Chapter 46
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: I Told You It's All an Act
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I told you it's all an act?
"It's more intact than I thought?"
The first thought that crossed my mind upon seeing the Penalty Mitigation Potion.
Of course, any other climber would be trembling at the penalty of massive drops across all stats and a level down.
But that's just because they have no idea what went into making this potion.
If I whispered the raw ingredients right into their ear, they'd surely nod along with a "...Hm! That's very reasonable!"
In that sense...
"What the hell are the ingredients?"
The previous results had been a bit forced, but there was some approximate correlation.
But this one? Made from mystery flesh of some unknown someone and deadly poison—it's way too pristine to even guess.
Forcing it a bit...
"...Did they fight each other?"
Maybe that mysterious flesh and the potent toxins I registered as ingredients canceled each other out and neutralized?
The funny part? The residual penalty effects got buried under the totally out-of-nowhere [Luck Effect!]
"The Luck stat... might actually be pretty amazing?"
Honestly, when I first got Luck as a reward stat, I was just like, "Eh, can't hurt."
But after tasting the effect once, now I get it.
This thing procs, and it's an instant jackpot... or to exaggerate a bit.
There's a world of difference between results tagged with "Luck-infused" and those without.
There have to be effects beyond just ignoring penalties, too—the ceiling is unimaginable.
"The problem is figuring out the proc rate..."
Was this beginner's Luck lucking out?
Or does it have a decent rate and pop up often? No clue.
But if I get a chance to raise Luck while climbing the tower from here on, I absolutely will.
"Ah, gotta make a Luck potion too."
Anyway. Putting that aside.
I'd succeeded in making the Penalty Mitigation Potion faster than expected, so I was about to head over to deliver it to Karin...
The next day.
Early morning, while the daughters were still off adventuring in dreamland.
I rushed through my morning routine to head to Karin's house, stopping by the Professor's to prepare his meal and ask for her address.
[Karin's house?]
[Japanese-style building if you follow the alley straight down... but why?]
"Ah, I made the Penalty Mitigation Potion. Wanted to check how much it actually mitigates."
[Already? No wonder there was no tower alert yesterday... You skipped the tower and made potions all day? No need for that.]
"Pardon?"
[Anyway, good work. I'd love to tag along, but I'm in the middle of wrapping things up—can't step away.]
[I'll finish by tonight, so let's all grab dinner then. You can show it off.]
"Uh... got it. Anything you want for dinner?"
[Hm... Sushi? Been a while. Karin loves it too.]
"I'll do my best."
Leaving the busy Professor behind, I stepped out of the mansion.
From there, I headed toward the Japanese-style building where Karin lived, as described.
But in my head, I was mulling over the weird part of that conversation...
'Lavris' explains that if it's talking about yesterday's ranking record to its owner, this means it was registered on an unofficial ranking not publicly disclosed.
Lavris, dangling from the double-edged axe holster (the one Hyun-gyu bro made me), must've picked up on my pondering and started explaining.
"Unofficial ranking?"
'Lavris' explains that climbers who satisfy specific conditions and climb towers with altered difficulty cannot register on the general ranking, so a separate differentiated ranking is used instead.
"So there's a separate ranking board just for people like me whose difficulty changed?"
'Lavris' nods that yes, that's correct.
Hm... so that's how it is?
Does that mean I can keep skipping towers without drawing excessive attention?
"That might actually be a good thing."
Honestly, getting attention from others feels good the first couple times.
But if it keeps up, that pressure wears you down eventually.
Especially for a low-floor climber like me, ripe for the picking.
In that sense, my ranking updates not being visible to others?
I was all for it.
No ranking update alerts = "Huh? Did that alchemist die?" for sure.
The less interest on me, the more I can focus on growing.
Plus, I'd already laundered my gallery identity. I could sell the potions I make and build my own faction off that.
"Of course, I'd have to be picky about customers."
Thinking about it now, those ranking update alerts were a massive shackle—more cons than pros.
Anyway.
As I walked the alley, pondering "If I start selling potions, what to sell first?"
I spotted the Japanese-style building the Professor mentioned, way down the way...
"Ryokan?"
...Or rather.
No matter how you sliced it, it looked exactly like a ryokan mansion, so I headed over.
Like with the Professor's place, no doorbell—of course.
The front gate was wide open too, so I passed through into the grounds.
A moment later...
Whish-! Whish-!
The sound of something being swung reached me, so I followed it to find sweat-soaked Karin practicing her swordsmanship.
I approached, making as much noise as possible to naturally announce my arrival.
"You've arrived. My lord informed me."
