Chapter 18
Pathetic・Adventurer (Second)
WhenI made the new medicine and returned to the forest, Heath-san greeted me with a face full of smiles .
“Mr . Shopkeeper . I’d like to go to your store bringing baked goods next time, but what would you like?”
“Eh . What is this, all of a sudden…”
“Oh nono, it would be impolite to head to your shop without a house gift, right?”
Smiling, the ossan adventurer rubbed his hands together .
This time he’s trying to get into my good graces!
“Ms . Mina … I mean, does Minchan also like baked goods?”
“Yes, she does . ”
“Fumufumu . Fumufumufumu … mufu-…”
With a smile like he had understood something, Heath-san nodded .
His comrades shook their heads in disgust as if to say good grief .
In this situation, just when did Heath-san become like this, I wonder .
“This small bottle has the detoxification agent that I explained just before in it . Please get this in the kodra’s mouth . ”
When I went to hand it over to any one of the adventurers, everyone averted their eyes .
They’re like elementary schoolers trying to avoid the teacher calling on them in the middle of class .
“Um, so this –“
“”””……… . ””””
They aren’t meeting my eyes at all .
They’re putting their hands in their pockets and clasping them behind their backs, and I can’t see their intention to take it at all .
These guys…!
Oi oi, this was originally a subjugation quest, right?
Why are they refusing to get close to it?
We’ll subjugate it, ya know? Smirk! Smirk smiiiirk! – even though they were totally giving off that feeling .
The vital kodra in question is currently lying obediently on the ground .
Heath-san muttered .
“It’s fine if … Mr Shopkeeper goes … … Like, you’re the best at knowing, like, how to use the medicine…”
Yeah, yeah; his comrades are in agreement .
This group of ossan adventurers…!
“Aaaah, geez, I get it, I get it! I’ll do it . Because I’ll be troubled if I can’t gather medicinal herbs! Because the lumberjacks and hunters are also troubled!”
The ossan adventurers applauded me, as if in admiration .
“You just want to do the cool stuff when you’re young, after all . ”1
“Yeah – I totally also had this stage in life -, how nostalgic - . I would do anything, like, without sleeping, it was seriously bad; I totally did! Kinda like that . ”
“Yo-, Mr . Shopkeeper, you’re so manly-!”
“You all are, like, so annoying . ”(Reiji)
Tug tug; Noela pulled on my sleeve .
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“Master, ride Noela . Swoosh, pop, gulp gulp . ”
… Noelsan, I totally don’t get what you mean .
For now, it’s fine if I just get on Noela, right?
I got on the back of Noela, who became a wolf .
Pop is probably the sound of the kodra’s mouth opening, so gulp gulp means to make it drink … probably .
When Noela began to run, the resting kodra glared over at us .
Uwah… scary .
“Buoooo! Oooo…!”
Ignoring the howling kodra, Noela ran .
When the kodra opened it’s mouth, we began to see red flames building up .
Now!
I aimed at the kodra’s mouth and threw the small bottle .
As the small bottle spun, the contents were sucked into its mouth .
Gulp .
The kodra’s eyes widened in surprise and it gulped .
Alright, it drank it!
Stopping a little bit away from it, I got down off of Noela .
Noela immediately returned to beast girl mode .
“Situation, over . ”
“Is it over…?”
I can’t tell if anything had been ended after it drank it .
It seems like the werewolf Noela can tell the nuances .
The kodra lay down again .
“BuoruuUUuU…”
It looks kind of like it’s in pain .
Is it okay?
According to the Appraisal skill, that item shouldn’t have had any problems .
“Mr . Shopkeeper – Good Job!”
It was the moment Heath-san gave me a thumbs up .
Pssssssh-!
Along with that vivid sound, the kodra expelled some water-ish something .
Or like, no matter how you think of it, it peed .
The capacity and vigor of the pee is, of course, dragon grade, and in the end, the ossan adventurers were bathed in that shower for three minutes .
“”””……… . ””””
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It was a situation we hadn’t imagined, and everyone froze .
“Buooo…”
The kodra had a face like it was completely refreshed .
“Master, kodra, refreshed . ”
“Yeah, I also got that . ”
Promotes expulsion… I also feel like that effect is too good .
It has that detox effect, I guess .
But is strange state is healed, the kodra is also refreshed, and everyone wins .
The kodra, who had realized we were here, walked away .
I plucked up all the arimana grass I could find so that this wouldn’t happen again .
“… … This is why I didn’t want to do it! Don’t underestimate monsters, hey, listen to me!”
“Weren’t you all for it, though!? We’ll, like, totally rake it in, yeah -, for reals– isn’t that what you said?”
“Well, I got to meet Minchan, so it’s actually a plus . Mufu!”
“So friggin’ creepy, an old ossan like you . The heck is with ‘Minchan’?”
“HAAAAAA!? YOU’RE the ossan, right -!!?”
The fellow ossans who had been showered on got into a scuffle of a fight .
AaAah… AaAah…
Good, get him, get him .
