HP Won't Recover? Then Raise the Maximum

A clear, translucent red liquid that brought to mind the strawberry-syrup-flavored potion I'd had as a child.

This was the potion I'd only ever seen in the game.

There was no need to actually drink it to confirm whether it had succeeded.

[★Lowest-Grade Health Enhancement Potion]

Effect: Increases maximum health.

Notes: ※Cannot stack 0/5

Because the effect was floating right in front of my eyes.

Displaying a potion's effects was a system that had existed in the main game too, so no perk window popped up for it.

Too bad.

'So even a kitchen chef who's never touched alchemy can make a one-star potion.'

In that case, I could make it too.

In the game, all you had to do was toss the ingredients into a big pot and boil them properly, so it wouldn't be hard.

I scooped up the red liquid with the fancy spoon placed beside the dish and brought it to my mouth.

I'd already confirmed the effect through the Status Window, so there was no fear.

Only the kind of hesitation you'd have blowing on freshly boiled hot soup.

The potion tasted like bittersweet apple juice.

But warm.

'So that's why apple blossoms were included. I'd wondered why the recipe required apple blossoms that had no effect at all.'

A potion had to work well and taste good, too.

Thanks to a recipe with that kind of conviction, my spoon didn't stop.

If it had tasted only bitter, every sip would have been an ordeal.

Though in the end, I would have finished it all anyway for my health.

Out of habit, I lifted the bowl and gulped it down like rice soup, leaving not a single drop.

When I set down the bowl that had been covering my face, I felt the maid Ira's gaze.

A startled gaze, as if she were seeing someone eat rice soaked in soup for the first time.

Oh, right, I'm a prince, aren't I?

Was that too frivolous a way to eat for someone of noble status?

But if I don't eat it like this, it doesn't feel like I've eaten well.

"...Your complexion looks better."

But what she'd been concerned about was my health.

Does the effect show outwardly this quickly?

It's a lowest-grade potion, though?

"The priest's blessing must have taken effect."

She had no idea that the soup I'd just eaten was the cause.

If it were me, and a cancer patient's complexion improved after eating mint-chocolate rice, I'd have thought, 'That doctor's skills are impressive,' too.

While Ira cleared the table, I quietly opened the Status Window.

I skipped quickly past the parts with no change and checked the most important thing: the health gauge.

Health: [■■■■■■■▨▨▨]

Mana: [▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨]

Earlier, half of it had been gray.

But now it was about a third?

The proportion of gray in the health gauge had clearly decreased compared to before.

That didn't mean I'd recovered, though.

Hadn't the priestess said so earlier?

That recovery effects didn't work on me.

Petrification Disease was like pebbles piling up one by one in a bathtub full of water.

No matter how good a bath additive you dissolved into a tub filled with stones, only the remaining water would change; the stones would be unaffected.

And when the pebbles piled up one by one like that filled the tub completely.

That day would be the day of my death.

So the method I chose was to change the place that held the water from a bathtub to a wide swimming pool.

The size of the pebbles was constant.

Meaning they weren't affected by the size of the tub.

The wider the tub, the longer it would naturally take to fill it with pebbles.

So, if I just kept drinking lowest-grade health enhancement potions, would the disease be solved?

Regrettably, no.

[★Lowest-Grade Health Enhancement Potion]

Effect: Increases maximum health.

Notes: ※Dosage limit 1/5

That text under the potion effect: 'Dosage limit.'

There was a limit to how much health could be increased with a single type of potion.

And there weren't even that many types of health enhancement potions.

I'd merely pushed back my expected date of death.

In the end, I had to make a cure.

'Still, I put out the urgent fire. Let's have a drink.'

And the potion's effect was better than expected.

No, wait. The potion's numbers wouldn't have changed.

Was this body's health just ridiculously low?

Anyway, nice!

It's the golden prince life.

Here I come!

That night, less than twelve hours after my hopeful start.

I learned firsthand the most horrific symptom of Petrification Disease.

"Ugh, hck—fuck, just let me sleep!"

I understood why a character afflicted with Petrification Disease only recovered half their fatigue even after sleeping.

As befitting a disease that worsened at night, it hurt so damn much I couldn't fall asleep.

I decided on the next potion to make.

I need you, painkiller.

"God must truly have taken Your Highness's hand! For a body that had only kept worsening with no sign of improvement to get this much better... truly, truly, what a relief!"

It was the power of a potion, not the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠power of God, but I didn't bother to mention it.

For some reason, I felt like a priest would dislike potions.

