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Chapter 60: The Expedition Team Without Hopes And Dreams (2)

“You can say that again. I know the Medicine King, but...”

“It’s the young lady I met before,” the Sword Star remarked. He seemed troubled.

The Chemist gasped and hid behind me. Despite her timidity, she had stopped the Sword Star together with the Paladin when he had mistaken me for the murderer of the century. Back then, the Sword Star had been downright menacing, so facing him again must have reminded her of that.

The Sword Star recalled that incident as well and awkwardly cleared his throat. “There is no need to be scared. The Death King and I have talked it out.”

“I-is that so...?” The Chemist peeked out from behind my back.

“That’s right. But... still.” The Sword Star turned and gave me a troubled look. “Death King, the place we’re headed to is very dangerous. And the Constellation said that dying in the apocalyptic book means death in real life. Are you sure about bringing that young lady to such a dangerous place?”

I nodded immediately. “Yes, she’s the best chemist I know.”

I was pretty sure that she was also objectively the best chemist out there.

The Guardian groaned, a reluctant acknowledgment of the Chemist’s talent. She had used the same ingredients in the same amounts as the shop the Guardian was originally going to introduce, but she had made fifteen times more elixirs than what I would have gotten from the shop owned by this Medicine King guy or whatever his name was. Her elixirs were also more effective.

—He’s good... but not best. There is her now...

Yes, he’s not.

“The best chemist you know...” The Sword Star’s expression changed subtly.

I pulled up the character window to see what he was thinking.

State of mind: Hmm. It’s a recommendation from an extraordinary young man, so she’s bound to be extraordinary. But there is always a bigger fish... As rare as it is, the Sword Emperor is right this time. The biggest fish in the pond will eventually learn that it’s smaller than the smallest fish from the river. This is a chance to build a relationship between the two youngsters and Medicine King.

Wow, I thought.

He didn’t say that out loud because of the connection we had been building and the vow he had made to me. And I was aware that he meant well... but it looked like his geezer spirit hadn’t gone anywhere. The other Guardian accompanying the Sword Star seemed to be belittling the Chemist based on her looks, just like my Guardian had done.

Still, there was a man who had no goodwill and wasn’t willing to hide his geezer spirit—the one they called the Medicine King.

“Ha! The best chemist he knows! This is the problem with young people! They climb a rock but they stick their noses into the air as if it were a mountain. I hate it. I feel like I’m looking at myself when I was young. Tsk, tsk.”

Oh.

“Medicine King, please be understanding,” the Sword Star gently plied. “The Death King is an outstanding man, but his experience is a little—”

“Experience! That is most important! But they don’t know that and pretend to know the world. Goodness, I feel embarrassed. It’s just like the time I earned a billion dollars in Silicon Valley. They’re all rotten on the inside and only they don’t know it.”

“Why don’t you keep your temper down...?”

“I’ve been doing that until now, Marcus. You’re the reason why I let the boy boss us around. And now he’s telling us that he’s going to bring along this scrawny girl from nowhere. It’s like those young billionaires in Silicon Valley walking around with their trophies.”

“Death King isn’t that kind of—”

“What do you mean he isn’t? Hey, you!” The Medicine King thrust his finger at me. “Look me in the eyes and tell me! Are you sure you’re not that kind of person?”

This was amazing... There was someone out there who could give the Sword Star a hard time. It seemed that in the food chain of geezers, geezers were preyed upon by worse geezer. The new discovery of the ecosystem’s wonder kept my mouth agape, which left someone else to stand up to the geezer.

“I-I don’t mind you calling me that...” the Chemist said, still clutching my sleeve tightly. “...b-but don’t talk about Mr. D-Death King like that! Y-you even called him rotten on the inside... He’s an incredible person!”

“Haha, look at that, Marcus. She’s acting like she’s covering for her husband. This is the problem with young ones. Tsk, tsk. Well, I also didn’t realize they were youthful follies when I was young...”

“C-covering for her husband...” The Chemist opened and closed her mouth several times. It seemed that her brain had trouble processing such outrageous nonsense.

“Stop,” the Paladin interrupted. “The Chemist is indeed skilled. I came to know her through the Death King’s introduction, but the Watchmen League is currently receiving a steady supply of exceptional potions from her.”

The Medicine King scoffed. “I’m sure they are by the Watchmen League’s standard.”

“...What?”

“Let’s be frank. With your current funds, you and your people couldn’t have done so much as visited my shop. You don’t know what the sky is, so you think your ceiling is the highest. But you don’t even know that you’re not even in a room, you’re in a box... Your naivety is just like when I was young. Tsk, tsk...”

The Paladin bit her lip—the Medicine King had struck a sore spot. The Watchmen League may have been one of the Five Guilds, but it had always suffered from financial difficulties.

The Medicine King waved his hand as if he was shooing away a bird. “It’s no use talking. Enough. Enough! Continuing this conversation will hurt my mouth and tire your ears.”

Well, he was right on that point.

Mr. Sword Emperor, I said.

