Case 01: Insomniac Cyclops

Case 01:
Insomniac Cyclops

 

Management Journal: Page 1

Day 1.

We’re finally open.

I think I’m going to die. I want to die.

Why have I been put in charge of a branch store for the workshop? I can make products, but I can’t sell them to people. This is impossible. What was the boss thinking?

Dad, Mom, come save me!

I want to go home.

No, no. I can’t do that. I need to hang on. Arahnia helped me get the shop ready to open, and Lulala helped, too. I need to work hard.

I need to work hard…

Ah. Ah!

Ooh!

It’s impossible!

The rest is scribbles.

 

***

 

The mansion was immense, with towering doors and vaulted ceilings. There were very few mansions in Lindworm, and this was the second time Glenn had set foot in this particular one. Since centaurs lived here, it was only natural that the building would feel huge to a human like him.

The man sitting in front of Glenn was huge, too.

“Thank you for taking the time to stop by, Glenn. I know an apprentice of Cthulhy must be very busy.” Hephthal, the president of Scythia Transportation, was dressed for business, but his formal suit couldn’t quite contain the muscles beneath it. He also happened to be Tisalia’s father.

“I-It’s no problem. I heard it was urgent.”

“Mm-hmm. I’ll get right into it. I’ve heard through the grapevine…that you’re engaged to my daughter.”

Glenn froze.

Several days earlier, he’d gotten engaged to not one but three different monsters…of three different species, with three vastly different personalities: his childhood friend, the pharmacist Sapphee; the lady of the transportation company, Tisalia; and the clothing designer, Arahnia.

Once he and Tisalia were officially married, Hephthal would become Glenn’s father-in-law.

“I-I’m so sorry. I haven’t been able to properly ask for her hand.”

“It couldn’t be helped. With the poisoned water incident, I had my hands full, too. I’ve heard of your activities as a physician. It’s more important to save lives. Although…” Hephthal paused. “My wife was livid.”

“Y-your wife?”

“Yeah. She went off on me, saying she wouldn’t allow Tisalia to marry a human. But my daughter said she wouldn’t take over the business if we didn’t bless the marriage. She and my wife actually sparred over it with practice swords, but no matter how long they fought, neither could beat the other.”

“Did one of them finally give in?”

“Both practice swords broke first. In the end, I had to step in and talk my wife down.” Hephthal chuckled, though Glenn didn’t find it funny at all. “Well, after all that, both my wife and I have decided to accept you as our daughter’s husband.”

Glenn was sweating. It was hard to believe that after hearing such a story.

“We centaurs value martial prowess. Normally, it would be unfathomable to allow one of our own to marry a weak human.”

Glenn couldn’t reply.

“However, despite your frailty, you’ve resolved several issues in Lindworm. I know you played a role in cleaning up both the sleeping disease caused by the Barometz tree and the poisoning of the Merrow Waterways, and you even treated the victims yourself. I consider that valuable, as well.”

“Th-thank you very much.”

This wasn’t the first time Glenn had met Hephthal. He’d visited this mansion before, when Tisalia was bedridden after contracting the sleeping disease. Glenn remembered that, during his examination, Hephthal and his wife, Kimmeria, had begged Glenn from the bottom of their hearts to take care of her. The Scythias hadn’t been so distraught only because she was their sole heir—they truly loved their daughter.

“Unlike many in our clan, you have power that you can exert intellectually. That’s one weapon that the Scythia have lacked in the mercenary trade for ages. And so…” Hephthal pierced Glenn with his sharp-eyed gaze. “I would like you to prove your intellect to me one more time.”

“Sorry?”

“Based on the result, I will officially give you my blessing to marry my daughter. Neither my wife nor subordinates will be able to object. What do you say?”

“Well, I mean…”

Glenn’s suspicions were right. Hephthal wasn’t ready to accept their engagement that easily. Perhaps it was actually him, and not his wife, who’d grown livid and sparred with Tisalia.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘proving my intellect’?”

“My company is currently facing a dilemma. I’m sure you have no intention of taking over the business, but if you’re going to be Tisalia’s husband, then it will certainly be a part of your life. That’s why I want you to resolve this…business issue.”

Hephthal’s words were like a heavy blow to Glenn’s chest.

Tisalia would someday take over Scythia Transportation. That was why she was looking for a capable suitor in the first place…and why she’d been eyeing Glenn. But it would be nearly impossible for Glenn to continue his work as a doctor while managing a transportation business.

Tisalia had told Glenn he didn’t need to be involved, but…

“You know Deadlich Graveyard City?”

