"What? Father, you can’t be serious! Giving our own food to those hunters, that’s, that’s, that’s just graaaaAARGH!"
Together with her angry outcry, Chief Foreman Hammerwork swung her hammer in the air so energetically, I was afraid she might accidentally hit herself. The girl was red-faced and almost steaming with anger.
I took a step back.
"C’mon, c’mon… It’s all for the greater purpose, Hammerwork!"
"What purpose? You just want to feed them! This is against the Empire!" Hammerwork stomped her feet. "A betrayal!"
Before I could say a word, Beemarine Destroyer stepped from behind my shoulder, cupping her hammer with her palm, and glared at the Chief Foreman like she was already snapping the other bee’s neck.
"Don’t you dare to talk about Father like that! You are just too stupid to understand his great mind and knowledge!"
Hammerwork paled.
"I, um, y-yes, I was just—"
"Destroyer, Destroyer, stop bullying your sister!" I said, gently pushing Destroyer and her hammer away. Then I turned to Hammerwork.
I didn’t want to terrify my daughters with punishments, but some discipline had to be done. Usually I had Ambrosia near for that… but I could do it myself.
"Hammerwork, you don’t need to understand all your orders, but you must *do* them. If everybody questioned every order they got, the Empire would’ve collapsed before it could be built! Dealing with dragons isn’t your specialization, so… leave planning it to others."
She lowered her head in shame.
"I understand, Father. I’m very sorry! It’s just that the thought of feeding our hunters fills me with so much anger!"
"Yeah, I get it." I patted her shoulder sympathetically. "But sometimes we have to do things we don’t like to get things we like. Sometimes… oftentimes…"
Hammerwork nodded, and thankfully, didn’t protest the plan afterward.
Following my orders, her haulers carried packages of fresh meats and hundreds of pollen flatbreads to the same place as yesterday.
It was three times more food than the last lure had, since there were three dragons today, but still only 6 units worth of it or so. A negligible amount on the Empire’s scale.
This time, the dragons got near it even before all the haulers had the time to return to the camp. The slowest one to leave was caught in a wind wave from the wings, but to my relief, after some air tumble, flew away unharmed.
From my observation spot 50 meters away from the feeding place, I watched the dragons land and exchange some guttural growls and calls.
They sounded and looked *nothing* like crows. Massive beings that any fantasy fan loved—dragons. The only reason I and my bodyguards were this dangerously close to them was because I wanted to look at them properly.
But despite not looking like crows, the dragons behaved just like them!
And that’s what my plan was all about.
I doubted it would be possible to get rid of those beasts at all without attacking them outright. They must’ve smelled or saw the cooking of the army chefs today—the dragons had a very high perception attribute.
But they were oblivious that I tried to kill one of them. They thought I was feeding it!
So right now, instead of trying to poison them, I fed them perfectly normal, delicious food.
I was going to feed them until they got used to being fed. I would tame those dragons! The Empire already had the "Animal Husbandry" technology, too!
It’d be easier if I got one of them as a baby, but even adult wild animals could be taught some tricks.
Domestication of a dog became with throwing a bone to a hungry wolf!
This time, the dragons barely hesitated before going for the food. This time, the dragons didn’t have to pick out tiny pieces—there were no rocks inside, and the dragons saw it.
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They devoured the food with gusto, leaving nothing behind. Instead of leaving immediately, though, they began to wander around, as if hoping for any more food to appear.
Sometimes, they would look right at me, and I wondered if they understood where their food was coming from.
"Father, it’s too dangerous to stay here without more Warriors to protect you," Destroyer said gruffly.
I shook my head, smiling.
"You were here, Destroyer, when I explained the plan to Hammerwork. You know we will have to get even closer to them! And look, the dragons are smart enough to not attack random bees… especially when they got easier and tastier food already."
Destroyer shook her head.
"I understand your plan, Father, but at least bring more guards with you when you do it!"
I hummed.
Well, those *were* wild beasts, despite being less aggressive than some other flying predators.
"Alright. Say… five dozen?"
"Five dozen? Take the entire army! Or at least only the best of the best: all the Beemarines."
The dragons exchanged some more grunts, then one of them took off and flew away. I expected others to leave soon, too—and come back tomorrow. Possibly with more friends.
More dragons for me to tame!
Which included getting them used to having bees near.
"Yes, that’s a good idea, Destroyer. Alright, let’s go back for now—I think the other two will leave soon as well."
One did, but the third dragon lingered near the siege for several more hours before eventually flying away. Bees in the camp didn’t like it at all, and I had to spend two hours just convincing everybody that it *probably* won’t attack. At least, while we are all awake.
This night, our defensive patrols were especially alert, which helped when an unknown feathered lizard-beast tried to get into our food stores.
It was killed with spears and cooked the next morning.
The dragons came in a triad again, and were met with the same amount of food—and five hundred Beemarines who were sitting only a couple dozen meters away from it.
And I was right with my daughters, wondering what the dragons will do next.