The pharmacist left his men on the ground floor and went down to the basement alone.
No… he wasn't alone.
Oliver, Joseph’s proxy guided him.
As soon as they reached the workshop, Oliver opened the box of pilgarets that had been wrapped, while the Pharmacist checked the contents inside.
“Um, the production seems to be going smoothly as you said. You are managing things better than I thought.”
“It is because of everyone’s hard work.”
“Everyone? Oh, you mean the other disciples?”
"Yes."
The pharmacist smiled a little.
“It’s amazing. Those are some rare words from the mouth of a Warlock’s subordinate. I've never seen any warlock giving credit to his subordinate in such a polite manner."
Oliver didn't bother to answer.
It's more of a habit than a courtesy. And Oliver knew it too.
The pharmacist opened a pack and took out a Pilgaret.
He looked at the pilgaret, which looked just like a regular cigarette that was sold in the market, and carefully put it on his nose and sniffed it.
As the pharmacist's squishy nose inhaled, his cold eyes shined.
Oliver simply observed the scene silently.
It was a little interesting that one could check the quality of the pilgaret by smelling instead of seeing it with his eyes.
“Um, um. This time, the product is pretty good… I think it will work just fine in Landa. Do you know where these Pilgarets are sold?”
“…I heard that they were sold in other pharmacies and hospitals that do business with Mr. Pharmacists.”
"Oh…You know. That's right, we mix it with other medicines and deliver them to the big hospitals and pharmacies in Landa. Your stuff is of good quality. They are mainly bought by high-profile, white-collar, high-income capitalists and artists. Isn't that funny? People over there see warlocks as the cancer of society, but they love the products you make more than anything else.”
"Is that so?"
Oliver said as if he wasn't interested because he really wasn't interested…
Seeing Oliver's reaction, the pharmacist just smiled bitterly.
"Your reaction is dry. Do you have any questions? Like how we distribute this drug?"
“…Actually I want to ask you something else, can I ask you about it?”
“Something else? Tell me.”
“Can you check the quality of a product just by smelling it?”
"Yeah. We don't have good eyesight like you guys. But, we can tell the quality of a product in other ways. Dealing with drugs is my job, so I have the ability to do that."
Oliver didn't show it, but he found it interesting.
According to the pharmacist, the quality of pilgarets can also be distinguished by their smell. It was a skill Oliver wanted to have even though he doesn't need it right now.
Oliver thought maybe he could smell the emotions.
The pharmacist asked as if he noticed Oliver’s thoughts.
“Are you interested in learning?”
“….Yes."
“Do you really want to learn it? Our staff also know how to do this.”
‘Then please teach me.’
These words stopped at Oliver’s throat.
It was clear that he wanted to learn, but no matter how much he thought about it, it seems that the right thing was to first ask for Joseph's permission.
The pharmacist said with a smile as if he understood.
“If you can get Joseph’s permission, then I will teach you.”
"Thank you."
“Instead, can you answer one of my questions?”
"What?"
“It’s not fair if you were to be the only one to get a favor? So let’s go by the business rule of give and take.”
"… Then what should I answer?"
The pharmacist held up a pillgaret.
“Do you think this product is great? Be honest.”
The pharmacist's eyes shone sharply, and the emotion that used to stumble slightly moved.
"…Yes, it is. Master’s products are the best. Didn't Mr. Pharmacist also say it's a good product?"
“Yes…but, as a businessman, I also want to handle better products. Especially since the competition in this market is getting fierce these days.”
“Oh… then let me ask about this to master.”
"No, it’s all right. I was just asking just in case… Anyway, do you really think it's a great one?"
“…Yes.”
"Okay…Then let's go. I've confirmed the production of the product, so I don't need to be here anymore. It was nice meeting you."
The pharmacist held out his hand.
It was the first time someone had asked him for a handshake, so Oliver looked at that hand for a moment before holding it.
The pharmacist with a smile that was the characteristic of a middle-aged man spoke.
"It was nice meeting you. See you next time. If you ever need help, just tell me. I'll help you if I can."
Oliver looked straight at him and answered.
“Yes, I will remember.”
After the pharmacist left, the time passed as usual again.
Oliver got up early in the morning and would go to eat, then would work together with junior, Intermediate, and Senior disciples to make pilgarets.
The production of pilgaret got finished without any setbacks as expected, and it was packaged and delivered to the pharmacist.
With this, the most essential task that Joseph entrusted to Oliver was completed safely.
From there on, everything went as usual while everyone was waiting for Joseph to return.
Informal disciples grind meat to make sausages while the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior disciples studied black magic through self-study.
It was very lax and inefficient in Oliver's view, but he didn't mind because he didn't have any powers.
Above all, Oliver had his own work to do.
"Ughhh……!"
Oliver groaned as if he had found something while looking through the diary.
