Ch.62Potion City, Shahelm (1)

“There are glass bottles everywhere…!”

Indeed, glass bottles filled with potions were scattered everywhere, with sunlight reflecting chaotically off the glass and liquids, creating a dizzying pattern across the street.

We looked around from atop Spotty, searching for a place without potions, but no such place existed.

When even ordinary homes had potions faintly visible through their windows, that pretty much said it all.

“Let’s find the Adventurers’ Guild first, then look for an inn to stay at.”

“That sounds good.”

The streets of Shahelm were bustling with people and carriages.

A pleasant busyness that didn’t impede traffic. I quite liked it.

This moderately busy street suited my taste—neither the desolate streets of Parcival nor the congested streets of Faerus Vale.

“Snort…”

“Hang in there, Spotty. Just a little further to go.”

I adjusted the reins and followed the sign pointing toward the Adventurers’ Guild, strolling through the streets until we finally reached the guild and the inn district surrounding it.

Of course, there too, potions in glass bottles were everywhere.

“Let’s get down now.”

“Yes.”

Laisha dismounted from Spotty first, then I followed. Once I was off, Spotty shook his entire body as if relieved to be free.

When we entered the stable, Laisha decided to wait outside as her voluptuous body would have difficulty fitting through the narrow stable entrance. I nodded and handed Spotty over to the stable boy along with one silver coin.

“Feed my horse well.”

“Yes, my lord.”

I then joined Laisha, who was waiting outside, and we entered the Adventurers’ Guild together. Inside, I was shocked to see potion racks hanging on the walls.

Seriously, what is this?

No matter how much pride they took in their potions, plastering them everywhere like some kind of mental patients was enough to drive even the sanest person mad.

“Um… Sir Viktor.”

“Yes?”

“Is it possible to get a medical request?”

“Why? Because of your body?”

She nodded repeatedly.

Laisha asked if we could take on a medical request to fix her abnormal figure, and since I thought her idea was reasonable, I headed to the request board and began examining the postings one by one.

And then, I spotted a request issued by a familiar name.

“Posha Pharmaceutical Company… Manager Orca…”

I know this company and manager.

Isn’t this the company that traveled with me from Parcival to Rascal?

“We parted ways at Rascal, but it seems they’re in Shahelm now.”

I pulled the request form and carefully examined its contents.

“Hmm… an ogre subjugation request…”

Ogres were monsters with slightly inferior specs compared to trolls, minus the regenerative abilities.

If I were alone, I wouldn’t have taken on such a request, but with Laisha wielding a halberd effective against large enemies, it seemed doable.

Besides, establishing connections with a medical company like Posha Pharmaceutical was exactly what Laisha wanted.

I took the request form and approached Laisha.

*

“I’ve hunted an ogre before.”

“Really?”

“Not alone though. I was part of a subjugation party. I only managed to stab it a few times.”

“I see…”

Surprisingly, Laisha had experience hunting ogres.

It wasn’t strange that she had such experience, considering she had been an adventurer for three years—an extreme profession where one wrong move could end your life.

I’m a special case. While not as good as metal rank, charcoal rank adventurers like her are veterans who can lord over lower ranks.

“Do you think we can take it down, just the two of us?”

“Probably. What makes ogres threatening isn’t their massive bodies but their tremendous strength. With proper armor, you could probably block five or six hits.”

“Have you seen it firsthand?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll have to find a way to defend against it.”

With pain-reducing Fentin and my thick double mail, my bones should remain intact even if my skin gets torn.

Since ogres deal blunt damage rather than slashing damage, chain mail is actually a counter. Then again, even plate armor can’t guarantee survival against an ogre’s strength, so it didn’t matter much.

“Let’s secure an inn first, then find the client. I know this person.”

“Really?”

Laisha’s eyes widened.

“Yes. When I was traveling from Parcival to Rascal, other adventurers and I escorted his caravan.”

“Huh…”

Laisha seemed to understand my explanation.

