Novice Alchemist 3-3

 

Chapter 3-3 : The Results Of Collecting Honey Ⅰ

 

The day after I showed the Floating Tent to Lorea-chan, I made a sign board with an explanation about the Floating Tent and displayed the tent in the front yard so that people could see it. After that, I started working in my workshop.

By the way, I also added a warning saying, “This tent has a security function, so you will get hurt if you try to steal it”, on the sign board.

According to Lorea-chan, she had already received several inquiries about the tent by noon, but because the price is very high, no one has placed an order yet.

However, there were many people who said that the tent was very convenient. Although they didn’t want to buy it now, they seemed to be interested in buying it someday, so I think if I continue displaying the tent like that, some people may come to order.

Among the Collectors in this village, Andre-san and his party members seem to be the people most likely to buy it, but they don’t seem to want to spend much money even though they are probably the Collectors who make most money in this village.

Well, there aren’t many places to spend money in this village, so they probably spend their money in another town without me knowing.

「Sarasa-san, by the way, this morning Iris-san and Kate-san said they were going to collect honey from Rotten Fruit Bees starting today.」(Lorea)

「I know. I heard they finally found a nest yesterday.」(Sarasa)

Rotten Fruit Bees themselves can easily be found around the Ice Fang Bats’ cave, but it seems that it’s quite difficult to find their nest. After all, you have to track the bees who return from the cave in order to find their nest. Moreover, they fly quite fast, and they are really active. They usually fly around the forest for several hours before they return to their nest.

Therefore, Iris-san and Kate-san had a very difficult time tracking those bees in a forest that has no smooth roads. They asked Andre-san and his friends to help them figure out the route that was usually used by the bees to go back and forth between their nest and the cave, and several days later, they finally found the nest.

「They said that the nest was very large, so I think it’s worth their hard work.」(Sarasa)

「By the way, Sarasa-san, are there any monsters who usually eat their honey? I’m worried that Iris-san and the others will be attacked by monsters again…」(Lorea)

「Ah, you don’t have to worry about it because their honey isー」(Sarasa)

「ーWe’re home!」(Kate)

When I was about to explain the reason to Lorea-chan, Kate-san entered the store in a hurry.

「Ah, welcome hoー」(Sarasa)

「Store Owner-san, I’m sorry, I need to use the toilet ASAP!」(Kate)

「O-Okay, go ahead.」(Sarasa)

Kate-san then rushed to the back of the store while holding her stomach.

Does she have a stomach ache?

Right after, Iris-san came in with a bitter smile on her face.

「Iris-san, welcome home.」(Sarasa)

「Welcome home. Have you collected the honey?」(Lorea)

「I’m home. Yep. Look at this.」(Iris)

Iris-san put the leather bag she was carrying on the counter, opened it and showed the contents to me and Lorea-chan.

Lorea-chan looked at the pile of honeycomb inside the bag with interest.

「Whoa… It’s pretty big…」(Lorea)

「Even so, this is only half of the entire nest, you know? Store Owner-dono advised us not to take the entire nest.」(Iris)

「Yup. After all, Rotten Fruit Bees will disappear from the forest if they lose their nest. It will be a problem if they are gone, right?」(Sarasa)

You can get more honey if you collect the entire nest but if you keep doing that, the bees will disappear, and it will surely inconvenience other Collectors.

Conserving resources in the forest is important after all.

「You want to sell this to me, right?」(Sarasa)

「Yes, please.」(Iris)

「By the way, where are Andre-san and his friends?」(Sarasa)

「Ah, just like Kate, they got a stomach ache so they went straight to the inn. I’m fine but it looks like the food we brought was the cause.」(Iris)

「Hee… They got food poisoning, huh? Food easily gets spoiled in summer after all……… Wait a minute…」(Sarasa)

They got a stomach ache? ….Don’t tell me…..

「Iris-san… Did they lick the honey?」(Sarasa)

「Yes, we ate a little bit of the honey. It was very delicious!」(Iris)

Iris-san put her hands on her cheeks with a happy face, recalling the sweet taste of the honey at that time.