“Uh…y-yes.”

It was a residential district in the northern part of Lindworm, where zombies, skeletons and ghosts lived.

“The second-generation manager is trying to reinstate the harvest festival that used to be held here. However, a vampire residing in Deadlich’s hotel—Lord Murdrac—is against it.”

“Lord Murdrac…”

“As a human, you might not know of him, but he’s famous among monsters. He’s very powerful, even for a vampire, and the hotel was originally the Murdrac family’s summer home. He generally doesn’t interact with other species, and doesn’t involve himself in politics, but when he does, well…most monsters can’t seem to say ‘no’ to Murdrac.”

Glenn tilted his head to one side in confusion. He’d thought there was no real social hierarchy between the monster races of Lindworm, a place where everyone came together to live as they wished. They might argue from time to time, but mostly, they cooperated with each other. Glenn had never heard of a monster exerting that kind of control over other monsters.

“We’ve had a hard enough time rallying our own species.” Hephthal laughed self-deprecatingly. “Not everyone in our clan is willing to cooperate. Eventually, with the help of monsters possessing authority, longevity, and strength—that is, dragons and vampires—we were able to unite. But the truth is…it was the Murdrac family that granted the Scythia clan authority to govern the other centaurs.”

“O-oh.”

“The same is true for many of the monsters with city council seats. They received the support of the rest of their species because of Lord Murdrac’s endorsement. Being taken under a dragon’s wing is quite rare, but vampires are much more likely to deal with other monsters.”

Glenn was finally starting to understand. “Um…you said that you have an issue with the company?”

“Yes.”

“Is that because Lord Murdrac opposes the harvest festival, but you—no, your company—would profit from the festival?”

“That is precisely correct. We prefer not to make Lord Murdrac angry. However, our transportation capabilities will be required for festival preparations. From our point of view, it’s an important opportunity. That’s why I’d like to ask for your help.”

Hephthal offered a smile, but Glenn couldn’t muster one to match it.

“I want you to arrange it so that the harvest festival will be held without offending Lord Murdrac.”

“N-no, wait. I’m just a doctor…”

“I understand if you want to refuse. The other option would be to win my daughter’s hand in single combat, as is the centaur tradition.”

Hephthal stood up. One of the buttons on his suit popped open, exposing his chiseled pecs. The battle-hardened aura of authority he exuded was…intimidating.

There was no way Glenn would ever stand a chance against him in a contest of strength.

“Err…”

He was looking at a father who wouldn’t give up his daughter without a fight.

However, Glenn thought. A harvest festival in the graveyard city means that Molly is serious about developing Lindworm’s tourism industry. It could really liven things up, boost the economy…and also encourage romantic encounters.

“I understand,” Glenn said quickly, hoping to calm Hephthal, who looked like he was itching to fight. “I’ll do what I can.”

“Well then, best of luck! As you said, it isn’t exactly in the job description of town doctor.”

“It would please me greatly if I could help make the harvest festival happen,” Glenn replied. He meant what he said—but it wasn’t the whole truth.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“I’ll do what I can, but I’m not sure how effective I’ll be…”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. You wield your knowledge the way we centaurs wield our spears. I want to see how sharp that weapon is.” Hephthal grinned broadly. “I know you’ll come through…son.” The smile didn’t even approach his eyes.

Glenn had had some idea of what it meant to marry Tisalia, but he hadn’t been prepared at all for the biggest obstacle—her parents.

“Does that mean I have your blessing?”

“Yes.”

 

***

 

“Unbelievable, Doctor!”

It was a normal day in Lindworm, and Glenn was walking down the main road with Sapphee, the lamia who worked as his assistant…and also happened to be his fiancée. She seemed conflicted. The reason, of course, was that Glenn had told her what Hephthal had asked of him.

“I mean, the harvest festival does seem fun, but…”

The town was bustling. Every year, when autumn came along, the Aluloona Plantation hired a large number of temporary workers. The pay was quite high, so anyone skilled in physical labor helped with the harvest to supplement their income. The point of the harvest festival was to celebrate this abundance and prepare for the coming winter. It would be held in the graveyard district, which was located far from the Plantation, in the quiet, northern part of the city.

“But how will you convince Lord Murdrac? His family goes way back in the annals of monster history. They’ve been around far longer than the Neikes or Scythia clans.”

“So, you know about this vampire aristocrat, too, Sapphee?”

“Yes. There was a time when the lamia were also under the protection of famous vampire houses. Back then, people still believed we drank the blood of babies, as was written in the old texts.”

