Even after we finished talking about Japanese ingredients, the conversation remained centered on Japan. Noin-san’s gentle personality made her easy to talk to, and being from the same country, Kaori-san seemed to be having a wonderful time.
"By the way, there is someone called Princess Ouka among the Seven Princesses, the executives of the World King Faction, right? Does that mean there are cherry blossoms here too?"
"Yes, Blossom-san is a Sakura spirit. Lilliwood-sama seemed to take an interest after hearing about cherry blossoms from me and created new Sakura trees, so they mostly grow in the Central Great Forest governed by Lilliwood-sama."
"Speaking of Blossom-san, she’s really into Japanese culture, isn't she?"
"...Yes, she is."
A complicated look crossed Noin-san's face as I spoke. It seemed she was well aware of Blossom-san’s slightly skewed understanding of Japan.
Wait. If that was the case, and Noin-san and Blossom-san were acquaintances... it was a bit strange that Noin-san hadn't taught her the correct information. To Blossom-san, Noin-san was someone who knew otherworld culture intimately, so it would have made sense for her to seek her out actively.
"What kind of person is Blossom-sama?"
"...She is a sincere, straightforward, and good person. Yes, without a doubt... It’s just, how should I put it, she is a bit prone to jumping to conclusions. Once she believes something, she dives in headfirst and stops listening to anyone else. She is convinced that I am a Fellow Otherworld Maniac as well."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yes. Blossom-san is younger than I am, so she didn't know me from when I was still human. Perhaps because of that, even when I tell her I am a Former Otherworlder, she seems to think it is just a 'backstory' for my character... She responds with things like, 'What a coincidence! I am also a Samurai!'"
I could clearly picture that scene in my head. It was true; Blossom-san was undoubtedly good-hearted, but once she made up her mind, she tended to go in a single direction. She still thought I was a Samurai Master too, and my attempts to correct her never reached her, so Noin-san had likely been steamrolled in the exact same way.
"Well, there are very few precedents for someone changing their body from a human into a demon like I did... or rather, precedents for transforming into another species at all, so I can understand why she would be skeptical."
"I was so shocked by the First Hero part of your story that I just let it slide earlier, but you said you transformed into a demon, Noin-san. Is that really that difficult?"
"It isn't that hard if you don't mind your appearance or characteristics changing. However, changing into a demon while maintaining your human nature and keeping your appearance exactly the same is quite an ordeal. Magic power wavelengths differ by species, so abnormalities will occur unless you perform perfect adjustments down to the finest detail. It is at a level that is only possible with deep magical knowledge and ultra-precise magic power control like Chrome-sama possesses."
Transforming species truly was that difficult. Duchess Lilia and the others had been incredibly shocked when I told them, which made sense now. From Noin-san’s tone, it sounded like it was possible if you didn't care about the results, but that meant you could end up looking like a monster.
"It is far more difficult to do to yourself than to another. Reshaping your own body means any mistake in the procedure or the slightest slip in control will lead to failure... For instance, if someone possessed a capability to grasp magic power with extreme accuracy like your Sympathy Magic, extraordinarily vast magic power to match, and exceptional talent like Duchess Lilia, they might be able to be reborn into whatever form or species they desired."
"Actually, a girl named Vul—Vulpecula—at Isis-san’s place is trying to reshape her own body right now. Is it dangerous?"
"Hmm... It depends on the extent of the change. If she is just changing her appearance, it shouldn't be that difficult. And if Isis-sama has permitted it, I don't think there will be a problem. Isis-sama is an individual with world-class magic power control techniques, and combined with her deep knowledge, she is likely capable of changing species just as Chrome-sama is. She would definitely stop her if it looked dangerous."
"I see, that's a relief then."
I had heard that Vul was studying hard because she wanted to become like me or Isis-san. Noin-san's words had made me a bit anxious, but with Isis-sama watching over her, it was bound to be fine.
Serious-senpai: "By the way, how exactly is Vulpecula trying to change herself?"
???: "She is aiming for a sort of hybrid between a human and a demon—specifically, a demon with Human Growth Potential. Personally, she wants to reach a state where she inherits traits from both Kaito-san and Isis-sama. As expected, it is so difficult that she is struggling even with talent on par with Lilia-san, so it will probably take a few more years."
Serious-senpai: "You mean she can pull that off in just a few years...?"