episode_0010

The rose of Sharon has bloomed.

The rose of Sharon… has… bloomed!

The… rose… of… Sharon… has bloomed!

When I was young, there was a game we often played called ‘The Rose of Sharon has Bloomed.’

In this game, the seeker would say ‘The Rose of Sharon has Bloomed’ while facing a wall, and then suddenly turn around. The other children who were approaching to tag the seeker would freeze in their tracks, and the seeker would have to find the one who moved when they turned around.

In my world, this game was so famous that it even became a popular drama, known worldwide. I used this method to find the person following me, whispering the words silently to myself.

Casually walking, I suddenly turned around.

If I didn’t see anyone suspicious, I would continue walking as if nothing happened, only to turn around again.

“Huh?”

I repeated this action several times.

A familiar figure quickly disappeared behind a corner.

Wearing a ragged robe…

I immediately walked straight towards where the figure had hidden.

As I turned the corner of a building, I saw the figure who had been hiding.

“Meruru. You’ve been caught following me.”

You said you had something to do, so why are you acting like this here?

“What are you doing here?”

I asked, and Meruru hesitated before looking up at me with moist eyes.

“I don’t know what to do… I’m hungry and have no money…”

Meruru’s eyes were moist as they looked at me.

Well, it’s tough to make a living day by day.

This guy who left his hometown with no money must be really desperate.

He said he was looking for his sister, but it seems like he has no plan at all.

“But why were you secretly following me?”

“Yunoa is a kind person. He gave me this and that.”

“So?”

“There’s no one else I know here besides Yunoa… But I thought I might be a hindrance, so I followed you secretly.”

Grrrr! What is this sound?

Can such a sound come from a person… no, a living being’s stomach?

Meruru still looked at me with moist eyes.

His unique sharp eyebrows formed a 人 shape.

Although he wore a hood, his ears were probably pointed.

Sigh…

“Don’t hide, come with me.”

I said to Meruru briefly and headed to a nearby restaurant.

***

Dipping a piece of soft bread into the warm tomato beef stew, I took a big bite.

I scooped up a spoonful of stew with meat and savored it, focusing only on eating.

And Meruru, who was sitting in front of me eating the same menu, was doing the same.

“Phew… that was delicious.”

“It’s so so delicious!”

I brought him here out of pity and fed him, but I couldn’t afford to keep him with me.

But I couldn’t just leave a clueless kid alone in the world.

“Meruru, what are you going to do from now on?”

“…”

“Would you rather go back to your hometown?”

It might be better to return to that Helvetika Island than to stay here in this state.

He came here to find his sister, but it seemed like he didn’t have the ability to live on his own.

But Meruru just shook his head in response to my suggestion.

“It’s not like I can just find a boat to go back if I decide to.”

“I have to find my sister.”

“Do you even know where your sister is?”

Meruru shook his head again.

He was truly in a difficult situation.

If Tina were here, I would have begged her for help somehow.

As someone who was respected as a saint, she might have found a way to help Meruru.

But right now, I didn’t even know where she was, and Meruru was just staring at me.

“Are you going to keep following me like this?”

“….”

“I’m struggling to make a living too. I helped you out of pity, but there won’t be a next time.”

As soon as I said that, tears welled up in Meruru’s eyes.

What’s so sad about it, really?

I feel like crying too.

As I looked at her quietly, if I covered her ears and tail, she looked quite pretty as a human girl.

If it bothers me to leave her behind, maybe I should give her some work too.

It might be better for two people to lose than one person, and we could earn more money.

No, that might be difficult.

Judging from Meruru’s words and actions so far, she seems too foolish to find a job.

Although her appearance is almost human-like, her words and actions have an animal-like quality.

Unless it’s a special case like cleaning the Arkbariho, she probably won’t be of much help.

“Meruru, do you have any special skills or talents?”

I asked Meruru, who was on the verge of tears.

If she’s a merfolk, she might have some special abilities that humans don’t.

“I… I’m good at eating.”

“Besides that.”

“I… I’m good at sleeping.”

I should probably just leave her behind.

“Merfolk live in various places throughout the continent, but the merfolk of Helvetica Island were special.

Most of the edible wild foods on Helvetica Island grow underground.

Because of this, the merfolk of Helvetica Island had a special sense for finding edible plants, fruits, mushrooms, etc., underground.”

No, that’s an amazing skill.

Having a special sense for finding plants underground seems like an incredibly useful ability, doesn’t it?

Why is the narrator telling me about this ability instead of Meruru?

“Meruru, can you find fruits or things that are underground?”

Meruru widened her eyes and tilted her head.

“That’s a skill. Why didn’t you say so?”

“It’s not really a skill. It’s something people from my hometown naturally do.”

It’s not natural at all here.

In that case, the conversation changes.

“Meruru, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“I’m listening.”

“I understand that you’re in a difficult situation. You want to find your sister, but you don’t know where to look, and you only have me to rely on. But now that you’ve left your hometown, if you want to act with someone, you also have to do your part.”

Meruru focused on my words and nodded vigorously.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You need money to live. And earning that money is not an easy task.”

Nodding, nodding.

“So if you want to be with me, you also have to earn your share. Understand?”

“I understand!”

Meruru replied energetically, her eyes sparkling.

Did she really understand?

Well, that’s fine.

***

I’ve definitely smelled this scent before.

Yes, it’s the smell of an herbal medicine shop.

Or maybe it’s the scent of a health center with a sign that says, ‘Black Goat, Jara Extract, Sweet.’

In addition, all sorts of unfamiliar scents are tickling my nose.

What’s the best way to make the most of the ability to find plants underground?

The conclusion I reached was ‘medicine.’

“There’s a strange smell here!”

Meruru clung to my back and followed me, whining.

Indeed, I never imagined such a pungent smell in a potion shop.

This place wasn’t just a general store selling potions, but a production facility that made potions and supplied them to various stores.

It was called the ‘Kubel Refinery.’

The Kubele Refinery was located on the outskirts of the city, far from the bustling center.

As I entered the refinery, I could smell the pervasive scent that filled the entire building, and it made sense why they were operating in such a place.

Inside, a man in his late twenties with long green hair was working on something, wearing white gloves.

“Oh, we don’t usually take walk-in customers. Did you come from the shop?” he asked.

“No, not exactly…”

Behind the man who seemed to be the owner of the refinery, numerous wooden boxes caught my eye.

The boxes were filled with colorful mushrooms, various herbs of unknown origin, and roots larger than a human forearm.

On a large table that seemed to be used for potion-making, there were glass bottles filled with liquids of various colors and empty bottles.

Without even looking at me, the man spoke, “Would you mind leaving? You’re disrupting the potion production.”

“Do you also purchase ingredients here?” I asked the owner of the refinery without hesitation.

“We do purchase ingredients, but you need to show us what you have,” he replied.

“I came to inquire about the purchasing prices today. I plan to bring the items next time,” I explained.

“I see.”

The man, who had been working, stopped and turned to face me.

“I’m Filstone. I make potions at the Kubele Refinery. We supply to general stores, guilds, and knights, so we only handle high-quality goods.”

Filstone, the owner of the refinery, introduced himself.

He maintained a friendly smile, but there was an air of caution about him.

Nevertheless, if they were purchasing ingredients, half of the battle was won.

Pointing to the boxes full of ingredients in the refinery, I said, “I would like to know the prices of the ingredients that are found and grown in the vicinity.”