“Hello.”
From the Green Dragon’s mouth flowed out fluent Korean.
[Fallen Babel (S)]
It was a skill enabling the use of languages and letters of every country, and was one of the skills dragons learned from birth.
“Why did you come looking for me?”
“Because I have a business.”
“So you came here knowing who I am?”
“Of course.”
Yu Jitae looked at the dragon’s face. It gave off a strange atmosphere that did not reveal what the inner thoughts were.
Silence enveloped the two for a short while.
Until now for Yu Jitae, dragons were bombs he hoped to hide without letting them ever explode. For that reason, over the hundred years of repeated regressions, the amount of conversations he had with the dragons did not go over 20 sentences a year. There just wasn’t a reason for him to talk with bombs.
However, he now found it necessary to talk and for the Regressor who was more used to swords than words, it was an unfamiliar experience. Carefully, he opened his mouth.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes.”
The response came immediately, and at that it was an answer he had not been expecting.
Did she know from the start?
“Who am I.”
“Yu Jitae”
“Where did you hear that name from.”
“It’s written on your chest.”
Chest? Now that he thought about it, he was wearing the superhuman police uniform which had a name badge on it. He had come out in random clothes since blocking the eyes and ears of others wasn’t even considered a task.
He faced his hazy gaze at his chest before raising his head. The dragon had a strange smile on its face.
“I’m joking. Honestly, I don’t know who you are but I do know one thing.”
“What is it.”
“It’s been about one year since I’ve come here, and because I like travelling, I’ve been to all sorts of places. Yet I’ve never seen or heard about any human as strong as you. And it’s also my first time…”
The Green Dragon cautiously chose its words.
“…seeing a human as dangerous.”
Though young, it was still of the green race. The Green Dragons can read Providence. In the world, there’s some kind of pattern that is shared throughout the worlds and following such patterns, objects and phenomena can be observed in depth or something but for a human like himself, it wasn’t something that could be known and he wasn’t interested in it in the first place.
“Did you come here to kill me?”
“No.”
“Then? Do you feel a sexual lust for dragons?”
“No.”
“Or is it an abduction? A kidnap?”
“Similar.”
“What are you planning to do after kidnapping me?”
“Keeping you nearby.”
“Why?”
“No need for you to know.”
Seeing Yu Jitae’s attitude of only saying the words he wanted to, the Green Dragon closed its mouth for some time. Then, it looked at the cracked tiles on the road and contemplated something before reopening its mouth.
“What if I disagree?”
“I’ll still take you.”
“By force?”
Yu Jitae did not give a response.
“Are you going to do something bad to me?”
“I’m not planning to.”
“It’s similar to a kidnap. Then you’re already doing a bad thing.”
I see.
“But, after taking me, you won’t do anything bad?”
Once again, Yu Jitae did not give a reply but the silence replaced a yes. The Green Dragon contemplated but it felt like it was not thinking of rejecting him in the first place.
That was a decision that suited its nature as a green dragon that did not go against Providence. If Yu Jitae decided to take itself by force, the dragon knew that no matter how much it tried, there wouldn’t be any meaning to it.
“I found this place to my liking though.”
“Right.”
“It’s my first time staying at a place for more than half a year, you see.”
“Nothing will change even if you whine.”
He then stared at the green eyes without saying another word. The reason dragons were great came from the countless histories built up through their life. In other words, although a dragon, hatchlings were literally babies. They did not know much and the world would appear amazing yet frightening.
However, the Green Dragon was so calm that it even appeared mysterious.
“Alright. Let’s go then, ahjussi.”
It suddenly started walking up to Yu Jitae.
Ahjussi?
“I’m going with my own feet.”
“What?”
“I’m not going because Ahjussi kidnapped me, and I’m going with my own legs. I’m a guest, not a victim, and ahjussi is not a kidnapper either.”
“And?”
“So please treat me nicely like a guest.”
It naturally walked up and reached its hand out towards Yu Jitae, as if it had already seen what would happen from now, and how Yu Jitae was planning to go back.
He did not dislike the dragon’s naturalness. Although he had met it several times already, it was his first time seeing such an attitude so it even felt slightly refreshing.
