The pharmacist who was working at the pharmacy looked at the records of his ‘side job' while waiting for a customer who might not come.
Even if it was a side job, the income there was much higher than his original job.
“Uhm…”
The pharmacist groaned as he saw the rapidly increasing number of orders in recent years.
It's been long since he was engaged in this work, but this was the first time there was such a boom.
The pilgaret made by combining maternal love and anger went beyond common sense as it healed the anger in the people’s hearts, so orders came from all over the place.
It was a situation in which they were reaching out to new customers beyond the existing ones.
Some places were even willing to give them extra money so that they would sell the product only to them.
Of course, he rejected all those arrogant offers, but it was good news – more people wanting the product means more business options than just profits.
However, it was difficult for the pharmacist to be happy because of two reasons.
One was that the supply could not be increased to meet the increased demand, and the second was that this dazzling achievement was achieved because of a boy, not by his own ability.
A third-class businessman would be happy just to make a few bucks, but that wasn't the case for the first-class businessman.
An achievement was something that has value only if it was achieved with one's ability.
Fortunes obtained by chance could be lost by chance at any time.
If Oliver suddenly disappeared, then the currently circulating Pilgaret would be discontinued, and the reputation and trust he earned until now would go down the drain.
So the pharmacist couldn't be truly happy.
He didn't know how long the transition would last.
“Hmm… I want to get to know him, but I don’t know how.”
When the pharmacist was thinking about the stable production of synthetic pilgaret, a jingle bell sounded.
It was a guest
“How are you?” said the bald middle-aged man as he walked in.
At a glance, he was just a man with a big belly, but his atmosphere was different.
There was something strangely intimidating while seeing him smirk.
“Inspector Harry, what are you doing here?”
"There seems to be something wrong with the lunch I ate, I feel so bloated… Can I get a glass of digestive medicine?"
The pharmacist pulled the lever in front of the machine on one side of the counter and took a glass of digestion medicine.
Then he handed it to Inspector Harry.
“Thank you.”
“It’s an honor to help those who are working hard for the city.”
Inspector Harry leaned forward and whispered softly as he took the cup of the digestive medicine.
“A firefly has appeared.”
“… Have fireflies ever appeared in this city?”
“No, but it showed up yesterday.”
Inspector Harry pulled back his upper body and gulped the digestive medicine.
"Kya…! That hits the spot. I feel like I'm intentionally getting sick just to drink this."
“You can have another drink.”
“Ah, I’m sorry… I’ll give you the money.”
“It’s okay. You are people who serve the community.”
"Even so, he has to pay. Whatever you do, you have to pay a fair price. That's the right thing to do."
A third voice suddenly interrupted the two.
The pharmacist and Inspector Harry turned their heads at the same time.
At the door, a beautiful woman was standing with her companion.
‘When the hell did she come in?’
The woman spoke again.
“If you do something, you have to pay for it.”
“I don’t know who the lady is, but I’m fine, so don’t worry. It’s not much.”
“I am not talking about money, I was talking about justice and order.”
The pharmacist was able to guess her personality through just a few conversations – The one who never bends when she thinks it's right.
She seemed like the kind of person who knew only one thing and would believe that it was the truth of the world.
In today's world, there are very few people like this.
The pharmacist glanced at Inspector Harry and asked a silent question, and he nodded as if answering yes.
“…… Ha, you’re right, miss. It seems you have to pay, Inspector.”
As the pharmacist said, the inspector took out a bill from his worn-out wallet.
As he left the seat, the woman asked while blocking his way.
“Why did you come here?”
"That……"
“People of this town come here often. People who need medicine, people who need a companion for a while, or people who need a place to rest… Isn't it a small town?”
The pharmacist suddenly interrupted and spoke.
The woman looked at the inspector and the pharmacist for a moment, then pulled herself out of the way.
“Excuse me.”
“… Ah. Pharmacist. Have a good day.”
Inspector Harry left the store, leaving only the pharmacist and an unidentified woman in the pharmacy.
They looked at each other without saying a word, and after reading the atmosphere, the pharmacist asked.
“Is there anything you need…?”
He spoke as the woman walked over towards him.
“Yes, I need your help.”
“What medication do you need?”
“It’s not a drug that I need.”
"Huh… Then?"
"I'm Joanna, a paladin from the Landa branch of the Parter Church. If it's okay with you, can I talk to you for a moment?"
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
After the pharmacist put the <close> sign on the door, he led the paladin Joanna to the resting area.
“I’m sorry, there are only two chairs, the gentleman there…?”
The one who came in following Joanna shook his head as if it was okay.
"That's a relief. Do you want anything to drink? All I can offer is water, if not, a cup of digestive medicine. What does the Lady….Oh my, It’s not appropriate to call you a lady… Should I call you Knight? Or Dame Joanna?”
“Call me Joanna. And water is fine.”
After hearing the answer, the pharmacist sat down.
It was a cramped space, so the seat was unexpectedly close.
