Chapter 117: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (3)
“Isn’t it possible that when the Goblin reverts from his transformation, he’s completely naked or something?”
After changing clothes and taking a shower.
“Why do you think so?”
“Because I’ve never seen him revert his transformation in front of others.”
“What does that have to do with being naked?”
“Because he becomes naked, he probably doesn’t revert in front of others on purpose, right? Isn’t that the case, teacher?”
Until nearly midnight, Yumir and I had a tea time conversation.
“It’s possible. But if he knew that, would he leave someone who discovered it alive?”
“Keep your mouth shut if you don’t want to die?”
“Wouldn’t he force you to keep quiet using his Goblin’s Bat?”
“Then, why not just bite it off?”
“I don’t know how strong your teeth are, Yumir, but the Goblin’s Bat is probably really hard.”
“……Tsk.”
Yumir made a face and flicked a water droplet at me.
“Look at that reaction. You’re not even hiding it anymore?”
“Isn’t that a trick anyone could do?”
“Is that ordinary?”
“Yes, because I’m a non-ability user.”
“Hmph.”
I skillfully avoided it and showed Yumir all the data I had gathered from online communities via my Taeguk Watch and smartphone.
“Want to see this?”
“What am I looking at…Huh?”
Yumir was momentarily breathless.
“There are many crazies in the world.”
The photos I showed her were twofold.
A photo of the ‘Golden Priestess’ overlapped with a photo taken of Yumir studying at the academy from a similar angle.
“It seems like the overlap is just at the level of ‘kind of similar’. People can be so malicious. Trying to stir up controversy by overlapping photos of someone like student Yumir with this hero.”
“But to this extent…?”
“Of course. There are so many dangerous people in the world.”
Being unaware of the specifics of the dark web, Yumir could only be shocked by the world’s griminess.
“You have to be cautious. You never know when, where, and who might spread such rumors. There could be claims that S+ tier ability user Magical Girl Golden Priestess and Student Yumir are the same person due to similar body types.”
“…Now I see why the Goblin goes to great lengths to hide his figure.”
Yumir gritted her teeth at me.
“If I had known earlier, I might have walked around in armor form. Just to protect the beauty of Korea. Isn’t this just another trap set by the Goblin?”
“A trap?”
“Like trying to seduce me into needing the protection of your organization.”
“Perhaps? The Goblin isn’t entirely benevolent. He’s a villain.”
No intention of hiding it.
Promoting traditional Korean beauty through a Hanbok-based outfit?
From the moment Yumir revealed her form, I had thought someone would uncover her identity at some point.
-Is this candid photography?
-More important is social justice!
-Doesn’t seem like it. She’s foreign. Foreigners wouldn’t wear such a Korean costume. Also, there’s an essential problem.
-What is it?
-The Golden Priestess is taller, lol.
It was just a ‘suspicion’ for now.
But if more evidence began to accumulate and it eventually became ‘confirmed’, it’d be too late.
“Be careful if you receive scam messages on your phone with a message like ‘Is this you?’ with an attached picture. This means the person is already convinced you’re the Golden Priestess. It’s a misunderstanding.”
“What should I do?”
“Ask the Goblin to handle the scammer, perhaps?”
“Would the Goblin do that?”
“If it’s necessary for the organization, the Goblin would readily step in. Though the world sees the Goblin as a villain, his primary goal is for the ‘benefit of the organization’. … This is all speculation on my part, though.”
“……”
Yumir solemnly nodded.
After seeing such a detailed analysis of herself and photos comparing her figure to a hero, it was understandable that her mental state was shaken.
“I should be careful during swimming sessions at the academy…”
“Such curriculums might just be for this kind of background check.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Did you think it was solely for survival skills in water?”
The academy was far more cynical and brutal than expected.
In the name of patriotism, there was no issue with infringing upon an individual’s privacy.
“It’s ironic. A hero who reveals their identity has no qualms about going to a swimming pool. In contrast, a hero who hides their identity could have their cover blown from a single picture taken at a pool,” I remarked.