But that was the end to the slight interest he had.
“I think you’re misunderstanding something, but I’m not that good a person and this is not a joke.”
His voice sounded gloomy, as if a sticky mix of poison flooded within. For the Regressor, this was like a job where he had to bring a tiger into his house. If he didn’t put a tight leash on it just because it was young, it could grow to be an uncontrollable menace in the future.
Even he had had precious things that stayed with him for a long time. At least in his first two to three lives, he had loved ones imagining the future with and had vowed to definitely succeed.
However, when the last day finally came, everything excluding himself turned to ashes and in the ruined world where everyone had left, he was alone.
Every time.
Yu Jitae slowly opened his mouth.
“From now, you have to stay near my sight, and at a place where my eyes and ears can reach, you must do things I know. If you listen to me, you will never be harmed but if you do not listen to my words, then I cannot promise you anything. Do you think my words are cruel? Even then you must endure it, because this is the most I can do for you.”
“…”
“This is different from the world you have been living in. If you look at it from closer, there are lots of dirty and disgusting things and I’m planning to protect you from this dangerous world. But if you walk outside the fence I put on, I’ll become a slightly more dangerous guy and there are no fences in this world that can protect you from me. Do you understand those words?”
Condescending words, in a monotone voice. But when those things came out of his mouth, they had more pressure than any threats could have had. Even then, the Green Dragon kept a calm expression on its face but when Yu Jitae reached his hand out to grab its hand, it suddenly closed all other fingers except for the little finger.
“You said you’ll never harm me if I listen well. Can you promise that?”
A kid was still a kid.
Yu Jitae wrapped his little finger around and felt the tiny, white hand faintly trembling. He thought it was full of leisure but that didn’t seem to have been the case.
“I promise.”
Immediately after, the male and female disappeared from the streets.
***
Next morning, the sun rose up.
It was a weekend but the Lair District Police Force was rustling from early morning. Because of Jo Hosik, all the members of the Superhuman Investigation Force had gone outside to lie in wait.
Yu Jitae wasn’t an exception.
“Then, I have accepted the command.”
Yu Jitae wearing the uniform bent his back in a right angle, but the one accepting the bow was also Yu Jitae.
[Shadow of an Archduke (SS)]
It was a split copy of himself that could use up to 50% of the original body’s abilities. It was originally used by a demon world’s Archduke to show itself and have influence in distant nations but was currently being used to substitute attendance for work.
Yu Jitae casually waved his hand at his copy, and receiving a command to ‘go and casually do whatever you’re told’, the copy headed towards the Lair. As usual, Yu Jitae lied on the sofa and read the newspaper.
“Nn, hmm…”
That was when the Green Dragon walked out from his room wearing the pyjamas he had bought. He made it sleep in his own room, while he slept out on a sofa in the living room.
“Hello.”
Despite being a dragon, and despite having been kidnapped, it seemed to have gotten a good sleep and casually rubbed its eyes as the disheveled hair sparkled in morning light.
“What’s for breakfast?”
“Breakfast?”
“We need to eat. You didn’t eat anything yesterday either.”
“Ah.”
“… Don’t tell me, you haven’t been eating until now?”
He did eat once, with his colleagues.
“What about you. Do you have a meal every day?”
“Yes.”
“Why? You don’t even get hungry.”
“I become happy when I eat something delicious.”
I see, he thought and didn’t think much about it but then, the Green Dragon asked a question.
“Is there nothing you want to tell me about? We didn’t talk much yesterday.”
Not really.
“Like, things to be careful of when living here. Things ahjussi likes or hates and things you’re expecting from me – there should be things like that.”
“There isn’t.”
“Didn’t you tell me to listen well?”
“Just stay here. From now, your friends will all come here and you just have to live with them together.”
“Really? Can I go outside as well?”
He gave a nod in response. It didn’t matter whether they walked outside and the important thing was whether they remained in the area his influence could reach or not. If a dragon decided to hide its presence, it would be difficult even for himself. Though he would definitely be able to find it, he would be slightly annoyed.
“If you want to do something, you can do anything. If you want, I will do anything for you.”
