Even after hearing the explanation, a lingering sense of incongruity remained. Still, I eventually made my peace with it; Megiddo-san was one of the Six Kings, after all, so it stood to reason he could change his form at will.
Just as I reached that conclusion, Megiddo-san seemed to remember something. He turned a skeptical eye toward Kong-san.
"Now that I think about it, the dress reminded me... Hey, Kong! What the hell are you wearing? That look is an eyesore."
I hadn't expected him to take Kong-san to task right then and there. It was a massive relief, though—I was glad to know I wasn't the only one who thought the outfit was bizarre.
"Huh? Is it that bad? Big Bro said we had to wear formal suits to the party, so I had my subordinates go out and buy one..."
"Sizes exist for a reason, you moron. Besides, the guys who bought it were probably assuming you’d humanize or shrink down first. Look at you. The damn thing looks like it’s going to explode at any second... wait, are you using Status Preservation magic to hold it together?"
Ozma-san, for his part, had swapped his signature trench coat for a sharp formal suit. He’d even shaved his stubble and slicked his hair back, exuding the effortless poise of a sophisticated gentleman.
He really was picture-perfect. Ozma-san was tall and handsome to begin with, and he wore the look so well that it was actually intimidating. Even if I dressed exactly like him, I knew I could never pull off that kind of aura. I felt a genuine twinge of envy; I wished I could carry myself with that kind of mature, cool confidence.
"I-I’m just not good at the fine-tuning stuff like humanizing or shifting my size... I’m better with Status Preservation, you know?"
"Good grief. You’re as extreme as ever with your quirks. Fine, hold still."
Seeing Kong-san’s apologetic, awkward grin, Megiddo-san let out a soft sigh and snapped his fingers. A light washed over Kong-san, and suddenly, he was wearing a suit that actually fit his frame.
His face was still that of a gorilla, but with the suit properly tailored to his muscular, sturdy build, he actually looked quite imposing and cool in his own way.
"Ohh! Thank you, Boss! It was getting cramped in there, so this is a huge help!"
"Next time, get your damn measurements taken for a custom order... Anyway, sorry about that, Kaito. Kept you waiting. You got a minute?"
"I’m afraid I have to keep moving to greet the other guests, so I can't stay for long..."
"Is that so? Then at least join me for a single drink. I stumbled across some good stuff recently."
As he spoke, Megiddo-san produced a wine bottle and two glasses, handing one to me.
"A wine glass? Is it wine, then?"
"Yeah. It’s still a bit young, but... here, cheers."
"Ah, thank you."
He easily popped the cork with the fingers of one hand and poured the liquor into my glass. Even in the form of a young girl, his casual display of power reminded me that he was truly one of the Six Kings.
We shared a light toast. As I took a sip, a refreshing flavor blossomed across my palate.
"This is delicious. It’s crisp and has a wonderful aftertaste. It’s a red, but it almost drinks like a white wine."
"Right? Not a bad flavor at all. But it really is a bit young. It’ll take another five years for it to mellow out and hit its peak."
"I see... Is that the kind of thing you can speed up with time magic?"
"Huh? Sure, I could. I could age it in a heartbeat with Space-Time Magic... but I don't feel like it."
Megiddo-san gave a wry smile as he tilted his glass. There was something about his current appearance—an unexpected air of mystery lurking beneath his usual boisterous personality.
"Rushing isn’t always the best way to go. Waiting for a bottle to mature until it’s finally ready is half the fun of drinking. If I used Space-Time Magic to skip the wait, I’d be cheating myself out of the experience, wouldn't I? Though, granted, there are days when I’m too impatient and use magic anyway."
"That makes sense. It’s a nice way to look at it."
Perhaps it was because he was currently a girl, but his words seemed to fit him perfectly. If he had said something like that in his usual form, it might have felt a bit forced, like he was trying too hard to sound poetic. But looking as he did now, he actually seemed the type to contemplate the finer things. Of course, knowing it was Megiddo-san on the inside still made for a bit of a strange contrast.
As those thoughts crossed my mind, Megiddo-san flashed a bright grin.
"Well, like I said, this wine won't be at its best for five years. When that time comes, you’d better join me for another round, Kaito."
"I’d be happy to. I’ll look forward to it."
"Good! You’re ageless now, too. There’s no harm in learning how to enjoy the things that take time."
Seeing him laugh so heartily, I couldn't help but let a smile of my own slip out.