Chapter 3-4 : The Results Of Collecting Honey Ⅱ

 

「Phew… What a disaster…」(Sarasa)

「Are they gonna be alright?」(Lorea)

「If we don’t do something for them, they will probably die…」(Sarasa)

「Eh!? Didn’t you say they wouldn’t die from just eating a little bit of the honey?」(Lorea)

「Well, Actually, there’s a slim possibility that they will die. If we ignore them, they will continue suffering like that for about two weeks. They will probably be fine as long as they drink water and eat enough food, but they might die if they can no longer stand the pain. 」(Sarasa)

「We have to help them, then!」(Lorea)

「Yeah. I’m worried about Andre-san and his friends too. I bet they’re now suffering in the inn’s bathrooms. Anyway, I will try to make a special potion for them.」(Sarasa)

「That’s right! Potions! But why do you have to make any?」(Lorea)

「Actually, I have potions that can cure them at once, but they are sooo pricey. Iris-san and the others may be saved from the pain but then they will be suffering from huge debt.」(Sarasa)

Because there are five of them, they will need five of those pricey potions. Even though they will make money from selling the honey, I don’t think it will be enough to pay for the potions.

You would probably buy that potion without hesitation if you would one hundred percent die if you didn’t drink it, but in their cases, the chances of them dying are very slim, so I don’t think buying those pricey potions is a good idea.

「Therefore, I will try to make a special potion that is way cheaper than that pricey one. Anyway, I should go get the ingredients first. Lorea-chan, can you help me?」(Sarasa)

「Yes, of course!」(Lorea)

Un. What a good girl.

We went to the warehouse to grab some tools for collecting materials and then went to the forest through the back door.

By the way, to show consideration for Iris-san, who was suffering in a corner of the backyard, we closed our ears and tried to avoid looking at her as much as possible when we passed through the backyard.

「Alright. Lorea-chan, can you dig up the ground around these rotten leaves? You will find……」(Sarasa)

While saying that, I looked around the ground and found a larva. I took it and showed it to Lorea-chan.

「You will find larvae like this. This one is small though. I want you to collect them.」(Sarasa)

After that, I put the larva, which was about one centimeter long, in the insect box I brought from home.

They are fairly easy to find but I need a lot of them since I have to make potions for five people.

「Okay. How many do you need?」(Lorea)

「To make a potion for one person I need at least ten of them, so for five people, I need fiftyー No, I think I will need more. Sixty will be enough, I think.」(Sarasa)

「Understood. But… Are these larvae really the materials to make potions…?」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan asked while observing the larva she just found. She then put it in the insect box.

「It’s hard to believe, but yes, they are. This potion is cheap, but it takes more time and effort to make than the pricey one. Hmm… Perhaps I can cut corners to make it even cheaper.」(Sarasa)

「Eh? Will it reduce the potion’s effectiveness?」(Lorea)

「Of course not. As an alchemist, I don’t want to sacrifice their effectiveness. Well, I think they will taste way worse than the original though.」(Sarasa)

「Ah, so it originally tastes bad, huh? It’s made from larvae after all. If that’s the case, I don’t think that’s a problem. Iris-san and the others are suffering because of their own actions, so I don’t think they will complain.」(Lorea)

「Uhh… I think I’m at fault too for not telling them not to eat the honey in advance. Well, I do also think that it’s because of their lack of knowledge as Collectors.」(Sarasa)

I feel a bit responsible for what happened to them. That’s why I want to help them as much as I can.

 

***

 

It took about thirty minutes for me and Lorea-chan to collect the larvae.

We went home, and then I started making the potions.

I prepared a box with a sieve on the top, took out the larvae from the insect box and put them on the sieve carefully one by one. After that, I leave them for a while until they drop their manure.

While waiting, I asked Lorea-chan to prepare the additional ingredients. It’s an easy job because you only have to grind the ingredients with a mortar, so even Lorea-chan can do it. It’s more of a pharmacist’s task than an alchemist’s.

「Well then, I leave the other ingredients to you. I’m going to check on Iris-san and Kate-san.」(Sarasa)

「Alright, you can count on me.」(Lorea)

After telling Lorea-chan what to do, I went to check on the two dying people.

First, I went to the back room to check on Kate-san who was in the toilet.