So…the Murdrac family was powerful even among vampires. Glenn knew nothing of this, having grown up in the human realm. Still, he was impressed that there were families that simply gave authority to other species, without taking center stage.

“Why doesn’t he ever go outside? Because he’s nocturnal?”

“Apparently, he doesn’t do well in the sunlight. Vampires have many of the same characteristics as bats, after all.”

“Yeah…” Glenn only knew what he’d read in books. He’d never actually seen a vampire. Naturally, he was curious.

Sapphee slithered along beside him. “Molly’s worried about convincing him, too. Preparations for the festival are already underway. They’re already harvesting crops down at Aluloona Plantation, and Arahnia has all four of her hands full making costumes. But if we don’t have Lord Murdrac’s permission…”

“Then all that work will go to waste?”

“That’s not all. Many monsters have taken Murdrac’s side. This could divide Lindworm in two.” Sapphee explained the worst-case scenario, her eyes downcast.

Skadi had pulled the city together, but a wide variety of monsters were represented on the city council, all possessing different priorities and loyalties. And there was no telling how fragile that unity might be.

“If it gets really bad, it could affect the economy and disrupt people’s work.”

“I-I’ll figure something out.”

“Are you a master politician like Souen, Dr. Glenn?”

“Uhh…”

Glenn held his head in his hands. Something like this would be no problem for his brother, but it wasn’t easy for him. The only thing Glenn was good at was medicine.

Still, he didn’t regret taking this on.

“Ohh, we’ve arrived, Doctor.” Sapphee stopped in front of a sign on the main road.

Glenn pushed thoughts of festivals and vampires out of his mind for the time being and looked at the sign. Kuklo Accessory Shop was scrawled across it. Flowers were arranged next to the door, commemorating the opening.

“Yeah, this is definitely the place. Hello?”

“Eeee?!”

As Glenn stepped into the store, he was greeted with a shriek—not exactly a traditional greeting from a store clerk to a pair of customers.

“Ah, oh. Doctor, Sapphee…you scared me.”

It was a small but well-furnished shop; half workspace, half sales floor. In the center of the workspace, among the various tools and materials, stood a girl with one big eye. It was the Kuklo Workshop’s apprentice artisan, Memé Redon.

“Hey, Memé. We were so surprised to hear you’d been put in charge of your own shop at such a young age. We had to see it for ourselves.”

“I-I’m more surprised than you! A-and this shop is just to sell the pieces made in the workshop. It’s not my shop. Err, I don’t know what the boss is thinking, either… I can’t run a shop. It’s impossible for me!” Memé pounded something on an anvil while she muttered to herself. Apparently, she’d expanded the workspace so that she could make new accessories while minding the store.

“That’s still amazing, Memé. You’ve been entrusted with all this responsibility!”

“Errr…”

Glenn chuckled at Memé’s stressed-out groaning. The cyclopes boss and other workers had to have high expectations for her, though Memé might not have the mental fortitude to deal with that pressure yet.

The accessories on display featured a wide range of designs. Glenn looked at a ring, noticing a sign that explained the size could be adjusted. Memé’s aesthetic sensibilities were apparent in every piece.

Sapphee’s eyes shone as she looked at the items, her focus momentarily pulled away from Glenn.

“S-so then…why are you here?”

“We came to see you, of course. We wanted to congratulate you on the shop.”

“Th-thank you.”

With one eye on Sapphee, Glenn pulled out the envelope he’d prepared in advance and handed it to Memé. Memé tilted her head to the side, confused by Glenn’s secretive movements.

“Hmm?”

Then, she figured it out. She nodded fervently and hid the envelope under her worktable.

“Doctor, this ring was made in collaboration with Loose Silk Sewing—hey, what’s going on?” This time, it was Sapphee who tilted her head, sensing that the other two were keeping something from her.

“Hmm? It’s nothing. Sapphee, don’t forget…we’re here to celebrate Memé.”

“I know. That’s exactly why we should buy something.”

Sapphee was visibly excited—her tail was literally wagging. Glenn was a little worried she might knock over one of the shelves. He could tell by the way her eyes darted around the items on sale that they were good quality, and the tools lined up at the counter were brand new, too. Maybe the boss and the others had made them for their apprentice’s big moment in the spotlight.

“Hmm…”

One thing concerned Glenn, though. The dark circle under Memé’s eye had deepened, and her face was pale. The cyclopes girl normally had a poor complexion, but it was especially bad today.

