Ch.170Chapter 7. A Week of Turbidity (6)

This world is one where supernatural abilities run rampant.

Naturally, among these abilities exist transformation-type powers like metamorphosis, polymorph, and a-va-tar!!

Turning into a demon is a different matter entirely.

That’s corruption, not transformation.

Most transformation abilities work by wrapping mana around the body to change one’s appearance.

Some, like me, transform the protective barrier around me into clothing.

Others, like Ymir, create magical girl costumes.

And some, like Baek Seol-hee, form external armor.

“Ta-da! Kid Taowu has arrived.”

As Taowu is demonstrating, complete physical transformation is also possible.

“What do you think, Tavern Owner? Do I look like an elementary school student with a recorder in my mouth?”

“You look absolutely beautiful, adorable, and gorgeous, Lord Taowu.”

The Tavern Owner covered her mouth and nose with her hand while continuously taking pictures with her Taegeuk Watch.

“Argh, it’s such a shame we’re at this Ulleungdo pension…! If we were on Sejong Island, I would have immediately raided the children’s section for clothes…!”

“What were you planning to do?”

“Take photos of you wearing all sorts of outfits for my album…!”

Ah.

Found her.

Here’s a woman the police should arrest.

“Don’t they sell children’s clothes here too?”

“Would you really do that for me?!”

“I should do at least that much for the Tavern Owner who assists the Goblin. Of course, I’ll only model. You’ll have to source the clothes yourself.”

“Hnnngh…!”

The Tavern Owner clenched her fists in agony.

“Unfortunately, the only children’s clothes sold here are for infants. Even I have my limits.”

“I can’t transform that small either. Rather than transforming like that, it would be faster to just give birth to such a child.”

“Give birth…! Hnnngh, Lord Taowu…!”

I thought she was just a Qiongqi follower, but it seems the Tavern Owner genuinely has that kind of preference.

This is dangerous.

I have a strong feeling that if I ever have a child and it’s a daughter, I should never let the Tavern Owner be her nanny, at least not when the child grows up.

“Does Manager Do not feel anything seeing this?”

Now the arrow flies toward me.

Both the Tavern Owner and Taowu are trying to corner me, asking how I can feel nothing seeing this.

“Why would I feel anything? I’m not some yokai walking the path of evil.”

“Ah, that dog yokai?”

“Yes.”

In this world, the series has been completed.

However, for some reason, the sequel about their children never began.

I apologize to those waiting for a sequel or epilogue, but I have no intention of unleashing the demon of knowledge upon this world.

-The blonde ninja becomes the leader of the 7 villages!!

-What!? Nonsense! What crazy talk is this!

-And his son becomes the protagonist, and his wife is-

-AAAAGH! S-stop!! Please, don’t tell me who his wife is!!

-It’s the white-eyed woman, right?! Surely not the pink-haired one?!

-……Hahaha!

-AAAAARGH!!

If I were to become a demon, people might call me the Demon of Spoilers.

Or perhaps the Demon of Fan Fiction and Spin-offs.

My appearance would differ from now, but there’s no reason for me to become a demon in the first place.

In other words.

Just as there’s no reason for me to become a demon.

There’s no reason for me to walk the path of evil.

Walking that path would mean losing the law and order I had in my world, becoming completely assimilated into this world, and developing the same tastes as those trashy old men.

I have no intention of breaking the law in that regard.

I am a person from a nation that has declared itself to be morally upright, the nation of Acheong.

“In stories, such beings might exist, but I am absoooolutely—”

“Oh, that? …It suits you though? Aren’t you and the Chairman exactly in that position right now?”

“……”

Huh.

This is tempting.

“Are you saying the Chairman and I appear to have that kind of relationship?”

“Oh my, look at this? When I mention the Chairman, you acknowledge it?”

“The Chairman is a different matter.”

A man might be mocked as walking the path of evil.

But at least that couple would be the couple of the century, one that even NTR enthusiasts would reluctantly respect, saying “Ah, these two are a bit…heh.”

And that couple is me and the Chairman?

As expected of Taowu.

She has a discerning eye.

“Does the Chairman really look that young?”

“It’s not that she looks young, but that she could shrink even further. Right now, she’s only gone down to Manager Do’s psychological resistance level? Hehehe.”

“So you’re trying to paint me as a pedophile again. Take it easy, Taowu.”

“I don’t want to. I’ll keep going. Hehee.”

So fortunately, we communicated, but if that communication is just another attack on me, I won’t tolerate it.

“So, Manager Do, do you prefer them big or small?”

“That’s a bit unfair.”

“Why?”

“Don’t women always prefer them big?”

Now it’s my turn to attack.