“Wow.”
“In return, don’t do anything behind my back.”
“Anything?”
“Right, anything.”
“Even going to the bathroom? Even a menstruation?”
Silence replaced his reply because he knew dragons did not have menstruations.
“I’m just joking. Ah, I just thought of something I want to do today.”
“What is it.”
“I want to go shopping with you ahjussi.”
“What?”
“Please eat something first. I’ll prepare it.”
It was an unexpected offer.
*
Yu Jitae went shopping with the Green Dragon. From the streets to the markets, eyes of the surrounding people, regardless or age and gender gathered at the dragon.
“Hey, look at that…”
“Wow that’s crazy… maybe she’s an actress or something.”
“The person next to her looks extremely scary though.”
“Let’s not look at him…”
He could hear the murmurs of the surrounding people. Words of admirations were heard continuously but when their eyes met with Yu Jitae’s, they would hurriedly turn their heads away.
On the way back after buying some groceries, he thought that getting an ID card while they were at it would be nice and looked for a broker he knew in an alleyway. The broker had an eyepatch over one of his eyes and faced the uninjured eye repeatedly and glanced at the Green Dragon’s face.
Evidently, he appeared surprised.
“Huh… wow. Is that lady on the side your lover, boss?”
Yu Jitae ignored it and the Green Dragon also pretended to have not heard it. Even then, the man’s eyes turned and hands stopped every few seconds so Yu Jitae opened his mouth.
“Should I gouge out your remaining eye as well?”
“Sorry? Ah, ah, no that…”
“ID card.”
He growled with a voice resembling the screeching noise of metals.
“I, I understand…”
Only then did the man resume moving his trembling hands in fear.
Yu Jitae was used to those reactions. A beauty that cannot be protected became a poison and that had also become a reason for the Apocalypse before.
Then, the broker gulped and started throwing glances at Yu Jitae. He repeatedly did that and right when Yu Jitae was about to get slightly angry, he asked a question at the Green Dragon.
“U, um…”
“Me?”
Even her voice is beautiful…! thought the broker before quickly hiding his expression.
“That, what would you like to do about your name miss?”
“Name? Ah, name?”
Going ‘hmm’, the Green Dragon faced Yu Jitae.
What was there to ponder. There are four dragons. You just had to find a random list of words so that it wasn’t confusing.
“Bom.”
The next ones could be called Yeorum, Kaeul, and Gyeoul and that should do it*.
“A, and, the last name…?”
“Yu.”
It was because he himself had the last name Yu.
“Yu Bom. I understand.”
It was fortunate that there were four dragons. Had there been three, they would have been called something random like Scissors, Paper, Rock, and if there were seven, they would have been Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“Here it is. It has been completed.”
After that, the two of them walked around the city and bought some necessities. While they were at it, Yu Jitae decided to get a hologram watch and also requested a cheque card under Bom’s name.
There was nothing to worry about, as money was something the Regressor could grasp in his hands whenever he wanted.
*
On the way back from shopping. The Green Dragon looked blankly at the identification card in its own hands before looking at Yu Jitae walking in front. Something bigger than the difference in height from other humans could be felt from his back.
The dragon would be filled with anxiety whenever it looked at him.
This person was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
He was definitely a murderer, and perhaps once was a tyrant, and once may have been an existence that murdered its own brethren.
Its Eyes of Providence were warning itself realtime; even now, that that being was dangerous. However, it was already caught in his hands.
While having such thoughts, the Green Dragon’s eyes returned back to the Identification card in its hands.
***
Yu Bom (Female) xxxxxx-xxxxxxx
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Nonhyeon-dong 123-332
***
Bom (Spring).
The season of life that visited the earth. It was a beautiful name that suited her really well.
Perhaps this man wasn’t as dangerous as he seemed to be. Both last night and today, she was safe and he wasn’t threatening.
Bom once again looked at the man and found a large, wide back. Although she still felt frightened, if she saw it in a different light, it also appeared like a castle wall wetted with blood.
Thus, Bom decided to watch for a little longer.
* Bom = Spring
Yeorum = Summer
Kaeul = Autumn
Gyeoul = Winter