The Crimson-Eyed Noblewoman (1)

The next morning.

"Whew... all right."

Melanie drew a deep breath, her face tight with nerves.

On the crystal orb before her, a line of text shimmered:

It wasn't as if she'd never seen it before, but it had been a while since the two of them had talked properly. A rare, precious chance to see Nathan's face. Melanie's fingers touched the orb.

Hmmm.

After a brief vibration, a response came through.

"This is the Southern Border."

"Hi, darling."

She offered the greeting with a voice that trembled just slightly. "Do you have a moment right now? It's important."

Defense magic had been shattered over the Southern Border, following hard on the heels of the same event over the Western Border. The instant she heard the news, Melanie had grasped exactly how things were unfolding.

The dragon has come to the Crossline Kingdom.

The Mage Society and the entirety of the Intelligence Department were already combing the kingdom from every angle, and the Central Office needed to be informed as well.

But the answer that came back held something she had never anticipated.

"Greetings, Director. This is Olfactory Officer Blaszek Winterfang."

A huge gray werewolf bowed his head inside the crystal orb.

"...Olfactory Officer."

She quickly checked her clock. Eight o'clock. The hour when Nathan would have reported for duty and started his workday.

Melanie said, calm and even, "The Central Officer, late to work? How remarkable."

"Ah, well, you see, ma'am — the Central Officer has taken sick leave, so this officer is handling his duties in his place."

"Sick leave?"

Of all the words least suited to Nathan Kell, that one made Melanie blink and echo it back in disbelief. This was the man who had dragged himself to work with harpy flu, the man who'd reported for duty on a broken leg caught catching smugglers. That man, taking time off because he was sick?

"I'll look into hospitals for him. Just give me a moment."

Instantly, the names of the most renowned physicians in the royal castle scrolled through her mind.

"Please calm yourself, Director. We only just heard the news ourselves. From what I'm told, the exhaustion he's been accumulating finally gave out on him in the early hours of yesterday morning."

The Olfactory Officer gestured toward the crowded immigration office behind him. "As you well know, things are absolute chaos right now because of the volcano collapse. We're seeing nearly triple the usual number of people coming through."

Come to think of it, it wasn't only the Intelligence Department and the Western Border that were being worked to death. Melanie's thoughts turned inward.

And Nathan's had one incident after another lately, hasn't he?

With a burden like the former Holy Maiden of the Holy Church under his roof, he probably couldn't even rest properly at home. And that wasn't all — now the Princess had been placed in his care as well, which meant his stress had doubled overnight.

My poor darling...

I'll have to boil him some mandragora stew and send it over later. With that thought, Melanie collected herself and continued smoothly. "Understood for now. Is there anything else I ought to know about Nathan?"

"Hmm, nothing especially noteworthy... Ah, wait. There is one thing."

The Olfactory Officer scratched his chin with a claw, and then his eyes lit up. "Lady Erzena and the Princess haven't shown up for work either."

In that instant, every movement Melanie made stopped.

A second, give or take. A fleeting moment so brief that no one could possibly have noticed anything amiss in it.

"...I see."

Melanie went right back to tidying her documents as if nothing had happened. Her voice hadn't changed at all.

And yet, though the sun was high in the sky, a chill began to creep through the Intelligence Department.

Ssssssssssss.

Without even realizing it, she was swaying the tip of her tail ever so gently — a distinctly lamia habit that surfaced whenever her mood turned sour.

Fortunately, the Olfactory Officer failed to notice. He only shuddered, fur bristling. "Brrr... hey, Gustatory Officer, shut the window, would you? Why'd it get so cold all of a sudden?"

"Olfactory Officer?"

"Ah — yes. Speak, ma'am."

"So let me get this straight. Nathan takes sick leave, and the two women who live under the same roof as him fail to show up for work at the same time?"

"That is correct."

She hadn't misheard.

Three young people living together under one roof, and all three of them had failed to come to work on the very same morning.

Sick leave. A day of rest granted only when the body can no longer endure.

