Chapter 26
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Witch's Help
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5ch.
Castaway has requested a 1:1 conversation.
"Ah!"
Melani let out an involuntary cry the moment she received the long-awaited message from Castaway.
Otil, who was working nearby, finally realized that the person called Castaway had made contact based on Melani's reaction.
"Looks like you got a reply. Then share your gallery window."
Witches were inherently an inquisitive race.
Naturally, she had long since figured out the gallery's functions.
"......Okay."
Melani didn't like it, but she had no choice. She pressed firmly on the center of the bottom of her gallery window.
Fwoosh—
At the same time, Melani's gallery window became visible to Otil as well.
Otil nodded upon seeing that Castaway had requested a 1:1 conversation.
"Just talk like you normally would for now."
"Like normal?"
"Yeah. Start by giving him the mana potion you worked so hard on."
"Oh."
Melani immediately understood and greeted Castaway first.
Castaway! Hello! I worked hard on the mana potion!
Really? Thank you. If there's anything else you need, just let me know.
Melani showed Otil Castaway's response proudly.
Otil sighed at the sight of Melani rejoicing over such a simple reply but held it back.
"By the way, with that 'anything you need' talk, he sounds like he's willing to give you whatever as long as you want it."
Seeing the number next to the Castaway nickname, it seemed to be 2ch.
Otil had roughly checked what kind of world 2ch was, so she dismissed it as bravado.
"Ask for some fruits, vegetables, or their seeds."
"I already got candy as payment for the mana potion, though?"
"He said he'd give first. And what I mentioned is something we need too."
The forest where the witches currently lived had limited food sources.
They had been eating nothing but grass, mushrooms, roots, and fruits for nearly a century, so she emphasized the need for new crops.
"And Melani, you should try eating something other than witch soup too."
Otil said it half-seriously but didn't expect much.
"Something other than witch soup?"
"Yeah. Probably as tasty as chocolate or candy? Of course, only if Castaway sends it."
Ah. But is the mana potion safe for other people to consume?
Just then, a question about the mana potion came from Castaway.
"Lady Otil. Is it okay for others to drink it?"
"Yes. Mana potions amplify and restore the person's own energy."
Melani replied right away upon hearing that.
It's fine! Mana potions amplify the person's own energy to restore them.
It's a much better potion than I imagined.
Right!
Under Otil's piercing gaze, Melani typed again.
Could I possibly get some fruits, vegetables, or their seeds? And chocolate or candy too?
Hold on a sec.
Castaway left an ambiguous response that was neither acceptance nor refusal.
Otil was racking her brain with faint hopes contrary to her expectations when...
Castaway has requested a 1:1 trade.
Not long after, Castaway initiated a 1:1 trade.
Melani and Otil's eyes widened at the items Castaway uploaded after accepting the trade request.
100 pieces of all kinds of chocolate.
Similarly, 100 pieces of all kinds of candy.
Dozens of other snacks and beverages.
Dozens of fruits and vegetables.
Over 100 kinds of seeds.
After hearing about the mana potion, Castaway deemed candy insufficient as payment and threw in a bunch of extras.
"Wow, wow! See? I told you Castaway is a good person!"
"It's not that. He probably wants ongoing trades with you. Smarter human than I thought."
With that, Melani uploaded the mana potion, finalizing the trade.
"Melani. Before completing the trade, come to the wide living room."
"Yes!"
Melani moved to the spacious living room and completed the trade with Castaway.
The moment the trade finished, the items from Castaway poured out like they were waiting.
"Whoa!"
Hundreds of snacks, chocolates, candies, and beverages.
Fruits, vegetables, and over 100 kinds of seeds in small packets.
"......"
Unlike Melani, who was purely delighted, Otil alone fell into thought.
Where did he get all this?
Most of the traded items were closer to luxury snacks than survival food.
No, to exaggerate, they could even be called luxuries.
Should I look into it starting now?
With that thought, Otil spoke to Melani.
"Melani. Now ask about Castaway's world too."
"The world where Castaway lives?"
"We need to know what difficulties it has to provide fitting help."
Of course, it wasn't purely out of goodwill.
Otil planned to show Melani Castaway's true nature now.
This should be enough, right?
I had bought a ton of items Melani requested via the 1:1 trade and handed them over.
