"Hello."
From the mouth of the Green Dragon came flawless and clear Korean.
[ Babel Fall (S) ]
It was an ability that granted absolute mastery of all languages and writings in the world, a gift that dragons acquired from birth.
"Why did you seek me?" the dragon asked.
"I have a matter to discuss."
"So you came here knowing who I am?"
"Of course."
Yu Jitae observed her closely. The dragon radiated a strange aura as if a veil concealed her thoughts. Silence fell between them for a moment.
To Yu Jitae, dragons had always been like bombs—potential disasters waiting to detonate. That's why, during his hundred years of repetitions, he had avoided speaking to them. In a year, he barely exchanged twenty phrases with those creatures. There was no reason to converse with a bomb.
However, he now found himself in a situation where speaking was necessary, something he was unaccustomed to. For him, swords had always been easier than words. Cautiously, he opened his mouth.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes."
The quick response took him by surprise.
"Who am I?" he insisted.
"Yu Jitae."
"Where did you hear that name?"
"It's written on your chest."
His chest? He glanced at his uniform, noticing for the first time the insignia with his name. He had rushed out so hastily, confident that his abilities blocked others' senses, that he hadn't even noticed it.
He looked back up, meeting the dragon's enigmatic smile.
"It's a joke. Honestly, I don't know who you are, but I do know one thing."
"What thing?"
"I've been here for a year, traveling to many places. And this is the first time..." The Green Dragon paused before adding, "...that I've encountered such a dangerous human."
Yu Jitae said nothing. Green dragons could read the providence of the world, and although he wasn't interested, it seemed she knew more than she was letting on.
"Did you come to kill me?" the dragon asked, breaking the tension.
"No."
"Then? Do you feel lust for dragons?"
"No."
"Is it a kidnapping? Are you a kidnapper?"
"Something like that."
"What do you plan to do after you kidnap me?"
"Keep you close."
"Why?"
"You don't need to know."
Silence fell between them. The Green Dragon looked down at the tiles beneath her feet, contemplating.
"What will happen if I refuse?" she finally asked.
"I'll still take you."
"By force?"
Yu Jitae did not respond.
"Will you hurt me?"
"I have no intention of doing so."
"Then, it is a kidnapping. You're doing something wrong."
A pause stretched between them
"But if you take me, won't you be doing anything wrong?"
Silence was the only response. The dragon understood. It didn't seem like she intended to resist from the beginning, by her nature. If he chose to use force, it would be futile to resist.
"However, I like this place." She changed the subject calmly.
"Really?"
"It's the first time I've stayed in one place for so long, over six months."
"Nothing will change even if you complain."
Yu Jitae fixed his gaze on her green eyes. Despite her youth, the dragon seemed unfazed, unusual for a creature that should be filled with curiosity and fear.
"Okay. Let's go then, ahjussi," she suddenly said, walking towards him.
Ahjussi?
"I'll go on my own."
"What?"
"Not because you're kidnapping me. I'm going because I want to. I'm a guest, not a victim. And you're not a kidnapper."
"And?"
"So please, treat me like a guest."
She approached him naturally, extending her hand towards him. She seemed to have an innate confidence in what was to come.
Yu Jitae watched her silently, intrigued. Although he had been through this before, the dragon's attitude felt fresh and novel.
However, that fleeting curiosity didn't last long.
"Don't be mistaken," he said in a grim tone. "I'm not a good person, and this isn't a game."
His voice was laced with threat. Taking a dragon with him was like inviting a tiger into his home. If he didn't keep it under control, sooner or later, it would become a mortal threat.
"From now on, you will stay where I can see and hear you. Act under my supervision. If you listen to me, I will never harm you. But if you disobey, I cannot promise anything. Do my words seem cruel? Even so, you must endure it, because this is the best I can offer you."
...
"This world is very different from the one you've known. If you observe it closely, you'll realize it's full of dirty and disgusting things. I intend to protect you from the dangers that inhabit it, but if you choose to stray from the fence I've put up, I will become someone even more dangerous, and there will be no barriers to protect you from me. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Yu Jitae spoke those condescending words in a monotone, but the weight they carried was greater than any threat. Despite this, the Green Dragon maintained a serene expression. However, when Yu Jitae extended his hand to take hers, she closed all her fingers except for her pinky.
"You said you wouldn't harm me if I followed all your instructions, right? Can you promise that?"
She was still a child, despite everything. Yu Jitae entwined his pinky with hers, feeling how the small, white hand trembled slightly. At first, he thought she was having fun, but soon he realized that wasn't the case.
"I promise."
Immediately after, the man and the dragon vanished from the streets.
...
"The next morning, the sun illuminated the horizon. Although it was the weekend, the Police Force of the Guard had already begun its operations early. Under the direction of Jo Hosik, all members of the Superhuman Investigation Force were in their places, and Yu Jitae was no exception.
"I've received the order," declared Yu Jitae, bowing at a right angle as he donned his uniform. However, the one who responded to his bow was also Yu Jitae.
[ Shadow of the Archduke (SS) ]
It was a replica of himself, capable of utilizing up to 50% of the original body's abilities. This ability, originating from the Archduke of the demon world, was often used to extend his influence in distant nations. Now, Yu Jitae used it to delegate his work.
With a casual gesture of his hand, Yu Jitae commanded his copy: "Go and follow the instructions as usual."
