Seoul Dragon

It took about 30 more minutes for Ms. Choi Sia to calm down.
“Are you fully calm now?”
“Y-yes.”
The trembling in her voice was unavoidable, but at least she wasn’t so terrified that she couldn’t speak like when she first saw me, so we started with a simple self-introduction.
“Um, hello. I’m Yoon Seohyun, a dragon-type mutant. I’m twenty-four… and a university student.”
“Ah, hello… I’m Choi Sia, a High Elf-type mutant. I’m twenty-three, and I live in California. I don’t attend university.”
It was a very formal greeting. Well, she’s still so afraid of me, so how much pressure would she feel if I suddenly approached her in a friendly manner?
Regardless of her being uncomfortable with me, I felt a strong desire to become friends with the High Elf-type mutant in front of me.
It wasn’t simply because of her appearance, but just somehow… I felt that if we became friends, it would be really great. An instinctual feeling, you could say?
Of course, her appearance also made me want to be friends with her.
I mean, this High Elf is really cute-looking.
She looks like she’s about 15 years old? Like a doll, giving me the urge to pinch her cheeks.
I know she’s only a year younger than me, but… that’s just the feeling I get, the feeling.
When I looked at her with such thoughts, Sia seemed terrified. This makes me wonder if we can even work together…
“I won’t eat you, so you don’t have to be so afraid.”
“I-I know that… but, somehow, the feeling…!”
“Is it like a species instinct or something?”
“I think so.”
“Um… still, it’s okay, so could you give me your hand?”
Somehow, I feel like this might help.
Then, she gave me her slightly trembling hand, and I held it.
As I did, some kind of warm energy flowed from me to her.
What kind of ability is this?
Is it like a calming effect?
“Oh? Somehow I feel reassured…”
“Really?”
“Oh…! I’m not trembling anymore! Wow. Dragons really have all kinds of abilities, don’t they?”
“Ahaha… This ability just came to me right now. I wonder how such a thing is even possible.”
“It feels like magic… that kind of feeling.”
“Well, in various media, dragons are known to be proficient in magic, so I think this might be one branch of such abilities.”
“Wow… Your abilities are really on a different level compared to other mutants.”
“Haha, Ms. Sia, you too have abilities that are on a different level from other mutants, don’t you?”
“I-is that so…? Ahaha.”
Ms. Sia laughed awkwardly.
Hmm, she’s definitely cute.
Somehow… I don’t know if it’s a trait of the High Elf species, but I felt a desire to become more friendly with this person.
I don’t usually get this kind of feeling easily, but I’m drawn to her from the moment we met.
Just, the person herself appears extremely charming.
If it’s a species trait, it seems quite powerful.
I think it might be an ability to easily gain others’ favor, and in modern society, there’s nothing better than making a good first impression.
I think she might have the ability to communicate not only with plants but also with animals.
“Um, Ms. Sia? Do you happen to have the ability to communicate with animals too?”
“Gasp…! How did you know?”
“No, I was just thinking about the characteristics of elves in fantasy…”
“I’ve never revealed this before… Yes, that’s right. I can communicate with animals, so I can hear their stories.”
“You knew about this, Agent?”
“Haha, that’s right. Actually, we were able to pinpoint the location thanks to Ms. Sia’s communication ability. Since she can hear the stories of both plants and animals… if we know the approximate location, she’s proficient at finding the exact position.”
“But, are we moving just the three of us?”
“Of course not. Other agents are also controlling the scene. These are people trained to subdue mutants even without your help.”
“This really seems more like a counter-terrorism unit than the National Intelligence Service?”
“After the emergence of mutants, the National Intelligence Service has been recruiting many people from counter-terrorism backgrounds. It’s become like a special forces unit.”
“Isn’t the National Intelligence Service supposed to be a group that moves in secrecy?”
“That’s a good point. Well… I guess since identifying and handling mutants is not something that can be done publicly, they just said, ‘Let the NIS do it!’ That kind of feeling.”
…It seems like the National Intelligence Service got dumped with work from other departments.
It’s not that I don’t understand, but it’s not something I can fully comprehend either.
“So, there’s no particular outline for the operation. From the moment Seohyun put her name on the operation, all our roles became supportive to Seohyun.”
“Aren’t you trusting me too much?”
“You have a track record. Even if it’s just one, subduing a minotaur-type mutant so easily is probably something only Seohyun could do. When we first attempted to arrest it, most of the agents suffered medium to minor injuries.”
