Chapter 32: Summer Food Fight
A seasonal tale-.
[t/n: out of season…]
“It’s been hot lately… My body, see-, it can’t be helped, i all sluggish, you know-. I wonder if I’m sick-? No, well, see, it happens every year around this season. Even eating feels troublesome-.”
That was what Paula from the tool store came and said before.
While falling face down, sprawled out on the counter.
Of course, since she seems to be normally energetic without any signs of being ill visible, I handed her an energy potion.
“My appetite’s gone lately … When I go to eat my usual amount, I feel sick … Well, it’s a yearly matter, so don’t pay it too much mind.”
The next day, Anabel-san, the leader of the mercenary group, came over in the morning and said that kind of thing.
We don’t have any thing that promotes the appetite, so I told her to eat nutritious food within a reasonable amount and handed over the usual potions.
It would be nice if there was a doctor, but he’s been absent from the clinic this entire time.
Rumor has it that he’s helping a troubled patient in a town he’s traveled to, or something.
On another day, when Elaine came, she also complained about abnormalities.
“I … whenever Reiji-sama is around, my temperature will go up … s,so I’ve come to visit…”
And, saying that with a flushed face, Lilika said something similar.
“Is there anything weird about your condition, Lilika?”
“M,me? … there might be something strange, or not … I,it’s a kind of disease …”
“Ah. As I thought. Everyone’s been saying that recently. Having no appetite, their bodies feeling sluggish, and having a fever.”
“I think I have something different…”
“Eh, what?”
“I,it’s nothing, nothing…”
When I asked Jiral, the general goods store Ovvan, and all of the citizens, it seems like they didn’t have anything particularly strange.
It’s just the girls…?
At dinnertime, I tried asking Mina and Noela.
“Are your physical conditions alright? Paula, Lilika, and Anabel-san and the the others say they’ve been worn out recently.”
“Noela, no problem.”
Noela seems like someone completely unrelated to sickness, after all. Even now, she’s eating her meal with vigor.
You’re the incarnation of health, Noela.
“It’s been particularly hot, after all~. I think it’s unavoidable, though-?”
“Eh? Why?”
“I don’t really know why, but I also lose my appetite when it becomes summer. It’s okay because it becomes a diet method, but as you might expect, I can’t muster much strength…….”
Eheheh; Mina laughed wryly.
When I looked, Mina’s portion of the meal was quite a bit reduced.
Mostly women … summer … lack of appetite……
“Ah. This is heat fatigue!”
It’s a word that Noela and Mina have only heard for the first time, so they looked at me and tilted their heads.
“What is that?”
“Thanks to the temperature rising when it becomes summer causing dehydration, your stomach can often weaken. It’s because of that that your appetite decreases, you space out, or your body feels dull.”
I’ve heard that women in particular can have their physical conditions worsen easily due to the effect of their monthlies.
“… … Come to think of it, I wonder what that’s like?”
“Why are you asking me?”
Mina tilted her head.
Why am I asking? Isn’t it obvious?
“That’s something I’ve never gotten.”
“Eh? Is that so? I thought it was something everyone got. But even if you ask me, I don’t know it either?”
“Master, Master! Noela also, doesn’t know.”
“Figures.”
Even if it’s fine for now, I suppose it could become a cold if we leave it be.
If they don’t eat much for their meals, their bodies could break down and their immunity could also be reduced.
Summer colds are painful after all-.
Paula’s always lazy, but Anabel-san has guard duties.
It will be troublesome in an emergency if she can’t muster any strength.
The next day, I brought Noela along to walk around in the forest in order to harvest materials.
The temperature was high even with the large amount of shade in the forest, so we assembled the ingredients while taking a break on the banks of the cool creek.
The look of the finished product is something more like traditional herbal medicine rather than a drug.
Returning to the store while dripping in sweat, I immediately started work in the medicine room.
“Ru-ru-ru-”
Noela is sticking close to me, and her fur is hot……
It’s at times like these when she won’t take a nap…
Discretely taking some distance, I continued my work and made a new medicine.
[Rikkuntoushi: Normalizes gastrointestinal performance. It also has the effect of increasing the appetite, as well as improving a declining appetite.]
[based off rikkunshito, a traditional Japanese gastrointestinal medicine]
I’ll have everyone who’s troubled by heat fatigue use this.
“The first is … Mina-? I made a medicine to give you an appetite, so please try using it.”
