C66: Mermaid Prisoner No. 3

I am Garra Rufa, a member of the so-called Great Mad Witches.
But I don’t approve of it, not even one bit.
I’m just a typical, quiet, and harmless scientist proposing a few peculiar theories. But since I’m grouped with wild people who recklessly cause problems, I, too, am seen in a bad light.

Though it also varies from case to case, I believe illnesses are caused by really, really tiny creatures.
When I stated this claim, everyone at the Mermaid Medical Association ridiculed me with laughter.
I may not be a significant person in my nation, but I have faith in my theories.

However, upon stating this claim once more, for some reason, I was arrested and imprisoned. After I was offered a plea bargain and was escorted away with other people in the same situation as me, here we are.
I wonder where this place is?
It’s on land, sure, but other than that, I know nothing.

However, someone unexpected is here. The princess of the Mermaid Kingdom, Lady Platy.

“Princess Platyyyyyyy!!!” cries Lampeye as she kneels down in front of Lady Platy.

She’s rambunctious as ever.

“It has been a while, Princess Platy! Never would I have expected Your Highness to be here! Will I be able to serve Her Highness once more? If so, I, Lampeye, feel supreme bliss!!!”
“Such a ‘suckerfish’ to the royal family as usual,” says Puffer, utterly disgusted by Lampeye’s decorum.

It’s the kind of flattery with royalty you would expect from Lampeye, a former Imperial guard. Puffer’s remarks, on the other hand, are proof of her hate towards the regime.

What about me, you ask?
I simply want to blend in with my surroundings…

“Glad to see you, Puffer, Lampeye, and Garra Rufa.”

T-The princess mentioned our names?!

“What are you surprised about? You’re all (in)famous——Witch of the Bitter Cold, Witch of Hellfire, and Witch of the Plague. That’s half the members of the Mad Six gathered here, and I’d say that’s pretty impressive.”

But doesn’t Her Highness reign over the said group as the Crowned Witch?

Compared to the other witches in the group, Her Highness has been behind far more dangerous drug inventions and scandals by a long shot. But since she’s of royal blood, her actions are pardoned, making her existence one of the most atrocious ones.
If a person like her is left roaming the earth freely, I have a terrible feeling an event catastrophic enough to shock the entire universe is going to fall upon us!!!

“What I really wanted to say is that I asked my stupid brother to summon you under penal servitude. I’d like you to help me out in my work.”

What’s this job Her Highness speaks of?
Some plot to eliminate all of humanity from the face of this earth?!

“The Crowned Witch is working in a remote area like this? Are you planning to wipe out mankind or something?”

Puffer!
At least think before you speak!!!

“I, Lampeye, will be by Her Highness’s side until my very last breath! I’ll gladly assist the Princess in her plan to eliminate mankind!!!”

Don’t just readily join the bandwagon like that, Lampeye!
It’s useless! The Mad Six really is a group of reckless people!!!

“I’m not doing any of that. It’s too much trouble.”

So, if it wasn’t troublesome, you’ll do it?!
It’s useless! The Mad Six really is a group of reckless people!!!

“I’ll show you my workplace. It’s better to see for yourselves what you’re going to help me with.”

As Lady Platy said that, she went back inside the large building she had come out of.
I suppose this is where her workplace is.

“Guess it can’t be helped. I’ll take a look.”
“Be it amidst a sea of flames or on land, I’ll be wherever the Princess is!”

Puffer and Lampeye are both too simple-minded!

Ah! Wait for me!
If I’m going to be left behind here, I might as well take the plunge and enter the tiger’s den!

---

The interior was filled with a mysterious odor.
It was quite intense, but oddly enough, it wasn’t unpleasant.
It’s actually making me nostalgic somehow.

“This is where I process food and condiments.”
“Condiments?”
“You can say it’s like a drug that enhances food’s flavor. In that sense, I guess you could call salt a kind of condiment, too.”
“Ohh.”

Artificially seasoning food?
What a novel concept. As expected of the Crowned Witch!

“This is what I need you to help me with. We’ve been getting more and more orders lately, and my power alone isn’t enough to handle all of it.”
“Four of the Six Mad Witches making food together? Sounds a little pathetic to me.”

Puffer seems dissatisfied.

“Give this a taste first and see if you could say that again. It’s one of the goods I make here, and it’s called soy sauce.”

W-What is this pitch-black liquid?!
It doesn’t look like it’s good for the body. This isn’t poison, is it?
Anyway, the three of us take the small dish from Lady Platy and lightly lick the fingers we dipped it in.

“…?!”
“What’s this?! It’s crazy good! Simply put, it’s salty, but I sense some depth coming from a complex variety of flavors!”
“You’re amazing as always, Princess Platy! You created yet another incredible medicine!”

Puffer and Lampeye, people who rarely compliment others, were quite generous in their replies this time around.

But I must say, hats off to this black liquid’s flavor.
It’s so good I might just wet myself!!!

“The idea wasn’t mine to be more precise. Someone else came up with it, and I simply recreated it using my magic.”

There’s someone who can give the Lady Platy ideas?!
Just who is this person?!

“I’m going to need your help to make this with me. I’m especially expecting things from you, Garra Rufa.”

Huh? Why me?

“I’ve read the thesis you presented at the Mermaid Medical Association before. In this world, there exist invisible creatures different from that of a deceased spirit. Creatures so small, you can’t see them with the naked eye, and they are the cause behind most diseases!”

The princess read my thesis?!
I’m not sure how to react to that!

“When Dear told me all about fermented food and how to make them, I immediately remembered your thesis. You may be the only one who can comprehend the concepts of microbes and fermentation Dear talks about. I look forward to working with you, all right?”

Wait! Please wait a minute!!!
Does that mean this land has everything that will more than prove my theory correct?!

Pherment? Mycrowbs?
I may not grasp it fully yet, but the mere idea of it appeals to me!!!

Does that mean the “tiny organisms” I’ve been theorizing about are also mixed in this so-called soy sauce?
Oh, soy sauce! How magnificent you are! Let me drink you in one gulp!!!

“Gyaaaaa! Don’t!!! Soy sauce has a dense concentration of salt that can kill you if ingested in large quantitiessss!”

These extra chapters are brought to you by DanDMan’s generous donation and kindness to share them with the rest, so thank them, not me. See you again in three days with a brand new chapter!