kscans

Chapter 166 - 111,111,111 Yen

Several days had passed since the news reports demanding Eleanor-san’s custody. In that time, I hadn’t taken a single step out of the house. I suppose it would have been fine to go out as Okita-kun, but I just wasn’t in the mood.

So, for the past few days, I’d spent my time making potions as part of my daily routine and playing video games with Kaede-chan. These few days really made me glad that I was living with her. If I were alone, I feel like I would have overthought things and ended up doing something I’d regret.

Aside from going out for groceries, Kaede-chan stayed home and was almost always with me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be watching me to make sure I didn’t do anything strange, but I knew for certain it was because she was worried and wanted to stay by my side. She really is a cute, soothing girl.

And today was the final day of the auction for the Healing Potion Lv3. I had become Eleanor-san for the occasion. The reason was that Nanapon had come over. Honestly, after a news report like that, I wasn't in the mood to be Eleanor-san even at home, but Nanapon told me to change, so I had no choice.

"It’s passed one hundred million, you know."

Nanapon was looking at her smartphone happily.

"Yeah. I wonder why it went up so much."

"Hm? Have you not been watching TV or looking at the internet?"

"Kaede-chan told me not to."

Incidentally, Kaede-chan was out shopping right now, so it was just me and Nanapon.

"Ah, it’s probably better if you don’t look. Some people are really tearing you to shreds."

"Tearing me to shreds..."

Why, though?

"They’re calling you a spy or treating you like a criminal. To be honest, Eleanor-san, your usual conduct isn’t exactly the best, you know. There are even compilation videos treating you like a heinous villain."

"I want to kill them..."

What part of me is a heinous villain? All I do is make stuff and sell it.

"Please stop. That’s why Asakura-san told you not to look. She said it’s better not to worry about it. It’s all just low-quality content to get views and ratings anyway."

I suppose so. But that’s probably the kind of stuff that makes the most money.

"Well, I won’t look."

"Exactly. Besides, there are plenty of people online who are skeptical about that news report. I mean, it’s been several days and there hasn’t been any follow-up. The government and the Guild are both staying silent."

After the report, Satsuki-san and Claire were supposed to be looking into it, but I hadn't heard anything from them. I wonder what’s going on.

"I just don’t get it..."

"I know. But I’m sure it’s just a false report. You’ll be able to go on adventures and make money again."

I could tell Nanapon was trying to comfort me.

"Ah, Nanapon, about that. I talked it over with Kaede-chan, and I think it’s about time I considered retiring."

"I see... Well, I guess it can’t be helped."

Surprisingly, Nanapon accepted it without any argument.

"Are you okay with that? You said you’d quit too if I did."

"Yes. There’s no point if Eleanor-san isn’t around. I was already halfway retired anyway."

Once Nanapon started college, she stopped going on adventures.

"My bad."

"No, it's fine. Even if you quit, you’ll keep making money, right?"

"I guess so. All I do is make and sell things, through Satsuki-san, Yoshino-san, the Chief Director, and Claire."

"Then isn’t that fine? Not adventuring means your level won’t go up, so you won’t get new recipes, but you can make plenty of money with the ones you already have."

Personally, I wanted to raise my level a bit more and get new recipes, but if I was only thinking about money, I didn't need them.

"I suppose so. Well, I’ll still give you your ten percent."

"Thank you. If you quit, will I be helping Satsuki-san?"

Helping... She means being her subordinate, doesn't she?

"Maybe so. Well, after you graduate college, you should become a Guild employee or a retained Adventurer."

"I’ll do that. What about you, Okita-san?"

"I’ll be a NEET."

"That’s awful."

It’s the truth, so I can’t help it.

"I’ll live a life of leisure with Kaede-chan. She’ll probably quit her job too."

"So you’ll become a NEET couple."

"Maybe I really will go on that trip around the world."

I wonder if that's actually fun.

"Well, do as you like. By the way, Okita-san."

"What is it?"

"I understand that you don’t feel like being Eleanor-san right now. And I feel bad for forcing you to change into her. But could you please start talking like Eleanor-san?"

What a pain this girl is, really...

"I understand. Is this better?"

"Yes. By the way, where is Asakura-san?"

"Shopping. She went to the supermarket to buy sushi since you said you were coming."

Nanapon had contacted me in the evening, saying her classes were done and she wanted to watch the auction results with me.

"Sushi! That sounds nice. I went to a non-conveyor belt sushi place the other day, too."

This girl hasn’t learned a thing. She’s going to get herself kidnapped again.

