The Dragon No One Could Tame (5)
When Magnus lost his arm and rolled on the ground, the challenges paused for a moment.
While emergency treatment was underway, people began talking about Owen.
"Wait, did that boy know this would happen and try to stop him?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it…."
"This is unexpected. Things are turning out differently than planned. Magnus failed… and that kid might actually succeed?"
Debate raged among the crowd over whether Owen would succeed or fail.
Wagers sprang up on the spot.
Yet no one pitied Magnus amid the buzz.
Most of the Dragon Knights were glad to see him brought low.
"Heh heh, maybe now he'll live a little more humbly."
"But will that Owen guy actually pull it off?"
"Don't make me laugh. He'll be lucky not to get killed."
Unlike the civilians, the Dragon Knights knew full well how hard it was to tame an enraged Tokay dragon.
So most opinions leaned pessimistic.
Of course, Owen himself—the man at the center—had to fight back a grin and keep a straight face.
No matter how much scorn Magnus had drawn before failing, grinning like an idiot now would make him look like a villain.
"Hoo…."
Owen took a moment to steady himself.
He was the acknowledged master of dragon taming, praised by allies and enemies alike.
But this was his first attempt in this young boy's body, against a beast notorious even among the infamous. He didn't let his guard down.
Alright! Here we go.
Owen patted the sulfur pouch at his waist and approached Super Red.
The rowdy atmosphere cleared instantly.
It was a far cry from the jeers that had hounded Magnus.
Everyone held their breath, afraid even a whisper might interfere.
In that silence, Super Red spotted Owen and rose.
"Geee…."
The beast let out a low growl.
A warning.
As expected. Owen felt no fear.
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But he couldn't help halting at the bizarre sight before his eyes.
"Wh-what?"
Sudden, vivid letters had appeared above Super Red's head.
Emotion State: Excited
Is this Tanares's power too?
Just as he could see a dragon's potential directly, now he could read its emotions.
An astonishing gift.
Owen was already exceptionally skilled, but everyone had limits.
Seeing it firsthand like this gave him a tremendous edge.
Especially when dealing with a raging beast whose mood he needed to match.
"Wow… Tanares."
Owen felt profound gratitude toward his partner, who had left him this power perfectly suited for handling dragons.
Extremely useful.
And rightly so—as Owen drew closer, the letters changed.
Emotion State: Anger
In truth, Super Red was growing furious at this human ignoring its warning and pressing closer.
"Keeee…."
The growl grew louder, its throat swelling again.
Owen realized one more step and Super Red would kill him.
Yet he pressed on without fear.
The reaction was immediate.
"Ack!"
With a short cry, Super Red's massive jaws lunged at Owen.
Owen had anticipated it and dodged with ease.
"Ooooh!"
"Impressive!"
The onlookers, gripping their seats, burst into admiration.
Owen's movements were that flawless.
"Not bad, but Magnus got that far too."
"The real test starts now."
Doubts lingered heavily.
Owen knew this was just the beginning.
He drew his secret weapon from his waist: the sulfur powder from Jansen.
"Brought you a gift. Check this out."
Owen carefully untied the pouch.
Super Red tensed for another strike at the sudden move.
Then it caught a familiar scent and flicked out its tongue.
Lick, lick.
Super Red repeatedly darted its tongue in and out.
Dragons sense airborne particles with exquisite precision via their tongues.
Soon, it recognized the beloved sulfur scent.
"Ehng?"
Super Red made an almost cute sound, its gaze shifting from Owen to the pouch.
Just as I thought!
Owen knew exactly how to handle ill-tempered Tokay dragons.
You couldn't conquer them as a master.
You had to become a friend.
These proud, nasty-tempered dragons were surprisingly affectionate to their friends.
Few believed it given their infamous reputation, but knights who had bonded deeply with Tokay dragons knew the truth.
Owen scooped sulfur powder into his hand and approached.
"Ack!"
Super Red bared its jaws and cried out, but Owen ignored it.
Instead of fleeing, he gently sprinkled the powder into the air.
Super Red licked the air, tasting the particles.
Its tongue carried them to a special organ on the roof of its mouth.
Far more sensitive than a human nose, it registered the delightful sulfur.
The letters above its head shifted again.
Emotion State: Bewilderment
To Super Red, Owen's actions seemed utterly peculiar.
It had only known hostile humans before.
They forced things on it or tried feeding it unwanted slop.
This was the first human offering something it truly liked.
"Ehwoong!"
Super Red's mood improved; it let out a softer cry.
Owen instantly recognized it wasn't hostile.
Emboldened, he crept closer and placed a handful of sulfur right on Super Red's snout.
Lick, lick.
Super Red licked it off its nose.
"Ehtoowoong!"
Tasting sulfur after so long lifted its spirits.
It had been captured by humans as a hatchling in its homeland and brought here.
They had no idea it loved sulfur.
This was its first taste since leaving home.
