning it is a young blue dragon—and possibly not the only one—she sends one of her two elite escorts to request help and sets out to scout with the other.
• Makarov warns Joan about the locals. Along the way, she sees that the region’s mining economy relies on coercion and slavery: impoverished escapees become “bandits,” and even Makarov’s comparatively humane policy is to buy his slaves.
• Some of the drifters beg Joan for help escaping. She gives them silver and tells them to wait in Makarov’s territory.
• Near the dragon’s mining site, an armed mage-led group ambushes Joan’s party. The attackers kill her guards, spare Joan and one elite warrior, and claim they want to “invite” her to their territory.
• As she is taken away, Joan notices shadowy figures approaching the bodies left behind.

Character developments

• Joan shows courage and resolve, choosing to proceed despite the danger and limited support. Her merchant experience has made her familiar with hardship, but representing Free City also makes her more attentive to the region’s exploited people. She tries to stay composed during the ambush.
• Makarov is driven by greed and political anxiety, yet is relatively less cruel than neighboring lords. His warning proves important, though he sends Joan into a dangerous situation.
• Joan’s escorts are loyal and protective; one dies in the attack, while the other remains with her.
• The mage is arrogant and predatory, treating Joan as a valuable target and her slain guards as disposable “mudborn.”

Significant themes

• Greed and risk: Makarov’s hope for treasure, and the rival lords’ eagerness to profit without facing the dragon themselves, shape the conflict.
• Exploitation and lawlessness: Mining wealth is built on forced labor, while escaped workers are driven into desperate lives.
• Courage and moral responsibility: Joan accepts danger for her mission and offers aid to people trapped in the region’s harsh system.
• Power and dehumanization: The attackers’ casual killing and dismissal of the guards reveal how readily the powerful treat others as expendable.

Character interactions

• Joan and Makarov strike a practical bargain, while his warning about the locals contrasts with his own relatively mild reputation.
• Joan’s encounters with the drifters shift from seeing them as potential bandits to recognizing their desperation; she responds with aid.
• The mage’s group turns Joan’s scouting mission into a kidnapping, killing her protectors while presenting coercion as an “invitation.”

Key plot points and events

• The lead mage escorts Joan to Lord Kilian Raymond’s territory, believing her to be a Montreal. Joan realizes Kilian may be a better business partner than Sir Makarov, but remains wary.
• On arrival, Joan sees slaves kept in cages outside the estate in the cold. Horrified, she decides that partnering with Kilian would damage Free City’s reputation.
• Kilian welcomes Joan warmly and appears eager to win her favor and secure a relationship with Free City. Joan also suspects someone close to Makarov is spying.
• While the Head Maid goes to prepare a bath, Joan barricades her room, jumps from the second-floor window into the garden, and sneaks out. Her guard fails to understand her signal and is left behind.
• Joan heads toward the main gate, then runs from the territory. Kilian learns she has escaped, orders her guard watched, and leads a pursuit.
• The riders catch Joan in a mountain hollow. Just as Kilian asks where she is going, a dragon roars overhead.

Character developments

• Joan proves independent and decisive, rejecting a possible alliance with Kilian because of his territory’s slave trade. Her escape shows resourcefulness, but her rusty stamina and lack of local knowledge leave her vulnerable.
• Kilian presents himself as courteous and politically astute, but his pursuit shows he is determined to keep Joan in his orbit.
• Joan’s guard appears to have missed her attempt to coordinate an escape, leaving her to manage alone.

Significant themes

• Moral limits of political alliances: Joan weighs commercial opportunity against the reputational and ethical cost of working with a slave-owning lord.
• Appearances and deception: Joan’s assumed identity shapes how Kilian’s people treat her, while the polished manor contrasts sharply with the suffering outside it.
• Freedom and control: Joan’s flight sets her desire to choose her own path against Kilian’s effort to detain or influence her.

Character interactions

• Joan exchanges sharp, sarcastic remarks with the lead mage, who praises her courage and explains that Kilian is his lord.
• Kilian greets Joan with formal courtesy and offers her a private room and dinner; Joan remains guarded and says little.
• Joan asks the Head Maid for hot water, using the request to create an opportunity to escape.
• At the gate, Joan refuses the guards’ offer to accompany her, saying their presence would prevent her from seeing the territory as it really is.
• Kilian confronts Joan after his men catch up with her, but the dragon’s roar interrupts their exchange.

Key plot points and events

• Lord Kilian and his men panic when a blue dragon approaches. Kilian assumes Joan arranged it, pleads that he means no harm, and flees.
• The dragon, Illymoyas, captures Joan and demands 10,000 gold coins for her release. When Joan cannot pay, Illymoyas threatens to torture her—but Joan reacts with unexpected excitement, unsettling the dragon.
• Illymoyas carries Joan to her cave, where Joan sees a vast treasure hoard. She wonders whether the dragon comes from an important family.
• Illymoyas’s gnoll servants leave to find food. Joan is cold, tired, and hungry; when they return with one roasted rabbit, Illymoyas offers it to her. Asked what she will eat, the dragon replies, “You.”

Character developments

• Joan shifts from frightened captive to a strangely curious, opportunistic observer. She remains focused on food and treasure, and her unusual response to Illymoyas’s threats surprises the dragon.
• Illymoyas appears fearsome and greedy, but also shows a brief, unexpected consideration by giving Joan the only available meal. Her final threat suggests her motives may remain dangerous.
• Kilian reveals his cowardice: when danger arrives, he abandons Joan and escapes.