Weren't they things that stole their livelihood?

And besides, blessings don't work, but potions do?

That would be unpleasant to hear to your face.

"I'm glad I spent the night in prayer."

A beauty spent the whole night thinking about me?

"Perhaps thanks to your prayers, I feel like I can do anything."

Mm-hmm, yes, yes.

The power of prayer was undeniable.

"So, you can walk now, right?"

Even though I'd confirmed through the Status Window that the Petrification Disease had eased, I couldn't readily set my feet on the ground.

The pain of stepping on dozens of LEGO bricks, with an elephant's foot pressing down on top of your foot.

Because of that PTSD, I couldn't test it with a light heart.

I needed the judgment of a doctor—more precisely, a priest.

"In your current state, walking itself is possible. But... I wouldn't recommend it. If you move too strenuously, your condition could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠worsen again, and there's no telling when the symptoms might reappear."

From her perspective, she didn't know the exact name of the disease or how it had improved, so she had reason to be concerned.

But Petrification Disease only worsened on nights when the moon rose.

During the day, whether I rolled forward or did backflips, it couldn't affect me.

"Since you seem to be feeling much better, I'll visit again in a week."

It was a shame I wouldn't see her face tomorrow morning.

But ultimately, it was good news.

If the doctor keeps coming to check on you in the emergency room, you're in deep shit.

So, I'd gotten the doctor's permission.

Shall I try moving?

I couldn't slam my foot down, so I placed it gently on the floor.

Still no problems.

Now I slowly stood up and put my body weight on it.

"No... problems."

Phew~.

How stifled I'd felt just lying around.

Originally, I liked lying in bed all day, rolling around.

But when I saw the reaper's timer shrinking every night, I couldn't lie there at ease.

"First, let's shower. Ira, show me to the shower room."

I'd tossed and turned in pain but eventually fallen asleep.

When I woke up, I was drenched in sweat.

I felt so gross I could die.

"Understood."

The guidance I'd imagined was.

Her walking ahead, and me following behind.

Being carried princess-style like this was unexpected.

Since I couldn't walk because of the illness, this must have been how I was moved around before I possessed this body.

Seeing how she adjusted her grip and lifted me with practiced ease.

Now that I'd recovered somewhat and could walk on my own.

I could tell her and get down.

But why would I?

Princess-carrying a beauty is a rare experience, but being princess-carried by a beauty is even rarer.

When would I ever get to try something like this?

As long as I could endure the surrounding gazes and the shame, it was a good experience.

Eh~ I'm a good-for-nothing scoundrel prince with nothing to lose anyway.

"Could you walk toward the window?"

"......."

She looked down at me as if I'd asked for something bothersome, but her steps were already heading toward the window.

Even when she changed direction, I wasn't jostled at all.

Even a decent luxury sedan probably wouldn't have a smoother ride than this.

No matter how thin the illness had made me, still.

She could lift a grown man this effortlessly?

Was she some kind of combat maid?

We got close enough to the window that the scenery outside filled my view.

A stylish European-style capital landscape spread out before me, but my expression wasn't very bright.

'None. There's none.'

No matter how many beastfolk had returned to the forest because of Leoport's screwups.

I'd thought at least a few would remain in the capital, you know?

But I couldn't see a single one.

There was no way I'd missed them.

No matter how far away they were, people with fur would stand out.

'In the end, do I have to go to the forest?'

But that didn't make sense according to the game's logic.

The world I'd possessed was the DLC.

If it was just going to move to the same stage as the main game anyway, there was no reason to lay down all these cumbersome settings.

The terminal-illness setup, the third prince's Ignite subjugation run, the capital backdrop, and so on.

These weren't minor details I could just gloss over.

Unless this was a scam game with only a killer opening, there had to be a clue somewhere in this capital that could solve the problem.

I had to find the solution the developers had planned for.

Still, from now on, I could go out and pound the pavement.

Let's think positively.

"You can undress yourself. I heard from the priest that you've been healed."

As soon as we arrived at the changing room, Ira abandoned me and left.

If you're a prince, isn't it standard for maids to undress you and wash your body?!

In the end, I undressed myself.

It had only been a day since I possessed this body, but I'd gotten somewhat used to her curt attitude.

And to the fact that 'Wah, I'm a prince. Do it for me' didn't work.

Oh, come on.

The developer doesn't seem to know the latest trends.

A prickly tsundere heroine like that isn't popular.

Playing hard to get? If you push, they just leave.

At this rate, that puppy-like saintess is going to steal all your fans, you know?

