The Visit Of The Black-Haired Stranger (3)

“You there!”

“Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes. Are these, that one, and this one correct?”

“Oh, you bought them well.”

“Of course! Ah! But more than that, on the way back I saw something really funny. The Red one had a face like it had just chewed poop. It was really hilarious. You should’ve seen it too!”

“Sereina?”

Nodding repeatedly, Rurin covered her mouth with one hand and kept chuckling.

“Was it so funny that you keep thinking about it?”

“Her face went pale like she was scared of something, so pale she couldn’t say a word even when I teased her.”

If Rurin teased her and she couldn’t say anything, that was truly remarkable.

Like someone who saw a ghost. But would a dragon really be that shocked by a ghost?

“What happened that made her like that?”

“I don’t know. I just saw it passing by. Ah! Come to think of it, there was a strange one.”

“A strange one?”

If it’s a strange person, I met one yesterday too. Full of suspicion, when stuck for words she kept emphasizing secrets, then disappeared without paying for the food.

Running away when it gets disadvantageous is something even my wife in front of me does well.

“What part was strange?”

Because Rurin, usually uninterested in everything, said it was strange, I asked.

“That guy used teleport! I couldn’t feel any mana. She was an unusual one.”

Used teleport?

That’s beyond strange behavior.

The fact that she used teleport confirms she’s a dragon.

But even so, there are too many strange points. Concealing mana perfectly is one of them.

It’s an impossible technique by common sense. To hide mana that much—she looked like an ordinary person with no mana at all.

“Rurin, did that dragon have hair color a bit darker than ours? And was taller than you, but shorter than me?”

“Huh? How do you know that? Did you see her too?”

As expected, it was the same person. If that strange person existed in multiples, that would be a serious problem.

“That woman also went to the clinic?”

“I think so.”

“Hmm, but it seems my dear wife unusually remembers the features of another being well?”

“Huh? That’s true. Because? I didn’t even try to remember, but strangely it stuck in my mind. Hmm?”

Rurin blinked as if amazed.

“By the way, you.”

“Hm?”

Rurin tilted her head then suddenly furrowed her brow. Then she slumped down, holding the chair to support herself, and spoke.

“I suddenly feel weird. My body is a bit…”

“What do you mean by that?”

Her expression looked serious so I approached. Then she spread her arms and shouted,

“Ah, hug me!”

“What?”

“I’m dizzy. Ugh?”

A strange expression. I thought maybe she was faking it with that hug request, but I hugged her anyway.

And at that moment, I realized it wasn’t an act.

“What’s wrong? Why are you like this?”

Rurin’s body was a fireball. It was very hot. Whether dragon, human, or any being, this body temperature is impossible in a normal state.

“I-I don’t know.”

“This won’t do. Let’s go lie down on the bed first.”

I scooped up the hugged Rurin in a princess carry and ran down to the lair. After laying her on the bed, I touched her forehead.

“Are you okay?”

“I feel like the world is spinning.”

She said she was dizzy.

Funny thing is, her forehead had no fever. Her neck upwards felt rather cold.

But from below the neck to her feet, it was boiling hot.

This isn’t a symptom of a cold. A cold cannot suddenly make the body boil like this. Moreover, I’ve never seen a cold that cools above the neck while heating only below.

“Rurin, were you like this before going to the market?”

“No. I suddenly felt dizzy after coming back.”

“I don’t understand at all. Doctor—yes, I’ll bring Ms. Elena, so hold on a bit!”

“You…? I don’t want to go.”

“You’re not going anywhere. Just for a checkup. Or can you use teleport? Want to come together?”

Rurin tried to move. She seemed to choose to go together, but collapsed back onto the bed.

“Can’t do it. Teleport.”

“See! I’ll bring her quickly!”

Suddenly having a fever right after returning from the market. An utterly incomprehensible situation.

She said she didn’t want to fall, but getting a checkup came first. So I ran.

I ran wildly and burst into the clinic.

“Ms. Elena!”

“Yes!”

When I rushed in with great force, Elena was surprised and jumped up from her chair.

“Could you come with me for a moment? Rurin’s condition is strange. Her whole body is hot.”

“Rurin?”

“Yes.”

“She was fine just a moment ago?”

“Yes. It suddenly happened after returning to the restaurant.”

“Oh dear! Got it. I’ll prepare quickly!”

Elena started moving hurriedly. She was gathering some medicinal ingredients.

Serina, standing nearby, said:

“Isn’t it a malingering?”

“No. There’s no malingering that causes fever like that.”

“Really? But judging by her running here, she hasn’t met her yet. What’s her purpose?”

“What?”

Then Sereina suddenly started saying strange things.

“So you haven’t seen her after all.”

“What haven’t I seen? Stop the nonsense and teleport now. Quickly!”

Elena said she was ready and approached, so I urged Sereina. Then we instantly teleported to the restaurant. Hastily, I led Elena to the bedroom.

“Rurin. I’m here.”

I called out to Rurin but there was no answer, so I rushed over. She was in a state as if asleep. She seemed unconscious. Rurin losing consciousness? It would be the first time since meeting her.

“Could you examine her?”

“I will!”

Elena nodded and began checking Rurin’s forehead and body temperature.

“This is strange.”

“What’s strange?”

“Well, I’ve never seen such a state before. Could it be related to that child?”

“That child?”

“Have you really not seen? The dragon similar to Rurin.”

