Momona's Potion Shop (3)

The two ears twitching perkily above her head and the tail swaying in a graceful curve from below her butt were unmistakably cat ears and a tail.

"N-no no! What's this nyang? And why is my speech coming out like this nyang?"

Hand stretching up to her head, she touched the cat ears. Sure enough, there were cat ears on top of her head. And the sensation felt so real it was like they'd always been there.

"No way?! The potion I drank was one that makes cat ears and a tail grow nyang?!"

A brand-new dark history etched in stone.

"Eek! How could you do this to me, developer nyang?! To me, of all people! Cat ears! Giving me a dark history nyang!"

At the donation from the developer—who seemed to be teasing her—she clamped her hands over both ears and crouched down.

"Nyaaaang! You didn't tell me that explanation! How was I supposed to know nyang?!"

She stared at the viewpoint camera with eyes full of disbelief at the anonymous donation.

"Mokong-i, you tricked me nyang? How could you do this to me nyang?!"

"I'll upvote that nyang!"

Thud thud! She thumped her tail against the floor in anger. Honestly, aside from the embarrassment, it was all fine. But she hadn't expected this!

From now on, she'd check potions right after making them.

"Ugh, I won't drink any next time ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nyang."

"Ugh! It's not that bad nyang?! So when does this end nyang?!"

"Phew. Good thing not much time left nyang. Wait... if I'd drunk this early on, I'd have been Momonyang until the end of the session nyang? What kind of devilish idea is this nyang!"

Good thing there wasn't much time left until the next session. Otherwise, she'd have shown even more embarrassing Momonyang moments.

"I'm not doing it again nyang! What do you mean back nyang!"

She huffed at the viewers' chat and fiddled with the cauldron again.

"I'll vent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this anger by making potions nyang!"

Pulling various flowers from her bag, she grinned brightly. Honestly, it was fun. Unexpected potion effects and all! Everything from making them to chatting—it was all so enjoyable right now.

"So, what potion next nyang?"

Tossing this flower and that into the cauldron, she dove into the new minigame.

"I'll make as many as I can in the remaining time nyang! Look forward to it nyang!"

Giggling, she immersed herself in potion-making.

"Yawn. Good, no bugs so far."

Scratching my head, I checked the broadcast screen. Seeing Momona looking so happy made me satisfied.

"Day 3 already? Yeah, now the additional NPCs should show up besides the members."

Stretching my shoulders as I realized how fast time had flown to day 3. No one could argue that the most important session in Momona's Potion Shop wasn't day 3.

I chuckled at the sight of Momona—who knew nothing yet—heading out to gather new potion ingredients. Bouncing into the newly unlocked gathering area like she was off on a picnic... it was cute just watching.

"Still, with all these potions, no bugs should pop, right?"

I'd set up a system where AI judgment added new potion recipes and effects. But with recipes piling up, was that a problem?

"Hm... probably fine as is."

No point overthinking. I stretched my shoulders wide, then slumped forward onto the desk.

"Ahh, too heavy. How do people carry these around all day?"

Even face-down on the desk, I couldn't quite flatten out properly. Sitting back up, I looked down at my chest. It was too big. It looked great visually, but less than a day in, I already got how inconvenient it was.

Pouting down at my chest in annoyance, I turned back to the broadcast screen. In the brief daze, she'd returned to the shop and was chatting with the NPC. I smiled at the screen.

This was where the real content began. Days 1 and 2 were tutorials, time to get used to potion-making.

"Now that she's met the NPCs, I wonder what ending Momona will reach?"

Full of anticipation, I focused back on the broadcast.

"Hi, Momona. Doing well?"

"Yeah, who're you?"

She beamed a friendly greeting at the NPCs. Last session had members, so I figured this would too—but these were unfamiliar NPCs, so she tilted her head.

"What, you forgot us? Even if we haven't visited much! Momona, remember our time together!"

"We got forgotten?"

"No...."

Blinking, she checked the NPCs' names. Aya and Mimu—names she'd never seen on stream before, honest. If they'd been acquaintances, she'd have handled it better, but this felt sudden.

Aya looked like a more grown-up version of my character Momona, while Mimu—with her quirky speech—was younger-looking than mine. They gave off a strangely familial vibe. And since they were elves like me, it hit even harder.

"Well, we haven't visited much."

"But you went deep into the woods."

I rolled my eyes at the backstory she didn't know, then accepted the situation. It was just a bit more added to her usual RP. Nothing I couldn't handle.

"Heh, kidding. I remember everything. Long time no see, Aya. Mimu."

"Knew it. Phew."

"Thought we'd been forgotten since we didn't visit."

I let out a hollow laugh at the viewers' chats, feeling dazed. Yeah, she was a loner! No, more importantly—they were just NPCs from the content. Ridiculous.

"Anyway, here to play?"

"Yeah? I'd like to, but...."

"Not the time."

She gave a wry smile and shook her head. So it wasn't just about selling and drinking potions?

"You've been away from the village so long, you wouldn't know, but the World Tree is very sick right now."

"World Tree sick. Need fix. Need Momona power."

"Oh? ...Of course. I'll help."

Flustered by the sudden hologram window, she nodded anyway. A happy ending was best, so she was down to help.

"Really? Phew. Glad. Was worried you wouldn't."

"Right. Momona left cuz she hated village. Honestly surprised."

"Ah... ahaha, couldn't just ignore it."

Honestly, not knowing the backstory well, I just went with it.

"We'll gather the materials then."

"Need helpful potions for gathering. Will pay. Possible?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

Listening to them, she handed over simple healing potions and stamina potions I'd prepared. I'd focused on weird recipes, so practical ones were lacking.

"Ugh, shoulda made more useful stuff. Sorry."

"No, this is enough."

"Fine. We're not weak."

Seeing them off, she looked at her remaining materials. Time to find some practical recipes?

"Okay, squeeze in some practical ones with the time left! I kinda memorized the flowers' properties, so I can make 'em."

She shot a quick venomous glare at the chats and focused on potion-making. Plenty of healing potions, so other helpful ones next.

Until the timer ran out, she whipped up useful potions. Next visit, she could give better ones.

"Nice. Heh, told ya I could make 'em."

A chat caught her eye, and she gathered the explosion potions safely aside. If she accidentally touched one and it went off... I could imagine the disaster all too well.

"Huh?"

Expecting the next session, but instead a floating sensation—she tilted her head and looked around.

"What? Not going to next session?"

The surroundings felt familiar. Yeah, like the forest I'd gathered in many times.

"Mimu! Run fast!"

"Yeah! Running!"

Thud thud— Amid the rumbling sounds, I saw Aya and Mimu fleeing desperately between trees below.

"Eh? Why are they suddenly here?"

Groooar— With that roar, I knew what was chasing them. The info floating above its head said Troll, impossible not to recognize.

"What? Why are they being chased? And why show me this?!"

"What, a wound?"

At the viewer's dono, she looked at the troll's arm. Sure enough, a big wound—and it was slowly healing.

"Wait, no way, right? No?!"

Aya and Mimu drawing closer to the troll—she reached out a hand. But like a mere spectator, she couldn't do a thing.

Whoosh—! The troll's massive hand came down over them, and the session ended.

"Wh... what? Why end like that?"

Session over, back in the shop. Did they die? No way? Worry hit—did I give bad potions and get them killed?

"Developer! Developer, you watching? No? It's not what I'm thinking, right?!"

I frantically called out to the developer. I hoped it wasn't what I thought.