A Genius Pharmacist Whom the Empress Is Obsessed With

29th. The mysterious girl.

Ieder chose the city of Melrose, located in the northwest of the kingdom, as his second entertainment spot for a reason.

Though it was located in the northwest, it was close to Adrian’s residence, and the transportation was decent. Lastly, the town had a clean environment, which was more suitable for relaxation compared to the city.

However, Ieder’s expectations were not met, as his second entertainment turned out to be anything but smooth.

“I’m here today.”

Ieder was walking behind the store when someone called out to him.

‘Another woman.’

It had only been four days since he arrived in Melrose, but he could already tell by the voice.

Turning around, he saw a woman with brown hair, waving her hands. The woman who had approached him was Lates, the administrator of the merchant guild. She looked like she had just come from the office, with her hair in a mess.

“Oh, have I been bothering you?”

Her voice was gentle, but there was a stack of documents in her left hand. She must have brought something with her.

Ieder let out a short sigh and lowered the staff he was carrying.

“What’s going on today?”

“Hey, why are you so serious? I just came to take a look around.”

“Really just came to take a look around?”

“Yes, yes, it’s really enjoyable to explore new stores. And the reason I came looking for you here is to help you, so don’t be so formal.

“What exactly do you mean by helping?”

“I could check if there are any shortcomings or any particular problems while the construction is going on.”

He meant that he had come to inspect if there were any suspicious activities or not, in other words.

“I’d rather you just say that you came to monitor. Will you come to visit throughout the construction?”

Instead of answering, Reta shrugged her shoulders and unfolded the folder she had been holding.

“So, what are you doing right now?”

He muttered to himself in annoyance and replied.

“…As you can see, I’m tending to the field. I’m planning to grow herbs.”

Planning to grow herbs. Reta wrote down what Eden said.

“Have you decided which herbs to grow?”

“I haven’t decided specifically yet. Do I need permission from the Merchant Guild in advance to grow herbs?”

“No, there’s no need for that. Right now, you’re just opening your store for the first time, so I’m just writing it down. Anything is important when it’s the first time.”

After that, Reta continued to ask questions, and Eden answered faithfully. Even though it was bothersome, Reta was the manager of the Merchant Guild. It was much more beneficial to give in reasonably than to be openly defiant.

“That’s it for today.”

How much time had passed, Reta covered the documents with a very satisfied smile.

*

“Oh dear. It’s tiring to do it after such a long time.”

Reta sat down on a chair and brushed off the dirt from her dusty pants, saying.

She thought she would just return after finishing the surveillance, but instead of going back to the office, Reta willingly helped Eden. Unlike her slender figure, Reta handled the fieldwork very skillfully, so Eden could finish it faster than expected.

“But it seems like this isn’t your first time working in the field. I was worried because it looked a little dry at first glance.”

Who was she saying that to? Eden replied while handing her a herbal tea that calmed her worries.

“As you can see, I’ve been an herbalist for quite some time.”

“Really?”

Reta widened her eyes and looked at Eden, as if she wanted him to tell her more. It was a hint that she wanted to hear something more.

However, Eden immediately turned his head without hesitation.

One of the things that those who lived an immortal life had to be cautious of was mentioning the past. Those who couldn’t live even a hundred years and those who lived hundreds or thousands of years had different concepts of time. As a result, he could unknowingly make a slip of the tongue.

“Thank you for your help today.”

Either because she realized that Eden’s attitude was firm, Reta also began sipping her tea without saying a word.

Eden sat on top of a box, still holding the jar filled with tea. The tea he made by mixing various types of herbs was refreshing yet slightly bitter, bringing vitality to his tired body.

Although Eden couldn’t finish even a cup of tea, the momentary awkwardness was also hard to bear, and Reta opened her mouth again.

“By the way, have you read the book I gave you?”

“…As you know, I’ve been busy with construction. I plan to read it slowly.”

“These are the items that you must know if you want to do business in Melow. When do you plan on reading them?”

Reta poured out her words as if she had caught something.