Melanie understood very, very well what that meant. It wasn't something that required a Director's instincts to catch.

A woman's intuition. One of the most powerful instincts in existence was blaring warning signals at her like a lunatic.

"Er, Director? So, the reason you were contacting us was—"

"I'll be in touch later. Ending transmission."

Melanie cut the power to the crystal orb right in the wolf's face.

"..."

An ominous silence pressed down over the Intelligence Department office.

Sssssssssssssssssssssss.

The tail was swaying harder now.

Slowly, she touched the crystal orb again.

Hmmm.

What appeared within seconds was Agent R, dispatched to the Southern Border.

"Director. Do you have further instructions?"

"Agent R."

Melanie's voice was remarkably gentle. She raised her teacup with perfect nonchalance and said, "I'm issuing a special assignment. Top priority."

Top priority.

At those words, the agent's face went grave. "Purge of a traitor? Or the early signs of a mana rampage?"

"Something seems to have happened to the Central Officer, the former Holy Maiden, and the Princess. All three of them failed to appear at the office."

"All three...? Surely nothing's happened to the Central Officer—"

"That's exactly what we're going to find out. Go to the Central Officer's house this instant. And whatever you see, hear, sense, or are entrusted with there, you report every last detail to me. Not a single thing left out."

The dragon no longer mattered. The fact that defense magic had just been breached didn't matter. Well — no, it mattered. But still.

Grasping the gravity of the situation, the agent nodded. "Heading out immediately. Ending transmission."

And the crystal orb went dark.

"Hmm..."

Melanie held her silence for a long while, then let out a slow, steady breath. She murmured to herself, trying to claw back her composure.

"Nathan... wouldn't do that."

He was a thoughtful man, one who weighed every action before he took it. The man in this world most distant from beasts that lived on instinct alone.

The worry she was entertaining now was nothing more than a useless thought.

The Holy Maiden and the Princess, at the same time?

"Ha. Ridiculous."

What person on this earth would dare commit such madness?

So there was absolutely no reason to be shaken.

And yet the hand holding her teacup —

Rattlerattlerattlerattle.

— was trembling furiously, entirely ignorant of its owner's true heart.

"Uuuuuuugh..."

Slumped across the sofa, I let ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out a groan of pure misery.

I want to die.

Every inch of my body was screaming, and my muscles throbbed without mercy. Yesterday's early morning hours had been something else.

Hannah — one of the rare souls awake at this hour in this cursed house — came over to the sofa carrying a tray. "Central Officer, I brought you some tea and medicine for the muscle aches."

"Thank you, Miss Hannah."

"Don't mention it. You went through so much yesterday, sir."

That's right. I did it. I did all of it.

Carrying the collapsed Erzena and Elaine inside the house. Cleaning up the wrecked street as best I could. Gathering the spirits that had burned down to embers and tossing them into our fireplace. Draping a cloth over a completely unresponsive golem's head. Collecting the dragon-turned-human and her egg.

Yes, I did every last bit of it, damn it all.

And thanks to that, here I was in broad daylight, unable to even go to work.

"This is not what I signed up for when I became an immigration officer..."

Between groans, I asked Hannah, "By the way... how are the two of them doing?"

"Still asleep, sir."

Hardly surprising. Erzena and Elaine had both had to pour out every ounce of strength they had for a full two hours yesterday. They'd probably sleep soundly until this evening.

After a brief moment of acceptance, I ventured my next question carefully. "And the red-haired woman?"

The polymorphed dragon, too, was currently in this house. Hannah hesitated before answering. "...Sleeping as well, sir."

"Hmm. I see."

But I couldn't wait any longer. It's time I heard an explanation. The time had come to hear the full story behind yesterday's chaos.

I rose from my seat and made my way up to the second floor.

Creeeak.

I opened the door of the room at the very end of the upstairs corridor. Inside, a woman lay sleeping on the bed, and a massive egg sat bathed in sunlight in the corner of the room.

Zzz. Snk.

