Chapter 12: Be Careful How You Use It

Chapter 12:
Be Careful How You Use It

 

DING, DONG! Ding, dong!

I opened the store to the sound of a bell ringing in the distance, and saw that Kalta was oddly busy. What’s going on?

It wasn’t long before Annabelle of the Red Cat Brigade, the town’s security force, dropped in. She normally had the eyes of a bird of prey—kind of scary, actually—but that look was nowhere to be found today.

She shot me the same piercing gaze as always, but there was no strength behind it. “G’morning.”

“Good morning! It looks busy out there. What’s going on?” I asked, trying to sound casual, while I prepared her usual five potions.

“Sorry, but could I get ten today?” Annabelle inquired.

“Sure, but you’ll have to pay extra.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course.”

Taking the money from her, I added another five potion bottles. “You sure do love these, huh?”

“I haven’t been the one drinking them recently,” she said, turning to leave the drugstore. “Well, anyway, thanks as always.”

But before she could go through the door, Doz, a knucklehead from the Red Cat Brigade, ran in. “Ah, Boss!”

“Why’re you here, Doz?” Annabelle barked.

Doz looked down guiltily. “You said you were heading back to the barracks.”

“I hope you didn’t come in to tell Reiji anything weird.”

“But, Boss—”

“But goddamn nothing! Why the hell does a pharmacist have to hear our dirty laundry? Do you really wanna embarrass the Red Cat Brigade this bad?!”

“No, not at all! But at this rate…”

“What’s going on, guys?” I interrupted. “If I can, I’d love to help.”

“Thanks so much, bro,” Doz replied. “Did you hear about the bandits who’ve been coming to town recently?”

Annabelle ran her hands through her red hair. “Fine, fine. I’ll explain, Doz. Back down.”

Doz nodded and fell in behind her. This didn’t seem like a conversation to have standing around in the drugstore, so I invited them into the house, putting a little sign that read “In the back” on the counter.

Since I didn’t have a reception area or anything, I took them into the living room and let them sit on the sofa. “So, what’s going on? It seems pretty serious.”

“Yeah, well, like Doz said, some bastards have been coming to Kalta to steal stuff,” explained Annabelle. “There’ve already been a whole bunch of victims. And the lord hired the Red Cat Brigade to keep the peace, right? Well, he’s threatening not to pay us if things keep going this way.”

Doz nodded sadly. “We’re doing our best, bro. But these bandits are tough cookies. Just this morning, our men fought ’em while patrolling.”

So, that’s what all that noise was. Wait. Did Annabelle buy extra potions because brigade members got injured? She did say she wasn’t the one drinking them recently. If bandits ever attacked me, I’d give them my cash immediately—I’m no veteran mercenary. This is some scary stuff. It sounds like the only reason I’ve been able to live here in peace is because the Red Cat Brigade protects Kalta’s residents under the radar.

“If the lord stops paying us, we’ll have to quit and look for other gigs,” Doz added. “Us mercs gotta eat to live, you know? I was hoping we could maybe borrow some of that wisdom of yours, Reiji, bro.”

“Which is why you ran into me, eh?” Annabelle asked Doz.

I guessed that she didn’t want Doz bringing this issue to me because guarding Kalta was their job. Mercenaries were professional fighters, so what did seeking help from a complete amateur say about them? Annabelle’s pride wouldn’t allow Doz to do something like that.

“Is the Red Cat Brigade the town’s only security?”

“The lord has his personal guard, but his best fighters are on the front lines, battling the Demon King’s armies,” Annabelle replied. “The only knights left here are older.”

“Reiji, bro, I don’t want you to think we can’t do our jobs. We’re always repelling and capturing bandits,” Doz said.

“You mentioned that these guys are particularly strong. Are they a different group than usual?”

“Yeah. We got no clue where they came from, but they’re definitely experienced.”

That made the Red Cat Brigade want my assistance. Sadly, I was neither a genius nor a warrior. All I could really do was make medicine. Hrm.

“I just thought maybe you’d be able to help us,” Doz added.

“I hate needin’ backup on crap like this! That’s why I told you to cut it out, Doz,” Annabelle interjected. “Reiji’s someone we should protect, not get help from!”

“Don’t worry about that, Annabelle,” I reassured her. “The Red Cat Brigade is the only reason people like me can live comfortably in Kalta. Please, let me stick my nose in your business— just as a one-off.”

“The Medicine God’s descended!” Doz exclaimed.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Are these bandits so strong that you guys are no match?”

“No, it’s not that bad. If we give ’em an opening, though, they’re quick to take it.” Annabelle’s tone clearly signaled that she was disappointed in herself and her men.

Kalta wasn’t protected by brick walls or a moat or anything like that—there was just a log fence marking the edges of town. Strengthening that light defense would take too much time and effort.

“The answer ain’t to improve our equipment,” Annabelle continued, “but to focus on fightin’ the bandits back directly.”

While I was thinking, Noela’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “Mina! Tears won’t stop! Keep coming!”

“Are you all right, Noela?” Mina replied. “You have to be careful when you peel onions.”

“Aroo…!” Noela sniffled.

Are they getting lunch ready? They honestly sounded like sisters, which was more than enough to put a smile on my face. Oh, wait! I could make that.

I turned to Doz. “I need you to buy me booze with the highest alcohol content you can find.”

“Sure. You plannin’ on a bender?”

“I’ll be using it in medicine. I’m counting on you.”

Doz stood and headed out, a bit confused.

“If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it,” Annabelle said.

“Thanks a ton. Come with me.” We rose and made our way to the kitchen.

“Ah!” exclaimed Mina. “We’re making lunch, Mr. Reiji.”

“Awesome.”

