EP.166 A Stormy Night (1)
I couldn’t even speak properly for a while due to the bewilderment.
Having gone through an absurd number of disasters until now, I thought I wouldn’t be surprised by anything trivial at this point.
However, this bizarre phenomenon that suddenly overwhelmed my body was so outrageous that even I, a disaster specialist, let out a cringe-worthy scream.
“Look, sister. Brother. Isn’t it cute?”
“·····”
The Saint’s words pierced through my troubled thoughts like a dagger.
Cute.
It felt like the first time I’d heard such embarrassing praise, perhaps in my entire life. My heart fluttered.
It was nothing short of a miracle that I managed to stop the Saint’s rampage without a single casualty.
Had my gamble of drawing significant Holy Power from the Saint not been effective, I could only imagine how twisted that tragic event could have turned. Just imagining it sent chills down my spine.
Of course, all the guests there had been reduced to half-wits, and the man who seemed to be their leader was in such a state that I couldn’t bear to see him with my own eyes. But anyway, they were alive, and that was all that mattered now.
With the Holy Power I shared with the Saint, I had healed all their wounds, so the lumps in their hearts would serve as enough penance for their sins.
I did feel a nagging worry about the whereabouts of the child abuser who had bolted immediately after the incident, but that feeling passed quickly.
Right now, I had to focus solely on the tiresome issue that had befallen me.
“Is-is that you, Regis Priest…?”
The voice of the Sister, visibly flustered, pressed heavily on my head.
I had predicted this kind of reaction in advance, yet the sharp pain stirring my thoughts remained.
Nod.
Unable to speak aloud due to unavoidable circumstances, I had no choice but to express my agreement through my actions.
Proving my identity to the Sister was surprisingly simple.
First, I had the Saint’s guarantee, and the Hero’s blessing inscribed on my shoulder served as the most certain evidence that I was indeed Regis Lowville.
Crack.
As I held hands tightly with the Saint at the entrance of our lodging, memories of my childhood at the orphanage that I had long forgotten suddenly resurfaced, causing a slight pang in my chest.
However, the momentary comfort brought forth by those old memories quickly faded, as my heart sank into overwhelming shame rising from my lower abdomen.
“Okay, let’s go inside! Quickly, hurry up! Come on, Welna!”
“Okay, got it. Brother, hurry this way.”
“·····”
I managed my mixed emotions and trudged into the lodging.
My adorable little arms, no matter how many times I folded my clothes, seemed to trap the sleeves.
My pants, which I had no choice but to leave behind since no matter how tightly I tied the belt, they slid down uselessly.
How much younger had I become?
Judging by my physique alone, I would estimate I was around 5 to 10 years old, but the truth was beyond what I could confirm.
Who would have thought I would end up looking up to that Saint one day?
What a long life it had been.
“Oh, be careful when you come up. This place was just cleaned, so it’s quite slippery…”
Bang!
The sudden dull noise drew the glances of both the Saint and the Sister towards me simultaneously.
Just to clarify, this was absolutely not my fault.
Didn’t the Sister just mention?
This place was quite slippery, having been cleaned not long ago.
Moreover, due to my sudden bodily changes, I was still struggling to keep myself stable.
So, anyone in my position was bound to trip over their own ankle and fall flat on their face.
“Re-Regis Priest?!”
“Brother!”
More painful than the throbbing pain on the bridge of my nose was the concern in the voices of the two sisters.
I quickly wiped the dripping blood from my nose onto my clothes and scrambled to my feet, speaking in the happiest tone I could muster.
“I-it’s fine. I’m… not hurt…”
Hah.
I quickly cut off the nonsensical chatter, hurriedly covering my mouth.
Oh great, this is why I didn’t want to speak.
Why was my tongue so short all of a sudden? Irritation surged within me.
Who would have thought I’d be showing such humiliating sights to that Sister of all people?
My face turned crimson, and my head, feeling like it was weighed down by a stone, naturally bowed toward the ground.
“Brother, are you okay? Should Welna help?”
The Saint rushed over to me, her expression filled with concern.
