Evil Dragon's Secret

Evil Dragon's Secret

Fine, fine, fine.

The dragonling brought back by Evil Dragon Lance was becoming more and more brazen.

On the first day Evil Dragon Lance brought it back, the dragonling trembled in fear whenever it saw the Hellhound.

By the second day, the dragonling already dared to snatch its meat buns.

Today was the third day. There were no more polite formalities; it directly ordered the Hellhound to go herd sheep.

It told Tortoise to go herd cattle.

And it, the dragonling herself, would raise pigs? Raise pigs?

A dragonling raising pigs?

Er Gouzi, who had been baring its teeth at the dragonling, suddenly felt that the dragonling still held it in awe. At the very least, she had not ordered it to raise pigs.

Herding sheep was much more respectable than raising pigs.

If Evil Dragon Lance agreed to raise a whole group of pigs, cattle, and sheep, it had no objections.

"Woof, woof."

"Er Gouzi says your suggestion is excellent. If Evil Dragon Lance agrees, it is willing to herd sheep. On the condition that you really go raise pigs."

Tortoise translated Er Gouzi's dog speech for Lucia.

"I don't mind raising cattle either. To be honest, a very, very long time ago, I wanted to experience what it felt like to keep pets. If Evil Dragon Lance accepts your suggestion, I'm willing to herd cattle."

"I'll really raise pigs."

For the sake of eating a single bite of meat, Lucia was going all out. She would become the first Imperial Princess to raise pigs.

In any case, no one on the island knew her. So what if she raised pigs? By raising pigs, she could share Evil Dragon's burden and let the island's natives eat meat at every meal.

When her identity was revealed in the future, Er Gouzi and Tortoise might even be moved by her pig-raising deeds.

An Imperial Princess raising pigs.

Which Imperial Princess in the human world would be willing to sacrifice her image to raise pigs? This Imperial Princess did not mind raising pigs. She simply did not know whether Evil Dragon would mind having a herd of pigs, cattle, and sheep on the island.

When Evil Dragon woke up, she would ask him.

Evil Dragon Lance had woken up.

He squatted on a boulder, eating the corn the dragonling had brought him. Perhaps she was afraid he might choke, because she had thoughtfully prepared him a cup of water as well.

The cup was a Zisha Cup, made entirely with dragon claws. There were three sizes: the Zisha Cup used when he took human form.

The Zisha Cup used when he shrank to around three meters.

The Zisha Cup used by an adult black dragon.

Considering the size of an adult black dragon's body, the final, extra-large Zisha Cup could be enlarged or reduced.

The dragonling poured a cup of Mountain Spring Water into his extra-large Zisha Cup.

Come to think of it, his extra-large Zisha Cup was large enough to fit the dragonling inside.

"This is the teacup I use to drink water. Don't mistake it for a bathtub."

"I won't, I won't, I won't. How could I possibly use your teacup as a bathtub? But your teacup really is huge. It could even fit me inside and brew me like tea."

Evil Dragon was large, and all the everyday items Evil Dragon used were large as well.

When she went to Evil Dragon Workshop to find a brush, the brush was almost as tall as she was.

The brush head alone was two or three meters long.

There was also the Iron Hammer Evil Dragon used when he worked. Its hammerhead was half the size of her dragon body.

With a hammerhead that large, one blow would kill a dragonling.

If he used that hammerhead to attack a human, one strike would probably flatten them into a sheet of paper. A fierce dragon like Lance, who knew how to use all kinds of tools—would any brave hero really dare come to subjugate him? Not to mention that Evil Dragon Lance seemed to know how to use weapons as well. Speaking of which, did dragons use weapons only when they took human form? Or could they use weapons in dragon form too? Should she ask?

Forget it. What if he could use weapons in dragon form too? If she asked thoughtlessly, what if Evil Dragon ordered her to learn how to use weapons? Evil Dragon had already arranged two classes for her. If he added another, would she still have time to think about her escape plan?

