Otherworld Dagashi Shop Yahagi

Chapter 147: Haggard Titti

Early in the morning, as I was opening my shop in front of Luganda Dungeon, Marco, looking rather uncheerful, came in.

[Good morning, Marco. You look a bit down.]

[Titti hasn’t been feeling well since last night.]

Marco seemed restless as he looked in the direction of their house.

Luganda is still in the development stage and we still don’t have any doctors.

The only healer who was doing his best for everyone was Titti, but if she herself were to fall ill, we would be in quite the trouble.

[Can’t a Healer heal her own illness?]

[I also asked her that, but she said she just couldn’t concentrate on her magic. Yahagi-san, do you still have an Elixir in hand?]

[Ahh, about that……]

There used to be a retro game in my shop called Dungeon Crawler 10-rim game.

It was a very difficult game, with an Elixir as its prize.

However, that 10-rim game no longer exists.

In fact, 10-rim games are no longer available, being replaced by much later game consoles.

Taking its place were video games called “Invaders” and “Packing Man.”

It doesn’t give out any sort of prizes, but Merle is addicted to them.

She’s always in the top 10 in the rankings.

She sure hasn’t grown out of her hot-tempered personality.

In any case, the only Healer we have is Titti, so there’s no one to examine her, which is a problem.

[I’ll go and visit him later. If his symptoms are too severe, I’ll ask Michelle to come and see her, so don’t worry.]

[That’s good to hear. Titti says it’s nothing serious, but she’s acting a little strange. I’ll leave her to you, Yahagi-san.]

As Marco went into the dungeon with Team Harukaze, I went to Titti’s place.

I went to Marco and Titti’s home and knocked on their door, but there was no answer.

[Oiiii, Titti, are you there? It’s me, Yahagi.]

That’s strange, Marco said Titti was at home.

Putting my ear to the door to inspect what was going on, I heard groaning from the inside.

Mixed along with it were the sounds of gasping from vomiting.

[Yahagi…… Help me……]

I hurriedly opened the door and entered the house.

[Titti!]

Titti looked quite worn out.

Her skin had lost its moisture and her plump lips were wrinkled.

Her cheeks were also hollow, showing how much weight she lost.

[O- Oi……]

[Yahagi….. Powdered grape juice……]

[Powdered……? O- Ou. I’ll have it ready in a minute, so just wait a bit!]

I ran into the kitchen and looked for some water to scoop from.

Even so, powdered grape juice?

Of all the things she could ask for, what’s the point of her asking for this?

The powdered juices I sell have various effects, and the grape-flavored juice has an anti-curse effect.

Could it be, did Titti get cursed?

While supporting her body as she wobbled, I gave Titti the grape juice.

[How are you feeling?]

[I feel a bit better. It looks like it really was the symptoms of a curse.]

Grape juice is a mild remedy for curses, but in the end, it’s still just a dagashi.

The effect is limited because it’s not a specialized medicine.

It seems like a complete cure hasn’t been achieved, as Titti remained pale-faced, lying down while looking tired.

[What’s going on?]

[A few days ago, I started showing symptoms of a curse.]

[You mean someone has cursed you?]

[If this is a curse, there are too many possible culprits for me to know who cursed me.]

Titti sarcastically sneers to herself.

When she was the Queen Consort, Titti had expended a lot of money, so she must have had a lot of enemies.

Since she met Marco and was exiled to Luganda though, she has done a lot for the citizens……

[I’ll bring Michelle back after this and have her check on you.]

[I can heal myself just fine.]

[Stop with the boring stubbornness. If you could have dealt with it yourself, you would have done it by now. Marco is worried about you, you know? Just have it healed already.]

[…………………]

When I mentioned Marco’s name, Titti stopped resisting this idea any further.

Titti, who had a reputation as a woman of many romances, seems to be completely devoted to Marco now.

[For the time being, I’ll leave you 10 packs worth of grape juice, so if you feel any pain, drink it.]

After preparing it in a pitcher and leaving cups within her reach, I left Titti’s house.

After returning to the capital, I was worried about Titti’s condition and couldn’t calm down.