Character interactions

• Kilian mistakes the dragon’s arrival for Joan’s doing, then leaves her behind.
• Joan tries to bargain with Illymoyas using her purse, but the dragon demands far more than she can pay.
• Illymoyas and Joan’s exchange turns awkwardly comic when Joan seems intrigued by the promised torture.
• Illymoyas has her gnoll servants bring food and gives Joan the rabbit, only to end their conversation with a chilling threat.

Significant themes

• Fear and unpredictability: Joan’s reactions repeatedly defy expectations, while the dragon’s behavior shifts between menace and apparent kindness.
• Greed and wealth: Illymoyas’s treasure and ransom demand contrast with Joan’s fascination with riches.
• Cruelty and exploitation: The account notes the enslavement and persecution of kobolds, complicating the label of “evil” and suggesting humans can be as cruel as monsters.

Plot points and events

• Annan asks the Skeleton King why dragons avoid humans. The King explains that dragons consider themselves superior and may see a powerful human territory not as an equal, but as a subordinate. He cautions Annan that speaking and feeling like humans does not mean other races share humanity’s idea of friendship.
• Despite the warning, Annan remains determined to find Illymoyas. The Skeleton King approves, saying that an unwavering heart can help a mage reach greatness, and gives Annan his bitter elven tea in exchange for Annan’s honeyed fizzy drink.
• Back in Free City, Annan gives the valuable tea to his sister, Idelia. Elder, the Dragon-Taming Boy, offers to search for Illymoyas but admits he has little chance of persuading her, so Annan sends him away.
• Annan intends to ride a white dragon and find Illymoyas himself, expecting the journey to take only a few days. If she thinks Free City is too poor to return, he plans to win her over by spending money.

Character developments and interactions

• Annan shows persistence and optimism, insisting that friendship with a dragon may be possible despite the Skeleton King’s doubts. He also expresses affection for Idelia by giving her the tea.
• The Skeleton King acts as Annan’s mentor: he offers a realistic, if sardonic, view of dragon society, yet supports Annan’s resolve rather than trying to stop him.
• Idelia worries about Annan’s safety and time away, but accepts his gift and hears out his plan.
• Elder remains devoted to Free City and willing to risk his life, though he recognizes that he is not the right person to approach Illymoyas.

Significant themes

• Cross-cultural understanding: Shared language and emotions do not guarantee shared values or concepts such as friendship.
• Idealism versus realism: Annan’s hope of befriending a dragon contrasts with the King’s warning about dragons’ pride and social hierarchy.
• Loyalty and family: Elder’s willingness to serve Free City and Annan’s care for Idelia highlight personal devotion.
• Resolve and generosity: Annan’s determination to find Illymoyas—and willingness to spend lavishly—shows how far he will go to pursue his goal.

Key plot points and events

• Captured by Illymoyas, Joan tries to avoid being eaten by offering herself as a slave, then proposes paying a ransom in monthly installments. Her scheme reminds Illymoyas of someone from four years earlier.
• Illymoyas asks what Joan is to Annan. Joan says Annan is her good friend and claims she knows Illymoyas—only to discover that her captor is Illymoyas.
• Meanwhile, Annan uses a scale Illymoyas gave him to ask Mr. Swaro to locate her with Greater Prophecy. Swaro gives him a Compass after Annan threatens to seek help from Alice.
• Annan travels east on Free City’s last White Dragon. Blackwatch soldiers let him cross the Great Wall, but Archmage Albeck says they have not seen Illymoyas.
• The Compass eventually leads Annan to a town celebrating a Dragon-Slaying Team’s victory. Fearing the worst, he rushes to the procession—only to find a dead Wyvern, not Illymoyas. A Ranger appears to recognize him, and Annan flees while denying his identity.

Character developments

• Joan shifts from terrified pleading to bargaining, then becomes flustered when Illymoyas mentions Annan. Her attempt to connect with the Dragon collapses when she learns who her captor is.
• Illymoyas is initially menacing but ultimately more interested in ransom than immediate violence. Her reaction to Joan’s payment plan hints at an earlier encounter with someone who used a similar tactic.
• Annan shows his attachment to Illymoyas by urgently setting out to find her. His thoughts also reveal his contempt for the White Dragon’s limitations and his irritation with Swaro.

Significant themes

• Misunderstandings and mistaken assumptions: Joan’s assumptions about the Dragon, Annan’s fear that Illymoyas has been killed, and the townspeople’s celebration all drive the chapter’s comedy and tension.
• Negotiation and survival: Joan relies on quick thinking rather than force, trying to turn captivity into a manageable debt.
• Affection and loyalty: Annan’s risky journey makes clear that Illymoyas matters deeply to him.
• Appearance versus reality: The supposed Dragon-slaying triumph turns out to involve a Wyvern, while the terrifying captor proves willing to bargain.

Character interactions

• Joan and Illymoyas: Their exchange moves between threats, awkward bargaining, and comic confusion, culminating in Joan discovering the Dragon’s identity.
• Annan and Swaro: Annan pressures Swaro into helping, while Swaro responds curtly and sends him away with the Compass.
• Annan and the Blackwatch Legion: Familiarity and respect allow Annan to cross the Empire’s border without trouble.
• Annan and the Dragon-Slaying Team: Their procession triggers Annan’s panic; the Ranger’s recognition sends him running before he can learn more.