Perhaps due to the complete reversal in our body sizes, I felt for the first time that the Saint, whom I had always considered petite and graceful, now seemed so mature.
Speaking of which, the Saint mentioned that she would be turning 17 in a few months.
It felt like just yesterday she couldn’t even speak properly.
Now witnessing the Saint on the cusp of adulthood, a curious emotion that words could hardly describe welled up in my throat.
“I-it’s okay…”
Hug!
In that moment, I was enveloped in an indescribably warm embrace.
As the unfamiliar sense of relief lifted my consciousness, I blinked in confusion.
Soft, excited breaths breezed past my ears like a gentle wind.
“S-Sister…?”
“Sister…?”
Hah… Hah…
Buried in the unidentified softness wrapping around my tiny body, I shook my head fiercely to gain my bearings.
When I finally met the gaze of the Sister, who was panting as if she had just sprinted over, I even saw her looking at us like stuffed toys.
Tilted head.
The Saint and I tilted our heads at the same time, as if we were in sync.
Tilting my head in suspicion—a behavior I wouldn’t have done in my previous self—my body moved ahead of my mind, perhaps due to my drastically younger appearance.
Hoo… Hoo…
The sticky in-breaths and out-breaths tugged at my bangs back and forth.
As I exchanged glances with the Sister who looked as if she was lost in a daze.
Her eyes spun around like water swirling in a freshly uncovered bathtub after its cork was pulled, reminding me of something.
I had definitely seen a look like that before.
It was reminiscent of the dragon, pondering what to eat from the delicious meat clutched tightly in its claws.
“Huh! What am I doing right now?!”
The Sister suddenly straightened her posture as if she had realized something.
“I’m sorry! I’ll carry you to the room right now!”
Gulp.
In that moment, I sensed something unusual from the Sister, who swallowed loudly enough for me to hear.
For sure it was just my imagination. I reassured myself, trying to ignore it.
◈◈◈
“How can this be so interesting…!”
Hahaha!
“·····”
My comrades’ reactions to my changed appearance were all over the place.
Dawna had the look of someone who found new experimental materials, spouting various hypotheses endlessly.
Apis was doubled over, laughing as she teased my tiny body and my short speech.
Even Bigtim, after seeing my youthful appearance, fidgeted like he was a ticking time bomb next to me.
“They say the Saint has lost her mind due to the overwhelming Holy Power or something! And because Lowville has outstanding mental prowess, it manifests in her body! Ah, how fascinating! So fascinating!”
Hahaha! This is a masterpiece! A masterpiece! Hey! Let’s show this to the Hero! Where is he right now?!
Watching my comrades fuss around me made my head throb.
Bigtim seemed to share my sentiment as he fervently opposed Apis’s suggestion to bring the Hero, his face pale.
According to Bigtim, the Hero was busy at a candy shop in the city, hoarding sweets left and right.
Had I not known the real reason, I might have thought the Hero was just being whimsical.
However, now that I had a clear idea, I quickly stopped thinking about it.
“Then how do we get him back…?”
“Hmm! You don’t need to worry about that! Even if the body has changed, the spirit remains the same, proving that such a transformation is temporary! Moreover, if I’m this aware of myself, I should return to my original form within a few days!”
“Hey, come on. What a letdown… Oh, wait! Let’s take a picture! A photo! Isn’t there a magic stone photography studio around here?!”
Apis’s giddy attitude slightly annoyed me, but soon relief overtook me at the thought that I might return to my original state.
“If for any reason I don’t return, I will take full responsibility for raising Regis Priest until he reaches adulthood.”
“Eh…?”
The Sister, who had been quietly observing the situation, suddenly raised her voice decisively, but I chose not to dwell on it.
She was definitely joking.
Right?…
Thud!
Just then, Bigtim, whose face had turned pale as a corpse, gently tapped my shoulder and whispered with trembling lips.
“Run away.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
Bang!
In that instant, a noise I had not anticipated drew my attention, and I spotted the Hero, looking as if he were enchanted, staring at me while helplessly dropping the bag of candies he had clutched tightly.
“Pr-Priest?!”
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