Peeking over at my work, Noela covered her nose. “Master. Smelly. No make.”
“You only have to deal with it today, okay? I’ll make a scentless version later.”
She looked conflicted but hesitantly nodded. Having agreed to put up with the new product for now, she exited the lab.
“Time to get this to Peel and his aching muscles,” I murmured.
Leaving Kirio Drugs again, I made my way to the Red Cat Brigade’s barracks. The mercenaries weren’t as far on the outskirts of town as the drugstore was, but they were relatively remote, nonetheless.
The brigade was now in the middle of combat training; they split into pairs and were throwing each other about.
Will Peel be okay? I looked around, concerned, only to see him sitting in a corner. He seriously looked like a nerdy schoolboy in gym class.
Annabelle was apparently in charge. She had a bamboo rod with her, and I’d seen her thump the ground with that rod on more than one occasion. “What brings you back, Pharmacist?”
“I’ve got something for Peel.”
“Go ahead and pass it along. I can tell his spirit broke over the last few days.”
Ah. Of course it had. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be sitting there like he was. “You’re really observant, Annabelle.”
“Eh? Well, of course I noticed that,” Annabelle retorted. “Peel’s one of mine, whether he’s a greenhorn or a veteran.” I understood why her men respected her so much.
I headed toward Peel. “Sorry about the wait!” I called out. “It’s ready.”
“Ah, Mr. Pharmacist! Already?!”
“Yup.” I handed him the new product. “This should make things a little easier on you.”
He stared at the muscle chill gel in his hands. “This’ll make me stronger me, huh?”
He certainly was obsessed with that idea. “Nah. Like I said, applying this won’t enhance your muscles.”
“Then what kind of treatment is it?”
“Well, your muscle pain right now is terrible, isn’t it?”
“It is… Days and days of training left me a wreck.” I figured as much. “I honestly can’t even stand up,” Peel added.
“Surely you’re exaggerating.” After all, he stood to walk here today. When it comes to his issues, he sure can make a mountain out of a molehill. I moved on and went back to describing the product. “Rubbing this on sore spots will chill them and relieve your exhaustion.”
“Oh…? That’s it?” Peel didn’t hide his disappointment.
“If you aren’t going to use it, fine. I’ll just take it back.” I snatched the bottle from his hands.
“D-don’t be like that! I’ll use it! Please, sir! Let me!”
“Good.” Nodding, I handed him the bottle again, like some old martial arts master passing down a secret weapon to his pupil. “If you don’t try to grow stronger, young man, this treatment will merely relieve your pain. Nothing more.”
“Got it, Master!” Peel cried out.
“A single emotion can strengthen or weaken a man,” I continued.
“Of course, Master!”
Once Peel and I had played “master and student” a bit, one of the mercenaries yelled to the shoemaker’s son. “Hey, Peel, how about training with me? Or are you too tired of getting thrown around all the time?”
“I’ll be there in just a second, all right?!” Peel rubbed the muscle chill gel all over. “O-oh my! My whole body’s cold!”
“Freezing, right?”
“Yes! Could you handle my back, please?”
“Fine…” I reluctantly put some gel on my fingertips and spread it across Peel’s back.
“I feel completely different!” Peel exclaimed. “It was so hard to move before, and my muscles ached so badly… But now they seem sharp and responsive! So maybe…” He opened and closed his hands like someone who’d just awoken a new skill.
“Careful. You seriously aren’t any stronger than you were a few seconds ago,” I reminded Peel. Evidently, I really needed to impress that on him.
“I’ll be back. Heh!”
The way he laughed and was trying to sound cool concerned me. Is he going to be okay?
Peel straightened up. “I’m ready!” he told a veteran mercenary, kicking off their sparring match. “This is what it means to become the wind itself!”
I couldn’t watch. Talk about second-hand embarrassment. Urgh.
“Sir,” Peel chattered to his opponent, “What you see is just my afterimage—”
Oh, jeez. He’s acting like a delusional schoolboy! He was definitely under the completely mistaken impression that he’d gained some new skill.
Peel “made the most” of his opponent’s so-called opening, trying to throw the mercenary. “Take this! Waaaaah!!!”
That was the kind of scream you only ever heard in thrilling mecha anime. Yup… A single emotion can strengthen or weaken a man. Go, Peel!
As I rooted for Peel internally, the two men began to grapple. Fwump… Boom! Peel’s opponent threw him in seconds.
Peel landed on his back, groaning as he stared at the sky. “Urgh… Is this what losing feels like…?”
What the hell’s he talking about? He’s only ever lost! How can he pull a face like that and act like this is the first time?
“Hey, Peel,” his opponent called out to him. “It can be real dangerous if you don’t brace yourself when ya fall.”
“Please…” Peel whispered to him. “Tell me your name… Tell me the name of the man who defeated me.”
I really wished he’d stop acting like a super-tough character who lost to some protagonist. Is he delusional? Or does he just want to impersonate a tough guy?
“C’mon. Stop messin’ around and stand up,” his opponent continued. “The captain’s watchin’.”
“Urgh… Captain Annabelle!” Peel immediately stood straight. Boing!
Oh, so that was it. Peel wanted to show off to Annabelle, and since he’d been falling on his face this whole time, he probably didn’t want her to see that anymore. In fact, that was likely why he’d been sitting around when I arrived. How many times did I tell him that gel wouldn’t strengthen him, though?
“C’mon,” the boy’s opponent barked. “Let’s go, Peel!”
“Y-yes, sir!” Peel got thrown yet again. “Grrbleh!”
He seemed close to tears, but the veteran was by no means bullying him. When it came to a life-threatening job like being a mercenary, this kind of training was linked to protecting yourself and your own survival.
“He looked broken not long ago, but he’s got guts,” Annabelle commented quietly as she watched them spar.
“You think so?”
“I mean, he’s still weak, but…” Annabelle cackled. “Y’know, I’d say the townsfolk will feel safer if someone like him—someone from Kalta—belongs to the Red Cat Brigade. If it was more than just folks from who-knows-where, like me and the other men.” I guessed that was part of why Annabelle had admitted Peel into the group.
“I don’t think that’s true,” I replied. “Everyone in town knows what the brigade’s done for them. Not a single person feels wary of you guys.”
“I hope you’re right,” Annabelle said with a snarky smile.
“Hyah!” Peel was thrown yet again.
“Gah!”
The fact that Peel showed no sign of running off even though the mercenaries kept tossing him around, told me that maybe he did have guts, as Annabelle said. However weak he was, his somber face made me want to cheer him on.
I’d bring him more muscle chill gel tomorrow.