“You might get caught if you keep doing that. Especially since you’re a pharmacist. You really need to be careful.”

Just an ordinary pharmacy, is there any chance of getting caught? Idun was briefly lost in thought as he tried to brush off Reta’s words.

Since they first met, Reta had shown a strange sensitivity towards Idun being a pharmacist.

“Why would there be any reason for a guild manager to be like that towards an ordinary pharmacist?”

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand it. But it wasn’t like the guild manager was just throwing a tantrum for no reason.

Now was a good time for Idun to get rid of Reta.

“Is being a pharmacist really such a great profession? In fact, being a doctor is even more valuable.”

“Ah, what are you saying? If you go anywhere and say that pharmacists are worse than doctors, you’re asking for trouble.”

Reta frowned as she spoke.

“Since Queen Rudimine ascended the throne, doctors and pharmacists have been strictly regulated.”

Idun already knew that Rudimine had taken the emperor’s seat. An announcement was made when he stopped by a nearby village to buy groceries.

“Things are going well.”

It was truly joyful to hear the news of Rudimine after such a long time. But that was it. Idun had never even thought about going to meet Rudimine.

“If I’m living well, that’s enough.”

Not only Rudimine, but Idun had never bothered to see how the patients he had encountered so far were living, or how impressive they were.

As long as they were living healthy lives, it was enough for him, considering they were just patients and a pharmacist.

“You know that the queen was very sick, right? She was ill for a few years. It seems she suffered a lot from charlatans and quacks during that time.”

“So?”

“That’s why, as soon as she ascended to the throne, she insisted on directly managing doctors and pharmacists. The prescription permit is also part of that policy. It’s certainly a serious matter involving human lives, but it would be troublesome to encounter a quack.”

It’s good if something is good, but because of it, my workload has increased significantly. Reta said that as she quickly emptied her teacup.

“Is that why you’re here to inspect my shop?”

“Yes, that’s right. They emphasize not only skill but also hygiene. In other words, both conditions must be met for a doctor or pharmacy to open.”

“It has certainly become more demanding compared to before.”

“Yes, that’s why it was a bit noisy at first. As you know, for us commoners, we have to empty a few days’ worth of wages just to buy one medicine. When pharmacists suddenly disappeared in that situation, the price of medicine soared to an exorbitant level.”

Idun nodded his head silently.

“But as time passed, everyone started saying that Her Majesty’s policy was right. If you have an upset stomach and take medicine and it makes your stomach upset again, that would be a problem. Moreover, Her Majesty said she would nurture proper doctors and pharmacists and even established a medical university in the capital. I’m sure the first president’s name was… umm… what was it?”

Leta rolled her eyes for a moment.

“Yes, Ella, Ella Penead! I don’t know when a noble lady learned medicine, but she must be exceptionally skilled. I heard that there were so many people flocking to the university gate to learn medicine from that headmistress that there was no room to even move.”

“…I didn’t know about Ella’s news.”

At that moment, Idun’s heart swelled with a lump in one side.

A long time ago, Ella had mentioned wanting to learn medicine, but Idun didn’t take it seriously. Children’s dreams changed every day, so there was no need to pay it much attention.

Moreover, Ella was a noble lady. Unfortunately, nobles regarded the practice of manipulating blood as beneath them. So, even if Ella said she wanted to learn medicine right now, Idun thought that as time went on, Ella would accumulate other manners and accomplishments like art or etiquette, and become a respectable lady.

But now, to think that she was using her noble body to learn medicine and save others, Idun felt an indescribable pride.

“Then, Melo must also have university-educated physicians or pharmacists, right?”

“Ah, something like that.”

A flicker of confusion passed over Leta’s face, as if there was a problem.

‘Something seems to be wrong.’

Idun wisely decided not to ask any more questions and stood up from his seat. He had gathered enough information as needed and it was time to send Leta away. That way, he could handle the remaining tasks with peace of mind.

“By the way, I plan to tidy up the store now. How about you, Leta?”

“Oh, time has flown by. I should go now too. See you tomorrow, Idun.”

Leta left the store, smiling as if she was surprised.