◆◇◆

After Nanapon and I talked for a while, Kaede-chan returned from her shopping trip.

"I have sushi!"

Kaede-chan placed the sushi and drinks on the table in front of the sofa. Canned beer for me and Kaede-chan, and a chu-hi for Nanapon.

"Nice. A celebration for breaking one hundred million."

"What’s the price now?"

"103,200,000 yen."

The Lv2 potions went for several million, but the way the price for the Lv3 is climbing is insane. It must be that rare.

"My sense of value is going numb. Alright! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers."

We toasted and then began to eat the sushi.

"Supermarket sushi is pretty good too."

"It is."

"It really is."

It was perfectly delicious.

"By the way, this auction was to determine the price for the Healing Potion Lv3, right? What are you going to do from now on?" Nanapon asked.

"I’m thinking somewhere around one hundred million. I’ll either have Satsuki-san do some sales for me or leave it to Claire."

"Don’t you think the value will drop if you sell a lot of them?"

"It probably will. But I don’t think it will drop all at once, and I doubt it’s something that will sell in large quantities anyway."

It has the amazing effect of healing even missing limbs, but on the other hand, I can’t imagine there are that many people with such severe injuries. The Healing Potions Lv1 and Lv2 are probably the ones in higher demand.

"I see..."

"Conversely, the new Cure Potion is what I think will really sell."

"Cure Potion? What’s that?"

I had only told Kaede-chan about the Cure Potion so far.

"My level went up because I defeated the Giant Skeleton. The recipe I learned was for the Cure Potion. Apparently, it can cure illnesses."

"Illnesses!? Like cancer!?"

"A Lv3 can cure cancer. I think it can cure most other illnesses as well."

It's incredible, isn't it? It could put doctors out of a job.

"Oh, it has levels... What are the ingredients?"

"Healing Potions. If you use a Lv1, you get a Lv1 Cure Potion. If you use a Lv3, you get a Lv3 Cure Potion."

"So the main ingredient is still Medicinal Herbs."

The material cost is just a few thousand yen. And with that, you can cure cancer. This is insane.

"I’ll give you one, so drink it if you catch a cold."

I said that and handed Nanapon a Cure Potion I had made.

"It’s transparent. What level is this?"

"Level 3. If you were being ravaged by cancer without your knowledge, it would be cured before you even knew it."

"I doubt that’s the case, but hearing you say that makes me want to drink it just in case."

"I’ll give you another one, so you can drink it if you want. To be honest, Kaede-chan and I already drank some."

When you talk about things like this, you can’t help but worry, so we drank them while telling each other to live long lives together.

"I’ll take it. Cancer is scary, and the flu is scary this time of year. A few people at my university are out sick."

Yeah, the flu is always going around in winter.

"The flu is rough, so you should drink it. Especially since you live alone. It’s really tough."

I caught the flu once when I was a student. I ended up calling my mom. She told me to go to the hospital and get some medicine, then hung up...

Wait a minute. I’m an only son. Don’t you think I’m a little unloved?

"I will."

Nanapon must have gotten scared, because she chugged the Cure Potion.

"Ah, it’s just water. I can’t feel any effect at all."

As usual, the Cure Potion was tasteless and odorless. Plus, it was transparent, so it looked exactly like water.

"You can’t feel the effects, can you? Well, it just means you’re healthy."

"I guess so. But don’t you think this would sell like crazy?"

I thought so too.

"But you can’t, right?"

I turned the conversation to Kaede-chan.

"No, you can’t. You probably wouldn’t get permission. I’m not an expert, but I think you’d face fierce opposition, or rather, nitpicking, from medical and pharmaceutical organizations and they wouldn’t approve it. Even with Healing Potions, it took years of back and forth before they were finally classified as drinking water."

"Ah, I can kind of see that..."

I could see it too. They would never approve a Cure Potion that would take away their privileges and jobs.

"It’s probably the same overseas. So this will have to be sold privately. This is a job for Claire."

I could just have her sell them to the wealthy and to Minerva.

"Dealing medicine on the black market... That adds to your witch-like persona, doesn’t it?"

If I get caught, I’ll be a complete villain.

We continued to eat sushi and drink while watching the auction’s progress. Then, at midnight, the auction ended.

The final bid was 111,111,111 yen.

After seeing the result, we drank some more, so Nanapon ended up staying the night. Since there was no spare bed, Kaede-chan slept in my room, and Nanapon slept in Kaede-chan’s room. I ended up sleeping on the sofa.

I felt a little lonely on the sofa, but the alcohol made me too sleepy to resist, and I quickly fell asleep.