“It’s a scary world,” replied Yumir.
“The world has changed so much.”
Assuming that every paparazzi in the entertainment industry targeted ability users was an exaggeration. Investigating concealed ability users was not only the role of the paparazzi but also intelligence agencies like the CIA or the National Intelligence Service.
“S+ tier ability users. For starters, they have the confirmed ability to revert a demonized ability user back to a normal human, although the specifics of how remain unclear. Even if we don’t know where the ability goes, it’s confirmed they can nullify the demon’s ability. That alone attracts worldwide attention. What if they could extract that ability, convert it into a tangible form, or entirely make it their own? Wow, even I would be intrigued by such a hero.”
“A hero that attracts so much attention from the world that even the Goblin is prepared to reveal his identity…”
“Exactly. He’s probably taking precautions. But he needs to be even more cautious.”
I adjusted my sitting position and pulled out a picture of the Goblin.
“You mentioned it, Yumir. When the Goblin reverts from his transformation, he might be completely naked. So, here’s a question: Would the Goblin be embarrassed about being naked in front of people?”
“…No.”
Yumir blushed and shook her head from side to side.
“The Goblin… he’s very confident about his body.”
“Right. It’s not being naked he’s embarrassed about. What he’s truly worried about is people using photos of his body to figure out his identity. At the very least, he’d cover his face in such a situation.”
“So, by looking at his body, they would identify the Goblin?”
“Yes. This might sound like a joke,”
Certainly not.
“But if he could effectively hide his face, he might confidently pose, hands on his hips. What do you think?”
It was not embarrassment over being naked that made him avoid reverting in front of others.
“What do you think, Yumir?”
“……”
After a moment of fidgeting with her fingers and sizing me up, Yumir said,
“…I agree.”
She seemed deeply convinced by my words.
Late at night.
It was nearing midnight, but there was no curfew for academy university students.
“You don’t need to escort me.”
“It’s not gentlemanly to let a young woman walk home alone late at night.”
“Hmph. I am an ability user, you know.”
“In this unpredictable world? A sudden incident could occur in the city, and an S-tier demon might appear, followed by the Golden Priestess to subdue it.”
“And there might be dangerous people observing from behind.”
Talking like this, we soon reached the dormitory area. Faculty couldn’t enter the student zone, and several other couples were also bidding each other farewell.
“Honey, are you sure you’re okay? Any injuries?”
“I’m fine. I’m just relieved you’re not hurt.”
In front of the dormitory, A-tier ability user ‘Fire Knuckle’ and a girl, presumably his girlfriend, were sweetly talking.
They’d been through a significant incident just hours ago, but being alive allowed them to continue exchanging love like this.
“Hey. Hyuk-ah. Why… can’t we just not go in tonight? Let’s go to my dorm room.”
“Noona?”
“I… I want to apologize to you… Even though faculty can’t enter student dorms…”
“Noona.”
Fire Knuckle hesitated for a moment while holding his girlfriend’s hand.
“Let’s go. Now.”
“Ah, really…!”
The two playfully vanished.
“Wow, patriotic duty. What if an unborn child starts throwing fire punches in the womb?”
“What are you saying? …Anyway, what about a Goblin child? How would it turn out?”
“The Goblin’s child? Hmm… It’d depend on who births the child, wouldn’t it? Anyway, be careful going in. It’s gotten quite late.”
“……”
Yumir seemed reluctant to leave.
“Thank you for everything today, teacher. I’ll come for another ‘special private lesson’ next time.”
Aha.
That was the setting.
“Of course. Whenever Yumir wants to learn about librarians, I’m always ready for a special private lesson.”
“A librarian?”
“Of course. A library’s librarian is the best.”
“Li-brary, huh… Alright then.”
Yumir hesitated, looking up at me and pointing at my Taeguk Watch.
“By the way, are you free next weekend?”
“Next weekend? By then…”
“It will be after my provincial training.”
Yumir took a deep breath,
“I… I want to go sightseeing. For a day or two.”
She stared straight at me, proposing a trip.
“To Ulleungdo.”
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