At my words, the Tavern Owner tilted her head in confusion, while Taowu blushed slightly and lowered her head.

“Especially you, Taowu, you like it the most.”

“T-that’s not true!!”

“Really? That time….”

“No way!”

Taowu shouted loudly and pointed at me accusingly.

“Yours is too big, that’s the problem!”

“Should I practice shrinking then? Hmm?”

I can’t reduce my body size with my ability.

Perhaps my imagination doesn’t extend that far, making it impossible to shrink my body.

“How would you like me to shrink it?”

“If you could shrink it, you would have done so already!”

“I never wanted to shrink it, but since you keep provoking me, I’m starting to think I should research it a bit.”

…Perhaps I fundamentally question whether I need to reduce the size of my current body, or maybe deep down I’m rejecting the idea of shrinking.

“Enough joking around. There’s no reason to maintain that form, so return to normal.”

“No. This is efficient.”

“If that’s the case, why not transform like Hundun did?”

“Ugh. Why would I turn into a beast? No matter how comfortable that might be, I’m a human. A human!”

“You’re a ghost.”

“I WAS human!!!”

Taowu tried to claw at me, but I grabbed her wrist and lifted her up.

“Getting captured so easily, what’s the point?”

“Kyaoo.”

“…Hmm, interesting. People wouldn’t think we’re Yimemangryang executives if they saw us like this.”

“S-class celebrities don’t always go to high-end clubs and drink expensive liquor when they hang out. Anyway, I have no intention of shrinking my body.”

Why would I reduce this height, this build, and that bat?

“The Chairman likes my body just as it is, so why should I shrink it?”

Why should I?

“Taowu. Do you think it would be appropriate for me to shrink to your current age?”

“Hmm….”

“I think it would be fine.”

“Tavern Owner?”

“My honest opinion.”

The Tavern Owner raised her voice as if stating the obvious.

“Goblin boy mode. No one can resist this.”

The Tavern Owner quickly sketched something on a piece of paper and completed a drawing in an instant.

“Look at this.”

“I feel like I shouldn’t be thinking about this.”

“We’re discussing important Syndicate matters, so hear me out. It might be a great help for our next operation!”

The Tavern Owner seems excited.

It’s good that she has an idea, but why do I feel so uneasy?

“The Goblin currently has an appearance that anyone would recognize as an ‘adult.'”

“That’s right.”

“But what if you walked around looking like a child? Who would think that’s the Goblin?”

“……”

“What do you think? It seems like a pretty good idea…doesn’t it?”

The Tavern Owner started to gauge our reactions.

Because I said nothing, and Taowu was looking at me with expectant eyes.

“…Is it possible?”

I’m changing my mind.

If we’re talking about transformation, the concept of becoming younger, or ‘shrinking,’ is strong.

The Chairman’s case is a bit different.

She is essentially a god-like being in terms of ability and magical power, so it wouldn’t be strange for her to use any ability.

Taowu, Qiongqi, and the Four Executives are different cases.

Looking at Taowu’s case, their bodies are fundamentally composed of magical power.

But for me, with an ordinary human body….

“……Tavern Owner.”

“Yes?”

“When the Zenros enter Sejong Island this time, they’ll definitely all go to the underground laboratory, right?”

“Wherever they go, having a smaller body would be good for infiltration, wouldn’t it?”

“If a child is just wandering around in a strange laboratory….”

“It would be strange, but think about it, Manager Do. There’s no reason to enter while consuming a large amount of mana from the start, right?”

“…!”

That’s right.

If maintaining invisibility and etherealization consumes a tremendous amount of mana, then if I could succeed in becoming lightweight like the Chairman, I could more easily infiltrate their laboratory or anywhere else.

“Alright. Until the Zenros enter Sejong Island, let’s research and develop this ability.”

I haven’t felt the need until now, but with Taowu and the Tavern Owner here, it’s worth researching during our stay at this pension.

“…Whether it’s compression, contraction, miniaturization, or time reversal, let’s try everything.”

Just as Taowu followed time acceleration.

“I can’t keep wasting magical power forever, so I need to create a body state that can use magical power efficiently.”

I too will develop a new ability for The Syndicate.

All for the peace of a world united under The Syndicate.

* * *

And.

After the weekend ended.

Monday morning.

“…Haven’t I become too young?”

“It’s perfect!”

Taowu hugged me from behind.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn’t help but lament.

“Is this right?”

Height.

140.

“…I’ve shrunk by almost 40.”

I had become a goblin boy.

Just like that detective who took a certain drug.

“Your body is younger, but your bat remains the same! Boy Goblin!”

“Hey.”

“Hehee.”

“…Sigh.”

How did it come to this?