Cheat Pharmicist's Slow Life ~Making a Drug Store in Another World~

Chapter 4: Let’s Buy a House!

I made potions in a flash and delivered them to the general store within the morning.

— When I repeated that kind of lifestyle for about a week, I had saved up quite a bit of money to my name.

To put it concretely, 3,000,000rin.

Every day I was nervous about whether I’d be robbed, but 3,000,000rin in a week is pretty amazing.

Me making a profit means that the general store’s Alf-san is making even more of a profit.

Looks like his wife, who had been irritable since they were without money, yells less too.

The rumors say that people from other towns are also coming to buy them, so it’s continuing to sell well.

Recently there are even people who buy them to drink, treating it like a high-priced juice, they said.

When I delivered the potions to the general store today as well and received the money, I had something to discuss with Alf-san.

“I don’t intend to live at the inn forever so I’d like a house to live in, but are there any vacant houses around? It’s fine if I have to rent, but I’d like to buy if I have enough.”

“Let’s see… there is but … that place is a bit…”

Alf-san’s manner of speaking is strangely bad.

“And so, I don’t know who the owner is anymore, and it’s so beat up that there’s been talk about tearing it down, you know?”

“Even so, I don’t mind.”

When I said so, Noela also nodded up and down.

“Master and Noela’s house…!”

Seems like Noela doesn’t care much about whether it’s old or new.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this sudden?”

“Yes, well. I want a room were I can calmly do drug discovery, and I was thinking I also wanted to open a store…”

I can make all sorts of medicine with the Drug Discovery skill.

I should definitely be able to make medicines that this world doesn’t have as long as I have the ingredients.

To help troubled people, to make a little bit of money, to live leisurely–.

That seems to suit my personality the best.

I was wondering if he would oppose it, but Alf-san suddenly smiled.

“Isn’t it fine? If you’re a man, you have to aim to be independent!”

Smack smack, Alf-san slapped my back.

“Is it fine? Even if I sell the potions myself?”

“Watcha saying? The Revolutionary Potions were originally Reiji-kun’s. What you do with them is free for Reiji-kun to decide.”

If you think about it another way, Alf-san is easily letting go of me, a cash cow.

He’s also fed me lunch, taught me about this world, and helped me out a lot.

“I was kidding, because I’ll continue to wholesale potions to you. Even if I sell them at my shop, I’ll keep it at the same price.”

“Haha, that helps me out.”

Smack smack, and Alf-san slapped me on the back again.

Alf-san asked his wife to watch the store and he guided us to the previously-mentioned house.

The amount of pedestrians became less and less as we went, and we stopped before a ruin.

“This is it.”

“This is a ruin.”

“I’ll say it again. This is it.”

“And like I said, this is a ruin, isn’t it? This here.”

“I said so, didn’t I? That it was to the degree they were talking about tearing it down.”

“…”

It was so much like a ruin that it was outside of my expectations and I was unable to say anything.

It was a one-story house that wasn’t very big.

It’s a wonderful house1 that feels like, if the wind blows the entire thing would blow away.

“On top of not knowing who the owner is, it looks like it’s been left alone for around ten years, so… That it hasn’t broken down is … Well, that’s … un … You probably have all sorts of misgivings about it, but it’s cheap, free property that doesn’t need rent or anything.”

“… Right now the words, is there anything more expensive than free, are passing through my head.”

Won’t there be strange monsters or something living in it?

In the modern world it would be expected that this would be a gathering place for delinquents, though.

“Well, so … beware?”

Leaving behind some concerning words, Alf-san returned to his store to tend to it.

Beware??

“Master, hurry, enter.”

Noela urged me as she pulled me by the hand.

I’ll take a look inside, and if it seems impossible it’s fine to give up.

So thinking, I opened the door that didn’t have a lock or anything on it.

Creeeeeeeeeak, with the door making that grating noise, I entered inside while having uneasy thoughts.

The door makes a weird noise and the insides are all covered in dust, but it seems unexpectedly sturdy.

Would it be fine to call in a carpenter if anything goes wrong?

“Do you want to live here?”

“Noela, live here. With Master, live.”

Noela seems to greatly approve; her eyes are sparkling.

If that’s the case, we’ll need to clean.

It’s naturally unlivable like this right now.

When I went to the general store to buy a set of cleaning supplies, I was told, “I’ll give them to you, so take them and go.”

Good grief, Alf-san won’t take money from me…

I took a broom and dustpan, and also several dust clothes, and returned to the ruin that was our home.

With Noela and I dividing the labor to clean, it took about two hours.

I can’t say we got it sparkling, but even so we got it clean.

“It’s old, but it’s a proper house, huh…”

I lay down, spread-eagled, in the room that I had decided would be the medicine room.

When I did so, I met the eyes of a girl stuck on the ceiling.

“Um, I’ve been watching this entire time, but are you the new homeowner?”

“….”

… W,what can I say about the situation happening right now?

A,a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl is on, the ceiling!

And she’s also quite cute.

I,I don’t know what she’s talking about, though–.

“You’re quite good at cleaning.”

I,I don’t know why, but I was praised!?

“Um, w,who might you be…?” ƒ𝒓e𝐞we𝚋𝙣ｏ𝚟𝚎𝘭.co𝙢

“A, I’d be — my apologies. … My name is Mina.”

“H,hi …. I’m Reiji.”

“So you’re called Reiji, then.”

The ceiling girl smiles happily.

