Chapter 14
Friendship is Priceless (First Part)
“Noela, what do you think about this situation?”
“Not good . ”
“Right…?”
We’re in the usual forest .
When I saw that the vegetation that could be used as ingredients for medicine have become rare, I gave a small sigh
Dangerous beasts and monsters don’t come out around here, so it was convenient as a harvesting point .
But it seems like I’ve been harvesting too much recently; compared to before, the medicinal herbs have been reduced .
Although I have some stock in the medicine room, so it’s not like I need them right now .
“Noela, what do you think I should do?”
“Don’t know . ”
She gave an immediate, enthusiastic response .
If it’s been reduced, we just need to increase it, huh…
If I could do alchemy, I could do it in the blink of an eye, I bet .
But how can I increase them?
When I looked downwards as I was troubled, I saw something like a sesame seed at my toes .
[Toorigi grass seed: If raised, it will bloom yellow flowers, leaves, and stems to be used for medicine . ]
Hm, hm .
Then, should I try raising it?
When I looked around the area, there were many of the same seeds lying around .
“Noela, can you collect the same thing as this?”
“Seed? Understood, Noela, gather . ”
We spent an hour continuing to collect seeds, then returned to the store .
“Huh-? What has happened? Were you unable to harvest anything today?”
When we returned, Mina, who was watching the store, tilted her head in wonder .
“Yeah . It seems I’ve been harvesting a little too much recently, so the number of medicinal herbs have dwindled . And so, this time I thought I’d try cultivating them . These seeds . ”
“Ah~ these … But Reiji-san, you’re commendable . Among the brutes who only care about gathering, you properly think about things like this, and you’re even going to raise them yourself . ”
“Don’t praise me so much . I was originally taking things for my own convenience, after all . ”
“To even be concerned about the forest, how wonderful . ”
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“Master, wonderful . Commendable . ”
Noela stood on her tiptoes and patted my head .
I’m usually on the stroking side, so this is a little embarrassing .
“This seed, are you going to raise it as a potted plant or something? I say, there are a lot of them, ne . ”
“That’s true, but I was thinking I could borrow a field from someone . If I raise them a little bit at a time, I won’t be able to catch up with the demand at all . ”
“I see . If that’s the case, Alonzo-san seems to have a large field, so it might be good to consult with him . ”
Mina is the same as Noela, so she’s our poster girl .
Our two types are the cute beast girl and the cutely healing Mina .
I’m also aware that the neighborhood housewives often gossip with Mina within the store .
That’s why she’s very well-learned about the circumstances in town .
“Reiji-k-un! Hey, Reiji-kun! Help me out . ”
This voice is…
Fed up, I turned to look .
Just as I thought, it was Jiral-san .
Ever since then, Jiral-san has been coming here whenever something happens with his girlfriend, Feris-san .
“Another fight? This isn’t a safehouse, though . ”
“Don’t say that, Reiji-kun…”
“Ah, good timing, Reiji-san . Alonzo-san is here, you know?”
“Eh? Alonzo-san? Where?”
Even when I looked at the storefront, there wasn’t anyone there .
“Reiji-san, it’s this Jiral-san . ”
“Eh… Jiral-san was Alonzo-san?”
“Eh? … Yea, Jiral Alonzo . That’s me . ”
The discussion went quickly .
When I explained about the medicinal herb harvesting and raising, Jiral-san readily agreed to it .
“Un, that’s fine! I’m usually being looked after by Reiji-kun, after all . ”
“Is it fine for Jiral-san to decide yourself? If you don’t confirm it with the people in your house…”
“Ahahaha, you don’t have to worry . For the record, I’m the head of the Alonzo family . ”
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“Haa? The head?”
Jiral-san explained for me, who had no idea about the matter at all .
Jiral-san’s Alonzo family is the so-called landlord, and it seems they’re quite well off .
So that’s why he can be flirting with his girlfriend on a weekday…
Having a girlfriend, having money despite not working – - . What a textbook winner at life…
Even after coming to another world, reality is a bastard…
“H,huh…? Reiji-kun, why are you depressed?”
“No, it was just kinda…”
“? And so, we can lend one or two of the leftover fields out to you . ”
“But it would be expensive, right? Landlords are people who work the peasants hard in order to suck up the profits, right?
Jiral-san also laughed at this .
