“T-transformed?” Rowan’s mouth was wide open when he asked the question.

  “Yes, I physically changed my body to match one of you fleshy beings.” Vulcanus answered as if transforming one’s body was a common occurrence.

  The mere thought of a dragon transforming themself into a human was both terrifying and hilarious. As much as Vulcanus bragged about being the better species, the dragon still had to transform himself into one of the lower species.

  “Does that mean when a person becomes strong enough, they can transform themselves whenever they wish?”

  Rowan couldn't help, but think of all the times he ran down the street. How many of the people that he passed by were transformed monsters?

  Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.

  “Oh, magically transforming the physical body is considered one of the upper echelons of magic. It’s a spell known as polymorph. Only a master magician can cast such a spell. No ordinary magician is capable of casting such a spell.”

  Vulcanus' words relieved a bit of Rowan’s fears, however the dragon’s next sentence completely brought that fear back.

  “Economically speaking, it is much better to cast an illusion to disguise oneself, Or use potions. Alchemy is relatively a new field, only popping up within the last thousand years or so, but I have seen how fast the lower races push the industry. You humans have created formulas that even dragons had no knowledge of.”

  “...You make it sound like dragons had the knowledge of alchemy before humans started.”

  “Had it? You make it sound as if dragons were monopolizing the knowledge. Rather it's quite the opposite. Dragons are the mightest beings. We are born with knowledge imbued into us. We live and breathe magic the second we step foot on this earth. One does not need to learn what one already knows. It would take centuries for a person to be capable of matching our knowledge..”

  Vulcanus snorted and let out a puff of smoke in dissatisfaction.

  “You think that all my words are simple boast, but it is the truth. Kings and emperors onced laid at my feet, begging for my knowledge and power. Have you ever heard of the Magic Tower?”

  “Magic Tower…isn't that where only the best magicians gather?” Even someone as displaced as from human society Rowan knew about the magic towers. They were a country in itself. It was said that a magic tower housed hundreds, if not thousands, of magicians. When gathered together, they could raze several countries with their spells alone. Fortunately the magicians locked themselves away as they busied themselves with research and experiments.

  “Yes, glad you know. It could be said I was the one who started the first magic tower. It was me who brought forth magic to its current level. Back then, titles were given to me left and right. Titles such as Archmage, Magic God and countless more.”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Rowan's eyes turn big. Vulcanus words seem like bragging, but looking at what the dragon was capable of, it did not seem like these words carry any falsehood.

  Vulcanus boasted the fact that he had basically pioneered humanity's magic system.

  “If you were so great, why did you stop?”

  “I…may have…lost my temper…”

  Rowan raised an eyebrow in question. He had grown to understand the dragon’s expressions over time. Most of the time the dragon had a neutral face, showing no emotion. The few times the dragon’s expression changed, was when the dragon was introducing Rowan a new form of torture in the name of training with malicious glee.

  It was almost as if the Vulcanus enjoyed torturing the boy.

  However, the mighty dragon was showing a new expression Rowan had never seen before.

  Embarrassment.

  “I may have… gathered a bit too many people. There were a few who had the intelligence that satisfied my requirements, but more often than not, most of the people gathered were useless.”

  “Then why did you keep so many people around?”

  “It was unintentional! I first taught a few people, and when they began to show off what they learned, even more gathered. In a blink of an eye, the Magic Tower was set up and became a large organization. Lots of servants were needed to keep the organization running. As a dragon I could acquire anything I needed on my own, but that requires effort and time. Valuable time that could have been spent on my own research. As the head of the Magic Tower, I could send someone else to procure materials with just one word. I could focus on my experiments instead of wasting time. Having a large group was much more efficient … until it wasn't. It became so bad because of bureaucracy. The hassle to go through just to get permission for an item took more time and paperwork than it was worth. ”

  Vulcanus let out a tired sigh. “You heard me say kings and emperors beg me on their knees for my power and knowledge. What I did not mention was that the people of the Magic Tower also pestered me with questions. When they came to a halt in their experiments, they would come to me for answers. They saw me as someone who knew everything, which I did of course, but that's besides the point. People no longer held the inquisitive spirit that I started the Magic Tower with. They no longer thought on their own. I grew frustrated as time went on as more incompetent people joined the magic tower and pestered me with questions. The frustration gathered, until it accumulated and blew up.”

  “I could kill kings with a single spell. And I have, when they become too bothersome. However as the one playing the leader of the organization, I couldn't just burn my own subordinates. When people came knocking on my door for answers, I would throw tidbits of information and let them figure it out the rest themselves. Unfortunately, it reached a point that there was a nonstop stream of people. I barely had time to myself. It eventually reached the point where the anger took over and undid my transformation. After my true appearance, I could no longer stay as a mage and thus returned back to my lair.”

  “What about the people at the Magic Tower? Did a lot of people see you become a dragon?”

  “Hah! When I became my true body again, everything around me was incinerated. They deserved it for pestering me with their stupidity. That is not considered a loss. The top of the Magic Tower was destroyed, but everything else was fine. “

  Vulcanus turned a wistful gaze to the ceiling as he recalled the memory. “I would not be surprised if there were stories about how a dragon killing the first Archmage of the Magic Tower in an epic battle. I doubt any of the magicians realized that a dragon was teaching them all along. I must admit the experience was interesting overall. I could not help, but reminisce as teaching you reminded me of those times.”