The Rising Of The Shield Hero

Chapter 12: What's Yours Is Mine

Around high noon, I opened my eyes and Raphtalia was there waiting for me.

"Are we going to the castle town? *Koho*"
"Ha ha."

She's coughing once again.
I silently handed her the 'regular medicine' and Raphtalia took it while frowning.
After that it was time to drop by the pharmacy to do some business.

"Fumu... the quality of these isn't bad. Yuusha-sama, are you familiar with pharmacology?"

Since I was no longer a stranger to the store, I was able to catch glimpses on some of the medicine's production.

"No, it was my first time making some yesterday. Compared to selling raw medical herbs, which one is more profitable?"
"That's a difficult question. Although medical herbs are cheaper to use, medicines can usually save lives."

Although the pharmacist frowned when he saw Raphtalia, I knew from observation that he didn't use cheap lies and was speaking honestly.

"The price of medicine has skyrocketed recently due to the prophecy, so demand for them is very high right now."
"Fumu..."

Either risk failing to craft them for better sales, or selling raw materials to their product line directly; it's debatable on which of the two will yield more gold.
However, everything has its own silver lining. There's no disadvantage in continuing to collect more.

"Hey, does this mean you're not coming anymore?"
"... Didn't I say something along the lines of: 'For two weeks, I'll be selling medical herbs around town'."

The pharmacist understood my answer and looked at me with an odd expression before laughing.
This time around he gave me some hand-me-down equipment and taught me how to use them, taking my medical herbs as his payment while still buying the medicine off me.
I received various tools besides the mortar.
Laboratory equipment like: measuring device, flask, and distiller.
These should last me for quite a while before I have to get some new ones.

"Since these used goods were only collecting dust in the warehouse, you won't know when they might break."
"I suppose it's a good enough set for beginners."

Anyways, with this I'll be able to challenge more formulas.
I just have to dispose of the Balloon skins now.
While on my way to the Balloon buyer, I caught sight of some children from my peripheral vision.
It seemed those Balloon skins that the merchant bought were used as material to make actual, marketable balloons. The children were playing around with one of those as if it was a ball.
Raphtalia was looking at those kids with envy.

"Naa, what's that?"
"Yes?"

I pointed at the ball those children were playing with and asked.

"Well, that's one of the practical applications of what we do with the Balloon skins."
"I see, then can you make another using the goods we're about to sell?"
"Eh, well... if you really want one."

We headed over to the buyer to sell our goods and left with money in hand. He then let me have one of the balls that was made from a Balloon skin.

"Here."