Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 203 - 202: Transformation

Chapter 203: Chapter 202: Transformation

Albatrosses rarely flap their wings. The only real effort they expend during flight is taking off. Once they enter a steady flight mode, they can go for long stretches without flapping even once, relying entirely on the dynamic lift in the air and utilizing the wind shear above the sea to gain momentum.

If an albatross can do it, there’s no reason a dragon can’t.

Flying from the desert to Watchtower Port took Leon and Tassera half a day, but in terms of energy expenditure, it was negligible. Yet, that didn’t stop Leon from landing in Watchtower Port under the pretense of exhaustion, insisting they needed a huge meal to replenish their energy.

"Do you remember what Watchtower Port looked like the last time you left?" Leon refused to land with Tassera on the Volcanic Island, opting instead for Watchtower Port. His primary intention, of course, was to show off.

Look how far Watchtower Port has come under my rule.

Tassera, though less adept at emotional support than Cecilia the Green Dragon, wasn’t oblivious. She quickly caught onto Leon’s thoughts, looking around and commenting, "I remember...it’s hard to put into words, but the changes are definitely huge."

"Why is there an empty patch of land here?" Tassera looked down at the compacted ground, spun in place, and transformed into her human form—a busty, slender-legged beauty, shedding her glamorous Blue Dragon appearance. "Planning to build a marketplace?"

"Watchtower Port already has a plaza for that—it serves as a marketplace. No need to build another one," Leon replied, shifting from his dragon form to his human form as well. "This open area is simply something I designated—for my dragon form to take off and land more conveniently."

Leon paused, then added, "Of course, I’m very generous with it. You, Cecilia, Fiora... everyone is welcome to use it. Feel free."

"The market’s just a bit further. Let’s go; I’ll treat you to some food." Leon led Tassera toward the plaza.

"Look at the ground. It’s very clean, isn’t it? Care to guess why?"

"That commercial street over there? I planned it out."

"And no, you’re not mistaken. That’s a hobgoblin."

On the way to the plaza, Leon gleefully explained to Tassera the policies he had implemented since taking control of Watchtower Port. He mentioned everything: the ban on public urination and defecation, the "Three Responsibilities in Front of Your Door" policy. Without such rules, the streets wouldn’t be so clean. He also instituted laws allowing all kinds of beings—hobgoblins, orcs, and others—to enter Watchtower Port as long as they obeyed the law.

What seemed like everyday matters to Leon struck Tassera as downright revolutionary. "Doing all this... didn’t you face a lot of resistance?" she asked.

"At first, yes," Leon replied with a nod and a grin. "The rebellious ones? I just killed them. Watchtower Port doesn’t have a large population, so killing everyone wasn’t an option. But once I killed the ring leaders and jailed a few others, the rest fell in line. Slay a few, imprison a few, and suddenly no one’s resisting." He chuckled. "If you’re strong enough, even scholars will find ways to justify your actions."

"And you wouldn’t believe just how generous I am." Leon raised his hands theatrically. "I freed the slaves, gave them land, and even waived taxes in the first year. In the second year, they paid only half. For merchants, I eliminated numerous oppressive fees. Many people genuinely respect me now because of it."

Of course, Leon wasn’t that selfless; he had to make up for the lost revenue somewhere. "Stamp duties are new, and so is the luxury tax. Want to open a casino? Go ahead, but you’ll need to pay for a license and operate within the bounds of the law."

Leon spoke animatedly for a long time, leaving Tassera puzzled. "Are you really a Red Dragon? The arrogant tyrant?" she teased.

"If I want landlords to release their slaves, they release them. If I want merchants to pay their taxes monthly, they pay. Disobey, and I seize their shops. Whatever I want, I do—whether or not they approve. Isn’t that arrogant enough for a tyrant?" Leon snorted, seemingly more accepting of his Red Dragon nature.

After enjoying a hearty meal and thoroughly exploring Watchtower Port, Leon and Tassera headed to the Volcanic Island.

"You can build your Mage Tower here on this island, or in Watchtower Port... even along the nearby coast. Wherever you like," Leon offered.

Given his close relationship with Tassera, not to mention her dual identity as a young Blue Dragon and a mage, recruiting talent like her came with perks. "I’ll provide manpower, grant you land, and up to ten thousand Gold Coins. If that’s not enough, you’ll have to cover the rest yourself," Leon said.

"Until the Mage Tower is complete, you can stay with me temporarily. I’ll give you ten rooms—use them however you like." Leon, having visited Tassera’s lair, knew what accommodations she required.

It wasn’t until a few days later that Cecilia learned Tassera had moved from the desert.