"I'm sorry. Originally, it was a place for me to rest alone… By the way, why did a person from the Peter Church come to see me?"
“I have a few questions for you.”
"Please tell me what you want. You are all the people who protect the human world from evil. If I can help you… But, I hope you can finish it within 20 minutes. It’s my little pride as a pharmacist.”
“I’ll try to do that. The first thing I wanted to ask you is your real name. Is it Donald Mattson?”
“Yes, Joanna. But just call me Pharmacist. Everyone calls me that.”
“I heard that you own five drugstores named Yuji (有志) and a building in Wineham, is that correct?
“The name of the pharmacy is right, the land and the building are also right.”
“You seem to have a high reputation?”
“I just donated money here and there to help people in need. We live in the same city, so we have to do that.”
"That's amazing. The generosity of giving one's own thing. I think it's great."
“Thank you. My father taught me to live a life of sincerity and diligence while giving money and protecting from evil.”
“You are a wonderful person.”
“Not at all. Can I know why you are asking this?”
“Ah, I just thought it would be good to get at least some basic information about the city before starting the investigation.”
"Investigation?"
"Yes."
"Umm…if it's okay, may I ask what the investigation is about? It's a quiet city, as you can see."
“Yes, it’s indeed quiet. Too quiet. But, that’s unexpectedly a better location for evil to sprout.”
“Since the paladin came, then it wouldn’t be normal evil, did you find a Demon worshiper?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that. It’s confidential…can I ask you more questions?”
"Oh, I'm sorry. I am the one who has to answer… Please ask me."
“It may sound rude, but as far as I know this city is going backward.”
"Well… I want to deny it, but I can't deny it. It's true."
“Is there any special reason why you stayed here without disposing of your property?”
“Umm… can you tell me why you asked such a question first?”
“It’s just everything is different from what I heard before I came to this land. Landa is the fastest-growing land. Everyone is gathering in Landa to look for opportunities, but the pharmacist doesn’t, so is there any special reason for it? If it's a sensitive topic, that's fine."
“No. No. Not to that extent. There are many reasons, as you could see, I am not young anymore. It's hard to go to a crowded and unfamiliar land like Landa by disposing of all the properties that won’t amount to much. Above all… I like the place where I was born and raised. I have memories of my father. That’s why I am staying here.”
“Still, if you hold on like this, won’t the maintenance cost be higher?”
“That’s true. However, here I have the support of my father’s friends along with my friends. They'll buy some medicines and tell me where to invest – like a restaurant or a theater. Thanks to them, I'm living happily… Is that answer enough?"
The woman named Joanna looked at the pharmacist with her sapphire-blue eyes and nodded her head.
"Yes, it is… The time has come, I’ll get going. Thank you for your time."
"You are welcome. I'm glad it was helpful."
The pharmacist opened the locked door and send off Joanna.
“Goodbye.”
“Yeah…ah! I’ll tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason why I came here. Mr. Pharmacist seems to be a trustworthy person.”
“It’s all right if it’s important.”
“No, I want to tell you the truth. My colleagues and I are here to find a warlock who distributes drugs.”
"….drug?"
"Yeah, it's a horrible drug that’s made by squeezing emotions from people and putting them into a product called pilgaret. Lately, I've heard that these drugs are being mass-produced here."
“Ah, I have heard about this news…but it’s weird.”
"What?"
“If there is a drug like that, then it would be more heavily distributed in Landa. If you wanted to stop it, shouldn’t you have first stopped the distribution network? I don’t know why you came all the way here… I think that would be much more effective for the future.”
Joanna's expressionless face twitched slightly.
“… Doing justice is not about efficiency.”
"That's right. I think you're right…That’s justice. I wish you success."
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
At the cemetery located on the outskirts of Wineham.
There was a big commotion in the secretly installed basement.
“Hurry up! Hurry up!”
Anthony, the owner of the Anthony family, quietly urged his disciples.
Despite the shouting, the junior disciples hurriedly took the money out of the safe and shoved it into the glutton’s pockets.
Glutton – A black magic item made from human flesh, teeth, and emotions of greed.
It was a useful item that could be used to carry loads that are several times heavier.
Anthony asked.
“Is it still not over?”
“I’m sorry, Master…we have too much money.”
“…!”
Anthony couldn't say anything.
He's been making huge profits lately by trading with a boy named Oliver, so he even bought another safe.
Not long ago, he was very happy making profits, but now they are like the shackles holding his ankles.
What's even more upsetting was, even after knowing it, he couldn't throw it away.
Anthony urged again.
“Hurry up. Faster.”
At that moment, an intermediate disciple who was watching the outside through a mouse shouted.
“Master! An unidentified outsider is approaching this way.”
"What?!"
Anthony froze in surprise.
As soon as he heard from the pharmacist that a firefly (Paladin) came, he immediately prepared to evacuate, but their movement was much faster than he expected.