While it’s difficult for ordinary people to form connections with high-ranking company officials, it wasn’t unusual for middle managers who directly commission adventurers to develop professional or personal relationships with them.

We went outside and found an inn.

The inn had no particular distinguishing features (except for potions hanging everywhere), but it was spacious enough, which allowed Laisha to be somewhat comfortable.

“Somewhat” being the operative word.

I was shocked to see Laisha’s bizarre way of eating—placing her plate on top of her chest (not soup, of course, since it would be hot). Soon, everyone in the inn was staring at her.

Though blushing, Laisha seemed accustomed to it and finished her meal diligently. Only then could I finally tear into my bread, which I had no choice but to place on her chest as well.

*

“You really do need medical help.”

“…Yes…”

There were women with large chests on the streets too.

Due to malnutrition, they were much slimmer than true glamorous women, but among lower-class women who often missed their periods from starvation, those with large breasts or buttocks, or both, became objects of envy from other women and objects of desire for men.

Such women would occasionally flirt with men of similar status, subtly rubbing their chests against them, but seeing Laisha proved that the word “glamorous” failed to capture her reality.

I had heard of breast enlargement procedures, and also of breast reduction procedures.

“There are breast enlargement pills, but no reduction pills?”

“I looked, but couldn’t find any…”

“Oh dear.”

Could there be a better example of “too much of a good thing”?

Objectively speaking, her appearance wasn’t bad, but her oversized buttocks and breasts detracted from it.

No matter how she dressed, she looked like a prostitute. May Medina protect Laisha.

“Once this job is done, you’ll have connections, so don’t worry too much. If all else fails, there’s always surgical options.”

“I suppose so?”

She said this while hanging her head low.

I patted her head, and she didn’t reject my gesture.

Then we went to find the Posha Pharmaceutical Company’s branch to meet Manager Orca.

*

“Manager Orca. Do you remember me?”

“Adventurer Viktor. I’d have to quit my job if I forgot you. I heard the request was accepted, but… I never imagined it would be you.”

Orca and I shook hands, reminiscing about the past.

“By the way… this woman is… oh my.”

“This is Laisha Wayne. As you can see… she needs medical help. She says she accidentally took breast enlargement pills when she was young.”

“Oh dear… we see women like that occasionally. Don’t worry, our pharmaceutical company manufactures breast enlargement pills, so we can make your life much more comfortable, if not completely normal.”

“R-really?”

When Orca said this, Laisha’s face brightened.

Hope gleamed in her eyes at the prospect of removing the fatty masses that had troubled her for years, and neither of us men could resist her gaze.

“O-of course. Posha Pharmaceutical has relationships with many hospitals. If you complete this request, I’ll write you a letter of recommendation to a major hospital here in Shahelm.”

“Is that within your authority?”

“Of course. Even someone with the authority of an assistant manager could write a letter of recommendation for an external collaborator—it’s not like I’m giving away company property.”

“Then we should deal with the ogre quickly. Please explain the details.”

“Hmm.”

*

The situation was as follows:

Posha Pharmaceutical Company was moving a new potion to Shahelm to continue development with higher authorities, better facilities, and smarter researchers.

A carriage carrying the formula and samples of the new potion departed from Faerus Vale under heavy guard, but somehow information was leaked, resulting in constant attacks. Eventually, all the escorts were lost, and their route became complicated, causing significant delays.

Fortunately, the carriage managed to reach the outskirts of Shahelm without damage or leakage of the internal goods, but…

“They encountered an ogre.”

“Yes. Thanks to the coachman who barely survived, we were able to assess the situation.”

“Obviously, eliminating the ogre isn’t the top priority.”

“Hmm.”

“The primary objective is to recover the new potion samples and the documents containing the formula. And naturally, we can’t steal, leak, pilfer, or arbitrarily dispose of them.”

“That’s right.”

“Good. Leave it to us.”

“I’m counting on you. Especially since this lady is in desperate straits. Do your best.”

We nodded and prepared to depart early the next morning for the outskirts of Shahelm.