"So, the first thing the commissioners did after getting off the plane was book a full house at the top host club and invite you to attend..." Tachibana paused briefly.
"To be honest, that's a bit beyond my expectations."
"In my view, they're just a bunch of brainless idiots." Gen Chisei's face was dark. In just an hour or two, he had already formed this opinion of Luminous and the others. Setting aside their strength, which he had yet to see, these people were unreliable. Presumably, the best thing for them to do on a mission was drink champagne and smoke cigars.
"Hearing you say that makes me even more curious." Angré's judgment when it came to power couldn't be that bad. "They must have strengths others can't reach," Tachibana said.
"Does maintaining an optimistic and positive attitude under any circumstances count?" Gen Chisei replaced brainless idiots with a different description, trying to sound convincing.
"In China, there's a saying: 'Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.'" Tachibana smiled. "So why don't we go see for ourselves?"
He didn't like things slipping out of his control.
And Gen Chisei's answer was far from what he had expected.
...
Even dragons needed rest.
After giving Samson and Constantine a detailed introduction on how to enter a room, take off clothes, shower, use the toilet, brush their teeth, wash their faces, and go to bed, Norton finally had some free time.
The earlier incidents had been too terrifying. If he didn't teach them step by step, he was genuinely worried that Constantine or Samson might erupt on impulse and release a Nidhogg or something.
There was no need to turn hostile yet.
Based on Morin the Water-Man's strength, making an enemy of him was clearly not a wise choice.
But what exactly was he trying to do?
Norton sat alone by the window, watching the night view outside. Back when he was a mercenary, he rarely had time to notice things like this. After awakening, a vast amount of ancient memories had flooded his mind, as if two people had been crammed into one body.
One soul was a stupid mercenary who thought he was just lucky to survive everywhere and could never save any money.
The other was a noble First-Generation King, a near-divine existence, the owner of terrifying power, and a former emperor.
No matter how you looked at it, the two shouldn't fit together.
Yet they were the same person.
That strange sense of difference and fusion kept Norton's thoughts in constant disorder.
"You just need to think of it as parallel worlds." Morin's voice sounded nearby. "Different lives you lived in different worlds. One day, you swapped identities and learned what the other version of yourself was like."
"In the end, it's all you."
"Stop eavesdropping on my thoughts!" Norton snapped.
"Actually, I'm just using some simple psychological analysis. I didn't invade your brain." Morin the Water-Man appeared beside him at some point, wearing an earnest expression.
"I don't believe you for a second!" Norton was furious. "At the very least, get that dragon out of my head before you say that!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Forgot to turn off the visibility..." Morin froze for a moment. After the golden dragon that had been clearly visible in Norton's consciousness vanished, he cleared his throat.
"Anyway, interested in taking a dip in the deep sea?"
"What do you mean?" Norton was taken aback. Is this guy finally going to make a move on me?
"No way. If I were going to make a move, I'd have done it already. Can't you have just a little faith in me?" Morin waved his hand. "I'm a very kind and well-meaning person."
"So you just eavesdropped on my thoughts again." Norton's face went blank.
"Uh..." Morin chuckled awkwardly. "Would you believe me if I said you accidentally said your thoughts out loud?"
"You're trying to play me for a fool."
"Don't misunderstand. This doesn't count as playing you..."
"So it's just looking down on me, then?"
"Are you going or not?!"
"You have to tell me where first!" Norton snapped. "It's the middle of the night. Two guys running out-and you just told me about that host club stuff. I'm scared, okay?!"
"Don't worry. I have a girlfriend. I have zero interest in male dragons," Morin said, waving his hand. "We're just going to collect some samples."
"What samples?" Norton frowned.
"A dragon embryo. Or rather, an egg." Morin's tone was calm. "It's down in the Japan Trench. It might have something to do with the White King."
"I already know where the White King's skeleton is," he added, "but it's not time to get it yet. So we'll grab something small first and see if there's any difference."
"You've already finished researching my blood and Samson's?" Norton asked.
"Ah, genetics is very complex. No rush," Morin said.
"Then why did you take so much blood from Samson before?!"
"Wasn't that because he was eager to save his King..." Morin muttered. "Besides, that blood is useful. Don't worry. When have I ever done something useless?!"
"When you say that, remember we've strictly known each other for less than a month."
"Are you going or not?"
"I'm going, I'm going," Norton said impatiently.
He had long realized he couldn't truly refuse Morin's requests. Dragging the discussion out was just his version of even if I die, I want to die knowing why.
At the moment of his resurrection, he had thought that even if he couldn't beat Morin, he could at least put up a fight.
That hope had completely died the moment he discovered Morin could enter and leave his mind like it was an open field.
If Morin wanted to, he could turn him into a puppet at any time.
"Don't worry. I'm really not the type to do big villain things." Morin patted Norton on the shoulder.
"If you saw it, you saw it. Don't say it out loud! It's embarrassing!" Norton almost wanted to cry.
"Shall we go, then?" Morin gestured.
"Wait-what about them?" Norton looked toward Samson's and Constantine's rooms. If either of them woke up while he and Morin were exploring the deep sea and started causing trouble-
They wouldn't surface only to find Japan gone, would they?
Thinking about it seriously, that was actually very possible.
"Hmm, that is something to consider..." Morin stroked his chin.
"What do you mean by that?!" Norton was horrified.
"Huh? Nothing, nothing." Morin waved it off. "If you're really that worried, just bring them along. That little bit of pressure is nothing for you guys. Or for me."