kscans

Chapter 139 - A Savior for Troubled Men (The Witch)

I hung up the phone, got dressed, and headed to the guild in Ikebukuro. Of course, I stopped by a convenience store on the way and bought two Cokes. Then, after arriving at the back of the Ikebukuro guild by taxi, I performed the mysterious act of getting out of one taxi only to get into another.

"Here. You should be grateful I didn’t buy you Diet Coke."

I said that as I handed Claire the Cokes, still in the plastic bag.

"Sorry about that. Is dollars okay?"

"I don’t need it. It’s on me."

"Thanks."

Claire thanked me and passed a Coke to Harry in the driver’s seat.

"Diet is no good. It’s an insult to Coke."

I wouldn’t know.

"So, what did you need to talk about?"

I asked Claire, who had started drinking her Coke.

"Let me hear your business first."

Well, I guess I can go first. It’s not a big deal.

"The thing is, I tried mixing a Healing Potion with a hair growth tonic."

As I said this, I took out the Hair Growth Potion I had just made and handed it to her.

"…Why? Are you an idiot?"

How rude!

"Well, you see, if you mix Healing Potion with shampoo or body soap, it’s amazing. Look."

I grabbed my tied-up hair and showed it to Claire.

"Oh… hmm…"

Claire touched my hair, stroking it with her hand.

"Amazing, right?"

"It is amazing… Could this sell? It seems like it would sell to actresses… but we wouldn’t be able to move a lot of units…"

Claire fell into thought while running her fingers through my hair.

"Well, let’s leave that for now. As an extension of that, I made the Hair Growth Potion. Give it a try."

"I have short hair, but I’m not balding."

Harry chimed into the conversation.

"I’m not talking about you. I’m asking if you have any balding acquaintances."

"Such a way with words… Norman is… not balding."

Who’s that?

"Should we try it on one of our employees?"

Claire suggested.

"Please do. And while you’re at it, sell it at your company."

"The hair growth tonic? Hmm, Harry, if you were balding, would you buy it for a million yen?"

"I would."

Harry answered immediately. For the record, I would too.

"It could sell… Is it okay to say the Hair Growth Potion dropped from a Slime?"

"About that, if you appraise this, it says, ‘A mixture of hair growth tonic and Healing Potion’."

"Hmm, let’s see… Ah, you’re right."

Apparently, Claire has the Appraisal skill.

"You have Appraisal?"

"This is why I thought of going into business."

"Huh."

"In that case, we can only sell it once. It’ll be exposed if it gets appraised."

Anyone would just buy a Healing Potion for 500,000 yen.

"Just sell it once is fine."

"Alright, but I’ll take a margin."

Well, a commission is expected.

"How much?"

"About ten percent?"

"That’s fine."

"Then, I’ll take this. Maybe I’ll send it back home and have them test it."

Claire said that and put the Hair Growth Potion I gave her into her bag.

"How much will you sell it for?"

"After a little more research. I’m a woman, so I don’t understand the demand. By the way, how many can you make?"

"It depends on the hair growth tonic, I guess? It’s probably better to use the same product."

Since we’re selling it, I’d like to avoid using different brands.

"We’ll prepare the hair growth tonic. You just need to provide the Healing Potions."

"In that case, any number is fine. My current stock is around 2000, I think?"

I’ve been making a ton since I have nothing else to do.

"2000… What about level 2?"

"500, maybe? I don’t even have 100 of the level 3 ones."

I just started making the level 3 Healing Potions, so I don’t have many.

"Wait a minute! Level 3 is the one that’s up for auction right now, isn’t it!"

Ah, right.

"Sorry, sorry. I have one level 3. It’s a valuable item, so you should participate in the auction too."

Bid high, okay?

"I’m out. This is ridiculous… I’ll buy one later."

Tch! That was a complete slip of the tongue.

"I’ll sell you one right now for 80 million yen, no questions asked."

"Hold on… can I afford that? Hmm… Given its rarity, it’ll probably go for more than 80 million, right? And I want to keep one just in case… Hmm, one! I’ll buy one."

After much deliberation, Claire decided to buy just one.

"In yen, cash."

"I know. I’ll have it ready."

"Then I’m counting on you. Now, what was your business?"

"Was an undiscovered area found within Japan’s territory?"

She’s talking about the underground ruin.

"Who knows?"

"So it was found…"

Huh?

"I told you I don’t know."

"Saying that with such a smirk on your face isn’t convincing."

Was I smiling?

"I don’t know anything. And don’t you dare say you heard it from me."

"I won’t."

"Are you guys after it too?"

"Impossible. We wouldn’t get permission. The Japanese government wouldn’t yield, either."

Of course not.

"It’s just an underground ruin, though."

"An underground ruin? What’s that. I don’t care."

Claire doesn’t seem interested.

"You should save your money."

"…What do you mean by that?"

"I’m going to show the world gold."

Literally.

"So there’s something in that underground ruin… But there’s nothing we can do about it, huh…"

Claire fell into thought.

"Alright! We’re here!"

Harry stopped the taxi.

"Ramen again?"

"It’s tsukemen today."

That’s still ramen! Because of you, they’re calling me the ramen-loving witch on the internet!