07 - Dragon Trainer

One year later, when Dora-sama came to visit.

That day, I was resting Saleyakt's head on my lap, eating meat together, and teaching Saleyakt words.

"This is... a surprise."

Dora-sama looked at us in shock.

No, perhaps she was scared.

She wasn't someone who was easily surprised.

"Dora-sama! Forgive my rudeness...!"

Rudeness toward Dora-sama was unacceptable, so I immediately tried to stand up to greet her.

"No, stay as you are."

Dora-sama interrupted me and carefully observed Saleyakt.

Her eyes were filled with curiosity.

"That little dragon became so obedient...?"

"Grrr..."

Bothered by Dora-sama's piercing gaze, Saleyakt raised his hips and lowered his head, growling threateningly.

"Stop that, this is Dora-sama."

Saleyakt quickly calmed down in response.

However, the wariness in his eyes remained.

I had managed to befriend Saleyakt.

But that didn't mean Saleyakt had become a proper dragon for the Dragon Race.

Saleyakt simply wasn't afraid of me anymore.

This cowardly and wary dragon recognized me as safe, but his attitude toward any other Dragon Race member remained unchanged.

Dora-sama's subordinates were frustrated by this.

Normally, once dragons became obedient, they obeyed any Dragon Race member.

"Sorry, Dora-sama, aside from me..."

"It's fine... Rather, to make this much progress in just one year. How did you do it?"

"We ate together. We slept together."

"I didn't think it would improve this much just from that..."

Dora-sama looked at Saleyakt with a difficult expression.

Saleyakt was also quite nervous before Dora-sama.

After spending so much time together, I could tell.

He was scared.

"He was just afraid. I gave him a name and shared meals with him to reduce his fear of me so that he could open his heart to me."

"...I see, that's your method?"

"Yes. He had a history."

In fact, I had already tamed two other dragons besides Saleyakt.

The two adjacent to Saleyakt.

Both were slightly bigger than Saleyakt.

After approaching them in the same way as Saleyakt and getting them used to the Dragon Race, both moved on to the next area.

The only one still wary of the Dragon Race was Saleyakt.

The most timid of all the Red Dragons.

"I heard about your achievements... I see..."

Dora-sama thought for a moment after receiving my report.

Perhaps wondering if this newcomer was telling the truth.

If my words were true, then it would invalidate the methods that Dora-sama had refined for millennia.

For a young one she had spent only a few decades teaching.

Of course, that wasn't my intention at the time... but I had done what was thought to be impossible.

What was impossible?

Training individuals considered impossible to train.

Yes, Saleyakt was a dragon that couldn't be trained.

Dora-sama's training method started by provoking the dragon, letting it attack, and then defeating it.

First, teach it the social order.

Then, most dragons learned not to go against the Dragon Race.

However, there were rare individuals where the method didn't work.

They desperately tried to escape at every opportunity.

Basically recognizing the Dragon Race as a terrible enemy that couldn't be defeated.

If that happened, the Red Dragon would never learn to submit.

Teaching obedience simply by beating each individual of the species—life isn't that simple.

Dragons that couldn't be trained were slaughtered for meat.

Is that cruel?

You can only say that because you are living a peaceful life now.

Any Red Dragons that escaped would certainly see the Dragon Race as enemies.

If you let one escape, it might kill your friends one day.

Those who cannot submit must be killed.

It's really simple.

Having a choice in the first place is already a form of kindness.

However, taking the life of a dragon that failed its training is a difficult task.

The time and effort spent on it go to waste.

That's why newcomers were tasked with handling the dragons that failed their training.

Let them do their best and learn that some dragons cannot be trained.

At the same time, they learn how to deal with the dangers of handling these potentially lethal creatures.

Then, kill the dragons that refuse to listen.

That way, newcomers learned from failures.

How the dragons we see every day differ from wild dragons.

However, I had a good match with such a dragon.

The experience of living as a wild child in the Demon World may have been useful.

I realized that the dragon was just afraid.

I tried something different from beatings.

So, unfortunately, I didn't learn the first lesson of this job.

That some dragons would never submit.

In fact, I still think this way.

That it's possible to communicate with all dragons.

"Very well."

After pondering for a while, Dora-sama clapped her hands.

"You can continue taking care of the dragons sent here for a while longer."

Dora-sama instructed me.

Isn't she wonderful?

Setting aside her own pride.

This was also a sign of her loyalty to the Dragon God.

Her criterion was whether something benefited the Dragon God and, therefore, the Dragon World.

In the Dragon World, there weren't many who could set aside their personal pride at that time.

"Use that kindness to prepare as many dragons as you can for training."

In the end, she never told me that this area was for failed candidates waiting to be killed.

Perhaps it was out of consideration for me.

Because she was wise like that.

Foreseeing that a place like this might become obsolete in the near future.

■

From that day on, I became busier.

We didn't have many dragons that failed training. Through various means, Dora-sama gathered failed candidates from other training camps around the Dragon World and sent them to me.

Each individual was scared, intimidated, and trying to escape when they saw me.

Some were gravely injured and dying, a reflection of how brutal the training could be.

I couldn't get along with every individual.

No matter how hard I tried, there were some who wouldn't open their hearts.

It was Saleyakt who helped those individuals become more flexible.

When Saleyakt encountered an individual like that, he would approach and say something to them.

