The Ability Is Hypnosis
"I-I, umm... I'll be in your care."
"It's just touching your horns, that's all. I'll only give them a gentle little feel. You don't need to tremble like that."
"Y-yes, ma'am...!"
Surprisingly — quietly, and far more easily than I'd expected — the girl named Batori was a pushover. All it took was asking to touch her horns about four more times, and she actually said yes. A part of me did wonder whether it was really all right to grant that kind of permission to someone she'd met barely five minutes ago... but setting that aside, I genuinely, seriously wanted to touch them.
So I reached out toward the girl who, with a grateful little air about her, was offering her head — or more precisely, her horns — in my direction.
Reaching out toward a young girl did sound a little dangerous, I'll admit. But it was the truth.
"H-hyaah... i-ih, heh..."
"Are they that ticklish?"
The horns felt smooth under my fingers. There wasn't a hint of roughness to them — just a sleek, pleasant texture that made me want to keep stroking them. They didn't look like they'd be much use in a fight, of course... but they were fascinating all the same.
What I learned while touching them, though, was that the horns had nerves.
"I-it's the first time anyone else has ever touched them, so it feels really, hah, weird..."
The way Batori let out those ticklish little sounds, the way her face flushed red — they were clearly a sensitive organ. I'd never had horns myself, so I wouldn't have known. Besides, I'd always heard that among the horned beastfolk, the sensation varied from person to person, but most of them were on the dull side. I hadn't given it much thought.
I never imagined they'd be this sensitive.
"Ah, that was a sudden request, wasn't it? I'm sorry. You can sit back and relax now."
"Y-yes..."
"Hmm... before we get into the real conversation, let me ask you a few questions."
"Y-yes, ma'am!!"
"...You don't need to get that worked up. Just answer comfortably. I'm only here for your welfare, after all."
"Even so, I, um..."
"Heh. Well... the first question is about your ability. According to our files, your recent concerns seem to involve using your power and growing it. What exactly is the Eodeokshini ability?"
I'd been playing with her horns a moment ago, but now it was time to get down to business. I was here to solve this girl's problems, after all. Part of me would have been perfectly happy to spend the rest of the afternoon stroking those horns, but work was work... and if I half-assed this, the Team Leader would absolutely have my head.
"Umm... I get bigger when people pay attention to me, and my strength just... surges? I think that's how I'd put it."
"...Come again?"
"I-I mean, literally... when people pay attention to me, I get stronger."
"......"
I was a little taken aback, but I took a moment to think it through.
Eodeokshini. A dokkaebi, or something close to one. I sifted back through my memories, trying to recall what kind of creature an eodeokshini was supposed to be. Originally a tiny little thing — but it reacted to people's gazes, and the longer someone stared at it, the bigger it grew. In short, a goblin that absolutely lived for attention. The more notice it received, the stronger it became, until eventually it would turn on the very people watching it. That was the story, as I remembered it.
"I see. I don't know exactly how much stronger you get, but with an ability like that... I can certainly see why you'd have a lot on your mind."
The Eodeokshini ability. I'd more or less got a handle on it. The more people watching her — the more people sincerely cheering her on — the stronger she became. A short enough summary, and one that made Batori's problem immediately clear.
"There aren't exactly crowds lining up to watch an E-Class hero fight, after all. Unlike C-Class heroes and above, who get dispatched and actually stand in the spotlight, E-Class work is basically just dealing with neighborhood thugs..."
It would have been nearly impossible for Batori herself to get an accurate read on her own power. She was a transformation-type, yes, but the finer details made it a conditionally enhanced ability... which meant gauging her upper limit would have been genuinely difficult. If she hadn't been E-Class, she might have had a better sense of where she stood. And she'd only debuted recently, on top of everything else.
"Hmm... personally, given your ability, I think the best approach would be to wait somewhere with a lot of foot traffic, and when a criminal shows up, pick a fight right there..."
Getting a proper, massive dose of attention seemed like the most effective method. So I started saying as much.
"Eek..."
"Especially in a busy downtown area. Even if you're only E-Class or D-Class, people tend to cheer you on pretty enthusiastically."
"Eeeek...!"
"So if you just wait somewhere like that and really draw some attention for once..."
"Eeeeeek...!!"
"......"
"I-I-I-I can't, I can't, I can't, I ca-ca-can't...!"
"......"
She shook her head wildly from side to side. Her already tiny frame seemed to shrink even further as she made it abundantly clear that she would absolutely, positively never do such a thing. I hadn't said anything remotely harsh enough to make someone cry, and yet here she was, welling up all on her own — to the point that I was starting to feel like the one who should apologize.
"Ah..."
