Seoul Dragon - Chapter 37

"...so, from now on, Yeonhwa will need to protect the Director's family and acquaintances."

"I-I'll gladly do it. It's not a difficult task..."

"Good. That's a relief."

The Vice Director let out a sigh of relief. The situation seemed to be working out well.

But... I wonder how exactly she'll protect my acquaintances.

"Um, but how exactly will Yeonhwa protect my acquaintances?"

"I-I can control bats that move according to my will, and th-they will protect people around you... Oh, they should be safe from most dangers. Those bats, they're created from my blood, so they're fine even in sunlight and they're very strong..."

"That sounds very convenient."

"Y-yes. I've helped the agent, oh, no, the Vice Director a lot with that..."

Wow.

Yeonhwa's abilities are no joke. According to her words, she has exceptional capabilities when it comes to protecting targets.

Moreover, it would be tremendously helpful in tracking down malicious mutants.

Like Choi Sia, the abilities of superior species are quite different from those of ordinary elves or vampires—they're truly extraordinary.

Anyway, with such safeguards in place, the possibility of someone trying anything foolish is practically zero.

Of course, someone might ask:

How can you be so sure about safety?

Isn't it too early to be confident in safety based solely on Yeonhwa's abilities?

But my intuition was telling me I could trust her.

What I felt when I first saw Yeonhwa wasn't simply about her appearance.

There was something... dangerous about her too.

Though she immediately shrank back afterward.

If Yeonhwa had been even slightly more malevolent, Korea probably wouldn't have been a habitable place. While I only know how to destroy, she could potentially control people.

'Controlling blood.'

Reflecting on it, I could now understand how threatening those words were.

Every human being on Earth would have to surrender their life to her the moment they stood before her.

Well... it probably wouldn't work on me.

My intuition whispers in my mind.

It doesn't work on me. My body is under my complete control.

Anyway, if someone that formidable is protecting the people around me, I'm more than willing to give her my blood or whatever else she needs.

"I'm not just praising Yeonhwa for no reason. Without Yeonhwa and Sia... Korea probably wouldn't be this peaceful."

"She's an amazing person."

"Ehe-hehe... I-I don't think I've done anything worth that kind of praise... I just get scolded by my mom all the time for staying cooped up in my room..."

"Have you ever properly told your parents what you do?"

"Um, no. I just suck blood in my room..."

"Oh my..."

Why does this person get scolded despite doing good things?

"You could just tell them the truth..."

"He-hehe. It's okay. I don't expect anyone to acknowledge me. But now that I have to come out as if going to work, I'll probably get scolded less by my parents!"

"That's good to hear..."

"Um, but Seohyun."

"Yes?"

"H-have you ever looked at the mutant community...?"

"Yes. I check it often, why?"

"..."

Suddenly, silence fell.

Oops.

"D-did you also see posts about va-vampires...?"

If you're going to hide something, hide it completely; if you're going to reveal it, make it clear.

And now is the time to reveal.

"Yes."

"Eee-eek..."

"But I also use the community a lot... so it's not weird or anything."

I said that while glancing at Yeonhwa. A sense of kinship, kinship.

In situations like this, it's best to emphasize being comrades.

"R-right?"

"Of course. Isn't everyone curious about how mutants live? Many of my university classmates also use it."

"R-really?"

"Yes."

"I-I see..."

Relief bloomed on Yeonhwa's face. People who use online communities are typically sensitive about such things. I know that well too.

The worry about whether others will think you're strange is a significant source of anxiety in human relationships.

She seemed like someone who had been burned by such concerns before, so it was necessary to help her set those worries aside as much as possible.

After all, we'll be working together from now on, so it would be a loss for both of us if things remained awkward.

Above all, since she's someone who's acting for my benefit, I wouldn't want her to feel uncomfortable around me.

"You can be more at ease with me."

"Th-that will take a bit more time..."

"Ahahah! I understand. When juniors try to speak casually with me, I also tell them to wait until we get closer, so you're similar to me."

"R-really?"

"Of course. I'm also quite shy. But since I'm technically the director, even if just a figurehead, I've made an effort to approach you. If there's anything that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know."

"Yes, yes! Th-then, could I have your nu-number..."

"Oh, here you go."

Her hand trembled as she handed me her smartphone.

In many ways, she's someone who needs to be handled with care.

"Th-then I'll now place bats around Seohyun. These children will protect the people around Seohyun from now on."

