Chapter 182. Hog Is a Good Dragon!
Outside the work shed, on the road leading to the area where the Hungarian Horntail lived.
The Erumpents, Ari and Gale, moved one after the other, their tails swishing to drive off the little insects that tried to settle on them. Pro sat upright atop Ari's head, chin lifted with a composed smile, as he spoke to the pixies fluttering along at his side.
"You don't need to worry. Although Hog is a dragon, his body is just a tiny bit big, his teeth look a bit scary, and he has a bit of bad breath."
"But unlike his appearance, he is a warm-hearted, good dragon. Once you meet him, you'll see—he's very easy to get along with."
Nofi nodded stiffly. In its head, it really could not connect the adjective "easy to get along with" to a dragon that was violent and liked to spout flames at random.
Following the path for a long while, they entered the dragon's habitat. Rolling mountain ranges appeared, and Nofi stared wide-eyed in astonishment at the scene before it.
Pro patted the Erumpent's head with a paw and said, "Ari, give a loud shout twice and let Hog know we've come to see him."
Ari wagged its tail excitedly, raised its head high, and bellowed at the top of its lungs. The sound echoed through the mountains and forests, spreading into the distance. After a short while, as a reply to Ari, there came from afar a majestic roar—deafening, as if the whole peak were trembling.
The pixies' faces grew even more rigid; some of the timid ones even turned and hid behind boulders or shrubs, peering out cautiously. Although they were usually very bold and often pulled astonishing pranks—most creatures they dared to tease—dragons were not ordinary creatures.
Most dragons were simple-minded bruisers with irritable tempers, and the slightest carelessness could spark their fury. Their brave forebears had long since gained experience for them in blood and left behind a famous saying: "Cherish life, stay away from dragons!"
Seeing the pixies flustered, Pro smiled with composed confidence and said, "Relax a bit, no need to be afraid. Hog is my good mate, and I'll protect you later—won't let that big fellow give you a fright."
Hearing this, Nofi did its best to straighten its chest. Its face forced out a smile, and it said, rather haughtily, "Don't talk nonsense, I'm not afraid!"
No sooner had it finished speaking than the sky suddenly went dark. A bloody reek spread into the pixies' nostrils and made their breathing halt all at once. Some of the slightly braver pixies looked up: a black, hideous-looking giant dragon spread wings that blotted out the sky and descended from above the woodlands.
With a boom, the earth trembled. Dead twigs and fallen leaves were whirled up by the gale and splattered in all directions. The dragon stood with head raised, looking down on everything before him. Nofi quietly rubbed its ears that were buzzing from the shock, took a fearful, hurried glance at the dragon, and even lowered the sound of its breathing.
"Hey, hey, Hog, your landing is too rough! The flying branches hit me, and look—my sleek, silky fur has been made dirty!" Pro waved his hand in displeasure, swaggered up to the top of Ari's head, lifted his head, and shouted loudly.
Hog's head—dozens of times larger than Pro's—slowly lowered. His yellow eyes narrowed, fixing on Pro. Hot air surged from nostrils like dark tunnels and sent the soft fur atop Pro's head flying. Nofi's heart thudded and almost leapt into its throat; it carefully edged forward, wanting to tug the overbearing Pro back a bit.
But the corners of Hog's mouth suddenly split. Doing his best to hide his terrifying teeth, he showed a kindly smile. "Sorry, Pro, my friend."
Since Hog had given Pro some fake gold, Pro often came to play with him. On top of that, they liked the same things and had a lot to talk about—often exchanging experiences in finding and caring for treasures. Every time, the dragon and the Niffler chatted to their hearts' content, and they often praised each other's clever methods of care. Hog's and Pro's friendship had progressed very quickly; now they were almost iron buddies who could cuddle up to sleep.
"Never mind; just be more careful next time," Pro waved his hand and said. "I came today to introduce a few new friends to you."
Pro turned to look at Nofi and the other pixies. Hog's gaze followed suit, and Nofi gave a start throughout its body and forced up a warm smile.
"Its name is Nofi; don't go bullying them later just because they're small," Pro said. "They were with Duncan before you—only they were on assignments outside the case and have only just returned, so you've never seen them."
So they're seniors who can go out alone on assignments! A thought flashed through Hog's mind, and he felt solemn respect. According to the knowledge Pro had popularized for him some time ago, animals that could go out on assignments were those deeply trusted by Duncan and possessing special abilities.
"Hello, my name is Hog, a young dragon who only recently started following Duncan." Hog lowered his head with a smile and, awkward and careful, extended a thick finger towards Nofi. His tail, bristling with steel-needle-like spikes, swayed lightly and thudded on the ground, doing his utmost to show a friendly attitude.
"H-hello, I'm Nofi..." Nofi stammered. Although Hog behaved very amicably, Nofi still could not overcome that instinctive fear in its heart. It forced its trembling hand to touch Hog's finger, then quickly backed away and pointed at the pixies behind it. "They're all my family; I hope we can become good friends from now on..."
"Right, Nofi!" Hog nodded happily, grinning at the pixies not far away. "Hello, I'm Hog..."
Because the distance was a bit far, Hog slightly raised his voice so the little fellows could hear clearly. Bursts of heat sprayed from his mouth, carrying a rank odor, and swept towards the pixies who were watching carefully.
"Mum!" Smelling that terrifying stench, the pixies showed looks of horror. Images of themselves being swallowed in one bite by a dragon rose in their minds. With a shriek, they turned and fled in panic into the distance.
Meeting those huge dragon eyes turned his way, Nofi hurriedly said, "Sorry—don't mind it; they're not afraid of you... just a bit shy with strangers."
"That's all right then..." Hog let out a breath and nodded with relief. He muttered in a low voice, "I thought the smiling method Duncan taught me had gone wrong. If that were the case, it'd be troublesome—I'd have to ask Duncan to come teach me again, and he'd definitely think I'm not strong enough..."
Pro held back his laughter and secretly raised his brows at Nofi, as if to say: See? I wasn't lying—Hog really is a good dragon!
Nofi glared at him in annoyance, said nothing, and turned its head aside.
End of Chapter
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