Chapter 10 – The Activities of an F-Grade Troublemaker 3

“Are you serious?”

Sylvia began to seriously question the idea of capturing a dragon.

Of course, I am serious.

“Of course, I am. The only capable people available right now are Elia and Sylvia. And…

We’re kind of grasping at straws, aren’t we?”

“…Do you really think you can catch a dragon just because the two of us join in?”

Sylvia Lenen quickly shifted to a practical discussion as soon as she sensed that I knew about their situation.

It was a declaration that she would cooperate if there was a possibility, asking for assurance.

To answer the question, just the four of us can’t catch a dragon.

Maybe if the Winterfield or Mentuhotep families lend their support.

“Of course.”

But the dragon I intend to catch is no ordinary one.

And Sylvia seemed to catch on to this, following up after a moment of thought.

“Then it’s not a normal dragon.”

“Hmm~ Can’t we get support from one of the families? Sylvia?”

“Even with the support of either the Winterfield or Mentuhotep family, we might be able to hunt a mature dragon, but there would be no need to call them for such a mission.

Our skills are impressive considering our age, but the Empire has many comparable talents.

There’s no need for them to meet with us specifically.”

Obviously, to me, they might seem weak, but from others’ perspectives, they are formidable.

People who saw them during the entrance exam said that what they showed in the sparring wasn’t even their full strength.

If there were a way to neutralize my awakening, I might not be able to beat those two.

“Can you tell us about this dragon, then?”

“I’m hearing this for the first time too.”

Then Theseus and Elia started pestering me.

I explained the detailed strategy.

“Why is it hard to catch a dragon?”

“Because they are strong.”

Sylvia Lenen succinctly summarized the dragon.

That’s an absolute truth.

Dragons are strong.

They have a lifespan nearly like immortality.

Scales impenetrable by ordinary weapons.

Overwhelming magic and aura.

And nearly divine strength.

Of all races, dragons probably have the highest baseline.

‘Though their peak might be similar to other races.’

However.

The statement that dragons are too strong to be caught implies that a weaker dragon, like a hatchling, can indeed be hunted.

The reason dragons are hunted is for the by-products of their mighty bodies, so younger hatchlings are usually spared.

“Right. Dragons are strong. Unlike elves and vampires, it’s the sheer strength that makes hunting them hard. Let’s shift our perspective a bit. Suppose someone easily caught a dragon. What would be their method?”

I countered the question with another.

If the other person has no ideas, there’s no progress, but if they have atleast knowledge, they can make a reasonable inference.

“We weaken the dragon or catch a weak one.”

Sylvia Lenen’s answer.

It was correct.

Smiling at Sylvia Lenen who had given the right answer, I explained.

“We’re going to catch a weak dragon. A very valuable one at that.”

This world is not the game I played in Korea.

And unlike the game, difficulty and rewards do not always correspond directly in reality.

So, the easiest action will yield the most valuable result.

“If we catch a dragon, our skills will definitely improve, our reputation will grow, and we can obtain various by-products… But then, can you tell us what kind of dragon it is?”

Elia’s innocent question.

I responded.

“There are many people here, so I’ll inform you later. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine. I’ll do some research.”

“Good. Then it’s agreed? I’ll bring a proper plan next time we meet. Ladies.”

Like that, our meeting with the first-year top cadets had come to an end.

Unlike me, who was quite satisfied, Theseus seemed displeased.

He immediately vented his dissatisfaction to me.

“Are you out of your mind? If the dragon’s condition is abnormal, why don’t we just ask our families for help instead of hunting it ourselves?”

I had a lot to say in response.

“Do you think our families would believe me? And that I would get the by-products? At most, they might give me some pocket money. I can earn money in other ways. But those by-products are something I’ll never get again.”

Obviously, considering my history of deceit, it’s doubtful anyone else would believe me, let alone my father and brother giving me those by-products.

They would assume I’m going to use them for some scam.

And even if I don’t use them for a scam, they might think I’ll sell them and use the money for fraud.

“So why involve me?”

“If it seems like they’ll question us due to status, I’ll leave it to you.”