After saying that, she slightly waved her hand. And something amazing happened.

Droplets of blood that emanated from her fingertips formed the shapes of numerous bats.

"Now, my children. From now on, this person, Seohyun, is who you need to protect. You also need to protect all of Seohyun's acquaintances... Understood?"

It was such a vague instruction that I wondered if they would understand, but... the bat swarm made of blood droplets nodded as if they comprehended.

It's quite fascinating to witness the saying "understanding perfectly despite unclear instructions" in real life.

"G-good. Now go back."

The moment she said that, her bat swarm circled around my body.

Then, suddenly, they transformed into tiny brooches and spilled into my hand.

Tududududuk.

"Huh?"

"If you distribute those brooches to your acquaintances, those children will protect them when needed. Most mutants won't be able to handle them."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. They can infiltrate the opponent's blood and temporarily induce cardiac arrest. If desired, they could even kill with a heart attack, but... I don't particularly want to do that."

"...They're more terrifying than I thought."

"A-anyway, since we've finished our business for today, I'll be going now..."

"You're leaving already?"

"W-well... when I talk with someone I'm meeting for the first time, I suddenly get very tired..."

Ah, I immediately understand that feeling. Certainly, before I became a dragon, meeting new people would drain my energy rapidly.

"I know that feeling well. Then, get home safely."

"Yes..."

After saying that, Yeonhwa transformed into a bat and swooshed away.

"It seems like a lot has happened in a short time."

"Haha, indeed! But it seems you've managed to reduce Yeonhwa's burden quite a bit. Originally, when Yeonhwa first spoke with me, she couldn't even make eye contact for days."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes."

"Well, before I mutated, I also somewhat enjoyed staying cooped up in my room. I was a bit introverted."

"You, Seohyun?"

"Yes. That's why I'm now being called a fake loner."

"Oh, so your personality seems to have changed after mutating?"

"Yes. It's like my confidence has surged across all aspects of my behavior."

"Oh..."

"By the way, that Fairy-type mutant? You mentioned Yoo Harin? What kind of person is she?"

"She's completely opposite to Yeonhwa. Probably... when you first meet her, you'll be overwhelmed."

"I see..."

"She's someone who's very interested in others, so at first, it might feel quite bothersome. That's how it was for me."

"You, Vice Director?"

"Yes."

"Just how much..."

"Haha... You'll meet her soon enough, and then you'll understand. Anyway, let's finish up by taking a quick look around the agency today. Actually, you probably won't need to come here often. It seems that mutants have become more cautious since the last press conference."

This was news to me.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It seems they're being more careful since you announced you'd be handling all mutant crimes. Somehow, even mutants who were just testing the waters have disappeared."

"Oh... so it's having a definite effect?"

"It seems that what you did to that Demon-type mutant was significant. And since you also actively stated you'd combat mutant crimes... mutants can't help but fear you."

"True... that Demon-type mutant seemed quite strong. Oh, but now that I think about it, couldn't Yeonhwa have easily captured the Demon-type mutant if she had stepped in?"

"Haha, actually, that's not the case. While it's true that Yeonhwa is extremely powerful, that Demon-type mutant could somewhat resist Yeonhwa's abilities. Well, I'm not sure if it's a species characteristic or not..."

"I see..."

"So she could only wound him but not capture him, and there were quite a few casualties. There were good reasons why we were so cautious about the Demon-type mutant."

"It's fortunate we dealt with him then. Yeonhwa seemed extremely powerful..."

"Of course, if she had directly confronted him, she would have been powerful, but at that time, it had not been long since Yeonhwa mutated, so she hadn't fully realized her abilities. That's why she supported from her home using bats... Maybe if she confronted him now, the outcome would be different."

"Ah, that makes sense. It also took me quite some time to fully realize my abilities. Anyway, it was good that I spoke assertively at the press conference."

"Indeed. Thanks to that, life is a bit more enjoyable, haha!"

"So, are we done for today?"

"Yes, originally I wanted to introduce you to Harin, but she said she couldn't make it today... You'll probably meet her next time. Thank you for your hard work today."

"You too, Vice Director."

With those words, I returned to my residence.

And when I checked my smartphone, what I saw was...

Yeonhwa, showing a completely opposite demeanor from our actual conversation.

[Ha Yeonhwa: Hehehehe It was really nice to meet you today!]