250 - - 250th Extraordinary Fragrance and Fragmentation

"Goho, goho."

"Kev."

One day near the New Year, the town was crowded with people who looked sick.

"Everyone looks kind of sick.

It was not only the market, but also the Adventurers' Guild.

"Cohoh!"

"Gohoo."

Hmmm, maybe this is some kind of epidemic. ......

The reception area was deserted, as if the adventurers had no time to work under such circumstances.

"You all look a little sick, what's wrong?

I decide to ask the person manning the counter, who also looks sick.

"Yes, that's right. It seems that the swine flu has started to spread. ......"

"Speaking of swine flu, it's a disease that tends to spread during the cold months."

It is not often a serious illness, but it is a little troublesome if you get it during the busy time of the year-end and New Year's holidays.

Thank you for telling me about it. Please take care of yourself.

"Yes, I'll go home and sleep right after work."

On the way home, there are still many people who look sick, and the streets are less crowded.

"I'm home!"

"""""Welcome back"""""

When I returned to the villa, I was greeted by the cheerful voices of everyone.

"Everyone is fine, aren't they?

"Oh, you mean the swine flu."

I'm always in good spirits!

"You're just too slow to notice when you're sick, aren't you?"

If you're so sick you don't even notice it, it's as if you don't have it!

"This guy is ......."

Liliela continues, smiling at the exchange between Gyro and his friends.

"It's a nuisance when it goes viral, isn't it? It's safer to stay at home for a while, or get a commission to go to a less popular place. In my case, I wanted to make money as consistently as possible."

I see. So there's also the option of taking on a request to go away.

But I'd like to relax during the New Year's holidays.

"There's no medicine for the swine flu, so the only thing I can do is eat something nutritious, stay in bed, and wait.

"What?"

"What?"

I tilted my head at Liliela's strange comment, and she tilted hers, too.　He tilts his head.

"There is no medicine for swiss disease, is there?　There is no ......, is there?"

"No, we have it. You can use omi grass."

"What the hell?　There is such a thing as a cure for swine fever?

I mean, I know that the plant is valuable in its own right, but I've never heard of it being a cure for swine flu.

The correct answer is the flower. The flowers are roasted and used as a medicine.

"Flowers?　Does the osmanthus have flowers?"

Yes, they bloom at night around the end of the year. Now is the right time.

Yes, the osmanthus begins to prepare for blooming in the cold season.

It is also called "New Year Flowerer" because it blooms at the beginning of the year.

"Yes, let's make a cure for the swamp sickness and distribute it around the neighborhood!

"""""What? """""

"When there is an epidemic of swine fever, stores are closed and people can't go out and enjoy themselves. Then, let's distribute the medicine to our neighbors and enjoy a relaxing time together!"

"Huh?　But you said earlier that you wanted to relax at the end of the year. ......"

"Yes, it doesn't take much time and effort to collect and prepare the herb.

Yes, and if everyone drinks the medicine we made, we can hope for a preventive effect and kill two birds with one stone.

I'm sure it will be a twofer.

We left King's Landing immediately and flew to the northern forest.

"Omisusa grows in clusters in open areas deep in the cold forests. So if you look for open areas in the forest from the sky, you can easily find them.

"First of all, it's not easy to learn flight magic, is it?"

Huh?　I don't think so.

After flying over the forest for a while, I saw an open area in the middle of the forest.

"Let's go down there."

We descend to an open area and find a colony of Japanese knotweed, just as we had hoped.

"Wow!　So much oomi grass!"

We quickly check the oriental firs, and as expected, we find a flower of the oriental firs.

However, they are still buds.

It will take a little longer for the flower to bloom. Maybe it will bloom tonight.

"So I guess we'll be staying here tonight?"

"I guess so."

"All right, let's go hunt some demons for the night!

But first, you need to get ready for the camp!

Gyro tries to stop Mina from going hunting, and we start preparing to stay in the field.

And just in time to eat dinner when Mr. Gyro and the others return from their hunt.

"Oh, Hana!

I looked in the direction where Mr. Megli had shouted, and saw that the buds of the oomi grass were beginning to open.

"I can take this home with me, can't I?

"Yes, let's collect them while fighting off the demons that are after these flowers!"

"""""O......U?

Everyone seemed motivated, but for some reason, the words faded into small, hollow phrases.

"What's wrong?"

What did you say?

"There are demons after these flowers, so let's collect them while fighting them off."

"Demons are coming?

"Yes, there is a demon that likes the flowers of the osmanthus, but it's not a big demon, so you don't have to worry about it."

""""" Really? """"

◆ guild leader

Swasi disease was prevalent in King's Landing.

It's not a serious disease, but it's a nasty disease for which there is no cure.

Because of this, not only the town but also the Adventurers' Guild was suffering from the disease, and the number of clients was decreasing.

Please, we have enough for everyone!

But then the lobby of the guild got noisy.

That's unusual when so many of us are bedridden with swine fever.

I show up at the lobby, which is rare for me since there's no one there and I have little work to do.

Fortunately, the adventurers and the staff seem to be attracted by the noise, and no one notices me.

"That's ......."

There he was, our guild's most famous adventurer, Lex the Big Eater.

