Chapter 104
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: A Day Off (1)
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"I thought you'd never wake up again!!!"
"Ah, no. Lady Mnatsil. Just a moment—mmph."
Before I could even finish, she grabbed my head and yanked me into her bosom.
Skin met skin.
The warmth unique to a living—human—body, coupled with the faint, tickling scent of her flesh at the tip of my nose.
Being smothered by her mature, voluptuous figure was dangerous in more ways than one.
"Mmmph! Pwah! Why are you—mmph."
I barely escaped those massive mounds, only to be buried in them again.
"^#$%^@&@!!!"
"Thank goodness. Thank goodness..."
Mnatsil stroked my head, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Please back off a bit!!!"
Finally losing my patience, I shouted.
Only then did Mnatsil pull away—just a finger's width.
But that shout drew the attention of the other women in the house.
"This voice... Nathan!?"
"Eek!?"
"Central Officer!?"
Thud thud thud thud—bang!
The door flew open amid furious footsteps.
Erzena and Illein walked in—and saw everything.
Mnatsil straddling my waist, and me wriggling beneath her.
"..."
"..."
Silence.
An unprecedented, terrifying pressure of stillness.
I shook my head frantically and said,
"...I didn't do anything."
I bore no responsibility for this scene.
I'd just been sitting there.
I was the victim.
But the two women didn't spare Mnatsil a glance.
They only stared at me—me, wrapped in bandages, trying to escape her.
Slowly, their eyes began to redden.
"You're... really awake...!"
[You're alive. This isn't a dream...!]
They approached slowly, voices choked with sobs.
"Ah."
In that instant, I realized what they were about to do and yelled desperately.
"If you all jump on me too, I'll really die—"
Too late.
"Nathan!!!"
[Nathan!!!]
Before I could finish, the two leaped into my arms.
Thus, I endured two more body slams.
"Gahk!"
It hurt.
And then, I felt something hot soaking through my clothes from their chests.
"Hic... Nathan... you..."
[Don't ever do that again...]
For the first time, I saw them crying like this—so pitifully.
I couldn't bring myself to push them away.
"...I'm back."
Instead, I gently stroked their backs.
About 30 minutes later.
"Complete necrosis of the kidneys, stomach, and pancreas. Partial necrosis of the lungs, heart, and liver. Cardiac muscle failure."
Agent R, who had rushed over upon hearing I'd woken, spoke calmly.
"Intraocular hemorrhage, bronchial rupture, central nervous system paralysis..."
A litany of dire terms poured out.
Any one would be fatal in a human body.
"...That's the diagnosis when you collapsed, Central Officer."
"That's what I went through?"
"Precisely what the Border Guard Captain confirmed at that moment. There were also minor internal injuries and burst blood vessels besides."
"..."
How the hell did I survive?
As if reading my mind, the agent looked at me in wonder and said,
"You should have been buried by now, but Lady Erzena's holy power activated more powerfully than ever, averting disaster."
"I see."
As I gave a curt reply, he added,
"It's nothing short of a miracle."
A miracle.
Well, with holy power strong enough to heal a wounded dragon...
'She must've poured everything she had into it.'
If not for her, I'd have died right there.
I'd sensed it.
The moment I uttered the Dragon Tongue, I'd pay a brutal price.
The pain of my heart being ripped out alive was still vividly etched in my memory.
I turned my head and said,
"Thank you, Erzena. I owe you again."
"I'm just glad you woke up. I was so worried."
Erzena replied flatly.
But something was off.
"...Erzena."
"What?"
"The agent's watching."
"So?"
She was plastered to my right side, face buried in my shoulder, refusing to budge.
"Could you maybe back off a little?"
"No."
Flat refusal.
"I saved your life, so don't complain."
"..."
I was speechless.
'She must've been really worried.'
This was the woman who'd barely touched anyone, now clinging so tightly.
It had probably been since the sow incident—and that time on the sofa talking about the inspector—since she'd been this close.
And understandably so. Even I had felt death closing in.
To pull me back from that by miracle, her shock wouldn't fade easily.
Occasional sniffles came from her.
'No helping it.'
I couldn't shove her off coldly, so I gave up.
Instead, I addressed Illein, who was doing the exact same on my left, not moving an inch.
"Illein."
[No.]
I hadn't even asked.
"I'm fine now. No danger, so it's okay."
[I don't speak.]
That's the point—you communicate fine.
Why were these two, who weren't usually like this, acting up now?
I subtly tried to move my arms to slip free.
Squeeze...
Psychic force and holy power clamped my arms like vises from both sides.
"G-Gah! It hurts, it hurts!"
"Not letting go."
[Don't go.]
"O-Okay, just loosen up a bit!"
Those yellow and green eyes gleamed sharply, vowing not to release me.
No helping it.
With faint hope, I turned forward.
Toward Mnatsil, head buried in my chest, stock-still.
"Lady Mnatsil, could you at least back off?"
"Nay."
"We already had our tearful reunion. This in front of the agent is awkward."
Please, just you listen.
But she buried her head deeper, clinging like a limpet.
"I'm not awkward."
"I'm awkward. And you're heavy."
"Endure it. I'm savoring this reunion."
"...Do you know how rude it is for a grown lady to be on a young man's body like this?"
"Not embarrassed by that either."
She shot back.
Instead, she burrowed even deeper.
All three were utterly resolute.
I gave up and said to the agent,
"Sorry. They were all pretty shaken... Please don't misunderstand."
To outsiders, I'd look like the world's biggest playboy.
Thankfully, the agent shrugged understandingly.
