[Possession] Test

"Kehma, isn't it almost eight?"

"Oh, is it that time already?"

I was just about to start reconstructing the dungeon after hearing everyone's opinions, but it seems I got interrupted.

Well, that's fine. I'll work on the construction when I get some time later on. It wasn't something I had to rush and there are still some unresolved parts anyway.

Rokuko and I moved to the safe Master Room and decided to try if we could possess Narikin and Rokufa.

They weren't shown on the map. Normally, they would be out of range, but since they were named monsters, they could be selected as targets for [Possession] from the named list.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar room, illuminated by a fishy-smelling lamp. Narikin's body was lying on a hard bed, so it was probably an inn in Pavuera. Rokuko was sitting on a chair next to the bed.

"Oh, did it work?"

"We did it, Kei-… Mmm, Narikin."

It seemed that Rokuko was able to successfully possess Rokufa as well.

"Good morning, Master and Mistress. It seems you were able to successfully possess them."

In the entrance of the room, there was a maid with a suspicious smile on her face. It was the assassin possessed by Toy.

"Alright, Toy… uh, no, what should I call you?"

"Either Toy, Niku, [Hey], or [You] is fine. I'm going to use a fake name anyway. For reference, this body's codename is Phantom, and its prepared fake name is Naana."

"Then let's call you Naana. What's with your outfit?"

She was wearing a maid outfit, which was common in this world—a simple one with few decorations or frills. I didn't think she was dressed like this when they left.

"I procured it in Pavuera. I thought it would be more convenient to accompany the two of you as a guard and attendant. If you're dissatisfied, I can change it."

"I see. Good judgment."

"Mistress… hehe, Mistress, huh. Yes, it's very nice."

It seemed that Rokuko liked it as well. Well, we'd be less likely to not respond when referred to as [Master] and [Mistress] than when called by our names like [Narikin-sama] and be found suspicious. It might not make much difference for Rokufa since she calls us by our names, though.

"And there's one suggestion I have."

"What is it?"

"Rokufa suggested that while the two of you are possessing Narikin and Rokufa, having them possess something else, like small animals, might save us the trouble of sharing information later."

"I see. That's a good idea."

"Heh, not bad, Rokufa. Ke—, ahem. Narikin, pet Rokufa for me, will you?"

With that, Rokufa (Rokuko still inside) casually presented her head… Well, I'm not sure if petting her like this would count as praising Rokufa or not, but I'll pet her anyway.

With a clang, I pet Rokufa with my armored right hand. Despite being in human form, Narikin only had a human head. What a lazy creature.

"It's a bit painful… Do you need more practice petting? Continue anyway."

"… O-okay? Sure."

I didn't know why I was petting her at that point, but I continued to stroke Rokufa's blue hair with my right hand while opening the menu function with my left… Hm, the DP I had was the amount I gave to Narikin, and the functions seem to be within my usable range.

For now, let's find some small animals that they can possess… Would a bird be more convenient for Rokufa since she could fly? Oh, should I make Narikin a hedgehog? Hedgehogs are cute, right?

"Narikin, I think it would be better to have both of them as inconspicuous little birds, don't you think?"

"… You're right."

Considering their purpose, that would be better. Moreover, it was cheaper. It'd cost 1 DP each, totaling up to 2 DP for both birds.

I quickly summoned a couple of small birds, Long-tailed Tits, using DP. I temporarily handed them over to Naana. Since they were born from the dungeon, they would be loyal to our orders and there would be no need for a birdcage or anything like that.

"Put a ribbon on them as a mark that they are our pets."

"Understood, Master."

When we possess them, we could first possess the little birds to check the situation and then arrange to possess them a few seconds later. Let's also give them names.

"Let's name them [Tran] and [Sceiver]."

"What's the meaning?"

"Together, they represent a walkie-talkie… it's one of the long-distance communication methods from another world."

"Hmm. Sounds good."

With that, we decided to temporarily release the [Possession] for the day. Considering the first phase of the experiment a success, we decided to have them continue their journey towards the Holy Kingdom. The basic plan was to use [Possession] (including possessing the little birds) once a day to communicate, and if there was no contact, they would turn back.

"Experiencing going out in a body that's not your own is quite interesting, isn't it?"

In the Master Room, Rokuko stretched out on the bed that was always available.

Ereka, a Fairy who was summoned for dungeon management, brought a cup of water which I took and took a sip from. Ahh.

"However, the bed space in the Master Room… The folding screen alone doesn't make it feel quite as cozy."

"Well, since you're only going to use it for sleeping during [Possession], isn't that enough? Or should we create a small room where only me and you are allowed to enter? … Oh!"

At that point, Rokuko's eyes suddenly widened. She seemed to realize something important from what she said.

"Kehma! That's right, there's no way Haku's eyes can reach us here! Because it's inside me, even Dolche that you're worried about can't peek, right!?"

"Eh, ah, well, that's true, I guess?"

"Furthermore, we can create an alibi for staying in the Master Room by telling Dolche that we're using [Possession] and staying in a safe place, right? In fact, right now, I'm having some alone time with Kehma in the Master Room, completely hidden from Haku! What do you think, Kehma!?"

Rokuko brought her face close with a determined expression.

"Well, I guess that's true?"

"Exactly! If we're worried about the gaze of Ereka and the others, we can just build a small hut instead of a folding screen. We don't need to go to the Demonlands to spend time alone, just the two of us!"

Rokuko triumphantly declared that with a wide grin.

"Why didn't I realize this earlier!? Isn't it amazing, Kehma?"

"Um, well, yeah, that's true, Rokuko."

"What is it?"

"Even if they can't come in here, if you're this excited, your reaction might give it away to Dolche-san and the others."

As I said that, Rokuko's face tightened in frustration.

Dolche-san and the others were not incompetent; in fact, they were exceptionally capable. If we were to secretly indulge in sweet moments like this, our excitement on that day would likely give us away immediately.

"… I can try my best to restrain myself."

"No, I don't think I'll be able to hold back, so let's be patient. I'm sure I'd be so overjoyed that I'd slip up if questioned for even a single day… So, at least until we've driven away the assassins and Haku-san's support has withdrawn from this village, we should wait."

"… Eh? Kehma, you can't hold back either? Well, I guess it can't be helped… Hehe."

Rokuko revealed a carefree and slightly disheveled smile.

Afterward, when we returned to the inn, Dolche-san appeared out of nowhere and asked with a smiling yet not-smiling expression if something happened between Rokuko and I. (Her eyes were glowing red, so she probably had a lie-detection function.)

Apparently, she came to ask because [Rokuko-sama looked very happy and I was curious].

… Yeah. That's exactly what I meant, Rokuko.