"Weren’t you planning to have him help you build a Mage Tower?" Cecilia, ever at odds with Tassera, didn’t hide her annoyance at Tassera’s presence in Watchtower Port. "Now you’ve come running here, empty-handed?"

"Your master begged me to stay." Tassera, busy tidying up her belongings—including thousands of books and unfinished blueprints for the Mage Tower—was hardly in a good mood. "Though he hasn’t built my tower yet, he did give me ten thousand Gold Coins and manpower. What did he give you when he took you in?"

Cecilia, unfazed, even smug, said, "An entire forest to rule."

"Since you have a whole forest, I’ll need five hundred people from you. Leon said if I’m short on labor for the Mage Tower, I should ask you for help. I’m planning a very grand Mage Tower, and I’ll need plenty of hands to make it happen," Tassera replied, casting a sidelong glance at Cecilia.

"Well, lucky me for being so generous..." Cecilia spread her fingers wide. "I can provide you with two hundred kobolds and three hundred goblins."

Leon paid no attention to the bickering between Tassera and Cecilia. In his view, the two seemed to enjoy it anyway.

"If you insist on quarreling or even fighting with Tassera, don’t come running to me if you lose. Even if I were to intervene, I’d probably side with her," Leon said casually. Reclining on a lounge chair outside his villa on the beach, he was basking in the sun when Cecilia approached him.

"I didn’t lose," Cecilia muttered as she squatted next to his chair, resting her chin on the armrest. "I heard you gave her ten rooms. As your maid, shouldn’t I at least get one room?"

Cecilia was frustrated that she hadn’t asked for a room in Leon’s newly constructed villa earlier.

"A maid’s quarters, right next to your room, so I can attend to you anytime," Cecilia said, nodding to herself.

Leon mulled it over. To his surprise, he was actually tempted to agree—not because he wanted to be a lecherous Golden Cat, but because he wanted to see Tassera and Cecilia bicker and fight. Otherwise, life was just too dull. After all, he didn’t relish being a ruler; much of what he did was out of necessity.

Building a Mage Tower was no small task. It wasn’t merely a matter of raising a structure; even choosing the site involved numerous considerations. Ideally, it should stand at a location with magical resonance, where multiple mana ley lines intersect—a fact Leon had only recently learned. It wasn’t something that could be rushed.

First, Tassera had to set up a study, then an experimental lab, and finally her living quarters. The process of settling in after a move required time, effort, and patience. Ten days or even half a month wasn’t enough. It took Tassera nearly a full month to finish unpacking and settle in.

"Now can you enchant it with magic for me?" Leon, having little else to do, had been pestering Tassera to set up a few magical traps and Guardian Magic spells in his castle and villa—specifically, ones that could prevent theft or magical scrying.

"Why are you in such a rush? Who would dare steal from you or covet your treasures?" Tassera quipped, though she had no reason to refuse him.

Enchanting permanent magical features required time, effort, and money. Moreover, Tassera’s expertise lay in shaping energy and illusions, not enchantments, so the process took her considerable time.

Once her work was done, Leon finally felt at ease and took out his massive Red Coral sculpture and Golden Cat statue. Before that, he’d been worried some Wanderer might show up out of nowhere to steal them.

Meanwhile, Tassera was engrossed in designing her Mage Tower, drafting blueprints, and perfecting the design. The exterior had to be unique, and just the exterior blueprints had gone through over a dozen revisions. Planning the interior was no less challenging; it had to address current needs while accounting for future growth. She was practically wearing out books with how frequently she consulted them.

Cecilia continued managing her forest as always, consolidating control over the factions under her command, picking out loyal followers, and finding ways to send off those who weren’t fully committed.

As for Leon, he resembled a drifter. He spent his days wandering here and there, occasionally soaring through the sky or diving into the sea—though he avoided the deep sea. His life was carefree and unhurried.

And so, five years passed. It was Leon’s fourth year ruling Watchtower Port, and to everyone’s surprise, he hadn’t run the place into the ground or turned it into a living hell. On the contrary, the port was thriving.

It had to be said—those countless simulation management games Leon had played hadn’t been a waste. While they didn’t make him an exceptional ruler, they did at least make him a competent one.

During this time, Leon maintained absolute authority over Watchtower Port. Mistakes were inevitable, but he simply corrected them as he learned. This allowed him to enact significant, long-term policies, even if they required difficult sacrifices along the way.

Five years wasn’t a particularly long time, nor was it particularly short. It wasn’t enough for Leon to mature from a teenage dragon into a young dragon, but it was enough for his physique to grow noticeably larger and for his mana to significantly improve.