Apparently, he was the cause of all this trouble.

"Please, I've prepared a remedy for the swamp sickness. Please take it if you are not feeling well. Even if you are not sick, please take it as a preventive medicine.

"Seriously?　I've been sick since yesterday!"

"But how much does it cost?　I haven't been able to work for a while now, so I don't have any money with me. ......"

"Never mind. These are leftovers from a neighborhood giveaway. It's free."

"Really?　Can I have one then?"

"Yes, please."

Adventurers and staff members rush to the site upon hearing that they can get a freebie.

I mean, a cure for swamp sickness!　That's never worked before!

The medicine for the big-eater runs out in no time at all.

"There's plenty to go around, so don't push and get in line!"

Don't worry, we have enough for all the staff."

Fellow big-eaters Liliela and her friends bring additional medicine to the flood of adventurers.

"Oh come on, seriously, ......?"

Not only did they bring medicine for the Swasi disease, for which there is supposed to be no cure, but they also brought medicine for the guild's staff!

I mean, why the hell are they doing that?

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

After distributing all the medicines to the inundated crowd, I talk to the big eater as the crowd thinned out.

"Oh, guild leader, do you need some medicine for the swine flu?

"Oh, oh, I'll take that, thank you."

Here you go.

I get the pills from the big eater.

"Why are you doing this to me again?　Are you sure you don't want to get paid for that too?"

"Yes, we're all very sick at the end of the year."

"...... what?"

Because it's the end of the year?　Seriously?　Are you serious?

If the illness is cured, our staff and adventurers will be able to work, which is very much appreciated.

"In our village, too, when a disease spreads, healthy people make medicines and distribute them to everyone. That way, the number of sick people will decrease as a result.

Well, that may be so, but that's a rural village way of thinking, isn't it?　That's not the way to do it in King's Landing, is it?

No, every time this guy does something out of the ordinary, I don't know how serious he is.

However, as the head of the Adventurers' Guild, I have to make sure of something.

"Well, thank you. On behalf of my staff and all adventurers in King's Landing, I thank you.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's a natural thing for us to do as residents of the same town."

No, it's not a matter of course, okay?

"So, about that medicine, what are you going to do about the manufacturing process?"

"How to manufacture?"

"Oh, are you going to outsource the manufacture of medicines to the guilds like the guilds have done in the past when they were contracted to manufacture a low grade universal poison remover?　Or are you going to outsource it to some village?"

Yes, there will be many people who would like to know the recipe for the cure of Swasi disease, which is said to have no known cure.

So, as the head of the Adventurers' Guild, I have to stop those strange people from gathering around our adventurers.

"That's right. If we ask the Adventurers' Guild, it will be easier to get cures in towns and villages outside of the capital. But the medicines we use in my village are simple medicines that everyone knows.

"If it's that easy to make, it's a big help."

I mean, how come nobody knows about such a simple medicine?

Is it some kind of secret medicine handed down in the big-eater's village?

If that's the case, it's no wonder no one knows about it.

"Okay, then, let's make a deal and you tell me how to make the potion!　Let's talk about it in the parlor over there!"

I moved the negotiations to the reception room, where I was told some startling words by the big eater.

"We'll use the flower of Omisou for the medicine."

"...... what?　Oh, the ...... flower of the oriental plant!

I was astonished at the unbelievable words.

"So, how do you make ......?"

The big eater continued to explain how to make the potion, but I was too busy.

"Guild leader, what is the flower of Omisou?　I have never heard of it."

The deputy guild leader, who wondered about my awkward appearance after the big-eaters had left, asked me about the blooming of the giant grass.

I see, at his age, he doesn't know about the blooms of the giant grasses.

"Oh, yeah. The blooming of the Japanese knotweed comes once a year, but the problem is how to collect the blooms.

"How do you collect the flowers?"

Yes, the flowers of the Giant Storkweed are used to make rare medicines, but there is a problem with collecting them.

What do you mean?

The flower of the Omi grass is a favorite food of the Joya Tiger.

"Joya Tiger!　A rank A demon that lives in a cold climate?

The deputy guild leader's expression of astonishment widens when he hears the name "Joya Tiger.

"Yes, and the Joya Tiger can smell the flowers of the giant grass from a distance of two towns away.

"Two towns away?

Two towns are quite a distance.

A normal demon would not be able to get as far as a village.

That's why when the oriental elm grass blooms all the neighboring Joya Tigers gather and fight over the few flowers that are left.

"The A-ranked demons, the Joya Tigers, are going to fight each other?

Yes, that means that if we collect the flowers of the Omisou plant, we'll be fighting with the pack of Joya Tigers who are after them. I can't imagine how many of those flowers they must have collected if they have enough to distribute medicines all over the town. And of course, the number of Joya Tigers they fought. ......"

With such a large amount of troublesome materials, it is no wonder that no one knows how to make a cure for swine fever.

It's not because it's a secret medicine in a remote village, it's simply because it's too difficult to obtain the ingredients for the medicine.

"That's why you're so ...... casual about it."

The deputy guild leader clears his throat and looks astonished.

"Yeah, these S-rank adventurers really are outrageous. ......"

We silently thanked our lucky stars that they had chosen this town as their base of operations.