I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 79

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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 79. How to Set Things Right (5)
“Ugh… ugh….”
The Witch’s Fondant au Chocolat produced undeniable results.
The moment I shoved it into the creature’s mouth, a reaction appeared.
First, the black substances scattered across the area began to clump together in one place.
The corrupted power that had served as threads unraveled smoothly as if it possessed consciousness—a truly spectacular sight.
“No… this can’t be….”
What had coiled around Dayeon’s body was also extracted through her eyes and mouth.
It writhed and seemed to resist in its own way, but against the bread’s effects, it was powerless.
Eventually, it twisted together and transformed into a shape like a sticky tar lump.
“This looks exactly like what I saw before.”
The fragment of the fallen witch I’d obtained previously had possessed this same appearance.
But the bread had an effect unique to itself.
One was to concentrate and absorb energy.
And the other remaining one was….
“Purification.”
Flash!
An intense light burst forth from the lump in an instant.
Simultaneously, the fragment hardened and transformed into a round, bead-like shape.
Once purification was complete, an alarm appeared.
[The purified Witch’s power is being integrated.]
[Fragment of the Witch]
▷ Marie Laveau: A fragment of power left behind by a legendary predecessor Witch who devoted herself to patients suffering from yellow fever and cholera.
▷ Mother Shipton: A fragment of power left behind by a predecessor Witch of prophecy and needlework who never spoke a single lie in her entire life.
▷ The Witch’s power purified from corruption will be greatly helpful in suppressing the power of another fallen Witch.
▷ Effects
① Corruption Detection: The owner can now sense the power of fallen Witches.
② Corruption Absorption: Absorbs the power of fallen Witches and undergoes transformation.
[The Fragment of the Witch grants power to the target, Yeom Da-yeon, according to fate.]
“Grants power?”
I could have anticipated that the Fragment of the Witch would absorb new power.
But granting power to Dayeon was something I never imagined.
“Wait, could that have been possible?”
It had been written in the precautions for the Fondant au Chocolat.
That this bread could change the fate of whoever consumed it.
Since all the breads so far had done exactly that, I’d taken it for granted, but since it was listed as a precaution, I should have paid closer attention.
“What if something goes wrong?”
I couldn’t know what power had been granted.
Perhaps it was an ability she’d displayed while being manipulated by the fallen Witch.
However, Dayeon, who had lost consciousness and collapsed into my arms, was sleeping peacefully with a serene expression.
She no longer bled black substance from her eyes and mouth, and the crimson thread of fate remained untainted.
Then for now, things were manageable, weren’t they?
“I’ll figure out the details as we go. But first, I need to resolve this problem….”
All the monsters that poured through from the Gate Break had been eliminated.
While I grappled with the fallen Witch’s power, those from the Hunter Association had finished cleaning up.
Now they were controlling the situation with the wounded being transported to one side.
So the Gate Break situation had been resolved.
Then what was the problem?
“Me, obviously.”
“Meow??”
“Gora?”
“Including you all.”
I could feel it.
Everyone in this space was on high alert, their attention fixed on me.
And understandably so.
After suddenly pouring out from the Gate and wielding incomprehensible power, who wouldn’t be cautious upon seeing Black Smoke subduing Dayeon? Though someone might think, “Eh, she’s probably on our side,” the woman approaching me now couldn’t afford such assumptions.
Of course, there could be people who thought that way, but at least this woman coming toward me shouldn’t be one of them.
“I’m Kim Ri-a, Team Leader of the Hunter Association’s Special Investigation Team 1. Would you be willing to have a brief conversation?”
“Master, there’s no need for that.”
Noir, who had been beside Ria, suddenly bounded forward to stand before me.
Before Ria could say anything more, clearly flustered, Noir beat her to it.
“Master has completed everything she wanted to do and everything she needed to do. There’s no reason to speak with this human woman, is there?”
A fair point.
Saving Dayeon, my old connection, and resolving the fallen Witch’s fragment from a Witch’s perspective—both were complete.
Then it would be best to hurry back before the Gate closed.
However….
“If it’s not about my identity, I’m willing to have a conversation.”
“Meow? Master?”
“Then I’ll ask just a few things.”
Noir protested with a leap, but I had my own thoughts on the matter.
While I was disguised as Black Smoke for the Witch’s House’s security, that only concealed the fact that Han Seung-hyun was a Witch.
The reality that Black Smoke was influencing the Hunters would become difficult to hide.
In that case, it might be better to openly reveal only the information I wanted to disclose.
From that perspective, Ria, who appeared to hold a high position in the Hunter Association, would be a good target.
“You’re the one who resolved the Gate Break that occurred at the Gongju Research Complex, correct?”
“Yes.”
There was no need to lie.
After all, this was just a confirmation.
If I tried to deceive her about facts she already knew, it could create other problems later, and that wasn’t my purpose right now anyway.
“Is that all you’re curious about?”
“Are you perhaps… a Hunter?”
“That’s asking about my identity, but there should be something you’re more curious about than that.”
I couldn’t definitively answer whether I was a Hunter or not.
After all, the H&G Guild and my business partner Nuri probably already sensed vaguely that I wasn’t a Hunter.
I’d let this slide ambiguously.
What mattered was this.
“The Hunter Association is concerned about what kind of influence I might have, isn’t that right?”
“….”
Perhaps she hadn’t asked because it was such a sensitive question.
Ria’s eyes widened, she hesitated, then nodded.
I’d already found it strange that she came to my bakery and bought bread.
The Hunter Association and my shop were far enough apart that you’d need to take a bus to get between them.
What office worker would take a thirty-minute bus ride after arriving at work just to buy bread?
“It seems you were looking for me even before the incident in Gongju.”
