The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

Chapter 26: Redemption?

While Gobuchiki and the others followed Alguis, Aeden and Völun were too busy arguing over whose bed the goblin would be sleeping in that night.

"Why mine, anyway? What about yours?!" Völun protested.

"My bed's too small for the three of them. Yours has enough space. Is that even a question?"

"But...!"

"Or what? Should we use Mister Alguis's bed instead?"

Völun let out a sigh, realizing he couldn't argue further.

"Okay, fine! You win this time!"

Still bickering, Aeden and Völun left the scene and headed inside the house.

With nothing else to do, Reika decided to turn in for the night. As she turned around, she caught Veylir staring at her intently.

"...What are you doing?"

"Uhh... Nothing?"

Reika raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior but simply shrugged it off, and the two of them went inside together.

When Reika opened the door to their room, she saw Soru already fast asleep in his bed.

"He's asleep already."

Sitting on her bed, Reika recalled the giant crystal Soru had brought back from the forest.

Hmm... Why did he have that huge crystal in the first place?

Curious, she

"Is that so...? I've rarely interacted with humans before, and empathizing with them feels almost impossible."

"But not impossible, right?"

"I guess? I don't even know."

"Then try, dummy."

Veylir twitched at the remark.

"As a proud member of the Draconic Race, being called an is humiliating—especially by a human like you. But I'll let it slide..."

Reika chuckled.

"Hahaha! Then don’t get caught up on something so obvious."

She lay down on her bed, stretching her arms.

"Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to the villagers. Try interacting with them."

"Introduce me? What if they hate me once they find out who I really am?"

"I already thought of that. I’ll tell them you’re just a familiar I caught and tamed. That way, they’ll be less suspicious and more likely to treat you well—especially since you're with one of their guests."

"Mhm. That might actually work."

Reika yawned as her eyelids grew heavy. A fleeting thought crossed her mind—the Soru and Veylir had bought—but exhaustion made it hard to focus.

"And remember... don't... mess it up... zzzz..."

Before she could finish, she drifted off into sleep.

She’s already asleep?!

Veylir watched her for a moment before a small smile formed on her lips.

"I wanted to enter that crystal right away, but... I changed my mind."

Not wanting to disturb her, she sighed and curled up beside her.

"Maybe now’s not the time."

Though she didn’t need sleep, Veylir closed her eyes anyway. It was a small act, but it gave her a sense of peace.

"I just hope nothing goes wrong tomorrow..."

...

"Yup, there’s a problem..."

Veylir sighed as she peeked through the window. The morning sun cast its light on her, but she paid it no mind, her attention fixed on the commotion outside. The villagers—including Silas himself—were arguing with Alguis ahead.

"Sir Alguis, goblins are known to pillage villages and slaughter adventurers! With them around, my people will feel unsafe!" Silas protested.

"I understand your concerns," Alguis replied calmly, "but I assure you, they’re far more harmless than you think."

Soru, having woken up from the noise outside, stood beside Alguis, while the three goblins hid behind his legs, wary of the angry crowd.

"But sir!" one of the villagers interjected. "What if they’re only pretending to be friendly? What if they rob us when we least expect it?"

"A-And what if they’re just acting harmless so we let our guard down, only for them to call in reinforcements hiding somewhere nearby? What if they plan to pillage the whole settlement!?" another man exclaimed, his voice tinged with fear.

"Yeah! Goblins are nothing but scheming demons to adventurers! They’re vile, vicious monsters!" another villager shouted.

Despite the growing commotion, Soru couldn’t have cared less. The only thing on his mind right now was the grumbling in his stomach.

I want to eat breakfast now…

Meanwhile, Gobuchiki kept peeking nervously at the villagers, his two companions huddled close behind him. The hostile stares sent shivers down their spines, forcing them to retreat behind Soru’s legs again.

"I just wanted to drink some water from the well because I was thirsty… I didn’t expect it to turn into this," Gobuchiki murmured.

