Chapter 28: A Dragon’s Reckoning

The Old Patriarch gazed at Theodore, convinced it was for the best that those three days of memory had been erased. While intimacy between a man and a woman should ideally bring mutual satisfaction, those particular three days had undeniably ventured far beyond the bounds of normalcy.

On the first day, Theodore’s lack of sanity was perhaps a blessing. However, for the majority of the second and third days, he had endured purely on willpower. By no stretch of the imagination could those memories be called pleasant.

During that tumultuous period, the Old Patriarch had closely monitored Theodore’s physical state. It had been a constant, rollercoaster-like fluctuation, only stabilized by repeated doses of precious restorative elixirs.

The Old Patriarch had originally even prepared a psychologist. Ultimately, Theresia’s more thorough approach had saved him a considerable amount of trouble.

Feigning surprise, the Old Patriarch looked at him. “Surely you don’t think I’m the one who erased your memories, do you?”

“Um, could you help me get them back? After all, it was my first time too.” Theodore bashfully lowered his head.

The old dragon glanced at him. ‘Restore them? To once again face the miserable experience of a tiny hoe tilling frozen ground?’

‘Youngsters, they simply don’t understand the depths of these waters. They always imagine they’re the ones riding the dragon.’

“It’s not really feasible in the short term. We can talk about it later.”

Theodore expressed a hint of regret, then looked around, asking with a sliver of hope, “Where’s Theresia? Has she been here?”

“No, not at all,” the Old Patriarch stated matter-of-factly. “I already told you she’s a heartless, scummy dragon who leaves after her fun. I’ve maintained my reputation for years; would I really lie to you?”

Theodore’s hope shattered. Though the Old Patriarch had prepared him for it, when the truth finally manifested, the bitterness in his heart began to stain his inner warmth, much like shattered ink spreading through water.

“Oh, right. Theresia, she does understand your human customs. You pay for your fun. This is the ‘fun fee.'”

The Old Patriarch handed a spatial ring to Theodore, patting him on the shoulder with a wry smile. “It’s quite a substantial sum, I daresay. You’re definitely the human with the highest ‘fun fee’ ever paid.”

‘Should I be happy?’

This thought crossed Theodore’s mind, yet the compensation within the spatial ring brought him no joy. The ink continued to spread, deepening the stain.

“Oh, right, she also left you a farewell message.” The old dragon produced two pieces of paper and handed them to Theodore. “Theresia’s own handwriting. You should recognize it. I haven’t added a single word.”

Theodore eagerly looked at the two pieces of paper. However, the message on the first sheet utterly shattered the smile on his face.

“Good technique. Consider it your reward.”

This paper had originally been torn to shreds by Theresia, destined to lie quietly in a trash can, eventually becoming fuel for a fire.

However, the Old Patriarch, upon discovering it, felt it would be a terrible waste not to let Theodore see it.

Expressionless, Theodore opened the second piece of paper.

“Mission accomplished. Thank you for your assistance. Goodbye.”

The words were perfectly conventional, yet with the preceding message, they felt different.

To Theodore, they sounded exceptionally harsh.

He was merely a tool.

Thud.

As if all his motivation had drained away, Theodore, like a thoroughly salted fish, lay back down on the operating table.

The Old Patriarch had no intention of letting him off the hook, instead pressing him with a relentless question: “What are your thoughts?”

“It’s great, isn’t it? I fulfilled the contract, received a large reward, and my strength greatly improved. Theresia also successfully passed her estrus period. Everyone has a bright future. It’s truly commendable.”

Theodore spoke with a subdued tone throughout, completely oblivious to the Old Patriarch’s increasingly wicked grin.

‘That’s right, just like this. Now is the time to strike.’

The Old Patriarch asked in a hushed, probing voice, “Are you truly satisfied with just this?”

Theodore turned his head in confusion to look at the Old Patriarch.

“To be treated like a rag by a scummy dragon, used and then discarded. If this is simply the money we’re earning, then there’s nothing more to say.”

The Old Patriarch’s voice suddenly rose, his booming words assaulting Theodore’s eardrums as he demanded, “Theodore, did you come here just to earn this money?!”

Theodore’s brain was profoundly shaken (physically), yet he responded without hesitation, “Of course not!”

“Exactly! I thought so too! Come on, move over a bit.” The Old Patriarch abruptly changed his tone, attempting to squeeze onto Theodore’s bed.

Theodore was forced to sit up. Although the Old Patriarch was in human form, he remained a burly, muscular man.

For reasons Theodore didn’t yet understand, he was also roughly the same size.

Sitting side by side, like two comrades in misfortune, the large bed was completely filled.

Only, the age gap between these two ‘brothers’ was quite significant.

“Theodore, I’m so sorry.”

The Old Patriarch immediately launched into a heartfelt self-reproach. “Theresia was raised by me from a young age. While I was indeed busy with affairs, I never neglected her moral education, for I hoped she would become a well-rounded little dragon, excelling in virtue, intellect, physical prowess, and aesthetics.”

“However, everything she has done today has deeply disappointed me. How could she debase herself like this? Was she merely ‘having fun’ with you? This is clearly ‘having fun’ with my face! Utterly shameless!”

‘In truth, she definitely ‘had fun’ with your face quite a bit.’

