Ch.67Can Depression Be Cured? (1)

# Jack’s Potion Shop

The female employees dragged me to a restaurant in the downtown area.

It might be premature to call it “downtown,” but it’s still a commercial district where shops are clustered together.

When Starting Village was officially declared a city, many people began flowing in.

Most were people who hadn’t properly settled in other cities and hoped to become laborers in our city.

This was thanks to the widespread rumors about farming and fishing opportunities in our city.

Some others were real estate agents and merchants hoping to make a big score in a newly established city.

Mayor Bellamy said we should keep those people out, but I think differently.

As long as they don’t break laws or undermine the city’s economy, anyone is okay.

Our Starting City doesn’t have a particularly good location, so we should adopt the motto of being an open city where anyone who wants to can come.

But of course, it’s difficult to develop significantly with primary industries alone.

Eventually, we’ll need to either nurture innovative industries or revitalize trade.

However, innovative industries seem somewhat limited in this world.

In the modern world, you could do anything with just an idea, but not here.

This is a JRPG-style game set in a time somewhere between medieval and modern eras.

Unless the game system remained intact, everything became perfect reality after I was possessed.

So even if I want to do something innovative, the infrastructure and technology don’t support it.

Still, with my knowledge of the original work, I should think carefully.

As for trade, well…

When the Deputy Mayor of Odelin City visited last time, I boldly said I’d break through to the east and south, but that’s actually difficult.

Unless Alreina returns, it’s impossible with our current strength. So I’ve decided not to think about that.

That leaves the north and west via Odelin City, but with our city’s products, it’s hard to go beyond Odelin City.

Agricultural products and fish are handled everywhere, so there’s no merit there.

We don’t trade minerals. Those are our city’s strategic assets.

Especially iron and copper—we have many uses for them, so we’ll definitely use them ourselves.

Gambrinite can’t be sold to just anyone, and since we can only trade it with dwarves, its versatility is somewhat lacking.

Only dwarves can handle that mineral, and when I checked, the deposits aren’t particularly abundant.

“Advisor!”

“Yes?”

Snapping back to reality at the call, I found all the female employees at the table staring at me with bright smiles.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

“Oh, this and that.”

At my vague answer, the female employees giggled for some reason.

“You should eat.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Here, Advisor. Aaaahn.”

The female employees were causing a commotion, trying to feed me bread and other things with their forks.

I picked up my fork with an awkward smile.

Searching through my knowledge of the original work, several good business ideas come to mind.

When did Blanchard say she was returning to the royal castle?

It would be nice if I could ask her to open a dimensional gate to bring various things before she leaves.

But if she goes back to the royal castle, that becomes another headache.

Maybe I should look for a magician to work in the city?

No, it’s too early for that.

The salary of just one magician could shake the city’s finances.

Then maybe a dark magician…?

According to the setting, the dark magic in their bodies pollutes the surroundings, but this wasn’t implemented in the game for balance reasons.

I’m not sure if it’s the same here.

“Advisor!”

“Yes?”

“There’s sauce on your mouth!”

One female employee wiped my mouth with a tissue, and then the others started fighting over who would get to keep that tissue.

Sigh, it’s really noisy. I shouldn’t have come.

As an advisor assisting the mayor, I need to be involved in employee morale and attendance to some extent, so I came, but…

If I had known it would be like this, I should have just gone to the shop and eaten with Mirella. I can’t think at all.

“By the way, has anyone seen a dark magician?”

“What? A dark magician?”

The female employees asked with wide eyes.

“I wonder if there’s anyone in the city who has seen a dark magician? They’re people who tend to hide, so I’m not sure.”

“Right? Then never mind.”

“Why do you ask, Advisor?”

The female employees leaned forward so much it was uncomfortable.

“Just curious. I’m also wondering if it’s true that dark magic pollutes the surroundings.”

“Hmm, I don’t know? I’ve never heard that before.”

“I see. Let’s continue eating.”

Throughout the meal, I had to endure a barrage of questions from the female employees.

