Chapter 32
Summer Food Fight
A seasonal tale- .
“It’s been hot lately… My body, see-, it can’t be helped, i all sluggish, you know- . I wonder if I’m sick-? No, well, see, it happens every year around this season . Even eating feels troublesome- . ”
That was what Paula from the tool store came and said before .
While falling face down, sprawled out on the counter .
Of course, since she seems to be normally energetic without any signs of being ill visible, I handed her an energy potion .
“My appetite’s gone lately … When I go to eat my usual amount, I feel sick … Well, it’s a yearly matter, so don’t pay it too much mind . ”
The next day, Anabel-san, the leader of the mercenary group, came over in the morning and said that kind of thing .
We don’t have any thing that promotes the appetite, so I told her to eat nutritious food within a reasonable amount and handed over the usual potions .
It would be nice if there was a doctor, but he’s been absent from the clinic this entire time .
Rumor has it that he’s helping a troubled patient in a town he’s traveled to, or something .
On another day, when Elaine came, she also complained about abnormalities .
“I … whenever Reiji-sama is around, my temperature will go up … s,so I’ve come to visit…”
And, saying that with a flushed face, Lilika said something similar .
“Is there anything weird about your condition, Lilika?”
“M,me? … there might be something strange, or not … I,it’s a kind of disease …”
“Ah . As I thought . Everyone’s been saying that recently . Having no appetite, their bodies feeling sluggish, and having a fever . ”
“I think I have something different…”
“Eh, what?”
“I,it’s nothing, nothing…”
When I asked Jiral, the general goods store Ovvan, and all of the citizens, it seems like they didn’t have anything particularly strange .
It’s just the girls…?
At dinnertime, I tried asking Mina and Noela .
“Are your physical conditions alright? Paula, Lilika, and Anabel-san and the the others say they’ve been worn out recently . ”
“Noela, no problem . ”
Noela seems like someone completely unrelated to sickness, after all . Even now, she’s eating her meal with vigor .
You’re the incarnation of health, Noela .
“It’s been particularly hot, after all~ . I think it’s unavoidable, though-?”
“Eh? Why?”
“I don’t really know why, but I also lose my appetite when it becomes summer . It’s okay because it becomes a diet method, but as you might expect, I can’t muster much strength…… . ”
Eheheh; Mina laughed wryly .
When I looked, Mina’s portion of the meal was quite a bit reduced .
Mostly women … summer … lack of appetite……
“Ah . This is heat fatigue!”
It’s a word that Noela and Mina have only heard for the first time, so they looked at me and tilted their heads .
“What is that?”
“Thanks to the temperature rising when it becomes summer causing dehydration, your stomach can often weaken . It’s because of that that your appetite decreases, you space out, or your body feels dull . ”
I’ve heard that women in particular can have their physical conditions worsen easily due to the effect of their monthlies .
“… … Come to think of it, I wonder what that’s like?”
“Why are you asking me?”
Mina tilted her head .
Why am I asking? Isn’t it obvious?
“That’s something I’ve never gotten . ”
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“Eh? Is that so? I thought it was something everyone got . But even if you ask me, I don’t know it either?”
“Master, Master! Noela also, doesn’t know . ”
“Figures . ”
Even if it’s fine for now, I suppose it could become a cold if we leave it be .
If they don’t eat much for their meals, their bodies could break down and their immunity could also be reduced .
Summer colds are painful after all- .
Paula’s always lazy, but Anabel-san has guard duties .
It will be troublesome in an emergency if she can’t muster any strength .
The next day, I brought Noela along to walk around in the forest in order to harvest materials .
The temperature was high even with the large amount of shade in the forest, so we assembled the ingredients while taking a break on the banks of the cool creek .
The look of the finished product is something more like traditional herbal medicine rather than a drug .
Returning to the store while dripping in sweat, I immediately started work in the medicine room .
“Ru-ru-ru-”
Noela is sticking close to me, and her fur is hot……
It’s at times like these when she won’t take a nap…
Discretely taking some distance, I continued my work and made a new medicine .
[Rikkuntoushi: Normalizes gastrointestinal performance . It also has the effect of increasing the appetite, as well as improving a declining appetite . ]
I’ll have everyone who’s troubled by heat fatigue use this .
“The first is … Min? I made a medicine to give you an appetite, so please try using it . ”
Looking at the bottle of a portion of the medicine I held, Mina furrowed her eyebrows as if she was troubled .