As a doctor, he couldn’t help but notice these sorts of abnormalities immediately.

“Is this new work hard on you?” Memé wasn’t used to serving customers.

“I-It’s really hard. I’ve never done any of this before! But I even learned how to make merrow glass for the shop! I’m not going to let everything I’ve learned go to waste.”

“Wow, that’s great. Not everyone can get a license to manufacture merrow glass!”

In the southern part of the monster realm lay an island. It was said that the current surrounding it was too treacherous for even the most experienced sailors to navigate. Only aquatic monsters, like mermaids, could visit.

It wasn’t long before the mermaid who owned the island came up with a lucrative business plan. She gathered glassworkers and started production, creating unique and exquisite glassware. Since no ships could reach the island unless they were towed by mermaids, their secret techniques were safe from theft. However, the mermaids couldn’t make the glass themselves because their bodies couldn’t stand the heat of the furnaces.

Eventually, the island fell into ruin. However, the mermaids continued to pass down the glass techniques orally. They would train select craftsmen, granting them permission to make high-quality merrow glass products. That was why the Waterways were famous for their glass.

And now, Memé had somehow mastered this glass production method. She was honestly too skilled to be called an apprentice. At this stage, most would consider her an independent craftsman. She must have worked incredibly hard.

“I-I also made, um, sake glasses. Y-you should try them…”

“A sake set!” Sapphee’s eyes lit up, but Glenn was more concerned for Memé.

“Memé, you look like you need to get some rest. Are you sure you’re not working too hard?”

“I-I do need sleep! But it’s not because I’m making things…” Memé glanced at the entrance of the shop with her one big eye. “I-I get some weird customers.”

“Weird…customers?”

“One guy comes in with a big black overcoat and hood! Even though it’s only fall! He hides his face with tinted glasses. It’s totally suspicious! He’s come in several times since we opened, so I always have to be on the lookout.”

“Tinted glasses…”

This puzzled Glenn.

He’d heard of glasses with some dark pigment mixed into the lenses for shading. But glasses were already a luxury item, and considering the cost of such added processing… He remembered that Sapphee, who had a low tolerance for light, had once wanted a pair of those glasses, but abandoned the idea once she saw the price.

“Were they after your jewelry, perhaps?”

“When they already have expensive eyewear?”

An owner of such a luxury item probably didn’t need to worry about money. Though maybe they’d gotten rich selling items they stole…

“A-anyway, the patrol team has increased their patrols around here. Sioux comes by often.”

“The coast is clear, Me—Hey…Brother and Sister?”

As if summoned by the mere mention of her name, Sioux appeared in the shop. She’d been gaining lots of experience with the patrol team, and was putting everything she had into her work as a protector of the city.

“Sioux has not seen the person with a big overcoat, as you described.”

“They come at all different times…ahhh. What if my accessories are stolen? The boss will be so mad…ahhh!”

Glenn thought to himself that the boss would be more worried about Memé’s safety in such a scenario, but…

“This is why I can’t sleep at night!”

“But isn’t the store closed at night?”

“I’m still so worried I can’t sleep!”

So, she had insomnia. It was just like Memé to lose sleep over a suspicious customer rather than her work.

“Well, Brother, you needn’t worry! Sioux is here.”

“Y-yes…”

Glenn was still more concerned about Memé’s well-being, though the protection of the patrol team might assuage her anxiety. “Memé, you need to sleep.”

“I-I know. I-It’s okay. I can sleep. I’m sure I can…”

Watching Memé continue to work while muttering to herself only made Glenn more worried. She was already the kind to fret over small things, and her boss had probably entrusted her with this work to help her overcome that.

“Now then, let’s buy something to get Memé started,” Sapphee said.

“Th-thank you!”

Sapphee bought a small item she had been eyeing. The price was fair, and the quality of the work was incomparable. It wouldn’t be long before this shop became a hot spot. But Glenn remained concerned about Memé’s anxiety. It always seemed to simmer just below the surface, but it was more noticeable than usual, today.

“I-I promise to work hard…” Memé said, looking Glenn in the eye. She was probably doing that because of the envelope he’d slipped her earlier.

Glenn returned the look, saying nothing.

Sapphee cocked her head to the side, wondering what this meant.

 

“Memé’s shop is already popular,” Tisalia said.

Today, instead of sparring, she was pulling packages—helping with the transportation business. The work clearly wasn’t urgent, because she was taking her time. She’d run into Glenn as he was walking home from his rounds for the day. They were both heading in the same direction, so they walked
together.

