After arriving at the『Ikebu town』with so much effort, we went home without exploring the town. I wish I could look around a bit before leaving.
That night, I brewed 23【Stimulant potion +3】using the【Mandrake root】I bought, totaling 29. Setting aside the ones for the director, since there’s too many, let’s sell some of it this time.
After that, the【Strength recovery potion】has been used as ingredients for【Stimulant potion】as well as the【Medicinal herbs】, all the materials has been used up. I should replenish my stock.
There’s only 7【Strength recovery potion +3】left in my hand, since these may become useful for something, I’ll keep them.
The next day, when I went to the company, I received a lunch invitation from the director. It seems like he wants to discuss about the you-know-what.
While smacking his lips over the delicious eel at the luxurious eel shop, the director began to talk happily.
「I intended to use the you-know-what on the day you gave it to me but my wife went out on a trip without notice. I finally had the chance to use it on Friday when she came back from the trip. I’ve only had a sip of that and was overwhelmed. It was only about a full sake cup.」
The director was beaming with a smile that he never showed. The awkward relationship of the couple had improved. He told me that he consumed the you-know-what on the weekend.
「I’m also happy that it was able to make you glad.」
「That’s right! I found out that it’s not good to depend on the example too much, I’d like to have some bottles of the example. Can you give me?」
I pretended to be reluctant to take it out.
Please don’t misunderstand, I’m worried that it will have a side effect on the director’s body if he drink too much, I’m not thinking of raising its scarcity value, not at all!
「I’m sorry Director but I can only prepare one of them right now.」
I said and put only one【Stimulant potion +3】on the table.
「Is that so? only one… that’s right, one can’t get these things so easily.」
「Therefore, it’s better to only drink a little bit between uses.」
「That’s right……」
Because the Director seemed to be convinced, I’ll slow down the crafting pace in the future.
「Director, there’s also a different matter……」
While saying so, I took out 1 of the【Strength recovery potion +3】and placed it next to the【Stimulant potion +3】.
「This is?」
「This is a drink that recover strength. If you get tired from intense exercise1, drink this.」
Because strenuous exercise when you get old seemed to be dangerous.
「Is that right? Is this also a good thing?」
「Because this one is easier to obtain than those examples, it may not be much.」
「I see, is it fine to take it after the other one?」
「Yeah, there’s no problem.」
The Director and I cracked a smile.
But the Director seemed to be worried about the potions on the table and was fidgeting.
「W-, With that…… I prepared something as thanks for the second item, will you receive it?」
「N? Ah, yes.」
The Director looked left and right, he then took out a brown envelope from his breast pocket and presented it.
I received the envelope and put it in my breast pocket. The Director wrapped the small vials of【Strength recovery potion +3】and【Stimulant potion +3】in a handkerchief protectively and placed them in a bag.
「Hahaha! Iya, I’m so happy to have a good subordinate like you. Come on, let’s eat the eel and work hard for today!」
Director, are you talking about working hard for the afternoon work? Or is it about the night work? Let’s not think about it too much. After that, the Director and I finished the afternoon work with the power of the high-cla.s.s eel energetically.
After returning home, I checked the contents of the brown envelope and there were 10 Yukichi-san2. Director, this is too much……
***
In the evening, the 3 of us are drinking tea after dinner when the chime of the intercom reverberated. Who could it be at such an hour? Somehow, I have a bad feeling.
「Ye~s.」
When I opened the door, it was innocent faced of the shopping district the other day.
「If I remember correctly, you’re from the shopping district……」
「N? Ah, yes. E-, Ehm, uh……」
Calmed down young man.
Come to think of it, I’ve only seen him from the【Tracking】magic so it’s our first meeting.
「You escorted Elena here before. I’ve heard it from her.」
「Ah, yes. I-, Is Elena inside?」
「She is but do you have business with her?」
But, why is this fellow so nervous?
Does he thought that Elena is living alone and with that in mind, he came to attack!?
「Well you see, i-, it’s because, ba-, babaa-chan said that she would like to me-, meet Elena at her final mo-, moment.」
「At this hour? N? Final moments??」
「T-, That’s because… babaa-chan’s physical condition suddenly worsened……」
「Is that why!? Also, last moments!? You mean, her condition is that dangerous?」
「Y-, yes.」
「You should’ve said it earlier! Elena! Get ready, we need to go out.」
When I went inside the house and shouted, Elena appeared.
「Seiji-sama, what happened?」
「This fellow’s obaa-chan’s physical condition has worsened and wants Elena to come.」
「I understand, I’ll get ready immediately.」
We were ready to go out after a while, the 3 of us, including Aya, went to the j.a.panese sweets shop at the shopping district led by innocent faced.
「Babaa-chan, I’ve brought Elena.」
「Did you really bring her? I said that it was fine.」
「Be-, because, babaa-chan……」
The Obaa-san lay on the futon and weakly turned her head this way.
「Elena-chan, I’m sorry. This child must have said something unreasonable……」
Elena rushed towards obaa-san and took her hand.
