Chapter 38

As we were about to reach the next town, there was a person sitting listlessly by the roadside. He didn't look like a traveler, nor did he seem to be a farmer or a merchant. He had few belongings, but perhaps he was an adventurer. We couldn't really talk, though.

Kokushin glanced at me, asking, "What should we do?" He didn't seem to be injured, but it felt wrong to just pass by him.

"Is something wrong?"

In the end, Kokushin called out from his horse.

It was a man with messy brown hair. His long hair was tied back, but it looked like a feather duster. He showed a weak, wobbly smile.

"Don't worry about me. I came out to gather herbs, but I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I was just thinking about what to do."

"Oh, an adventurer?"

"No, I'm a pharmacist. Though, I'm a pretty poor one."

A poor pharmacist is terrifying. Medicines can easily turn into poison if not prepared correctly. Even if he lacks the skills, I don't think he should be prescribing anything.

"I see."

Kokushin seemed to think the same, as he lost interest. After saying that, he urged me to start walking. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't get up.

"He seems unreliable. I can't trust someone like that."

"Harsh judgment. I agree, though. Being kind is good, but if he prescribes something without confidence, it might not work even if it should."

In this world, there are no doctors. Illnesses and injuries are treated with potions. Pharmacists listen to symptoms and decide whether to compound individualized medicine or if a recovery potion is sufficient. If they can't handle it, a priest might be called in.

So, pharmacists tend to be quite arrogant. As my grandmother used to say, having dignity is good, but some of them get too full of themselves.

"Still, does a pharmacist gather herbs himself?"

We could see the town gates ahead.

"It varies. My grandmother used to gather her own herbs. She bought what she lacked from merchants. We didn't have an adventurer's guild."

"Hmm."

This town, surrounded by unusually white walls, is called "Jona." It's known for dairy farming, so I'm hoping to get some milk. And cheese. Part of the town is along the mountainside, and it looks like terraced fields. That might be where the dairy farming happens.

First, we visited the merchant guild.

When I asked if we could rent an empty house by the day, they looked skeptical. I explained that we had horses, and staying at an inn with a tavern would be too noisy, and we needed to prepare meat. They suggested a dilapidated house on the outskirts of town.

When we went to check it out, it seemed to be able to withstand the weather, so we decided to rent it cheaply. The exterior was run-down, but the interior was solid. It had a kitchen, and with a bit of cleaning, it would be fine. There was also a stable. We just needed to clear out the spider webs.

While ventilating, I cleaned the room we would be staying in. There was almost no furniture. There was no bed, but I had two in my magic bag, so it wasn't a problem.

We decided to visit the adventurer's guild tomorrow, and I sent Kokushin to do some shopping. I gave him a regular bag and kept the magic bag myself.

As for me, I prepared a bath! Before leaving the town, I looked for a large barrel and found a big version of the tub used for making wine. I had a plug added to drain the water and packed it in my bag.

I set it up in the backyard. Since I was alone and there were no nearby houses, I didn't need a screen, but I might get one made for the future. I didn't need a fire to heat the water, so I just dug a ditch for drainage. I could dispose of the water in the forest. Since I was using natural soap, it would be fine. But when I tried to fill it... the edge was just out of reach. I needed a step stool. And I should make a wooden platform too.

While waiting for Kokushin to return, I busily worked on some DIY projects. Incidentally, I had packed some wood in my bag. It's good to be prepared.

Once everything was ready, Kokushin still hadn't returned. He wasn't with any suspicious characters, but maybe he was surrounded by girls. I wasn't worried; I had a natural "ignore" skill.

Alright, I'll make some sugar. Or practice magic? Ah, I'll make a bucket to scoop water.

The soil moved and formed a bucket. When I filled it with water, it started to leak. When I made a lava plate, a bit of oil seeped through, but it was fine. Is it the soil? Is there a problem with the process? Maybe I should think of it as stone. ...It worked, but it was heavy. Light soil, stone... my past self would say, "That's it, that's it." Ceramic? Hmm, no, since this is a fantasy world, I'll make light soil myself. Light, strong, waterproof, heat-resistant, and thin. I can do it. I can do it.

With a few minutes of focused imagination and magic...

Ta-da!

I had a light material bucket in my hand. It was yellow and had something like "Ker○in" written on it...

Wait, isn't this plastic?!

Hold on, hold on. Calm down. It's not very transparent for plastic, and the feel is different. It sounds light when tapped. When dropped, it didn't get a single scratch. Water didn't leak.

"Identify"

"A bucket made of Reitick

Reitick / A compound created by Reit. Light, strong, and resistant to heat and water, easy to process. It's still soil. It returns to the earth, so it's environmentally friendly. The downside is that it requires a significant amount of imagination to create, as the concept doesn't exist."

...Eh, no, that's scary.

My name is written on it. It's recognized as something mysterious, even by the identification spell. I really made it! A convenient material! What do I do now?!

Well, since it's made, there's nothing I can do. It took a lot of magic, but it's fine. There's no change in my status. As the description says, it's still within the realm of earth magic.

If there were others who could identify it, it would be bad, but I've never heard of such a thing, and I don't know of any magic tools that can. If I don't say anything, I can just pretend it's a mysterious material. I could even say it's from a dungeon. If it's from a dungeon, it's "unavoidable." Dungeons are treasure troves of mysteries!

Alright, I'm calm.

First, I'll put the yellow one in my bag. I'll make another one, brown this time, without any writing. A smooth, ordinary bucket...

"Wait, isn't that hard?"

The one I made was a regular, failed soil bucket. It was smooth but let water through.

Ah, I'll make it out of Reitick. The brown version of Ker○in. Light, strong, and waterproof. I need to solidify the image. Yes, as if it's already there.

Ta-da!!

A brown mystery material bucket was made.

I can do it. I savored the joy, despite the headache.