“Even I’ve heard about the person in the coat. Lindworm is a safe place, so it’s rare to come across a blatantly suspicious stranger. I wonder who they are.”

“Yeah, I don’t know…”

It was hard to believe that someone in a large overcoat, hiding their face, could exist in the safe trade and tourism city of Lindworm.

“I wanted to buy something, too, but Memé didn’t look well at all. I hope she feels better soon.”

“Oh, so you’ve been there already?”

“I wanted to find something for the wedding!” Tisalia said, proudly.

She really didn’t waste any time. Glenn’s clinic was still in debt to the city council and the central hospital. Even though he’d been given preferential terms for the loan, he wanted to take care of those liabilities before he was wed. He’d already told his fiancées as much.

And yet…both Sapphee and Tisalia were already acting as if they were married. Whereas Arahnia was acting more like a mistress than a fiancée.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, did my father request a favor from you?”

“Er, yes.”

“You can refuse in the future. My parents aren’t in favor of our marriage, but I keep telling them all about how wonderful you are. If they still won’t accept you, then I’ll just leave home.”

According to Lindworm’s laws, only the consent of the two parties marrying was required. However, Tisalia’s species had many traditions. They expected a lot from a man who married an only daughter—especially one who’d previously been uninterested in taking over the family business. That was probably why Tisalia had been helping out more of late; she’d probably made up her mind to inherit the company if it smoothed the way for her and Glenn. He’d heard she was even studying accounting with Kay and Lorna.

“No, there’s no need for that.”

“B-but…”

“I just need to figure out how to fulfill the favor Hephthal asked of me. It seems like that will be enough for him to accept me as your husband.” Glenn didn’t want Tisalia to throw away everything she held dear just to marry him. He would simply have to prove his worth.

“Doctor…I am very grateful.”

“We’re in this together. You just worry about your studies.”

“Errr…” Tisalia groaned, closing her eyes. It wasn’t that she wasn’t smart, just that math was a stumbling block for her. “A-anyway, what did my father ask you to do?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear? Umm…” Glenn wondered how he should explain.

If he told her, Tisalia would probably want to help him. But he wondered if that would go against her father’s wishes. The fact that Hephthal hadn’t told her the details of his request made Glenn think he wanted him to resolve it on his own.

“I’ll…tell you about it later.” He decided to avoid the subject for now.

“Oh.”

“And I need to be getting back to the clinic…”

Just as Glenn was trying to extricate himself from the conversation, they noticed a crowd of people up ahead—a mob, arguing. Sensing something out of the ordinary, Glenn strained his ears to hear.

It sounded like someone had been run over.

“Doctor!” someone called from the crowd.

“Y-yes?”

Before Glen could respond further, however, the ears on the top of Tisalia’s head perked up. She dropped her cargo and began trotting toward the crowd.

“What is it?” Glenn asked, running to keep up with her.

But he saw it before he got his answer.

In the center of the crowd was a carriage that had crashed into a gas lamp—a carriage belonging to Scythia Transportation. The centaur who’d been driving it caught sight of Tisalia and his face lit up in gratitude.

“Pr-Princess…you came all the way out here?”

“I was just passing by. Are you hurt?!”

“W-well, I didn’t have anyone riding with me, and I’m not hurt, but the girl…”

When they looked closer, there she was—hiding in the shadow of the carriage. It was Memé, wearing a dazed look on her face, like she didn’t know exactly what had happened.

“She just wandered into the street! I-I tried to avoid her…”

“Memé!”

“Are you hurt?” Glenn checked her over. She didn’t have any obvious injuries.

“D-Doctor, I…” Memé clearly wasn’t sure what was going on.

“Well, it looks like you’re all right. But I’d like to give you a proper examination, just to be sure. Is there anyone else who may have been hurt?!”

Glenn scanned the crowd. It looked like the other passersby were okay. The carriage driver must have been quite skilled.

“We’re close to your shop, Memé. Doctor, please take her there! The accident involved one of our company’s carriages, so I need to stay here and sort things out.”

“Th-thank you, that helps!” Glenn said to Tisalia as he helped the bewildered looking Memé stand up. The dark circle under her eye was even deeper than before.

“Okay, okay, start clearing out! This isn’t a show! Has someone contacted the patrol team?”

Glenn left the scene of the accident in the hands of Tisalia and quickly headed to Memé’s shop.

 

***

 

“Memé, you’re lucky that I happened to be passing by.”

