When we arrived at the drugstore, Mina looked terribly concerned. “How’d it go, Mr. Reiji?”
“Before, Mrs. Hautbeaux was so sick, she couldn’t even get out of bed. Now she’s taking walks around her house.”
“Thank goodness!” Mina said, relieved.
“Mina doubt Master!” Noela pointed accusingly.
“N-not at all! It’s just…this was Mr. Reiji’s first time making medicine for someone so severely ill.”
Truth be told, I was sort of worried too. The panacea I’d made was supposedly effective against Mrs. Hautbeaux’s illness, but until we tried it out, there was no way to know for sure. To test it, I would’ve had to prescribe it to someone else who was dying. On top of that, we only had three bottles.
Hearing Mina, Noela, and I talking, Vivi entered. “Hey, Reiji! You’re super busy lately. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, all good.”
“Aw, come on! Tell me what happened!” the lake spirit whined. “You always leave me in the dark. I-I’m really going to cry this time!”
“That’s a pretty weak threat.” I glared but patted her head nonetheless.
“Good work, Doctor!”
Oh, right—Ejil had a shift today too. “I honestly didn’t do much.”
“Mina said you managed to obtain some unicorn horn shavings,” the demon king replied. “How did everything else work out?”
“Great, all because of the advice you gave us. Thanks a million.”
“Doctor, I…I’m so moved! I’ve never been praised like that before!”
Because you’re a demon king.
“Aw… I’m really the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on?!” Vivi pouted.
“God, lake fairy, you can be such a headache.”
“You realize you’re thinking out loud, right?!”
“Sorry, sorry. I’m just messing with you.”
“That’s even worse! And I’m a spirit, not a fairy!”
In her own way, Vivi was an irreplaceable member of the drugstore’s team. Since every single quip got a rise out of her, though, I kept teasing her gleefully.
“Didn’t get potion today, Master.”
“Oh, right. I’ll make you one when I mix the new batch for restock.”
“Noela wait.”
“Good girl.”
I checked to see which products we were low on and then headed for the lab. For some reason, literally everyone followed me.
“Sorry, but don’t you guys have a store to watch?”
Noela raised her hand. “Noela help Master!”
“All right. Fine with me.”
“Garroo!” Wagging her tail happily, she began searching the shelves for ingredients.
“So, why’re you two part-timers in here?”
“Have you forgotten, Doctor? I work at the drugstore so I can learn to make potions like you,” Ejil replied. “I’ve got to steal your secret techniques so I can make Noela mine!”
“Hear that, fluffball?”
“Ejil no allowed in lab!” Noela crossed her arms.
“Why single me out?!”
Ejil, Noela informed me, had snuck into my lab earlier to make something. “Mystery fluid. Wasted ingredients!”
“Urgh… She’s being so honest, I can’t even argue!”
As Ejil agonized, Vivi chimed in, “So, what were you up to, Reiji? What unicorn were you talking about?”
“Who cares? I’ll fill you in later.”
“Promise? You’re not lying? If you are, I’ll be a hundred times more hurt than anyone else would be!”
“I get it.” I spun Vivi around and sent her back to the drugstore. “Everything okay, Mina?”
Mina had been standing off to one side this whole time, smiling brightly. “Everyone’s here today, so I was just wondering whether I should cook dinner for Vivi and Ejil too.”
“Ah, great idea. We can eat together.”
Noela crossed her arms again. “Ejil leaving. Busy.”
She was definitely lying. There was no way Ejil would turn down an opportunity to have dinner with her. “Busy with what?”
“If Ejil’s busy, you ought to invite him to dinner, Noela,” Mina told her.
At this sudden suggestion, Noela’s fur stood on end. “Groo?!”
“If you invite him, I’m sure he’ll join us, no matter what,” Mina reasoned. “He’d probably squirm to dinner armless if he had to!” That seemed a bit creepy—especially since Mina was smiling—but she wasn’t wrong.
Noela paled and looked away. “No busy. Noela’s mistake.”
I knew she was fibbing. Ejil’s one thing, but Noela’s another. They’ll never patch things up, will they?
Mina smiled. “We’ll all have dinner together, then.”
“Sounds good.”
“What would you like to eat, Mr. Reiji?”
“Anythi—” I cut myself off, remembering Mina’s note in the request box.
Mina smiled. “What’s wrong?”
“‘Anything’ would be a bad answer, right? I should pick something, since we’re all eating together.”
Mina nodded happily. Phew. I’d almost messed up again.
“I’ll invite Vivi and Ejil for dinner,” Mina said cheerfully, leaving the lab.
Noela placed the ingredients she’d gathered on the table. “Hurry, Master. Noela need potion. Emergency!”
“Well, that’s no good. I’d better hurry.” I chuckled, and Noela nodded repeatedly.
After replenishing our potion backstock, I moved on to other products. Meanwhile, Noela chugged her fresh potion, one hand on her hip.
“Groo!” I could tell she was satisfied just by the look on her face.
“Kyuu!” Griffy chirped outside.
I sipped the black potion Mina had poured me and gazed out the window. Despite the stress of creating the panacea, I figured these peaceful days of us chilling at the store would continue.
Yet again, Kirio Drugs was open for business.