The grape juice seems to have helped alleviate her symptoms a little, but I feel like she could have a seizure at any moment.

Michelle has classes so she won’t be back until after dark, but we might not make it in time if I had to wait for her.

I hesitated for a moment, but putting up a “Temporary Closed” tag on the door, I ran out of the shop.

It was my first time entering the Magic Academy.

I was neither a student nor a teacher, so that was no surprise.

The academy grounds are surrounded by a high fence, with a gate as magnificent as a castle.

Facilities for more elderly citizens cost a lot of money.

Next to the gate is a guardhouse, where the gatekeeper is constantly on the lookout.

The gate is tightly closed, so the only way to get in is to ask permission here.

[Hello. My name is Yahagi Yuusuke and I’m acquainted with a teacher named Michelle. An urgent matter occurred and I’d like to visit Michelle’s research lab. Can you let me through?]

I approached him like this, but the gatekeeper looked at me sternly.

[You know Teacher Michelle? Do you have any proof of that?]

[No, I don’t have anything like that.]

[The academy is off-limits to anyone other than authorized personnel. I must ask you to leave.]

[Her relative is ill and I need to tell her about this matter as soon as possible. Couldn’t you at least contact her?]

I asked politely, but the gatekeeper’s attitude didn’t change.

On the contrary, the guard’s attitude seemed as if he didn’t want to get involved in troublesome matters, and he was trying to get rid of me.

[Go home, go home. This is no place for commoners.]

Hmmm, doesn’t seem like he’d believe me even if I tell him I have a court rank.

I was in a hurry, so I came here in ordinary clothes and on foot.

Since this is an academy attended by children of nobility and royalty, it’s likely that this person isn’t just barring me access out of malice.

I was wondering what to do, but then Carmine came running from across the academy’s plaza.

[Yuusuke-chi, what are you doing here?]

[Ohh, Carmine. I came here to see Michelle, but he won’t let me in. I’m sorry, but could you go and get her for me?]

[I’m fine with that, but the next class is starting soon.]

Saying this, Carmine turned to the gatekeeper.

[Let Yuusuke-chi in.]

[Y- Y- You’re acquainted with Carmine-sama?]

The gatekeeper’s face turned depressingly pale, but why though?

[Unnn, he’s someone important. He’s also someone Papa always keeps an eye to.]

[Wha……]

At Carmine’s words, the guard’s complexion turned even more pale.

[Please excuse my rudeness!]

It seems like permission for me to pass has been granted.

However, Carmine’s Papa?

I thought she was from a single-mother-and-daughter household, but it seems that wasn’t the case.

[Carmine’s Papa is someone I know?]

[Unnn?]

[Who is he?]

[Secret.]

She doesn’t want to tell me.

She probably has various circumstances for why she won’t tell me.

However, among my acquaintances, someone who keeps an eye on me……?

No way, Prime Minister Essel!?

However, when I was invited to the Prime Minister’s residence, I was introduced to his family, but I didn’t see Carmine there at that time.

There’s also no way that Mrs. Essel is working as a Healer……

Could she possibly be an illegitimate child?

It seems to be common among the nobility, so that being the case is possible.

But still, Prime Minister Essel……

He had a mild-mannered look on his face, but he was also a perverted old man huh.

[Teacher Michelle’s lab is over there.]

[Thank. Right, right, the dagashi shop is temporarily closed today. Sorry about that.]

[Ehhh……]

Carmine looked very sad.

[Don’t look so sad. I’ll properly open up the shop tomorrow.]

[Unnn……]

Carmine suddenly came up to me and lightly pressed her forehead against my stomach.

[I wish Yuusuke-chi had been my Papa……]

[Oi, oi, can’t you at least fill me in on the Onii-chan position?]

The sadness that had been on Carmine’s face when she looked at me earlier had already disappeared.

[Ahahaha, that’s fine too. Latersss~~]

The first time I saw her, I thought she was a bit of a loner.

This may just be my hunch, but I felt as if I had caught a glimpse of her loneliness.

Although a heartrending feeling welled up within me, I hurried to Michelle’s research lab for the time being.

<Translator’s Notes>