3. Soft Voice
With a soft, gentle voice,
“From now on, Batori-ya will slowly, very slowly head deep into Batori-ya’s inner self. The place where thoughts and heart truly appear, there’s nothing to fear. Rather, it will feel comfortable and warm.”
The dokkaebi girl’s hazy eyes looked a bit dangerous, honestly.
It was probably that if I posted this photo on the internet somewhere, there would definitely be all sorts of… weird comments.
Of course, I had no intention of doing such bad things.
After all, why would I, with such a cute appearance, share it with others?
“Batori-ya has been troubled lately because of her abilities. Right?”
“Y-yes…”
“To become strong, one must attract people’s attention, but receiving attention is too hard, and you always want to run away, which is troublesome, isn’t it?”
“Y-yes…”
Batori answered my words in a reluctant manner.
Probably, in addition to preparing to use hypnosis, in this state it was honestly a good ability.
With questions of normal levels, I could easily hear answers like this.
“Then, is Batori-ya truly, truly not wanting people’s interest or gazes?”
“That is…”
“Just a bit burdensome?”
“Yes…”
With a soft, gentle voice.
My voice, as if conducting an ASMR radio caster.
“Then, if people’s interest becomes less burdensome, won’t suppressing bad people as a hero become much easier?”
“I think so…”
“I think so too. Batori-ya is incredibly talented, and I believe you can do even better than now.”
“Hehe…”
I had only met Batori a few hours ago.
Clearly… I thought she was pure and innocent in many ways, and usually such types were very susceptible to hypnosis.
To the point of accidentally saying dangerous hypnosis being a real problem.
So, I planned to engrave exactly two things I had predetermined into Batori’s head.
The first, naturally, was related to the problem-solving request Batori had made.
“So, from today, Batori-ya will slowly, a little at a time, become familiar with people’s gazes compared to before.”
“Really…?”
“Yes, people looking at Batori-ya is never because Batori-ya is ugly or bad. It’s because Batori-ya is cute, pretty, and cool. So, people look at Batori-ya. You don’t have to be too scared. Slowly, slowly, you’ll get used to people’s gazes.”
“Yes…”
In the end, it was people’s gazes that were scary.
That’s why, apart from the ability, she kept shrinking back and couldn’t perform, so cheers and interest decreased.
By slightly, very slightly correcting Batori’s thoughts like that and pushing her from behind, I thought she would definitely develop, so I said those words.
Actually, even stronger than this.
‘People will love you enormously.’
‘If people say bad things, you can ignore them.’
‘Don’t care about others’ gazes at all.’
It was one of the methods, but when using hypnosis, it was important to gradually change with light words rather than too strong ones.
Anyway.
“Understood?”
“Yes…”
First, the first task was done, and one more thing to engrave into Batori’s memory through hypnosis remained.
Actually, I’m not sure if this is right.
But she was an adult woman.
Even though she was a little goblin smaller than me, it felt a bit too much.
…No matter what, following me to her house after only thirty minutes of meeting.
Even though I was a staff member of the association, I seriously thought that lying on the bed and letting her take care of me was too reckless.
Even though I was the one who said those words.
Because the little goblin smaller than me was worrying.
“…And when a stranger suddenly requests something out of the blue, you must think first and then answer.”
“Yes…?”
“Even if the person has guaranteed status, if they say suspicious things right after meeting, you should be a little suspicious. Understood?”
“Yes…”
“Whew…”
I cast the second hypnosis.
Even so, there was still concern, but… I hoped she would do well.
She seemed to have potential as a hero.
Yes.
After inputting that…
“Huhu.”
“Ha…”
With hazy eyes, she lay still and started touching her horns.
I had touched them before, but the unique smooth sensation was extremely pleasing.
After all, memories after falling into this trance state would disappear from my head, and touching the horns like this I wouldn’t remember at all.
“Uhaak………!”
“Uhhuhu…”
I let out a slightly unpleasant laugh and spent time until Batori woke up.
*
The counseling with Eodeokshini, the dokkaebi girl Batori, ended normally.
After the hypnosis ended, I normally had her take a taxi to her house, a week passed, and during that time, I normally did counseling for heroes.
It wasn’t as deep as with Batori.
Just a rough light interview?
After all, there are over two thousand heroes in D City alone, and it would be difficult in many ways to give perfect care to each of them in the association’s welfare department.
Unless they apply separately like Batori, it’s just checking recent status through really light conversations of about five to ten minutes.
Even that, if they don’t want to come out, it’s not worth coming out.
“Charlotte, the E-class hero I was in charge of last time. She handled the case well, right?”
“It’s been daily through text messages. I know well. Just two hours ago, she was bragging about catching a criminal in an alley.”
“Huhu, as expected, our welfare bureau ace?”
“But the problem itself wasn’t that difficult. Probably a hero who would grow well even if I wasn’t there.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
The Team Leader started chatting with me, probably because she had nothing to do.
But…
I couldn’t focus much on conversation with the Team Leader.
The reason… was actually nothing special, and since there was no work today, I was busily looking through the suin hero gallery and admiring photos.
If I could, I wanted to go around and take photos of cute, pretty suin girls with a camera, but unfortunately, it was work hours, so I had to stay quietly at the company, no business trip.
I had no choice but to stare at the monitor like this.
“Sigh…”
The Team Leader sighed while looking at me.
But… even so, the Team Leader was in no situation to scold me right now!
Of course, I didn’t have superhuman power or anything like that.
Just, I had already finished all the tasks I had to do today, and there was nothing more to do here, so I had no choice but to be here.
“It’s boring, shall we go shopping?”
“…Team Leader, have you gone crazy?”
…But this was something I didn’t expect.
I thought even normal people wouldn’t, but the Team Leader saying to go shopping during company work hours, I had never seen before?
No, how is it normal to go shopping during company hours….
“This black beret that goes really well with your platinum blonde came out, I’ll buy it for you.”
“Wow.”
“There’s nothing to do anyway? And the other kids have less work today, so they’ve been staring at the monitor since earlier. Let’s do early retirement at my discretion. How about it?”
“Wow…”
I admit it.
Team Leader.
You are amazing.
I nodded and decided to accept the proposal.
It was also a bit boring, and the hat I bought last time fell to the floor when I came to work, due to some crazy human’s elbow, and then stepped on by others’ shoes, and lost its shape.
“Then shall we go?”
“Yes! Yes! Team Leader!”
“Sigh.”
Anyway, so we went shopping during the daytime with the Team Leader.
Actually… it was generally bad to spend personal time with the Team Leader or company superiors, but.
Apart from that general fact, I didn’t have any bad thoughts about our Team Leader, and rather thought she was a pretty good person, so no particular thought.
After all, she’s young, pretty, has abilities, and good personality?
Just because today was a free day and everyone had finished work, only the early retirement permission for most of the welfare bureau was enough to make her like a god, invincible, and a target of worship.
“Team Leader, but why are you suggesting to go shopping together?”
“Ah, um… actually, shopping isn’t the real purpose.”
“Eh.”
…The god has fallen.
What kind of talk is this suddenly…?
I had no choice but to look at the Team Leader, no, the Team Leader girl, with an extremely surprised expression.
“Um… um…. A hero I need to meet with appeared, so… I arranged a separate place…? That’s why haha…”
“What…?”
Early retirement, you said.
Suddenly, what is this…?
Not only my green eyes, but my small hands started trembling wildly.
No, my early retirement….
My early retirement!!!