kscans

Chapter 85 - Experiment

After an extremely awkward checkout, I went to the guild and reported to Satsuki-san that I had sold the Item Bag to Yoshino-san. Then, I went straight home and spent the rest of the day lazing around.

In the evening, Kaede-chan came home, and we had dinner together. After we finished eating, our relaxing time on the sofa began.

"Did the transaction go smoothly?"

Kaede-chan, sitting next to me with a beer in hand, asked.

"It’s done. It sold for 42.5 million yen, just as planned."

I counted it this afternoon, and it was all there. I was sure she was going to shortchange me…

"That’s great."

"The money is steadily piling up, isn’t it."

"It is………… By the way, Senpai, why are you still Eleanor-san?"

I had remained as Eleanor-san even after coming home, and even after Kaede-chan returned. Of course, there was a reason.

"Kaede-chan, can you help me with a little experiment?"

"An experiment?"

"Yep………… Ta-da!"

I took out a Buff Potion (Defense) from my bag.

"A potion? I’ve never seen that color before. Is that a buff potion?"

"You bet."

I replied, then started drinking the Buff Potion (Defense).

"Ah, that’s the chaser."

After downing the buff potion, I drank some canned beer to wash it down.

"That’s a luxurious chaser."

Well, you know. I don’t know how much it will sell for, but it’ll easily be in the hundreds of thousands.

"Alright! First, Kaede-chan, try hitting me."

"Huh… Hit you, Senpai? Please do it yourself."

Kaede-chan seemed reluctant.

"The thing is, I don’t really understand the effect of this buff potion. It still hurt when I pinched myself, and when I lightly cut my finger with my sword, it still bled."

It hurt, but I immediately applied a Healing Potion, so it wasn’t a problem.

"I’m surprised you can cut yourself like that………… But now that you mention it, what exactly does a defense boost do?"

"Right? My skin is still soft, of course."

I exposed my stomach and pinched it.

"It certainly is squishy."

Kaede-chan poked my soft stomach.

"See? I don’t get the effect. That’s why I want you to attack me."

"I see… So you want me to hit you… But why are you Eleanor-san? It makes it harder to hit you."

"I don’t want to be Okita-kun for this. I think I’d cry if you hit me, Kaede-chan."

If Kaede-chan, my oasis of peace, turned violent, I would die.

"Oh… So it’s okay if it’s Eleanor-san?"

"This person isn’t Okita-kun."

"I don’t really understand that distinction, but fine…………"

Kaede-chan said, then gave my head a light tap, pechin.

"Hey, that’s too weak."

"Oh…"

"Harder, please. Channel all your daily stress into it."

Channel your frustration with the work-shirking Satsuki-san!

"Okay………… Stop pacing around the hallway when I’m in the bath!"

Kaede-chan smacked my head with a bashin.

"I wanted you to channel your work stress…"

I don’t have any ulterior motives… I’m just waiting for Kaede-chan to forget her change of clothes and come out in just a bath towel…

"No, that’s your fault, Senpai. Anyway, how was the damage?"

I rubbed my head as she asked.

"It doesn’t hurt. Hmm, then next is this."

I took out the bamboo sword I used to use long ago from my bag.

"Seriously? This is a full-on punishment, isn’t it?"

Kaede-chan seemed a bit taken aback.

"Go ahead. I have Healing Potions even if you mess up."

"I really don’t want to do this…………"

"Think of it as being for Nanapon’s sake. It’s dangerous if we don’t test this out."

Even if we use it, we need to know what level of attack it can withstand.

"Haa…? Fine, I’ll do it."

"No complaints about me this time."

"Got it………… Stop staring at people’s chests!"

Kaede-chan said, then swung the bamboo sword down with considerable force, hitting my head. A shock ran through my head, but there was no pain or damage.

"Kaede-chan, I told you, no complaints."

I grumbled while rubbing my head.

"It’s not a complaint. I’ve never actually called you out on it, have I?"

"Hmm… By the way, is it true that girls can tell when they’re being looked at?"

"Even as Eleanor-san, you’ll be able to tell when you talk to men. Their gaze unnaturally drops. You’re especially easy to read, Senpai."