“You’re also from a duke’s family.”

“I’m the second son. There’s a 6-year age gap between me and my brother, the future duke and the man likely to become a high-ranking noble by marriage.

Between the two, who do you think they’ll pay more attention to?”

I absolutely need Theseus because the place I’m going to might reject me due to my cadet status.

While a duke’s family child could usually ignore such restrictions, my being a cadet is the problem.

Convinced by my argument, Theseus shifted to another question.

“So why is this dragon weak? A hatchling is hardly worth anything.”

“Do you think I’d seriously propose catching a hatchling? It would be better to find some sort of growth elixir, feed it to the dragon, and kill it as soon as it becomes an adult.”

“Is that a thought of a human being?”

Of course, it’s a human thought.

Here, they also raise livestock.

It seems like they don’t fully understand here, but livestock are very intelligent and know when they’re being taken to be slaughtered.

The only difference between dragons and livestock, I suppose, is that dragons can communicate with us.

But to me, it’s all the same.

After all, humans also kill each other when necessary.

What’s the problem with another species?

I glossed over such ethical issues since I didn’t have an answer.

“Dragons are not immortal, but they are very long-lived. Have you heard about it?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Dragons have been around for tens of thousands of years, even before humans were fully formed.”

“But who confirmed that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Even the dragons themselves wouldn’t know, would they? Whether they’re aging or living an immortal life.

Since there are no species living longer than dragons and they usually die in battles against each other, they wouldn’t know how long they can actually live, right?”

Dragons live long.

That’s a fact.

And the longer they live, the more experience they accumulate and become stronger.

However, no dragon has lived an immortal life despite the belief that dragons are immortal.

Whether they die for some reason or just age, all known dragons have a lifespan of less than 100,000 years.

This leads people to the misconception that dragons are almost immortal, if not entirely.

This misconception arises because most ancient dragons are stronger than ordinary dragons, and there are few exceptions like celestial beings or the World Tree that live longer than dragons.

But knowing the WFS world setting, I know the truth.

Dragons have very long lifespans, but there is a limit.

It’s just that the period is so vast that no one has seen it.

Even the dragons themselves.

“When a dragon ages… its body gradually ages. However, the mana emanating from a dragon’s heart is virtually infinite, so the aging isn’t noticeable. The dragon heart is truly eternal.

But eventually, as time passes, an aged dragon’s body weakens and becomes frail. Our target is such a dragon.”

The scales remain the same.

The teeth remain the same.

The heart remains the same.

However, the internal organs, muscles, and various other parts weaken.

Then, a dragon appears, with scales, horns, teeth, and a dragon heart identical to that of an adult dragon, but with only frail strength.

The mid-boss of WFS, once one of the strongest dragons but now the weakest due to its age.

An old dragon.

It’s time to meet it.

“So, are you planning to consume the dragon heart?”

“If you’re talking about transplantation, even if the chancellor tries, he’d probably die from not being able to withstand the power.”

“Then what will you use it for?”

“I’ll lease it to the Magic Tower or something. That should take care of my retirement funds. And when needed, I can use it anytime.”

Even if it’s an early boss dragon from WFS, fighting it now could mean certain defeat, considering it’s based on when a character has gained some experience.

Victory is possible, but the risk is high.

But it doesn’t matter.

I know how to approach it.

This was a characteristic of the early bosses in the days when numerous veterans explored various methods.

However, Theseus, unaware that I came from another world, asked about the method to catch the dragon.

“So what do we need to catch this dragon?”

“Are we going to plan it out?”

“Yes. I thought you wouldn’t gamble recklessly, given your nature. You do value your life, don’t you?”

Me, valuing my life?

I simply don’t waste it when there’s no need to.

But I would bet my life in a situation that calls for it.

Feeling no need to explain this, I simply told Theseus the truth.

“What we need to defeat the ancient dragon is…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

It’s true.

Nothing is needed to tackle an ancient dragon.

“When are we going to hunt the dragon?”

Our action is not to hunt the dragon.

“We’re just going to talk to it.”

We’re just going to be conversation partners for an old being awaiting its end.

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