In the back of the store, behind the counter and past the work area, was a small room for napping. Glenn had Memé lie down there. He gave orders to the fairy hiding in his pocket to go get Sapphee.

“You were just in an accident. Are you all right?”

“I’m okay… Just…a little off…”

Memé’s eye was vacant. Her head swayed from side to side. She was blissfully unaware of how much danger she’d been in only moments ago.

“Th-the thief might c-come here! I need to protect the store! That weird customer… See, there!”

“Memé, the strange customer isn’t here.”

“Th-they’ll come! They come, day and night…”

“Doctor…” Sapphee had appeared. She looked at Glenn, worry in her eyes.

Glenn scratched his head. Memé was drifting in and out of consciousness, and it sounded like she was hallucinating.

“There’s no doubt this is severe insomnia.” He sighed. He should have done something sooner. Judging by her current state, the strange customer might have been nothing more than a hallucination.

Memé opened her massive eye, but she seemed unable to focus on anything.

“If the symptoms are this bad, it must have been a long time since she’s slept.”

“I-It’s true I haven’t been sleeping, but…I’m fine! See! See, Doctor! I’m great! I can run the store, no problem!”

“No, you can’t. Your life is at stake.” Glenn pushed Memé back down on the bed, still annoyed with himself.

“I had a look around the store,” Sapphee said. “There’s a bunch of new items on display. Did you work all night, Memé?”

“Y-yes, b-but only because I couldn’t sleep.”

“Unbelievable…” Sapphee took something from her bag, looking similarly annoyed. It was a vial with a dropper. There was a picture of a sheep on the label.

“Eeee! Wh-what is that?!”

“It’s medicine. It works very well. Doctor, I can give this to her, right?”

Glenn nodded.

The eyedrops were made from the extract of the Barometz trees growing on the plantation. The sleeping sickness caused by those same trees had infected people indiscriminately, but Sapphee had discovered a way to control its effects. Come to think of it—Glenn recalled that Memé was the only one in the workshop who hadn’t succumbed to the illness and fallen asleep. She’d probably always suffered from insomnia.

“If you use these eyedrops, you’ll be able to sleep. Just…try not to think too much. Once you get some rest, you’ll feel better.”

“E-errr…okay.”

Sapphee filled the dropper. Since the cyclopes’ eye was so big, this would take many more drops than usual.

“Now, Memé, hold still… There.”

Drip.

Whoosh.

Splash.

“Ummm…”

Before the drop from the vial reached her eye, Memé moved so quickly that it was hard to believe she was weak from sleep-deprivation. The medicine fell onto the pillow instead.

Memé looked embarrassed.

“U-ummm…Memé, it won’t work if you get out of the way…”

“I-I know.”

“Of course you do. Okay then, one more time. It’s okay, as soon as it’s in your eye, you’ll be able to sleep.”

Drip.

Whomp.

Splash.

“Memé?”

“I-I know! I know I shouldn’t move out of the way!”

“But you are.”

“M-my body just…”

Memé wasn’t consciously moving, but she was still too quick for Glenn. It was natural to have an instinctive revulsion to eyedrops; the eyes were vulnerable areas for most living creatures. Since cyclops had such large eyes, it was arguably even scarier for them.

“Memé. It’s important for you to recover, first and foremost, so you can keep up the shop. I know it’s scary, but you don’t need to worry about Sapphee’s medicine. Please, trust us.”

“O-okay. I’ll try!” Memé balled both of her hands into fists.

“Good. Now, look at Sapphee again so she can drop them in.”

Squirt.

It had happened again.

A large stain was forming on the pillow bed. Memé herself looked surprised that she’d dodged again, her lip quivering. Sapphee was smiling, but Glenn knew her well enough to guess that she was seething inside.

“Do you know how long it took me to extract this medicine you’re wasting?”

“I-I’m not doing it on purpose! Believe me, Sapphee!”

“Yes, I know. Of course I know that, but…”

“Agggh?!”

Sapphee suddenly seized Memé with her tail. The cyclops screamed bloody murder as the lamia coiled around her, holding her down.

“Doctor, let’s get those eyedrops in.”

“Eeeee! Y-you’re gonna kill me!”

“I’m telling you, this is all part of the treatment!”

Memé was struggling to wriggle free, but Sapphee kept a tight hold.

“Okay, ummm… If there’s no other way…” Glenn gave orders to the fairies to further restrain Memé.

“Wh-why are you tying me up?!”

“Because you keep running away!”