“To be honest, yes. We felt the need to be cautious about a person who appeared so suddenly.”
“I understand.”
They’d probably already grasped the entire situation.
The Hunter Association couldn’t possibly be unaware of matters related to Hunters.
Gyu-ri’s awakening, Miracle’s ability to create elixirs, Yu Ha-neul’s survival in the Gate, and even Seung-hyun’s incident.
They’d know I was connected to all of it.
“And then an incident occurred in Gongju in the midst of all this.”
A Gate that appeared suddenly.
And a being who appeared just as suddenly, saving people from what could have been a catastrophe and closing the Gate.
So they must have agonized over it.
Whether I was an existence that could have a positive influence on Hunter society.
“I understand you were investigating me for that reason.”
“W-well, yes. But we had absolutely no intention of causing harm….”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Pardon?”
I meant it sincerely.
No matter how hard they tried to connect the person Han Seung-hyun with me, a Witch, it would be impossible.
“To be clear about one thing: I have no interest in the power struggles among Hunters. I don’t pursue power.”
What use would such power and authority be to me?
It wouldn’t even help with making bread.
“I simply welcome those who come to me, and I only wish to ensure that the fates of those connected to me don’t end.”
“Could I understand this incident as being for that reason as well?”
“This incident, the previous ones, and everything that will happen in the future. I don’t wish to clash with you all.”
Hearing those words, she stared intently at Dayeon, who had fallen asleep nestled in my arms.
She would need time to process this.
I had made my position clear.
Now it was time to show their position—that is, the Association’s stance.
“Understood. I’ll relay that message. Then…”
“You may take Dayeon with you.”
“Is that truly acceptable?”
“I trust you’ll care for her well, Team Leader Kim Ri-a.”
Chohong carefully cultivated grass and handed Dayeon over to the Association’s personnel.
Those officials immediately fitted her with mana-suppressing shackles.
Though my heart ached knowing the full situation, I couldn’t take Dayeon with me.
After all, just hours ago she had been worlds away from the Hunter realm.
And I couldn’t bring her to the Witch’s house either.
“Owner. The rift will close soon.”
“Got it. One last thing…”
I should issue a warning regardless.
So they wouldn’t treat Dayeon carelessly.
“I will continue to watch over my disciple.”
Since she’d called me “teacher” during that baking lesson before, disciple was accurate.
I’d even attached Jinjeonyang just in case, but it was better to prevent trouble before it started.
Did my words sound like a warning?
Ria’s face went pale as she shook her head vigorously.
“Then I’ll trust you and take my leave. I hope our next meeting will be in more orderly circumstances.”
“You did well, woman.”
“Meow!”
“Gora, gora! Gora!”
And so we crossed the gate and returned to the Witch’s house.
It had been an incredibly long dawn.
* * *
“Situation concluded.”
The moment those words left Ria’s lips, all the team members collapsed to the ground.
Their legs gave out from the strain of maintaining reason while suppressing their instincts.
‘I’m going to die…’
‘I thought I was dead…’
All their thoughts converged into one.
‘What exactly is that monster?’
The downtown area could have become a wasteland.
That’s how S-rank Hunters’ rampages worked.
But what about that being?
She simply approached with leisurely ease, as if taking a stroll, then restrained and calmed it through some incomprehensible method.
Without any major issues in the process.
‘That’s something that can only happen if there’s an overwhelming difference in power…’
Ria reflected on the Black Smoke she’d just conversed with.
I could tell from what she had accomplished that the power she possessed was extraordinary.
Yet I couldn’t sense any flow of mana whatsoever.
I even secretly used a mana detector in case she had the ability to deceive the five senses, but it failed to detect anything either.
‘She didn’t use any mana at all? No, that can’t be right.’
To command such a vast number of summoned creatures, she would have necessarily expended an enormous amount of mana.
Yet the fact that no mana flow was observed left only one possible explanation.
‘She controlled every last bit of mana that leaked out?’
In truth, it was an absurd thought.
Mana is a form of energy.
Could there exist a person capable of controlling every trace of the faint thermal energy generated by moving their body?
Such a thing was impossible.
That’s what it would mean to control mana.
But there was no other way to explain what had just transpired.
‘And that was definitely a warning.’
Welcome those who come seeking, and ensure the fates of those with whom she shares a connection do not end.
It meant she would protect every human within the reach of her hand.
Conversely, if the Hunter Association took the opposite course of action, it was a declaration that she would do whatever it took.
‘She definitely said she would be watching.’
Da-yeon, lying atop grass that had grown excessively and become soft as a plush bed.
Upon seeing her, Black Smoke had spoken.
That she was her disciple.
If that were true, then the high school girl lying before my eyes was one who had inherited the power of an incomprehensibly mighty being intact.
‘Then it makes sense.’
Using incomprehensible power, and yet being subdued so easily by Black Smoke—it all was explained.
“Ugh… my head hurts…”
Of course, separate from all that, Ria’s head was on the verge of splitting from having to report all of this.
But what could be done?
The organizational hierarchy existed to be followed.
She let out a heavy sigh and pulled out her phone to make a call.
“Association Director. This is Kim Ria, Team Leader of Special Investigation Team 1.”
– I’ve received the report. Good work.
“There’s something I need to tell you. We’ve made contact with our target. And…”
Ria watched Da-yeon lying with a peaceful, carefree expression and finally spoke the words she had been hesitating to say.
“We’ve secured and are protecting someone presumed to be the target’s disciple.”
– What… what did you say! Explain in more detail!
Meanwhile, Da-yeon wore an expression of utter bliss and contentment, smiling as if she were dreaming of eating sweet bread.
As if she were lost in the most pleasant of dreams.

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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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