Chapter 5:
The Irregular
I WAS IN THE LAB, replenishing the drugstore’s stock, when I heard a loud voice outside. “Sir Alchemist! Are you here?!”
Noela trotted in quickly, informing me of a visitor. “Sword Santa arrived, Master!”
“Uh… What?”
She grabbed my arm and yanked me into the drugstore, where Fiora Garon awaited.
“Oh,” I said. “You meant the Sword Saint.”
The adventurer nodded deeply. “Ah, Sir Alchemist! Good to see you.”
“Welcome! What brings you here today?”
He nodded at my question. I assumed Garon probably wanted potions, energy potions, and maybe a few other products.
However, then he said, “A little bird told me you developed something that gives objects electric attributes.”
“Pardon?” What’s he talking about? I cocked my head in confusion, prompting Garon to continue.
“You know, that…” Seeming unsure of the product name, he awkwardly tried to describe it. “That…simple magisword potion.”
“Magi…sorry, what?” The heck does he mean? I didn’t recall developing a product that dealt direct damage to people.
“When you apply some to a sword, it shoots electricity,” Garon continued. Speaking of which, Noela seemed to be ignoring my befuddlement and instead focused on the adventurer’s blade. “It’ll basically envelop my sword in lightning, right?”
Er, what? Wait… Does he mean Duster X? I grabbed a bottle off the shelf and brought it to Garon. “Um, I think you might be talking about this.”
If Garon had heard that Duster X let swords shoot electricity, the rumors about the product were out of hand—likely due to Noela shouting “Area Lightning!” every time she swung a duster. Folks who heard her battle cry then described Duster X’s effects to others, and their descriptions evolved from “collects dust using static electricity” to “envelops objects in lightning and shoots lightning bolts.” I understood Garon’s mistake now.
“Duster X?” Garon said.
“Yeah. In truth, it doesn’t gives things electric attributes. It basically just collects dust using static electricity,” I explained apologetically.
“Is that so?” His shoulders drooped slightly. “So, it doesn’t let you shoot lightning?”
“No. Sorry.” According to my medicine-making skill, I could create something like that if I wanted to, but Kirio Drugs didn’t make or deal weapons. “It might be handy for sword maintenance though, since it absorbs dust so well.” I didn’t know where Garon had come from today but getting to the drugstore must’ve been quite a trip for him. I would’ve felt badly sending him home empty-handed.
“I’m fine on that end,” Garon replied.
“Oh, all right.”
“But could I look at that new product of yours?”
“Absolutely.” I handed the Duster X to Garon. “When you apply some to a duster, it sucks up dust like crazy.” I explained the product fully as the adventurer stared at the bottle’s contents. For all I knew, he might be a neatnik like Ejil and Mina.
“May I try it?” Garon requested. “I’ll pay later.”
“Yes, of course.” Now, where did I put that duster?
As I glanced around the store, Garon unsheathed his sword and spread Duster X over the blade. Crackle. Crackle. Electricity enveloped his blade.
Garon raised his voice. “Whoa! This is something else.”
“That’s just a little static,” I insisted. “Duster X isn’t meant for actual combat.”
“Hrm…” Garon mulled that over. He then exited the drugstore with his sword in hand, clearly planning something. Noela and I followed.
“I have no magical talents, Sir Alchemist,” Garon told me outside. “When it comes to combat, all I can do is swing this sword.”
That’s more than cool enough, as far as I’m concerned.
“Long ago, I always found myself wishing I could cast spells,” Garon continued. “When I faced tough enemies, I imagined how different the encounters would be if I used magic. You can guess my reaction when I heard I could simply apply a product to my sword to shoot lightning. And as I treated my blade with Duster X, all I could think was that it was indeed a type of magic!”
His interest in magic was deeper than I imagined, which only made me feel worse. “Er, it’s really just a product that sucks up dust.”
“Whether I can use Duster X’s weak static to create a magic sword depends entirely on my skills.” Garon widened his stance.
“Er, excuse me? Is that even possible?” If it was, it’d be incredible.
“I shall test whether I’ve trained enough.”
Is enhancing Duster X’s strength that dramatically really just a matter of training? I was doubtful as I watched him. I had even adjusted the product to ensure it wouldn’t harm customers, no matter how much they used.
“Groo?” Noela seemed not to follow the adventurer’s statements. She watched with a perplexed expression and tilted her head.
Garon took several deep breaths. “Now.”
He held his sword near his torso, widened his eyes, and prepared to slash downward. Before my eyes, the static that usually dissipated right away grew more powerful.
“N-no way,” I mumbled. Is training really all it takes to turn static into a full-fledged lightning attack?!
“Aaaaaaauuugh!!!”
Garon brought his sword down, producing an explosive rumble. A powerful beam of purple electricity shot instantly from his blade.
“What the hell?!” I yelped.
“Arroo?!”
As I gasped, Garon lowered his sword. “I shall take all the Duster X you have.”
“Thank… Thank you for your patronage.” A-amazing. “Could anyone else with sword training use Duster X that way?” I asked.
“I don’t know. It’d depend on their training.” So, training really was the reason he could use Duster X offensively. “However,” Garon added, “I’m the Sword Saint, and that was the strongest attack I could perform. I sincerely doubt anyone could imitate it.”
Did his sword enhance the attack? I wondered. Noela seemed to have the same thought; she poked gently at the blade, which didn’t react.
“Thank you, Sir Alchemist,” Garon said. “I plan to dedicate myself to training in order to determine whether I can use Duster X in combat.”
He’s a true seeker of new knowledge and skills… It was my first time seeing someone untrammeled by common sense and logic. I had a hunch that only Garon was capable of this achievement. I rounded up all the Duster X I’d made and sold it to the adventurer. I felt he was trustworthy, and I’d be lying if I said the electric blast he’d pulled off hadn’t sealed the deal for me.
Like before, Garon snapped his fingers to summon his black horse. He stuffed the Duster X into his leather bag and mounted his steed. “Sir Alchemist.”
“My name’s Reiji.” Did I forget to introduce myself when he last dropped in?
“Apologies. Sir Reiji, the next time you make something new, I shall visit.”
“When you do, please browse the store. We also have potions and other high-quality products.”
“I shall. Farewell.” He spurred his horse and disappeared like the wind.
“He was amazing, Noela,” I muttered.
“Groo. Noela has long way to go.” The adventurer’s presence prompted her to enter “stoic” mode.
After Garon’s visit, Noela apparently didn’t feel she could copy his swordplay. Instead, she went into the drugstore and practiced finger-whistling. I guess she figured that was one aspect of the adventurer’s behavior she could potentially mimic. She kept blowing into her fingers ineffectually in hopes of being like Garon someday.
“Call Griffy like this,” she muttered.
She wasn’t wrong that it might be a cool way to summon Griffy.
And so Noela continued to futilely blow into her fingers in hopes of one day being like Garon.