Looking at the bottle of a portion of the medicine I held, Mina furrowed her eyebrows as if she was troubled.
“It … gives me an appetite…? I don’t really want to use it…?”
How unusual.
Even though she’s never refused even once before when I had her try out medicine I’d made.
“How come?”
“It gives you an appetite, right…? Ah. Are you perhaps bullying me? I’m worried because Reiji-san’s medicine is overly effective.”
“I’m not bullying you. Saying something like that, what will you do if you get sick? Even this morning, you barely ate anything, right?”
I don’t know if a ghost can get sick, but if she has a physical form than she can probably catch a cold.
“That’s, well that’s true, but…”
Sensing something, Noela approached Mina and poked her stomach.
“Mina….”
“Yes….-!”
“… Safe!”
With a sigh of relief, Mina patted her chest.
“I can’t cause trouble for Reiji-san and Noela if I get sick, so I’ll take it.”
“Yeah, that would be better.”
When I handed Mina one of the bottles with rikkuntoshi in it, I heard Paula’s voice from the store.
“Rei-ku-n? Onee-san’s come over you know-? She came over while walking in this awful awful heat, you know-?”
“What’s with that attempt at an appeal?”
It’s great timing, so I’ll hand over some of the new drug to Paula.
When I went to the store, Paula, as well as Anabel-san and Kululu-san, had come over.
“Everyone’s here together. Paula, Anabel-san. Here, it’s medicine that will ease your decrease in appetite. I just made it. I thought it might help with your body feeling sluggish.”
“O-! Rei-kun, just for me…!”
“Oo, my bad, you went out of your way to do this even though I didn’t make a request.
“There were people with similar symptoms, so saying that I made it just for you is a little…”
Hehehe; Paula laughed.
“At this kind of time, saying ‘I made it for you,’ will grant you points, you know?”
“What points…”
When I handed it over, Paula and Anabel-san drained the small bottles immediately.
“ — Don’t I get anything, Reiji-chan? Even though I came over to play after so long……”
“Heat fatigue has nothing to do with Kululu-san, right? … Well, fine, it can be a preventative.”
When I handed Kululu-san the last one, he swigged it down in one go.
“ “ “ ……..” “ “
All three of them held their stomachs.
What happened? Did the medicine not agree with their stomachs and give them stomachaches or something…?
“Pharmacist-sa-n, hello-”
“Yo.”
Rena from Rabbit Hall came over and handed me a piece of paper.
There was a well-drawn picture of a super super sized portion of pasta, and underneath was written, ‘Large Portion Challenge; reward for finishing is 100,000rin.’
“What’s this?”
“Just as it looks. See, Dad was all, ‘It would be interesting if there was something like this. That’s how this publicity stunt came about.”
“Heeh. A big eater’s challenge… 100,000rin on finishing…”
That said, this would be impossible for anything under 20 people.
The penalty for not finishing it within 30 minites is 5,000rin.
“How about it, Pharmacist-san? Want to try it?”
“No-, I have no confidence in this, so I’ll refrain.”
Swish; Anabel-san snatched the flier away.
Paula and Kururu-san peered at it.
Mina had also heard the talk and came over, staring at the flier.
Paula, with no messing around, had a face of 100% seriousness.
Anabel-san has reached a state of emitting bloodthirst.
Mina made a gulping sound with her throat.
Kururu-san’s … chin has split. It’s a splendid butt chin.
Why? Again?
Everyone’s face has become deep and severe, like in a dramatic comic.
“ “ “ “ We’ll do this.” “ “ “
“Really?”
Eh – for real? These four aren’t gluttons or big eaters or anything; are they going to be okay?
Perhaps, it’s because of they drank rikkuntoshi …?
“Then I’m going to go announce it first and tell Dad-!”
Rena left those words behind as she ran out.
“Mina, are you going to eat it? It’s a 20 person portion in 30 minutes, right?”
“What a foolish question.”
She’s brimming with confidence…
As if it was extremely obvious, everyone gave a nod and left the shop.
… I’m kind of worried, so I’ll go too.
When I arrived at Rabbit Hall, there was already mountain-like servings of pasta prepared.
Various flavours were at each spot.
Pepperocino, meat sauce, carbonara, and so on.
They look normally delicious.
The four with their grim faces took their seats.
The bear-like restaurant owner oji-san came carrying a 30 minute sand timer.