“I see.”
“So, we have high expectations this time too. Of course, we plan to reward you generously.”
“Honestly, I’m still not used to it. I still find it hard to believe that the government gives generous rewards for this kind of matter. Wasn’t it standard to settle with a commendation and a small prize money?”
“It’s a bitter reality… but yes. Well, as long as I’m in charge, that won’t happen. I believe that whoever it is, they should receive a reward proportional to their effort.”
“I see… But there’s one concern I have.”
“Please speak.”
“When mutants like us subdue other mutants, is the safety of our families guaranteed? It’s unlikely to happen, but there’s always the possibility of unexpected situations. There could be retaliation or something.”
“That’s a given. In fact, we always assign agents around the acquaintances and families of mutants who cooperate with us. In emergency situations, the agents will somehow protect your family members. So you don’t need to worry about that aspect.”
“Ah… that’s a relief then.”
“Now, then, I should start telling you who the target is and where they are, right?”
“Yes.”
“The mutant who came from China is an orc-type mutant. They’re extremely powerful, but it’s unclear why they came to Korea as if they were fleeing. For now, we plan to subdue them first and then hear the details.”
“I understand.”
“Their location is not too far from here. Ms. Sia will guide you, so you just need to follow her guidance.”
“Leave it to me!”
Ms. Choi Sia smiled brightly with a big grin.
Despite the serious matter, seeing her beaming with a bright smile, I felt an urge to hug her, but I held back.
I was afraid she might go beyond being startled and actually faint.
By the way, isn’t she just too cute?
It was like looking at an extremely adorable small animal.

Following Ms. Sia’s guidance, we were able to quickly arrive at the abandoned factory where the orc-type mutant was hiding.
“It’s this way.”
“…Indeed, they’re inside.”
As soon as the guidance was complete, I broadened my vision.
Then, I saw the orc-type mutant sitting quietly inside.
Like a seeker of enlightenment.
Didn’t they say this was a malicious mutant? This doesn’t match at all.
“I have visitors, I see.”
The orc said that. Strangely, I could understand their words.
And it seemed like our Agent Choi Jeongho could understand as well.
“Orc-type mutant, Liang Wei. What’s your reason for fleeing to Korea?”
“I killed people, and I don’t want to kill more.”
“Why did you kill them?”
“Because they insulted me. Is there any other reason needed?”
…It’s like we’re in some martial arts novel.
An orc martial arts story, what kind of hybrid is this?
“What insult did they give?”
“They insulted me by calling me a pig, and they insulted the martial art I’ve dedicated my life to mastering.”
“What martial art?”
“Boxing.”
“…That’s an odd genre.”
“The so-called traditional Chinese martial arts have been thoroughly trampled by modern martial arts. Is there any need to learn such things? They didn’t understand how excellent it is to embody a practical and strong martial art with this powerful body. Caught up in the pretense of traditional martial arts, they disregarded other martial arts and even disregarded me who learned it. They even called me a pig. But I’m not a pig.”
“Ah, I see. So that’s what happened.”
Honestly, I was dumbfounded. Couldn’t they just ignore it? You killed people for such a trivial reason?
It was quite difficult to understand because of the occasional snorting mixed in with his speech… but I could roughly understand.
Of course, Ms. Sia couldn’t understand this conversation.
“What is he saying?”
“Well, he says he killed people because they called him a pig and disrespected boxing.”
“…He’s not in his right mind.”
“Right?”
“It would be better to just subdue him quickly and go.”
“I agree. I don’t feel the need to talk further.”
Killing people because they disrespected him.
Somehow, it seemed like his moral aspects were considerably worn down.
There’s no need to converse with such an opponent. Just, appropriately dealing with him will suffice.
“I’ll handle this. Agent, please step back.”
“Understood.”
“What’s this? Woman. Judging by the horns on your head, you seem to be a mutant… What kind of mutant?”
“Dragon.”
“…What?”
After answering briefly, I stomped on the ground.
Kwaaang!
The floor of the abandoned factory literally burst open, and my body instantly reached right in front of him.
And without a word, I punched him in the face.
“Wait…!”
Baaaaak!
With a heavy impact, I felt his body collapse with a thud. I didn’t even need to use lightning or anything.
“Don’t worry. I controlled my strength well.”
“…Good job.”