Chapter 3

On this day, before going to the government office to look for a job, I first came to the Dragon Market.

The Dragon Market is literally a place for buying and selling dragons.

Among dragon knights, there are two major factions: those who believe that good dragons are all about bloodline and breed them themselves, and those who believe that postnatal training is more important and that you can just buy and train them properly.

Incidentally, the ratio is roughly fifty-fifty.

The Dragon Market caters to the "just buy" faction.

I was thinking that I need to have my own dragon soon, so I came to check it out.

Of course, I can't afford to buy one now, so I didn't go into the store. Instead, I looked at the dragons outside and listened carefully.

I can understand the language of dragons.

So just by listening, I can get information that other dragon knights can't.

Dragons, unlike humans, don't usually play mind games, but once you "talk" to them, they start to have their own ideas.

Humans don't understand what I'm saying.

It's better to let them think that way, as it helps me understand more.

With that in mind, I went to look at the small dragons on display.

I skipped the medium-sized ones, and there were no large ones to begin with.

I focused on the small ones—purely because of my financial situation.

First, I'll buy a small dragon.

Then, I'll work steadily, save money, and either increase the number of small dragons or get a medium-sized one.

I thought about these things while looking at the dragons.

Incidentally, I decided to buy one because, in the long run, having my own dragon is better.

If I rent one every day, it will be more expensive in the long run, and most importantly, a dragon that I can trust and work with closely can handle more difficult tasks.

Well, is there a good one?

"Huh?"

I stopped in front of one of the four stores.

There was an incredibly cheap dragon.

The store had several posters up, but only this one was old and peeling off.

It was an adult Balaur.

The store had other Balaur dragons, but this one was priced at one-third of the others.

Is it a defective item?

Even so, one-third of the market price...

If it were the regular price, I couldn't afford it, but at one-third, I could manage. I had a little salary saved from my previous guild, and that would be enough.

Moreover, seeing the peeling poster, I felt a bit of empathy.

I went into the store.

"Welcome."

A thin, bearded shopkeeper greeted me.

"Are you a dragon knight? What are you looking for?"

"Yeah, the cheap Balaur posted outside. What's the deal with that?"

"Oh, that one?"

The shopkeeper maintained his business smile but added a slight, troubled smile.

"Is there something wrong with its body?"

"No, no, it's physically very healthy. Among Balaur, it's probably above average."

"Hmm."

Then it shouldn't be sold at a third of the price.

"To put it bluntly, it lacks motivation."

"Lacks motivation?"

"Yes. The difference between when it listens to orders and when it doesn't is quite extreme. I can force it to work, but the efficiency is—"

"I see."

I imagined a Balaur that looked unmotivated, and it seemed very human-like.

"To be honest, I can't recommend it."

"Can I at least see it?"

"Sure. This way, please."

The shopkeeper led me to the back of the store.

Like a rental dragon shop, the back of the store had a large, open space where many dragons were kept, most in cages.

The shopkeeper opened one of the cages.

"Please."

"Thank you."

"Take your time."

The shopkeeper left, leaving me alone with the dragon.

Like a rental dragon shop, or even more so, when a dragon knight buys a dragon, they choose based on their own skills and the dragon's characteristics, so the seller tries to avoid looking.

I watched the shopkeeper leave and then looked into the cage.

It was a Balaur.

Balaur dragons are often used for transporting goods among small dragons.

They can't go very fast, but they have a wide back, good endurance, and are patient.

They are also one of the few herbivorous dragon species, which makes them convenient for long-distance travel because they only need grass and water.

The Balaur in the cage was lying down with its eyes closed.

"Hi."

"..."

When I spoke, the Balaur opened its eyes, but I could tell it was uninterested.

"I heard the story. Why do you lack motivation?"

"..."

"Can you tell me?"

"It's pointless to talk to humans."

"Really? You're a girl. Don't say it's pointless to talk. Let's try talking first."

"Can you understand my language?"

"Yes."

The Balaur's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why can a human understand my language?"

"That's not important right now. More importantly, can you tell me why you lack motivation? I might be able to help."

"..."