Key plot points and events

• Joan discovers that the Blue Dragon in the cave is Illymoyas, once associated with Free City, and asks whether Annan sent her. Illymoyas insists she has nothing to do with Free City and threatens Joan to keep her location secret.
• Though Illymoyas initially lets Joan leave, Dragon Might stops her: Illymoyas fears she will report back. Joan convinces her she will keep silent—and explains that she needs to return for Illymoyas’s money.
• Joan sets out but soon returns, unable to navigate the mountains at night. Illymoyas allows her to shelter in the cave.
• During the night, Joan asks about Illymoyas’s life and shares her own painful past: her parents sold her, a gang took her in, and a kind gatekeeper helped her escape. She later became a traveling merchant.
• Illymoyas listens and quietly has a Gnoll bring Joan glowing coals for warmth. In the morning, she sends Joan away. Joan renews her promise to keep Illymoyas’s whereabouts secret.
• Meanwhile, Knight Makarov searches for the missing Miss Montreal and worries about the consequences if someone from the Golden Families has been killed. He is told that she has returned.

Character developments

• Joan shows courage and resourcefulness, persuading a dangerous Dragon to trust her. Her admiration for Illymoyas gives way to a tentative personal connection, and she responds to Illymoyas’s kindness with sincere loyalty.
• Illymoyas is suspicious and threatening, yet reveals a more vulnerable side through her memories of family life and her gentle, practical care for Joan. She appears unused to comforting humans but does so anyway.
• Knight Makarov is anxious and politically aware, fearing that Joan’s disappearance could provoke serious consequences.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Joan earns a measure of trust by promising not to expose Illymoyas.
• Compassion beneath hostility: Illymoyas’s menace contrasts with her quiet act of keeping Joan warm.
• Loneliness and hardship: Both women have difficult histories, and sharing them creates an unexpected bond.
• Survival and self-worth: Joan’s determination to prove herself has carried her through a painful childhood and into a dangerous situation.

Character interactions

• Joan carefully distances herself from Annan when Illymoyas suspects he sent her, then emphasizes that her loyalty is to the Dragon who saved her.
• Illymoyas alternates between intimidation and reluctant hospitality, ultimately allowing Joan to stay and helping her endure the cold.
• Joan and Illymoyas exchange personal histories, turning a tense encounter into a brief, humanizing connection.
• In the parallel scene, Makarov’s guards bring him the news that Joan has returned, easing his immediate fear.

Key plot points and events

• Joan returns to Knight Makarov’s territory alive after escaping Kilian. She tells Makarov that Kilian merely offended her, though she makes clear that Free City cannot let the offense go unanswered.
• Joan learns Makarov can muster only a modest force, so she orders him to seek help from the Dimon Kingdom’s capital. While waiting, she plans to rescue the guard Kilian is holding.
• Joan asks Makarov for all the valuables he can gather, along with a carriage and guide. Makarov’s household catches a servant who had been passing information to outsiders; Joan leaves the investigation and punishment to him.
• Joan sets off toward the Blue Dragon’s mountain, intending to hire the “evil dragon” for her cause.
• At the Raymond family seat, Kilian tells his uncle, Lord Raymond, about Joan. Lord Raymond doubts that a genuine member of the Golden Families would visit their poor, remote territory—but warns that if Joan is real, the family must either submit or eliminate everyone who knows.
• Kilian returns to his lands and hears that Joan went back to Makarov’s territory, then departed with the knight’s treasure. He concludes she may be a fraud, but remains troubled by the Blue Dragon’s possible connection to Free City.

Character developments and interactions

• Joan is resourceful and decisive: she adopts the manner of a powerful noble to command Makarov, gathers funds and support, and chooses to seek the dragon’s help rather than wait passively.
• Makarov shifts from panic and guilt to loyal action, offering his people, money, and assistance. His fear of Imperial consequences motivates him to obey Joan.
• Kilian remains suspicious and uncertain, torn between believing Joan is an impostor and fearing that she really represents a power too great to oppose.
• Lord Raymond reveals himself as ruthless and pragmatic. To impress upon Kilian the stakes, he strangles a maid and frames the choice as submission or silencing all witnesses.
• Joan and Makarov form a practical alliance; Kilian and Lord Raymond share a threatening, coercive bond shaped by family loyalty and political survival.

Significant themes

• Power and political performance: Joan’s authority depends partly on how convincingly she presents herself, while even the possibility of her status terrifies Makarov and the Raymonds.
• Fear, loyalty, and survival: Makarov acts out of fear but commits himself to Joan; the Raymonds consider mass murder to protect their position.
• Uncertainty and misjudgment: Kilian cannot determine whether Joan is genuine, and the Blue Dragon’s identity may confirm—or undermine—his assumptions.
• Wealth and moral decay: The Raymonds’ lavish gold-filled palace contrasts with their impoverished territory and the brutality of their rule.

Key plot points and events

• Kilian rallies the Raymond family’s warriors, claiming Joan has insulted the family’s honor, and leads them toward Makarov’s castle.
• Joan and the Blue Dragon, Illymoyas, arrive before the manor. Kilian pretends to welcome Joan and says her guard is safe, but Illymoyas warns that he intends to kill her.
• Joan refuses to come down, and Kilian drops the act, ordering his forces to attack.
• The soldiers and mages pin Illymoyas to the ground with arrows and spells. She counters with a devastating lightning breath that kills several warriors.
• Kilian urges his forces on, and the mages keep Illymoyas grounded. Because Joan is riding her, Illymoyas cannot fight as freely as she otherwise could. Fireballs injure her and set the grease on her scales alight, forcing her into burning buildings.
• Illymoyas emerges apparently recovered, having used a treasure to restore her strength and heal her injuries. She traps the Great Swordsman under her claw and kills him with her breath.
• An Archmage warns Kilian and teleports him away. With the mages gone, Illymoyas takes flight and destroys the remaining guards and the area before the manor. Joan celebrates their victory.

