Chapter 102: Variable – 1

Chapter 102: Variable – 1

“……Does this even make sense?”

*Well, why wouldn’t it? Thanks to your potions, the current Melini is stronger than the Melini at the time of the novel.*

“…Then shouldn’t the Branch Point not appear at all?”

Of course, thanks to the system, which was unnecessarily kind enough to show Melini’s situation in a video, I fully understood the reason.

The effect of the stamina potion combined with Melini’s own combat power meant that one vampire, who would have fought to the end, ran away.

…And because of that, a high-ranking vampire showed up.

There was no way Melini, a mere 5th-grade adventurer, could defeat a high-ranking vampire, who were generally treated as 2nd to 3rd-grade monsters.

*It’s not something that will happen immediately, but it’s a very imminent future.*

“If that’s the current situation, wouldn’t the Branch Point just fail as is?”

*Isn’t that why I’m telling you now, so you can prepare in advance?*

Listening to that, calculations rapidly ran through my mind.

…Honestly, I thought this Branch Point would come after the Saintess’s affairs were somewhat settled and rewards were given… but the Branch Point arrived much faster than I expected.

Therefore, I had perceived it as a break between Branch Points and hadn’t prepared anything specific.

……Honestly, try fighting for your life against ridiculously strong guys; once you experience it, all your strength drains away, and you need to slack off for about a week.

During Christie’s time, I could properly rest, what with the shop opening and nursing the Ducal family… but a Branch Point popped up again less than a week after the last one ended…

“Didn’t Branch Points usually come one at a time?”

*A Branch Point appears when a major crisis befalls a protagonist. So it can be quiet for a long time… but it can also occur consecutively like this, you know?*

“Huh, so later you’ll just gather several protagonists and trigger Branch Points?”

*Well, maybe? Anyway, shouldn’t you hurry up and make potions? You’re probably running out of time, aren’t you?*

……If you look closely, Ria had a habit of changing the subject like this when she wanted to move past a situation.

Usually by reminding me of urgent matters that would cause problems if I didn’t deal with them immediately, as if to say, ‘just focus on that.’

The problem is, even if I knew that, there was nothing I could do.

“Tsk. Do I have all the ingredients to make potions?”

*The system will provide support this time.*

“Support? The system? For what reason?”

*…A Branch Point, as the name suggests, informs you that a major crisis has befallen a protagonist, and that you have an opportunity to change their fate.

Changing the protagonist’s fate and accompanying them makes for a much more excellent narrative.*

Indeed, from the system’s perspective, which needs to produce good narratives, a story with multiple protagonists would probably be preferred over a story with just me.

……But judging by how she’s talking……

*Therefore, the system also didn’t expect this Branch Point to occur so quickly.*

“So you just popped up a video without the usual Branch Point notification?”

*N-not exactly… no, yes. They said preparations and such weren’t ready yet. We were in the same boat as you, actually.*

“Couldn’t you be a little less human in these aspects? For a system that sounds like it should be incredibly meticulous, it’s full of holes.”

*…That’s why I deliberately showed you the future. This is valuable information, you know.*

I was about to say something more, but… time was running out.

I didn’t know how much time that ‘near future’ the system mentioned entailed, but judging by Ria’s reaction and my intuition, it definitely wouldn’t be more than a day.

“But this. Is this a feasible Branch Point?”

*Huh?*

“No, even if I somehow make the potions, how do I get to Melini’s location?”

*We’ve already added a ‘Portal Potion’ to the potions you can make. Since it’s a sudden Branch Point, we’re putting in quite a lot of effort, you know?*

…Well, if the system, which is usually quite stingy with rewards, is giving something away for free, it must be truly urgent.

These guys are crazy enough to make good rewards into gacha draws, so seeing them give it outright, not even temporarily, made it even more so.

Of course, the ingredients would be a pain in the ass, but what of it?

This time, the system said it would provide support.

“Lily? Can you mind the shop for a bit?”

“Yes? Where are you going?”

“Yeah. A foolish acquaintance seems to be in a bit of a dangerous situation.”

I quickly left the shop to Lily and rushed home.

The cauldron and various ingredients greeted me in the attic space, as always.

……Time to make some potions for the first time in a while.

***

Potion making is quite arduous work.

To be precise, the making itself is easy, but making one with proper quality is a pain in the ass.

……Or so I thought.