The fairies found a rope nearby and began wrapping it around her. For some reason, they ran the rope above, below, and between her breasts, making Memé’s chest seem bigger. Normally, due to her formidable strength, Memé would have been able to split the rope in two, but she was sleep-deprived and confused, and it looked like she’d forgotten her own abilities.

“I don’t want eyedrops! Please, there must be another way!”

“You sure yell loud, for someone so exhausted…”

Sapphee looked like a snake about to devour a rat. She must have been really upset about her medicine going to waste. She used the bottom half of her body to lift Memé’s chin.

“S-Sapphee, be gentle…”

“I am being gentle. You just worry about the medicine, Doctor.”

“Y-yes. Got it.”

Memé’s face was covered in tears and snot. The medicine was already half gone. Sapphee didn’t have any more once it ran out. All the more reason to get the treatment right…and also for Memé’s sake.

“Eeek!”

“Okay, okay. Now open your eye.”

“Uhh…”

Trembling, Memé made herself open her eye. She looked up at the ceiling. Glenn was sure it would work this time. He tipped the vial to drip the medicine into Memé’s eye and—

“Argh!”

Splash.

Although Memé couldn’t move, she could still close her eyelid, and she had. Instead of landing in her eye, the medicine had splashed over the top half of her body.

“Memé!”

“I-I can’t control my eye…”

Glenn understood. Memé knew that she needed this treatment, but that didn’t mean she could control her body’s involuntary reactions.

“Memé, listen. Look up at the ceiling again. Good.”

“Ee…garg… Agggh!”

Splash. Splash. Splaaash.

“Ergh…”

“I-I can do it. I’ll try harder… Argh. Eee… Eee…!”

Splash. Splash.

They weren’t getting anywhere.

No matter what Glenn tried—even coming in from the side instead of above—Memé closed her eyelid just in time, every time. The medicine just couldn’t get in.

“Hmmm…”

“This is a problem.”

After all these failed attempts, Memé was a complete mess. Her face was soaked in medication, but the tears constantly spilling from her eye kept the medication from getting in there. There was no sign that the drops were taking effect.

The medication soaked her clothes, her voluptuous chest hardly contained by her shirt. Because of her job, she was clad in light, breathable work clothes, and the shape of her breasts showed through clearly.

“Ewww… I’m all wet! Gross…”

“It’s because you’re so stubborn!”

“It’s not on purpose!”

The medication was almost gone. They couldn’t afford to waste even one more drop.

“D-Doctor! Sapphee! Isn’t there any other way? Can’t I just take some oral medicine?”

“This isn’t suitable for ingestion. This medicine was originally extracted from the Barometz, with the indiscriminate sleeping effects removed. It works through mucous membranes. So, ummm…the only other option is down there…”

“Down there?”

“Yes, human and cyclops women have two, ah, orifices. I’m talking about the one not used to make children.”

“Make children—huh?! N-no way! Impossible, I can’t do that!”

“I figured.”

Things were getting graphic. Sapphee was starting to grow desperate to get this over with. She knew better than anyone that this medicine was meant to go in the eyes. Glenn had to be joking about the other orifice…wasn’t he?

“Uhhh… I-I knew I couldn’t handle running my own store…” Memé began weeping even more bitterly. “The pressure from the boss…the weird customers… I’m just causing problems for my teacher and everyone else. I… I…!”

“Memé…” Glenn frowned at Memé’s wailing. “Memé. Hey.”

“Waaah…”

“Sorry about this.”

“Huh? Mrrgh?!”

Glenn thrust his hand into Memé’s mouth.

“Mmm! Mrgh! Mbbw!”

“It’s okay.” Glenn showed no mercy. He forced his finger to the back of her throat.

“Mggw! Rggw!”

“D-Doctor, that’s a little extreme.” Sapphee was getting anxious, too.

Glenn seemed unbothered by the fact that his finger was covered in Meme’s saliva. He used his other hand to grab the medicine vial.

“Mgggw!” Memé’s eye went wide in surprise.

Without missing a beat, Glenn applied the drops. Memé didn’t have time to close her eyelid, before the medicine spread all across her eyeball.

Glenn immediately removed his hand from her mouth.

“Hmm…”

“Argh! Oh…blech.”

“Memé, I know it’s rough, but you need to get some proper sleep. Eating and sleeping are the foundation of good health. If you aren’t doing those things, there’s no way you’ll be able to handle anything else,” Glenn warned.

Memé gagged a few times, but it wasn’t long before the medicine took effect. Her big eye rolled up, and her eyelid closed.

“Good. Perfect. Fairies, untie her.”

