Chapter 233: If So, Remove Your Balls (2)
As I entered the infirmary, a faint smell of alchemical chemicals drifted from inside—something you might find in an alchemy workshop. I figured it was just the usual medicinal supplies and sat down, while Professor Pandel sat across from me like he was about to hold a counseling session.
"Would you like some tea?"
"Yes."
I absentmindedly asked for tea, and instead of pouring hot water from the kettle in front of us, Professor Pandel took the cup and went into his lab to prepare the tea.
"This one boils faster."
'I didn't ask though...'
It was obvious Pandel was up to something.
"Now then, let's take a seat and have a chat. You went through a lot, escorting me for over two months. I don't think I ever thanked you properly."
"I see. By the way, Professor Pandel, do you have any cookies?"
"Just eat your... never mind. I'll get some."
As soon as he left the room, I quickly swapped our teacups. The cup meant for Pandel was still boiling, while mine had cooled slightly, meaning something had definitely been mixed in with the boiling water.
'Oh, Pandel... you're terrible at acting.'
I sat back and got comfortable. Soon, Pandel returned, visibly irritated but trying to suppress it, his hand trembling slightly as he handed me the cookies and sat back down.
"Let's have a drink."
He raised his cup with a sly grin and took a sip.
Gulp.
I watched his Adam's apple move as he swallowed. I infused mana into my mouth to taste the tea—it was just regular tea made from steeped leaves. Only then did I take a sip.
When I drank more than half, Pandel finally spoke.
"Don't hate me too much."
"What do you mean?"
"You said to help you until you had kids, right? So don't take it the wrong way. Just be good to the ones you'll have from now on."
'What the hell?'
"So... what exactly did you feed me?"
"It won't interfere with your duties as a knight. You've got strong testosterone anyway. This will just suppress your heat a bit."
"And if someone with low testosterone takes it?"
"It's a mutated hormone disruptor. There's a chance it could change one's gender, but someone like you will just experience a slight hormonal dip."
First, I saw Pandel's Adam's apple start to disappear.
The coarse stubble vanished, replaced by fine fuzz, and the previously strong jawline began to narrow. His neck grew slimmer, with the indentation beneath his Adam's apple deepening into a more defined neckline.
His body was hidden beneath loose clothes, but I could see his rough, bony hands shrink and smooth over as I casually drank the rest of the tea to distract him from noticing the changes.
Slurp.
After I emptied the cup, Pandel grabbed my hand and gently tried to reassure me.
"Your sexual function won't be completely disabled. I just thought it'd help if you ever lost control. With Delphine's help, I provided this solution. It was a medically necessary decision."
"How long does it last?"
"It changes the body, so probably forever. Don't worry, I'll help you deal with any side effects..."
Seeing my cheerful grin, Pandel checked my cup.
"By the way, Professor, your acting is terrible."
"Huh? W-What?!"
Panicked, Pandel rushed into his lab to check his reflection.
"Aaaaagh! What the hell is this!!"
Hearing his scream, I bolted from the infirmary. Of course, I didn't forget to slam the door shut to buy some time.
"You bastard! Get back here!!"
Bang!
A magic missile blew the door off its hinges as Pandel stormed out. His clothes hung loosely now, and I could see what looked like cleavage—he was well into the transformation.
"Wow, and you tried to make me drink that?"
"Shut up! For you, it would've just suppressed your heat and slightly lowered fertility!"
Looking at him now, it was clear he really was Delphine's twin. Aside from his usual lazy or angry expressions, his face was identical to hers.
'At this point, it's not just better skin. It's a whole makeover.'
"Multiple Launch Magic Missile!"
Five missiles flew at me. I activated my mana circuits, deflected one with my left hand, sliced the remaining four with two swings of my mana saber, and grabbed Pandel's wrist.
Clack.
"Let's stop here, shall we?"
"Grrrgh...!"
His face flushed red as he tried to yank his arm back, but Pandel wasn't strong enough to escape.
He could've used support spells like Improved Haste or Ogre Strength, but probably wouldn't in this situation.
'Wouldn't be worth the pain from muscle tears.'
Using magic to enhance your body without gradually training it leads to severe side effects. Knights build strength gradually—magic-based bodies suffer later.
"Ogre Strength."
Guess this was an emergency for him.
"Honestly, shouldn't I be the one angry here?"
"Shut up...! You made your mentor go through a gender swap!!"
Crack!
But just because strength increases doesn't mean durability does. Before he could unleash ogre-level strength, his wrist snapped.
"Aaaagh!!"
'Oof...'
Thinking he might keep going regardless, I grabbed his jaw and pressed his carotid artery.
"Guh."
The oxygen cut-off caused his tense body to go limp. I easily carried his now-light body and laid him down in the infirmary before anyone else showed up.
"...It's quiet."
Apparently, the others assumed it was just another one of Pandel's tantrums.
'Poor guy really has no reputation.'
I tucked him in. Even in sleep, he whimpered like he was having a nightmare.
"Neutering... must control population..."
"Even in your dreams, you're blaming me."
As I laid him down, my hand brushed against his body. I'd carried his exhausted self enough times to know his physique.
He started getting hotter, but it didn't seem like fever from illness. More like a transformation process causing the heat.
His body was definitely changing.
Previously just skinny, his form now had slight curves—chest and hips especially. And shockingly, the volume surpassed Delphine's.
'Is the fever going down?'
His groaning stopped, and his face relaxed. Meanwhile, his appearance grew even more like Delphine's—it was getting impossible to tell them apart.
"Let's see... does our dear Professor still have his dick..."
I checked, just in case.
Nope.
"...You tried to make me drink that?!"
Pandel had said it would just reduce testosterone. But this wasn't just minor body changes—his dick was gone. This was serious stuff.
"I almost got reclassified as a female knight!"
"Dammit... why so loud..."
With the fever gone, Pandel opened his eyes, irritated. Even though he still looked sleep-deprived and messy, his appearance was indistinguishable from his twin sister Delphine.
Even his sagging clothes now revealed fuller cleavage—definitely bigger than Delphine's.
"...Why are you looking at me like that? Wait a minute."
Tap tap.
He checked where his dick used to be—and froze, his face going pale.
"Are... are you okay?"
"Shut up. This is all your fault."
"You tried to drug me, Professor."
"..."
Realizing his mistake, he said nothing, just pouting like a kid.
"I mean, I didn't really have use for it, but still. I only meant to mildly neuter myself. How did it end up like this? Just lowering testosterone shouldn't cause full-blown sex reassignment, right? Even my bone structure and genitals changed."
Reading over the messily scribbled notes Delphine had written, Pandel's face crumpled in real time.
"That bitch Delphine!!"
Pandel immediately bolted from the infirmary. Worried he might cause trouble, I chased after him.
Instead of the usual entrance, he darted into an obscure side path toward Frederica's homunculus lab—one I hadn't even known existed.
'Wow! There was a way like that? I've been wasting time all this while!'
The homunculi cleaning the floors tried to stop him, but he shoved them aside and ran straight into Delphine's lab.
"Oh, Delphine?"
At that moment, Erin was exiting the lab and saw Pandel, her face filled with confusion.
And right then, Pandel's eyes went wild as he charged straight into the lab.