Character developments

• Joan begins confident that she can negotiate with Kilian, but becomes wary when Illymoyas warns her of the ambush. She stays on the dragon’s back and survives the attack.
• Illymoyas shows both the power and vulnerability of a young dragon: she can unleash devastating breath attacks, but coordinated spells and the need to protect Joan leave her exposed. A healing treasure lets her recover and turn the battle around.
• Kilian reveals that his talk of honor masks a willingness to deceive and kill Joan. When defeat becomes likely, he abandons his troops and escapes.

Significant themes

• Honor as a pretext for ambition: Kilian invokes family pride to justify aggression, but his actions expose the rhetoric as self-serving.
• Strength and vulnerability: Even a powerful dragon can be endangered by tactics that exploit her limitations and the person she is protecting.
• Loyalty and protection: Illymoyas’ concern for Joan shapes how she fights, while Joan trusts her to face the danger.
• Power’s limits: Kilian’s numbers and mages initially give him an advantage, but his force collapses once Illymoyas recovers and the mages withdraw.

Character interactions

• Kilian first treats Joan as an honored guest, then orders her killed when she refuses his trap.
• Illymoyas warns Joan of the danger and shields her throughout the battle, while Joan stays aboard despite the dragon’s predicament.
• Kilian directs his troops and mages to restrain Illymoyas, then abandons them when the tide turns.
• Illymoyas defeats the Great Swordsman and drives off Kilian’s remaining forces, securing the victory for herself and Joan.

Key plot points and events

• After Killian flees, his territory collapses into panic as guards and slave owners abandon the streets. Illymoyas searches his manor for treasure.
• Joan finds her guard in a hidden dungeon. Once they free him, she releases the other prisoners—many of whom seem to be Killian’s enemies—and warns them that he may return.
• A prisoner reveals that someone is being tortured deeper in the dungeon. Joan and her guard find a badly wounded man and free him. He says he owes Joan a favor, reacts strongly to learning she is the Princess of Montreal, and leaves without explaining himself.
• Joan frees the slaves left in cages. Though they initially interpret freedom as abandonment, her firm instructions prompt them to gather supplies and head west to Knight Makarov’s territory.
• Illymoyas finishes looting the manor. Joan, her guard, and the dragon prepare to return and report what happened to the Free City.

Character developments

• Joan shows compassion and initiative: she frees prisoners and slaves, even while recognizing she cannot judge everyone’s past. She also acts more confidently when giving the former slaves practical instructions.
• Illymoyas remains focused on treasure, but her successful haul leaves her warmer toward Joan.
• The injured prisoner is mysterious and resilient, showing unusual composure despite his condition. His response to Joan’s title hints at a significant connection or history.
• Joan’s guard is reunited with her and remains protective, stepping between her and the strange prisoner.

Significant themes

• Freedom and its uncertainty: The former slaves struggle to understand liberation after a life shaped by captivity; freedom initially feels like being abandoned.
• Compassion amid conflict: Joan helps people without knowing whether they are innocent, guided by their shared opposition to Killian and her belief that they are people deserving help.
• Power and responsibility: Joan uses her authority not just to escape danger but to protect others and give them a path forward.

Character interactions

• Joan reassures the manor’s maids, then works closely with her guard to unlock the dungeon cells.
• She gives the freed prisoners a chance to flee before Killian might return, and directs them toward safety.
• Joan’s encounter with the wounded man is tense but respectful; her guard shields her, while the prisoner acknowledges her with a bow.
• Joan tries to persuade the freed slaves that they can choose their own lives, eventually guiding them with firm, practical orders.
• Illymoyas and Joan regroup on friendly terms and agree to return to report the events.

Key plot points and events

• Joan returns to Knight Makarov’s castle on the Blue Dragon, Illymoyas, after escaping Kilian’s attack. The flight leaves the Guard battered, while Joan is captivated by the landscape beyond the Broken Mountains.
• Joan tells Makarov that she and Illymoyas destroyed Kilian’s territory. She believes Kilian may be allied with the Ratfolk or Demons because he tried to have her killed, and Makarov sends another messenger to the Dimon Kingdom’s capital.
• Joan rejects Makarov’s offer to keep her safely in the castle. Instead, she decides to seek Illymoyas’s protection.
• Kilian reports his failure to Grand Lord Raymond, who beats and berates him. Raymond orders the deathly, Gray-Robed Mr. Mora to help Kilian deal with the aftermath.
• Illymoyas returns to her lair and prepares to leave, unwilling to remain where Annan might find her. Joan arrives and asks to go with her. Illymoyas refuses, but Joan argues that a long life has little meaning without someone to share its beautiful moments.

Character developments

• Joan is shaken by Kilian’s betrayal but remains determined to defend her dignity and pursue her own path. Her flight with Illymoyas awakens a new appreciation for the world and a desire for companionship.
• Illymoyas shows compassion by sparing Joan and the Guard, though she is emotionally guarded and plans to leave rather than face Annan. Joan’s request challenges her belief that she needs no company.
• Kilian is revealed as cowardly and subordinate to his uncle: he hides that he fled, accepts humiliation, and offers little explanation for his actions.
• Grand Lord Raymond is ruthless and controlling, using violence against Kilian and dispatching Mr. Mora to manage the situation.
• Makarov wants to protect Joan and gain favor with the Empire, but recognizes that he may be unable to shield her from the Raymond family.

