Chapter 86
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Lady with Red Eyes (3)
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"C-Create a person for me?"
The agent, who had been forcibly invited, stared at me in shock.
I nodded gravely, my expression serious.
"To be precise, I'd like you to create a fake identity for me."
A fictional person overlaid onto a real one.
Commonly known as a ghost identity.
It was a method the Intelligence Bureau used to protect field agents in danger—a technique teetering on the edge of illegality.
He opened his mouth very cautiously.
"Central Officer, sir. Isn't this a bit much to ask of the Immigration Control Office?"
Yeah.
This wasn't something I should be asking for.
Strictly speaking, it was outside my authority and could even be seen as a crime.
"I'm not asking for it to be used for anything illicit."
"I don't want to doubt your intentions, sir. You've never taken a single bribe or favor before. But... if it's about personal protection, isn't there the asylum system?"
Asylum system, huh.
He's right. We do have administrative procedures to protect people.
Erzena was under the Immigration Control Office's protection through exactly that.
'But that only applies to humans or races specified in the regulations.'
Dragons, as an ancient race, weren't listed in the rules. Hell, I didn't even know they existed until now.
And the asylum system meant that eventually, the information would go up the chain.
To the Foreign Affairs Ministry, then to the royal palace.
But Mnatsil's situation could never be allowed to follow that path.
'If this got out to the world, it could lead to total chaos.'
Other countries eyeing the symbolism of a dragon, factions craving its power, and those lusting after the money to be made from it all.
It was obvious this fragile kingdom, barely holding its balance, would be turned upside down.
And that wasn't all—how the people within the kingdom would react was unpredictable.
The Intelligence Bureau's "ghost identity" was the only option that left minimal records.
"It has to be a ghost identity."
"Haah... This isn't something we can handle in the field."
So it couldn't be whipped up on the spot, huh.
"Forging an identity isn't within a field agent's authority. And for a noble from a prominent house? That requires a ton of groundwork."
The agent stated it flatly.
"You'll need approval from the higher-ups."
In other words, talk to his superiors.
This was actually a good opportunity.
Melanie would handle it more smoothly.
"In that case, could I speak with the Intelligence Director right now?"
"Ah, that might be better. The Director will be thrilled to see you, sir. She's been quite worn out lately."
With that, the agent rummaged for his communication orb.
Just before infusing it with mana, something occurred to him, and he asked me.
"Oh, by the way... I heard Erzena and the princess are also at the office? Did something happen?"
"...Pardon?"
"On my way in, the Border Guard Captain out front was in standby mode or something—didn't move a muscle. Is that related?"
I suddenly remembered why he had come and what he wanted to say.
'News travels fast.'
I quickly racked my brain.
"Well... um..."
I couldn't exactly say:
A dying dragon showed up at dawn yesterday, so we shut down the golem, and it collapsed right there.
Elaine and Erzena saved it.
And now it's upstairs napping with the egg.
So instead, I said this:
"They used a lot of energy last night, so both are still sleeping from exhaustion."
"Used a lot of... energy?"
"There was an incident at night. A major event."
It was a big deal, so it wasn't a lie.
"A m-major event?"
The agent gave me an incredibly awkward look.
Had he picked up some weird ideas from visiting the Immigration office a few times?
"Please activate the orb."
The signal barely rang a few times before a response came.
The weary, hollow face of Melanie appeared.
- Agent R. What happened? Is Nathan okay? What's going on with those women?
She blurted it out without even checking the face on the other end.
"Melanie. Good day."
- ...Huh?
But at the sound of my voice, she froze.
"I was talking with the agent and needed to make a direct request, so I called."
- ...Call ended.
The orb went dark.
About 10 seconds later.
- Whirr.
The light came back on.
- Hey, honey.
Suddenly brighter lighting, and Melanie appeared with her hair down.
"...It seems I contacted you too abruptly. My apologies."
As if nothing had happened, she calmly sipped her tea.
- A surprise like this throws me off sometimes, but it's actually perfect timing. I had news you needed to hear anyway.
I decided not to mention she was drinking plain hot water without a teabag.
- Listen up. Last night at dawn, the defensive spells on the western and southern borders were breached. Sequentially, in a very short time.
"..."
Defensive spells.
I remembered.
[Anomalous mana flow detected. Southern border airspace defensive spell breached.]
The Guard Captain had said that right before fighting Mnatsil.
- But... both spells only show incoming mana flows—no traces of anything leaving.
Her face grew tense.
- Not many beings can breach defensive spells that quickly. It might be related to the western volcano collapse.
"...You think so?"
- Who knows. The dragon the western overseer mentioned could be in our kingdom right now.
It's right here.
Upstairs, napping while hugging the egg.
I held back the urge to say it.
- The Bureau's teaming up with the Magic Academy for a search, but don't let your guard down.
"I'll keep that in mind."
- So, what did you need me for?
I relayed the same request I'd made to the agent, and she raised one eyebrow.
- That's weird. You're not the type to ask for something like this.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
- Sorry for doubting you. But I need to know the reason.
"I can't reveal all the details, but there's one person who absolutely must be hidden."
- Just one, huh. High-value target?
She immediately questioned the person's worth.
The Intelligence Bureau didn't protect just anyone.
Only those deemed useful to the state or the organization—and they guaranteed absolute safety in return.
That was the biggest difference from the Immigration Control Office.
'Mnatsil's value.'
The answer came quickly.
"On the level of Erzena or the princess."
- ...
Did I really need to explain a dragon's value?
- Fine. If you're saying that much... there must be something to it. Got a specific identity in mind?
"The last survivor of the fictional Terenas family: Lady Mnatsil Terenas."
Melanie's expression hardened instantly.
- Lady? A woman?
"She's elderly and frail."
