Chapter 136

Chapter 136

Episode 136: A New Beginning Doppelganger’s bodily tissues react to magic and change in various ways. With a little practice, I could adjust not only the subtle differences in my face but also the size to some extent. Of course, even if the appearance changes, the mass does not, so I couldn’t change too drastically. “Hmm….” It wasn’t just the appearance. Doppelganger cells were almost biologically omnipotent, capable of changing even hair and skin color. Naturally, going from purple to white was possible. A sun-tanned brown, or a luminous white, were both possible. Even skin colors that seemed inhuman, such as blue, red, or green, were possible. “…Still, green is a bit much.” I stared at the green skin reflected in the mirror for a moment before turning it back to white. The new ability of transformation was surprisingly difficult to handle. It would be nice if it changed instantly like in the movies, but doing it myself required quite delicate adjustments. It was more like customizing in a game. Therefore, imitating the exact same appearance seemed quite difficult. “Yeah, it’s a little different….” White skin, black eyebrows, and black hair. A face that seemed slightly innocent yet possessed an intellectual charm. It was an attempt to recreate Mien’s appearance from memory, but the feeling was slightly different. I thought her nose might have been a bit more prominent, so I raised the bridge of my nose slightly, but then my brow looked awkward. And if I made another adjustment, the impression became quite different from Mien in my memory.

-Swish.

….It’s quite difficult. Even if I were to imitate my old face, it would probably be quite different from the real thing. I don’t get to see my own face very often. Moreover, body shape was even more tricky, and it took me a while to get a feel for it. Still, seeing that I could reduce the size quite a bit, I thought that if I kept trying, I could eventually maintain my previous appearance, even if not right now. A woman who can change her appearance, hair color, and skin color at will. That was truly an ideal existence for men. Realizing this, I smiled bitterly and muttered. “…Just a body that does good for others.” Well, it was half a joke. There’s also such a thing as self-satisfaction in the world. Besides, I don’t have any thoughts of being with someone every day. Emily might be a little special, but I wanted to be special friends with her, not lovers. // The process of returning to Karaldin from the underground plaza itself wasn’t that difficult. But the problem was what to do after returning. Having undergone a metamorphosis, my body had grown dramatically. It was possible to change my body shape to some extent, but it was still a bit difficult to return to my former appearance. In this state, I wouldn’t be able to go to the guild and prove myself as Layla Freeman. But, was it necessary to maintain my previous identity? My old face was already quite well-known. The people belonging to Sartun naturally knew it, and the nobles there saw my bare face during a slave auction-like event. It wasn’t that important, but it was still unsettling. And, I was once exposed in Mesatria. I couldn’t be sure, but I couldn’t just be optimistic. “Maybe it’s better to use a new identity?” When I asked Mien, she seemed to think for a moment before nodding. “Yes, and that Karaldin demon might still be after you, so I think it’s best to be careful.” “…I’d win if we fought directly, but a guy who knows that wouldn’t come at me head-on. I definitely need to be careful of him too.” It was dangerous to be arrogant just because I had obtained a lucky break. I had been caught off guard by numbers and drugs last time, and there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t happen again. “The safest thing to do is to stay out of Karaldin. Not only Layla, but Layla’s friends as well. I’m worried about what happened in Mesatria. I don’t think people who are determined enough to track you from the western end to the eastern end would give up so easily.” “Would they go that far….” “You caused that accident in Mesatria, right? Although Mesatria is a bit far from here, they are both eastern base cities. It’s easy to make an agreement to investigate a serious criminal.” I felt guilty about that, so it was hard to argue. A serious criminal, no less. ….I did commit the crime, but the circumstances were so strange that it felt a bit ambiguous. “Then should we leave the city for a while?” “That’s my opinion. But ultimately, the decision is yours, Layla.” Mien smiled and turned her gaze back to the notes she was organizing. The decision is mine. It was obvious, but I felt a bit burdened because I wasn’t the only one involved. Emily, Nana, and El didn’t have much money. “If we leave Karaldin, my money in the bank….” “That’s okay. The bank will only identify you by your signature and plate.” Well, in a world without cameras, they wouldn’t remember every face. Then the money problem is solved… not quite. Oh well. If I’m really short, I’ll have to ask Quirjev for some. “Do you have any place in mind?” I nodded at Mien’s question. Of course, there were places to go. The Taibon County where Yoo Taejin was staying. And the Lanche Barony where Kim Ahram was. Lakers wasn’t bad either, but even if I went back, I didn’t know if they would believe my current appearance, and the only person I would meet was Keir. He would probably try to sleep with me, so it would be better to go see my friends from my past life. // After consulting with Mien, Josef, and Quirjev, I decided to leave Karaldin for a while. It was unknown when the Lauper in my womb would grow, but I didn’t want to waste time just waiting for that. I could always contact them by letter. I could come back when pregnancy symptoms appeared. Mien left the underground plaza before me. She had some things to take care of separately, and she was going to tell El and Emily about me. She would also join me on the trip to Taibon County. However, in Mien’s case, she had been staying in Karaldin for a long time, so she had things to sort out, and she would be coming later. “….” I looked around the room in Pex that I had stayed in for a while. There weren’t many memories left, but it was a monumental room where I had escaped the influence of demonic arts, so that was a memory.