“The time limit is 30 minutes-”
Gulp.
Somehow, I’m the one who’s nervous.
“Start!”
When he inverted the sand timer, all of them stabbed their forks in the pasta mountain at the same time.
Chompchompchompchompchompchompchompchompchomp
The four people challenged the mountain with all their might.
… I’ve seen this sight on TV before!
That Food Fight one!!
[t/n: Food Fight is a Jdrama]
Murmurmurmur; by the time I realized my surroundings were noisy, I was surrounding by lots of spectators.
“Nee-san-! I,if she’s showing such a violent eating manner…. your chance at marriage will-”
“-shut up! Keep quiet!”
The mercenaries have also come.
It’s fine to be worried about your Nee-san, but get back to work.
“I see… the prize money … So that we’ll be able to eat good food….!
“ “ “ “Nee-san, do your best-!!” “ “ “
Mixed in with the rough cheers of the mercenaries, I also heard children’s voices.
“ “ “Paula onee-chan, do your best-” ” ”
There were four kids I often see around the neighborhood. She’s always playing with them, I bet.
Paula responded to their cheers with a small wave.
“Mina-chan, do your best-!”
Do your best, do your best; the middle-aged oji-sans cheered on Mina.
… Mina’s those ossans’ idol, after all-.
“Mina-chan? Are you needing money? Or is it food? Th,th,this ojisan here, I’ll do anything if it’s for you, Mina, okay? A,anything you want, okay? (haa haa)”
There’s a dangerous-sounding ossan here!?
Mina shouldn’t be worried about food, not to say money, so……
This is the first time I’ve seen Mina not mind her appearance to this degree.
Unfortunately, there’s no one cheering on Kululu-san.
Ah, crap. Our eyes met.
He bent both arms towards me and winked.
I’m not really cheering for you.
Afterwards, he touched his chin and constantly tilted his head.
– – It’s weird that his chin split today, when his condition is as usual.
Is all I think about that.
… It was supposed to be a medicine to prevent heat fatigue, so why did a food fight start?
No one even mentioned the prize money.
They snapped at the flier like starving beasts… Although what their stuffing in their faces is pasta right now.
I see – they’re possessed by monster called appetite…!
Their goal isn’t the prize or the honor.
Eating; that is their goal.
– Just when I had cleanly put everything together in my head, Paula fell off her chair.
“I can’t anymore…….”
The other three also look they’re in quite a bit of pain.
Kululu-san… your hand isn’t moving at all…
Chi-n.
[t/n: death knell]
When I look closely, he’s fainted while showing the whites of his eyes.
Guessing from how things are going, he’s been like that since before Paula collapsed.
Chompchomp, chomp, chomp…
The ones left are Anabel-san and Mina.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking this for a while, but why are you free-loading at Reiji’s place?”
“That has nothing to do with Anabel-san. More importantly, for waking up early every morning to meet with Reiji-san, goo-d jo-b.”
“I’m not really, you’re wrong… it’s not to meet with …”
The two of the are eating pasta, looking like hamsters as they continue stuffing their cheeks.
Do your best-.
“Hey, you’re looking pretty bad. Me, I’m still only half full.”
“Heh-. I still have 70% of my capacity-”
“Ah, my mistake. I still have 80% to go.”
“Oh, excuse me. I have 90%.”
They’re competing with some weird stubborness!?
The two of them have faces like they’re stuffed.
No matter how you look at it, they have 0% capacity.
“ “- -u……” “
Slump; Both of them collapsed on the table at the same time.
The mountain of pasta has been reduced to 40%, but, well, that’s how it is.
* The rest of the pasta was eaten happily by the staff.
[t/n: essentially #nofoodwaste]
“The challenge -is – ov-er-!”
In the end, no one was able to eat it all and everyone had to pay the penalty.
Mina, who can’t move, seems like she’ll be surrounded by the ossans, so I carried her on my back and went home.
“Reiji-san … my stomach hurts… An appetite is a scary thing… I lost sight of myself…”
“Your character changed after all…”
“Having to be carried by Reiji-kun is fun.”
“Don’t enjoy this.”
“It’s always about Noela, so spoil me some times too ?”
It can’t be helped, huh? I walked leisurely back towards Kirio Drug.
The medicine was way too effective, so we remade a diluted version into a drug and turned it into a product.
It goes without saying that we put the warning, ‘Beware of overeating,’ on it.