Heroes and Dragons

7

On workdays, I kept to my usual routine of watching from a distance at the entrance of the dragon's lair, careful not to disturb Gigi's work. Only on weekends would I casually bring some bananas or apples as a pretend gift and shamelessly drop by Gigi's place for a meal, seizing the opportunity to chat about my worldly observations.

I would often find Gigi cleaning up the aftermath of battles.

Cleaning up was no easy task; the heroes would leave as soon as their battles were over, not bothering with the mess they left behind. It was thanks to Gigi's patience that the lair was tidied up every weekend, preventing it from becoming the terrifying place of legend.

On the occasional quiet week with fewer heroes and less to clean, Gigi would retreat to its room at the end of the lair, open its little treasure chest, and contentedly polish the gold coins, one by one, until each shone brightly, its eyes narrowing into joyful slits.

This was Gigi's greatest hobby.

I once inquired where all the gold coins came from, and Gigi explained that a small portion was its salary from the organization, but most were won from the heroes. Every dragon that defeated a hero would receive some gold coins, which they'd then save in their little treasure chests.

"Every dragon gets a small treasure chest when they pass the assessment," Gigi explained, similar to how every certified hero receives a gold badge.

"What do dragons need gold coins for?" I was curious. I'd heard in tales that dragons loved to sleep on piles of gold and treasure, but such a bed would be uncomfortably hard. Gigi lived frugally, never indulging in expensive online purchases, so I couldn't see the need for hoarding so much gold.

"Saving for retirement," Gigi said, picking up the largest and roundest gold coin, breathing on it, and meticulously wiping it with a cloth. "Some dragons never become the ultimate villain. By regulation, once they fill their chest with gold coins, they can retire and leave the lair to live out their days."

The idea that dragons had to solely rely on themselves for retirement funds seemed a bit off, but what caught my attention was another point: "Dragons can retire?"

"Yes," Gigi nodded, changing its scales to an aged grey-white, mimicking an old, frail dragon. It coughed dramatically, struggled to breathe fire, and only managed to puff out a feeble smoke ring. "Some dragons get old and weak without becoming the ultimate villain. If they don't retire, they'll eventually be killed by a new hero."

I hesitated, wondering whether to tell Gigi about the hero's aura, but Gigi spoke first: "But only dragons without ambition settle for that. I'll definitely become the most formidable villain one day. Collecting these coins is just a hobby for me."

Holding up the shimmering coin in front of me, Gigi flaunted it with evident pride, "This coin is a limited edition, the last of its kind in the world."

The coin was embossed with the image of a fierce, fire-breathing dragon, majestic and imposing.

I swallowed the words I had intended to say.

Gigi, clutching the coin and admiring it, seemed utterly fascinated, "It's called the Fire Dragon Token."

Indeed, only a true dragon hobbyist would name each of their coins.