Chapter 3-15 : Making The Ultimate Antidote (part 2)
「Alright. Now, according to the explanation, I have to mix it with a potion to make the antidote.」(Kako)
I took out a bottle of high-quality potion I had from my magic bag and prepared an empty wooden cup.
I then scooped up a small amount of the contaminated maizen juice with a washed leaf as a spoon and put it into the cup. Next, I used my Synthesis ability to mix it with the potion and then appraised the result.
《Failed Lost Potion Antidote : The antidote that can neutralize the toxins from the failed product of Lost Potion.》
「Yosh! It’s complete!」(Kako)
This is really great. I can now save the mermaids.
I’m not sure if it will be enough for all the mermaids, but it’s a good thing I bring a lot of potions in my magic bag so I can mass-produce them.
I plan to sell these potions, but this is not the time to be stingy. Besides, I can free up some space doing it.
Once I completed a product with my Synthesis ability, I could make several of the same product at the same time with batch synthesis, so it didn’t take me long to get a big amount of antidotes.
◆◆◆
「Oh, you’re back. Took you long enough. I thought you had been attacked by a monster. I was just about to go look for you, ya know?」(Roan)
「Sorry to make you worry.」(Kako)
「So? Did you find any useful herbs out there?」(Roan)
「Herbs? Nope, it’s much better than that. I successfully made the antidote for the poison!」(Kako)
「Though so. This island has nothing but useless weedsー Wait… What did you say?」(Roan)
「I said I made the antidote. The cure.」(Kako)
「Wai… Huh…? No, no. It’s not the kind of thing a child could easily make!」(Roan)
「I told you I’m not a child!」(Kako)
「Guh… Did you really…」(Roan)
I replied to the doubtful man with a silent nod, but then he responded with a loud, surprised voice.
「Eeeeeeeehhh!?」(Roan)
Hearing Roan’s voice, the surrounding mermaids gathered and looked at him in confusion.
「Wait a second! You made the cure? But how!? You said you were not a doctor.」(Roan)
「Well, I can’t tell you the details, but I mixed some plants I found along the way.」(Kako)
「Huh? So you just mixed random plants?」(Roan)
「I didn’t chose randomly!」(Kako)
「Really? How do you even know your so-called antidote is effective?」(Roan)
「Well, I discovered some plants near the river mouth that had been contaminated by the polluted water. Their leaves turned red just like the color of the poison. I tested my antidote on them.」(Kako)
Since the antidote itself was made out of contaminated materials, I had to test it thoroughly before giving it to the mermaids. So, before returning, I tested it on some contaminated plants.
「And the result?」(Roan)
「Their leaves slowly turned to their normal color, meaning that my antidote successfully detoxified those plants.」(Kako)
「No way…」(Roan)
Roan still looked in disbelief. He must not have thought that a child like me could really make the cure. Even though I’m NOT a child.
「What’s going on here?」(old mermaid)
Curious about our conversation, an old mermaid approached us.
「Ch, chief!?」(Roan)
He seemed to be this village’s chief.
「Everyone is surprised you talked so loudly. It’s not like you at all.」(Village Chief)
「I’m sorry…」(Roan)
From what I could grasp from what the chief said, it seemed that Roan was a cool type of guy. It was rare for him to be noisy.
「Mind to explain?」(Village Chief)
「Well…」(Roan)
Roan explained everything to the chief. He told him where I came from and what I had just achieved.
「This young lady made a cure for us? Really?」(Village Chief)
He was staring at me.
It was kinda hard to read the old man’s expression, but I think he’s suspicious of me.
Well, it’s only natural for a mermaid to suspect a human like me, but if I don’t convince him now, everything I did will be wasted!
「I understand your feelings, but I’m here to help. My antidote is the only cure that can save the sick people here.」(Kako)
「Hmm… You said you had tested it on contaminated plants.」(Village Chief)
「And it successfully detoxified them, yes.」(Kako)
「However, even if you can cure the plants, there’s no guarantee it would have the same result on people. Plants and people are two different beings.」(Village Chief)
「Well… That’s true…」(Kako)
「Besides, we don’t completely trust humans, not after what they have done to us. 」(Village Chief)
「…..」(Kako)
This is not good. Their trust toward humans is low.
I have to convince the village chief no matter what. Saving this village is not my duty, but I want to save them, especially the children who played with me.
The surrounding mermaids were looking at me with suspicion. However, I think this is my chance. Now that they are watching me, I only need to convince them once.
Normally, you would use rats for experiments before giving your medicines to people, but we don’t have rats here.
Looks like I have no choice but to use myself as a lab rat.
I took out a bottle of the antidote from my magic bag and opened its lid.
「Everyone, I will prove to you that my antidote is safe! Watch!」(Kako)
Here goes nothing!
I prayed in my mind for a split second, closed my eyes, and then drank the antidote.
「*Gulp gulp*!」(Kako)
「「ー!!」」(mermaids)
They are watching me drinking it with eyes wide open.
Good, good… Hmph!?
「ー*Cough cough*!」(Kako)
I’m proving to them that it’s safe to drink, but my body suddenly stiffened the moment I drank it and coughed.
「Ugh…」(Kako)
「Oi, are you okay!?」(Roan)
「This is not good! Young lady, you should spit it out now!」(Village Chief)
No, I will ruin everything if I throw up!
I held the bottle tightly and forced myself to chug the rest of the antidote, showing these people my determination.