“Noela helping too, Master!”

I patted the puffy-eyed Noela on the head. She closed her eyes. I guess that tickles a little.

“Heartwarmin’,” Annabelle whispered to herself, somewhat shocked. Mina smiled welcomingly at her.

“I’m looking forward to lunch,” I said. “By the way, Mina, do you have any of those? You know.”

“Erm…I’m not sure I do.”

“You know—those spicy things you bought before.”

“Oh, these!” Mina pulled three green vegetables from a box.

“Yeah, that’s it! Thanks! Could I use them? I’ll make sure to buy you extras at the market later.”

“You’re going to make medicine from spicy capshins?”

I nodded and entered the lab. Since Annabelle didn’t really have any way to help, she simply observed my process, letting out a few interested, surprised noises as she watched. “So, that’s how you’ve been makin’ medicine. Wow.”

It would’ve been awkward if she hadn’t reacted at all, but it was also kind of hard to work with her watching so intently.

Doz soon returned, out of breath, with the alcohol I requested. “Boss, Reiji, this is the strongest booze they got. Drink some on a cold day, and you’ll be fast asleep!”

“Don’t talk it up. I’m not gonna drink any of it.”

Looking kind of disappointed, Doz watched me work with Annabelle. “So, this is how he makes our potions.”

“That’s what I just said.”

“Hunh. Imagine that!”

These two are pretty tight, huh? I shook the finished product, and it glowed as usual.

 

Capshin Fluid (Strong): Irritant. Harmless to the human body. Vaporizes upon contact with air. Immediately causes severe eye pain, breathlessness, and mucus production.

 

“All right. Perfect.” I loosened my grip on the terrifying mixture. I need to move this to a smaller bottle.

“Reiji, bro—no, Medicine God—did you make us somethin’?”

“Yup. When you get close to this liquid…” I opened the bottle slowly.

“The liquid in that bottle?” Doz drew close. It turned out to be perfect timing. “Gaaaaaaah! My eyes! Aaah! Ow ow ow…!”

He covered his face with both hands and writhed on the floor, coughing. Tears and snot ran down his face.

Super effective.

“Ah ha ha ha ha! You big dummy!” Annabelle laughed as she looked down at her panicking subordinate. “Whew! Man, what the heck’s up with this weird liquid? All you did was mix spicy capshins with booze!”

“Er, you shouldn’t get too close,” I warned her.

“Ain’t you a man of the Red Cat Brigade?” she asked Doz, leaning toward the capshin fluid. “How sa—aaaaahhh! What’s happening?! My eyes, my eyes! Auuugh—they sting! Gaaaaah!”

Coughing in pain, Annabelle joined Doz on the floor.

I let out a resigned sigh. It’s like tear gas you can throw at the enemy to push them back, I mused, pouring some capshin fluid into a vial. “What were you thinking, Annabelle? Did you not just see what happened to Doz? Aren’t you supposed to be the Red Cat Brigade’s—”

Just then, my hand slipped, and the larger bottle shattered on the floor.

“Ah.”

The capshin fluid’s effects overwhelmed me immediately. “Gaaaaaaah! My eyes, my eyes! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! It hurts! What the hell?! No, no, no, no! This is freaking awful! I’m gonna die! My eyes!”

I collapsed, wheezing, my hands over my face. I just barely heard Noela in the room’s entrance. “Mina? Master on floor. Everyone on floor.”

“Mr. Reiji’s in the middle of work, Noela. Come now, let’s prepare lunch.”

“Grrr.”

No, no! Mina, Noela! This isn’t work! But no matter what, I couldn’t react.

It took about twenty minutes for Annabelle, Doz, and I to recover from the capshin fluid. I made sure to explain that it shouldn’t cause lasting effects.

“I understand,” Doz said. “Bro, you made somethin’ crazy.”

“Y-yeah,” Annabelle agreed.

“But with this stuff, we’ll be able to chase those bandits off, no sweat! We can even capture them!”

I tried to hand Annabelle six bottles of the capshin fluid, but she motioned to Doz. “You take these.”

“Huh? B-Boss, I don’t wanna.”

“W-well, I’m the brigade captain. So, uh, it ain’t my job to carry ’em.” Her voice was very faint.

“Um…Reiji, bro? Could you deliver these to the barracks for us?”

“Wha…? Uh…well…um…I still, uh, have work to do. And I’m, uh, busy. Yeah. Sorry.”

In the end, Doz wound up carrying the bottles back. The capshin liquid was so strong, it’d traumatized all three of us. However, I kept one bottle for myself. Self-defense purposes.

 

***

 

Late that evening, I awoke to the sound of the village bell ringing. Ding, dong! Ding, dong!

Worried that there might be a fire or something, I headed outside immediately. Then I noticed three Red Cat Brigade members outside Kalta’s gate, squaring off with six bandits.

The mercenaries held the bottles I’d given Doz and Annabelle. They threw them at the bandits, and the bottles shattered. Smash! Smash!

“Gaaaaaaaaaaah!” The bandits dropped their swords and spears, writhing on the ground in pain.

Yeah, I’ve been there, guys. I knew I shouldn’t sympathize, considering that they were criminals and all. After experiencing the pain firsthand, however, I couldn’t help it. Man, that sucked.

In the end, there was no grand standoff, no epic fight to defend Kalta. Nothing. It all ended with the mercenaries catching the six bandits. The next day, Annabelle popped up at the drugstore to thank me and explain that the town was at peace again.

I was proud that I’d made such a strong defensive weapon, but I had no intention of mass-producing capshin fluid. If it were on the open market, people could use it for all sorts of bad things. I had to make sure I only mixed it on request.

I gotta be careful with this power of mine.