CH 17

017. Kindness is not (entirely) for others

TN: The chapter title is a Japanese proverb that means if you are kind to others eventually you will be repaid

or

do good things for others and good things will eventually happen to you.

My ED medicine the Beiappoi special has a huge profit margin of 200,000 yen for 1 tablet.

Also, the king will be a regular purchaser.

I have no idea how long it will last but I imagine it will be a stable income for quite a while.

Now I have 5 million rim in cash I can carry on living carefree in the hotel.

I don’t want to stand out but I think it will be a good idea to sell my potions to earn some money.

Let’s go ask Mellisa-san if she knows of any stores that will buy my potions.

Having these thoughts I went to Mellisa-san but I was struck with an unexpected reality.

“Is Miyata-dono registered with the pharmacists guild? In the Bottle’s kingdom, to buy and sell medicines you need to belong to the pharmacists guild.”

Apparently, I can’t sell my medicines as I’m not registered with the guild.

“Private sales between individuals are fine but if you wish to sell to stores, registration with the guild is mandatory. This is set by law for tax reasons”

I’ve already sold to the king but it should be classed as a private sale I guess?

“Likewise healing magic should not be used unless you are registered with the healers guild or are a member of the church.”

Basically, the guilds are unions and also act as organisations that clamp down on tax evasion.

If you are caught using recovery magic without being a member of the guild the fine is 10 million rims. Apparently, if you can’t pay they use you as forced labour until your fine is paid.

Joining the guild is not cheap either. They charge 3.25 million rims each year including tax, however, the standard medical fee for use of recovery magic is 1 million rims a time.

I don’t feel any particular need to register so I’ll think about it another time.

“That’s a pity. I wanted to use my magic to cure your stiff shoulders.”

“Eh? How’d you know?”

“I saw you in pain outside the hotel the other day. I intended to heal you when the chance came up.”

“I’ve done a regrettable thing. I should have told you after you healed me.” Mellisa-san said with a smile.

“Sorry to disrupt your pleasant chat!”

Hearing a loud voice I turned around to find Patty who seemed to be in a bad mood.

“Yo Patty. You on your way home?”

“Hmph. I was worried that you might have failed the beginner’s course but instead, I find you hitting on the concierge. I’m an idiot.”

No, I’m not seducing her. Though I did have a secret desire to massage her.

“What are you on about Patty? I’m your wife aren’t I? I’m not cheating on you.”

“Id…Idiot! That was just a figure of speech! I’m off!”

Patty quickly disappeared. Waving to Mellisa-san I chased after her.

I entered the hotel lounge with Patty.

We chatted about our current conditions while drinking coffee.

“That reminds me. I was at your house this morning. I got treated to a free meal.”

“What for?”

“The king likes one of my medicines and wanted some more. I deliver them through the viscount.”

“The king?!”

“Un. He pays a good price and will be a regular purchaser.”

“That’s, that’s great. So what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you going to stop being an adventurer and become a pharmacist?”

“No way. I’m an adventurer.”

“I guess.”

Patty gives me a wry smile. It’s my first one off her today.

“So how was the beginner’s course?”

“Unpleasant. I was made very aware of my lack of ability, lack of preparation and lack of experience.”

“It’s very significant that you understand that. That means the course did what it was supposed to do.”

I talked in detail about the course with Patty.

Patty also provided me with information on the first 3 floors.

“That’s why I intend to make a shield for Gobu.”

“Hey show me that golem.”

Oh yeah, Patty hasn’t seen Gobu yet

Me and Gobu can communicate with our thoughts up to 30 meters away, though Gobu only says [uga].

Even when speaking with our thoughts [uga] is still [uga].

I still don’t know what it means.

I called Gobu into the waiting room and after a few minuted he appeared.

“Patty this is Gobu1.”

“Oh, so this is Gobu. Nice to meet you Gobu.”

“Uga”

Gobu raised a hand and answered.

Is he becoming smarter as he levels up or is he simply pleased because Patty is a big breasted beauty?

Probably both.

“So what do you intend to do now? Even if you give Gobu a shield you still can’t fight.”

It sounds harsh but its true.

I understood that in the beginner’s course. If my surprise attacks and first moves are taken away I can’t win.

I only defeated the demons on the course because the instructors were there.

