Chapter 6: Potion Delivery
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Light Day is the regular closing day of “Teo’s Apothecary.”
Teo went to the dungeon yesterday and said he would be back tonight, so I decided to head to Sir Elliott’s residence in the morning.
Teo told me that the Phillips Marquis family’s residence is in the noble district—an area where only nobles live.
It’s my first time coming to the noble district, but tall stone walls stretch endlessly, and all the mansions are huge.
“The Phillips Marquis residence Teo mentioned should be around here… eh, here!? Wow, what a huge mansion!”
When the stone wall ended, there was a large gate in the fence wide enough for two carriages to pass through.
There was a small guardhouse next to it, and a gatekeeper was standing there.
Beyond the gate, I could see a large mansion.
“Good morning. Is this the Phillips Marquis residence? My name is Alice from ‘Teo’s Apothecary.’ I’ve brought Sir Elliott’s medicine.”
When I said that with a smile,
“Oh, the ‘Miracle Apothecary’! We’ve been waiting. Little miss, I’ll open the gate, so follow me.”
“Eh!? Ah, yes…”
Somehow… that’s quite an amazing shop name they called us.
As I followed the gatekeeper, he led me to a side entrance at the edge of the mansion.
From there, he called someone inside, and an older man dressed in black, who looked like a butler, came out.
“You must be Lady Alice. We have been expecting you. I will guide you to the reception room, so please follow me.”
“Y-yes.”
The elderly butler spoke politely to someone like me, a commoner, which felt a bit ticklish.
“Lady Alice, please wait here.”
“Yes…”
The reception room I was shown into was elegant, filled with expensive-looking furniture.
“Wow, what a lovely room!”
I couldn’t help but say it out loud.
If I move around and break something, it would be terrible, so I’ll just sit still.
When I sat on the sofa, my body gently sank into it… it’s so soft on my bottom.
As the butler left, a maid came in carrying tea and sweets.
There was a sweet aroma, and all the sweets arranged on the table looked delicious.
There were cookies topped with fruits I had never seen before.
“Wow! They look delicious!”
“Hehe. Please, go ahead.”
Saying that, the maid placed all kinds of sweets onto two small plates for me.
What a wonderful maid!
It would be nice if someone like her became Teo’s girlfriend.
“Thank you very much!”
When I put a cookie I was curious about into my mouth… mmm… delicious!
As I was quietly eating the sweets, Sir Elliott entered with a knock.
“Alice, sorry to keep you waiting. Hmm? Should I have come a little later?”
“! N-no, Sir Elliott, munch… hello. Gulp.”
I answered with food still in my mouth and hurriedly swallowed it.
“Hehe, do you like the sweets?”
“Yes, they’re very delicious! The maid here has been very kind to me, which makes me happy.”
Sir Elliott’s complexion looks much better now.
The dark circles under his eyes are gone too… that’s a relief.
“Hahaha! You’re adorable, Alice. You can take those sweets home with you.”
“Eh, really? I’m so happy! Ah, right! Sir Elliott, I brought the potions.”
That was close… I came here to deliver potions.
“Sir Elliott, I’ve brought two homemade potions. Please accept them.”
I took out two potions from my bag and placed them on the table.
“Alice, I’ve received the two potions.”
After checking the potions, Sir Elliott looked at the butler, who then placed a tray with a clean cloth in front of me.
On it was one gold coin.
“Um, the cost is six silver coins and six copper coins, so your change would be…”
“Alice, the potions made by Teo are extremely valuable. So for two bottles, it’s one gold coin.”
“Eh? Sir Elliott, this is… too much.”
One potion priced at five silver coins would be the same as a dungeon-made potion.
I do plan to raise the price once I become an adult, but…
“Alice, even this is cheap. Even if someone told me one bottle costs one gold coin, I would accept it. That’s how valuable this potion is to me. So please accept it as including the delivery fee.”
Maybe I should accept it as he says?
I glanced at the butler, and he was smiling.
“Understood. I’ll let Teo-sensei know. Thank you very much, Sir Elliott.”
“Yes, please give my regards to Teo.”
Sir Elliott’s gentle smile sparkled.
“By the way, Sir Elliott, how long did the potion’s effect last?”
“That’s the amazing part! Alice, the effect is still continuing!”
“Fweh!? That long!?”
Ugh, I let out a strange voice from surprise.
He said dungeon-made potions last three days, but it’s already been over a week…
“That’s quite long… usually, for someone with good compatibility, it lasts an additional three days or up to double compared to dungeon-made potions.”
Ah, Natalie’s husband did say it lasted even longer for him.
“Is that so? I’ve only taken the first one so far. Hehe, it really is a wonderful potion!”
The butler and maid standing by the wall looked teary-eyed as they watched Sir Elliott speak happily.
“It must be that… you have very good compatibility with the potion, Sir Elliott.”
“I think so too! Since there’s no numbness, I can even swing a sword again, and the knights are all surprised. They keep asking me if the curse has been lifted. Hehe.”
In that case, two potions per week might be more than enough.
“Sir Elliott, shall we make it one potion per week from next time?”
“No, you never know what might happen, so please keep it at two. Alice, is that alright?”
“Yes, understood.”
It’s fine for me since it increases sales.
Come to think of it, I read somewhere that some people’s bodies get used to medicine, making it less effective over time.
Maybe Sir Elliott’s case might also weaken, like what happened with the saint’s magic…
After receiving sweets as a gift, I left the mansion, seen off by the gatekeeper and the butler.
After shopping and returning to the store, hmm?
I sense someone inside… did Teo already come back?
I quietly peeked into the kitchen from the back door, and Teo was there.
“Teo, welcome back!”
It really was Teo.
I was worried it might be a thief.
“Yeah! I’m back. Alice, where did you go?”
“I went to Sir Elliott’s residence to deliver potions. I even got delicious sweets as a gift.”
“Ah, right, you said you’d deliver them to his place. Delicious sweets, huh? Let me have a taste.”
“Okay, I’ll make some tea.”
Hehe, Teo likes sweets too.
While the two of us happily ate the sweets, I told him about the wonderful maid at the mansion.
“Oh right, Teo! Sir Elliott paid one gold coin for two potions, including a delivery fee.”
“Ohh, Sir Elliott is a great customer!”
With one gold coin, the two of us can eat for ten days.
Thinking about it that way, Sir Elliott really is a great customer.
After that, the butler came to the shop on an errand from Sir Elliott and told us that the potion’s effect lasted ten days.
I hope the effectiveness doesn’t decrease.