Learn Farming?

'Why aspire to be a mere dragon when one can rule as an emperor?' Lucia thought.

Lucia couldn't surrender to despair. Even with the dark shadow of the dragon looming over her, she knew she must seize any opportunity to escape, return to the Faloran Empire, overthrow the deceitful princess, and reclaim the crown that was rightfully hers.

She detested the thought of being relegated to a mere dragon for eternity, particularly an evil one. It was not the destiny she envisioned for herself.

And Eva, the one responsible for her cursed transformation, had proven utterly unreliable. "An adult dragon, really? Why make me a young dragon?" she thought bitterly as she braced herself to confront the towering beast before her.

Lance, the elder dragon, observed her with a hint of admiration in his golden-red eyes. "Chasing a dream is always better than having none," he mused aloud.

"To be an evil dragon remembered through the ages is no modest ambition. But remember, every dragon etched into history typically meets a tragic fate."

"If you aim to be a legendary dragon, you'll need the strength to defeat even me," he challenged, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.

Lucia's gaze fell upon Lance's immense claws, each capable of crushing her skull effortlessly. "Defeat you? I can hardly best a Griffin Knight, let alone such a formidable dragon," she murmured to herself.

"No rush," Lance replied, his tone unexpectedly gentle. "To become a dragon of legend, you need not just strength, but a territory of your own, and the ability to sustain it. And for sustenance, you must first master farming."

"Farming?" Lucia echoed incredulously, the concept so alien to her royal upbringing.

"Yes, farming," Lance affirmed with a nod. "Even a young dragon must start somewhere. Consider this the first step in your journey to greatness. I, a black dragon with a wealth of knowledge, will guide you from mere survival to becoming a truly distinguished evil dragon. But first, let's start with the basics of tilling the earth."

"Since when did dragons need to become adept in agronomy?" Lucia mused aloud, her disbelief evident in her tone.

Moreover, the concept of a farming dragon, especially an evil one, seemed utterly preposterous to her. Throughout legends and her own encounters, never had she heard of a dragon who tilled the earth. After all, weren't dragons fearsome beasts of prey, dependent on their might and hunting skills rather than the cultivation of crops?

"Dragons subsist on flesh," she declared, almost to herself. "A hunt in the depths of the forest usually suffices to satisfy our hunger. Why on earth would we need to farm?"

With a mix of curiosity and skepticism, Lucia posed her question to the massive dragon before her. "Why, as an evil dragon, would you choose to farm?"

Lance, the elder dragon, regarded her with a twinkle in his eye. "Ah, young one, even a princess-snatching dragon must consider a balanced diet for his captive. You can't feed a princess solely on meat. She'll need vegetables, fruits, a variety of nutrients to stay healthy. And speaking of fruit, you'll also need to learn grafting from me, important skills for transplanting fruit trees."

"As you mature and claim your own domain, you'll find value in being able to cultivate your land, graft, and transplant fruit trees. Should a princess be in your care, you wouldn't want her subsisting only on meat. She should enjoy full, balanced meals."

Stunned, Lucia found herself reassessing the dragon before her. His knowledge was vast, and strangely, his mention of raising a princess sounded distinctly experienced.

Driven by a sudden curiosity, she asked, "Lance, have you ever cared for a princess?"

"And how many have you raised?" she added quickly, intrigued by the prospect.

Lance's grin widened, revealing a row of sharp teeth. "Oh, indeed! A dragon's life without such adventures would be dreadfully dull. Yes, I've raised a few princesses over the years, each one a unique chapter in my storied life!"

Lucia stared in disbelief at Lance, the obscure evil dragon before her. "You've actually raised several princesses?"

It seemed unfathomable. Surely, if Lance had truly cared for multiple princesses, legendary warriors or heroes would have ended his reign long ago.

"Perhaps these were princesses from lesser-known kingdoms," Lucia conjectured. If they had been from major kingdoms, Lance's deeds would have surely been recorded in the annals of history.

But those musings were beside the point. What truly puzzled her was the fate of these princesses. "Did they all become your wives eventually?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"No, after a time, I sent them back to their lands," Lance replied nonchalantly.

Lucia was baffled. "What sort of strategy is that? To kidnap a human princess, raise her for a while, and then just send her back? Was it all just for amusement?"

She theorized silently. Perhaps valiant warriors had indeed come after Lance, and in his inability to defeat them, he had been forced to return the princesses to avoid further conflict.

Lucia tread carefully with her next words, wary of provoking Lance's wrath, with his formidable size, a single swipe of his claw could leave her in tears for hours.

"Lance, I wish to learn from you. How to care for princesses without claiming them as wives," she proposed cautiously.

Lance looked momentarily perplexed, as if pondering her motives. Was there an underlying scheme to her question?

He considered rebuking her but decided against it. Perhaps more time together would clarify her intentions.

"Come," he said finally, his tone softened. "Let me show you around, and you'll begin to understand the way of things here."

Lucia rose and dutifully followed Lance as he led her through his domain.

"This place is known as Black Dragon Island, my personal dominion," Lance explained, his voice resonating with a sense of pride. "Aside from myself, the island is home to a dog and a turtle, my cherished companions."

Lucia could barely hide her astonishment. Not only did Lance cultivate princesses, but his entourage also included pets, such diversity in companionship was unheard of for an evil dragon.

As they walked further, Lucia's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of a cornfield where the stalks bore corn at least one meter long. "Mutated corn?" she whispered under her breath.

Lance chuckled at her reaction. "This is what I call 'fruit corn,' a creation of my own through various magical concoctions. They've grown to their maximal size. I'll prepare some for you tonight; you'll find them quite delectable."

They continued to a vegetable garden abundant with towering peppers, gigantic cabbages, and colossal tomatoes among other vegetables. "In the future, you're welcome to harvest anything you crave from here," Lance offered generously.

Lance plucked a chili as tall as Lucia, took a hearty bite filled with meat, and crunched on it satisfactorily. Lucia marveled at the scale of the vegetables. "How can they grow so large?"

They then approached an orchard where the fruits were unusually large, apples the size of watermelons, grapes as big as apples, and bananas nearly a meter long. "These fruits are carefully tended by me. Quite a decent size, don't you think?" Lance said, seemingly amused by Lucia's dumbfounded expression.

To Lucia, these were no ordinary fruits; they were miraculous enough to astound the clergy of major temples. The thought crossed her mind, "Is this truly an evil dragon capable of farming?"

As the reality of what it took to raise a princess sank in, mastering such formidable agricultural feats, Lucia felt a pang of inadequacy. "Raising a princess requires skills I may never possess," she lamented silently. The task seemed far beyond her capabilities as an imperial princess. She had much to learn from Lance, the farming dragon, whose expertise in nurturing life extended far beyond her expectations.