This girl... her ability and her personality were a catastrophically, genuinely, seriously bad match. I'd already gotten the sense that her self-esteem was a little on the low side. But she wasn't even being asked to actually go out there — just hearing the suggestion that she try was enough to bring her to tears.
"...Haha."
Batori was, well... how to put this.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I was even born, I'm sorry I was born with an ability that needs attention when I'm terrified of being noticed, I'm too scared to cut my own stomach open and die so I'll just quietly curl up and live like this, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!"
"W-why don't you try to calm down a little first...? I wasn't actually going to force you. There are plenty of other approaches that aren't nearly that drastic, you know?"
"R-really...?"
"Of course. Just leave it to me — Charlotte, ace of the Hero Welfare Bureau. Heh."
...She really was painfully timid. Seriously, dangerously so. But in a way, that might actually work in our favor. It meant the bulk of the problem was psychological. And solving psychological problems happened to be one of the things I was best at. So rather than worry too much, I decided to look on the bright side.
"Batori."
"Y-yes..."
I moved over beside her. She was still all crumpled in on herself. The café was quiet enough, and comfortable enough for a conversation... but it wasn't exactly the kind of place you'd want to lie down and spend time in. Being out in public was going to be a problem either way.
"Want to come sleep over at my place for a bit?"
"...What?"
I offered the little goblin girl that proposal.
"U-um... Counselor...? Why are we going to your h-house... and what do you mean, sleep...?"
"I mean exactly what I said. Just take a little nap and then you can go."
"What...?"
The moment we stepped out of the taxi, Batori was already questioning me again. I wanted to explain right then and there, but the name of my ability tended to attract all the wrong kind of attention, and saying it out loud in public would only get us some very strange looks. I'd give her a proper explanation once we were inside.
"Once we get to my place, I'll explain everything, step by step."
"Ah, b-but still..."
"Just trust me, Batori."
"Y-yes, ma'am..."
Though even I had to admit this looked a little sketchy. And the fact that Batori kept following me anyway — suspicious, worried, and still tagging along — was honestly... concerning. If someone offered her candy and said they were going to do something nice for her... I had a feeling she'd actually go along with it.
"......"
Well. I'd deal with that later too.
And so I ended up coming home with a thoroughly crumpled little goblin in tow. It was a studio, so things were a little tight, but Batori was small and I wasn't exactly tall myself, so it wasn't really a problem.
"Let me explain why I brought you here."
"Y-yes, ma'am...!"
"You don't need to be so tense..."
A complete stranger had suddenly told her to come home with them. Of course she was rattled. She'd been fidgeting nonstop since earlier.
"First of all — I couldn't say this outside because it would've been awkward. So now I'll explain properly."
"Yes, Counselor...! I'm ready to listen...!"
"My ability is Hypnosis. Hypnosis, literally. That said, I can't just use it unconditionally, and I can't actually control people however I want."
"S-so...?"
"I'm going to hypnotize you. So that even when people pay attention to you, it becomes just a little bit more bearable."
"...That's possible?"
"Of course. I'm only going to adjust your attitude. Just a tiny bit."
"Hah..."
Hypnosis. Honestly, just hearing the name, it sounded like some absurdly overpowered ability — the kind of thing a creep would use for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately — or perhaps fortunately — I wasn't that kind of person... and unfortunately, it wasn't that kind of ability either. It was closer to suggestion than anything else. And even that required a whole round of prep work before I could use it. A genuinely inconvenient power.
"To use it, I need you to be mentally and physically at ease. Comfortable enough to actually fall asleep. We couldn't do that out in public, could we? And lying down is much more relaxing for the body than sitting up."
"So that's why..."
"Yes. Exactly."
Fortunately, Batori gave a small nod, as if that made sense to her. Then again... she'd probably have believed me even without the explanation, considering she'd followed me home in the first place.
After that, it was simple. We shared a cup of warm tea and some light conversation, and after about thirty minutes, once her body had started to grow heavy and drowsy, I laid her down on my bed.
"It smells... really nice..."
"Does it? I sleep here every day, so I don't really notice."
Batori looked thoroughly comfortable, stretched out on my bed. I watched her for a moment, then switched off the room light and lit one of the candles I kept around the apartment. I didn't use them often, but I was going for a calming atmosphere — and the overhead light would have been far too harsh on the eyes.
"The mood is... really nice."
"Heh. You think so?"
"Yes. It feels like I came for a really fancy massage... Not that I've ever had one."
"I can see why it'd feel that way."
Her expression grew drowsier by the second, and I could see the tension melting out of her once-stiff shoulders. It was about time.
"All right. Let's begin."
"Okay. What should I do?"
"Just... get comfortable."
She wouldn't remember this anyway.
The little goblin girl looked up at me, and right in front of those watching eyes, I gave my fingers a light snap.
A small, cheerful sound — and the girl's eyes went completely glazed.