Two classes: 1. Learn Dragon Language.

2. Ram into Tortoise to strengthen her dragon body's resistance to blows.

There was also one class that had yet to be put into practice: farming.

In any case, she would have to farm sooner or later. Since she would learn how to farm eventually, there was nothing wrong with experiencing what it felt like to raise pigs in advance. As for the Imperial Princess Raising Pigs theory of experiencing the hardships of the common people, who could compare with her?

"Lance, what do you think of the suggestion I just made?"

"What suggestion?"

"Raising pigs. Er Gouzi, Tortoise, and I have already discussed it. If you agree, I'll raise pigs, Er Gouzi will herd sheep, and Tortoise will raise cattle. That way, we won't lack meat in the future."

Lucia looked forward to Evil Dragon agreeing. Raising pigs was simple. Just feed them a little of whatever, and they would grow fat. More importantly, if Evil Dragon made her drink some strange potion in the future, the pigs could be used to test it first.

"Raise pigs? Have you raised pigs before?"

"N-no."

An Imperial Princess raising pigs? Wouldn't the nobles of the imperial capital laugh themselves to death?

On the island where Evil Dragon lived, she could be an Imperial Princess who raised pigs.

No, an Empress who raised pigs! That would not work in the imperial capital. She cared about her dignity there.

"I have a secret. Do you want to hear it?"

"???"

Wasn't the topic raising pigs? Why had it suddenly changed to "I have a secret"?

Evil Dragon's secret. "I want to hear it!"

How could she not want to hear Evil Dragon's secret? To hear it clearly, Lucia deliberately edged closer to Evil Dragon Lance.

"Actually, I've raised pigs before."

Evil Dragon had raised pigs? That was strange. Hadn't he said it was a secret? Why had the topic returned to raising pigs? "Lance, weren't you talking about your secret?"

"My secret is that I've raised pigs."

"."

That counted as a secret?

Lucia felt that she had been deceived. Shouldn't a secret be something like, A princess once gave birth to dragon cubs for you?

What was so secret about raising pigs?

"Then why aren't there any pigs on the island?"

"I raised pigs a long time ago. How should I put it? Raising pigs isn't suitable for us. I'm not looking down on your pig-raising abilities. What I mean is that pigs will die when they see us.

"We're giant dragons. Pigs will be scared to death just by looking at us. Giant dragons raising pigs isn't very friendly to the pigs. Give up on raising pigs. Being a Farmer Dragonling who works at sunrise and rests at sunset is pretty good.

"There's one more thing: pig manure pollutes the environment. I don't want to fall asleep while smelling pig manure."

"."

Oh, right. Pigs had to relieve themselves too. Feeding them was no problem, but if she had to shovel their manure, then forget it. She would farm instead.

Alas, the title of Pig-Raising Empress was gone that afternoon.

After waking from her nap, Lucia went to ram into Tortoise—three hundred times as usual.

Evil Dragon Lance went to prepare her medicine. After drinking it, she would turn into a smelly dragonling again.

She asked Evil Dragon whether she could drink the medicine after she finished cleaning Tortoise's shell. Evil Dragon agreed.

At sunset, the afterglow spilled across the surface of the sea, and the ocean seemed to be covered by a veil of gold.

Tortoise floated on the golden sea. A dragonling holding a brush stood atop Tortoise's broad shell. Scrub, scrub, scrub. Evil Dragon Lance squatted on the beach, with an easel in front of him and a canvas set upon it.

On both sides of his dragon body sat various Pure Natural Pigments he had mixed himself.

The sunset, the glittering golden sea, and the dragonling standing on Tortoise's back with a brush as she cleaned the shell.

After who knew how long, Evil Dragon Lance once again felt the urge to paint.

He came up with several names for the painting: Golden Friendship, the Dragon and Tortoise; the Dragonling on Tortoise's Back; the Tortoise Beneath the Dragonling's Feet...