I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 26. Suspicious and Capable Part-Timer (5)
The incident began like this.
Thanks to Haeryang’s meticulous analysis, I successfully created the Witch’s espresso.
After that, I even succeeded in making a Potion Americano using the ingredients.
It felt slightly wasteful to use Elixir for it, but I had no other potions available at the moment.
Since the contract would ensure steady supply, there were no problems.
The Elixir Americano created this way received universal praise.
“It’s delicious!”
“When I put in the Elixir… I thought it was crazy, but the taste is even crazier!”
Unlike the crudely made Potion Americano from coffee sticks, this Americano using the Witch’s recipe succeeded in capturing the flavor as well.
The coffee’s characteristic bittersweet taste combined with its nutty richness and acidity, plus the sophistication of the Elixir all came through in the flavor.
Expensive things naturally have their own aura.
“Still, it will be difficult to sell this as is.”
“Yes. In my opinion, if we sold it like this, the cafe would turn into ruins within a week.”
“What?”
Haeryang’s prediction, almost like foresight, sent chills down my spine, but it was true.
We’re selling coffee at a local bakery, and it has the same effect as Elixir?
And twice the effect at that?
It’s strange that Hunters and guilds aren’t going crazy over this.
“That’s why I need you. Noir.”
“Meow? Wait… surely not…”
“Noir rocket delivery. Let’s use it.”
“Meooooow!”
That’s why I wrote a letter requesting a lower-tier vitality potion from Miracle and handed it to Noir.
By then, it was already 2 AM.
“It’s already this late. Are you sure it’s okay if you don’t go home, Haeryang?”
“Ah. I… well… even if I go home, I’m alone there…”
I understand being lonely, but this isn’t right.
It’s already problematic having a man and a woman in this space alone, but if it’s between an owner and an employee, it’s even more problematic.
I was about to send Haeryang home, saying that since it was late, coming in tomorrow would be better, when it happened.
An unexpected status window appeared before my eyes.
Ding~
[A Fragment of the Fallen Witch has been recovered.]
“What? This?”
“Owner? What’s wrong?”
“No… the status window…”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t continue speaking.
The moment the status window disappeared from my sight, a strange black object materialized right in front of me.
[Fragment of the Fallen Witch]
▷ [Corrupted text – unable to display]
Even if my status window hadn’t gone haywire, I could sense it instinctively.
This was something I was biologically incapable of confronting.
A filthy mass the size of two fists clenched together was writhing.
Each time it pulsed like a beating heart, thick Black Smoke billowed up around it.
“Ugh…”
“Owner? What’s wrong?”
“You don’t see this?”
“Huh?”
I pointed directly at the black substance undulating before my eyes, but Haeryang simply tilted her head in confusion.
Even she, who reliably perceived and analyzed environmental information, was reacting like this.
This was absolutely not a normal situation.
“Owner?”
“Ah… no, it’s nothing. I haven’t been sleeping well, so I must be seeing things.”
“Ah… yes…”
That expression clearly shows she doesn’t believe me at all.
Well, I’m not a good liar anyway, and Haeryang has skills too, so she’d catch on immediately.
Still, she let it slide.
Now the problem remains—how do I dispose of that thing…
“It’s getting late anyway, so you should head home. I’m exhausted and need to sleep soon.”
“Y-yes! I’ll leave right away! I’ll… see you tomorrow!”
Haeryang bowed her head once, twice, three times, then scrambled out in a rush.
After seeing Haeryang off, the moment I thought I should throw that bizarre thing into the warehouse.
“Meowwww! Don’t touch it! Master! Are you insane!”
Noir leaped through the open window and delivered a powerful cat punch to my hand.
Shocked by a punch filled with genuine concern rather than the usual irritable swipes, I stared wide-eyed as the creature continued.
“Do you know what this is and you touch it so carelessly! Master! It’s dangerous!”
“What is this thing?”
“That… well…”
The creature fiddled with its whiskers, choosing words carefully.
But soon it shook its head and asked instead.
“Didn’t the house tell you about it?”
“My status window just showed some unknown characters.”
“Then it’s not time yet. I’ll take this.”
Then, as if catching a mouse, it poked at it with its front paws, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed it whole.
Wait, you said it was dangerous—are you really supposed to eat it like that?
“Don’t worry. Master is still weak and wouldn’t understand, but this body is a Familier who has served Witches for generations. Don’t fret.”
“Hmm… I’m still uneasy…”
“Anyway! That human brought potions, so check them. Meowww…”
Whether to hurry the conversation along, Noir regurgitated what was inside.
What fell out was a letter neatly wrapped in plastic and several glass bottles.
“It seems I didn’t receive only low-grade vitality potions, so verification is necessary.”
“Yeah, that’s clearly the case.”
The quantity was far greater than what I’d requested from Miracle, and the potions displayed a rainbow of colors.
Thanks to meticulous attention to detail, each bottle had been individually labeled, which I found impressive.
[Supreme-Grade Vitality Potion]
▷ A pure 100% vitality potion with absolutely no impurities.
Though I could verify this through the status window anyway.
“No wonder the color looked so vivid.”
Potion grades are typically divided based on dilution levels and the degree of impurities present.
For example, vitality potions display a vivid crimson hue, much like in certain games.
Depending on how much water it’s diluted with and the amount of impurities introduced, the color becomes murkier, and this is how grades are determined.
“And all the others are supreme-grade too.”
[Supreme-Grade Detoxification Potion]
[Supreme-Grade Recovery Potion]
[Supreme-Grade Mana Potion]
[Supreme-Grade Curse-Breaking Potion]
[Supreme-Grade Strength Enhancement Potion]
[Supreme-Grade Agility Enhancement Potion]
[Supreme-Grade Resistance Enhancement Potion]
[….]