"Oh…"

I should be careful. Kaede-chan is kind and will forgive me, but there’s a dangerous woman out there. That one seems like she’d demand money.

"So, how was the damage? It doesn’t seem like there was any."

"Yeah. Normally, getting hit with a bamboo sword hurts a lot, but the damage was zero. It seems the defense boost activates against attacks from others. And it’s powerful."

"Senpai, give me one of those potions too."

Kaede-chan held out her hand, so I took a Buff Potion (Defense) from my bag and gave it to her. She then chugged it down in one go.

"It’s my chaser!"

"How luxurious."

Kaede-chan placed the empty pet-flask on the table and started pinching her own arm and tapping her cheeks, pechin pechin.

"I can’t tell………… Senpai, hit me."

"No way!"

Absolutely not. Why would I ever have to hit Kaede-chan?

"But I won’t know unless you hit me. Come on, with all your usual complaints, let it all out!"

Kaede-chan said, offering her head, so for now, I just patted it.

"Hmm, complaints…"

Complaints about Kaede-chan? I don’t have any.

"There must be something, right?"

"Uh… I can’t think of any. Maybe that you lock your room door?"

"That’s normal. If you want me to open it, go to the city office and get the paperwork."

I’ll go to the city office next time.

"I don’t have any complaints, so I can’t hit you."

Pats pats.

"Then channel your frustrations from your old job."

"You’d become a dismembered corpse, Kaede-chan."

"That’s scary… Your patting is getting clumsy, so you must be serious………… Then, your frustrations with Nanaka-chan."

At that, I stopped patting her.

"Stop giving all the credit to Eleanor-san and blaming all the bad stuff on Okita-kun!"

A sharp sound, spaan, echoed from Kaede-chan’s head.

"I understand how you feel."

Kaede-chan nodded while rubbing her head.

"That word ‘change’ really hurts."

I now deeply understand how the hostesses at night clubs must feel.

"She just adores Eleanor-san."

I get that, but that’s no reason to look down on Okita-kun. It’s discrimination.

"By the way, did it hurt?"

"Not at all. This is amazing."

"Right? Kaede-chan, try cutting my arm with a kitchen knife."

"I really don’t want to do that."

I figured as much. I want to experiment with that, but it’s difficult.

"So I can’t go any further than this. I was thinking of using a frying pan or a hammer too."

"You could die if things go wrong. For now, you’ll have to make the other buff potions and make an educated guess. The speed and attack power boosts should be easier to measure, right?"

It would certainly be better to check with those.

"I’ll do that. Oh, and Kaede-chan, can you put out a request to gather Fluffy Grass? It’s a pain to go get it."

"I can do that. Shall I set it up?"

"Please. The number doesn’t matter."

The effect only lasts for an hour, so I want to make a large batch.

"How much should the reward be?"

"Is there a market rate?"

I’ve never made or taken a request, so I have no idea.

"Not really. Then let’s make it 500 yen."

"Isn’t that cheap?"

"It’s not a designated request, so that should be enough. Our guild has a lot of beginners, so I think they’ll bring some back as a way to earn a little extra money while they’re out adventuring. It’s just grass, so it’s easy to carry."

If they can gather even two bundles of cat-tail grass, they can cover their lunch money. That might be a good way to think about it.

"Then please do that. Should I put it under Eleanor-san’s name or Okita-kun’s?"

"You can do it anonymously."

"Then let’s do that. Oh, take this and pay for it."

I handed Kaede-chan the bag with 42.5 million yen in it.

"Senpai, I’ve been meaning to ask, but aren’t you worried I’ll just use this money for myself?"

"Go ahead and use it. Why do you think I’m earning billions by changing my gender? It’s all for you."

Go on a spending spree. I’m going to spend like crazy too. The only problem is I can’t think of anything to spend it on.

"Senpai, I love you!"

Kaede-chan said, throwing her arms around me. You cute little thing!

"Tch! I shouldn’t have become Eleanor-san."

"Hurry up and change back. Let’s drink together."

Guess I’ll quickly change and drink my chaser…