“Oh. You mean that dragon? The one Rurin saw briefly? What does that woman have to do with Rurin being sick?”

“Well, she was fine but suddenly after meeting that one, she became like this. Hmm, but that doesn’t make much sense.”

“El.”

While Sereina kept saying strange things, Elena came to me looking flustered. Then she bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry!”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know well. This is the first time I’m seeing these symptoms. Usually, if there’s a fever, it’s throughout the entire body, but why is the temperature different above and below the neck? Also, dragons are completely different from humans or elves. It’s my first time examining a dragon… I’ll search through the medical books! I need to see if there’s anything about dragons.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I don’t think we can use medicine recklessly. I’ll return to the clinic and come back!”

“…Then, I’ll leave that to you.”

“Yes!”

If she doesn’t know, what can be done? Still, I’m just thankful she’ll keep investigating.

But I began getting very angry at the situation itself. What kind of nonsense is this?

“Sereina.”

“Huh?”

“Repeat what you said earlier. That dragon might be related.”

“No, no. That doesn’t make sense. And it’s not my business to interfere. Isn’t it a family matter? Elena, let’s go. We need to return to continue the research.”

Elena and Sereina disappeared like that.

Hoping for them to find something in those medical books, I returned to Rurin’s side and held her hand.

It’s hot.

She was burning up strangely.

“Rurin.”

No answer even when I called. I held her hand, but she didn’t squeeze mine back. She always squeezed tighter first when I held her hand. So the hand I held felt very devoid of life.

“It’s okay, that!”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a voice was heard in that situation.

Startled, I turned around and the woman I saw yesterday, presumed to be a dragon, was standing there.

“How on earth did you get in?”

“I teleported in.”

The woman shrugged and then came closer to the bed. An awkward situation.

“Are you a Black Dragon?”

“Yes. I’m definitely a Black Dragon! Mixed, but since the main component is Black, I guess that fits?”

“Huh?”

The woman who used clumsy honorifics toward me yesterday suddenly spoke casually.

Well, I can overlook that.

But the fact that she came into the lair is a mystery. Rurin had erected a barrier on the lair. Even Sereina can teleport to the restaurant, but not directly into the lair. Being able to teleport directly into the lair means she’s stronger than Rurin.

But a Black Dragon stronger than Rurin? I’ve never even heard of such a thing.

So I watched the woman warily.

Then she suddenly puffed her cheeks and made a “Buuu!” sound.

“You still don’t know who I am?”

“I don’t know, though?”

“Ugh! It’s frustrating, so frustrating!”

The woman started stomping on the floor.

“If you’re frustrated, why don’t you reveal who you are yourself? It’s not polite to barge into someone else’s home.”

“If I reveal myself, that’s no fun!”

“……”

I stared at her quietly for a moment. She was a woman I couldn’t understand at all. There was no way to guess who she was with common sense. Even if she’s a Black Dragon and similar to Rurin, she’s definitely a different being.

“If you have nothing to reveal, would you please leave? My wife is sick, so I don’t want any commotion.”

“……”

When I said that, the woman looked at me quietly. Then she suddenly bit her lips and approached with a face like she was about to cry.

“No! Guess who I am. Then I’ll tell you why that state isn’t a big deal.”

“You say it’s no big deal even with this fever?”

Then the woman started nodding repeatedly. That nodding felt like déjà vu, like I saw it earlier at the restaurant.

Of course, earlier it was Rurin who nodded.

Nod, nod, nod. That’s like Rurin’s trademark.

My suspicion deepened.

“I really know the cause.”

“Do you know about me? If you’re a Black Dragon, you must have heard of me? What if you tell me the cause without me having to guess?”

I don’t like showing off my strength. But with Rurin in this state, I didn’t want to keep arguing with a dragon I’d never seen before.

If she knows the cause, I have no choice but to make her talk even if I have to use force.

If only Rurin can get better, I could do anything.

“I don’t like that. If we fight, the world might be destroyed! And if you ask if I know, of course! I know very well! Better than anyone! That one lying there… Agh! It’s so uncomfortable not being able to use the proper title!”

“You say you know well?”

“Yes! I can’t help it, so I’ll give you a hint.”

“Huh?”

The moment she said that, a strong light suddenly shimmered around. Black light seemed to wrap around her, creating an illusion of huge black wings, and simultaneously a golden crest appeared from her hand and began to shine.

“…That crest.”

It’s a very familiar crest.

It was the crest the Dragon Lord who gave me the Heart had, and it was also engraved on the Dragon Heart. Its meaning is the Dragon Lord.

“That can’t be possible?”

Yes.

That Dragon Lord crest is resting inside my body right now. Inside the Dragon Heart.

So another Dragon Lord cannot exist.

“Wooo! Then this is the real last hint!”

She said that and suddenly cast a spell. Amazingly, it was the magic that reconstructs dimensional fragments that only I have in this world.

A magic I’ve never taught anyone, and even if I did, they couldn’t use it.

This one who overlaps with Rurin in many ways even now.

The one who makes me feel like I’m seeing Rurin again and again, yesterday and today.

And the Dragon Lord’s crest that can only be possessed by inheriting my blood.

It’s true that dimensional movement magic is related to the time axis. But time travel to the past is impossible. So I kept denying this unbelievable hypothesis, but seeing all the evidence, this is probably…

“Could it be, my daughter…?”

“Correct! Hehe, hi! Past Dad!”