— O,oh dear me. What is this girl?

Without caring for me, who had blanked out with an Onee2’s words going through my head, the ceiling girl clapped her hands together with a pachin.

“We must hold a welcome party today~”

“U,um, e,excuse me can I have a second …”

Is it fine to ask? Is it really fine to ask? Can this be a situation where we it’s fine if we just ignore it —

Ah, no, but I’m curious.

“Yes-. What could it be?”

Uwaa, she’s so enegetic-ish.

“U,un, the c,ceiling… do you like the ceiling?”

“That’s the first time I’ve been asked that question…”

So no one’s ever asked that before.

No — rather, ask first!

“Let’s see~, I like it, wouldn’t it seem?”

“R,right… if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be in such a place.”

“Yes. It’s also a part of my job, so~.”

J,job!?

A simple job where you just look down from the ceiling!?

With rapid footsteps, Noela came running while holding her stomach.

“Master, hungry.”

“A,aa, okay. Noela, try looking up?”

When I pointed at the ceiling girl who calls herself Mina, Noela tilted her head upwards.

“? Why, Master? Something there, on the ceiling?”

“E. No, there is, right? The girl.”

“…? Nothing.”

“…. You’re lying.”

“True.”

— O,oh dear me, this girl, isn’t she a ghost-?

Without caring for me, who had blanked out with an Onee’s words going through my head, the ceiling girl stuck out her chest.

“Hehen, Other than using special powers, only this home’s owner can see me.”

This isn’t something you should be feeling smug over!

Alf-san’s final words telling me to beware is definitely about this.

“Even if all the family members can’t see me, isn’t it fine if just the head of the house can see me?”

“I,is that so…”

I told Noela, who was complaining about hunger, to eat at Alf-san’s place today.

Noela left the house and it became a little quieter.

“You seem to enjoy lying on the floor, ne~”

“It’s because of you. … E, so what, is Mina a ghost?”

“I’m not a ghost. How rude~.”

I seem to have hurt her feelings.

S,she’s going to curse me —

… Although, I can’t sense that sort of mood.

She’s cutely ballooned out her cheeks.

“Then what are you? Noela couldn’t see you, right?”

“That’s right~ I am someone who lived 100 years ago within this house.”

“People call that a ghost.”

“Like I said, I’m different. I watch over the happiness of those who come to this house from the ceiling like this.”

“That’s just a bother.”

Un. There are people whose good intentions all backfire in this world.

“But I wonder why… whenever new homeowners come to this house, when they meet my eyes, they turn pale pretend not to have seen me.” 𝐟re𝐞w𝐞𝒃𝓃𝒐𝐯𝚎𝒍.c૦𝚖

“Right!? I sympathize with their feelings!”

“I wonder if their stomachs hurt…”

“Realize it! The reason is closer than you think!”

“And without a chance to talk to them, with the longest being a few days, everyone evacuated this house … The last time was 40 years ago, and finally Reiji-san came. I was even able to speak with you, so I’m completely satisfied.”

Mina revealed a delighted smile.

While stuck on the ceiling.

“… How should I get you to disappear?”

“I. Won’t. Disappear-! I’m not a ghost. Please don’t group me together with them.”

Mina smartly turned her face away.

“If you’re not a ghost, what are you?”

“Let’s see~ that’s the first time I’ve been asked such a question, and there are parts I don’t understand about either, but — a, I wonder if I should say I’m this house’s guardian spirit!”

She found a way to make it sound good! Mina was making a suitably bright expression.

Her defensiveness isn’t half-assed, so I suppose it was quite sad for her that no one would continue to live here.

“… And so, how do I make you leave?”

“I. Won’t. Leave-! Reiji-san, could you be picking on me? Why would you say such a sad thing?”

I’m the one who should be sad.

Why am I having a conversation with a ghost when I’ve come all this way to another world?

Is the way I’m saying it the problem?

“… Mina, do you have any wishes?”

It’s the standard that if I can meet her wishes she’ll lose her regrets and pass on.

“My wishes, is it … As I thought, I want to watch over everyone who lives here so they have happy lives.”

… If that’s so, I think it would be best if Mina wasn’t in this house anymore, but I wonder how she feels about it?

“Do you wish for Noela and my happy lives?”

“That would satisfy me.”

She’s smiling without a single cloud in her face.

Then please leave; if I say that, we’ll definitely be back at the beginning.

Anyway, it seems like she won’t pass on immediately.

… Well, fine.

She doesn’t seem to be evil.

I got up and stretched for a bit.

“I guess I’ll do the preparations for opening a shop-“

“A. If that’s so, shall I help as well?”

Softly, Mina left the ceiling and stood on the floor.

“You can do that!?”

“When I descend to the floor, I can’t watch over you. Since that’s the case, my job—”

“Yes yes, just watching over us is a simple job, I understand.”

“Ah~! You were making fun of me just now, Reiji-san-“

“And so?”

“Please deny it, you’ll hurt my feelings!”

Mina, who was pursing her lips in anger, changed her expression.

“—Reiji-san?”

“Hm?”

Mina showed me a clear and refreshing smile.

“Right now, I’m kind of having fun.”

“… I see, that’s good.”

It’s a run down house with a ghost, but I’m going to renovate the house and open a drugstore.

- I assume this is sarcasm suteki, because it’s not spelled right for ‘steakhouse’, or like, whytf would it be steakhouse?

- Person who uses exaggeratedly female words, etc