Chapter 26 - Wings (1)

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Since we finished our business in the Demon Realm, we made the decision to return without delay. After a few days' journey through the Demon Realm and the Wasteland, we re-entered the West Continent, where the air felt strangely sweeter and cooler than usual.

"Ah... refreshing..." I stuck out my chest and took a deep breath.

However, unlike me, who felt a sense of liberation, Isana had a somewhat downcast expression, "Ah... I have to put on that suffocating disguise again... Just when things were getting better after a long while..."

Isana had been incessantly grumbling throughout our return journey from the wastelands. It seemed like she had been doing so for hours without tiring. Wasn't she tired?

I considered uttering a word to address her constant complaints, but eventually, I decided to endure and let her vent. I couldn't entirely fathom her sentiments, but considering her recent struggles, I could empathize to some extent.

After traversing the wastelands for nearly half a day, we finally reached East Hall. As soon as I entered the village chief's mansion, I demanded the herbs I had requested from Isana the last time.

"By the way, Edwin Reed. I'd like to ask what you're going to use these for," Isana handed me the herbs, but suddenly, she clenched the pouch containing the herbs tightly in her hand.

"What is this about? You have no need to know. It has nothing to do with your kind. Even so, this is quite unpleasant." I frowned at her sudden action. Why is this woman doing this all of a sudden? 

"No, it has to do with it."

However, Isana did not move and questioned me again. 

"The apothecary informed me that what you asked for were poisonous herbs, each one with its own powerful and unique poison. If you are requesting these herbs from us with ill intentions, I'm sorry, but I cannot hand them over.

Assassination is a disgraceful act we cannot tolerate. If you were to engage in such a thing, an indelible disgrace would be imposed on my master, let alone on me. So say it, Edwin Reed. Where are you going to use these poisonous herbs?"

There was another reason for this...? Although her actions were somewhat annoying, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible given these circumstances.

I decided to tell the truth to Isana, who was sulking, "All these herbs are for my consumption. Understand?"

"Huh... what? Edwin Reed, perhaps, are you trying to take your own life…"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Even though I told her the reason, Isana's baseless chatter showed no signs of stopping. Tired of listening, I abruptly cut her off.

"Did I ask for something like that to die? They all have their own uses. Even after explaining this much, you still seem skeptical. If that's the case, I'll consume all of them here in East Hall and you can dispose of what remains on the spot. Will that put your mind at ease?"

"...If that's the case... understood." Isana still looked at me suspiciously, but she had no further grounds for interference once I asserted myself.

After the inconclusive conversation, Isana left for the audience room to report to Paine, and I returned to my room after completing some work in the apothecary's lab.

* * * * *

The guest room. On the table in front of me, there was a single unidentified pill, a bottle of holy water left over from the demon realm, and a vial of elixir obtained in Falana. 

And I found myself deeply immersed in contemplation as I stared at these items.

'Is consuming these truly the right course of action?'

The identity of the pill was a concoction of the poisonous herbs I had requested, a mixture of Nightroot plant roots, three-pointed star flower, and nine-stranded Needlewood leaves in a ratio of 2:1:1. It was also a final measure I had thought of to lose my weight as soon as possible.

I found out about this recipe in my past life, and it was when I saw a post accidentally posted on the community of the game [l became an Academy Munchkin Knight].

The game allowed various interactions with NPCs, and there were also many people who did various strange things to them.

However, one day while the beta test was in progress, a bug was found in which the polygons that make up the body rapidly shrank when a user consumed a certain combination of items from an NPC.

The user reported this to the game masters (GM), but the response was so lackadaisical that it became a topic of discussion for a while.

The combination of specific items that the user found was to consume those herbs plants and holy water at once, and the GM's answer to that was 'Ingesting poisonous herbs with unique toxicities and holy water with opposing energies simultaneously induces a rapid reaction within the body, resulting in the body evaporating and weakening as a side effect.'

It was a hastily devised scenario for amusement, causing quite a commotion due to its absurdity. I could still remember the uproar, questioning the management's competence.