“It … gives me an appetite…? I don’t really want to use it…?”
How unusual .
Even though she’s never refused even once before when I had her try out medicine I’d made .
“How come?”
“It gives you an appetite, right…? Ah . Are you perhaps bullying me? I’m worried because Reiji-san’s medicine is overly effective . ”
“I’m not bullying you . Saying something like that, what will you do if you get sick? Even this morning, you barely ate anything, right?”
I don’t know if a ghost can get sick, but if she has a physical form than she can probably catch a cold .
“That’s, well that’s true, but…”
Sensing something, Noela approached Mina and poked her stomach .
“Mina… . ”
“Yes… . -!”
“… Safe!”
With a sigh of relief, Mina patted her chest .
“I can’t cause trouble for Reiji-san and Noela if I get sick, so I’ll take it . ”
“Yeah, that would be better . ”
When I handed Mina one of the bottles with rikkuntoshi in it, I heard Paula’s voice from the store .
“Rei-ku-n? Onee-san’s come over you know-? She came over while walking in this awful awful heat, you know-?”
“What’s with that attempt at an appeal?”
It’s great timing, so I’ll hand over some of the new drug to Paula .
When I went to the store, Paula, as well as Anabel-san and Kululu-san, had come over .
“Everyone’s here together . Paula, Anabel-san . Here, it’s medicine that will ease your decrease in appetite . I just made it . I thought it might help with your body feeling sluggish . ”
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“O-! Rei-kun, just for me…!”
“Oo, my bad, you went out of your way to do this even though I didn’t make a request .
“There were people with similar symptoms, so saying that I made it just for you is a little…”
Hehehe; Paula laughed .
“At this kind of time, saying ‘I made it for you,’ will grant you points, you know?”
“What points…”
When I handed it over, Paula and Anabel-san drained the small bottles immediately .
“ — Don’t I get anything, Reiji-chan? Even though I came over to play after so long……”
“Heat fatigue has nothing to do with Kululu-san, right? … Well, fine, it can be a preventative . ”
When I handed Kululu-san the last one, he swigged it down in one go .
“ “ “ …… . . ” “ “
All three of them held their stomachs .
What happened? Did the medicine not agree with their stomachs and give them stomachaches or something…?
“Pharmacist-sn, hello-”
“Yo . ”
Rena from Rabbit Hall came over and handed me a piece of paper .
There was a well-drawn picture of a super super sized portion of pasta, and underneath was written, ‘Large Portion Challenge; reward for finishing is 100,000rin . ’
“What’s this?”
“Just as it looks . See, Dad was all, ‘It would be interesting if there was something like this . That’s how this publicity stunt came about . ”
“Heeh . A big eater’s challenge… 100,000rin on finishing…”
That said, this would be impossible for anything under 20 people .
The penalty for not finishing it within 30 minites is 5,000rin .
“How about it, Pharmacist-san? Want to try it?”
“No-, I have no confidence in this, so I’ll refrain . ”
Swish; Anabel-san snatched the flier away .
Paula and Kururu-san peered at it .
Mina had also heard the talk and came over, staring at the flier .
Paula, with no messing around, had a face of 100% seriousness .
Anabel-san has reached a state of emitting bloodthirst .
Mina made a gulping sound with her throat .
Kururu-san’s … chin has split . It’s a splendid butt chin .
Why? Again?
Everyone’s face has become deep and severe, like in a dramatic comic .
“ “ “ “ We’ll do this . ” “ “ “
“Really?”
Eh – for real? These four aren’t gluttons or big eaters or anything; are they going to be okay?
Perhaps, it’s because of they drank rikkuntoshi …?
“Then I’m going to go announce it first and tell Dad-!”
Rena left those words behind as she ran out .
“Mina, are you going to eat it? It’s a 20 person portion in 30 minutes, right?”
“What a foolish question . ”
She’s brimming with confidence…
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As if it was extremely obvious, everyone gave a nod and left the shop .
… I’m kind of worried, so I’ll go too .
When I arrived at Rabbit Hall, there was already mountain-like servings of pasta prepared .
Various flavours were at each spot .
Pepperocino, meat sauce, carbonara, and so on .
They look normally delicious .
The four with their grim faces took their seats .
The bear-like restaurant owner oji-san came carrying a 30 minute sand timer .