Snacks and drinks were bonuses, but even so, it hadn't cost me 1,000 points—a negligible expense.
If the mana potion works well, I can ask for more later.
As I thought that, Melani messaged me.
Castaway! What kind of world is Castaway's world?
2ch world?
I was puzzled why she asked, but I'd done the same about 5ch originally.
Probably for a similar reason, so I answered right away.
Eight years ago, monsters suddenly rained from the sky. We fought them but lost, and now we hide and survive in a place called the Great Labyrinth.
I summarized 2ch simply, and Melani asked the next obvious question.
So Castaway wants power to defeat the monsters?
Monsters? Me?
No. I'm helping people heading to the deepest floor of the Great Labyrinth.
The deepest floor of the Great Labyrinth? Are you going there too, Castaway?
Yes. But the people going with me said they'd protect me.
There was a pause after my reply before Melani responded.
Is the Great Labyrinth dangerous?
We haven't gone that deep yet... but yeah, it's a bit dangerous.
That said, Elisicia promised to protect me for sure, so I trusted that.
If I died, it'd be a huge loss for 2ch too, so in a way, it was well-founded trust.
I'll help you.
Huh?
Help me?
Yes. We witches can make some really special stuff.
Hearing that, I immediately thought she might have something comparable to 4ch weapons.
Come to think of it, I still don't know the level of the 5ch witches.
They made mana potions, so their level wasn't low.
Maybe even on par with 4ch? I asked Melani.
Can I ask what you have?
First, there's the 'Potion of Immortality.' Drink it, and you won't die no matter what attack you take.
"......"
But what she actually offered exceeded my imagination.
You won't die?
Yes. Even if your head or limbs are blown off, they'll regenerate after some time.
It was an utterly absurd potion.
Regenerating even from a severed head truly deserved the name "immortality."
5ch can make something like that?
Uh, any side effects?
No real side effects. Just takes time to regenerate? Oh, and the immortality lasts 10 years.
It seemed drinking it granted an undying body for 10 years.
Maybe even better than permanent immortality.
If I or Elisicia drank this...
Wouldn't it help with conquering the labyrinth?
That's an incredible potion. You'd give me something like that?
More precisely, I'd make it for you. But I'd need materials.
What materials? Can I get them in 2ch?
Yes. The lives of 100 people.
"......"
The lives of 100 people?
Ah. You don't have to kill them yourself. I'll give you Vital Spirit Flowers. Just place one on the chest of someone sleeping.
Place it, and they die?
Exactly.
I was reminded anew that Melani was a witch.
The Potion of Immortality was tempting, but not worth killing for.
No. Pretend you didn't say that.
You can place it on already dead people too. It just needs more in that case.
Melani kept persuading, clearly wanting to give me the Potion of Immortality somehow.
But I couldn't kill people, so my answer was set.
I can't kill people for something like that. Honestly, it never even crossed my mind.
Melani went silent for a bit before replying again.
Vital Spirit Flowers are really good materials. If you don't like the Potion of Immortality, I can make a 'Resurrection Potion' instead. It revives people who died within 10 minutes.
That's good too... but my answer's the same.
Why? Humans kill other humans out of greed.
I wondered how others would respond to Melani's offers.
The potions had unbelievable effects, so some might accept.
But.
I don't want to do that.
I heard humans have death row inmates. Can't you use them?
That'd still be killing for my own greed.
......What if you die in the labyrinth?
Maybe because I'd kept refusing, Melani dragged reality into it this time.
Is Melani right?
Her tone felt subtly different somehow.
Of course, at 101 years old, this might be her real way of speaking.
But if I die...
I'd joined the Hero Party because I couldn't live forever in the dim labyrinth.
I thought helping the Hero Party save 2ch might let me return to my original world.
There really is a chance I could die.
Such risks existed even on the first floor of the labyrinth.
For example, I could die resisting the guys who found me.
Or monsters conquering the surface could suddenly invade the labyrinth and kill me.
Danger has existed since the moment I came to this other world.
So.
If I die, that's the end. So I'll live each day giving my all, with no regrets.
I'd thought it through before replying, but Melani didn't respond.
Nickname 'Otil' has requested a 1:1 conversation.
Instead, someone else requested a 1:1 conversation with me.
Puzzled by the sudden request, I accepted.
You. You're the dumbest human I've ever seen.
She threw that out right away.