She hadn't even stepped inside the bakery yet, but her mouth was already watering.
"Firestorm:
This must be the place!
I haven't smelled anything this delicious in three hundred years in dragon territory."
Behind the counter, a young baker girl smiled at her.
"Baker girl:
Good morning! What can I get you?"
Firestorm pulled out her coin pouch and held it out as if offering an ancient treasure.
"Firestorm:
Here is money.
I will exchange it for honey treats!"
The girl laughed.
"Baker girl:
You want gingerbread?
For this much, you can buy three."
Firestorm received the three gingerbreads… and devoured them faster than an ogre slurping up his own snot.
The baker girl just blinked.
"Baker girl:
You eat fast."
"Firestorm:
Delicious!
Not enough!
I must earn more money!"
The baker girl smiled and leaned closer.
"Baker girl:
Looking for work?
Try the Black Cat Inn.
It's the knights' favorite place, but when they drink too much, they sometimes confuse it with the brothel and harass the girls."
Firestorm listened with interest.
"Baker girl:
One of the waitresses quit a few days ago — said she's engaged now and won't tolerate the knights slapping her butt anymore.
Looking at you — and I mean this kindly — I think you can handle them.
And feel free to smack the boys in the face.
A knight would never hit a girl back… though they might slap your butt in return."
Firestorm considered this.
"Firestorm:
An inn, huh?
I've heard of such places.
The Hero's party loved going to them and always had fun."
"Baker girl:
Well, you won't meet the Hero there — she never visited Wolfwood.
But if you're lucky, you might meet the Champion of the Wolf Knights —
the one who fought the Hero to a draw in the finals of the Royal Knight Tournament."
Firestorm's eyes sparkled.
"Firestorm:
A knight the Hero couldn't defeat?
And she lives in this city?
That sounds entertaining.
Where is this inn?"
"Baker girl:
Two streets from here.
It's the biggest building on that street, with a big sign of a black cat.
You can't miss it.
But if you do, just ask anyone — everyone knows where it is."
Firestorm nodded with satisfaction.
The taste of gingerbread still danced on her tongue, and the thought of a new adventure only excited her more.
The Dragon Queen, in human form, set off toward the Black Cat Inn —
where Wolfwood's biggest troublemakers, a handful of drunk knights, and a mountain of misunderstandings awaited her.
Firestorm Walks Through Wolfwood
The taste of gingerbread was still dancing on Firestorm's tongue as she headed toward her next destination: the Black Cat Inn.
As she walked through the streets of Wolfwood, every pair of eyes turned toward her.
And no wonder.
Though she was in truth a 317‑year‑old female dragon, in human years that was roughly equivalent to a 17‑year‑old girl.
And her human form reflected exactly that:
short, fiery red hair
flame‑red, dragonlike eyes
a graceful yet muscular build
a dragon tail that swayed lightly with every step
two elegant black horns rising proudly from her head
Of course, the townsfolk had no idea a real dragon was strolling among them.
Thanks to Ironclaw's popularity, beast‑folk were a common sight in Wolfwood, so everyone simply assumed she was some kind of lizard‑folk girl.
But it wasn't her beastly traits that made people stare.
It was her beauty.
Until now, Noelle — the half‑elf battle‑maid — had been considered the most beautiful girl in Wolfwood, enchanting everyone who met her.
But Firestorm's human form…
Well, she could have challenged any beauty queen without breaking a sweat.
Men fell silent.
Women whispered to each other.
Children gaped with wide eyes.
And Firestorm noticed none of it.
She followed only the promise of honey treats and adventure.
Firestorm Enters the Black Cat Inn
The Black Cat Inn wasn't difficult for Firestorm to find.
She might have looked like a beast‑folk girl, but her mind was still that of a dragon — and dragons rarely lose their way.
Wisdom, however… that was another matter.
Meteora had taught her many things, but the human world still held countless lessons she had yet to learn.
The inn was a large building with a sign above the door depicting a black cat.
Because it was still early morning, the place was quiet:
the guests were asleep,
the knights hadn't yet arrived to drink,
and the city itself was only just waking up.
Firestorm stepped inside.
Only two people were present:
the innkeeper woman, preparing the day's menu in the kitchen
and her daughter, wiping down the tables
The place was peaceful, warm, homey — and utterly unprepared for a Dragon Queen in human form to walk through its door.
Firestorm looked around, nodded with satisfaction, and strode confidently toward the counter.
Her adventure in the human world was about to truly begin.
The Innkeeper's Test
The inn was still quiet, filled only with the sounds of morning preparations.
From the kitchen came the clatter of pots; in the main room, a young girl bustled about while her mother called out instructions from the back.
"Innkeeper:
Have you wiped the tables yet?
We should already be peeling potatoes, and there's no firewood chopped either."
"Innkeeper's daughter:
I don't have a hundred hands!
I can't work for two people!
Still no one applied for the job?"
"Innkeeper:
Just hold on a few more days. Someone will show up."
That was when Firestorm stepped inside.
The sight of the flame‑eyed beauty with horns and a tail made the girl freeze mid‑wipe.
"Firestorm:
If I'm not mistaken, this is the Black Cat Inn?"
The girl's eyes lit up.
"Innkeeper's daughter:
Please tell me you came for the job!"
"Firestorm:
I want to eat delicious things, so I need money."
The girl clapped her hands in delight.
"Innkeeper's daughter:
Then you came to the perfect place!
Here you can earn money and eat well.
Come on, I'll introduce you to the boss."
She stepped closer with a bright smile.
"Innkeeper's daughter:
My name is Veronika.
The boss is my mother, Pearlflower — but everyone calls her Pearlie.
Mom! The new girl is here!
If you ask me, the Goddess must've sent her.
She's so pretty I'd gladly swap faces with her…
though she can keep the horns, hahaha!"
Pearlie, the innkeeper, stepped out of the kitchen.
A strong‑armed, sharp‑eyed woman, the kind who could size up a person — or in this case, a dragon — with a single glance.
"Pearlie:
What nonsense are you spouting, girl?
Hmm? A beast‑folk girl?
Not that it matters.
You came for the job?
What's your name?"
"Firestorm:
My name is Firestorm.
A name given to me by my beloved mother, Meteora."
Pearlie nodded as if this were the most ordinary name in the world.
"Pearlie:
Firestorm, huh?
Alright, girl."
Her voice was firm, but not unfriendly.
"Pearlie:
Come.
Your first task: chop firewood.
One look at you and I can tell you won't whine that it's not 'women's work.'
Women are strong too."
Behind her, Veronika nodded vigorously, as if Pearlie had just spoken an ancient truth.