「*Gulp gulp gulp gulp* Bweeeeeehhhh!!」(Kako)
I put my hands on my knees and stuck my tongue out. I almost threw up, but I did it… I drank all of it!
I had to convince these people, but I couldn’t talk.
Let alone talking, I couldn’t even breathe properly.
However, I would die if I didn’t breathe, so my body forced me to suck some air, and thenー
「It’s so BITTER!!!」(Kako)
ーI said what was in my mind out loud.
Yeah… It’s so bitter that it’s suffocating. I thought I would die of bitterness.
I hurriedly took out a piece of fruit from my magic bag and ate it to wash the bitterness down.
「*Munch munch*!」(Kako)
「You good?」(Roan)
「Phew… Yeah, I’m good… As you guys see, I’m alright. My antidote is extremely bitter, but it’s harmless and safe to drink. It’s extremely bitter, though.」(Kako)
「Oi, you said ‘extremely bitter’ twice…」(Roan)
Because it IS extremely, exceedingly, intensely BITTER!
However, despite my sacrifice, most of the mermaids still looked doubtful and hesitated.
They still can’t fully trust me, except for one old man.
「Young lady, can you give me one bottle of that?」(Village Chief)
The village chief looked me in the eye and extended his arm. He sounded serious.
「Chief?」
「Are you sure about that?」
「You might die!」(mermaids)
「This young lady has shown her determination. I’ll check if her antidote is real. I’m nothing but an old fish with only a short time left in this ocean. Even if I die, it won’t be a big deal.」(Village Chief)
「Chief…」(Roan)
I appreciate that he begins to trust me, but please don’t die. It would be a huge problem if you died.
「So, can I have one?」(Village Chief)
「Y, yes.」(Kako)
There’s no reason not to give it to him, so I obediently handed over a bottle of the antidote to the chief.
「Alright, here we go… *Gulp gulp gulp*!」(Village Chief)
He stared at the bottle for a few seconds and began to drink the antidote.
「ーBweeeeeeehh!!」(Village Chief)
After drinking all of it, he suddenly put his hand on his chest and stuck his tongue out.
「Chief, are you okay!?」
「I knew it! It was poison, after all!」
「The chief has been poisoned!」(mermaids)
The mermaids looked at their leader, whose body was bent over in a perfect U-shape, with concern.
「Calm down, you fools! I’m fine! It’s just… Damn! This shit is so freaking BITTER! It’s ten times more bitter than I expected! It’s so bitter that I thought I might die! Hey, young lady, can I have some of the fruits you ate earlier?」(Village Chief)
「Sure. Here you go.」(Kako)
The old man quickly grabbed the fruit as soon as I took it out from my magic bag and then ate it.
「*Munch munch*! Hmmm! It’s so delicious! That bitter liquid really brings out the sweetness of this fruit!」(Village Chief)
True. I can understand that.
This fruit tastes much sweeter after I drink the antidote. Though I don’t want to drink it again just to taste the fruit’s sweetness one more time.
「Is it really that delicious?」
「So, if we drink her antidote, we’ll get that delicious fruit, huh?」
「I guess drinking that bitter thing won’t be so bad after all.」(mermaids)
Hold on… I planned to give these people the antidote, but before I knew it, I had to give them these fruits too?
The fruits are for sale, but… Oh, well. I’ll give them some for free if they will drink my antidote.
But I think these people should be more concerned about the effectiveness of the antidote, not the fruits.
「So, Chief, how are you feeling? Is the antidote working?」(Roan)
Oh? It’s nice that we have the guy asking the question for me here.
「Now that you mention it, I do feel much better than before. My chest hurt and it was heavy to breathe a moment ago, but… now I don’t feel it anymore. It really works!」(Village Chief)
「「Whoaaaa!」」(mermaids)
The mermaids let out cries of joy.
They have been suffering from the poison, but now they finally see hope.
「Please share your medicine to me!」
「Me too!」
「Please give some to my children!」
「My family too!」(mermaids)
The mermaids started coming out of the cave and surrounded me all at once, asking for the antidote.
I made a lot of it, but now that I see these many people, I don’t think I have enough for them all.
「Um, everyone, I will give you the antidote, but… there’s one problem.」(Kako)
「A problem?」(Village Chief)
「Yes. I don’t have enough for all these people. I can gather more ingredients on this island, but I will need potions to complete the antidote, and I don’t have enough of them.」(Kako)
I brought potions for my own use and for sale. I never thought I would cure this many people.
If I were in the port city, I could always buy more potions, but I’m here in the mermaid island and don’t know how to go back there.
「Potions? Do you mean regular potions?」(Village Chief)
「I need the high-quality one, but, yes, regular ones will do.」(Kako)
「If those you want, then that old woman can prepare them for you.」(Village Chief)
「Old woman?」(Kako)
「We simply call her Granny. She’s like an apothecary in this village. Anyway, would you hand the antidotes you have now to these people?」(Village Chief)
「Of course. That’s my plan.」(Kako)
「Great. You’re such a sweet girl. I’m sorry for doubting you at first. Roan, can you gather the sick people? Prioritize the most ill ones.」(Village Chief)
「Right away, Chief.」(Roan)
Following the village chief’s instruction, Roan gathered the people and made them line up from the sickest one.
After I handed them all the antidotes I currently had, they drank them all together, and thenー
「「BWEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHー！！！」」(mermaids)
At that moment, the mermaids’ loud, strange noise echoed throughout the entire cave.
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