'There are rarely people here, so I didn't notice.

Regina smiles, waving her hands in the air like an old lady.
What's with this guy?
What's with the Kansai dialect?
I'm not sure if it's the spoonful of "forced translation magic"?

Or is it ............
I'm sure Mormat said that Regina came from outside ......
Maybe he's a ......

'Hey, hey!You.'
What do you mean 'you'?I have a proper name, Regina, so do you call me that?It's not nice to be called you.
'Oh, sorry, sorry. ......'
'Yeah. It's okay if you understand. You're a good, honest girl, aren't you, self?
'I think ...... 'myself' is rather unpleasant, too.'
'Is that so?

What's with this fast-paced woman?
Well, okay.
More importantly, ......

'Regina came to Allbloom from the outside, didn't she?
'Yes, she did. How do you know her? ...... Have we met before?
'No, I heard it from a friend.
'There aren't many good rumors about ...... us, are there?There's nothing but bad rumors at .......'
'Oh, no, that's why!What town were you in before?'

I asked Regina, who was on the verge of a coma.
If the name 'Osaka' comes up, that's it. If you know someone from the same town, you might be able to get a lot of information.

'The town you were in before?Baokri Air.'
'...... famous for spices?
'Yes. That's where I'm from. How do you know that? ...... Oops, did I mention that I'm not very nice?So, what should I call you?
'I'm Yashiro.'
'Yashiro. ...... Yeah, I got it.'

Regina smiled at him.
Her face was innocent and vaguely cute.

What the hell. You're not suspicious at all.
Rather, she seems like a cool guy with a good personality.

'Oh, so, I have a question for you: ......'
'Oh, I'm sorry. I'm looking for my glasses right now. Without them, you can't see anything.'

So that's why you came so close. ...... Well, I thought it was too close, but...

'Do you want me to help you find it?
'Oh, really?No~, that would be great. I'm glad you said that, even if it's just a feeling.
'It's just a feeling, but you said you'd look for .......'
'Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the web site.
You mean ...... not being relied ...... on?

I'm not sure what to do.
It's not like I really want to help.

As I watched Regina crawl around on the floor looking for her glasses, I spotted them on a table in the middle of the store.
She really can't see, can she?

'Regina. They're on the table.'
'Table?I don't see it. We're not using the table today.'
'Yes, you do.'
'No, it's not. You're looking at it wrong.

How can you go wrong with glasses? ......

Fed up with Regina's refusal to believe me, I pick up the glasses on the table.
Then I put them on Regina's face as she crouched down.

'Oh no!What?

Perhaps surprised by the sudden clarity of her vision, Regina made a strange noise and looked up.
Then, our gazes collided perfectly.



'Hey, you see that?'

I say, but Regina doesn't respond.
She stares up at me with a blank expression on her face.

Then, her eyes widened. And then she opened her eyes and let out a huge scream.


'Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!


I thought he'd pulled out a mandragora.
Immediately after the strange scream, Regina took refuge behind the counter and hid behind it, staring at me as if she were watching me.

'Hi, hi, hi, hi, there's a person...... person............ i, good, when did you......'
'When did you ...... just have a conversation with me?
'I didn't think you were a real person!
'Huh?

No, because you said you were a customer.

'Umm, we ...... have been very distant from the people of this town. ...... No one has come to visit us, and we've been all alone for a long, long time...' .........At some point, I started to see people who weren't there. ......'
'You're scaring me!
'Well, this time too, I thought there was an invisible 'visitor'. ......'
'You're too much of a loner, aren't you!

This guy was always talking to imaginary customers!
...... So he didn't even take her up on her offer to help. ............ Imaginary customers can't find what they're looking for. ......

'Oh,oh,......, that's not good,......'
'Oh, hey. What's wrong with you?'

Regina begins to shake, and leans against the couch.
She looks pale, as if she's about to collapse.

'We haven't ...... talked to anyone in weeks, maybe even months, so we don't talk ...... much.'
'No, I'm more of a crazy talker.'

Regina clings to the counter and manages to get up on wobbly legs.
She stares at me through her glasses and gives me a quizzical look.
I'm not sure what to make of it.

'...... Did you come to kick us out?
'Why would you do that?
'After all, there's no other reason to come to this store. ......'
'I'm a customer!Customer!
'Keep your jokes to your face!
'Whose face is the joke?

'The landlady said you were charming and pretty!

'A customer?In my store?Han!That's not funny, even if it was a joke. ......'

Regina's attitude suddenly changes.
Her expression is distorted, and a feeling similar to hatred can be clearly seen.
It's as if there's a black aura behind her. ......