I dragged a chair over and sat down beside her.

"Mmm..."

A small breath escaped her. The woman — naked as the day she was born, a blindingly beautiful expanse of white skin — stirred and turned over. Hair very different from Hannah's lively red spilled luxuriantly across the bed, a mane that seemed sensual, almost burning with passion.

And yet she was, unmistakably, a dragon.

A mighty being who had been wounded and nearly dead — the very culprit behind the collapsing volcano. Such a creature now lay sleeping before me, utterly defenseless and fragile.

"Why on earth are you doing this to this officer..."

Just then —

Flutter, flutter.

Trembling eyelids. "Mmmnh..." Slowly, the woman opened her eyes.

Crimson pupils met mine.

"You're awake. I expected you to sleep longer."

"Is this hell? It's rather more comfortable than I imagined."

"..."

Not exactly a standard greeting, to say the least.

"You are alive."

"I... am alive?"

At my answer, she blinked. "Hold on. Are you not the Central Officer? Then this is... truly?"

"Yes."

She stared at me dumbfounded for a long moment — and then, all at once, her mind snapped into focus. "The egg. Yes — the egg! Where is the egg!?"

She bolted upright in bed, but immediately —

"Ungh..."

— she staggered and collapsed back onto the mattress. I hurriedly caught her by the shoulders and eased her back down. "Please, compose yourself. You bled terribly yesterday. You need rest."

"Hah, hah... That doesn't matter right now! W-where is my descendant?"

"The egg is unharmed. Right over there."

I pointed toward the corner of the room. Following my finger, she turned her head — and at last her eyes found her descendant.

"Ah... ahh..."

Her face slowly softened into relief. "Thank goodness... thank goodness... truly, thank goodness..."

Only then did she calm, settling her head back onto the pillow. "But how is it that I live? Where is this place? And why is my body in human form?"

I gave her a brief account of yesterday's events.

"Divine power and telekinesis, you say... So that is why I've taken this form. My mana has dwindled to the point that I can no longer sustain a dragon's massive frame."

The woman slowly examined her newly human body. "You should be thanking those two, not me. This officer contributed precisely nothing."

I shrugged. "And as for the favor you asked of me — I regret to say that I possess no power that would be of use to you."

Why did she come to me, of all people? If she was seeking some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mystical gift, I had none to give. "Instead, I can introduce you to those better equipped. First, I'll report to my superiors—"

"Absolutely not!"

She cried out sharply, all of a sudden. "That, above all, must never happen."

It was a decisiveness I hadn't seen from her before. Clutching the blanket to her chest, she frowned deeply. "Before long, the whole world will realize I've grown weak. And then... those who covet this egg will come crawling out again. It must not reach their ears."

Her voice dipped low, edged with fear.

Again.

The instant I heard that word, the wounds I'd seen on the dragon yesterday flashed through my mind.

"You've... been attacked before."

Those were certainly not old wounds. Right up until the moment she arrived here, she must have been fighting someone for her very life.

"Yes. And I cannot put the egg in danger a second time."

"But you have recovered, have you not?"

"In body, yes. But no power answers me any longer."

As she spoke, she gave her hand a small wave. Flick. Right before her palm, a flame no bigger than a candle's light flickered into being — and promptly winked out.

"Not even an ember remains. I am what is left after the burning... nothing but ash."

A bitter smile crossed her face. "My end has merely been postponed. I must count it a victory that I've bought time, at least. Though I cannot say how much I'll be able to endure."

"You're alive, aren't you? You should see your hatchling wake with your own eyes."

"Which is precisely why I would have you become this egg's guardian."

There it is again. Knowing full well it was poor manners, I deliberately scowled. "I believe this officer already refused. The answer is no."

No, thank you. I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rather catch a hundred illegal immigrants.

"Do not fret. In return, I shall bestow a reward more than befitting a human."

She waved her hand as though it were no trouble at all. Then she leaned toward me and whispered, her voice hushed and coaxing. "If you wish it, I'll give you mountains of gold. Take every treasure in my lair. Well? Does your heart stir a little?"

