Chapter 45: Raising Dragons for Fun and Profit
As soft music began to play, it was time for dinner.
Tonight's melody was atmospheric, composed of a holy and ethereal female voice that filled the air like a hymn.
Kate, still sweaty from the afternoon's exertions, headed first to the lounge bathroom behind the auditorium on the first floor.
Dinner featured familiar dishes—beef and potato stew, tripe soup, roasted stuffed pumpkin, and lamb with polenta.
Kate finally met her match with the tripe soup. Made with heavy garlic, sour cream, and hot chili peppers, it was so spicy that she had to drink several cups of black tea to recover.
The roasted stuffed pumpkin, much like a traditional stuffed squash, was baked with beef (or turkey), rice, onions, herbs, and spices, and generously slathered with sour cream.
As for the lamb with polenta—it was extremely salty, like kimchi made from lamb.
After some negotiation, Alexander finally got to eat rice for dinner. Romanian food was, overall, very rich and flavorful—quite suitable for Eastern palates and reminiscent of "jianghu cuisine." It paired well with rice, which gave Alexander a small but satisfying victory.
After eating their fill, Alexander and Kate retreated to the lounge behind the auditorium.
The lounge was similar in style to the ones on the train but more spacious and luxurious. The bathroom resembled a spa, with hot springs and a pool. Their bedroom was no longer a giant coffin, but a standard double bed.
After briefly freshening up, Alexander decided not to meditate that night. He didn't want to risk accidentally exuding charm the next morning and creating an awkward situation—like accidentally losing his virginity.
As Kate's steady breathing filled the room, a peaceful sleep took hold, and the new day arrived quietly.
---
The next day brought clear skies. According to the schedule, they were to visit the fifth floor to enjoy the scenery. Their transport back home was scheduled to arrive at 6 p.m. and would land on the roof of the castle. Because of this, the weather-controlling spell on the rooftop had been temporarily suspended.
As a vampire, Salvatore couldn't be exposed to sunlight for long. So, after escorting them up to the rooftop as a gesture of hospitality, he returned to the third floor to work on his writing.
At the center of the rooftop was a large parasol, shading a lavish spread of food. Meals for the entire day would be taken here. The bathroom and lounge were located on the right side of the fifth floor, and dinner would be handled by the transportation service in the evening.
With cups of black tea in hand, Alexander and Kate lounged under the parasol. It felt like a beach holiday—except instead of ocean waves, they faced a sea of trees. From time to time, the deep, thunderous roar of dragons echoed from afar.
A panoramic telescope sat on the table, similar to the ones sold at the Quidditch World Cup. It could replay scenes and even play them in slow motion.
That sea of trees wasn't actually the dragons' main habitat. Romanian Longhorns, as full-grown adults, could reach forty feet (about twelve meters) in length. The woods actually posed a barrier to them.
The Romanian Ministry of Magic had cleverly used magic to construct a sprawling underground preserve beneath the forest—similar in scale to the "Hueco Mundo" from Bleach.
Not all dragons stayed underground, though. Far beyond the tree line was a canyon—the protected area's exit and the dragons' sunlight access point.
In that canyon, completely undetectable by Muggles, herds of livestock were kept for dragons to hunt.
After learning all this, Kate commented with disbelief, "So we're just sitting here, waiting for a dragon to show up?"
"No," Alexander replied casually. "This isn't even a part of the tour we paid for. It's free."
"And this way, Salvatore can pretend he's busy resting."
"That guy…" Kate stood up in a huff, then immediately sat back down. "Ugh. I was going to yell at him, but maybe I'll just go play on the fourth floor later."
From his pocket, Alexander pulled out a book titled Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit—a volume Hagrid had once called "a bit outdated." He flipped it open and began reading with Kate.
"Kate, did anything stand out to you while reading this?" he asked.
"Uh… dragons are super profitable?" Kate replied, blinking. She clearly hadn't paid much attention to the text and had just been watching the "cute little kid" next to her.
"Well… you're not wrong."
"Kate, did you notice? This book implies that raising dragons used to be quite common—until the 1709 Wizards' Conference banned it."
"Oh, right! And after that, dragon parts like skin and blood got more expensive." Kate nodded as realization dawned.
"Exactly. For wizards back then, raising dragons was as normal as Muggles raising cows or sheep."
"Even if wizards didn't care much about money, magical materials and equipment still required currency. So raising dragons became a lucrative business. And since dragons live long lives, harvesting a little blood or skin occasionally didn't hurt them."
"But here's the thing, Kate—have you noticed? Wizards today are completely dependent on dragons."
"Right! Magic potions, clothing, wand cores… they all use dragon parts!"
"Which is why the Ministry of Magic and large dragon-raising conglomerates would never allow ordinary people to raise dragons now—despite the fact that private breeding had become systematized and relatively safe."
"A dragon could also act as a powerful protector for a household. But if every wizard owned a dragon, how would the Ministry maintain control?"
"So…" Alexander prompted.
"So Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit is outdated because private ownership of dragons is banned," Kate answered.
"Exactly. And Kate, did you notice that the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy—which was signed in 1689 and fully enforced by 1692—also played a major role?"
Kate gasped. "You mean—dragons were a threat to secrecy?"
"Yes! Dragons are far too large and conspicuous. Keeping them in private homes risked exposing the magical world to Muggles. Even though wealthy wizards built hidden castles and cast powerful concealment spells, the risk was too great."
"If you look at a Muggle map, it feels small, right? That's because many wizarding areas are uncharted and hidden with magic."
"Why do you think the secrecy law exists?" Alexander asked.
"Do you mean… like Nearly Headless Nick?" Kate asked.
"Yes. In the 15th century, Muggle persecution of witches and wizards became widespread. Many were captured and executed. Nick lost his wand and couldn't defend himself—he was beheaded."
"Wizarding families were especially vulnerable because young children couldn't control their powers yet. These accidental outbursts often attracted Muggle attention—and retaliation."
"And even now," Alexander added solemnly, "Dumbledore's sister was traumatized by Muggle persecution."
"Then… the Statute of Secrecy really was necessary," Kate whispered.
But in his heart, Alexander thought: It might've been necessary once—but in the age of information, maybe it's time to reconsider.
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30 advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at patreon.com/Translatingfanfics