In the end, though I’d put everything else on without complaint, I felt somewhat reluctant to complete the outfit by putting on the boots and socks I’d been provided with. I prefer to be barefoot and to be able to directly feel the soil against my skin infinitely more.
“Oh, just as I thought, you look great in them!” the doctor said after I pulled back the curtain. “Everything fits all right? Were you able to put everything on okay? Want me to take a second look? Don’t be embarrassed. You elder dragons can’t be too familiar with human clothes,” the doctor said excitedly, her breathing became ragged for some reason.
“I’ll pass. I know how these pieces of cloth work. Elder dragons have Cognitive Advantage. In most cases, a single glance is enough for me to tell the mechanism of anything. Otherwise, seeing or hearing the target being used several times will do the trick.”
“Oooh, really? Tell me more!” The doctor excitedly drew closer to me, pulling a notepad out of her coat pocket and a writing instrument out of her messy hair bun.
I recoiled before her face had a chance to collide with mine. “There’s nothing more to it. That’s just how things are and always have been with us.”
“I have a million follow-up questions. Does that mean that you can learn how to use anything from just a glance? Does that include weapons? Pieces of machinery? Toilets?!”
Does she not realize she’s literally salivating? Have some decency. Oh wait, she’s a succubus; decency doesn’t exist in her world.
“‘Anything’ means anything. Besides, shouldn’t the extent of Cognitive Advantage be obvious?”
“Hmm? Why?”
“Do you really think we’d be speaking the same language without it?”
Her jaw dropped. “I...never thought about that. I kinda assumed you might’ve learned it from someone in your realm at some point.”
“No. I’m sure it’s the same in this realm, but humans speak many different languages where I come from. The one you and the human speak is something I learned independently.”
“So, you just picked up our language immediately? That’s amazing!”
I stopped myself from responding. Truthfully, the reason I’d picked up their language was the Blade Saint. Hearing him speak had inputted the language into my brain. Thinking that I’d mastered this language due to such a detestable source made me sick to my stomach. It also confirmed that the Blade Saint had originated from this realm since his language was not one that any human I knew of spoke.
“More importantly, shouldn’t that human have returned by now?” I asked, trying to change the topic.
“Karen? Yeah, she’s on her way now. Shouldn’t be five minutes.”
“I see. I suspect she’ll guide me to my dwelling next?” I asked.
“Dwelling? Ah, yes, your room. Hmm, I’m not sure. She might take you to see the headmaster or the student council president next. Although, I guess the headmaster’s technically not here, so you’ll be doing a remote call with him if anything. Either way, regardless of who you meet, they’ll both no doubt have some paperwork for you. Essentially, you’ll be signing a contract with the school. All the students do it, so don’t worry. It’s just standard stuff.”
So long as I get a chance at killing the Blade Saint, I can’t care less about what they require of me.
In the next moment, the door opened, and the human entered. “I’m back. Oh, you’ve already put on your uniform? It looks good,” the human said, changing the topic. “Hopefully Doctor Paunsasoy here didn’t do anything weird while I was gone.” The human shot the doctor a sharp glance.
“Of course I didn’t! Not for a lack of trying...” the doctor trailed off.
The human rolled her eyes. “Well, since you’re dressed and everything, shall we go?”
“And do what?” I asked.
“Meet the student council president. She’ll help you with the paperwork needed to enroll in the school.”
“As in, she’ll be filling it in for me?”
“Huh? No. You’ll be filling it in.”
“Why should I be required to fill it out? Couldn’t you? Or— Oh...” I shot her a look of pity. “Are you unable to write?”
“Of course I can write!” the human exclaimed before clearing her throat to regain her composure and continuing. “But it needs your signature to prove that you are doing this by your own will.”
“But I didn’t choose to stay here by my own will. You merely informed me that I’ve no choice but to remain at this school.”
“Yeah, as an asylum student. We can’t keep you here if you’re not a student, so you’ll need to go through the proper procedures to become one.”
“Is it not possible for me to remain here without being one?”
“You mean like a freeloader? I can’t imagine that an elder dragon would want to be labeled as something tantamount to a parasite.”
“If anything, I should be labeled as a superior who’s revered by all. Perhaps I should be the headmaster.”
“Look, we’re trying to hide you. Even setting aside all those ridiculous hoops you’d have to jump through to suddenly become the headmaster, the most important person in the school, you’d be way too conspicuous if you do so.”
“I’d say that a student suddenly transferring into this school would be equally conspicuous,” I retorted.
“Transfer students are more common than you think. That’s why the most important thing you need to do is blend in. You’ll just be another student transferring at the beginning of the new school year after the long break. That’s the ticket to keeping you under the radar. After all, the best hiding place for a tree is a forest. You’re the safest if you’re a student.”
“Safe? Humph. I need no protection. I am an elite elder dragon. None can best me.”
“So then, how did you end up here with those wounds?”
I opened my mouth. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I fought them back. I couldn’t reveal who’d put me in that state no matter what, otherwise they’d stop me before I had the chance to accomplish my goal.
“Fair point,” I hissed through gritted teeth.
“Anyway, we should get going. We don’t want to be late.”
Suddenly the doctor shivered. “I’ll never make that mistake again. There aren’t many things scarier than having the student council president angry with you.”
“Humph, no matter who they are, they should feel honored to have me in their company at all. They will wait as long as I deem necessary.”
“No, trust me. You don’t want to be late. Let’s go. We’re not too far from the student council office anyway,” the human said, ushering me out of the room.
“Have fun!” the doctor said, waving as we left.