'I've ...... never seen that face before. ...... Are you a newcomer?
'Yeah. I'm a recent arrival to the city.
'I bet you are.'
'Are you even able to recognize the faces of the people in this ward?
'............ I don't recognize any of them. ............ Because no one talks to me. I don't even have a chance to see their faces. ......

How did you get hooked up with them? ......

'But the only people I can think of who come to my store are newcomers.'
'Why is that?
'Everyone in this town seems to be ...... like .................. me.'
'Hate'?
'Don't you want to be clear?I've barely even acknowledged it yet!

No, you should admit it.
Don't get all teary-eyed over this. ...... You said it yourself.

'............Yeah. We are hated anyway,...... just because we are a little bit different from others,...... after you hate us for that,......'

It's not the same as the Medicine Man's Guild.
This is why he has been harassed rather than persecuted .......
Probably, it is the pressure to 'follow the rules of the Medicine Guild and do not disobey'.

Because they rebelled against it, they were deprived of their freedom and dignity in exchange for a few rights.
It would have been better if they had become uncomfortable and left.

'Well, it is true that being different from others is often avoided,......, but you,' he said.
'We are very beautiful!
'........................?

What's he talking about?

'I know what you mean. ...... You don't want to admit to the feelings of the people on the street. ...... Don't you?You don't want to admit that there is a woman who is more beautiful than you. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

............ I really don't know if this guy is negative or positive.

'...... I'm sure the guys avoid you too.
'I'm sure he's a Takamine no Hana ...... kind of guy.'
'............ "Gah!"' I'm sure you've heard of it.
'...... I have.'

So you have.
I had a feeling you might have, seeing how frightened you were of Mormat.

'...... How do you know?'
'I know it when I see it.'


'What the hell is wrong with me? ......'

What's wrong with you?

'Why do they hate me so much ......? ............'

The aura of darkness that surrounds Regina is becoming thicker and thicker.
It was darker and darker than the rain clouds that covered the sky. You can almost see the negative aura like a haze in your vision.

'I ...... haven't done anything wrong, but ............'
I've heard that there's a mysterious aura around you.
'We ...... don't give off that kind of aura. ......'

No, no, no.
If you come here to buy medicine and you're bombarded with this downer atmosphere, you'll want to avoid it in the future, normally.

'We ...... sometimes think about ............ what we would do if someone from the city got jealous of us and came to our house. ......And then, in an attempt to catch me, about five burly men would tear this house to pieces. ......'

You're starting to sound paranoid. ......
What am I supposed to do?Should I just listen for now?

'Hey, did you see that? No, it's empty! "Search properly, you idiot! "Only in the dark! You're so annoying! You'll be hunting me down at .......'

Sounds like fun, those intruders.

'So, I'm hiding in a hidden room under the floor, and they finally find me. The men catch us with their beastly eyes glittering. "Whoa!You're even more boppin' than they say! "I've never seen such a beauty! If I wasn't on a mission, I'd go out and beat her up for tea.' ...... as I'm being taken away.

So it looks like you're having fun, those intruders.
Also, the positivity interjected here and there is as disturbing as sand in a clam.

'And then, we'll be taken away and thrown out of the city where hexenbiests roam and buried in the dark. .................. What if that happens? What if that happens?
It's not!

I was slightly annoyed by the long but contentless delusions that accompanied me.

'...... We talked a lot, but ...... you can't just cut us off with one word like that. ......... ...too much.'

It's true that it was a long story, but in terms of content, I think 'no' is enough of a reply.

'In the first place, the reason why the townspeople are avoiding you is because they are not familiar with the medicine you make. It's hard to use an unfamiliar medicine when you're weak, isn't it?
'I've explained to them many times that it's absolutely safe. ......'
'That's why you don't understand.
'If you think I'm lying, try this stuff called "Genie-han"! I don't know why no one calls me back. ......'

Oh, ...... I see.
That attitude makes me think that there's something more to this guy. So that's why he was giving you a weird idea.
You can't turn a frog into a frog by applying the Judgment of the Spirits. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. With .......

'Why don't you believe me?

I'm not sure what to do.
You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.
More to the point, ......

I look around the store.
There were many ingredients that I was familiar with.

Blackened geckos, bottled newts, seahorses, shark fins.

I guess these ingredients are 'impossible' to the residents of this city.
Even if they were told that geckos are good for you, they would probably think, 'Bullshit! I'm sure they'd think, 'Bullshit!