Significant themes

• Freedom and self-determination: Joan refuses the safety others prescribe and chooses her own course.
• Companionship and meaning: Joan contrasts Illymoyas’s vast lifespan with the value of sharing experiences.
• Power and vulnerability: Joan’s status and Makarov’s position offer limited protection against powerful enemies.
• Misunderstanding and suspicion: Joan’s theory that Kilian serves the Ratfolk or Demons is an inference, not a confirmed fact.

Character interactions

• Joan urges Makarov to act quickly and then refuses his plan to keep her at the castle.
• Raymond intimidates and physically punishes Kilian, then orders Mr. Mora to accompany him.
• Joan seeks to join Illymoyas; the dragon rejects her, but Joan’s appeal for shared companionship leaves their parting unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Kilian returns to his ruined Territory: the Manor is damaged, tax revenue is missing, slaves have been freed, and prisoners—including the man he had tortured—have escaped.
• Learning that Maid Alan helped the intruders, Kilian orders her killed and her skin made into a blanket for his uncle. He then sets out with the Epic Mage Mr. Mora to find the Blue Dragon and Joan.
• Kilian and Mora discover that the Dragon’s Lair is empty. Mora believes its occupants have fled, but says they remain somewhere in the Broken Mountains and that he can track them.
• Meanwhile, Joan persuades Illymoyas to leave with her. Illymoyas hesitates over their past connection to Annan, but accepts Joan’s claim that they parted amicably—and then seems to forget who Annan is.
• Annan arrives in the Broken Mountains on the White Dragon, hoping to find Illymoyas. He searches a trading town, encounters a Wealth Church sermon, and hears rumors about a Dragon attack and an Imperial Princess.

Character developments

• Kilian responds to the destruction of his Territory with anger and cruelty, then redirects his revenge toward Joan and the Dragon.
• Joan shows persistence and confidence in persuading Illymoyas to join her, presenting herself as a companion who wants no money and bears no ill will.
• Illymoyas remains troubled by her bond with Annan, but agrees to leave with Joan. Her sudden inability—or unwillingness—to remember Annan is ominous.
• Annan is focused on finding Illymoyas, but remains alert to what he hears around him. His reaction to the Wealth sermon reveals his skepticism toward materialism.

Significant themes

• Freedom and escape: The freed slaves, escaped prisoners, and Joan and Illymoyas’s departure all challenge Kilian’s control.
• Power and cruelty: Kilian treats people as disposable, while his pursuit of the Dragon turns the conflict into a hunt for revenge and profit.
• Money and values: Annan’s response to the Wealth Church sermon contrasts its claim that money measures everything with his own priorities.
• Memory and separation: Illymoyas’s confused recollection of Annan raises questions about her past and what leaving him truly means.

Character interactions

• Kilian dismisses Mora’s offered handkerchief and gives him orders, while Mora calmly explains the Dragon’s likely escape and offers to track it.
• Kilian punishes Alan for aiding the intruders and threatens the remaining staff into restoring his Territory.
• Joan reasons with Illymoyas about companionship and separation, ultimately convincing her to leave.
• Annan treats the White Dragon with familiar, practical care, then listens to townspeople and gathers clues that may connect Illymoyas to the Imperial Princess rumors.

Plot points and events

• Annan hears a rumor that an imperial princess is in Mountain Keep Fief, and learns that a blue dragon has appeared nearby. He suspects the dragon may be connected to Illymoyas, imagining she has taken up with another dragon while he was away.
• Convinced he should deal with the “evil dragon,” Annan goes to the Mercenary Guild to claim its 35-gold-narl bounty. The guild warns that the dragon is above his challenge level, but Annan insists he can still accept the hunt.
• Annan discovers he has lost his mercenary credential. Replacing it requires a fee, so he reluctantly begins the process and is sent to the Town Chief’s Mansion for identity verification.
• Meanwhile, Illymoyas carries Joan and the gnolls to an abandoned mine in the Broken Mountains, where she settles into a new lair. Joan eagerly begins building herself a stone house; Illymoyas watches her and grows sleepy.
• At the mansion, Annan waits through a crowded queue, only to discover he has joined the line for hunters rather than mercenaries. He switches lines and must wait again.

Character developments and interactions

• Annan is jealous and suspicious after hearing about the blue dragon, though his assumptions about Illymoyas are speculative. He is confident enough to pursue a dangerous bounty, but his lack of money and patience show a more ordinary, comic side.
• Illymoyas establishes a home in the mountains and appears content to let Joan make the cave her own.
• Joan is thrilled by the freedom of flying and quickly makes plans for a home in the new lair.
• Annan deals cautiously with a passerby, negotiates with the Mercenary Guild receptionist, and then clashes mildly with bureaucratic delays and a hunter arguing over credentials.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and mistaken assumptions: Annan jumps to an elaborate conclusion about Illymoyas and the blue dragon without knowing the facts.
• Freedom and belonging: Joan revels in the flight, then immediately seeks comfort and stability by building a home.
• Bureaucracy and inconvenience: Annan’s dangerous dragon hunt is stalled by lost paperwork, fees, queues, and being in the wrong line.
• Different forms of power: Annan’s status as a sorcerer and lord does not spare him from everyday hassles—or guarantee that he can handle a formidable dragon.

