Chapter 33

EXTRA CHAPTER: Dragon-san Enjoys the Spring

This is a short story.

It depicts a scene from one ordinary day of Lava and Nectar.

Spring has come to Ballow.

The air was still slightly cold and dry, but the temperature was on the rise and warm rays of sun were exquisite and pleasant.

「Fuwaaah~~~.」

Hearing me yawn rather loudly, Nectar lifts his face from over the desk.

「Are you perhaps bored?」

「Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I was just thinking how pleasant and peaceful today is.」

I thought it might be enough to reassure him, but on the contrary, Nectar looked as though he was about to burst into tears.

「I’m sorry! Please wait just a little bit longer, I’ll be done in a short while!」

「No, no, it’s okay! Do it at your own pace! Anything else would be asking for the impossible!」

Hearing that, Nectar began to process the documents at even faster pace.

Is he even looking at their contents?

Is it my fault, because he thought that I was getting bored of watching him work?

Although I got permission to be here in this place, I just couldn’t help it but wonder if I was only distracting him or not?

「I don’t really mind if you want take a nap or something. I’m afraid it may take some time to finish this.」

…… No, I think it is important to take your time with these things, rather then rush them without thinking. Take as much time as you want.

I shook my head as I squeezed a little bit on the bundle of paper stacked enough to hide the sitting Nectar.

「Okay, so as to not bother you so much and cause you to make mistakes, I’ll just open the window and enjoy this nice spring weather.」

In any case, there was a vast wilderness just beyond the research center.

Although, it was interesting to experience the changing of seasons, just look at this Spring! It feels so good!

「Is that so?」

I was looking at the colorful flowers blooming in the garden and young leaves of distant trees that could be seen from the window, when I heard Nectar’s voice from behind me.

I hold my hair in place, disturbed by the gentle breeze that flows into the room through the opened window.

「Besides, you look so cool when you’re working like that, it’s so much fun to look at you. It makes me think that you really are doing your best.」

「……!!!」

Nectar took a deep breath as his eyes became as large as huge blue gemstones.

As I thought, he sat back on the chair and started tidying up the documents in a rage.

「I’m almost done, so let’s go look at the flowers when I finish!」

「Sure, let’s do that!」

To my astonishment, Nectar began to slide his pen across the papers twice as fast than before. I sat back on the sofa, but then I received a call in my mind. I answered it by gently putting my hand to my ear.

The one on the other side of the connection was Kyle, a man who was working in the same profession as Nectar.

「How is Nectar doing?」

「Working his ass off with his work. It looks absolutely terrible.」

「Sorry about that, Lava. We always get an awful lot of paperwork this time of year, so I just can’t let him off the hook.」

「No, I don’t mind. I wanted to come and see Nectar’s workplace and it is fun to see him doing his job…… But why do you ask where I am?」

Kyle told me that he wanted to be sure that Nectar wouldn’t run away from doing his work, and I was fine with that explanation, but at the same time I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something more to it than just that.

「Umm, this is, I just wanted to thank both of you.」

Kyle’s answer was not really helpful in any way, as I still didn’t understand what it was that he wanted.

「Anyway, when you finish sorting through all the papers, you can take a break. Don’t worry. You can even go to the castle’s garden, since the pass I gave to you will grant you access to it.」

「Thanks a lot.」

After finishing my conversation with Kyle, I look out the window again while Nectar went back to sorting through his documents.

Before I even knew it, I was drawn to Nectar’s profile. His linen-colored hair with slight tinges of crimson, and his blue eyes as he run them over the lines of characters with a serious expression. I think that I will never get tired of this sight.

On a side note, there was a simple tea set in the corner of the room, so we could make some tea for ourselves on the spot.

「Nectar, would you like some tea?」

「A cup of tea with Lava? With pleasure!」

As soon as I heard his response, I smiled bitterly at Nectar who looked like a excited little puppy, got up from the sofa and went to get a teapot.

Although I was the one who proposed him that, I was surprised that Nectar would actually stop his work halfway through.

While boiling the water with my magic, I look up at the clear, blue sky visable outside of the window and stretch my body out.

I knew it, Spring is a good season after all.