Translator: P411

Editor: Evelet

Read at Watashi Wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 072 – A Ban on [ Growth Activator ]

What the?! Just as I was surprised, I suddenly remembered. 

Come to think of it, the stamina potion didn’t work on me either. Could it be that potions were ineffective while I was under the effect of the [ Growth Activator ]?

I checked my status screen again. It was great to see a +5 overall addition to all my status parameters thanks to the influence of the [ Growth Activator ], but there was also this huge unexplained +43 boost to my luck and dexterity. 

Just how did this happen and why? The number was 43… My eyes then quickly noticed 43% of the feather amulet gauge. This must be it!

“Did I hit a critical attack with this…?”

It was easy for players with high luck and dexterity to land critical hits, so the power of my magic attack earlier might be explained by a critical hit. 

I had solved the mystery of the power behind my attack earlier. 

But it was tough not being able to recover my MP. I wouldn’t be able to use my appraisal skill for a while because of my low MP.

“Vidello-san, it seems like potions won’t work on me when I’m like this.”

When I told him I couldn’t recover my MP with a strained laugh, his expression changed. 

“Mac, does this mean you can’t recover even when you get hurt…”

“I still don’t know, but now both the stamina and magic potion won’t work on me.”

Just as I was about to say I hadn’t checked yet, his hands held my face. 

And he was staring straight into my eyes. 

“Mac, you’re now banned from fighting until you’re back to your usual self.”

“Eh, but…”

“No means no. Now stay behind me,” he said with a serious face. 

I certainly thought of trying to see whether the high potion really wouldn’t work on me. I took everything lightly, telling myself that it couldn’t be helped. 

But it seemed like it was not the case for Vidello-san. 

“Takahashi! I’m sorry, but Mac won’t be fighting at the front from now on, so please keep that in mind.”

Yuuta and Yui were surprised to hear Vidello-san’s serious voice, and they turned their gaze toward us. 

“Did something happen?” he asked.

“It looks like potions won’t work on Mac right now, so I can’t let him fight when he’s like this.”

Yuuta replied in a silly voice, “Huh.” 

“But there’s no such thing as strong monsters here, so I think he’ll be fine. Mac isn’t that of a weak guy also. Gatekeeper, aren’t you being overprotective right now?” Yui responded.

“But Mac acts recklessly, like this doesn’t affect him at all,” Vidello replied.

“It’ll be fine. A little wound on him won’t kill him,” Yuuta laughed away the serious atmosphere.

I also agreed with Yuuta. 

Then, Yui made a suggestion. 

“Should I try casting a recovery spell?”

Looking at my own HP down to half, I requested Yui and it turned out that a recovery spell didn’t work on me either. 

Yuuta’s expression changed a little looking at the state I was in. 

“Even magic doesn’t work on you… That’s… a bit of a pain.”

“Yeah,” I opined. “Ah, but it looks like I’ll recover with time.”

I tried to follow the two who became worried, but their expressions weren’t changing at all. 

Still, as optimistic as I was, when my MP increased by 1 while I was still, I told them to reassure them that as long as I didn’t get hurt badly, it would be fine. 

All right, I couldn’t use appraisal either so there’s only one thing I could do right now. 

“Anyway, it’s such a waste to leave the fruits, so let’s go pick them up together.”

It would be a shame not to pick all those fresh fruits in front of me. 

“Are there any edible ones?”

I started picking them up and Yui also joined me. I shoved them one after another into my inventory, nodding my head, satisfied with my own action. 

“I’ll have to give this to you, right?” Yui offered.

“No. The ones you pick, it’s all yours. There’s a lot, so let’s pick them all.”

“Ok.”

I heard a loud sigh from Yuuta as if he was amazed watching the two of us crouching down and tossing all these fruits into the inventory bag. 

“Gatekeeper, you’re having a hard time too…”

“He always gets this excited, but this is also his good point.”

“Well, good luck, gatekeeper.”

“Thank you.”

It seemed like a kind of camaraderie between guys was formed between Yuuta and Vidello-san. How beautiful was the sight of everyone getting along. For me, I’d just work hard picking up all the fallen fruits. 

---

By the time we were about to finish picking them up, my MP recovered by about 10. 