'If my medicine is horseshit, I'll take it myself!Are you trying to test me with 'Genie-han no nana'?If I don't turn into a frog, it means I'm not lying, right?Isn't that right?Then call me as soon as possible!'What's with the genie?
'It's close, close!It's so close!I'm a little scared!

That's why you're coming at me so confidently, you're scaring everyone.
Regina approached me, talking and talking, until we were almost forehead to forehead. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will help you get through the day. ......

It's a good idea to tell the truth as it is, but it can also make people suspicious of you.
In such a case, if you add a little lie, the other person will believe you easily.
For example, if you say, 'Gecko can be taken safely by mixing with this herb', they may think, 'Don't worry!It's not a problem at all!Seriously, there's nothing to worry about! Seriously, there is nothing to worry about! Even if the gecko itself is harmless.
It is more important to make people believe that there is no harm than the fact that there is no harm.

As far as I can see, there is nothing suspicious in the store.
Most of them are plants that are used as ingredients in Chinese medicine and herbal medicines that can be found in Japan.
It is probably true that Regina's medicine is harmless.
But this guy's desperation was backfiring on him.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.

'...... You don't believe me anyway, do you?......My medicine is ......fun............'

Frankly, it's a pain in the ass.
The invalidation of the Judgment of the Spirits was, after all, the assumption of the Mormats,.......
I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will help you.

I really want to go home right now. ......
I don't like the fact that Ginette is so worried about Bertina that she has a downcast look on her face, and Estella looks so lonely and out of character. It's depressing to watch.

So I have to get some medicine from the negative pharmacist crouching in the corner of the store.

'Regina'.



He calls out her name and walks up to Regina.
Then he crouches down and makes eye contact with Regina.

If you've gotten this far because you don't believe me, then believe her.
Just tell her you believe her.
After all, I know the potion Regina makes is effective. That's knowledge.
So I'm going to make it very clear.

'I believe in your medicine.
'You're lying!
'No, you believe it!

I don't understand why I'm being questioned when I said I believe you.

'Anyway, as soon as you see the medicine I prepared, you'll say, "I can't do it! right?I get it!You're going to approach me like that and then betray me as soon as I let you in, aren't you!

.................. Wow, ...... is annoying... ...
This guy is a little too sultry for his own good.
Well, maybe that's just what he's been through.

You don't want to be fooled, so you keep people away.
At first glance, this seems to be the most effective way to prevent fraud.

However, people who think they don't want to be deceived are more likely to be deceived.

In particular, this guy is even talking to an imaginary "customer" created by his delusion.
This is proof that he is hungry for people.

I want to be close to someone. But I'm afraid of being rejected or betrayed. Then it's better to be alone from the start.

That's the typical thought that Regina is having right now.
Well, I guess that's why she can go with the typical solution.

'Well, Regina. Let's do this.'

I held up my index finger and made this suggestion.

'Now, I want you to mix up some kind of potion right in front of me.
'...... Now?Right here?'
'Yes. Can you do that?'
'No, I don't mind, but ...... why?
'To prove that the potion you're concocting isn't something fishy.'

Then I look Regina straight in the eye and assure her once and for all.

'I promise. I'll make sure to try the potion you've concocted right here and now.
'You just said that. ......'
'If you're lying, call me the Judgment of the Spirits.

At my words, Regina finally shuts up.
It's the same line I've been throwing at my opponents for years. If you say that, there is no way you can argue with her. If you do, you will be denying yourself that you have been asking them to believe you.

'.................. All right. I'll be ready in a minute.'

With that, Regina got up and walked back to the counter.

I stared at her as she went to work and thought silently.

Everyone is afraid of something they don't know what it is.
When you're all black, speak unfamiliar words, have an extremely wide range of ideas, and use unknown materials, it's no wonder people shy away from you.
But I am not fooled by such things.
The black clothes and unfamiliar words add to the suspiciousness, but that's all I'm saying. It's just 'unfamiliar', but it's not evil in itself.
It's just black clothes and a dialect.
As for the range of ideas, ......, well, it's only slightly tiring and has nothing to do with medicine.
And the materials used.
I know that geckos and unseen herbs ...... can be used for medicine.

As long as you know, there's nothing to worry about. So there's no reason to doubt.
I know that the medicine Regina makes is legitimate.
If we can prove it and make it known, others will come to rely on this place.

'.................., what's that?
'What's that, it's an ingredient for medicine.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the following web site: ....... ...... Mandragora?No, but it is a citrus fruit, no matter how you look at it.

'............ What's this?
'What's that? It's a medicine ingredient.

Oh, shit.
Is this guy testing me every step of the way?
I'm sure he purposely chose the most suspicious ingredients that you wouldn't normally see!