Then, Aeden suddenly stepped forward from the crowd, her sharp gaze sweeping over the villagers.

"How dare you question Sir Alguis’ decision? In the first place, people didn’t build this settlement—we did. has the right to decide who stays here!"

For a moment, the crowd fell into stunned silence. Then, hushed murmurs spread among them.

One man hesitantly raised his hand. As the crowd turned their attention to him, he lowered it and spoke.

"But… he built this settlement to make amends with us, didn’t he? He’s the one responsible for bringing those assassins that destroyed our remaining houses in the first place. That means we have a right to this place too."

"T-That’s right!" another villager added. "It’s true that we’re just living here and benefiting from the houses you built, but as settlers, we have a right to be concerned for our safety."

"It may sound disrespectful to you, Sir Alguis, that we doubted your words despite your assurance, but please understand our concerns!" a village woman exclaimed.

The crowd's murmurs grew louder. Silas tried desperately to calm them, but they refused to listen.

"Ahem!"

The noise died instantly as all eyes turned to Alguis.

"I swear upon my name that I, Alguis Fellad, assure you—these goblins are innocent and harmless."

Gobuchiki's eyes filled with tears.

"Mister Alguis...!"

"And! If any of them, or any other goblins, disrupt the peace of this settlement, I will take full responsibility and deal with them myself!"

The goblins flinched, trembling.

"Eek! Mister Alguis...!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from behind.

"No. I will take responsibility."

Alguis turned sharply and saw Reika standing firm with a serious look.

"Miss Reika...!"

Veylir, still inside, was stunned. She glanced back and saw the door—wide open.

What!? I didn’t even notice her leaving the room!

Alguis stepped aside, giving Reika space. The villagers, sensing the shift, fell silent and fixed their attention on her.

"Mister Alguis shouldn't be the one responsible. He merely allowed them to stay here yesterday. The real responsibility lies with the one who brought them here in the first place."

The villagers exchanged baffled looks before murmuring among themselves.

"I thought Mister Alguis was the one who brought those monsters here, but he's not...?"

"Then if it wasn’t him, that means...!"

As the crowd's chatter grew, Reika's heart pounded. But she steadied her breathing, forcing herself to stay calm.

"A-Ahem!"

The villagers quieted, turning their attention to her.

"These three goblins were saved from Rabid Wolves they encountered in the forest. They pleaded to stay because they lost their way back to their village. Mister Alguis simply allowed them to remain here for the time being."

Reika glanced behind her and spotted Veylir peeking from the window.

"Veylir, come here."

Veylir flinched, eyes widening.

D-Don't tell me... is this "that" moment!?

With no choice but to obey, she stepped forward hesitantly. As the villagers took in her small, adorable form, a single thought passed through their minds.

SO CUTE!!

"Er..."

Reika cleared her throat. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce my familiar and companion, Ve—"

She stopped mid-sentence, realizing Veylir's identity had to remain a secret. The crowd, puzzled by her sudden hesitation, echoed the unfinished name in their minds.

"Ve...?"

"Uhm... I haven't named her yet."

You definitely said something earlier!

"Ahem! Anyway, this familiar of mine was the one who brought the goblins here. And since I am her master, the responsibility falls on me. If you have any concerns about them, feel free to come to me."

Gobuchiki listened to Reika’s words, feeling a warmth stir in his chest.

"I thought she was a scary human… but I guess I was wrong about her!"

The villagers began murmuring again.

"If Miss Reika’s familiar was the one who brought them here, then maybe she can keep them in check."

"Wait, aren’t we forgetting something? Mister Soru is with us! He took down a dragon—there’s no way a few goblins could be a problem for him!"

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot! With him around, keeping us safe is probably nothing to him!"

With that reassurance, the villagers exchanged nods, finally easing their worries. Silas, noticing their shift in attitude, faced the crowd and spoke up.

"Since we’re all in agreement, the issue with the goblins is settled."

"N-No… this isn’t over yet..."