“The time limit is 30 minutes-”
Gulp .
Somehow, I’m the one who’s nervous .
“Start!”
When he inverted the sand timer, all of them stabbed their forks in the pasta mountain at the same time .
Chompchompchompchompchompchompchompchompchomp
The four people challenged the mountain with all their might .
… I’ve seen this sight on TV before!
That Food Fight one!!
Murmurmurmur; by the time I realized my surroundings were noisy, I was surrounding by lots of spectators .
“Nee-san-! I,if she’s showing such a violent eating manner… . your chance at marriage will-”
“-shut up! Keep quiet!”
The mercenaries have also come .
It’s fine to be worried about your Nee-san, but get back to work .
“I see… the prize money … So that we’ll be able to eat good food… . !
“ “ “ “Nee-san, do your best-!!” “ “ “
Mixed in with the rough cheers of the mercenaries, I also heard children’s voices .
“ “ “Paula onee-chan, do your best-” ” ”
There were four kids I often see around the neighborhood . She’s always playing with them, I bet .
Paula responded to their cheers with a small wave .
“Minchan, do your best-!”
Do your best, do your best; the middle-aged oji-sans cheered on Mina .
… Mina’s those ossans’ idol, after all- .
“Minchan? Are you needing money? Or is it food? Th,th,this ojisan here, I’ll do anything if it’s for you, Mina, okay? A,anything you want, okay? (haa haa)”
There’s a dangerous-sounding ossan here!?
Mina shouldn’t be worried about food, not to say money, so……
This is the first time I’ve seen Mina not mind her appearance to this degree .
Unfortunately, there’s no one cheering on Kululu-san .
Ah, crap . Our eyes met .
He bent both arms towards me and winked .
I’m not really cheering for you .
Afterwards, he touched his chin and constantly tilted his head .
– – It’s weird that his chin split today, when his condition is as usual .
Is all I think about that .
… It was supposed to be a medicine to prevent heat fatigue, so why did a food fight start?
No one even mentioned the prize money .
They snapped at the flier like starving beasts… Although what their stuffing in their faces is pasta right now .
I see – they’re possessed by monster called appetite…!
Their goal isn’t the prize or the honor .
Eating; that is their goal .
– Just when I had cleanly put everything together in my head, Paula fell off her chair .
“I can’t anymore…… . ”
The other three also look they’re in quite a bit of pain .
Kululu-san… your hand isn’t moving at all…
Chi-n .
When I look closely, he’s fainted while showing the whites of his eyes .
Guessing from how things are going, he’s been like that since before Paula collapsed .
Chompchomp, chomp, chomp…
The ones left are Anabel-san and Mina .
“Hey, I’ve been thinking this for a while, but why are you free-loading at Reiji’s place?”
“That has nothing to do with Anabel-san . More importantly, for waking up early every morning to meet with Reiji-san, goo-d jo-b . ”
“I’m not really, you’re wrong… it’s not to meet with …”
The two of the are eating pasta, looking like hamsters as they continue stuffing their cheeks .
Do your best- .
“Hey, you’re looking pretty bad . Me, I’m still only half full . ”
“Heh- . I still have 70% of my capacity-”
“Ah, my mistake . I still have 80% to go . ”
“Oh, excuse me . I have 90% . ”
They’re competing with some weird stubborness!?
The two of them have faces like they’re stuffed .
No matter how you look at it, they have 0% capacity .
“ “- -u……” “
Slump; Both of them collapsed on the table at the same time .
The mountain of pasta has been reduced to 40%, but, well, that’s how it is .
* The rest of the pasta was eaten happily by the staff .
“The challenge -is – ov-er-!”
In the end, no one was able to eat it all and everyone had to pay the penalty .
Mina, who can’t move, seems like she’ll be surrounded by the ossans, so I carried her on my back and went home .
“Reiji-san … my stomach hurts… An appetite is a scary thing… I lost sight of myself…”
“Your character changed after all…”
“Having to be carried by Reiji-kun is fun . ”
“Don’t enjoy this . ”
“It’s always about Noela, so spoil me some times too ♪”
It can’t be helped, huh? I walked leisurely back towards Kirio Drug .
The medicine was way too effective, so we remade a diluted version into a drug and turned it into a product .
It goes without saying that we put the warning, ‘Beware of overeating,’ on it .
—