"I get it. You were out for quite a while, so everyone was worried sick."
Hold on.
Quite a while?
It sounded like I hadn't woken right away.
"How long was I out?"
I asked, dreading the answer.
He hesitated, then pointed to the calendar on the wall.
Tuesday.
The dragon hunter takedown was definitely Saturday...
"Three days."
Oh, merciful gods.
Chills ran through my entire body.
"Th-Three days? What about the Immigration Control Office!?"
"Business as usual."
Oh, heavens.
Seventy-two hours without me on duty?
What kind of nightmare was this?
"Don't worry. While you were unconscious, the Olfactory Officer handled things as acting head."
"Olfactory Officer?"
Surely the distant wail of a werewolf was my imagination.
"And... something even more important."
What could be more important?
But following his pointing finger, I had to concede.
"Kirva."
The egg I'd named sat right beside the agent.
I instantly grasped the situation.
"...How much do you know?"
All I'd told Intelligence was that the volcano's owner was here.
Everything else was classified.
The agent replied gravely,
"Everything. The egg, and that you spoke Dragon Tongue."
"..."
They knew it all.
Suddenly, Mnatsil spoke resentfully.
"Central Officer. 'Twas a recklessly foolish act."
What now?
"Wh-What do you mean?"
"All of it. Naming my child. Swearing to protect me and Kirva."
She finally peeled off me and approached the egg.
"Naming binds souls as one. Even in human tongue it holds, but in Dragon Tongue... unyielding."
"I just didn't like calling it 'egg,' so it was temporary... Change it if you want."
But Mnatsil shook her head firmly.
"This child's name is Kirva. So decreed—by your will."
"..."
I'd unwittingly named her kid.
"And the world accepted your oath. You're Central Officer—and something more."
She picked up Kirva and looked at me.
"Dragon Guardian."
A grandiose, burdensome title.
But it didn't end there.
"And... my mate."
"What!?"
Mnatsil dropped the bombshell.
"!"
"!!"
Illein and Erzena, who'd been motionless against my shoulders, snapped their heads up.
Their eyes flashed—or so it seemed.
I shook my head frantically.
"W-W-Wait a sec! Lady Mnatsil, hold on! That's not what I meant!"
Why would I be your mate?
This could spell disaster.
But Mnatsil placed a hand on her chest and murmured,
"You swore on your name, in Dragon Tongue, to protect Kirva and me. An unbreakable vow for life."
"Thus, I decide: We shall protect you."
"What else is that but mates?"
Oh, heavens.
So I'd said, "I'll protect you and your child with my life," and she'd taken it not as duty, but personal oath?
She took my hand gently, sealing it.
"...I gladly accept this life. As you accepted me."
"Uh..."
Uncharacteristically serious, blushing slightly, she met my eyes squarely.
I couldn't utter "misunderstanding."
Then Erzena murmured lowly beside me,
"Nathan. Swear it quick."
"Huh?"
"Swear!"
"Swear what?"
"Swear you'll protect me too—on your name!"
"..."
What was with her?
"I'm already protecting you as a provisional refugee—"
"Not that."
She cut me off sharply.
"'Central Officer Nathan Kell shall protect Erzena Selaph forever.' Say it. I deserve to hear it."
Her eyes were scary.
Meanwhile, Illein had levitated a paper reading [Centennial Protection Oath Contract] and shoved it at my cheek.
"Uh."
Squish, press.
Don't use telekinesis like this.
"I-Illein, wait..."
"Uh."
A voice more resolute than ever.
Agent R, who'd watched silently, grinned like the Auditory Officer.
"Asymmetric marriage registrations go through the Interior Ministry, you know."
"...Don't you start."
"Kidding."
You're starting to resemble the Sense Officers.
"Unfortunately, the situation isn't all rosy."
"..."
"You only told us about the volcano's owner. But with the egg here—and you speaking Dragon Tongue confirmed..."
His tone grew solemn again.
"We must report to His Majesty."
King Rio.
The heavy name echoed after so long.
"Once reported, he'll surely summon you to the palace."
He was right.
Mnatsil, last dragon and volcano mistress.
Kirva, her offspring.
My Dragon Tongue oath.
Each was top-secret to Intelligence.
Not reporting would be dereliction.
He hates the Church.
But I lived thanks to Erzena's holy power.
What would the king think?
Or rather...
Who was that being I met in my dream?
Questions piled up endlessly.
Even after slaying the dragon hunter heavyweight, mountains of issues remained.
"No rest for the weary..."
I muttered, sinking back into the pillow.
"The good news: nothing's leaked outside. You acted fast that day—only a handful know about the dragon and beyond."
"Comforting."
Not really.
Too many massive events in a row.
"But your condition screams absolute rest."
"I'm good now. Thanks to Erzena, I'm fine... urk."
Trying to sit up—my body screamed.
The agent shook his head.
"Holy healing worked, but the captain said absolute rest."
"Three days off already—any more, and the Sense Officers might kill me."
Vivid in my mind.
Their wrathful faces after 72 hours of overtime.
Even now, they'd gripe endlessly.
Seeing that, he pulled a crystal orb from his pocket.
"Then take this orb. How about a talk with Minister Carton first?"
The minister.
Right, Tuesday today.
Weekly report was Monday.
Missing it, he'd know something was up.
"How much does he know?"
"Reported the outline already."
Good.
Time for a full report and advice on next steps.
No reason to refuse.
"Please connect us."
He'd have better ideas than me.
The moment the orb activated, the minister spoke.
—Take a vacation.
"...Pardon?"