Chapter 11
It’s not Steel, it’s Medicine .
The sales have been good, the time spent developing medicine has also increased considerably, and so the store’s lineup has become quite substantial .
My free time has also increased, so the days I’ve spent spacing out while I man the store have also increased .
And then one day .
A single old butler came to the store .
“Welcome . ”
“’Elcome . ”
Noela followed up after me .
The old butler took off his hat and bowed .
“Would Reiji-sama be your honorable self?”
“Yes, that’s me, but…?”
I wonder what he needs .
The customers at my store are the average commoner, so although it’s a bit rude to say, there aren’t many people dressed so smartly .
“I am Rein, a butler in the employ of Casty Fein Doran Vargas-sama . ”
Castella Don? Eh, what did he say??
“At this occasion, the Madame of the Head of the Vargas Household – Flam-sama, would like to invite you to the mansion . ”
“Haa…n? Mansion? Um, excuse me, who might this Castellsan be…?”
“The Lord, Kasty Fein Doran Vargas-sama is the feudal lord who rules over this Karta and another two, three cities . Not to mention, his peerage is a Count . ”
So, he’s a Noble-sama?
I wonder why they’re calling me .
And it’s the wife .
“It is Flam-sama’s wish to speak with you directly concerning her business . I would like you to accompany me to the mansion quickly, but…”
Isn’t this a forced event?
… Well, I’m free so why not?
“- That’s how it is, so I’ll leave the shop to you, Noela, okay? If there’s something wrong then tell Mina, since I think she’s able to do something about most things . ”
“Got it . Go . ”
“Ou . ”
Stroking Noela’s head, I replenished my supply of fluffy .
I boarded a carriage together with the old butler, Rein-san, and headed off to the mansion .
Clatter clatter; we arrived at the mansion after being shaken in the carriage for about five minutes .
Going inside, Rein-san guided me and I walked through a hallway with a carpet runner laid out .
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Rein-san knocked at a particularly magnificent door .
“Madame, I’ve brought Reiji-sama . ”
“Enter . ”
The door was opened, and I entered the room .
“Are you the rumored genius alchemist? Be seated there . ”
“Um, I’m not one, but I think it’s probably referring to me . ”
I sat in the chair she pointed out .
Madame Flam is wearing noble-like and expensive-looking clothing .
Based on the way she speaks alone, she’s a slightly arrogant auntie .
She’s carrying a fan that also looks expensive with fur stuck to it, smacking it lightly on her palm .
There would be zero oddities if she ended her sentences with “-zamasu . ”
stereotype of arrogant artist-types
“What kind of business do you have with me? Rein-san said you would like me to receive it directly . ”
“Then I shall be frank . – I wish for you to compound a secret medicine to make me young again . ”
Medicine to restore youth…
For the time being, I thought up of the ingredients . But I don’t think I can gather everything soon .
But Drug Discovery Skill’s terribleness is displayed again, since I can make it once I gather everything together .
“How much time do I have for development…?”
“Five days – no, the dinner party is after five days, so you would have up to noon after five days, I suppose . ”
Hohouh, I was somehow able to read her underlying intentions .
She wants the other nobles to flatter her when they see her appearance made youthful again at the dinner party?
“It’s impossible in five days . There are things you can and can’t make when told to in such a short amount of time . ”
When I clearly said so, her shoulders slumped a little, discouraged .
“Then once again, the Lords and Ladies will be gossiping about me, saying, ‘what an aged face, what an aged face,’ …”
W . Nobles are malicious .
“That’s not true! Flam-sama, aren’t you young and beautiful?!”
It’s something I learned from my life as a corporate slave . Praise the ladies .
It’s an ironclad rule .
Swish; the Madame used her fan to cover her mouth, saying, “I,I wonder,” and seemingly not disliking it altogether .
“But it’s no good . … Even if you think so, they don’t seem to agree . ”
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Of course .
This Madame is a bit pitiable .
To slander her about her face, it’s practically bullying .
She can’t do anything about it .
I want to give her some strength, but I can’t make a youth restoration medicine in five days, after all…
“Hm? Then, what should be done about an aged face…?”
“Just who has an aged face-“
She snapped right away . Her reaction is fast, na…
“Aah, sorry, I didn’t mean it that way … haha…”
“Sir Alchemist, is there anything you can do? I have more than enough money . ”
“As long as it’s a reasonable amount, I’ll take it when the product is completed . ”
If you can rejuvenate the skin then you’ll probably appear young .
It’s a simplistic idea, but it might not be so far off the mark .
Her skin is such that even a man like me can tell by seeing it .
If I can tell, that means the noble ladies with high awareness will have even more of a discerning eye .
“I understand, I will handle this carefully . … restoring your youth is impossible, but I will try to make a product that will make the Madame appear to be young . ”
“Ooh . Oooh…! I see, I see . You will fight against old age…!
“It’s not something so exaggerated, though . ”
“The genius alchemist who goes against the rule of gods-“
“Thanks for the chuuni . ”
(delusional middle schooler)
Madame Flam seems to be deeply moved, so, teary-eyed, she sought to incite me by telling me the best ten of the most painful slanders she had .