Key plot points and events

• Annan tries to replace his mercenary credentials, but the Town Chief’s Mansion requires proof of his magical rank before it will verify his identity. The nearest Magic Association branch is far away, and the process wastes much of his morning.
• Olmedo tells him that Dean Breichim, vice president of the Magic Association in Siltovis, can help. Annan obtains certification through the association quickly, contrasting its efficient service with the town’s slow bureaucracy.
• While waiting again at the Town Chief’s Mansion, Annan visits the slave market and buys every slave he can find—spending nearly a thousand gold coins. He frees them by burning their contracts and sends them to Free City.
• Annan returns to the Mercenary Hall with his verified papers, only to learn that the Magic Association cannot certify a sorcerer. He must start over with the Sorcerer Association.

Character development

• Annan’s impatience with pointless delays is clear, but he remains determined to complete the paperwork.
• His compassion is equally strong: seeing people sold into slavery, he cannot leave them there, despite the expense. He acts decisively, freeing them rather than merely expressing sympathy.
• Olmedo understands Annan’s recurring impulse to help slaves and refugees, even while gently questioning how far he can take it.

Significant themes

• Bureaucracy and absurdity: Annan’s attempt to replace one credential becomes a chain of incompatible certifications and queues.
• Compassion in action: Annan’s belief that he must help those he encounters is demonstrated through the costly rescue.
• Power and exploitation: The merchants treat people as commodities, while Annan uses his wealth and status to free them.
• Frustration and perseverance: Despite repeated setbacks, Annan keeps pursuing both his practical goal and his moral commitments.

Character interactions

• Olmedo offers Annan a practical route to certification and accepts that he will rescue the slaves, even though she knows this is a pattern.
• The slave merchants eagerly sell to Annan, then try to upsell him on more valuable captives.
• Annan reassures the freed slaves, burns their contracts in front of them, and arranges their transfer to safety.
• The Mercenary Hall clerk confirms Annan’s documents but delivers the chapter’s final bureaucratic setback: his profession requires certification from a different association.

Key plot points and events

• Annan tries to replace his missing identity papers, but Puppet Town’s officials repeatedly frustrate him with rigid rules and unhelpful explanations.
• The Sorcerers’ Association verifies him, grants him honorary membership, and warns him not to use a third Crystal from the Sorcerer Protection Association. An eerie old woman repeats the warning.
• At the Mercenary Guild, Annan learns his replacement credential would take three to six months. He instead registers as a visitor and receives a badge immediately, allowing him to accept a quest to slay an evil dragon.
• As Annan returns to the White Dragon, Puppet Town abruptly vanishes. Nearby slave traders are left staring at the place where it had been.
• Elsewhere, Joan builds a small shelter in a cave and considers buying necessities. Illymoyas’s influence seems to make Joan’s money disappear, so she resolves to manage without supplies.

Character developments and interactions

• Annan remains capable and determined, but the town’s bureaucratic absurdity tests his patience. He tries persuasion and pleading before accepting the quick visitor-registration option and taking the dragon quest.
• Joan shows resourcefulness and resilience, making a home with what she has. Her poverty is compounded by the apparent loss of her coins.
• Illymoyas is passive for most of the scene, but her question about Joan’s money precedes its mysterious disappearance.
• Town officials and clerks maintain pleasant, inflexible politeness, frustrating Annan rather than helping him.
• The Sorcerers’ Association receptionist offers a cryptic warning, while the old woman’s repetition makes the danger feel uncanny.

Significant themes

• Bureaucracy and absurdity: Annan’s simple need for identification becomes an all-day ordeal, exposing the gap between official procedure and practical help.
• Poverty and survival: Joan makes do with a fragile shelter and considers sacrificing comfort and basic necessities.
• Mystery and danger: The warnings about the Crystals, the odd behavior in town, and Puppet Town’s sudden disappearance suggest hidden rules and supernatural forces at work.

Key plot points

• After leaving Strange Tales City, Annan is drawn into the mysterious Puppet Town, where he spends a day among residents who are all Magic Puppets. On waking, he rates the town highly for its realism but comments that lifelike appearances mean little without living beings to give them meaning.
• The town disappears completely. Annan tells Olmedo what happened; she suspects a powerful, possibly Legendary Mage created it. Annan notices that the town’s Wealth Goddess priest vanished with it, but Olmedo cautions him against drawing conclusions.
• Olmedo discovers Annan’s Mercenary credential is fake, and the badge identifies him as a “Test User.” Annan realizes the town’s guild and paperwork were part of the illusion, though the dragon hunt itself proves real: the dragon is at Makarov Knight’s Mountain Keep Fief.
• In a parallel scene, Joan settles near the Blue Dragon Illymoyas’s cave. She finds water, salty Crystal Ore, and usable wood, makes a fire, and sleeps safely while the dragon and Gnolls remain nearby. The next morning, she heads down the mountain to visit a village and buy supplies.

Character developments and interactions

• Annan moves from alarm and irritation to wary curiosity. He recognizes Puppet Town as an experiment he should not antagonize, but his experience leaves him questioning what is real. He repeatedly checks that the merchants—and the dragon hunt—are genuine.
• Olmedo calmly investigates Annan’s account, identifies the fake credential, and offers a cautious theory about the town’s creator. Her teasing exchange with Annan shows their familiarity.
• Joan is resourceful and self-reliant, making practical use of scarce materials and planning her next steps despite being alone. She speaks politely to Illymoyas, who remains largely silent and communicates only with a small tail flick.
• Illymoyas helps Joan indirectly by lighting her fire with magic, then lets her rest undisturbed.

