The figure that suddenly appeared at the door nearly scared Muelsyse to death.
But once she got a good look, she froze in place.
"Y-You damned Crocodile Man!?"
Standing in the doorway, Garde scratched his head and pulled out a piece of paper to write on.
"Is that really the impression you have of me?"
Seeing the words, Muelsyse slammed her hand on the desk.
"Of course it is!"
She immediately covered her mouth, unwilling to admit she'd always suspected Garde harbored ulterior motives toward her.
But that wasn't the main issue right now.
"If you're here, that means Saria and the others have returned, right? Where's Saria?"
Muelsyse glanced around, expecting to be informed if Saria had come back.
"Saria is probably still in the hotlands," Garde wrote.
"What do you mean?"
"I got separated from the group after a battle."
"What kind of battle would leave you separated and running all the way to Melun City? Do you know how far this city is from the edge of the hotlands? It's at least 500 kilometers!"
Muelsyse eyed Garde suspiciously.
"Don't tell me you ran into danger and escaped on your own?"
The crocodile man smiled faintly.
"What if I did?"
"Then... I'd have no choice but to start preparing Saria's funeral," Muelsyse replied, her gaze flickering nervously.
She was beginning to regret leaving herself alone with Garde. What if his animal instincts kicked in? Where could she run?
Suddenly, Garde slammed a piece of paper onto her desk, startling her.
"W-What are you doing? If you try to get near me, I'll—I'll call the authorities!"
Hugging her chest, Muelsyse shrank into her chair.
"I'm telling you now, I won't submit to your tyranny!"
What was she even talking about?
Garde glanced at her, then gave a cursory look at her unimpressive chest and flat behind, wearing a disinterested expression.
"What's with that look? What's with that look!?" Muelsyse slammed her desk in anger, but her rage dissipated when she saw what Garde had written.
"Don't worry. The mission was a success. We encountered some friends in the hotlands, and after the final battle, they'll accompany Saria and the others out safely."
Muelsyse's face lit up instantly.
She held the paper with Garde's handwriting, staring at him in surprise.
"Is everything written here true?"
Garde nodded.
"Haha, you should've said so earlier! I nearly misunderstood you."
Muelsyse stood up, trying to pat Garde on the shoulder, but with the desk between them, all she could reach was his pectoral muscles.
"Huh, wait a second. Did you get taller again?"
She looked at the crocodile man standing before her desk with a dazed expression. His massive, sculpted physique completely obscured her view of anything else in the room.
Garde leaned forward and wrote on the paper:
"Just a little bit."
Reading the note, Muelsyse finally snapped back to reality.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
"My throat is a little injured," he replied through writing.
As Garde leaned forward to write, Muelsyse trembled all over, terrified that he might suddenly grab her like a chick.
If it weren't for her last shred of dignity as the director of Rhine Lab's Ecological Department urging her to remain calm, she might have already turned and run. Though, running might have led to an even worse outcome.
"Your throat is injured? Do you need me to take a look?"
As soon as she said it, Muelsyse wanted to slap herself.
Why meddle in his business?
Oh, right—Garde suddenly remembered. His throat had likely been burned. Muelsyse's expertise lay in water-based Originium Arts, which might actually help heal his injury.
With that thought, Garde opened his mouth wide.
"Ah~"
Thud!
Muelsyse fell out of her chair.
Help! Help! This Acahualla crocodile man is eating operators now!
By the time Garde retrieved her from under the desk and looked at her helplessly, Muelsyse blushed and muttered,
"I wasn't scared, I just slipped."
Muttering under her breath, she climbed onto her desk, which finally allowed her to stand a little taller than Garde.
"Open your mouth."
Garde complied.
"Ugh, what have you been eating? It stinks—wait, it doesn't stink at all."
Muelsyse had assumed that after so much time in the hotlands without brushing his teeth, his breath would be awful. To her surprise, there was no odor at all.
She even leaned in closer, thinking her nose might be failing her.
"Did you seriously brush your teeth first thing after returning?"
Muelsyse stared at Garde in shock.
For someone who seemed so rough around the edges, was this crocodile man unexpectedly meticulous?
"Ahhh." Garde opened his mouth wider.
"Alright, alright, let me take a look."
Muelsyse pried Garde's mouth open, pulled out a flashlight, and inspected his throat.
"Stay still, hold that position while I get closer."
Now focused on her work, Muelsyse was far more composed. With the flashlight, she saw extensive burns in Garde's throat, almost to the point of necrosis.
"What did you even do? Were you cursed or something?"
"Ahhh."
"Fine, fine, I'll figure something out. Since this injury occurred during the mission, it counts as a workplace injury. Rhine Lab will cover it."
Though she said this, Muelsyse thought Garde's injury might heal on its own in a few days. Despite the slow pace, his throat was already showing signs of recovery—it's utterly absurd.
Snapping her fingers, she turned on the faucet. With a flick of her hand, a stream of water coiled into a dragon-like shape.
"Brace yourself."
Muelsyse's Originium Arts didn't just manipulate water; she could imbue it with purifying properties. While her purification wasn't nearly enough for such severe burns, quantity could make up for quality.
She was only going through this effort because Garde had done Rhine Lab such a big favor. For anyone else, she wouldn't bother.
Using her left hand, she drew in clean water, while her right hand directed the used water—now acidic and corrosive—into the drain.
Seeing the extent of Garde's injuries, Muelsyse finally understood how grueling the hotlands expedition had been. The petty complaints she'd harbored vanished completely.
"Cough."
Garde suddenly choked on the water, and Muelsyse realized something was wrong. The water entering his throat was boiling and evaporating, and before she could react, she instinctively created a thin water barrier around herself.
In the next moment, flames erupted from Garde's mouth.
The black dragon's residual fire within him had been released, and Muelsyse's office exploded.
"What just happened!?"
Outside, hearing the explosion, Rhine Lab operators rushed to the door, only to find it blocked.
"Cough, cough."
Garde's hoarse voice came from inside.
"Just a little accident. Director Muelsyse and I can handle it."
Despite his reassurance, Garde glanced at the now barely-dressed Muelsyse in his arms, her clothes and pants burned away entirely, and innocently looked at the ceiling.
He did it on purpose!
This damned crocodile man did it on purpose!
Muelsyse shrank into Garde's arms, afraid to move lest the few remaining scraps of fabric on her fell off.
But as a water-attribute caster capable of crafting lifelike duplicates of herself, it was easy for her to create a thin, water-based outfit.
"What are you looking at, you perverted crocodile! Shameless! Degenerate!"
With a snap of her fingers, Muelsyse made herself a translucent water garment, then stuck her tongue out at Garde.
"Um, I'd suggest you put on a proper outfit," Garde muttered, glancing at her chest.
He hesitated to say it outright, but to him, that illusionary water outfit was no better than wearing nothing at all.
And she's really flat.
<+>
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