Even as a rearguard my defence is extremely weak and that’s why I’ll be following the advice of Clyde.

“For a while, I’ll work as a porter and learn the basics of adventuring.”

“That’s good. Even so……I’ve never heard of a porter that lives in a hotel.”

Yeah, that’s true.

A porter earns about 3000 rim a day. Hardly enough to live in a hotel.

Patty chatted for a while longer and went home.

She said she was tired and was off to bed.

Although she was tired, she was worried about me and came to visit.

Should I make a medicine with the beautiful skin effect?

Should I make a potion for the skin and face? A milky lotion type…..?

I’ll also make a face wash.

It seemed interesting so I decided to spend the afternoon trying to make them.

I know what materials I need thanks to the medicine refining skill.

I was able to purchase most of it from stores around the city but I wasn’t able to find a grass called box vine.

The sales clerk in a shop dealing in herbal remedies and herbs said he’s never heard of it.

According to the explanation on the recipe it was supposed to be a grass found all throughout the continent.

There should definitely be some in Nepia.

Perhaps its a weed?

People don’t generally know the names of weeds.

Perhaps it has a common name.

For example [green foxtail] is actually called [setaria viridis].

It may be it’s well known but by another name.

I walk around the town with appraisal on looking for box vine.

I’ve been walking for a while and I’m in the outskirts now.

Houses are sparse and the fields are getting bigger.

A grandma was harvesting pumpkins in a field and that’s where I found the box vine.

A lot of it.

I called out to the grandma.

“Excuse me. Can I have some of this box vine please?”

“Box vine? Oh, the bag grass? It’s only a weed. Take as much as you like.”

Obviously, it’s bag grass around here.

It has a long stem and at the end is a leaf that looks a lot like a bag.

Bag actually describes it better than box. Whoever named it bag was correct.

I thank the grandma and harvest the grass with my knife.

The grandma saw me struggling with the unfamiliar work and came over to help me with her sickle.

“What are you going to do with these weeds?”

“I’m going to study them to see if they can be used in medicines.”

“Because it’s not a medicinal herb this stuff grows everywhere.”

Thanks to the grandma the jute bag I’d bought along was soon full.

“Aitatata.”

The grandma was in pain from her shoulders and waist when she stood up.

“Does it hurt somewhere?”

“I’m old and old bodies ache.”

I could help her with recovery magic but I’d be fined if I was found out.

I can’t just return home though.

I think I might have an idea.

“Though I’m an adventurer I’m also a masseur. Let me massage your shoulders as a thank you for the grass.”

Rubbing her shoulders I used weak restoration magic. Hopefully, I shouldn’t be found out doing it like this.

“Aah……that feels pleasant.”

“Right. I’ll also do your waist after I’ve finished with your shoulders.”

After healing her shoulders I correct her strained back. While I was at it I cured the arthritis in her knee’s and hands as well.

As I examined her body I got a new medical skill [scan Lv.1 was added to status].

Kindness is not (entirely) for others.

“I feel 30 years younger. The pain has completely gone.”

I was given a pumpkin and some potatoes by the grandma who was rejoicing.

I’ll keep them as food since I’m off to the labyrinth tomorrow.

It feels nice to do good things.

At the end of the day, I’d made the skincare set for Patty and a tower shield for Gobu.

I went to bed early in preparation for tomorrow.

Viscount Cherrycoke was walking down a hallway in his home.

All the servants he passes stop and bow their heads.

Suddenly, something seemed out of place and he stopped.

What was it? Nothing seemed to be any different.

Everyone is bowing.

No! That’s it!

I’m sure that man…….!

“Hey Onkel. What happened to your head?!”

The man called Onkel explains while blushing.

“Actually…Miyata-sama gave me a potion.”

“Has your hair grown back due to the potion from Miyata-dono?”

“That’s right.”

It looks like Onkel-shi is deeply grateful.

“Fumu. I bet earl Metz would be pleased with that medicine….. Is there any left?”

“N…! No…. I have already used it all……”

On that day Onkel lied to his lord for the first time in his life.

“I see…… I’ll have to write a letter to Miyata-dono. Send a messenger to my study immediately!”

As Onkel-shi saw off his lord who was heading to his study he started thinking about where he could hide his medicine.