Yes, that's part of it.
That's another part of it.
Another part of it.
Another part of it.
It's also a drain on party resources.
And lastly: the story is built on a Dungeons and Dragons shell.
Fighting a dragon is a thing. It's a good thing in and of itself.
I am still puzzling out what Eugene's return (convo with Roy) folds into at this stage of the game.