In the event that you've got any questions regarding where and the best way to get in touch with your loved ones, you'll be able to contact us at the web site. ...... Keep it to geckos, please. ......

'......By the way, let me ask you, what is this ......?'
'What, it's an ingredient for medicine.


This guy's darkness is pretty deep too. ......

The last thing you see is a sludgy liquid ...... or gel. A translucent, pale lime green gel. It was none other than the slime, a creature known to all RPG lovers.


...... Is it good for you,it?

'...... Hey.'
'What do you mean, it's for medicine?

...... It's that kind of personality that makes people avoid him.
In order to regain his trust, he may need to correct his character first.

With that in mind, I watched Regina work.
Her handiwork is good, and her technique is very skillful.
Without hesitation, and yet delicately, the suspicious objects are being reduced to powder.
...... I didn't know that slime turns into a solid when you burn it with fire. I've never heard of it.

I've never heard of this before.
It was made of stone and had a shape I'd seen before.
A long, thin container and a disc-shaped stone with a handle in the center. You roll it around to grind the material into powder.

The only sound in the room was the ...... sound of the grinding wheel pulling the powder.
Regina's face was serious as she pulled the powder. She seemed to be taking the medicine seriously. In contrast to the clutter in the room, the tools, such as the pestle and mortar, seemed to be carefully cared for.

'......Yes!

I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.
I wonder if it's finished.
As she gazed at the finished powder, her face showed a gentle expression full of affection, like a mother cat gazing at her newborn kittens.

After transferring the finished powder to a petri dish, Regina took out a triangular flask from under the desk.

'Put this on to finish it and you're done.

She tilts the flask.
What poured out of the flask was a dark green liquid that looked like the living blood of an alien.

What had been a mere powder earlier became firmer and firmer with an eerie sound of 'swoosh swoosh swoosh' the moment it mixed with the alien's living blood (in my opinion).
In a corner of my mind, I thought it was like a candy that changes its color the more you knead it.
I remembered that Regina's outfit was very similar to that of the "typical" wizard in the candy commercials. The resemblance is so striking that I wonder if one of them is copying the other.

'It's done!

Seriously? ......
I wonder why it swelled up?
In the first place, each and every one of those ingredients is too mysterious.
In the first place, what is this medicine for?

I have so many things to say and so many questions to ask.

'Come on, drink it!Don't worry!There's no problem at all!If you don't think I'm lying, you can just call me 'genie's whatnot'!I'll never turn into a frog!

Wow, ...... is really coming on strong. ............
This is scary ...... and people will avoid it ......

I'm sure this guy only speaks the truth.
...... The truth is even more stinky than a lie in some cases. ............

I'm sure he's only speaking the truth.You can't drink it yourself anyway!You can't trust me, even if I say so!If that's the case, why don't you go home right now and never come back here again!

Well, normally, I would have kicked this kind of nonsense out with a single word, "Can't drink! Normally, I would have kicked this kind of nonsense out with a single word, "Can't drink!" and left this stinky place immediately. ......
But that's not the case right now.
I have to convince this guy.

Trust over facts: ......

I'm going to make him believe that I trust Regina, with or without his permission.

How about that?You can say whatever you want with your mouth, but when it comes down to it,............, what?

I stretched out my arm and dug my fingers into the frothy potion that seemed to change color the more I kneaded it. You'll find a lot of people who've been in the business for a long time, and you'll find a lot of people who've been in the business for a long time.

'............ Ah'
'......Hmm'

He takes the finger out of his mouth and flicks it around a bit with his tongue.

'...... Well, it's kind of a drug. Usually.
'............ yourself............, you've put it in your mouth... ...without any hesitation.
'I told you I believe you, didn't I?
'Well, ............ this ............... ...something so disgusting that even I don't want to talk about it. ......'

Hey!
Did you just offer me something you don't like?
What a guy. Unbelievable. ......

'You didn't think it was poisoned, did you?
'You'd never poison me.

Regina asks with serious eyes. The expression on her face looked fragile, as if she might start crying at any moment if she was not careful.
So I answered her in a light tone.

'There's no way I can do that to my own medicine. Right?'

The way he was mixing the medicine, I could see his sincerity to the point of stupidity. It's hard to believe that someone like that would poison the medicine.
More importantly, there's no advantage to him poisoning me.
In fact, there are only disadvantages.


If word gets out that he's a dangerous pharmacist, he won't be able to survive in this town anymore.
The fact that he's staying in this town despite his loneliness means that he has no intention of leaving.
If that's the case, there's no way he's going to do something that will make people around him uncomfortable.

