“Moon, no—!”

  The little dragon girl took off running at full speed across the courtyard, her wings fpping clumsily behind her and her tail swaying wildly.

  “Wait!” Enor shouted, lifting her dress so she could run.

  Max took off after her almost at the same time.

  “She has twenty Strength—she’s not going to stop!” he warned, though it was already too te.

  Moonlight had locked her gaze onto the carriage Don was preparing beside the horses. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “Carriage!” she excimed.

  “Huh…?”

  Don barely had time to turn his head before the little girl smmed straight into his legs.

  —BAM!

  The butler lost his bance and fell ft on his back with a dull thud.

  “Don!” Enor cried out, stopping short.

  Moonlight bounced backward, nded sitting down… then tilted her head in confusion.

  “Are you okay?” she asked with complete innocence.

  Enor rushed over to Don and immediately crouched down.

  “I’m so, so sorry! Really! She didn’t realize that—”

  Don raised a hand as he struggled to his feet.

  “I’m fine… I’m fine…” he murmured, brushing dust off his uniform.

  Max couldn’t hold back his ughter.

  “Sorry, Don, but that was spectacur.”

  Don shot him a deadly gre… and only then noticed the little dragon girl.

  He froze.

  “…And where did this little one come from?” he asked cautiously.

  Max cleared his throat.

  “Uh… she appeared. Literally. Out of nowhere.”

  Don frowned.

  “That does not reassure me at all.”

  Moonlight approached curiously, studying him closely. Then she looked at his shoes—or more specifically, the reinforced hoof-like footwear he wore as part of his uniform.

  She tilted her head.

  “Food?”

  “Wha—?”

  Before Don could react, Moon crouched down and took a bite.

  “AAAH?!”

  Don jumped backward, clutching his leg with both hands.

  “She bites! The child bites!”

  Moonlight immediately let go, puffing out her cheeks in a small pout.

  “Hard…”

  Max facepalmed.

  “Great. A baby dragon with curiosity.”

  Enor hurried to pick Moon up in her arms.

  “No, Moon. You don’t bite that.” Then she looked at Don guiltily. “I’m really sorry…”

  Don let out a deep, resigned sigh.

  “…Alright.” He adjusted his vest. “I’ll assume this will be part of the outing.”

  He looked at the carriage, then at the horses.

  “We’d better depart at once. The city should be calmer today.”

  Max raised an eyebrow.

  “Because of the announcement?”

  Don nodded.

  “The king has officially announced that the princess is allowed to leave the castle.” He looked at Enor. “With an escort, of course.”

  Enor smiled in relief.

  “Thank you, Don.”

  The butler waved a hand.

  “Get in before the little one decides to bite something else.”

  Moonlight looked up.

  “Go?”

  Max smiled.

  “Let’s go.”

  The carriage began to move, leaving the castle behind as it headed toward the city.

  ***

  The carriage rolled along the dirt road through the forest, swaying gently between the trees. Moonlight sat on Max’s p, dangerously leaning out one side, watching everything with shining eyes.

  “Tree…” “Rock…” “Leaf…”

  Max held her firmly with both arms, alert.

  “Try not to—”

  Moon suddenly went completely still. Her eyes locked onto something flying alongside the carriage. A dark-feathered bird crossed the air, chirping carelessly.

  “…Bird.”

  Before Max could react, Moon stretched out her arms.

  “Grab!”

  “Moon, no—!”

  Max caught her just in time, pulling her back when her small body was already tipping dangerously out of the carriage.

  Moon protested.

  “Hey!”

  Then she puffed out her cheeks.

  And spat fire.

  A small but intense burst of fme shot toward the side of the road.

  “WHAT—?!” Max shouted.

  The bird dodged the fire with a sharp screech… but the fme struck a nearby tree. The leaves caught fire instantly.

  “Fire!” Don shouted from the front. “Stopping!”

  The carriage came to an abrupt halt. Enor stood up immediately. Moonlight watched the burning tree with fascination.

  “Shiny…” she said, then cpped. “Fun!”

  Max held her with an expression of pure terror.

  “Definitely not fun.”

  He looked at Enor, completely mortified.

  “I’m sorry. Really.”

  Enor shook her head, already focused.

  “Don, the buckets.”

  The butler reacted instantly, jumping down from the carriage and pulling out several buckets of water secured to the side, pcing them near the trees.

  Enor stepped forward. She closed her eyes. The air around her began to move. The buckets lifted off the ground, surrounded by gentle currents of wind, and the water shot out in precise arcs. The fmes sputtered. Shrunk. And finally went out.

  Moonlight watched the scene with her mouth open.

  “…Wow.”

  She cpped enthusiastically.

  “Magic mommy!”

  Enor blushed instantly, but couldn’t help smiling.

  Max sighed, relieved… and exhausted.

  “Alright.” He looked at Moon seriously. “No breathing fire at birds.”

  Moon tilted her head.

  “…Tree okay?”

  “Trees neither!”

  Don cleared his throat as he climbed back onto the carriage.

  “We should resume our journey before she decides to try something bigger.”

  The carriage set off once more.

  Max hugged Moonlight a little tighter, watching the road stretch out ahead of them.

  ‘Definitely…’ he thought. ‘This quest is way more complicated than I thought.’

  Moon yawned, settling against his chest.

  “Father…”

  Max closed his eyes for a second.

  “…Yeah, yeah. I’m here.”

  And the carriage continued on toward the city.

  ***

  The city walls appeared between the trees shortly after.

  Moonlight shifted in Max’s arms.

  “…Mm…?”

  She slowly opened her eyes. And the first thing she saw was movement.

  People walking in every direction. Vendors shouting their offers. Carts passing close by. Distant bells. Tall stone-and-wood buildings rising all around.

  Moon suddenly sat upright.

  “Huh…?”

  Her wings spread slightly on reflex.

  “…Big!”

  Max held her firmly.

  “Easy, easy.” He smiled. “It’s the city.”

  Moon kept turning her head from side to side, her eyes shining as if everything were a brand-new toy.

  Enor watched the scene with a gentle smile.

  “It’s the first time she’s seeing something like this,” she said softly.

  Moon pointed at a fountain they passed.

  “Water!”

  Then a stall with colorful fabrics.

  “Shiny!”

  Then a dog that barked as they went by.

  “Food?!”

  “No,” Max replied automatically. “That doesn’t get bitten either.”

  The carriage finally stopped in a wide pza, filled with trees, benches, and a rge central fountain surrounded by people.

  Don stepped down with practiced ease.

  “Alright. I’ll leave you here.” He scanned the area with a professional eye. “I have a few matters to take care of in the city.”

  He turned to Max and Enor.

  “You have three hours. We’ll meet again in this same pza.”

  Max nodded.

  “Understood.”

  Enor stepped down carefully, still watching Moon, who was processing everything at once.

  At that moment—

  Grrrnnnng.

  A clear, unmistakable sound came from the little dragon girl’s stomach.

  Moon froze.

  Blinked.

  And pced both hands on her belly.

  Enor couldn’t help ughing softly.

  She looked at Max conspiratorially. “How about we get a great-owl sandwich?”

  Moon’s eyes lit up instantly.

  “Sandwich?”

  Max smiled.

  “Yeah. Sandwich.”

  Moon raised both arms.

  “I want!”

  Don slowly shook his head as he adjusted his hat.

  “Good luck,” he murmured, before disappearing into the crowd.

  Max adjusted Moon in his arms and looked at the bustling pza.

  Three hours. An entire city. And a hungry little dragon.

  “…Well,” he said, resigned but smiling. “Let’s eat before she decides to taste the marketpce.”