“Ahaha, there are also people like that, but I won’t do something awful like that . And besides, I won’t take money from Reiji-kun . It’s fine to use it as you wish . ”
“Jiral-san, you’re a little unreliable, but you’re a good person . ”
“What are you saying, we’re friends, so it’s a matter of course, right?”
“…”
Friends … . It was the first time it had been said outright to me since I was born .
When I think about it, it isn’t something that’s said a lot .
I’m a bit bewildered, but just a tiny bit happy .
Clapclapclapclap–!
Mina applauds with all her might .
“Thank goodness~! Reiji-san made a friend… Reiji-san only makes medicine, tends the store, or goes to the forest, so I was worried . ”
“Master, thank goodness . ”
“Today’s a celebration! I will return to make delicious things, so wait for it!”
“Stop, don’t congratulate me! It’s embarrassing! I’m begging you, stop celebrating, please…”
Is that so? – Mina seems like she feels it’s a pity .
Ku ku; stifling his laughter, Jiral-san slapped my shoulder with a serious look .
“In exchange, if anything happens from now on, I’ll be counting on you for things like consultations or becoming my shield…”
“Being a shield is impossible, but, well, if it’s consultation, then . ”
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Our negotiations were finished, and we shook hands .
Bringing Noela along, I headed towards a field outside of the town .
When I walked in the exact opposite direction from the forest, where I don’t really go, there were wheat fields and fields cultivating vegetables .
It was larger than I thought, so I was a little surprised .
At the edge, it seems that there are fields open that were being used just a little while ago, and those are the ones I’m to use .
“Alright, in that case, let’s hurry and plant the seeds . ”
“Planting, planting . ”
Jiral is going around to look at the other fields, so he step step, walked away .
[Fertile soil: the most suitable soil for cultivation and agriculture . ]
It’s like that when I looked with the Appraisal Skill, so I guess it’s fine to plant them as is .
When I planted a seed, Ping! I heard an electronic sound that I was familiar with .
Hm? That’s not a sound you’d expect to hear in this other world…
Don’t tell me…
[Skill: Appraisal * Drug Discovery
Cultivation Ace
Oh-!?
I learned a new skill!
And it’s even a really useful sounding one!
Since that’s the case, let’s continue to plant them .
It doesn’t say that I’ll definitely be able to harvest them, so it’s probably better to think of it as a support skill .
When we had planted all the seeds, Jiral returned .
“Reiji-kun, are you done?”
“Yeah, I’ll come tomorrow to check on things . … You’re not making a very happy face, though?”
“Actually, it’s happened a lot lately, that the crops are destroyed … although I don’t know if it’s a stray dog or a wolf . ”
Wolf?
“Master, why look at Noela?”
‘If that’s the case, then the herbs I planted could also be destroyed, huh…”
“Noela, won’t just eat it . Master, Noela won’t eat . ”
Shakeshake; Noela shook her head .
Even though we don’t know if the culprit who destroyed the crops was eating it .
The fields are surrounded by a thin log fence around them, but even so, it looks like it can get in somehow .
“- -Ah . That’s right, I’ll make a medicine that can be used for THAT . ”
“Are you going to make something?”
“Yeah . I’ll come tomorrow, bringing what I made . ”
With those parting words to Jiral, I quickly returned to the store .
“Master, what are you making, what are you making?”
“… Noela, I think it would be better for you to leave the medicine room, you know?”
“Really?”
I opened the bottle with the petal of the utsubo flower we picked previously from the forest .
“Ru-!?”
Noela’s hair stood on end and with a Gyan she forcefully left the medicine room .
Yup, its effect is as outstanding as ever .
I can hear her voice from the other side of the door .
“Master, that’s no good . Stinky, no good . ”
“That’s why it’s good . ”
The scent of the utsubo flower, which is odorless to humans, stinks for beasts and monsters .
As I was engrossed in my work, I heard a voice from outside .
“Oh my . Noelsan, what’s wrong?”
“Ruu… Master . Stinky, no good . ”
“Eeh~ . … Reiji-san! It’s not good if you don’t take baths, you know-? Noelsan’s nose is all wrinkled, after all~ . ”
“Noela, give more of an explanation-!”
It ended up looking like I was stinky .
Let’s go sort out the misunderstanding with Mina later .
When I shook the bottle to add the finishing touches, the medicine was completed .
[Repellant: it emits a scent that beasts and monsters dislike . ]