"Huh."

We stared at each other for a while, and then she slowly opened her mouth.

"I want to sleep."

"You want to sleep?"

"I want to sleep twelve hours a day. I can't function without it."

"That's half the day?"

"Yes."

"That's unusual."

I said honestly.

Dragons are short sleepers compared to humans. Most only need two hours of sleep, and some can even move while sleeping.

The Yamata no Orochi, a medium-sized dragon, can move while sleeping, making it valuable for long-distance transport and border patrols.

So, a dragon that wants to sleep twelve hours a day is not normal.

But it's not strange.

Because I can talk to them, I understand more strongly than other dragon knights that dragons, like humans, have individual differences.

Their personalities vary greatly, and occasionally, there are unique individuals within a species, much like a white crow among crows.

There are many oddballs—no, odd dragons.

Just like humans, dragons come in all sorts.

"So, if I let you sleep twelve hours a day, will you work?"

"Liar."

"I'm not lying. If I were going to lie, I'd just choose another dragon. I can understand your language."

"Can I really sleep half the day?"

"Yes, in exchange, work hard after you've had a good sleep."

"Okay, I'll trust you."

The Balaur nodded.

I turned and called the shopkeeper.

"I'll take this one."

The shopkeeper slowly approached, looking a bit surprised.

"Are you sure? It really lacks motivation. It might seem motivated now, but—"

"Well, that's part of a dragon knight's skill."

"I understand, but because it's a defective item, there's no return policy."

"I'm okay with that."

I nodded clearly.

The shopkeeper seemed to understand my seriousness and didn't say anything more.

I went back to get the money and paid almost all my savings.

This was the first dragon I owned after being exiled.

☆

I walked through the city with the dragon.

I decided to take it to my house on the outskirts of town.

Junior dragon knights often rent houses on the outskirts of town where they can keep their own dragons and have more land.

Senior dragon knights, who have more money, often own large houses with gardens in upscale neighborhoods or have dedicated dragon stables for multiple dragons.

When I first came to this town, I rented a large, dilapidated house on the outskirts, expecting to have a dragon.

I decided to go back there.

Walking through the city with a dragon is common, so I didn't attract much attention except from curious children.

Suddenly, I remembered something important and spoke to the dragon.

"By the way, do you have a name?"

"No."

"Can I give you one? It would be more convenient."

"Sure, but you're a strange human. Don't humans usually call us by numbers?"

"I can understand your language, so I won't call you by a number."

"I see."

The Balaur nodded in agreement.

I rubbed my chin and thought.

"How about Louise?"

"Louise..."

"Doesn't work?"

"No, it feels strange to have a name."

"I see."

"But it's not bad."

"I'm glad you like it."

It seemed she liked the name.

By the time we reached my house on the outskirts, the area was less crowded.

"This is my house."

"Where should I sleep?"

"There's a garden behind the house. You can sleep outside or in a small shed with a roof. Choose wherever you like."

"Got it."

I led Louise to the garden at the back of the house.

It was just a barren, uncultivated area.

"Sorry it's so remote."

"As long as I can sleep, it's fine."

"You really love sleeping, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then you can sleep now. It's already late, and I don't have any work today."

"Hey."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yes."

I nodded clearly.

"I accepted you knowing you're this kind of dragon. It's fine."

"Strange human."

"I hear that a lot."

I really do hear it a lot.

Maybe because I can talk to dragons, I've often been treated as a weirdo.

Actually, that's why I was exiled.

But I'm used to it.

"Hey, Master."

"Master?"

"What do humans call us?"

"Well, that's one way to call us."

"I'll show you something only Master can see."

"What is it?"

"My secret."

Louise turned to face the opposite side of the city, a vast, empty field.

Then, she opened her eyes wide.

In the next moment, three beams of light shot out from her, aimed forward.

"Wow."

"I can do this too."

"Really? Why?"

"I'm a strange Balaur."

"Ha, I see."

I chuckled and nodded.

"I'll use it whenever you tell me to."

"Sure. But don't overdo it."

"Okay."

And so, Louise the Balaur became my first owned dragon.