“Alright! With this, I can appraise…”

“No, save it for emergency use.” Yuuta immediately stopped me the moment I tried to use my appraisal skills. I understood. I still had to use it on my [ Detection ] skill on the way back. Ok, for now, I’ll save it as much as I can. 

“Vidello-san! Look at this! It’s a lot! I did it!”

As I was grinning at my inventory full of all these fresh fruits, Vidello-san let out a big sigh and laughed. 

“Well, we need to put a ban on using your [ Growth Activator ] for a while from now.”

“Eh?!”

He issued the ban with a bright smile, so I couldn’t help but let out a loud voice.

Why?! If it was like this, I couldn’t make love with him anymore!

Vidello-san knew what I was about to say, so he held my face between his hands and looked at my dejected face. 

“I’ve told you before, right? Physical intimacy isn’t the only way to show love. Just like what we’re doing now, looking at the lake together, hugging, kissing, and laughing together, I believe this is also a way to grow our love. That’s why we won’t be using that for a while, okay? Above all, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I were to put you in such a dangerous state in which you can’t recover. Even if you can revive from death, I don’t ever want to see you collapse in front of me.”

His heartfelt words filled my chest while I was in his embrace. 

Then, I remembered the time when Vidello-san vomited blood and was no longer able to move his hands. 

I didn’t want him to go through such a traumatizing experience either. 

“…Okay.”

I nodded obediently and his kisses rained on my forehead. 

“Mac, I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you that I’ll always protect you no matter what, but I know myself well enough to know that I’m not that strong. But you’re so important, like a treasure to me, that I’m about to impose my selfish wishes on you. Just a moment ago, Takahashi also warned me that I was being too overprotective. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fix this part about wanting to protect you.”

“Vidello-san… I’m sorry.”

While apologizing, I put my arms around him and hugged him. 

I could clearly feel his heartbeat and as I clung to him more to get closer; I could hear a giggle spill out of his mouth. 

His strong chest muscles and his soft giggle, feeling and hearing them made my heart feel at ease. I like you ❣️

“Mac-kun, you’re so cute…”

“Idiot! Shh! Don’t disturb them!”

Like always, I only had eyes for Vidello-san, so my senses didn’t return to me until I heard the other couple’s voices. 

Oh god! Oh god! This was a public place! But then again, we were always like this. 

I was blushing hard as I left his embrace. Then, Yui cutely apologized, “Mac-kun, I’m sorry~”

No, this wasn’t a matter you should apologize for. How should I put this, it should be me who needed to apologize first, flirting right in front of them. 

I pulled myself together and we all went to see the fish in the lake. 

The fisherman on the other side saw us and he pretty much turned his boat towards us, so I called out to him.

“He~y!

“Can we fish here?” I inquired.

“Sure— I’ve caught a lively one just now,” the fisherman answered back, making me happy. Fish~ Fish~ Mr. Fish~ I wondered if I could prepare it well with my cooking skill. I still had a kitchen knife, didn’t I? And the chopping board, too! 

I wondered if I could recreate the sauce Tream-san made. But wait a minute? I didn’t have the thing from Sei’s plantation. Could I substitute it with something else instead? I bet it would definitely be delicious with the sauce on the fish!

I couldn’t even use my appraisal skill, so my full attention was focused on satisfying my taste buds. 

Seeing me all excited, Vidello-san covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter. 

The boat was approaching us. I could hear the sound of the water bouncing from the fish tank in the middle of the boat. 

“You ain’t gonna catch no fish watching here. They’re near the center.”

“I- I see… I don’t have a fishing rod or anything like that.”

“Even with a fishing rod, it’s difficult. Fishing from the boat is the best way here. The lake here is like my workplace,” the bearded fisherman with a bear-like physique told me with a bright smile.

Looking around here and there, it was obvious that there was no boat rental place here. 

I also didn’t have any skills related to water. Maybe I should try to learn a new skill like swimming and an underwater breathing technique while the opportunity presented itself. 

When I was seriously thinking about this, the fisherman uncle asked me, “By the way, the wind magic from earlier, who did it? The fruits in this area are all gone.”

I immediately froze upon hearing his words and was now sweating bullets. 

“Eh, th-that, was that not allowed here…? I’m the one who did it…”