What’s my relationship with the red-haired girl at the shop, how did I first meet the mayor, how long have I lived in the city, where am I from, do I have a girlfriend, why haven’t I married yet, what’s my ideal type, how do I feel about women with large breasts like them, and so on.

“Sigh.”

When lunch time ended, I hurriedly returned to city hall as if escaping.

Having my energy completely drained in just half an hour, I quickly drank a potion.

I clearly decided to turn this village into a city when I was first possessed.

I wanted to create a proper security force and develop the city to avoid ridiculous deaths from monsters or bandits.

As a weak NPC in this harsh world, that was the only way to survive.

So I finally upgraded the village to a city and created a veteran security force.

But when will that comfortable and safe life ever come?

“Uuugh, Jack…”

As soon as I opened the door to the mayor’s office, gloomy Bellamy threw herself into my arms.

“Did you eat well…?”

“I was so distracted I don’t even remember what I ate.”

“I see… I didn’t eat anything because you weren’t here…”

What a liar. I know she only eats one dinner a day.

Looking at Bellamy mumbling with her head down, I vaguely understand.

Why I still haven’t found that comfortable and safe life.

It’s probably because of this depressed, gloomy black-haired busty woman.

She’s so miserable without me that I can’t just throw everything away and live a peaceful, healing life.

As long as Bellamy remains mayor, there’s nothing I can do.

Then what if I get Bellamy to step down as mayor and bring in someone more energetic?

Could I then abandon this strange position of advisor?

Hmm, but if Bellamy is dismissed, she’ll probably try to join the shop according to her plan.

To carry out her sinister plan of marrying me and having children.

That’s a bit troublesome.

I don’t know how Mirella and Adelheid would react.

Liberone and Brasya probably wouldn’t care either way.

Wait a minute. I have no intention of marrying Bellamy in the first place.

Let’s think about this issue later.

Perhaps if I cure Bellamy’s depression, everything could be resolved.

Curing depression…

At the end of my stream of consciousness, I suddenly became fixated on treating Bellamy’s depression.

* * * * *

What would happen if I cured Bellamy’s depression?

Bellamy is the top scorer of the Imperial Civil Service Exam.

The Imperial Exam that only the most talented among hundreds of millions of imperial citizens attempt.

Being the top scorer means her intelligence is beyond imagination.

Yet Bellamy became the administrator of this obscure Starting Village instead of the imperial capital.

From what I heard, she developed severe depression while studying for the exam and struggled a lot at the training institute.

She was originally assigned to the imperial secretariat or somewhere, but out of fear, she voluntarily went to the most quiet and remote place that no one wanted to go.

Normally, such talent would be forcibly retained, but her depression was so severe that both the training institute and the imperial capital let her go.

But as they say, there’s no paradise in a place you flee to. Bellamy’s depression worsened in the hopeless Starting Village.

With nothing there and no room for development, every policy Bellamy implemented failed.

Before I was possessed, she had shut herself in the community center with blackout curtains, attempting suicide several times and living in despair.

How wonderful it would be if I could treat Bellamy’s depression.

The village has been upgraded to a city, but it will take twice the effort to rise higher.

If Bellamy, a core talent of the empire, could regain her mental health, the synergy would be tremendous.

Is there any good solution?

“Holy healing cannot resolve depression.”

Liberone immediately refused.

“Holy healing cannot fix the mind.”

“Is it impossible even for the head saint of the order or someone like that?”

“It’s impossible. Holy power doesn’t work that way.”

“Sigh, I see…”

Then what if I try mixing potions well?

Depression is a hormonal disease. It’s about not being able to regulate things like serotonin and melatonin.

That’s why telling depressed patients to toughen up mentally is useless.

Hormones can’t be overcome by willpower.

Alright, so if I mix various ingredients…

“Try drinking this.”

“Blech!”

Bellamy spits it out immediately after tasting it.

Then she panics and rubs her chest.

“W-what did you make me drink…?”

“A clinical potion to cure depression. I wonder if it will work.”

“I don’t know about depression… but suddenly milk is coming out…”

Oh dear. That’s a failure.