Lucien then turned his attention toward the centre of the valley.
The Norwegian Ridgeback that had been fighting Norbert was already beginning to falter.
Norbert's entire body was cloaked in dark golden Dragon fire, making his opponent unwilling to engage him in close combat.
The Norwegian Ridgeback's ordinary Dragon fire struck the dark golden flames, and although the two fires initially consumed each other, the weakened flames were no longer powerful enough to penetrate Norbert's Dragon scales, which already possessed exceptional magical and fire resistance.
After all, Norbert had not had much time to grow.
Although Dragons matured quickly, and Lucien had used Potions and secret Magic to strengthen Norbert's physical foundation, there was still a noticeable gap between him and a fully grown Dragon.
In close combat, Norbert's physical strength and fighting technique remained his greatest weaknesses.
As a result, the new ability granted by his optimised magical circuit, coating his entire body in Dragon fire, greatly reduced his opponent's advantage. Instead, the older Dragon had to be wary of Norbert's relentless close-range charges.
After Norbert's Dragon fire evolved into its dark golden form, it became even hotter than ordinary Dragon fire while also far more adhesive.
Even a Dragon could not withstand being continuously burned by it.
"Woo..."
The battle was over.
The leader of the Norwegian Ridgebacks was pinned beneath Norbert, letting out a mournful cry of submission as the dark golden Dragon fire continued to burn across its body.
After Apparating to the two Dragons, Norbert immediately bounded over to Lucien, extinguishing the flames covering his body before rubbing his still-warm head against Lucien's outstretched hand.
After checking Norbert over and confirming that he was uninjured, Lucien turned his attention to the Norwegian Ridgeback still lying on the ground.
He took out several Potions, applying some to its wounds while pouring the rest into the Dragon's enormous mouth.
If Lucien hadn't been able to communicate with Magical Creatures, and if Norbert, who had just defeated it, hadn't been watching nearby, the Dragon would probably have thought the human was trying to poison it.
Lucien noticed that this Norwegian Ridgeback was another female.
That actually matched the characteristics of the species. Female Norwegian Ridgebacks were indeed stronger and fiercer than the males, and their social structure resembled that of spotted hyenas.
After recovering somewhat, the Norwegian Ridgeback let out a few low growls.
"Little one, you won. My territory and my companions are yours."
Norbert replied,
"No thanks. I just wanted to fight you."
"..."
A few seconds later, the Dragon looked at Norbert with unmistakable sympathy in its eyes.
"Are you sick?"
Dark golden Dragon fire flared around Norbert once again.
"Hmm?"
Lucien smiled and interrupted the increasingly pointless conversation between the two Dragons. He climbed onto Norbert's broad back, and the Wizard and Dragon disappeared into the snowy skies.
Protected by windproof and warming Charms, Lucien considered his next plans.
To repay the Magic Weaving Technique (Annual Loan) he had borrowed during last winter's holiday, he needed to train Norbert into the king of the Norwegian Ridgebacks.
For Dragons, the method was simple and brutal. Fight. Keep fighting until the opponent submitted. The naturally aggressive Norwegian Ridgebacks were especially fond of settling everything through combat.
Precisely because Norwegian Ridgebacks were so combative, often fighting or even killing members of their own species, their population was relatively small, with their main habitats concentrated in Norway and the surrounding regions.
According to the system's criteria, Norbert didn't need to challenge every Dragon individually. He only needed to defeat the leaders of sufficiently large groups.
Lucien estimated that he could finish the task before Christmas, leaving him free to spend the holiday with his aunt.
He had Norbert land some distance away from the Dragons' territory before opening the suitcase and releasing the three Wizards, who were still diligently carrying out their patrol before the holidays.
...
Inside the Suitcase World.
Lucien moved through layer after layer of space with a House-elf following closely behind him.
It was Dobby.
After demonstrating how to feed the Mooncalves, care for them, and collect materials from them, Lucien asked, "Did you remember everything? Do I need to demonstrate it again?"
Dobby shook his head vigorously.
"Yes, yes, Dobby remembers. No need to trouble yourself, Master."
Yes, Dobby now called Lucien "Master."
When Lucius had proposed transferring Dobby to him, Lucien had agreed after some consideration.
With more and more Magical Creatures living inside the suitcase, having a House-elf to help manage everything was incredibly convenient.
Even if Lucien had refused, Lucius would most likely have disposed of Dobby, the "traitor."
In truth, Lucien was also curious about how Dobby had managed to break through the constraints of the master-servant contract and do things that went against his master Lucius's wishes.
When he later asked Dobby about it, the House-elf explained that he genuinely believed, from the bottom of his heart, that what Lucius had done was wrong and evil.
The master-servant contract required a House-elf to be loyal to the family, while the family heir merely possessed the authority to command the House-elf.
Dobby was an anomaly among House-elves. Not only did he long for freedom, but he also thought far more independently than others of his kind.
He had never directly disobeyed Lucius. Instead, he tried to stop Harry from returning to Hogwarts through indirect means. He never revealed his master's plans, merely acting within the loopholes of the contract.
After all, the contract's restrictions on House-elves were not completely inflexible.
After generations of slavery, obedience had become deeply ingrained in their race.
To devote their entire lives to serving their master's family, to work tirelessly without complaint, and to expect nothing in return was the ideal that most House-elves held.
Some even hoped their masters would cut off their heads after death and mount them on the wall as a family heirloom.
A House-elf like Dobby, who desired freedom and even wanted to earn wages, was exceptionally rare.
After taking Dobby away, Lucien gave him a choice.
He told Dobby that he could grant him the freedom he had always wanted. He also shared the story of Chubby, the House-elf who had served Nicolas Flamel's family, and of Chubby's father.
Back then, Nicolas Flamel had genuinely released his House-elf from the slave contract. But after gaining his freedom, Chubby's father had found it extremely difficult to find work and support himself.
Lucien remembered that Dobby had experienced something similar in the original story. Even families who wanted House-elves considered Dobby's request for wages completely outrageous, so they refused to hire him. In the end, Dumbledore was the one who gave Dobby a job at Hogwarts during the year of the Triwizard Tournament, complete with wages and holidays.
After hearing all this, Dobby hesitated.
Lucien then proposed that he could hire Dobby himself, offering him wages, holidays, and other benefits.
Without the constraints of a magical contract, with the chance to live the life he wanted and earn a salary, Dobby's enthusiasm for work would naturally be much greater.
On the one hand, Lucien had no desire to be a truly heartless employer.
On the other, he felt that giving Dobby a choice was far better than simply continuing to exploit him.
Having a choice was true freedom.
________
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