Chapter 45 Alchemist of Peach
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Good morning everyone, Nobusada here.
The pain on my head gradually worsened by the last volley of liquor. Wonder if Cure Potion doesn't cure hangovers. Yet, I still got up, was it because it's an occupational disease?
Sefi-san has loosened her grip too, she's currently lying listlessly in the bed.
Hey you my neighbor, Sefi-san. Did ya always take off your clothes when sleeping. She's so sexy I feel like I'd lose myself and attack her, but the gentleman known as pervert inside me gradually dawn that's not what I want, so I quietly get out of the bed.
Mitama and Bell are also sleeping in this room after all.
I used Clear on the scattered plates all at once and collected them. I put the remaining food into lunchbox sized stone storages, leaving out only the Flame Dog's furnitures. I'd wager that Bell and Mitama would probably eat them later.
I finished with around three lunchboxes worth of food with me.
But really, Mitama looks real blissful in her sleep. It tickles my mischievous mind.
Squish squish
I poked on her smiling cheeks. The feel of the soft squishy skin is so good. Oh crap, does this count as some form of assault?
Squish squish
I can't stop, I won't stop. No I should stop. I should control my slightly tingled sadistic heart and return the plates back to the first floor.
With the Lunar Cat on my waist, I got out of the room while carrying the plates.
I met Storm-san's mother at the kitchen when I brought the plates in, thus I gave my thanks and apologized for the racket last night, but she laughed it off saying 『Oh don't sweat it, it was tame compared to our regular adventurers』. This very image of lady of character laughed heartily while her chest was launching up and down. Really, no-bra huh.
I asked if I could do practice swings at the backyard, and she gave me the OK, so I went out to it.
SWOOSH SWOOSH
I focus myself and wield the Lunar Cat. Swinging it while imagining myself squaring off against Master, carefully choosing my Kata. I could feel the katana getting ever so slightly more familiar in my hand. I want to be able to wield it like it's part of my limbs one day.
After sweating for about an hour, I went back to the room and was met with the sleepy faced Bell.
"Oh, you're awake huh. Bell, wanna get breakfast?"
"Yesh, good morninf.... Ha! I will, I'm eating!"
Bell knows no reserve when it comes to food. Probably a habit from his extreme poverty days.
I brought a packed box of food on my way back, and toasted the bread that Bell gave yesterday after slicing it thin with magic.
I put some cheese on the toast, warmed it a little more and handed it over to Bell. Looking at Bell who stuffed his mouth full with it makes me rethink how much he looks like a squirrel once again. My niece was like this too when she was little, I thought a bit seriously. Bell is a man though.
"...Something smells nice."
Growl----
Mitama who woke up from the scent let out a cute growl.
"Mitama, want some?"
She nodded and took a seat, her eyes were asking, 'is it ready yet~?' I broke into smiles when I saw that. I quickly make another like earlier for Mitama.
"...By the way."
"Hm?"
"...Are Sefi-san and Nobu, in an adult relationship?"
BWOFH
I reflexively spew out the juice in my mouth. What is this girl saying. Look, Bell on the other side is wet with juice now. I apologized to him and handed him a towel.
"What is this about?"
"...You two were sleeping together in the same bed this morning. Unfair."
She saw that huh... but what does she mean by unfair. We did sleep together though yeah. Look, next to me Bell is turning beet red.
"We're still not in a relationship. I haven't done anything either."
"...Really?"
"Yup."
"...Then it's ok."
Just what's going on Mitama-san. She stealthily struck a 'hell yeah' pose.
"...Thanks for the food. Thank you Nobu. Later then."
"O-ou"
Then she quickly got out of the room. What was that anyway. Her free-spirited part is really like a cat.
And Sefi-san is still knocked out even now. I've checked out already you know.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves at the party this time.
There was that part where Master who was still suffering from hangover getting dragged away by his subordinates, but it was mostly problem free! Would be nice if we all can get together again sometime.
<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka .com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>
One week later.
Afterward, I spent busy days training, doing quests and developing new merchandises.
I think I've grasped the actual condition of this store after running around at the back. 『Shut-in Lamia』 might not look that popular judging from appearances. However, thanks to Sefi-san's personal connections with the knights, the guards, and even nobles, it's selling more goods than you'd expect. And its reputation is only getting better after successfully improving potion that was generally considered as foul tasting.
I borrowed Sefi-san's compound room to improve Peach Powder and did trials and errors to put peach flavor on Cure Potion and Mana Potion. I met my goal with Cure Potion, but the Mana Potion got way too effective and became a problem. When even simple Applevel Jam acquired mana recovery effect, the same ingredients made an ordinary Mana Potion to be as effective as a Hi Mana Potion.
You might think that the more effective the better, but I don't want to destroy the market and the price, nor I intend to get ourselves be shunned by people of the same profession. Doing that would just invite unnecessary grudges.
Seems like I've got no choice but to adjust the ratio between peach, medicine and neutralizer.
And that problem was solved after a brief words from Sefi-san, 『Then how about adding other stuff in it~』. Those other stuff are, you guessed it, lettuce and carrots. With this, our store's mana potions have turned into healthy drinks which could help adventurers resupply their dietary fiber need in the middle of adventuring.
And as a countermeasure for imitation goods, I've prepared an exclusive marking stone bottles bearing Izumi mark. Size-wise, one is about as big as an energy drink bottle, with our family crest stamped on the side. I didn't forget to have varied shapes to distinguish the types of potions and to decrease chance of misidentification. We also introduced a discount system for when you bring back the bottles. Repeat buyers must be quite pleased with this system too.
I've also successfully created compact for the powder after the development of Peach Powder, Peach Solution Powder (for cure potion) and Peach Magic Powder (for mana potion), so we might consider selling it depending on demand. We might need to get more personnels soon.
Wonder why was everything decided by me... oh right, cause Sefi-san went and left all the decision making to me.
I'm happy how much trust she put in me, but is this really fine?
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