“I wonder why the kodra ate the arimana grass . ”
“Don’t know . Kodra eats corpses, and also fruits . ”
I searched for the fruits Noela told me about, but I couldn’t find any .
“Did the kodra eat them all?”
“Fruits, aaall over . But right now, on the ground . ”
According to Noela, it looks like the fruits it usually eats is in clusters like grapes and grow everywhere .
It eats when they’re all clustered together, but all the ones in the area have fallen to the ground and are scattered .
“Did it eat the grass because it had no choice when what it usually eats is gone?”
If that’s how it is, then it can’t be helped .
The ossan adventurers all have swollen faces, and the three of them are lying on the ground in the shape of “大 . ”
“… You, you’re pretty good, ain’t ya?”
“Ha, I’m stronger than you . It’s natural . ”
“What the heck are we doing…”
That’s what I want to ask .
The three ossans completely threw the quest to me and lived out their ‘youth’ .
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“Noela, we’re returning . – If there’s anything else, come to Kirio Drug-!”
When I said so in a loud voice, a weak “Y-eah,” was returned .
Their attitudes are like THAT, but they aren’t exactly bad people, n .
When we left the forest and returned to the house, Mina came runing out .
“Reiji-san, Noelsan, welcome back . ”
“Mina . Master, played big role . ”
“Oh my~ is that so?”
When Noela told Mina the whole story, albeit poorly, Mina suddenly made a face like she was going to cry .
She’s now staring at me .
“Huh… Mina? What’s wrong?”
“… Reiji-san isn’t an adventurer, isn’t that right? Wouldn’t I be worried? How did this turn into such a dangerous affair? If anything happened to Reiji-san, then – I…”
Ah- . So it’s about when I approached the kodra?
When I think about it now, I think that it was quite reckless of me, who can’t fight much .
“Sorry, I’ll be careful . ”
Mina, who was imagining “what if” gulped, and tears fell as she cried .
“D,d-d-d-don’t cry! I properly returned, right?”
“Reiji-san … is a pharmacist… you can’t do anything dangerous . ”
“If Master… Noela sad…”
Just by imagining it, Noela bawled and her tears welled up .
She clung to me and began to cry .
“Master, not allowed… dying, not allowed…”
“Why is Noela also -!? Calm down, Noela, I’m right here, right-? I’m not dead yet, right-?”
When I patted her head and stroked her back, Mina also thrust her face into my chest and cried . ”
“Fuwaaaaaa, Reiji-saaaan…”
Just like that, I hugged the two and patted their heads .
“From now on, I won’t do anything to make the two of you worried . ”
“Yes, if you would…”
“Master, Noela will protect…”
The two of them think more of me than I expected .
This is many times more effective than getting lectured .
The next morning .
Heath-san came over, having bought a large amount of baked goods .
“Mr . Shopkeeper, Mr . Shopkeeper-! We were totally in your debt for yesterday, hahaha . ”
He ended up coming over right away .
Does this world not have polite speech?
He’s not in the adventurer style but an outfit like a suit, that’s this world’s formal wear, and he’s holding a bouquet in one hand .
“Aah, welcome . … What do you need today?”
“- Is Minchan here…?”
Mina was just watching the store, but Noela had sensed his presence and called for me .
And so we kind of changed places .
Right now, Noela and Mina are watching from the door .
Yesterday, Mina had said, “He was looking at me with strange eyes, so I don’t like him . ”
“I believe she’s doing housework right now . ”
“I see… then will you hand this over to her?”
With a rustle, Heath-san placed the bouquet and treats on the counter .
“Then, if anything else comes up, we’ll come to Mr . Shopkeeper for a consultation . – Farewell!”
“We’re not a consulting office, so please stop with the consultations already-“
Did he hear me or not? He left with a cheerful “Ha ha ha . ”
He’s so energetic you wouldn’t think he had been bathed in a kodra pee shower yesterday .
I think if it were me, I would be depressed and wouldn’t walk around outside for about three days .
Opening the door, Mina came out .
“Wa! Baked treats again-! I’m so happy-!”
“Mina, are you perhaps easy…?”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“No, it’s nothing . Are you happy even if it’s someone you don’t like who brought the flowers and sweets?”
Noela has thrown the box away and began munching away .
“I mean, the flowers and treats didn’t do anything wrong, right? …Ah . If Reiji-san also bought something for me, then I would be delighted no matter what, you know?”
Mina smiled .
Maybe I, who was thinking what I should buy to give her next time, can’t say anything about Mina being easy .
When I gave a strained smiled and looked outside at nothing in particular, a dark shadow came down in front of the store .
Flap – flap = flap- .
A noise that rent the air became more distant, and when I left the store, the kodra from yesterday was flying past in the sky .
“Master, Master, this . ”
When I turned at Noela’s voice, there were many red fruits left on top of a leaf .
“Rockshou fruit: A fruit with an unusually grand fragrance . A high-class ingredient . ”
Did it come to deliver this…?
I don’t know if it’s an apology or a thank you, but I yelled, “Thank you,” towards the kodra that was getting smaller and smaller in the distance .