“Motherfu*kers. It’s really hard to live diligently these days… Intermediate disciples share the vision with senior disciples, and senior disciples activate the prepared black magic.”
The senior disciples who were waiting in line at those words got down on their knees and put their hands together as if praying.
The intermediate disciple immediately put his hand on the shoulder of the senior disciple and shared his vision.
Soon, through the eyes of a mouse, the senior disciple was able to see the outside world and identified that there were ten intruders.
They had a large formation and were armed with high-level weapons, and they all looked like professionals.
After checking the outside situation, the senior disciples used black magic as instructed by their master.
[Revive]
When the spell was cast, the test tubes planted around the cemetery reacted and spewed out Life-force in the magic circle that had been prepared in advance.
The Life-force that has been released was used to revive the bodies that were irregularly buried around.
Though the number was not sufficient, that was not the end.
The senior disciples chanted the spell again.
[Inject Hate]
[Burning Life]
[Terror Angry]
The magic circle that reacted with the spell once again caused the test tube to release emotions, and the emotions gave hate and explosive power to the corpses.
All the corpses ran towards the intruders, who were the targets of [Inject Hate].
The speed was considerably fast thanks to the burning of Life-force.
However, the opponents were also not easygoing.
[Holy Light]
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from within the camp and that made the attacking zombies stop all at once.
The zombies that got engulfed by fire screamed in pain, while the intruders swept away the zombies with huge guns that were out-of-standard, axes and swords.
"Master…?"
“I’m watching. Have you got all the money?”
“Yes, we have got everything!”
The junior disciples said as they carried the glutton bags which were gathered like a mountain.
‘As the pharmacist said earlier, I should find a way to keep the money safe.’
“Attack with the corpses again.”
“Would it be of any use, Master?”
"It doesn't matter. It's enough to buy some time…and we will bring that."
“You mean that?"
“Yeah, that’s right. We shouldn’t just run away. No matter how many paladins they have, we have to teach them not to invade the territory of a manipulation-type warlock.”
The senior disciples who understood the meaning of the word revived the corpse again, strengthened it, and then attacked.
This time, too, they were destroyed in the same way, which convinced Anthony.
‘Even if there is a paladin, there is no one who can annihilate all the zombies at once.’
‘After all, it’s a fairly high level. According to the pharmacist, the new girl with blue eyes probably didn't have that much skill. If she did, then she'd be a genius.’
“MASTER, we ran out of emotions and Life-force that we installed in the graveyard.”
“The intruders have entered through the entrance.”
Urgent voices poured from here and there.
It was then, the voice they had been waiting for was heard.
“Master, we have brought it.”
What the intermediate disciples struggled to bring was a very large coffin that could fit a giant.
It was something made in preparation for any possible war.
“Did you take all the money?”
“Yes, we have everything. Master.”
“Go to the place as I said. Everyone.”
The senior disciple Han suddenly spoke.
“What? Master, but…”
“You’ll be in the way.”
In the end, at Anthony's words, all the disciples ran into the secret passage.
Each wore a bag full of money, and Anthony waited patiently for the intruders.
He wanted to see the intruder’s blood to restore his self-esteem as a warlock.
After a while, the uninvited guests appeared.
“There he is!”
Bullets flew towards Anthony with muzzle flames.
[Meat Shield]
Anthony covered himself with the corpse.
In some cases, it was more effective than Black Shield, which immediately uses a large amount of emotion and Life-force.
[Revive]
[Obedience]
[Burning Rage]
At those chants, the huge coffin tied in chains shook, and with a loud banging sound, it opened.
From inside, rose a corpse golem made by fusing several corpses.
“Carrrrrrrrr——!!
“Careeeeeeeeeeek!
"Ughhhhhhhh…!
The huge central head and the eight heads around it cried as if they were one.
At Anthony's call, the corpse golem stood up, and the joints that had been stiff for a long time let out a terrible scream!
There were six huge pairs of arms together with several hands, each with a hammer, a knife, and an ax.
It looked so vicious that it would break one’s courage just by looking at it.
In particular, it would be difficult to avoid it due to the narrow hallway.
Anthony ordered the corpse golem to kill the intruder.
DUDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!
The corpse golem ran.
Suddenly, as Anthony was about to get out, he felt an unusual energy.
[Rest In Peace]
A brighter light that could never be seen in the cemetery came out.
Anthony nearly thought he went blind.
He could see the corpse golem that he had put so much effort into had turned into a handful of ashes.
“….?!!!”
As the corpse golem turned to ashes and disappeared, a woman appeared from the end of the hallway.
She had an extreme beauty that did not match reality, and she wore a long coat, a circular shield in one hand, and a mace in the other.
Anthony made eye contact with her in fear, but soon she disappeared from his sight like a flash of light, and suddenly she appeared right in front of him.
“I forgive your sins."
With those words, Anthony's eyes saw a mace.
And after that, he couldn't see anything.
Nothing ever after.
(To be Continued)