I didn't know what that something was.

Although I taught him the Language of the Dragon God, I did not learn Dragon from him in return.

But he certainly said something to the dragons.

Sometimes, not with his voice, but by using his tail to gently touch the other dragon.

A sign of trust and security.

The Red Dragons reassure themselves by using their tails to calm down.

But I did not know that at the time.

At first, I wondered if it was a sign of courtship.

Saleyakt was far superior to me in understanding the human heart.

No, perhaps in this case, it was the dragon's heart.

Either way.

After spending some time with Saleyakt, the dragons would become compliant.

Even after leaving me and moving on to regular training, they became excellent, obedient, and brave fighters.

The individuals who did not submit even after a beating may have had those traits by nature.

Saleyakt and I made those individuals compliant and sent them off more and more.

Although Saleyakt had no affection for anyone other than me.

Because of that, my work was also evaluated more highly.

Training dragons to submit when other training areas failed.

Moreover, the dragons we raised were of superior quality in comparison.

The rumor of an excellent trainer who produced excellent individuals spread.

The newcomers who arrived after me would come to learn from me.

Of course, I taught them what I was doing.

I didn't think the method was so special that it needed to be hidden.

Most of them did not do as well as I did.

However, the number of individuals killed decreased, and the number of high-quality dragons increased.

Once the new method spread, regular training also changed slightly.

My method started to be incorporated into the standard manual.

How long was it?

After a century or so.

Before long, I became known as the expert in training unruly dragons, with my own students.

It wasn't an official position.

Just a sign of recognition from other dragon trainers.

That someone incredible had appeared.

A mixed-race with Demon Blood, the adopted son of the Dragon God, and a disciple of Dora-sama.

Studied and imitated by many of the younger ones.

Thus, my fame spread.

During that time, living in the Dragon God's mansion also became more comfortable.

I felt like I was able to help the Dragon God-sama.

Every day, I would talk with the Dragon God-sama, Lunaria-sama, or the servants about the dragons I had trained that day.

Those days were smooth sailing.

Every day was wonderful.

It was truly a great time.

I loved the dragons, and I was loved by them.

Lunaria-sama and the Dragon God-sama also accepted me.

If I had to consider my happiest and most fulfilling days, those would be the ones.

■■■

Laplace noticed a sudden change in Rostelina's face.

Her complexion or facial expression… something physical.

Basically, Rostelina puffed out her cheeks.

"What is it?"

"So, this isn't a happy or fulfilling time for you?"

Laplace was living a simple life now.

For various reasons, he spent most of his time in his room writing, leaving the mountain only a few times a year.

In other words, it was fair to say he was living a homely and fulfilling life with Rostelina.

"Hmm... well, Rostelina. This might be hard for you to swallow, but it was different back then. At that time, I had a mission, a purpose; it's a different kind of happiness."

"..."

Rostelina was very sad.

If Master isn't happy with me here, then why am I here?

Wouldn't it be better to pack up and leave tomorrow?

"But, Rostelina."

"Yes…"

"As you know, I don't like being alone. My life now is full of anxiety and frustration, I could be crushed if I were alone."

"!"

"Thanks to you. I'm saved, Rostelina."

"Yes! Master!"

Rostelina's face lit up.

Even if I'm useless, I'm doing something for Laplace.

It was really nice to hear that from Laplace himself.

"But Master, I have a question."

"What is it, Rostelina?"

"I learned about how you came to train dragons, but I haven't heard the important part about how you met Dragon-san."

"Huh?"

Laplace scratched his stained hair as he spoke.

"What are you saying, Rostelina? I just told you, didn't I?"

"?"

"Saleyakt. That red dragon that lives behind my house, the master of this mountain, is the first dragon I met."

"What?!"

Rostelina screamed.

At the same time, she felt embarrassed.

Of course.

Somehow, I thought the dragon in the story was a different dragon?

It's hard to tie those two together.

The lazy Red Dragon that only eats, doesn't fly, and is obedient to Rostelina is the fierce Saleyakt. It's hard to imagine.

"Dragon-san is Saleyakt!?"

"Yes."

Come to think of it, maybe Master had called Dragon-san Saleyakt a few times before.

Rostelina, realizing she had never paid attention, couldn't hide her surprise.

"That Saleyakt, master of this mountain, Red Dragon King, may have gotten a little fragile."

Laplace said, and an unhappy growl echoed from behind the house.

Apparently, he heard it.

"Ha ha ha, don't get mad."

"Huh… I didn't know Dragon-san was that incredible."

"Yes, but that's why Rostelina should also respect him."

"Yes, Master!"

Rostelina responded loudly.

She seemed excited at the thought that the dragon she had always cared for was someone incredible.

"Hmm?"

Laplace looked out the window.

A large full moon was rising.

It seemed it was already night.

"Sorry, Rostelina, I'm going out for a bit. The rest of the story will have to wait."

"Yes, Master!"

Rostelina watched Laplace leave without any complaints.

For she was a long-ear.

Though not as long-lived as Laplace, she too had a long life.

No matter how long he was gone, one day she would hear the rest of the story.

I should keep this house tidy for when Master returns.

However, she couldn't fight off her sleep.

"But well… I'll sleep for today."

Rostelina returned to her bed, renewing her energy for the next day.