Theodore silently added this thought in his mind. Nevertheless, the Old Patriarch’s empathy made him feel much better. He let out a heavy sigh and said, “Theresia and I truly had an employer-employee relationship. Her doing this…”

“If she did this to anyone else, I, this old dragon, wouldn’t say a word! That would be fine! But how could she do this to *you*?” The old dragon interrupted directly, feigning anger. “What’s her relationship with others, and what’s her relationship with *you*? I’ve seen your three years of affection with my own eyes; you two were so close you practically shared a pair of pants!”

“Alas, it’s not that I didn’t consider a clean break afterward. You see, what I told you before was to give you a chance. But I never imagined this dragon could be so ruthless, saying nothing, using cold riches to bury your last feelings.”

“Tell me, are you such an unreasonable person? Or would you cling to her, like a lovesick fool, threatening to die if she leaves you? What we need is an explanation, right?”

The old dragon’s words struck a chord with Theodore. He said in a deep voice, “To be honest, when I accepted Theresia’s commission, my motives were indeed impure. A Dragon Knight. I thought, if I could form a bond with a dragon, perhaps I too could become a Dragon Knight one day.”

“I thought as much,” the Old Patriarch nodded in profound understanding. “Look at the mission that black dragon gave you back then—meaningless reward, unclear future. No self-respecting mercenary would take it. Who doesn’t have a little ambition? It’s fine, I understand you. Throughout the years, humans who dreamed of becoming Dragon Knights were as endless as the fish in the Dragon Island sea.”

“Yet, only a handful succeeded, few and far between. Each one was a renowned hero. You are much more forthright than those who run to Dragon Island, spend a fortune to raise a dragon into a good-for-nothing, and then claim they’re just making friends. I like that.”

Theodore gave a bitter smile. “I am indeed far from being such a figure.”

“No, Theodore, I’m not saying this to tell you how unattainable your dream is, or how much of a clown you are.” The Old Patriarch shook his head. “Over the years, countless humans have interacted with dragons. I’ve seen them. Among them, there was no shortage of wealthy magnates, powerful aristocrats, or exceptionally strong individuals. But they were all rejected.

“Because what the dragon race has always lacked is not these things, but a heart willing to empathize with them. After all, a dragon’s body is massive, a dragon’s power is immense, and even the gentlest dragon can cause astonishing destruction.

“Humans often treat dragons as mere tools symbolizing power and status, rather than partners and friends who, like them, possess wisdom and emotions, and require a great deal of emotional investment.

“And those with such impure motives are unworthy of becoming companions to dragons, let alone bearing the title of Dragon Knight. But you, Theodore, are different! From your interactions with Theresia, I could see that you had joy, arguments, and conflicts.

“You didn’t treat Theresia cautiously as if she were a monster; you genuinely treated her as an equal friend. And this is the most basic and important condition for becoming a Dragon Knight. Dragons have prejudices against humans, and humans, in turn, against dragons.”

The Old Patriarch’s words made Theodore realize something he hadn’t noticed himself: he was actually quite remarkable. He recalled his interactions with Theresia; indeed, he hadn’t felt that fear or repulsion back then.

‘How could anyone feel repulsion towards such a perfect being! Those smooth scales, those mighty horns, that towering, robust figure! Just looking at Theresia in her dragon form filled him with excitement. How could he feel repulsion? He had practically hugged her and rubbed against her right then!’

‘Though he had been disdainfully pushed away by Theresia a few times for drooling, these were minor issues. He had learned to restrain himself now. Theresia hadn’t even realized he was a hopeless dragon fanatic, only thinking he deeply yearned for the Dragon Knight profession.’

The Old Patriarch was currently unaware of Theodore’s inner thoughts; otherwise, he would simply exclaim about birds of a feather flocking together—a human-lover and a dragon-lover, simply perfect.

“Precisely because you invested genuine emotion in Theresia, and Theresia unreservedly accepted that emotion, I feel that some things shouldn’t have happened.”

“Now, Theodore, tell me your thoughts on this matter! Don’t be so reserved; give me some masculinity! Your feelings have been trifled with! Just tell me what’s in your heart! Are you angry?!”

A spark was ignited in Theodore’s eyes by the Old Patriarch. He took a deep breath and said, “Angry.”

The Old Patriarch slammed his hand onto the stone-hewn bed, covering it with cracks. “Louder! The women in a brothel shout louder than you!”

Theodore yelled at the top of his lungs, “Angry!”

The Old Patriarch questioned him with an even louder voice, “Angry about what?!”

Theodore unleashed his inner emotions: “Angry that she ‘had fun’ with me! Angry that she left without a word! Angry that she didn’t even give me a chance!”

A wicked smile curved the Old Patriarch’s lips. He spread his arms and shouted, “Exactly! These are the emotions you should have! Feel humiliation, feel anger, feel hatred! She did something unforgivable to you, and this absolutely cannot be allowed to pass!”

Theodore nodded heavily. “Yes, this absolutely cannot be allowed to pass!”

“We must reclaim our lost dignity!” (Old Patriarch)

“Reclaim our dignity!” (Theodore)

“You must ‘have fun’ with her back!” (Old Patriarch)

“I must ‘have fun’ with her back!” (Theodore)

“Make her lay five or six dragon eggs!” (Old Patriarch)

“Make her lay five or six dragon eggs!” (Theodore)

“Come, to solidify your resolve, sign this contract.”

“Okay.” (Theodore)

Theodore, carried away by the old dragon’s impassioned words, was overly generous. Only after pressing his handprint, and as the contract flashed, did his rationality slowly return.

‘Wait, did he just say something outrageous while caught up in his emotions?’

‘Also, what in the world is this contract?!’

****