Paying a suitable amount of money, I had the town’s carpenters convert part of the house into a storefront.
bangclangclunk, rattle, rattle.
bangclangclunk, rattle, rumble.
I can hear those sounds coming from the entrance.
It doesn’t seem like it would be such a large-scale project, so they said it would be done in a week.
“Reiji-san, I’ve brought tea, you know-?”
As I was in the medicine room manufacturing new medicine, Mina came bringing me three peoples’ worth of tea.
“Aa, thanks.”
Noela, who was peeking at what I had in my hands with great interest, twitched and her ears stood upright as she looked at Mina.
“Master, Master. A girl I don’t know, is here.”
“Well yeah, she’s here – huh? You can see her?”
Nod nod, Noela nodded her head up and down with all her might.
“Oh that’s right, Reiji-san. I had forgotten to tell you, but I haven’t used the power I’ve been gathering for these several decades, so I’m capable of gaining substance for long periods of time-.”
As she spoke while smiling, Mina poured tea into the tea cups I had just bought.
“Noela. This girl is called Mina, and she’s something like a ghost?”
“Understood.”
No she doesn’t.
“I’m going to show you proof, okay-? – Whew. With this, Noela-san shouldn’t be able to see me.”
“!? Disappeared.”
Even though she’s there like normal, Noela can’t see her at all.
“And how about this?”
“Came out.”
“And how about this?”
“Only an arm. Weird.”
Mina and Noela seem to be having fun playing around, so I left the medicine room and went to see the status of the renovations.
I don’t need it to be too big, so I didn’t think it would take this long, but I can’t see where they’ve made any progress.
“Um – how’s the progress?”
When I had said a few words, the working craftsmen all lifted their heads.
“Ku, Sir Pharmacist, i,it’s as you can see.”
The one standing up unsteadily is Gaston-san.
He’s the one who’s been a carpenter the longest in this town, and his weakpoint is that he’s over 80.
As for 80 years, that’s a super-long life.
Even though he stood up, he’s hunched over at a 90 degree angle, and his head is at the level of my waist.
He’s moving his mouth like he’s smacking his lips, and his eyes seem to be buried in his wrinkles.
He’s quite the grandfatherly carpenter, but it seems he’s a legend that the other carpenters respect.
It would be good if he doesn’t injure himself.
Y,yeah, I’m a bit worried.
Although it might be rude to be so worried about a pro like this.
All the other carpenters besides Gaston-san are also getting up there in age.
The youngest of these senior carpenters is in the 60s.
This is like that, and if we do that~, with a trembling finger pointing shakily, Gaston-san gave me an explanation.
“And so, if it’s like this, would it be impossible to do in a week?”
“Haa-? What did you saay?”
“Is! One week! Impossible! To finish! The renovations!?”
“Aa, aa, see, as for my wife, a long time ago~”
I didn’t ask about your wife.
“That’s right, she was a stolen woman, see.”
<sup>(left ambiguous as to if he stole her away or she was stolen away from him)</sup>
Eh, what!? Who did from whom!? I want to know!
Munya, munya, Gaston-san moved his mouth leisurely.
“… … Like you can see, I can’t move like I could in the past ~ so this is taking more time than I thought, Sir Pharmacist. My wife, it all started with a one-night stand, see.”
“You’re mixing up your work discussion and your tales from the past! … Eh? A one night stand?”
I,I’m way too curious.
“And so, my limitation is that I get tired so quickly. Everyone’s getting up there in age, I believe~”
“Aa, so that’s why the work efficiency won’t go up …”
The other carpenters, without caring for their honor, nodded at me.
For people who have only done one type of work all this time, it must be frustrating that they can’t work like they used to.
“I’m grateful to Sir Pharmacist. You’ve made sooo many potions that had been sold out all over in town. And they are even so delicious, you can’t believe they exist in this world. Thanks to that, we can do our work without worrying about injuries.”
That’s right; the other carpenters also nodded their heads.
“That’s why we want to do what we can for you, but … no matter what, you can’t beat old age…”
So they get tired right away…
Even if it’s just temporary, I wonder if I can make a medicine that will help them forget about age.
Ah. If I can make a potion, then can’t I also make THAT?
Simply saying, “Don’t push yourselves too hard,” I returned to the medicine room.
I flipped through the few reference books on plants that I had bought.
“Master, what are you doing?”
“Hm, there’s a medicine I want to be able to make.”
When I pull together the completed image in my head, it seems that I’ve become able to understand which ingredients I’ll need.
The Drug Discovery Skill is really convenient.
There aren’t photographs like there would be in modern reference books, but I confirm the names and where they grow.
They seem to be herbs that grow in the area.
“Reiji-san, the tea seems to have gotten cold, so should I refill your cup?”
“Thanks. But right now, I’m going out.”
“Is that so? Then have a nice trip~”
“Un. I’ll leave the house to you.”
“Of course~”
While listening to Mina’s cheery voice, I completed preparing a complete set of tools and left the room.
Together with Noela, who’s the one in charge of scouting for the enemy, we went out towards the usual forest.
～～～～～～～～～～
There are three types of ingredients I have to harvest to make the potion.
After that, I have to go to town to by oranges, honey, and ginger.
No matter how I think about it, it’s like making THAT.