「We!? You ate it too!?」(Sarasa)

「Y, Yes… What’s wrong with it? Indeed I still have a debt to pay, but it’s not that I ate all of it, right?」(Iris)

Iris-san looked at me with a confused face. I then stood up and shouted.

「Forget about debt! You shouldn’t eat Rotten Fruit Bees’ honey as it is because it’s poisonous!」(Sarasa)

That is the reason why there are no monsters who want to eat their honey.

「Eeehh!? But you said that it was high-class honey, right?」(Iris)

「No, I said it was raw material for making high-class honey! Aah! I’m also at fault for not telling you about the poison, I’m sorry! Anyway, how much did you eat?」(Sarasa)

「E-Everyone ate about a spoonful of it… No, I think Andre-san and his friends eat a bit more than that…」(Iris)

「I see… I don’t think they will die from it. However, they will be living on the toilet for a while… But, Iris-san, are you really okay? You didn’t feel weird after eating that honey?」(Sarasa)

「Yeah, fortunately. Looks like I have… a strong…… stomach…….」(Iris)

Iris-san said that with a calm face at first, but then she wrinkled her eyebrows and tightened her face all of a sudden.

And thenー

KuuUuuUuuーー

The sound of a stomach growling was heard.

「S-Store Owner-dono… I suddenly have urgent business I need to take care of, so if you will excuse me…」(Iris)

Iris-san kept talking politely to me, but I could tell what business that was just by looking at her sweaty face.

「…But Kate-san is stillー」(Sarasa)

「ーーKhh!」(Iris)

Before I could remind her that Kate-san was still in the toilet, Iris-san dashed to the back of the store.

Soon after, the sound of a door being hit was heard along with Iris-san’s shout.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

「Kate, please get out! I wanna use the toilet too!」(Iris)

「No way! I won’t come out for a while!」(Kate)

「Please! I can feel it! It’s coming! I can’t hold it any longer!」(Iris)

Lorea-chan and I went to the back to check the situation and saw Iris-san holding her stomach with one hand while hitting the toilet door with the other hand.

「I’m sorry but you have to wait!」(Kate)

「No! I can’t wait!」(Iris)

「I can’t go out either! I can’t even move my legs now! Urrghhh…!」(Kate)

「Please! You don’t want to come out even after I’m begging you this much!?」(Iris)

「Iris, when we left home, you said that we are equal and we should always treat each other with respect, didn’t you!? So I want you to respect me since I was the first to use this toilet!」(Kate)

「Alright, alright! How about we use the toilet together? Sharing everything with your best friend is a natural thing to do, right!?」(Iris)

「You’re right, but NO! That’s disgusting! How do we even do that!? I won’t share a toilet with anyone, even my best friend!」(Kate)

「UuUuuUuu…!」(Iris)

It looks like Iris-san is about to reach her limit. She wasn’t hitting the door as hard as before, and her legs started shaking.

「Sarasa-san, I feel sorry for Iris-san… I wonder if there’s anything we can do to help her…」(Lorea)

「Me too but I can’t suddenly build a toilet now… I can’t ask Kate-san to get out either because she is suffering as well… Umm…」(Sarasa)

Still, in order to protect Iris-san’s honor and keep this house hygienic, I can’t leave her alone.

I went to the warehouse, grabbed ‘a certain item’ and gave it to Iris-san who didn’t even have the energy to hit the door anymore.

「Store Owner-dono…」(Iris)

I smiled at Iris-san who looked at me with teary eyes and opened the door leading to the backyard for her.

「Please do it in the corner over there and keep it clean, okay?」(Sarasa)

「Uuu…. Kate! I won’t forget this!」(Iris)

After yelling at Kate-san, Iris-san walked out to the backyard in a hurry with shaky legs.

I showed my respect for Iris-san by not looking at her miserable state. I closed my eyes and silently closed the back door.

Iris-san yelled at Kate-san, but Kate-san is not at fault here. I hope they will make up with each other after this…

 

TL : This one’s hilarious XD

 

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