Of course, the fix for the bug was not made until the end of the beta test. 

In games, there were many cases where the polygons were endlessly reduced and only the skeletons of NPCs remained, but I suddenly thought that if I could stop it in the middle, I could use it as an appropriate means. 

And what I thought of as a tool for him was the Elixir placed in front of me.

The Elixir was a potion that boasts the highest performance in the game and can recover all status ailments.

'Obesity' was a bit ambiguous to see as a status abnormality, but the weakening of the body caused by poisonous pills and holy water would surely fall into the category of abnormal status that can be restored by an elixir.

In addition, the dreaded mana sclerosis that was now in my body could be healed through the elixir. 

'Very well. Let's do it.'

After a long deliberation, I finally decided to proceed with this method. Although there were differences due to the reality of the situation here, the knowledge I gained from games seemed to apply smoothly in this world as well. Considering that, I saw a high likelihood of success.

And no matter how much I thought about it, there seemed to be no other way to get my weight back to normal until the suspension was lifted. 

Some might say that it would be okay to just slowly lose weight over time, but the only thing in my head right now was that I wanted to escape from this fleshy prison as quickly as possible.

My body, turning into mush with the slightest movement, the smell emanating from the layers of folded wrinkles, and even the discomfort in my nose when breathing—all of these made this fleshly existence a hell of its own.

I made up my mind, grabbed the pill in front of me, swallowed it in one breath, and immediately drowned holy water down my throat. 

And the effect was immediate. 

—Chiiik... 

A sound, as if water was evaporating, echoed within me. It wasn't just the sound; there was an actual vapor-like effect emanating from various parts of my body.

The folds of fat in the joints were disappearing at the most noticeable speed, revealing the form of muscles and bones on my limbs. Lips and the roof of the mouth felt intensely dry, as if burning.

"Not yet... yet... just a little more..."

A sense of anxiety in a corner of my heart urged me to drink the elixir quickly, but I patiently waited, relying on superhuman patience.

What I was using as a standard was belly fat.

After what felt like an eternity, my stomach finally caved in, and the outline of my ribs became visible.

And now, I began to feel a sensation of something twisting in my internal organs. It seemed like an impact reached deeper inside me, and a contorting feeling started within my abdomen.

"Now!"

It seemed that my life would be jeopardized if further weakening progressed, so I quickly grabbed the bottle containing the elixir. With barely any strength left, my trembling arms barely managed to hold the elixir bottle. Fortunately, I had left the lid open just in case.

If the lid had been closed, thinking that I might have died without being able to open it, I suddenly feel a chill run down my spine.

With all my might, I brought the elixir bottle to my lips and drank half of it in one gulp.

As soon as he drank the elixir, the sound from my body disappeared, and the process of my body evaporating came to a halt.

I managed to place the bottle back on the table with what little strength I had left. Then, squeezing out the last of my strength, I crawled towards the bed.

And as if collapsing, I threw my body onto the bed.

* * * * *

—Bang! Bang! 

"Edwin Reed, are you in there? Edwin Reed!"

The clamorous sound of relentless knocking and the persistent voice calling my name snapped me back to attention. Perhaps it was due to my recent bouts of fainting, but it felt like I had been losing consciousness more frequently lately.

The room was dimly lit, and it seemed that a considerable amount of time had passed, signaling that it was now evening. I groped for the bedpost and clumsily pulled on the scattered clothes on the floor.

—Bang! Bang! 

"Edwin Reed!! Answer if you're in there! If you don't respond, I'll break down the door!"

Even as I tried to gather my senses, someone outside continued to pound on the door and call my name. The voice sounded like Isana's. Did that woman really think that I was committing suicide? 

—Creak! 

"Making such a ruckus, Isana. What on earth is this about without even a bit of courtesy?"

"Edwin Reed! You have to answer if you're here! I called you, but there was no answer, so I came... but..."

I opened the door and answered Isana in a blunt tone, looking down at her.

Then, Isana also raised her head and seemed to be scolding me, but suddenly trailed off.

Her face was flushed.

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