I’m not going to be motivated… like this . Even if I wanted to be, I won’t be …
“Then I’m going to try to develop the medicine, so I will return to the store . ”
She seems like she’ll continue talking forever, so I left the mansion behind like I was running away .
Being sent off with the carriage all the way to my shop, I took a number of the ingredients I had organized properly and immediately shut myself up in the medicine room .
Goat milk, a fruit that looks like a pear, and then the petals of a flower that’s used for other medicines and the like all together - .
[Perfect Gel: skin moisturizer, contains skin whitening ingredients, defends against moisture loss, and makes skin soft and supple . ]
“- I did it!”
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Rather than a liquid, it turned out more like a cream .
I learned the location of the Lord’s mansion from Mina, I left the store, taking the finished cosmetic with me .
Walking along the path I was taught, I came to the extremely large mansion and told the gatekeepers my business .
The old butler from before came out and guided me once again to the Madame’s room .
“How are things going, Sir Alchemist? Did you need to ask something?”
“No . It’s done, so I came to deliver it . ”
“Haa…? … What do you mean it’s done?”
She seems like she really has no idea, so I handed her the freshly made cosmetic, Perfect Gel .
“Please smear this on your face when you get out of the bath . Every day . ”
“Th,this sort of thing on my face -!? And furthermore, every day!? … . Sir Alchemist, I suppose you don’t have any intentions to fool me, ne?”
Madame Flam threw a look of distrust at me .
“Then, try using it if you think I’m tricking you . If there’s no effect, I won’t take any money . ”
Hm; Madame Flam opened the bottle’s lid and sniffed its scent .
Her eyebrows twitched .
“It’s a pleasant scent…”
“Because flowers and fruit are some of the ingredients . ”
“However, to smear it on is …”
To test it, I smeared some cream on the back of the Madame’s hand .
Thankfully, it seemed to adapt to the Madame’s skin well, and her skin’s roughness was gone .
However, she’s still doubtful, and it seems that the Madame is hung up on the point that it has to be smeared on her face .
“I’m not the one who has to feel frustrated or sad at the dinner party . It’s Madame, isn’t it? … If you say you won’t use it, then that’s the end of the matter . ”
“Muu . … If you’re going to say that much, I shall try it out . I’m sick and tired of being made the target of ridicule . ”
“Let’s show those guys who want to make a fool of the Madame!”
At my words, the Madame made a serious face and nodded her head deeply .
And so, Madame’s week of anti-aging her face began .
That said, I only heard about the situation from the old butler Rein-san’s report when he came to the shop .
It seems that she’s following the method I taught her to the letter, smearing it on every night .
On the fifth day .
Just ehen I was wondering if Rein-san would come, a carriage stopped in front of the store, and the Madame descended .
Ah- . She might be a little different .
Rather than how her face looks, it’s how her skin looks .
Even though she looked like an auntie, with how she looks today, I could call her Onee-san .
And also, her expression is bright and sparkly .
“How is it, Sir Alchemist?”
“Isn’t it great!? You’ve worked hard . ”
“Just how can I thank you –“
“It’s too early to be saying that . You’re going out after this, right? You can thank me after you’ve triumphed over them . ”
Madame stopped the butler who was pulling out the wallet and got on the carriage once again, heading off to wherever the banquet hall is .
My cosmetics had some effect, and it seems to have given her some confidence, hasn’t it?
If I think about it that way, it was the correct answer to make it .
And then, several days later, payment for the medicine and a large amount of high-class sweets came from the Madame .
A thank you note was also attached .
When I read it, Madame Flam had written that she had had a great victory .
She had written thank you over and over again .
“Haa~ . Reiji-san Reiji-san . Aren’t these very expensive, ve~ry sweet baked sweets~!? How did this happen!?”
Mina and Noela stared excitedly at the sweets boxes stacked up like a mountain .
“I helped out a noble lady a little, so these are her gifts of thanks, I guess?”
Noela violently tore open the boxes and sat down, ecstatically beginning to eat .
With a face of bliss like it was going to melt, she muttered,
“Tasty taste…”
Her tail moving left and right struck the floor noisily .
I’ll also have one .
According to the modern Japanese’s tastes, it’s not like I don’t feel it’s a bit too sweet, but it’s tasty .
“Noelsan, if you eat too much, you won’t be able to eat dinner, you know~?”
Mina also ate the sweets almost the same way as Noela .
“Mina, I know it’s delicious but … you’ll get fat, you know?”
“-! … Why – why would you say such a thing~! Reiji-san’s a dummy, dummy! I won’t be able to eat happily, right?!”
Even as she said so, she was stuffing her cheeks, so for someone that has a separate stomach for sweets, it looks like the chain on her reasoning has been broken .
The Madame is greatly satisfied, and Noela and Mina who have been given sweets are also greatly satisfied .
It was a day where I was also greatly satisfied, surrounded by everyone’s satisfaction .