The Apothecary Wanderings 1

"?!"

Gotcha!

I heard some tourist had the nerve to walk all the way down here. Looks like the rumors were right.

Well, well... You actually tried to pass as a "local," did ya?

What a joke. You know, REAL residents have a certain vibe to them, a mood, a "juj-nuh-say..." Uh. You know, a FEELING!

So let's nab 'em! And...um...then...

Right! We'll take you hostage and ransom you for a fortune.

A cosmopolitan outsider like this oughta fetch us a few yen, huh?

Now, don't make a fuss, chump. As long as you do what you're told, nobody gets hurt... Heh heh...

"(I thought I was well-prepared, but...!)"

"(...I've set myself up for a legendary scolding!)"

So we got the hostage secured. What do we do now?

First is...you know...the ransom! We need a point of contact, see?

Yeah. Open their phone and find someone who looks desperate... Heehee...

Huh? Uh...?

You got a problem?

No, it's nothing...

Get it together.

(For some reason, this person kind of looks like Schale's "Sensei." I thought they were more of a rumor...)

(Eh, can't be. Why would that super-special Sensei come to a place like this, looking like THAT?)

Hey, if this all goes well... We'll be making bank! That's what matters.

Yeah, girl! WOOO! Let's party! MAKE SOME NOISE!

Such a racket.

It was terribly noisy, so I inquired. It turns out to be nothing more than a few punks.

"...?"

...?

Sensei?!

What am I doing? I believe I should be the one asking questions. Why are you here, of all places?

...I've gathered the essence of it. You can't reveal your reasons, but it's clear you had business in the Black Market.

Keh heh heh... Very well, Sensei. I do not need to know your secrets. I was only here to "tidy up" the area.

What's that face? Are you wondering why I'm at the Black Market instead of the Corrections Bureau? Too shy to ask?

Yes... I certainly was sent to the Corrections Bureau after my...actions.

I was shipped off by your hands, lest you forget.

Well... I suppose some would find this to be a golden "chance for payback," wouldn't they?

Hahaha! I suppose I'll let our history slide for now, especially after seeing your startled expression.

My, my. It doesn't feel so bad having someone like YOU in the palm of my hand, Sensei.

Initially, I was taken into custody, languishing away in the back of a Corrections Bureau truck.

...However, once the ride was over, I wasn't released to the Corrections Bureau.

My lovely "captors" were only posing as Valkyrie students. Conveniently, the relevant records were also...swapped in transit.

...The girl who helped me probably thinks I'm indebted to her now. And she's not entirely wrong.

..."Promises" are important, after all.

"'That girl'...?"

Keh heh... Curious, Sensei? Stay that way. I will say no more about her.

After all, her identity could easily fall under the umbrella of my promise.

But you never know... If you were to promise me something even greater, hmm...

With the right offer and perspective, the situation could change...

Just like how, while developing a new medicine, the results vary wildly depending on the ratio of active ingredients. Keh heh heh...

No. While the Black Market could be considered the safest place for me to hide...

It is difficult to procure various ingredients and reagents here.

To put it simply, in order to continue my studies, I adopted a pseudonym and...masqueraded as a traveling doctor.

Along the way, I ended up indebted to a family in Hyakkiyako.

As I had to.

Hmm... We're nearly there. This is...the "residence" where I'm currently living. Then, shall we?

"..."

"You've been staying here all this time."

I'm "crashing," to be more precise.

...Oh my. Welcome back, Kai.

*cough* *cough*...

Hmm? But who's this?

Ah. They're somewhat of a guest.

A special guest! What a rare treat, Kai!

And...that's exactly why I'm glad to have them. You would never invite a dangerous person over...

*cough* *cough* *cough*...!

...I'm so sorry. It seems my body isn't quite healed yet. Still, it's only thanks to you that I'm managing to hold on...

I know. Perhaps it's time you head back to your room.

Yes, I should...

It's a humble little place, but please feel free to chat at your leisure. You won't keep me up!

I'm truly sorry about the mess, but make yourself at home while you're here.

"Who's that?"

Well, I suppose you should call her the landlady.

You think she looks "a little under the weather"? Indeed she is, to put it lightly. Right now, she can barely walk through the door.

She has something akin to rheumatoid arthritis, with comorbidity in her lungs and bronchial tubes.

Before I came here, her condition was slightly worse.

She's improved somewhat, but... Let's just say that I'm just keeping her stable.

Oh. You look relieved. Do you think it's "merely" arthritis, Sensei?

Perhaps you don't realize that rheumatism is, at its core, an autoimmune disease.

That means that the immune system attacks normal cells within the body rather than foreign antigens.

To put it more simply, it is a disease in which the body destroys itself.

The joints are simply the first place where symptoms appear. Nowhere is safe, aside from the spine. Even the heart, lungs, and blood are at risk.

If it moves fast, and if you're particularly unlucky, it could develop into lymphoma.

Well, I was speaking of particularly rare edge cases. That would be strictly a worst-case scenario.

No, but...

Treatment for rheumatism is essentially symptomatic management using steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs.

In some cases, a slightly stronger antibiotic may be used to redirect the body's immune response elsewhere.

Either way, the commonality is that they're nothing more than stopgap measures.

...Of course, those limits are only for typical treatments. But "typical" doesn't apply to me, remember?

Keh heh heh... I know what you wish to ask, Sensei. You must learn to hide your expressions.

You're wondering, "If Kai is treating her, couldn't she cure the old woman's illness at its root?"

The answer is yes. Yes, I could.

I did. And little by little, I am considering the next step.

Not long ago, I managed to secure a promise from that old woman.

What was it, you ask? It was something like this...

"Since I'm in poor health and showing no sign of getting better, you should take this house, Kai."

So that's why I was thinking about the future.

...Thoughts bubble up like, "Now that I've secured ownership of this house, maybe it's time to sever this relationship?"

Sensei. When do people make more rational decisions? When they are healthy...or when they are sick?

Between a scenario where that old woman regains her health or remains in frailty...

...Under which circumstance would she be more likely to give me her residence?

Well, that's about it. I guess you could say I've achieved my little goal.

Are you trying to look down on me, Sensei? Go ahead if you want. I don't really care about the approval of others.

This is the kind of person I am. I don't intend to hide that fact, even if I can't be bothered to broadcast it.

After all, there's a significant chance that sharing that would bring me harm.

Hmm...?

Well, if we're just talking about whether it's possible or not... Sure, it's definitely possible.

Hmm? You want me to try?