"Ah, you heard?"
"Yes. He said you 'coincidentally' obtained a potion from the tower that would mitigate my penalty."
"Ahaha... yeah, something like that."
She definitely emphasized "coincidentally" just now.
As the Professor said, she suspects I'm the rumored alchemist.
Well... more like she's pretending not to know while already knowing the truth.
That's fine.
Soon enough, she'd see the potion I made and become my steadfast ally.
"Ahem. First, let me show you the item."
"By all means."
Without missing a beat, I displayed the alert window for the [Luck-Infused Penalty Mitigation Potion] to Karin.
Her reaction upon checking the potion's info via the alert...
"With this alone, those two...!"
Thud.
Suddenly, her face hardened with resolve as she dropped to her knees.
"Money? I'll give you every last coin I've saved! Please...! Just make one more...!! Do that, and not only my body but my lifelong service to you, Benefactor!"
She started begging dogeza-style for just one more potion.
And watching this...
"Karin. Get up. I think we need to talk."
I was briefly startled by the dogeza.
But up to here, it was within expected scenarios, so I decided to hear her story first...
"Please... I beg you... please..."
"Sigh... this isn't working."
...Maybe because she was facing a miracle she'd already given up on?
Her emotions were out of control—tough to have a proper conversation.
But that didn't last.
'...Should I try that method?'
A scene from an old noir film suddenly flashed in my mind.
This might work on her current state, so I channeled the actor's tone and mannerisms.
"Hey, Karin. You really think your body alone could pay the price for this potion?"
"Th-that's..."
"If you're serious, that's some serious self-overestimation. Sure, you're pretty, with big breasts and nice birthing hips... but still, not that valuable?"
"Urgh... you're... right..."
"So let's drop this unproductive emotional appeal and have a mutually beneficial chat instead?"
"Is there... anything you desire...?"
"Hm... there is, but I doubt you could provide it?"
"......"
"Ah, but I am curious. Why the sudden meltdown? And why you need one more potion."
"That's..."
"Aah~ the potion. Guess you don't need it? Toss it then."
"...!!! I'll... tell you!"
'Lavris' is flustered by its owner's utterly natural performance, wondering, This can't be acting, right...?
So... here's what Karin's story boiled down to.
"You already heard last time how I was rescued by my lord from the Management Bureau's exploitation."
Seven people were rescued including me, but three died from penalty aftereffects, and one left with contact cut off.
The only ones who actually survived the penalties are me—the blind one—Rachel, who took on a beastly form, and Lin, who explodes from external stimuli."
"So that's why you need one more potion..."
"I planned to give it to Rachel and Lin first. I can just close my eyes, but they can't."
Hmm... I see.
She was going to yield the potion to her friends with even worse penalties?
A heartbreaking tale, enough to bring tears.
But...
"I get what you want, Karin."
"Then...?"
"Making more potions isn't hard. You already know why that's possible, right?"
"As I thought...! You are the rumored alchemist...!?"
"Yeah, pretty much. But Karin, you know there's no such thing as a free lunch, right?"
...Who in the world doesn't have a sob story?
If I went, "Aw, that's rough... here, have an extra potion!" right now?
I'd instantly become a sucker.
The kind of idiot who hands out anything if you tug the heartstrings.
So to avoid being a sucker, the limit was the one I originally promised.
Anything beyond that required fair payment matching the value.
"One potion? I can do that! I teased your hips earlier... sorry about that, so one as courtesy makes sense. Call the first one a favor... then the second onward, you pay up, fair and square?"
"...You're right. Name your desire—whatever it is, I'll pay it."
"Good answer, but I can't just take your word for it."
"Then...?"
"Handy thing: I've got a contract scroll. Care to sign one with me? Condition: you'll do anything for me equal to the value of the potions I provide."
"......"
"Hey, if you don't want to, forget it. I don't force anyone!"
"...I... wi...ll."
"Pardon?"
"I'll... do it... the contract...!!!"
"Excellent choice."
The contract between Benefactor and Matsumoto Karin has been established.
In the end, Karin couldn't withstand the pressure and signed the contract scroll (which I'd gotten from the Professor).
"Looking forward to working with you, Karin."
"...Yes. My lord."
For a moment, I basked in the joy of gaining my first unbreakable yet fully open-hearted ally.
'Lavris' watches its owner's actions and insists this absolutely isn't acting—its owner's true nature is a very dangerous person, and it trembles in fear!
For some reason, Lavris was making a huge fuss, insisting my method-acting wasn't acting at all.
Looks like Lavris is a pretty timid double-edged axe after all.