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013 Curse and
Anti-Curse Potion
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Translator : PolterGlast
I spent about five
minutes calming Anneliese down and gave her some water.
"How do you feel?
Are you in pain? Does it hurt?"
"I'm fine. I
apologize for losing my composure."
"That's alright,
but what happened? You seemed to lose it when you saw this potion."
Anneliese stared
intently at the colorless, transparent liquid, then took a deep breath and
exhaled.
"Perhaps... that
is... an Anti-Curse Potion."
"An Anti-Curse
Potion..."
I used Detailed
Appraisal on the potion. Of course, I willed it to show all the information,
not just a lazy display.
▼Detailed Appraisal Result▼
Anti-Curse Potion: A
potion that can dispel any curse. It tastes very bitter and extremely sour. It
is not found outside of dungeons, and there is no one who can produce it. It is
beyond pricing, and has been successfully bid for as high as 130,000,000 Grill
at auctions.
I understood that it
was extremely valuable. 130,000,000 Grill was probably the highest bid, but for
someone under a curse, it's something they'd desperately want, which explains
such a price.
Anneliese knew the
value of this Anti-Curse Potion, which is why she got so excited. If she sold
this, she could become a millionaire, so her excitement was understandable.
I thought that, but
was it really so? Anneliese was a slave, so anything she got was mine. It was a
very rare and expensive potion, so she might be excited, but she didn't need to
be that excited. So why was she so excited?
No way...
It occurred to me that
I hadn't used Detailed Appraisal on Anneliese herself.
A Mage criminal slave,
318 years old. That's all I knew about Anneliese. I thought she would die soon
anyway, so I hadn't thought about it too deeply.
"I see, so that's
how it is."
Detailed Appraisal told
me that Anneliese was under a curse. It also told me her three sizes, but I
decided not to dwell on it since I was the one who told it to show all the
information.
Anneliese sat weakly
on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. Looking at her now, she really
was a witch-faced old woman, but apparently, she was actually 18 years old.
She had been afflicted
by a curse that made her age 300 years. If she were a Human like me, she would
have died instantly from the curse, but since she was a half-elf, she somehow
survived.
She had been
researching how to create an Anti-Curse Potion herself, but while she was out
for a meal, her house apparently exploded. I had heard it was a magic power
rampage, but that might just be a nuanced difference in expression.
After that, she was
turned into a criminal slave and ended up in my hands via Golteo's shop.
"Anneliese. You
can use this."
I hated myself for
being so soft-hearted. That's why I was treated so badly in high school. But
that's beside the point, this is about Anneliese now.
There's a woman
suffering from a curse right in front of me. I have a potion that can lift
curses. What is there to hesitate about in letting her use it?
"You know I'm
cursed...?"
"I do have
Appraisal, remember?"
It's actually Detailed
Appraisal, though.
"B-but... that's
a very expensive Anti-Curse Potion."
"You wanted this,
and you were trying to make it yourself, weren't you?"
"Wh-why do you
know that...?"
"Appraisal told
me."
"...Is that so.
However, even if I use it, I cannot repay you, Master."
"I know best that
Anneliese has nothing. Don't worry, I won't demand anything like that."
"But..."
She's so indecisive.
"If you don't
want it, that's fine. If I sell it, I'll be rich."
I maliciously pulled
back the Anti-Curse Potion I had offered.
"I want it! I
desire it! Please let me use it!"
Anneliese's grip on my
arm was surprisingly strong as she frantically tried to grab it. If she wanted
it, she should've just said so from the start (laughs).
"Good, that's
honest. It's supposed to taste quite bad, so drink it all at once."
"Y-yes."
Anneliese hesitated a
little after uncorking the bottle, but then resolved herself and gulped down
the Anti-Curse Potion.
"That's good
drinking!"
"Ahhh... it's
awful..."
Anneliese, who had
chugged the Anti-Curse Potion, clutched her throat and writhed in agony from
its terrible taste.
It's apparently bitter
and sour, so it must be a horrible flavor.
As I watched Anneliese
writhe in pain, her body began to glow. Was this the effect when the Anti-Curse
Potion activated?
The light gradually
intensified, and Anneliese was completely enveloped in light.
"Ohh... oh?"
When the light
subsided, there stood a beautiful girl, more beautiful than I had ever seen.
She possessed a sculptural beauty that surpassed even Ruineza-san, the elven
guard captain of Golteo-san's caravan.
Could this possibly be
Anneliese's true appearance?
Her skin was so fair
it was almost translucent, completely free of wrinkles.
Her face was
impossibly symmetrical. Every feature possessed an ideal beauty, harmoniously
arranged without clashing.
Her lifeless white
hair turned golden, as if sprinkled with gold dust, shining brightly even in
the dim dungeon.
Her previously droopy,
narrow eyes opened wide, and I could see my reflection in her emerald-green
pupils.
"You, are you
really Anneliese?"
"I am...
Anneliese..."
Even her voice had
become youthful! It was a pleasant, resonant voice, like an anime heroine's,
completely devoid of any unpleasantness. If a voice like this whispered in my ear,
I'd get all tingly!
"Can you
stand?"
When I extended my
hand, Anneliese took it. She felt light.
"My body feels
light."
"That's because
the curse has been lifted. Anneliese, you're young. It's hard to believe you
were an old woman!"
"My curse has been
lifted. Master, thank you so very much. I intend to repay this debt with my
entire life."
"No need to be so
serious. Just keep teaching me the knowledge I lack, as you have been."
Anneliese shed tears.
She must be happy. I gently hugged the sobbing Anneliese.
"Let the painful
past wash away with your tears. Go ahead and cry your heart out."
I held Anneliese's
trembling body, supporting her, and stroked her back.
It's an odd time to
notice, but her body is very soft. Especially certain parts are very prominent.
I had carried her when she was an old woman, but back then, I only felt
hardness...
"Thank you. I've
calmed down now."
She had shed many
tears along with her past emotions, so it was natural for her eyes to be
swollen. Yet, Anneliese's beauty remained undiminished.
"Let's go home
and rest today. Anneliese, you probably need some time to sort your feelings
too."
"No, I'm alright
now. Thanks to Master, I have regained my will to live. From now on, I will
work myself to the bone for you."
Her gaze showed the
strength of her resolve. And she's incredibly cute.
Oh no. Being this
close to such a cute girl makes my heart pound.
I could take advantage
of my position and do all sorts of lewd things, but I absolutely won't. If I
don't make that resolve, my hand might just reach for Anneliese's chest.
"A-alright. Shall
we move forward?"
"Yes."
When I tried to return
to the original passage, she grabbed my arm.
"What's
wrong?"
"Appraisal
wouldn't tell you that I was trying to make an Anti-Curse Potion, let alone
that I was cursed."
S-seriously...? She's
staring right at me.
"I understand
that Master has an appraisal-type skill, but that's not Appraisal. Please tell
me the skill name."
Her face moved closer.
A beauty that seemed out of this world. My vision was almost consumed by her
fair skin.
"Anneliese,
you're clever."
"Don't try to
deceive me."
"I'm not
deceiving you. I really thought that. Alright, I'll tell you. So, could you
please move back? At this rate, my self-control will reach its limit."
"Eh? Self-control?"
Anneliese's chest was
pressing against me. It was that big.
"I-I
apologize!?"
"No, it's not
rude at all. In fact, I welcome it."
"Th-that's...
welcome it, you say..."
Ugh, Anneliese
fidgeting like that is too cute. To think this incredibly cute Anneliese was
that old woman... things really do change.
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