Significant themes

• Reality, illusion, and meaning: Puppet Town convincingly imitates life, but Annan questions whether realism alone makes anything meaningful.
• Trust and uncertainty: After discovering the town and its credentials were fake, Annan struggles to know which parts of his experience to trust.
• Survival and resourcefulness: Joan’s ability to find shelter, fuel, and water—and to plan a trip to the village—shows the practical skills that keep her alive.

Plot points

• Joan enters a village in the Broken Mountains, hoping to find supplies and escape Kilian’s reach.
• She realizes she is being watched, then discovers Kilian has issued a wanted notice accusing her of attacking him and warning that she commands an “evil dragon.” He offers a large reward for her capture.
• As villagers join the pursuit, a farmer’s wife hides Joan in her home. Joan insists she has been framed and that Kilian intends to kill her.
• The woman initially seems sympathetic, and Joan shares a playful exchange with her son, Timmy, even joking that he might marry her when he grows up.
• The woman betrays Joan for the reward, alerting the crowd that Joan is alone. Joan is captured and bound to a gallows.
• The village chief and villagers decide to kill her, believing they can earn more than the capture reward. Joan realizes Kilian may later silence them too.

Character developments and interactions

• Joan tries to act confidently as a warrior, but the warrant leaves her frightened and isolated. Her brief trust in the farmer’s wife is shattered by the betrayal. At the gallows, her despair and contempt for the crowd deepen.
• The farmer’s wife first offers refuge and food, but greed overtakes her when she sees a chance to claim the reward.
• Timmy responds to Joan’s kindness with childish affection and an innocent proposal. His remark that her death will mean he gets meat exposes the family’s poverty and the moral bleakness around them.
• The villagers and chief are driven by the promised reward, treating Joan’s life as a means to profit.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and misplaced trust: Joan’s apparent rescuer becomes the person who delivers her to the crowd.
• Greed and moral corruption: The reward transforms ordinary villagers into would-be executioners.
• Power and propaganda: Kilian’s false—or at least self-serving—public account makes Joan a target and turns the dragon’s reputation into a weapon.
• Despair and alienation: Surrounded by strangers willing to kill her, Joan reaches a point where she longs for everything to end.

Key plot points and events

• Annan leaves Puppet Town after watching an execution and travels toward Makarov’s territory, where reports of an “evil dragon” originated.
• His arrival on a White Dragon triggers alarms, but Rute recognizes him. Annan learns Joan and Illymoyas have disappeared together.
• Makarov explains that Joan came to the Broken Mountains seeking a coal partnership for Free City. Kilian tried to force her into an agreement, and Illymoyas rescued her—revealing that she was the supposed evil dragon.
• Annan sees a wanted poster and tears it up, furious at Kilian’s actions.
• Meanwhile, villagers prepare to hang Joan, having been offered a reward. Illymoyas arrives, hears that Joan was betrayed, and destroys the village with Dragon Breath. Joan is left alive and asks whether Illymoyas can erase her too; Illymoyas gently touches her nose.

Character developments

• Annan shifts from keeping a low profile to openly condemning the abuse of Joan and tearing up the poster.
• Joan is devastated by the villagers’ betrayal and appears emotionally numb, even questioning whether she should be erased along with them.
• Illymoyas reveals deep concern for Joan. Her rage is devastating, but her final gesture toward Joan is tender.
• Rute and Makarov show deference to Annan and help clarify what happened.
• Kilian is portrayed as a spoiled, powerful noble who abuses his position.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and trust: Joan’s faith in the villagers is answered with greed and violence.
• Power and injustice: Kilian’s privilege enables coercion, while ordinary villagers turn against Joan for a reward.
• Protection and vengeance: Illymoyas responds to Joan’s suffering with overwhelming violence, though her gentleness afterward complicates her image as a monster.
• Misunderstanding: Confusion over Joan and Illymoyas’s disappearance initially leads Annan and Rute to misread events.

Character interactions

• Annan questions Rute and Makarov, then reacts angrily to Kilian’s wanted poster.
• Makarov recounts Joan’s mission and Illymoyas’s rescue of her.
• The villagers prepare to execute Joan, but Illymoyas arrives and retaliates.
• Joan and Illymoyas share a quiet, intimate exchange: Joan expresses despair, and Illymoyas answers with a gentle touch.

Plot points

• Annan finds a wanted notice accusing the Blue Dragon Illymoyas of brutal attacks. He suspects the Raymond Grand Lord is framing her and prioritizes finding Illymoyas and Joan before the Grand Lord can.
• He sets out with a local hunter as guide, leaving Rute behind to protect Makarov, whom Annan fears may be targeted as a witness.
• A concealed force claiming to serve the Raymond Grand Lord intercepts Annan in Makarov’s territory. Annan recognizes that it could overwhelm the fief and uses Free City’s power to deter them.
• He sends two companies of the Disciplinary Legion—two hundred mages—to defend the fief. Black Widow unexpectedly joins him, and Annan proceeds to meet the Grand Lord.

