Adapting to the Rules, Part 4
While Flare was busy enjoying her dessert, Hyun spoke up, having a favor to ask of Silvere.
"Noona, I have a favor to ask. Can we talk for a second?"
"A favor? You must want something. I'll help you in a bit."
Perhaps wanting to get to know Flare first, Silvere promised to help him later and walked over to where Flare was sitting.
Hmm... This is bothering me.
How should I put it? The cafe owner is strange. It's almost as if she isn't human. Her aura is completely different from a human's.
She seems to be doing her best to hide it, but it's definitely different. To a dragon's eyes, it's clear as day.
Just as Flare was lost in these thoughts, the woman approached.
"Hyun? Mind if I join you?"
"To think there'd be a day you brought a girl here."
"I guess you could say I got curious. I have a few things to ask her. Here's my card—why don't you go out and play by yourself for an hour?"
The woman handed Hyun a credit card, sent him on his way, and then said something bizarre the moment he was gone.
"My, a fellow dragon? How old are you? Judging by your power, you're not exactly in a position to be wandering around alone."
What? A fellow dragon? She's a dragon? When she hides it so well that she barely even looks like one?
Hearing those words, Flare finally realized the source of the incongruity she had felt earlier.
This woman is an incredibly powerful dragon. I don't know where she's from, but... she's still weaker than me.
Flash!
To take control of the conversation, Flare unleashed her Dragon Eyes. It was a power she rarely revealed, as even ordinary dragons would tremble before it.
But the woman remained perfectly calm. Why? Is she the strongest dragon I've ever met? She can withstand this?
"Who the hell are you? To be completely unfazed by my Dragon Eyes... just how strong are you?"
"My, if you use those so carelessly, the humans around here would collapse just from a passing glance, you know?"
"It's a good thing I set up a barrier beforehand. I felt it at the park the other day, too, but there is only one being with this kind of presence."
"You're the Dragon Lord of this generation, aren't you?"
"I wouldn't know for sure, though, since I haven't been able to return ever since I was banished some three thousand years ago."
"Who on earth are you to know about him? Three thousand years ago?"
"Just how old are you?"
On guard, Flare let her horns and tail emerge.
"My, calling him 'that guy.' You possess the absolute symbol of a Lord—hair that never changes no matter what you do—so did the previous Lord do something to you?"
"Don't ask. You probably already know why I'm here. I shoved the guy who came with me into the exit and ran away."
"More importantly, who are you? No dragon has ever been this relaxed in front of a Lord."
"Fufu, are you curious about my name? Well, since I was banished three thousand years ago, there's no way any records of me would remain."
As the woman released her power, a presence rivaling that of a Dragon Lord washed over the room.
What? Banished? With that level of power, she's strong enough to go toe-to-toe with a Lord.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Silvere. Shall I introduce myself as the rival of the previous Lord?"
"As a defeated competitor, I was banished across dimensions. Unable to return, I've been wandering through other worlds."
"Defeated? You mean you actually fought the Lord?"
It was absurd. If she fought the Lord and only ended up dimensionally banished, it meant that if the previous Lord had let his guard down even for a moment, he would have lost.
Even if Flare fought him, her chances of winning were only fifty percent. It made sense that she was merely banished; it meant even the Lord couldn't kill his rival.
"Then let me ask a question first, Lord of this generation."
Silvere revealed her tail to Flare and asked:
"You said you ran away, yes? What on earth happened to bring you all the way here?"
"We have fifty minutes until Hyun gets back."
"I have no intention of forcing it out of you, so please, speak comfortably."
What is she playing at? I don't understand her intentions.
And for someone who had been banished, she was far too relaxed.
"I'll tell you when the time comes. For now, I just wanted to rest."
"You wanted to rest... That must mean they crammed this generation's Lord with knowledge as well as raw power."
"I know how it is. Back in my day, they chose the Lord based solely on strength, which meant the Lord was nothing but a powerful brute."
"It seems Hyun doesn't know yet. I take it you haven't told him?"
"To be honest, Hyun is far too kind. Picking you up and living with you like this..."
"Taking in a dragon without knowing how terrifying they can be... that's practically an illness."
"Lord, what is your name?"
"It's Flare. Not that I wanted to tell you."
"At least the Lord of this generation seems to have some common sense."
Common sense, huh? Well, the previous Lord certainly lacked it. Even Flare, as the current Lord, had to use all her strength just to keep him in check.
Silvere asked her:
"I'll talk to Hyun when he gets back, but you need an official identity, don't you? That's the only thing he would come to ask me for."
"Yeah, that's right. But why are you doing this?"
"Why? Did you think this country was completely unaware of dragons?"
"Dragons are openly written about in histories all over the world."
"Well, half of those records exist because I beat my pursuers half to death, ripped out their hearts, and dumped their corpses across the continents. That's how they know we exist."