As I glanced at the pile of potions, status windows cascaded into view one after another.
At this point, didn’t Miracle just bring me one of every type of potion he owns?
“He said he brought everything he had.”
“So that’s what happened.”
And every single one was supreme-grade.
Considering that I’d need to mix these supreme-grade potions with water in a 1:50 ratio to create low-grade potions, I’d effectively received fifty bottles of each type in low-grade form.
“As long as I have enough espresso, I could sell potion Americanos by variety.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all. I think I have every potion I’ve ever heard of.”
“Meow. You can’t say that. It’s far from enough.”
What was Noir talking about?
With this many potions, how could she say it was far from enough?
But Noir was adamant.
“It’s arrogance to think an alchemist could ever reach a Witch’s level of skill. Besides, all of these are focused solely on recovery and enhancement.”
“Then what?”
“It means there are no potions related to curses, poisons, or inflicting status ailments.”
“Those aren’t potions anyway.”
I’d heard there had been attempts in the past.
For instance, the idea of creating flame-inducing potions to deal with frost wolves whose entire bodies were made of ice.
But all such attempts had failed.
“Potions are fundamentally designed to benefit people, or so I’ve heard. The kind that causes harm requires a completely different approach than what we’ve done so far.”
They may look identical to our eyes, but from the maker’s perspective, they require an entirely different class of manufacturing technique.
And the difficulty level is exponentially higher at that.
Because of this, even now, Hunters have no choice but to rely solely on their own attack skills when facing monsters.
“Meow. This is something I cannot overlook, if only for the pride of a butler who has served the Witch across generations. Accept this.”
Ding~
[One must use their head]
▷ You, learning the Witch’s techniques! Someone awaits to witness your true capabilities. Unfold the Witch’s prowess without reservation!
▷ Deliver ??? to ???, ??? 0/1
▷ Reward: 700 BP
“Ah.”
“I say again, I merely convey what the Witch’s Cottage intends. How fortunate that my opinion aligns with the house’s—clearly I was right.”
I watched Noir’s lips curl upward with satisfaction, then let out a sigh.
“Fine. Let me give it a try.”
“What are you thinking of making? Owner?”
I fell into thought at Noir’s question.
Until now, hadn’t I simply made things based on my mood at any given moment?
That had merely been a matter of luck working in my favor.
But the Quest was telling me something.
To display the Witch’s abilities to the fullest.
That meant I should utilize everything I’ve acquired so far.
“First, I’ll check what I haven’t verified yet, then decide.”
“A sound plan. Then the destination is already decided. This way.”
After entering the Witch’s Cottage, I stepped back outside with Noir.
There was only one space I hadn’t yet explored.
* * *
“Here it is. The Witch’s Garden.”
True to its name, a small, modest garden plot had been created in the yard.
Of course, there had been no yard before.
It had simply been a Pastry Shop standing alone in the middle of the Gate.
But now things were different.
“There’s even a fence.”
A fence made of pastry filled with cream encircled the house.
In one corner of the yard sat a small garden plot.
The soil was grainy yet moist, holding just the right amount of moisture.
Though nothing grew there now, it meant I could harvest whatever crops I desired from this place.
“I should check the Warehouse for seeds to plant.”
“There should be plenty of seeds. But I cannot recommend it, Owner.”
“Why?”
“Those seeds are dangerous. You might even die while cultivating them.”
“What kind of seed could possibly be so dangerous…?”
Was she saying that people could actually die from cultivating it?
“First, there’s the Bone-Flesh Tree.”
“That’s quite an unusual name.”
“It’s a literal name. It’s a tree that grows by consuming the bones and flesh of monsters.”
“Why on earth would you cultivate something like that?”
“I’m not sure. But apparently, the bark emits a cinnamon scent that’s five times stronger than normal!”
I brushed aside the thought that it might be worth cultivating and made my decision.
I would find safe seeds and try growing those instead.
“So what kind are you thinking of cultivating? Owner?”
“Herbs, I suppose.”
Trees inevitably require a lot of time to cultivate.
And for fruit-bearing varieties, I’d have to wait a long time for the fruits to ripen.
But herbs are different.
They can be cultivated sufficiently with just a bit of time, and even if I pluck the leaves, they don’t disappear.
“So I’m planning to grow herbs. I’ll plant the slower-growing ones in advance too, though.”
“Why are you worrying about that so much?”
“Huh?”
“Owner. The Garden can be developed just like the Oven. Did you forget what happened after upgrading the Oven once?”
Right, the Oven could be upgraded too.
When I checked before, the Garden could be upgraded as well.
Though there was the condition of using 1,000 BP.
Then if the Garden became Lv. 2 just like the Oven did, would it also transcend the constraints of time?
“It’s definitely worth trying.”
“It will definitely help. And you have plenty of BP anyway.”
The BP I’d earned so far from completing Quests and selling bread had exceeded 1,100.
It was better to spend it without hesitation in situations like this rather than save it and never use it.
[Current: 1,115 BP]
[Witch’s Cottage: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2 (1,000 BP)]
[Garden: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2 (1,000 BP)]
[Oven: Lv. 2 → Lv. 3 (1,000 BP)]
[Cauldron: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2 (100 BP)]
“Upgrade the Garden.”
1,000 BP was consumed, and the Garden burst forth with brilliant light.
After the light faded and I saw the status window that appeared, I couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
“Wow… this is…!”
A Garden with overwhelming efficiency that exceeded my expectations had been born.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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