Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Yeon-hwa's Guardianship
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"......So, from now on, Yeon-hwa, you'll need to protect the Agency Director's family and acquaintances."
"I-I'll gladly do it. It's not a difficult task at all......"
"Good. That puts my mind at ease."
The Deputy Agency Director let out a sigh of relief. Things seemed to be working out quite well.
But...... I had no idea how exactly she would protect my acquaintances.
"Um, but how exactly will Yeon-hwa protect my acquaintances?"
"I-I can control bats that move according to my will, and th-they'll protect the people around you....... Ah, that should keep most dangers at bay. Those bats are made from my blood, so they're fine in sunlight and incredibly strong......"
"That sounds really convenient."
"R-Right? I've helped you out a lot with that, Agent—er, Deputy Agency Director......"
Good heavens.
Yeon-hwa's abilities were no joke. As she said, she had exceptional talents for bodyguard duty.
They'd even be a huge help in rooting out vicious mutants.
Sia was the same—upper-tier species had abilities that were nothing to scoff at, unlike typical elves or vampires.
In any case, with safeguards like that, the chances of anyone pulling funny business were practically zero.
Of course, someone might ask.
How could I be so sure about the safety?
Wasn't it too soon to be confident based solely on Yeon-hwa's abilities?
But my instincts were telling me otherwise. That it was safe to trust her.
The first impression I'd had of Yeon-hwa wasn't just about her looks.
I'd also sensed...... a hint of danger.
Though she'd shrunk back right after.
If Yeon-hwa had been even a little more malicious, Korea probably wouldn't be a livable place anymore. I only knew destruction, but she could outright control people.
'Blood domination.'
Chewing on those words made their threat crystal clear.
Every human on Earth would hand over their life and death to her the moment they stood before her.
Well...... not me, probably.
My instincts whispered in my mind.
It wouldn't work on me. My body was under my complete control.
Regardless, if someone that overwhelmingly powerful was guarding my loved ones, I'd gladly offer up as much of my blood as needed.
"I'm not praising Yeon-hwa without reason. Without her and Sia, Korea probably wouldn't be this peaceful."
"Impressive."
"E-Ehehe...... I-I don't think it's that big a deal....... Mom just yells at me to get out of my room......"
"Have you ever properly told your parents what you do?"
"N-No. I just...... suck blood in my room......"
"Oh dear......"
Why did she do such good deeds and still catch flak for it?
"You should just tell them the truth......"
"Hehe. It's fine. I don't expect anyone to acknowledge it. But now that I'll be 'going to work,' Mom won't nag as much!"
"That's a relief......"
"Um, Seo-hyun."
"Yes?"
"H-Have you, um, ever seen...... the mutant community?"
"Yes. I check it often."
"......"
A sudden silence fell.
Oops.
"H-Have you seen...... the vampire-related posts too......?"
If you're going to hide something, hide it all the way. If you're revealing it, do it fully.
And now was the time to reveal.
"Yes."
"Eek......"
"But I post a lot on the community too...... so nothing weird about it."
I said that while glancing at Yeon-hwa, appealing to our shared kinship. Kinship.
That's what you do in moments like this.
"R-Right?"
"Of course. Everyone's curious about how mutants live, aren't they? Even my college friends check it out a lot."
"R-Really?"
"Yes."
"I-I see......"
Relief washed over Yeon-hwa's face. Community users were always sensitive about that stuff. I knew it well.
Worrying about people seeing you as weird was a major anxiety in social interactions.
She seemed to have been burned by it before, so I needed to ease those concerns as much as possible.
We'd be working together long-term, after all—awkwardness would hurt us both.
Above all, I wanted her comfortable around me, since she was going out of her way for my sake.
"You can treat me more casually."
"I-I'm not ready for that yet......"
"Ahaha! Sure. I have juniors who always say they'll drop the formalities once we're closer, and Yeon-hwa's the same."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. I'm shy around new people too. Even though I'm technically the Director, I approached you first, so if anything feels off, just let me know."