"Of course, I maintain secret contact with the government here, but it's classified as top-secret, so only a select few know about it."
"Since we're fellow dragons, securing an identity for you won't be difficult. And if it's a favor for Hyun, of course I'll do it."
"Of course you'll do it? What is Hyun to you that you'd go that far?"
"Who knows? There's no need for you to know just yet."
"It's not like you look eager to fight to find out."
"Whatever. If you don't want to tell me, fine."
"Shall we hide our tails and horns now? It's almost time for him to return."
Flare hid her tail and horns, then spoke.
"So, Silvere. How old are you to possess such an immense presence?"
"How should I put it? I did say I was the previous Lord's rival, didn't I? Shall we say I've lived for about thirteen thousand years? Even I don't know the exact number beyond that. I am certainly one of the oldest dragons alive, though."
Thirteen thousand years? At that age, it made sense she could challenge a Dragon Lord.
However, it was extremely rare for an ordinary dragon, unchosen by the world, to live that long. While their natural lifespan was technically twenty thousand years, most dragons couldn't control their tempers, ran wild, let their guard down, and ended up hunted.
"What should I call you? Lord? Or Flare?"
"Just call me Flare."
"But you seem to have an identity here. What's your human name, Silvere?"
"My human name is Kim A-yeong, Flare."
Hyun saw A-yeong chatting with Flare.
Did they already become friends? Well, that's a good thing.
But since he had come to ask for a favor regarding Flare's official documentation, he wondered what he should offer in return.
"Noona, I'm back. It looks like you two got pretty close?"
"Yes, she's quite nice."
"So, what is it that Hyun wants to ask of me?"
"What do you need? I'll do whatever I can for you."
"Could you help me make an official identity? Flare needs one."
"An identity? Did she fall from the sky? Where did she come from?"
Since that was difficult to explain, Hyun simply said he didn't know.
"I don't know either. She just doesn't have one right now, so I want to get it sorted out."
He really is a terrible liar, Silvere thought, amused. He already knew Flare was a dragon, yet the foolish boy was pretending not to know just to help her.
But it didn't matter. She would always help him. Because he was Hyun. Because he was her one and only ■■.
It didn't matter if he never knew her true feelings. She would always protect him from the shadows, even if the world were to end.
"Alright, I'll take care of it. But let me ask a favor of you in return."
"Can I borrow Flare whenever I need her for a bit?"
Flare, who had been sitting quietly, stared intently at them before speaking.
"If Hyun says it's okay, I'll go with you. He's too nice to let you do anything bad to me anyway."
Silvere smiled and said:
"Then we're all done here, right? What are you two going to do now?"
"I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it."
"In that case, I'll head out to take care of this identity issue. You two should go home and rest."
"Thanks, Noona. Take care."
Silvere picked up her phone and dialed a number.
"Hello? It's me. I have an identity issue to resolve. Send a car for me."
"It's a matter of national security. If we're not careful, even I might be in danger."
Inside the President's Office, the President answered Silvere's call.
It was an exceptionally rare occurrence for Silvere to call the President directly. Even the previous president had never received a direct call from her. If she was calling, it meant the danger was indeed that great.
"Secretary, send a vehicle to this address immediately. Ask no questions, and bring her in quietly."
Silvere quietly entered the President's Office.
"You probably don't know why I called, do you?"
"This matter is quite serious."
Since they were already acquainted, Silvere sat in her designated chair, completely unbothered about hiding her tail and horns, and spoke with a grave expression.
"What on earth is going on that made you call in the middle of the day? Please, tell me."
"Hmm... A dragon has crossed over. A Dragon Lord, who is stronger than me."
"A Dragon Lord? Stronger than you?"
"Yes. She isn't as strong as the previous Lord, but even I can't guarantee a victory against her."
"Fortunately, my ■■ is taking care of this generation's Dragon Lord. Besides, the Lord herself has a very laid-back personality and doesn't seem to care for fighting."
"That is indeed a relief. Is the identity you mentioned for this Dragon Lord, then?"
"Exactly. That's why I called. Since she's the Dragon Lord, it's a blessing she ran into my ■■. If she had met some strange human, there's no telling what disaster might have occurred."
"That is fortunate indeed. But why did the Dragon Lord cross over to our world in the first place?"
"It seems she ran away. Apparently, this generation's Dragon Lord is forced to study and acquire knowledge. She probably fled to escape her studies."
"I see... Let us begin by discussing how to handle her official documentation, then."
Seven days had passed since Hyun's promise to Flare.
"Here, this is your smartphone. Noona told me your official ID should be ready by tomorrow."
"Tell her I'll use it well. Hehe~"
"I finally have a smartphone of my own!"
And so, Flare stayed up late playing with her new smartphone, barely managing to fall asleep just before midnight.