- Oh, advanced age? I was worried for nothing.
Her face relaxed quickly.
She was 1,291 years old, after all.
And she'd said her time was running out, so it wasn't a lie.
- But a lady... that's a tricky identity to fabricate. Any reason?
"It suits her best."
A commoner woman upstairs radiating an inexplicable aura? That would be even stranger.
High nobility fit perfectly.
"Is it possible?"
- It'll take time. Using names of fallen nobles passing through is easy, but creating one from scratch is work. And...
She hesitated slightly before continuing.
- Can we change that name?
"Pardon?"
- 'Terenas' is too ancient. You know it's from the mythic era, used by ancients? Feels off for now. And 'Mnatsil'... where'd that come from? Wait.
Realizing there was no teabag, she calmly brewed fresh tea but suddenly stopped dead.
Then, slowly—very slowly—she repeated the name she'd just said.
- Mnat...sil?
Melanie would know who owned the volcano.
- A high-value target on par with the princess and former saintess... that name... and the southern border spell breach...
She pieced it together.
Her eyes shook violently.
- H-H-Honey?
Her voice strained to hide the panic.
"Yep."
- Is it what I think it is?
"No idea what you're thinking."
It is.
Exactly what you think. Spot on.
But I couldn't hand over everything about Mnatsil to the Intelligence Bureau outright.
Mnatsil didn't want anyone outside this house knowing her identity.
Her true nature and the egg's existence needed to stay hidden.
'So, just drop subtle hints.'
I won't say a dragon's in my house.
Instead:
"By the way, for creating the ghost identity, here's some helpful background info."
I wove in the hints.
"This... Lady Mnatsil was attacked by bandits near the western volcano and had to flee in haste."
Everything that happened so far, including how I'd been forcibly chosen.
"Unfortunately, she's the sole survivor of her family. The volcano's activity destroyed her home, so she urgently sought my help."
Everything except the egg.
That had to stay secret from the Bureau too.
"That's the backstory. What do you think?"
There. All made up in my head.
Pure fantasy. Got it?
- ....
Melanie, having grasped my true intent, went pale as death.
To sum up what I said: There's a dragon in my house. Now you know too.
We're partner agencies.
Let's die together.
- Honey... this is a joke, right...?
The face of someone betrayed by a trusted ally. Or maybe struck by lightning on a clear day.
"Oh, and... I'd appreciate if this stays confidential. She doesn't want it spread."
The dragon doesn't want it out.
A deep furrow formed between Melanie's brows.
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
As Intelligence Director, she had to collect, classify, store, and report all domestic intel.
Meaning everything got documented and eventually sent upward.
But a dragon changed everything.
[The last frail dragon is in the Crossroad Kingdom.]
A sentence that would draw the world's attention, dangers, interests, pretexts, and desires.
For the Bureau, this was more explosive than a bomb—an ultra-classified secret that must never leak.
And I'd just dropped it in Melanie's lap.
Melanie silently gulped her tea.
But,
- Splurrrrsh.
The hot tea meant for her mouth poured straight down her chest.
"Uh... Melanie? You okay?"
- Yeah. Fine.
"Doesn't it burn? Tea's all over you."
- Yeah. Fine.
"..."
She's broken.
It took a while, but she finally regained her composure and spoke with a very, very, very deep sigh.
- ...Give me three days. I'll make it work somehow.
"Thank you for your cooperation, as always, Melanie."
The Bureau's the only one I can rely on.
- But in exchange... can I ask one thing?
"Of course. Go ahead."
- Why would a being like that... pick you specifically for protection?
"..."
That, I couldn't answer.
I was a victim too.
How would a chosen one know?
Meanwhile, in the western volcanic region.
- Rumble...
The second survey team, made up of desert folk, finally arrived at the collapsed volcano.
The man at the forefront surveyed the hellish landscape and muttered in disbelief.
"My god, this isn't just smashing a volcano—it's like they were trying to bring down the heavens themselves."
"Even the desert sands are starting to mix with ash. The fallout's reaching our oasis, and it's no small thing."
"Any survivors?"
The female desert scout, who had arrived earlier as advance party, lowered her hood and shook her head.
"None so far. Fortunately, the villages at the base evacuated just before the collapse, so they're safe. But we're keep finding bodies of foreigners we've never seen before."
She pointed to the site where workers were digging through the ash piles in the distance.
There, with every shovelful, dozens of charred corpses—burned crisp or buried alive—were unearthed alongside shriveled remains.
The leader clicked his tongue at the sight.
"Probably some idiot outsiders. Bet they stirred up trouble trying to hunt Draka like morons."
Draka.
Another name for dragon—and the reverent title given by tradition-bound desert folk.
He glanced down at a broken sword underfoot and said,
"Time is Draka's only predator, yet they rushed in and ended up like this..."
As the man said, the unearthed bodies were all heavily armed.
The woman shuddered briefly, then tapped the back of her neck three times with her right hand.
A ritual to ward off fear.
"That thing... is it really dead? The last Draka?"
"Who knows. That's why we're here, isn't it?"
That was when it happened.
- Pop!
Suddenly, a withered hand burst from the ground.
"Gah!? Wh-What the hell!?"
- Twitch, twitch.
Unlike the surrounding corpses, this hand moved with life.
The entire survey team realized what it meant.
"S-Survivor! There's a survivor here!!!"
"What!? Where, where!?"
"Help! We have to pull him up!"
The team rushed over and grabbed the hand, hauling it up.
Slowly, a man emerged.
"Cough, cough! Heugh, cough!"
Covered in wounds, skin blackened and burned, he crawled back to the surface in a pitiful state.
"Water, get water!"
"Gods, so many wounds on his body...!"
He was the first—and last—survivor found during the two-day rescue and excavation that followed.