-Kyuruk.

After looking around the room for a while, Arum, who now stayed in my pocket, peeked out and made a boiling sound. I smiled bitterly and stroked Arum with my finger. “Sorry, your room already has a tenant. I’ll let you back in when the contract is over.” Even if you don’t understand me.

-Kyuruk.

But as if agreeing with me, Arum made another sound. I didn’t know what it was saying because I wasn’t a slime. But judging from the positive emotions conveyed, it didn’t seem to be too upset. ….Maybe it likes being petted. “Yeah, thanks.” Personally, I think putting a slime in my womb is a bit of a crazy idea, but it’s still cute, so it’s okay. I’m just reluctant to do anything too extreme, like trolls, goblins, or that old salamander, or being gang-raped by multiple people. I think it’s okay to mix bodies with Emily occasionally, or to enjoy it with Charka. It’s a bit of a shame that I won’t have a chance to do that with Charka anymore. Even if I’m free from the side effects of the essence, I don’t intend to remain chaste. In the first place, I sold my body in a brothel even before I started learning demonic arts in earnest, and after I got used to it, I enjoyed it when a good customer came. Now I just have more self-control and a narrower range of defense.

-Creak.

As I was looking around the room for a while, I suddenly heard the sound of hinges behind me. The footsteps were light. It was probably Josef. “Are you leaving today?” As expected, it was Josef. “Yes. I won’t see you for a while. Should I draw some more blood for you?” When I joked, he smiled and replied. “There’s no need. I have plenty of samples. We’ll do that next time.” “….Next time. Well, I’ll be back.” When I deliberately stroked my stomach, Josef smiled with a complex expression. To put it bluntly, I was the result of the Quirjev priests’ experiment. I was half demon, and I was raising Lauper, who was presumed to be a half-monster, in my womb. It was quite ethically problematic, but it was strangely not a big deal to be in this situation. “I don’t know what to say to you….” “No words are necessary. I’ll take the reward of gratitude in the form of research notes later.” When I answered with half a joke and half a truth, Josef smiled and nodded as if he couldn’t win. “As much as you want.” I don’t know how much magic I’ll learn by then. But if I learn it, I’ll be able to use it somewhere. Josef said a simple goodbye and left the room, muttering as he passed. “I hope we can talk more next time.” Come to think of it, I had so much going on this time that I didn’t get to talk to him much. Since he was researching the magic of body modification, he must have had a lot of stories to tell. “I hope so too. Shall we talk about our lives next time?” “Hmm, mine is a bit dark. It probably won’t be fun.” Was that a subtle rejection? But dark stories are usually that much deeper. Especially for people who live in this underground plaza. “It sounds interesting. I grew up without parents too.” “….That’s a bit strong.” “What about your teacher?” “He’s dead.” He said it was strong, but his words seemed more bleak than mine. Josef and I looked at each other and smiled without either of us saying anything. // Josef had to stay in Pex, so Quirjev took on the role of taking me to Karaldin. Getting out of the underground plaza was surprisingly complicated. I knew how I got through the sewers of Karaldin, but I couldn’t remember exactly where the entrance was. I might have gotten lost if it wasn’t for Quirjev. And before we parted, he gave me something as a reward for the experiment. “Take this. You’ll need it for your travels.” “…..What is this?” What he gave me was a black sphere. It was smaller than my fist. Anyway, it wasn’t very big. It was kind of an ambiguous size. When I looked at Quirjev as if wondering what it was, he replied as if it was nothing. “It’s a mimic.” “….That treasure chest monster?” “That name makes me shudder just hearing it. Call it a space devourer instead.” As expected of a wizard, wizards like difficult names…. wait? “Wait, a mimic? Is it a real mimic?” “Yes. I know this is really expensive and precious, so don’t ask any more questions, and just take it without being humble.” I looked at the black sphere that Quirjev gave me again. If this was really a mimic, it was a magic tool that was on a different level than cheap space expansion pouches. I didn’t know exactly, but I knew it was on a different level. ….Actually, that’s all I know, but isn’t that all I need to know? “Mien will tell you how to use the mimic and what’s inside it.”

After saying that, Quirjev looked at me again. His wrinkled face wore a complex expression, but his eyes remained straight and clear. He moved his lips as if to say something, but in the end, all that came from his mouth was a short farewell. “…Take care. I’ll contact you from time to time.” They say old age brings many thoughts; was that the case with him too? I chuckled and replied to his farewell. “Sure, Father.” ———= Author’s Note ———= I apologize for the sudden break yesterday. I had a bad cold and couldn’t focus, so I couldn’t make any progress with the writing… I should simplify the first part of the story a bit and move on to the second part quickly. The second part will be something like a tutor… no, a school story.