「Kate-san, how are you doing?」(Sarasa)

「S, Store Owner-san… I think I’m dying… Ughh… How long will this pain last…?」(Kate)

「It depends on how strong your stomach is and how much honey you ate, but normally it takes about two weeks.」(Sarasa)

「Two weeks!? No way… I can’t….. I’m gonna die…..」(Kate)

「I’m making a potion for you, so please hang in there. Anyway, can you open the door a little? I brought you some water.」(Sarasa)

Kate-san opened the door a little and stretched out her hand.

Her hand was shaking. She must be in unbearable pain now.

She then took the bottle of water I had prepared and closed the door.

「Thank you, Store Owner-san… Can you check on Iris too? I’m worried about her…」(Kate)

「Yeah, that’s my plan. Well, I don’t think she wants me to see her miserable state though.」(Sarasa)

「Then you can tell her that you have already seen her stomach so she doesn’t have to feel embarrassed.」(Kate)

「Certainly I saw her stomach when I treated her injuries, but now it’s different. I will not only see her stomach but I will also see her… Uhh… Anyway, Kate-san, please make sure you drink enough water, okay?」(Sarasa)

「O, Okay. Thank you.」(Kate)

I left Kate-san alone and opened the door leading to the backyard.

Iris-san is now crouching in a corner of the backyard.

I’m sorry, but to protect her honor, I won’t describe her state in detail here.

「Iris-san, how are you feeling?」(Sarasa)

「S-Store Owner-dono!? P-Please stay away from me! Don’t look at me!」(Iris)

Iris-san panicked when I approached her.

She told me to stay away but I can’t give her water if I don’t approach her, right?

「It’s okay. You don’t have to feel embarrassed. I brought water for you, so please make sure you stay hydrated.」(Sarasa)

「Th… Thank you… Uuu… I can’t believe I’m showing Store Owner-dono my most miserable appearance…」(Iris)

「D, Don’t worry about it. I won’t hate you just because I saw you pooーー A-Anyway, I’m currently making a potion for you, so please bear with the pain a little longer.」(Sarasa)

「Really!? Thank yーー Urrghhh! Oh, no! It’s coming again! Store Owner-dono, I’m sorry butー」(Iris)

「Okay, okay. I’m leaving. Please get inside and wash yourself if you feel better.」(Sarasa)

「Understuuurrgghhh!!!」(Iris)

I’d feel bad if Iris-san had to hold it longer, so I hurriedly ran back into my house and went to my workshop.

「Sarasa-san, welcome back. How are those two?」(Lorea)

「They’re suffering but I think they will be fine. I wonder if the main ingredient is ready. Let’s see…」(Sarasa)

After confirming that the larvae were ready, I washed them with water, put them together into a druggist’ mortar and started grinding them.

It sounds kinda gross when I’m grinding them. Even Lorea-chan is looking at them with a disgusted face.

「Umm… Sarasa-san, they are going to be processed into potions, right?」(Lorea)

「Yup.」(Sarasa)

「And Iris-san and the others are going to drink them, right?」(Lorea)

「That’s right~」(Sarasa)

「………..」(Lorea)

After I grinded the larvae for a while, they turned into a dark brown liquid.

「By the way, if I wasn’t cutting corners, i would have to cut them open and take only the necessary parts.」(Sarasa)

「I see… These larvae are small and there are sixty of them. That would be very troublesome.」(Lorea)

「Right?」(Sarasa)

I put a little bit of water into the mortar and mixed it with the dark brown liquid. After that, I put the liquid into my small alchemy pot, added the other ingredients that had been processed by Lorea-chan, and started stirring slowly while pouring my magical power little by little.

After a while of stirring, the potion is finally complete.

「Alright, the potion is ready! It tastes super bad but I can guarantee its effectiveness! Lorea-chan, you look so curious about this potion. Do you want to have a taste?」(Sarasa)

「No, thanks…」(Lorea)

TL : poor Iris…

 

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7 Comments

  1. Thank you for the chapter and just want to also say thank you for the amazing work you have done this past year I know it had a lot of ups and downs and I hope you have a wonderful new year 🙂

    1. You’re welcome! Thank you for your support and thank you for reading so far. You’re awesome! /’o’)/

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