「I’ll cure you immediately.」
「Elena-chan, it’s already good that…you came…in my last moments…… in a short period of time…you showed kindness to this obaa-san, thank you……」
Obaa-san said so and slowly closed her eyes.
「It’s no good! I will heal you!!」
Elena began to use【Recovery magic】to the fullest.
This can’t be covered up with『Good luck charm』anymore.
But, I can’t stop Elena.
「Listen Elena. Don’t act recklessly.」
「Yes! Seiji-sama, please take a look at her strength’s status.」
「Understood.」
I checked the status of obaa-san.
┌─＜Status＞─
│Name: Honda Umeko
│Occupation: Wagashi shop owner
│Age: 80
│Condition: (Terminal malignant tumor)
│
│Level: 1
│HP: 5 / 60
│
│Power: 4 Endurance: 2
│Ability: 10
└─────────
「The HP is in danger.」
「Okay.」
With Elena’s【Strength transfer】, obaa-san’s HP began to recovery bit by bit.
But, I’m worried about the『Terminal malignant tumor』.
「Oi, young man, does obaa-san have a malignant tumor?」
「Yes, we suppressed the pain using medicines but it also became ineffective recently.」
In other words, it’s what they called『Palliative care』3.
「Elena, it seems there’s a『Malignant tumor』inside the body of obaa-san, can you find it?」
「Malignant tumor? I’ll try to find it using magic.」
While maintaining the HP of obaa-san, Elena began to perform various trial and error and examined the body of obaa-san using magic.
Elena’s MP also steadily decreased, though she’s somehow holding up using candy, you can’t fully recover using it.
「Hey, young man.」
「Yes, what is it?」
「Can you get some stuff with lots of sugar?」
「Okay, I understand.」
The young man returned with j.a.panese sweets.
「These are the last j.a.panese sweets made by Babaa-chan,」
「Alright Elena, eat these j.a.panese sweets.」
「Okay.」
「I’ll help you.」
Elena is busy using magic, so Aya got to feed her the j.a.panese sweets.
Then, Elena’s MP began to recover instantly. Yey! With this, Elena will be able to recover her MP somehow!
「Seiji-sama, I’ve found it. I saw the malignant tumor.」
When I checked Elena’s status, there’s a newly added magic–【Lesion4 detector】.
「Alright, good! Heal the malignant tumor.」
「Yes!」
Aya wiped Elena’s sweat and fed her j.a.panese sweets. The sight is a bit surreal……
The young man without knowing the reason, continued to pray.
Elena tried various ways to heal the malignant tumor of obaa-san, none of it work somehow. The struggle lasts for 2 hours and everyone began to show signs of fatigue.
「Seiji-sama, it’s not going well. What should I do……」
「Umu, what to do……」
「If it’s a surgery you should remove the malignant tumor.」
Aya said something good.
「Remove? Huh?」
「Yeah, if it’s a j.a.panese operation, you have to do ablation5 at once and wait for it to recover afterwards.」
「I understand, I’ll give it a try.」
After a while, Elena laughed and smiled.
「Did you do it?」
「Yes, but only a little. The tumor has been reduced.」
「Alright, keep going!」
「Yes!」
After a while, Elena extracted her hand from obaa-san and stopped using magic. Her face cracked into a smile.
「I did it, the malignant tumor has been cured.」
「Well done.」
I immediately checked the status of obaa-san.
But the condition of (Terminal malignant tumor) wasn’t removed. Why!?
「Elena, not yet. It’s not yet cured.」
「Huh!? S-, Such.」
Elena were astonished once again and used【Lesion detector】to obaa-san.
「T-, that’s……」
「What’s wrong?」
「The same lesion as the one a little while ago, it’s all over the body……」
Elena lowered her head with the hopeless situation.
「Elena, do you give up?」
「N-, No! I will not give up!!」
Elena was once again fired up and turned towards obaa-san.
***
Time pa.s.sed after that and the night has begun to fade into cracks of dawn.
Finally, we managed to remove all the malignant tumors of obaa-san, I confirmed obaa-san’s status and the (Terminal malignant tumor) had also disappeared.
More surprisingly, Elena’s【Recovery magic】went up to level 5. Raising magic to level 5 by relying on herself…… Elena is really amazing.
「You’ve done well, Elena.」
「Y-, Yes, obaa-san……was good……」
Elena was finally exhausted and fell asleep.
「Young man, it’s already fine. Obaa-san needs to rely on you afterwards.」
「Y-, yes. Thank you very much.」
The young man deeply bowed her head.
「It’s all because of Elena, say that words to her.」
「Okay.」
I princess carry Elena with Aya who’s about to fall asleep at any moment and returned home.
「S-, So tired……」
I laid Elena and Aya on the bed, whipped my tired bodyー
and went to the company.6
Translator notes and reference:
1( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)↩
2Referring to f.u.kuzawa Yukichi on the 10,000 yen bank note, it’s the same as Americans calling $100 bill ‘Benjamin’.↩
3Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis.↩
4A region in an organ or tissue that has suffered damage through injury or disease, such as a wound, ulcer, abscess, tumor, etc.↩
5The surgical removal of body tissue.↩
6Bath and sleep are for the weak?↩