—Yeah.

I’ve put up with enough insults, right?

—More than enough. Are you trying to get humiliated?

I glanced around at my surroundings. No, I’m not.

I had said this to the Black Witch multiple times, but everything in the library was being broadcast live in the Babylon Plaza. In other words, this was the perfect time for both a debut and a retirement.

“Then do you want to test it?” I asked the Medicine King.

While the Sword Star seemed to be in an awkward spot, the Medicine King’s veins instantly bulged out of his neck.

“Ha! Look at him, Marcus,” he screamed. “He can’t defeat me on logic, so he immediately threatens me with a sword. That rotten boy reminds me of the time I became the world’s boxing champion in my forties.”

“No, I’m not the one going up against you.” I pulled a bunch of medicinal herbs from my pocket. “I’ll provide the ingredients, and each of you can make a potion. When we compare your potions, I’m sure everything will become clear.”

The Chemist gasped and instinctively hopped backward, startled. “M-Mr. Death King! The way that old— The way he insulted you makes me very angry... but s-still, he’s called Medicine King for a reason. He’s a celebrity that all Hunters know... Compared to him, I’m just someone who got her title less than a week ago...”

I grabbed her shoulders and she reflexively shrank back.

“Miss Chemist,” I said.

“Y-yes!”

I looked straight through her glasses into her eyes. “I trust you.”

“...M-Mr. Death King.”

“So you should believe in yourself too.”

The Chemist took a deep breath and her lip slowly stopped quivering. She clenched her fists and gave me a firm nod.

“Okay, Mr. Death King! I’ll do my best. No...” The Chemist shook her head and rephrased her statement. “I’ll win!”

“Ha.” The Medicine King looked at us like we were fools and clicked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk...There are always those people who have to dip their fingers to know if it’s ketchup or blood. It’s just like when I was three.”

“You certainly talk a lot. Is that because you aren’t confident?” I laughed quietly.

“Alright, kid. Prepare yourself to watch that girl cry her eyes out. I don’t know how to go easy on young people.”

The Medicine King versus the Chemist. The match of the century was about to start.

***

At the start of the match, the Hunters’ reactions were lukewarm.

“Mr. Medicine King will win for sure.”

“His prices are really high, and even people who made reservations have to wait for a month.”

“Is there really something going on between them? The Death King seems to be going too far this time.”

“The Death King and Medicine King are both kings, but there’s a difference of years when it comes to experience.”

That was the general mood.

Meanwhile, the Countess didn’t miss her chance to earn money and started a bet.

“Those who believe in the Medicine King’s victory can place your bet here! If you think the Chemist will win, you can place your bets here!”

I wasn’t sure when she had done it, but two bookmark maids were quietly standing by her side holding collection boxes.

“Death King, are you sure about this? The odds right now are 1.08 to 47,” the Black Witch whispered to me.

“Great. Why don’t you get your pocket money and place a bet on Miss Chemist? But don’t make it too big or else the odds will drop too much.”

“...Death King, you’re the one who said that we’re on air.” The Black Witch gave me a serious look. “Think about it. You recommended her—if the Chemist is crushed in this match...”

“It’ll be broadcast all over Babylon and the world. No, the internet’s probably going wild already.”

What comment would I be posting if I were still my old self? Would it be “I want to be the Medicine King”?

While I was lost in idle thoughts, the Black Witch massaged her aching temples. “Death King, it’ll damage your reputation... Are you sure about this?”

“I feel bad for that Medicine whosit, honestly.”

No, I was actually not sorry at all. When you insult someone, you have to take responsibility, and elders should always be an example for the youth.

The Black Witch looked back and forth between me and the Chemist with an odd expression. I wondered what she was thinking, so I was about to pull up her character window.

“I’m done, you greenhorn! Bow before my great creation!” The Medicine King roared as he raised the potion he’d made into the air.

Premium Recovery Potion

Rarity level: Premium

Creator: Medicine King

Description: The taste is bitter, but it will heal most critical injuries. Of course, it’s just a recovery potion so you should only stop and consume it after your safety is secured. Anyhow, it’s amazing to be able to create a potion like this!

The Hunters all around the library cheered.

“It’s a premium recovery potion!”

“Wow, a premium recovery potion. He’s the real king of medicine. A king never dies, really.”

“Mr. Medicine King! Why don’t you sell that to me?”

“Don’t even think about cutting in line! Mr. Medicine King! I’m the highest on the waiting list! I’ll buy it!”

The Medicine King looked down his nose at me and the Chemist. He seemed to be saying that she and I had woken up a sleeping tiger and were about to pay the price.

But then, the Chemist held up her potion. “Uhhh... I’m done too...”

Soma Strawberry

Rarity level: Semi-legendary

Creator: Chemist

Description: What? It tastes like strawberry! Not a single drop of strawberry is in it, so how does that taste like strawberry? And what’s up with this effectiveness! This potion can be used to reattach amputated limbs without side effects as long as they’re in good condition! What in the world did the creator make!?

The library fell deathly silent.