The fairies surrounded Memé and got to work. Glenn let out an exasperated sigh. The medicine made from the Barometz was highly effective, thanks to Sapphee’s pharmaceutical skills.

“That was quite an ordeal for just one dose of eyedrops.”

“Yes. It was rough on her, but there was no other way.” Sticking his finger down Memé’s throat to force her eye open wasn’t exactly a recommended technique, but it had been necessary. Glenn was sorry to have put her through that.

“I’m going to change her clothes. Please leave the room, Doctor.”

“Oh, right. She’s all wet…”

Memé’s break room was a mess. The eyedrops had splashed everywhere. The medication was tasteless and odorless, so it wasn’t that big of a deal, but they still had to do something about the wet clothing and sheets.

“I’ll need one fairy to help me,” said Glenn. “And we should notify the workshop.”

Sapphee picked up the sleeping Memé with her tail. The cyclops’s face was finally peaceful.

“Sleep well, Memé.”

Memé let out a little snort, as if responding to Sapphee.

“Until then, Doctor will watch shop?” the fairy asked.

“Uhh, no… I don’t think so…” Glenn muttered back. “But at the very least, we need to put the ‘closed’ sign out.”

The fairy flapped its wings busily. Glenn wished there was a better way they could communicate.

He went outside.

The shop faced the main road. Given how important this new business was to the Kuklo Workshop for showcasing their techniques, Glenn understood why their expectations for Memé had been so high. But it was that same pressure that had broken her.

“Hmm…?”

Glenn sensed someone standing behind him as he hung the “closed” sign on the door.

He turned to see a person walking along the road, clad in a hood and overcoat. A pair of black-tinted glasses obscured the person’s face from view. Could this be the strange customer Memé had been talking about? So…she wasn’t hallucinating?

He’d been convinced that she was seeing things because of her sleep deprivation and anxiety.

But she’d been telling the truth.

Aside from their clothing, there wasn’t anything particularly odd about this stranger. They weren’t acting suspiciously, and they clearly weren’t worried about being seen. Because of their tinted glasses, though, Glenn couldn’t tell where they were looking.

The person seemed most interested in the sign Glenn had just put on the door.

Glenn was puzzled.

He thought about approaching them, but just then—

“I found them!” Sioux’s assertive voice preceded a red figure tackling the stranger.

This sudden arrest in broad daylight caught the attention of the other townsfolk. The person in the overcoat was actively struggling, but they were no match for Sioux’s strength.

“Hey…what are you…?!”

“Calm down! Sioux will not allow you to steal anything from Memé’s store!”

“What?! I’m not a thief!”

Glenn ran up to the duo. It looked like Sioux was getting violent, so he thought it was time for him to intervene.

“Let us start by viewing your face!” Sioux forcefully pulled the hood off the stranger’s head, exposing some sort of black cloth, which, upon closer inspection, looked more like claws.

Claws. With webbing spread between them.

They were bat wings.

“Wait, Sioux. This is a misunderstanding!” Glenn put his hand on Sioux’s shoulder to calm her down.

“But Brother!” Sioux let go of the stranger. “These clothes mean they don’t want people to know who they are! That is obviously suspicious! They might want to steal—”

“No, I think this person is—”

The stranger let out a sigh. Then they took off their tinted glasses.

“Hmph! Just because you can all move about freely during the day…! Do you know how many nocturnal monsters there are?! Ugh! If only the accessory shop was open at night, too!”

The bat girl had bright blonde hair that contrasted with her brown skin. She looked about the same age as Memé. Without her hood, her ears popped straight up. But her most distinct features were the webbed wings that stretched out from her elbows, exactly like bat wings.

So, she’s a nocturnal monster. Glenn nodded. She’d been hiding her face to avoid the light. “And you are?”

“Now you’re asking my na—oh, forget it. I can’t have you thinking I’m a thief. I’ll just tell you.” The bat girl flashed an evil-looking grin.

She had a mole by her mouth, which drew attention to her sharp fangs. They looked like they could easily pierce the skin of any living being, and they clearly weren’t made for chewing food.

Glenn suddenly realized who he was talking to. This girl must be—

“I am Plum. Plum Murdrac. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I’m the daughter of the vampire family living at the hotel.”

Murdrac.

The vampire family.

Here was one of the reclusive vampires at the center of the issue Glenn had been tasked with fixing, right in town.

“Nice to meet you, young man. You seem nice.” The bat girl grinned again, showing off her fangs, and held her wing out toward Glenn.