"Y-Yes! Th-Then, um, your number......"
"Oh, here."
Her hand trembled as she handed me her smartphone.
She was someone who needed delicate handling in many ways.
"A-Anyway, I'll deploy the bats around you now, Seo-hyun. These kids will protect the people close to you from now on."
With that, she flicked her wrist lightly. Something astonishing happened.
Blood droplets bloomed from her fingertips, forming the shapes of countless bats.
"Come on, kids. From now on, this person, Seo-hyun, is who you need to protect. Guard her acquaintances too....... Got it?"
The instructions were so vague I doubted they'd understand...... but the bat swarm made of blood droplets nodded as if they did.
Seeing a proverb like "they get it perfectly even if you explain it terribly" come to life was pretty amazing.
"Good. Now go inside."
At her words, the bat swarm swirled around my body.
Then, they suddenly morphed into tiny brooch shapes and poured into my hand.
Plip plip plop.
"Huh?"
"Give those brooches to your acquaintances—they'll protect them when needed. Most mutants won't stand a chance."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. They infiltrate the target's blood and induce temporary cardiac arrest. I could kill them with a heart attack if I wanted...... but I don't really want to."
"......They're even scarier than I thought."
"A-Anyway, business is done for today, so I'll head out......"
"Already?"
"W-Well...... t-talking to someone new tires me out suddenly......"
Ah, I got it immediately. Before becoming a dragon, meeting new people had drained me too.
"I know the feeling. Take care going home."
"Yes......"
With that, Yeon-hwa turned into a bat and flew off with a whoosh.
"So much has happened in such a short time."
"Haha, yeah? You did a good job easing Yeon-hwa's tension, though. The first time we talked, she wouldn't even make eye contact for days."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Well, before I mutated, I kinda liked holing up in my room too. Pretty introverted."
"You?"
"Yeah. Now they call me a fake loner."
"Oh ho, did the mutation change your personality?"
"Yeah. Suddenly full of confidence in everything I do."
"Oh......"
"By the way, that fairy-type mutant? Yoo Ha-rin, right? What's she like?"
"Total opposite of Yeon-hwa. You'll be overwhelmed at first."
"I see......"
"She's super interested in people, so she can feel pretty intrusive initially. I went through it too."
"You, Deputy Agency Director?"
"Yes."
"How bad is it......"
"Haha...... You'll meet her soon enough and see. Anyway, let's tour the agency lightly and call it a day. You probably won't come here often. Mutants seem more cautious since the press conference."
That was news to me.
"Really?"
"Yes. With you handling mutant crimes, they're playing it safe. Even mutants I hadn't seen in a while vanished."
"Oh ho...... It's working, then?"
"Probably because you wrecked that demon-type mutant like that. And you said you'd crack down hard...... They have to be scared."
"True...... That demon-type seemed pretty strong. Wait, but wouldn't Yeon-hwa have handled it fine if she'd stepped in?"
"Haha, not quite. She's incredibly strong, but that demon-type could resist her abilities to some extent. Not sure if it's racial......"
"Ah......"
"So she only wounded it and couldn't capture it—there was significant damage too. That's why we were so wary of demon-types."
"Good thing we took care of it then. Yeon-hwa seems really strong......"
"She would be in direct combat, but it was soon after her mutation—she hadn't fully grasped her powers yet. She supported from home with bats....... If she'd gone now, it might've ended differently."
"Ah, yeah, makes sense. Took me a while to master my abilities too. Good thing I pushed it at the press conference."
"Right? Life's more livable thanks to you, haha!"
"So, we're done for today?"
"Yes. I planned to introduce Ha-rin too, but she couldn't make it...... You'll meet next time. Good work today."
"You too, Deputy Agency Director."
With that, I headed home.
When I checked my smartphone, there was a message from......
Yeon-hwa, showing the complete opposite of how she'd acted in person.
[Ha Yeon-hwa: ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ So happy to meet you today~!]