Emotion State: Elation
Owen, seeing Super Red's delight, set the pouch on the ground for it to eat freely.
Lick, lick.
Super Red lowered its head and thrust its tongue into the pouch.
In that moment, Owen swiftly began unfastening the restraint chains binding its body.
Clank!
Clink!
Even as the chains loosened, Super Red was too focused on the sulfur to care.
The real issue was the dragon trader.
"No! What are you doing?!"
The onlookers panicked too.
Freeing an untamed dragon was madness.
Everyone scrambled back in shock.
"Stop that right now!"
The dragon trader stomped in frustration.
But Owen shook his head.
"You can't win a Tokay dragon's favor while it's restrained."
"Even so!"
"I won't remove them all. I promise. Just loosening some to make it more comfortable."
"Hmph… Fine, then. But if you free them completely, it's all on you."
"Of course."
Owen's approach was proving effective.
Super Red, licking sulfur, no longer saw him as a threat.
It simply stared, no longer trying to bite.
The crowd couldn't hide their amazement.
"Incredible. Its whole attitude changed."
"What did he feed it? What is that stuff?"
"Amazing. I wouldn't have the guts to loosen the chains—my heart would shrink to a pea."
"He hasn't tamed it yet. Let's watch."
As they said, Super Red hadn't accepted Owen yet.
It was just curiously observing this odd human.
Still, losing the urge to bite was huge progress.
"Hm…."
Owen soon realized Super Red was female.
A fun idea sparked in his mind.
No guarantee it'd work.
But worth a shot. He crouched slightly, extending his left hand toward her rear like a tail.
"Ehwoong?"
Super Red, mid-lick, wondered what this human was up to.
But the real antics were just beginning.
Owen mimicked a male Tokay dragon in courtship.
Males wag their tails and vocalize before the female.
Owen wagged his "tail" hand while imitating the cry.
"Etwoong! Etwoong! Etwoong!"
He even circled the female Super Red, crying out. Onlookers gaped.
"What the hell is he doing?"
"Some kind of ritual?"
"He's mimicking the cry?"
Civilians were baffled.
Knights familiar with dragons guessed it.
"No way—is he wooing her?"
"Crazy. A human courting a dragon?"
"But that's what it looks like."
"Wow… speechless."
Ignoring the murmurs, Owen diligently imitated the male.
The letters changed again.
Emotion State: Amusement, Absurdity
Incredibly, Super Red found Owen's antics entertaining.
She watched intently, then cried out.
"Geggegge! Geggege! Etuh!"
It almost sounded like laughter at his ridiculous display.
She nudged him lightly with her head—a "that's enough" gesture.
Owen knew she'd taken a liking to him.
Thanks to the sulfur and the laughs.
Time to fit the reins.
Successfully reining a dragon proved taming complete.
Many challengers had died trying with her.
As Owen lifted the reins, the crowd fell utterly silent.
"Eteng!"
Super Red soured instantly at the sight.
Owen soothed her gently.
"It's a temporary one, so it's worn. I'll get you fancy gear from Magnus's stuff later. Bear with this for now."
Super Red ignored the sulfur, staring at Owen.
Everyone held their breath, tense beyond forgetting to breathe.
Suddenly, Super Red opened her jaws and bit Owen.
Chomp.
His left shoulder vanished entirely into her maw.
Screams erupted.
"My god!"
"Nooo! In the end…!"
But bitten Owen looked utterly calm.
Even his past self might have flinched, but he could see her emotions.
Emotion State: Friendly
The word "Friendly" floated clearly above her head.
That's why he didn't dodge.
"Eeewoong."
Super Red soon released him.
She hadn't bitten hard at all.
Just a playful nip to startle him.
And a test of trustworthiness.
A shady one would flee or fight back.
Seeing Owen calmly trust her, she opened her heart.
She snorted softly with a small cry.
"Eteng!"
Like a human girl's hmph!.
She seemed about Owen's age in human terms—prim and tsundere.
But she'd decided; she stood still for the reins.
"Good."
Owen fitted the reins over her snout.
Click. Click.
Only the metal clasps echoed.
All watched in breathless silence.
"Needs adjusting. Bear with it for a bit, even if uncomfortable."
"Eteng!"
Whether she understood or not, she replied.
Snap!
The final clasp locked.
Owen glanced at Super Red.
Potential: S-Rank
An astonishingly powerful beast.
A rare variant dragon.
Invaluable beyond price.
And now his.
Owen nodded in satisfaction and raised his hand.
The crowd, holding back till then, exploded in cheers.
"Waaaaaaah!"
"You madman! You actually did it!"
"Holy crap, jackpot. What now for the dragon trader?!"
Amid the roars shaking the tournament grounds, Owen stroked Super Red's chin contentedly.
"Good. Now I've got a dragon—no more holding back."
One step closer to the glory he craved after revenge. He felt deeply satisfied.
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