“…I even simulated it beforehand and thought I’d gotten used to it, but it’s still like this……”

That was before I started making this ‘Miracle Potion’.

The reason? Naturally, it’s because the potion itself is ridiculously hard to make.

As it’s essentially a portable 2nd phase, the ingredients required were half-beyond imagination, and the difficulty was even greater.

Honestly, I never thought the day would come when I’d be grinding a dragon’s heart into a potion.

……And I certainly never expected to experience nearly triple-digit failures in the simulation.

At this point, I had no strength left in my entire body.

According to Ria, my mana had been depleted long ago, and I was drawing on my stamina, so it wouldn’t be strange if I collapsed at any moment.

Moreover, potion making itself is an activity that accumulates immense mental and physical fatigue.

*From the start, we didn’t assume you’d be able to make it properly. We just planned to give it as a reward and let you make it later when your skills improved in various ways.*

“…Wouldn’t it be cleaner not to give it at all then?”

*It’s a Branch Point reward, after all, so we have to give something.*

For reference, this was the answer to my question of why they gave me such an impossible potion recipe.

…What kind of future did these guys see to think that the day would come when I’d acquire various ingredients, including a dragon’s heart, which clearly looked ridiculously expensive?

It was a moment that made me truly curious about what went on inside the system’s head.

I had already drunk about 10 all-nighter potions, and the night had passed, with the dawn of the next day rising.

And during that time, I had to endure countless failures.

If the ingredients weren’t provided by the system, I would have given up on potion making long ago due to lack of materials.

Potion making, which used to be about how to control mana, had at some point transformed into a ridiculously difficult process involving mana amplification, attenuation, and so on.

“…Is there anyone on this land who has to handle mana as ridiculously as I do?”

*Commonly known grand magics, especially some of the most obscure ones, have such ridiculous casting methods.

Along with the fact that only a handful of mages can use them, this bizarre difficulty is also why powerful grand magics don’t appear during combat.*

“Huh. So that means I’m handling mana more delicately and meticulously than most mages right now?”

*That’s right, isn’t it? Still…… if you’ve completed it, isn’t that enough?*

With those words, the cauldron, where I had been constantly concentrating and wasting time, began to glow.

…At the same time, I collapsed to the floor.

Honestly, there were still some procedures left, like checking the finished potion and bottling it, but… I don’t care, I’m tired.

Perhaps thanks to failing so much in the simulation, I managed to succeed in making the potion relatively quickly in reality.

…Honestly, I don’t know about the quality, but even if it just works, it’s a ridiculously overpowered potion.

……If I had my way, I’d drink it right now for its fatigue-removing effect… but if I did, I’d have to repeat this hellish process again.

“I wondered why they gave me such a good potion recipe…… It’s because making one of these grinds down a person’s mental strength, mana, and ridiculously expensive ingredients, isn’t it?”

*…Even as you say that, you’re scarier for actually making it…?*

“Ah, and now I have to make another potion too? A ‘Portal Potion’? I can’t move without it, so it’s essential again.”

*That’s right. And after you move, it’s immediately combat, you know?*

“……Instead of these kinds of potions, just give me the energy drink potion recipe.”

Feeling a strong headache from mental and mana exhaustion, I half-heartedly started making potions again.

…There was no other choice, as I couldn’t just run to find Melini, whose location I didn’t even know.

Therefore, this time too, I failed ridiculously many times…… No, I didn’t.

I succeeded.

And in just one try.

“…Huh?”

My cognitive structure momentarily failed to keep up with the situation, which was so contrary to when I made the ‘Miracle Potion’ earlier.

I just looked at Ria, silently demanding an explanation.

*When college students solve problems, and then middle school students solve problems, it’s usually easy, you know?*

“……So that ‘Miracle Potion’ is ridiculously hard to make, isn’t it?”

*The ingredients are too expensive to even practice with, after all. And since simulation and reality are different, the discrepancy is severe.*

Anyway, the moment I realized both potions were complete.

I immediately collapsed to the floor again and closed my eyes.

*…Aren’t you going? You can move immediately if you just throw that ‘Portal Potion’.*

“If I go, won’t I have to fight?”

*……?*

“I’m so sleepy and tired I could die right now; there’s no way I’d fight well or help.

They’ll ask me to fight for my life again, so shouldn’t I at least be in good condition?”

……I felt bad for Melini, but I was planning to take a nap before going.

Well, 5 minutes should be okay… right?