Character developments and interactions

• Annan remains cautious and politically astute: he suspects a conspiracy, protects Makarov, and balances diplomacy with a conspicuous show of force. He also lets Black Widow accompany him, valuing the protection of an Archmage.
• Makarov is anxious about spies and the threat to his territory, but trusts Annan and welcomes Free City’s troops. Annan publicly calls him a friend, strengthening his position.
• Black Widow reveals concern for Annan’s safety and responds with immediate hostility toward the suspicious soldiers, though Annan restrains her from acting prematurely.
• Luoxi dutifully answers Annan’s summons, but is disappointed not to lead the deployment.
• The Raymond men are wary of confronting Annan and begin to reassess Free City’s strength.

Themes

• Political intrigue and scapegoating: The extravagant wanted notice raises doubts about the accusations against Illymoyas and suggests the Raymond Grand Lord is shaping public opinion.
• Power as deterrence: Annan uses Free City’s troops not simply to fight, but to protect an ally and discourage the Raymond family from acting.
• Uncertain loyalties and vulnerability: Makarov’s territory appears riddled with leaks, while the hidden force and threat of silencing witnesses make even a supposed invitation suspect.
• Shifting religious influence: Makarov’s account of the Wealth Church’s former authority—and its decline after contact with the Gods was lost—hints at broader changes in the region.

Key plot points and events

• Annan suspects that the people behind the bounty on Joan are powerful and domineering, but worries more that someone on his own side may be plotting against him.
• During the journey to Kilian’s Territory, Black Widow teases Annan relentlessly, repeatedly touching him and embarrassing him in front of the knights. Their banter also touches on Annan’s policies toward Succubi and his romantic reputation.
• Annan arrives to find Kilian’s Territory badly damaged by the Blue Dragon. Kilian blames the dragon for the destruction and defends the bounty placed on her and Joan.
• Annan rejects Kilian’s account, insists the dragon must have been provoked, and demands to know where Joan and the dragon are. Kilian says they are still searching and directs Annan to speak with his uncle in the Raymond Family’s Territory.
• Before entering a Portal to the Raymond estate, Annan notices that the Epic Curse Mage Mr. Mora seems to have an unusual, personal reaction to him. Mora denies having met him, but Annan suspects he has heard of him.

Character developments and interactions

• Annan acts more assertively than Kilian expects, challenging his accusations and pressing for answers. He remains alert to hidden motives, especially Mr. Mora’s.
• Black Widow is openly flirtatious and physically playful with Annan. He tries to maintain decorum and defend Free City’s reputation, though their teasing exposes his embarrassment.
• Kilian is arrogant and visibly irritated by Annan’s confrontational manner, but restrains himself because of a warning from his uncle—and because he feels some guilt.
• Mr. Mora watches Annan with apparent fascination or hostility, leaving the source of his interest unexplained.
• The knights observe Annan and Black Widow’s intimacy and gossip-prone exchanges, shaping their impression of Annan.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: The bounty and Kilian’s conduct suggest that authority in the region is often exercised through coercion.
• Trust and hidden agendas: Annan’s suspicion of both outsiders and possible allies frames the meeting, while Mora’s reaction hints at an unresolved connection.
• Public image versus private behavior: Annan tries to present Free City as respectable even as Black Widow teases him about its policies and his personal life.
• Prejudice and responsibility: Annan defends the dragon and Joan against accusations, while Kilian portrays himself as the victim of their actions.

Key plot points and events

• Annan arrives at the Raymond Family’s stronghold in the Broken Mountains and is overwhelmed by the Golden Palace’s extravagant, gold-covered buildings and its enormous statue of the Lady of Wealth.
• Kilian escorts him inside, where a maid takes Annan and Black Widow to a lavish guest room while Grand Lord Raymond prepares a banquet.
• In private, Grand Lord Raymond questions Kilian’s impression of Annan. Kilian admits that Annan’s confidence seems earned and leader-like. Raymond urges him to recognize Annan’s superior status, and Kilian agrees to withdraw the wanted notice and apologize to the Empire princess. Raymond then clarifies that he never said the family would simply submit to Annan.
• Black Widow invites Annan to bathe with her, but he uses his Mage Robe’s Cleaning Spell instead. She bathes alone while Annan contacts Olmedo through a Portal.
• Annan asks how to establish rapport with the Raymonds, who are devotees of the Wealth Church. Olmedo teaches him a family gesture that signals a believer relative.
• Olmedo warns Annan that an old Wealth Church story about a host turning a guest into a sacrificial “lamb” may carry an ominous allusion. Annan realizes the lavish hospitality might conceal danger.

Character developments and interactions

• Annan remains composed and observant amid the Raymonds’ wealth. He handles Black Widow’s advances with polite distance and seeks advice before engaging with his hosts.
• Kilian is shaken by Annan’s accomplishments and recognizes that leadership and status matter more than age. He suppresses his insecurity and agrees to make amends, though his uncle’s intentions remain unclear.
• Grand Lord Raymond shows both pride in his family’s wealth and a forceful, strategic temperament. He tests Kilian’s judgment but leaves open the possibility of a more complicated response to Annan.
• Black Widow continues to pursue Annan with predatory flirtation; he avoids being drawn into her advances.
• Olmedo acts as Annan’s adviser, offering practical religious etiquette and a cautionary interpretation of the church story.

Significant themes

• Status and leadership: Kilian is forced to distinguish inherited age or rank from the authority earned through effective leadership.
• Wealth and faith: The Raymond estate displays the family’s immense fortune alongside its devotion to the Goddess of Wealth.
• Hospitality and hidden threat: The story of the “lamb” casts doubt on whether the Golden Palace’s welcome is sincere.
• Composure and boundaries: Annan stays measured in both political and personal situations, relying on preparation rather than impulse.