So he won't poison me.
That's what I thought.

'...... You're so strange.
'I don't want to be told by you.

At my rebuttal, Regina, who had been looking a little tearful and surprised, broke her expression and smiled a soft ...... smile.

I'm not sure what to say. Trust me.

The smile is the same as the first smile I saw when I first came here,...... which is to say, it's a vulnerable smile that Regina only shows to invisible customers that she has forgiven,...... and I've been able to step into that territory. I was able to enter that realm.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bad experience.
I, too, will allow myself to be called 'I'.

'Hey, I'm sorry for doubting you. If you want to talk to me, just tell me anything. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it.

Now that the sting is gone, she seems really cool and easy to get along with.
I don't dislike the apology that she bends at the right angle and the vulnerable smile that follows.

It's just that it's ...... heartbreaking.

'I'm sorry, do you have any paper?I need to wipe my fingers.'
'Yeah, sure. You licked it, so it's bubba bubba.'

What do you mean, 'bubba bubba'? It sounds dirtier than "batchy.
My saliva's not that dirty.

What I want to wipe is ......

'Yes. Here, use this.'
'Sorry.'

He takes the offered paper with his left hand so as not to be recognized.
Then, wrapping all the fingers of my right hand around it, I quickly destroy the evidence so that Regina can't see it.

The more you knead it, the more the color will change, which is still firmly attached to my middle finger.

Regina seemed to be fooled by it. ......
I took the potion with my middle finger and put my index finger in my mouth.
It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for before you buy.

I really didn't think ...... Regina was going to poison me.
I didn't expect it, but ...... I definitely didn't want to put that overtly suspicious potion in my mouth!I didn't want to die!

I'm sure Regina was impressed with my "undeterred appearance" as I quickly sucked it into my mouth for the finger swapping trick. ...... She didn't even know she was being tricked.
But, you know, there are times when it's better to be tricked, right?

Maybe this will be a chance for Regina to be accepted by the residents of District 42.
If that happens, the deception I just committed will be called a heroic and wise decision.

So, the truth is still in the dark.
Even con artists are useful sometimes. Hmm.

'Oh, well. I forgot to mention ......'.

When I was safely done destroying the evidence of the scam, Regina laid her hands on me and said this to me.

'This drug is a very powerful energy enhancer.
'What about ......?
'So, I suggest you stay away from the girl tonight. Unless she's your girlfriend.''

Oh, ............ that's dangerous!
It's a good thing you only pretend to lick it.
Thank God, he only pretended to lick it!

I thought I'd go with the strongest looking one I could find. I never thought I'd say it.
'...... you...'
'It's so powerful that you can make a lot of branch families with just one bite.'
'That's no longer a poisonous drug. ......'

It's really ...... a danger to Jeannette if she had said it honestly. ...... And if that had happened, Estella would have wiped me out the next day.
Hmm?Magda?............ No Magda. She's a child.

It's a child.

As I chilled my spine imagining the world of if, Regina began to squirm with her back to me.

'If ...... you don't have a partner like that,............, you can't help it... ...I don't care ............ if you take responsibility ......, right?

..................responsibility?

'No, no, look!We're responsible too, right?That's why, you know, ............'
'Oh, no. I'm fine. I'll pass.'

It's just that it smells like a mine.

'.................., why?I'm so cute.'



'Even though it's pretty?' but ......
If I went around doing that to every cute guy, I'd probably get stabbed so hard I'd have to go through the Blackbeard Crisis.
............ This is no joke.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand.
What are you talking about?
'Do you have a girlfriend?
'No, I don't!
'What about the genie?
'No!
'Oh no!Why isn't it working?What about ......?You don't have the ability to disable it, do you?
'No!

I'm the one who thought there might be an ability to disable it!


'.................. Oh, okay. I know what you mean.
'......I don't know what you've guessed, but I assure you, it's not true.
'The menswear is .......'
'No!

This guy is a rascal of a woman!


'..................Hey, good luck playing solo, huh?


I'll tell you the truth that I don't actually lick drugs. ...... I'll destroy all of his excitement and trust.

'Can I tell you what we're here for?
'Yeah. Yeah, sure. What kind of medicine do you want?'
'I need something for a stomachache. ......'
'Laxatives?I have to get cleaned up, don't I?
'I'm going to hit you!

It was more than two hours after ...... that I was able to tell Regina exactly what was going on and request medicine from her, as she had been a loner for a long time and had a nasty disease that made her ten times more paranoid when she spoke.