When I had all the ingredients in hand, I returned and immediately shut myself up in the medicine room.
Pretty soon, Mina poked her head out.
“Welcome back, Reiji-san, Noela-san. What would you like for lunch-?”
“I’ll have it later.”
With her tail wagging side to side, Noela was watching the work my hands were beginning to do with great interest.
“Noela also, later.”
“It’s no good if you don’t eat when you should, you know-? Shall I make something easy to eat?”
Mina, who seems to enjoy taking care of people more than I thought, headed towards the kitchen while humming.
According to the way to make the potion, I grind and strain, then mix a small amount of juice from the orange and ginger with a little honey together with it.
“Master, what are you making?”
“If it works, it will be a fun one. Will you fill a bottle with water for me?”
Carrying the bottles I had stocked, Noela went to draw water.
I gave her my thanks, put the blend of strained juices in the water, put the cap on, and shook it.
Swish swish swish swish -.
The water in the bottle glowed with the usual pale light.
[Energy Potion: Effective for restoring fatigue, a potion with an awakening effect. The effect is dependent on individual differences.]
“—I did it!”
“Did it? Did it?”
I tried drinking it to test it out.
“-N! Nnnnn!”
“What is it, what is it, Master?”
I,I want to say it. **and vigorous! <sup>1</sup> – I want to say it.
<sup>(a slogan for a popular energy drink)</sup>
The taste is pretty much the same.
That energy drink that I liked in that world.
I’m a little dissatisfied that there’s no carbonation, but despite that, it’s delicious enough.
“Noela too, Noela too.”
“It will startle you if you’re not used to drinking it, so just a little bit.”
I put a little into a spare bottle and gave it to Noela to drink.
“!?”
Pomf-. Noela’s hair stood on end as if it was accompanied with that sound. Her eyes were bulging and swirling around.
“Master, amazing, tasty taste, amazing! Right now, I could fly.”
“Stop that.”
Noela ran noisily around, slide between my legs, climbed up on my back, and jumped off; she’s completely full of energy.
“Reiji-san, I’ve made sandwiches-. With these, you can eat while you work, right?”
Mina, carrying a plate of sandwiches, came over.
When she saw the energetic Noela, her eyes went wide.
“Thanks. I’ll have them later. And also, can you watch after Noela?”
I picked up one of the ham and vegetable sandwiches.
Un, delicious.
“Yes, that’s fine … but what’s wrong with Noela-san?”
“It looks like she has too much energy.”
“Haa…” Mina tilted her head while blinking.
I split up the energy potion into small bottles.
Taking five of them, I headed to where the carpenters are.
“Here are some refreshments; have them if you’d like.”
I distributed them one by one, and everyone stared at it suspiciously.
Ah. … their sight has deteriorated (I assume).
“What’s this weird liquid?”
Gaston-san asked me on behalf of everyone else.
“It’s just a little drink that makes you energetic. … It’s not that it definitely makes you energetic; it might be more accurate to say it ‘makes you feel energetic.’”
Hm; snorting a bit, Gaston-san suddenly chugged the small bottle down.
“Houn-!? –”
Letting out a strange voice, Gaston-san froze.
“How is it? The taste might be a bit stimulating … It’s technically supposed to have a fatigue recovery effect and wakening effect. Although it may differ from person to person.”
Gaston-san, his body shaking, took one step at a time.
When he did so, his terribly hunched back slowly straightened at each step until it became straight.
“… Darwin’s theory of evolution? Aa, no, I shouldn’t be messing around. Gaston-san, how is your back?”
Gaston-san didn’t hear me as he muttered, “This is, this feeling is –“
“Aaaaa… HaaaaaHAAAAAAA-“
I rubbed my eyes.
There’s a glowing vapor coming from Gaston-san’s body.
Gaston-san just started working at super high speeds.
“W,wait a second, are you alright!?”
“What a foolish questioooooon, FUWAHAHAHAHA!”
“Hasn’t your personality changed!? … My eyes can’t keep up with your movements –“
The youngest carpenter, in his 60s, patted my shoulder.
“You think you can see him, right? But that is all – afterimages.”
“Afterimages!?”
“ … These movements – it’s the Legend in his golden years.”
“… The Legend I looked up to as a brat has been revived.”
“The Legend continues-“
Everyone opened the small bottles and chugged the energy potion.
“Um… it’s better if you don’t drink it all at once…”
“ “ “FUOOOOOOO! With this kind of job, we’ll finish it off in no time!” ” ”
“Your personalities really have changed!”
“Kuku … finally, the time has come, the time to release the seal on the dark dragon in my left hand –“
“One of you has awakened in a completely different manner!?”
With a vigorous, menacing aura <sup>2</sup> , the grandpa carpenters worked hard.
As a result, the renovation that should have taken a week was finished in just one day.
Thanks to drawing out their energy, they aren’t dodderingly working but vigorously working.
All of them said it was fun for them to feel like they were young again.
The construction ended sooner than expected so it seems like I can open shop more quickly than I expected as well; everyone was also having fun doing the job.
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It’s really great that no one lost out on anything.
U-n, even so, it’s probably way too effective. That energy potion.
At the end, with his tools in his hands and his back stretched tall, Gaston-san looked back at me with a cool face.
“Call me again if you need anything, ‘kay?”
No, like I said, your personality changed way too much.