The replica obeyed and headed to the Guard. Meanwhile, the original, true to his habit, reclined on the sofa and began to read the newspaper.
"Nn, hmm…"
The Green Dragon appeared in the living room, still in the pajamas he had bought her. Although she was a powerful creature and had been kidnapped, her expression showed that she had slept well. She rubbed her eyes, tousled hair shining in the morning light.
"Hello," she said casually.
Despite the circumstances, she behaved with the ease of any girl.
"What's for breakfast?" she asked.
"Breakfast?" Yu Jitae repeated.
"We have to eat. You didn't eat anything yesterday either."
"Ah."
"...Don't tell me you haven't eaten until now."
Yu Jitae had eaten once with his colleagues, but he hadn't paid much attention to the dragon's eating habits.
"And you? Do you eat every day?" she pressed.
"Yes."
"Why? You don't even feel hungry."
"It makes me happy when I eat something delicious."
Her response, so simple, surprised Yu Jitae with its sincerity, though he didn't ask any further questions. The Green Dragon continued: "Isn't there anything you want to tell me? We didn't talk much yesterday."
Yu Jitae shook his head. "There's nothing worth discussing," he replied.
"Nothing I should be careful about living here? Things you like or dislike, or something you expect from me. There must be something, right?"
"There isn't," Yu Jitae said.
"Didn't you say you wanted me to listen?"
"Stay here. Soon your friends will come, and you'll only have to live with them."
"Really? Can I go out too?" she asked curiously.
He nodded. "I don't mind you going out as long as you stay within my area of influence," Yu Jitae clarified.
"If you want to do something, you can do it. If you need something, I'll do whatever it takes for you."
"Wow."
"In return, don't do anything behind my back."
"Anything?" she asked.
"Yes, anything."
"Even go to the bathroom? Even menstruate?"
The silence that followed revealed that Yu Jitae knew very well that Dragons did not menstruate. She laughed at her joke and added: "I was just kidding. Ah, I just thought of something I want to do today."
"What thing?" Yu Jitae asked.
"I want to go shopping with you, ahjussi."
"What?"
"But first, you should eat something. I'll prepare breakfast."
The offer surprised him. He hadn't expected a Dragon to prepare food.
...
Later, Yu Jitae accompanied her shopping. As they walked through the streets and markets, the gazes of men and women, young and old, rested on the Green Dragon."Look at that!" some whispered.
"She must be an actress or something."
"But the person next to her looks scary..."
Yu Jitae could hear the whispers and noticed how people averted their gazes when he returned their looks.
After acquiring some groceries, he considered it wise to get an identification card for the Green Dragon. In an alley, they visited a well-known broker, a man with an eye patch who couldn't stop staring at the Dragon, clearly impressed.
"Eh… wow. Is she your girlfriend, boss?" the man stammered.
Yu Jitae ignored him, as did the Dragon. However, the broker continued to look at them nervously, and when Yu Jitae, in a cold voice, warned him, "Should I take out the remaining eye?" the man began to tremble.
"I'm sorry...! No, no, that...!"
"The identification card."
"U-understood..." the broker replied, resuming his work with trembling hands.
Yu Jitae was used to these reactions. An unprotected beauty could become poison, one of the reasons for the Apocalypse in the past.
The broker swallowed hard, and just as Yu Jitae was starting to get impatient, the man turned to the Green Dragon.
"U-um..."
"Is it for me?" she asked, curious.
"Even her voice is beautiful!" the broker thought, trying to hide his astonishment.
"Um... What name would you like, miss?"
"Name? Ah, name?" the Green Dragon pondered while looking at Yu Jitae.
She thought it shouldn't be that complicated. There were four Dragons; she just needed to find a list of names to avoid confusion.
"Bom," she finally decided.
The other Dragons would be Yeorum, Kaeul, and Gyeoul. That should be enough.
"And the last name...?" the broker asked, a bit uncertain.
"Yu," Yu Jitae replied without hesitation.
It was because he also bore the name Yu.
"Yu Bom. Understood," the broker confirmed.
Fortunately, there were four Dragons. If there had been three, they could have been called Rock, Paper, and Scissors, and if there had been seven, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
"Here you go. It's been completed," announced the broker, handing over the card.
After that, they continued around the city, buying some necessities. As they did, Yu Jitae decided to acquire a holographic watch and also requested to verify Bom's identification card.
There was nothing to worry about; money was not an issue for the Regresor.
...
On their way back from shopping, the Green Dragon looked at the identification card in her hands before directing her gaze toward Yu Jitae, who walked ahead. She felt something much larger than the height difference between him and other humans.
Anxiety filled her every time she looked at him.
That person was dangerous. Extremely dangerous. A killer, and maybe once a tyrant who had killed his brothers.
Her Eyes of Providence warned her in real-time; even now, she knew that being was an imminent danger. However, she was already trapped in his hands.
As she reflected on this, her eyes returned to the identification card.
...
Yu Bom (Female)
xxxxxx-xxxxxxx
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Nonhyeon-dong 123-332
Bom (Spring).
...
The season of life that had arrived on earth. It was a beautiful name that suited her perfectly.
Maybe this man wasn't as dangerous as he seemed. Both last night and today, she had been safe, and he hadn't threatened her.
Bom looked at Yu Jitae again and observed his broad back. Although fear still accompanied her, if she looked at him differently, he also seemed like the wall of a blood-soaked castle. Thus, Bom decided to wait a little longer.
...
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