"You collapsed a volcano. Without leaving a single trace behind, I might add. What treasure could possibly remain?"

"Ah."

A brief silence. "I see... you are a man who values knowledge over gold, it seems."

The former dragon, now human, snapped her fingers. "You desire wisdom, then? I shall teach you every spell I know. Becoming a grand mage would be a mere matter of time."

"This officer is a mana non-adaptive, I can't use magic. Also, I thought you said you have no power left."

"Ah."

Another short silence. "Th-then..."

Embarrassment and sheepishness flushed both her cheeks a deeper red than her hair and eyes. Yanking the blanket away to bare herself, she presented her final option. "Then I shall grant you pleasure! A body like this is the thing males crave above all else!"

What is this insane dragon saying?

I pulled the blanket back over her and answered. "Civil servants get in serious trouble for accepting sexual bribes. Besides, I'm already laboring under exactly that misunderstanding at my workplace."

The Olfactory, Gustatory, and Hearing Officer trio had been singing 'flowers in both hands, a blazing night and a burning bed' every single time they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clocked in for over a week now.

"Er... um... th-then..."

I never thought I'd live to see the day a dragon racked her brains this desperately to make me her egg's babysitter. The whole spectacle was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped me.

"If I die, then, tell them you were the one who struck me down. Isn't the honor of dragonslayer a grand one?"

"Enough. Please, just die a little quieter."

"But—"

"I said enough. What you need right now, esteemed visitor, is absolute bed rest."

"...Ungh."

The crimson woman deflated all over again. In a voice utterly wilted, she asked, "Th-then what must I offer... for you to grant my request?"

Why do things like this only ever happen to me?

"Haaaah..."

With a long sigh, I rose from my seat.

"Wh-where are you going?"

Instead of answering, I unfolded the simple folding desk that sat in the corner of the room. Clunk. And from inside my coat, I produced a small hourglass.

"Ahem! Cough."

A short, deep breath. My uniform was the same as when I'd left work yesterday, so that was no problem. All right.

I straightened my posture and spoke in a low, measured voice. "It is a pleasure. This officer is Nathan Kell, Central Officer and Immigration Officer of the Crossline Kingdom."

I recited the phrase I knew better than any other. "Please state your name, your place of origin, and your reason for entering the country. You will be given five minutes."

Mnassil's eyes went wide as she realized what I was doing. "Y-you cannot mean... you are asking me, now, to submit to the discipline of humans?"

"This officer asks only one thing of you. If you seek aid — become an entrant."

There are no exceptions at the border. A dragon was no different.

At that, Mnassil stared at me blankly. "That is... all you ask for?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

I tapped the desk lightly as I answered. "Because this is this officer's job."

A duty is never a light thing.

However much I might have wished to help her with personal power, I could not. I lacked the ability, the reason, and the obligation alike. But the moment this dragon became an entrant, her protection became the Immigration Office's responsibility.

"Effective immediately, I will recognize you, your two fire spirits, and the egg as refugees displaced by external forces. If you cooperate in good faith with this entry inspection, then this officer, in turn, will employ every means available to safeguard you and your egg."

That was the most I could offer.

She stared at me with astonished eyes for a long moment — and then, slowly, smiled. "Ha, haha... AHAHAHAHA!"

And then she burst into unreserved laughter, her ample bare form shaking along with every laugh.

"Magnificent. Truly, truly, you are a man who surpasses all my expectations. My friends were right about you."

There she goes again.

"Now, I'll ask once more. Your name, your origin, and your reason for entry, please."

"Honest of nature, unmoved by temptation, with principles of unshakable steel... you, and only you, are fit to be my egg's guardian."

The dragon's crimson eyes sparkled as though she'd just discovered a treasure. "Your time is running, dragon. Speak quickly."

"Nathan Kell, Central Officer! Take my egg — I shall give you my everything!"

"Answer the question first, please!!!"

In the end, it was my patience that gave out first.