Even if she tried to seduce me or beg me to come back later, I wouldn't look back. Bring on the regret, despair, and obsession!

I entered the bath, vowing that once I recovered my health and honor, I'd demote Ira from my personal maid to a low-ranking maid.

When I opened the bath door, Ira was waiting in front of me.

When had she changed? She was wearing only a white towel.

Hooray for Ira! Hooray for my personal maid!

The towel was fairly wide, but it had ridden up because of the ample areas in front and behind.

It was short enough that if she slipped and fell, things would be dangerously visible.

Considering the physical ability she'd shown carrying me princess-style with ease, it unfortunately didn't seem easy to make her fall while pretending it was an accident.

Anyway, she'd grumbled at me to undress alone in the changing room, and then outside she'd made these cheeky preparations?

This was a clear green light.

The romance route between the protagonist and his personal maid was such a classic it was written in dating sim textbooks.

Grumpy outside where people could see, but "darling" in the bathroom where it's just the two of them.

Good, this is it.

But I, the third prince Leoport.

Would not fall head over heels that easily.

No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠matter how hard she worked the heroine moves, I would not be swayed.

Not until I heard from her own lips what she wanted.

Besides, seeing a character whose weakness is their back door get embarrassed is a real treat.

"Ahem, why are you dressed like that?"

Now, tell me what you desire.

Because you want to bathe together?

Or because you want to seduce me while pretending to soap me up?

Ira asked back with a puzzled look.

"Did Your Highness not order me to dress like this?"

Ah... so it was just something past me made her wear?

Not because she wanted something?

"Last time, you said the scar on my chest was disgusting to look at."

What?

Which meant, originally she'd been naked?!

That dog bastard Leoport.

From today, I resolved to become the third prince's number one anti-fan.

Listening to Ira, I could understand why she—my personal maid—treated me with such contempt.

To say such hurtful words to a woman, calling her scar disgusting.

If the relationship had grown distant because of harsh words about her scar.

Then if I could get rid of that scar for her, we could grow close again, right?

Conveniently, among the one-star potions, there was one with a scar-healing effect.

And the ingredients were easy to obtain.

"How did you get that wound?"

"...Why do you ask?"

"Oh, talking to me casually already?"

"Tch. A few years ago, while protecting my younger sister, I was attacked by a hunt—, by human bandits."

To look at a glorious wound earned protecting her younger sister and call it disgusting and tell her to cover it.

The more I looked, the more of a bastard this original body had been.

But a few years ago....

The older the wound, the better the potion needed to remove the scar.

If it were a wound from a few days ago, maybe, but for a scar from a few years ago, a one-star potion wouldn't work, would it?

Maybe if the scar was small, it might be different.

I needed to see the scar.

This was absolutely not to satisfy personal desires.

It was for treatment.

"What kind of wound is it?"

"...It's a large X shape across my chest."

As I kept asking about the scar, Ira furrowed her brows and openly showed her discomfort.

"Why are you asking about that? If you were thinking of touching my chest under the pretense of treating the wound, give it up. It won't work."

A contemptuous look from an icy beauty wearing only a towel.

Normally, I would have savored it and asked for a bowl of instant rice.

But right now, my mind was elsewhere.

Just like when I'd seen the symptoms of Petrification Disease, something was trying to surface in my memory.

But when I looked at her face, all that came to mind was that she was pretty, that I was turned on.

Nothing else came to mind.

I closed my eyes and blocked out the information coming through my vision.

I gathered only the given clues.

'A beastfolk who was wounded in an X shape while protecting her younger sister...'

No way, right?

That doesn't make sense.

No matter how you looked at Ira, the only hair on her was on her head.

There was none under her armpits either. I'd secretly checked earlier.

And she didn't have animal ears ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠or a tail either.

Every visible clue said she wasn't a beastfolk.

But if I just assumed she was a beastfolk, I could think of one NPC.

One who lost her younger sister to hunters and harbored extreme hatred for humans.

Who hunted humans in return and was called the Tiger Menace.

Whose martial prowess alone was considered closest to a Mythical Beast.

The tiger beastfolk, Taira.

-Ta-daaa!

[New Content: Illustration Remake]

{In response to feedback that fur allergies caused sneezing, beastfolk now only display animal physical traits when using their abilities.}

{At this point, you'll raise their Affection, right?}

[Perk: Churu Physique]

Fuck, this game is definitely a scam.

It's not even trying to keep me from reaching the late game—why is it making me step on so many death flags this early on?!