Marie, who was watching the figure from the side, asked.
“What happened, Senior Oliver?”
“I think I finally found it.”
"What?"
“The difference between us and the Lightning Wizard. It’s true that both of us had a miserable past and wanted to have a better life, but the lightning wizard had another goal.”
"what’s that?"
"After the wizard got kicked out by his family, he aimed to succeed in life, but the main reason was not to prove it to the family by succeeding in life. He wanted to succeed because of someone else. Her name is….. Rachel? To confess to this woman named Rachel, he wanted to succeed.”
Saying so, Oliver pointed to a paragraph in the diary.
There were lines written about a woman named Rachel, the lightning wizard tried to hide it, but Oliver found the lightning wizard’s strong affection for her… An obsession that went beyond affection towards her.
Oliver hypothesized that a special emotion behind this simple relationship might be the source of the beautiful light shown by the Lightning Wizard.
Oliver's mind spun quickly with numerous questions and answers – concluding that it was not just a materialistic wish, but a spiritual one, or something more, that gave birth to such a beautiful light.
Marie asked a question.
“You must have been quite impressed…?”
"What?"
“The light that the Lightning Wizard showed… You just keep looking for it.”
Oliver answered without thinking.
“Yeah, it was really beautiful.”
Marie's expression softened slightly.
There was a slight tingle of jealousy formed in her.
Oliver didn't understand the reason behind her jealousy, and honestly, he didn't even care.
At that moment Marie spoke again.
"…It's not often that we get this kind of free time, and at a time like this, shouldn't you just go to the library and study about black magic?"
"I can use the study only if I officially became a Direct disciple, but I'm not a Direct disciple yet, and moreover, when the master is out traveling, even a Direct disciple can't enter the study, right?”
“I know. But, Andrew and some other senior disciples often sneak in. So isn’t it okay to enter if the master is not here?”
Marie's words were not wrong.
Due to the nature of the family head who did not even provide proper education in the first place, the disciples thought that it would be better to accumulate knowledge somehow when the opportunity comes.
But Oliver's reaction to this was different.
“Um… I’m not interested, not because of the rules. Rather I’m more interested in that light right now more than anything else.”
Oliver spoke with a resolute tone and eyes.
Marie’s eyes widened as if she had committed a crime.
“Ah…sorry, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean anything…”
“No…It’s alright, by the way, can I ask you a question?”,
“Yes, anything.”
“It’s break time, so why are you here?”
Oliver asked, out of curiosity.
During personal maintenance time, it is normal to rest or study alone, and Marie, who had been working hard during recent practices didn’t rest but kept staying beside Oliver, almost every day.
“Uh, it was to help you if you ever need anything… After all, it was thanks to Senior Oliver, I became an official disciple, and I wanted to help you with anything… …is that disturbing?”
Marie had a longing expression like a child looking for her mother.
Oliver could catch a glimpse of how sad she felt while seeing her emotions, but unfortunately, he couldn't understand why.
“No. If you want, you can stay.”
Marie smiled happily, like a child who was about to be abandoned, but not abandoned.
Oliver turned his gaze and started reading the diary again, and soon began to formulate his own hypothesis in search of the source of the beautiful light that the Lightning Wizard showed before he died.
When Marie saw Oliver's interest and desire for exploration, she suddenly remembered something.
Marie opened her mouth.
“Senior Oliver?”
"Yes?"
“Will my story be helpful?"
“What are you talking about?”
“Yes, my story… I told you a little bit about it last time…”
Marie said shyly.
Oliver recalled the memories of that time….but, that's an old thing of the past.
Compared to the beautiful light from the lightning wizard, Marie’s story was comparatively inferior.
"I thought you didn't want to tell me”
"That's true, but…Just in case, if it helps…"
"No, it’s alright."
Oliver refused because he didn't want to waste his time on something he didn't care about right now.
Marie put on a wounded expression again, and at that moment a knocking sound was heard from the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Senior Oliver?”
“Yes?”
Oliver, who was reading the diary and theorizing in his mind, asked.
“Master has sent a letter to Senior Oliver.”
"…….What?"
Oliver stopped what he was doing and asked.
A letter?
Oliver took the envelope that had just arrived and looked at it.
The envelope had a blue line on the border and had a stamp engraved with a woman in a crown in the upper right corner,
There was the logo [The Great Empire Post Office] which was engraved underneath it.
Oliver, who had never received a letter before, looked at the envelope for a while, then ripped it apart and pulled out a paper from inside, and started to read it.
"…what happened?"
The senior disciple who brought the letter asked.
"Wait."
Oliver read the letter again from the beginning to the end and after a long time, Oliver finally spoke.
“Master wants me to come?”
"What?"
“Master doesn’t have enough money for Sir. Andrew’s treatment, so he asked me to take some money and bring it to Landa.”
