29 — 28. How To Raise A Baby Dragon

Dragon’s Sanctuary.

Reet held the newborn dragon hatchling aloft in his arms.

“Kuuu…………”

The thin cry that escaped from it was so adorable that it seemed impossible to imagine the tiny creature would one day spread its wings and become a massive dragon.

As Reet gently stroked the hatchling’s head, it squinted its eyes in delight.

“Lord Reet. What shall we name this child?” Cogi asked.

To that question, Reet found that he already had an answer ready.

Her name is… probably…

He hadn’t deliberately thought of a name on the journey here.

Yet the moment he met “her,” the name simply rose naturally to his mind.

“Aira.”

Upon hearing the name, Cogi nodded with evident satisfaction.

“That is a most beautiful name indeed. I’m certain she will grow into a beautiful dragon.”

It was then that Reet suddenly grew anxious and asked, “Um… I sort of intuited she was female, but… that’s correct, right?”

When Reet asked, Cogi laughed and answered, “Yes. You are correct. Those chosen by dragons naturally come to understand the dragon in most cases. It’s quite common for a suitable name to emerge without deliberate thought. With dragons, the name that naturally comes forth is never mistaken about gender.”

“I see.”

Reet felt relieved and turned his gaze back to the hatchling—Aira.

“Aira.”

Upon calling her name, the hatchling returned with a slightly louder cry than before.

Then she rubbed her tiny cheek against Reet’s chest.

“I’ve never raised a dragon before… what should I do from here?” Reet asked.

Cogi smiled warmly. “Yes. There are very few people who have ever raised a dragon, so please rest assured.”

“I have duties to attend to. Can I still raise her?” Reet asked.

Cogi answered, “You can certainly rest assured about that too.”

“Generally speaking, knights have many duties, so we often care for hatchlings during their early stages. Think of us as babysitters.”

“I see. But if I leave a newborn in your care, won’t she be forgotten?” Reet asked while gazing into Aira’s clear eyes.

“Dragons are spiritual beings. They don’t sorrow greatly over physical distance. Your hearts are connected.”

“Is that so? Well then… it would be best to leave her in your care. She’ll surely grow beautifully under the care of professionals who specialize in raising hatchlings, right?”

Reet seemed to relax at that thought.

But when he looked at Aira, her eyes snapped wide open, and she stared directly at Reet.

Her tiny front talons gripped tightly at Reet’s clothes.

“Aira? What’s wrong?” Reet asked.

“Kuuu…”

He couldn’t truly understand what she was saying, but something about her expression seemed sorrowful.

“Oh my. That is unusual. Dragons seldom display a sad expression,” Cogi said.

“You think she looks sad too? I had the same impression,” Reet replied.

“Yes. Perhaps… May I take her for a moment just to measure her height and weight?” Cogi asked.

Since Cogi asked so, Reet began to hand Aira over with “of course.”

But the instant he did—

“Kuuuuu!!”

Aira released the loudest cry yet—her entire strength pouring from her small body.

She flapped her wings frantically, trying to return to Reet’s chest.

“Aira?”

It was a reaction much like a human infant being separated from its mother.

“Indeed. I said earlier that dragons are spiritual beings and care little for physical distance… but it seems she may be an exception,” Cogi said with obvious curiosity.

“It feels like… she doesn’t want to be apart from me,” Reet said.

“It would appear so. Quite rare, but then again, she waited seven hundred years for her partner… such things may happen,” Cogi replied.

“I see…”

“If she looks so sad, it’s not practical for us to care for her. Please raise her at the palace, Reet.”

When Cogi said this, Aira’s eyes narrowed immediately, and she made a happy cry.

It was as if she understood every word.

“Understood. I’ll raise her myself,” Reet said.

“The palace has a temporary nursery for dragons, so you can leave her there when you have duties. Given her behavior just now, she’ll probably fuss quite a bit, though,” Cogi said.

“Yes, I’m prepared for that. But if I’m raising her, how exactly should I do it?” Reet asked.

Cogi answered, “It’s quite simple.”

“Dragons require no training. Since they feed on mana, you needn’t provide food, and they produce no waste. Fundamentally, simply spending time with her is all that’s needed. Of course, if she becomes ill, have her examined by a dragon physician.”

“I see…”

“Once she grows and learns to ‘transform,’ we can begin training then.”

“‘Transform’?”

“It depends on the species, but most dragons remain only as large as an adult cat or dog even when fully grown. However, when they engage in combat, they transform to become large enough for a rider to mount them.”

“Is that so?”

“How quickly she learns to transform varies. Sometimes it’s a matter of months, sometimes it takes years. Well, just wait patiently.”

“I understand. From today onward, I’m counting on you,” Reet said.

When Reet said that, Aira made a soft cry: “Kyuu…”