Ring Ring - Chapter 15

A few minutes had passed since Shiori went out to shop and customers had come to the store. Roche was sitting at the counter motivationally and politely welcoming guests and rose up from the chair.

“Welcome!”

Two customers, a gentleman with gray hair wearing glasses and a tall man with silver hair. Both were dressed elegantly and he felt that their status was different from the residents who usually came to the store. THe young man looked at him with sharp eyes.

(This, this guy is… a knight?)

Wrinkles were visible between Roache’s eyes, although he was not carrying a sword just by his atmosphere one could tell he was a knight. However, he didn’t seem to be working at the moment. Roche knew the name ‘Krust Orfeld’ but he didn’t realize that the man in front of him was the hero. He wasn’t interested, nor did he know his face since he hadn’t been to anything like the Triumph Parade. While he was gazing closely at the knight, the gray-haired man in front of Roche spoke with a gentle smile.

“Hello. Are you the owner of this store? My name is Syllabus. I came to pick up the medicine I ordered last week…”

“Syllabus? That’s you?”

Roche quickly moved his eyes to the gray-haired man. If he was Syllabus that meant that Shiori’s description of a very old grandfather was indeed correct.

“What, so it wasn’t a lie.”

He thought that she was embarrassed because she fell in love with Syllabus, so he decided she was lying to hide it.  Clear, young blue eyes, but his face definitely looked like an old doctor…

As Roche was unwillingly in the position of Shiori’s guardian, he thought he would have to be a bit threatening if such a man came. Shiori was living in a very relaxed country, even so the time here is dangerous because she doesn’t seem to be always good at crisis management.

Although she doesn’t seem to be fully conscious of herself, basically she was full of gaps, and it is only gaps, so it is not always the case that a man would come in here looking for a girl.

However, as far as he could see, Syllabus didn’t seem like a bad man, though Shiori probably wouldn’t fall in love with him. Roche gently dismissed Syllabus from the list of people he should be vigilant off.

But the young knight wasn’t good yet. Roche thought,  Could it be, the reason Shiori was so happy wasn’t because of Syllabus but this beautiful knight? Even when she received the order for medicine last week, this knight had come along with Syllabus and there was a possibility she fell in love at first sight.

“Well, this is the medicine that was ordered.”

Roche thought about what to do now while he put the prepared medicine on the counter.

He was asked to hold them until Shiori returns. This knight can’t be seen as a dishonest human being, and there was also the feeling of Shiori wanting to have a poetic love. “I will quit working here and follow him!” It is possible for her to say that, but he wouldn’t cheer for her.

(A knight huh…)

Roche murmured in his head, Syllabus was a doctor and seeing as he was accompanied by a doctor he was probably a knight of the Order.

Too bad for Shiori, but Roche didn’t really want to engage with the order more than necessary.

The aphrodisiacs and energetic drugs he secretly sell did not have a bad influence on the body or mind, nor were they addictive. As it was a legal medicine, Roche didn’t mind being watched by the eye of the Order, but that was only Roche himself.

But, his customers were different. For those Roche sold to, there were also a lot of big names from noble and merchant families, and they were very sensitive to rumors about them. They didn’t want people to know that they who often cared about appearance and had connections in higher places used aphrodisiacs.

Moreover, some customers were not satisfied with the medicine Roche made and turned to more severely effective illegal drugs. People like dustbags that have dust come out them when you hit them.*

All of those people would not appreciate knights entering and leaving the shop, because rumors of it being searched and selling obscene medicine would spread, and they would become scared of getting caught.

If they knew knights and their people came in and out of the store, many customers would surely stop coming to him.

Roche sighed lightly while preparing the medicine for Syllabus.

Shiori’s find, she thought she has found a large customer. Well, they are many and also a certain class of customers.

If Syllabus became a regular at the store, there is no doubt that his medicine sales would significantly improve. But that was limited to the sale of “healthy medicines on the table”. If it became known that a physician exclusive to the order was his regular, the “under the table” customers he had would disappear and sales would be drastically reduced.

Roche calmly calculated it in his head with a cheeky face, should he choose Syllabus or his “under the table” customers? He had decided, after all it was better to pick the “under the table” customers. If he chose Syllabus his sales would be even lower than they were now.

“This is the medicine you ordered. It’s quite heavy, because it was so expensive.”

When Roche finished putting all the medicine on the counter “he” Krust came up and easily picked up the big bottle.

“The medicine here is of good quality, so I’m looking forward to using it.”

Syllabus smiled. “Right……” He then changed the topic while looking at Roche.

“Isn’t there a female pharmacist who received this order the other day?”

“Oh, she’s out right now.”

“Okay… Seems our timing was bad.”

Syllabus glanced at Krust next to him,

“You’re too busy, should we go home for today? From now on, there is a possibility that this store will be used by the Order, so there will be many other opportunities to meet her.”

“That’s it… …”

In the conversation between Syllabus and Krust, Roche interrupted. He had raised an eyebrow to the word Order.

“If you are an official of the Order, I’m sorry but I can’t do any future deals. So, do not come here anymore.”

Roche spoke in a polite but clear tone, Syllabus expression was one of confusion and glanced at Krust while he scratched on the side of his eyes. He said in a difficult tone,

“Is there some trouble that prevents you to deal with us?”

“No, to say there is trouble…”

Roche deliberately shrugged his head and made a bitter smile and then laughed before ending in a frown.

“I personally dislike knights.”

In a provocative way, Krust’s eyes sharpened.

“Well, we tend to be disliked by those who don’t behave properly, so are you one of those people?”

“Hahaha, that is what you think.”

Although they both spoke with relaxed tones, an invisible spark scattered between the two which bothered Syllabus. Roche thought for a bit “Don’t say something stupid, not something stupid” and made up a suitable lie at this moment.

“Once, a long time ago, a knight stole my woman, so I hate them, that’s it.”

“Do you really not sell medicines for such a trivial reason? We think it’s a good deal for the shop.”

Krust’s eyes were still full of allegations towards Roche, was that really the reason? Was he doing something wrong behind the scenes? That was what what Krusts eyes seemed to ask. However, Roche was not afraid of such a gaze he kept diligently lying.

“Yes, I stopped selling to knights for that reason. Even now, everyone named a knight is hateful and it can not be helped. It would be amazing to know that a woman was stolen by a noble knight-sama, but she was very important to me. I loved her.”

Roche played the role of a pathetic man while standing his ground, staring in Krust’s direction.

“Is there a woman for you too mr.Knight?”

He shook at the story.

“If you have one, can you understand my feelings too?”

Judging from his appearance, Krust seemed quite motivated and probably didn’t have the sort of personality to be obsessed with a single woman.

So Roche was a little surprised at the reaction that followed

“……”

It was sillence. Krust didn’t reply to Roche’s words and wore a bitter face. He had deep wrinkles between his brows as if he was resisting a heavy pain. Apparently he had someone he desired. Imagining a scene where she was stolen by another man, that was what it looked like. Roche guessed this and bit his lips tightly, keeping his smile.

“…Let’s go back”

Krust, with the appearance of a depressed man, spoke to Syllabus with a dark voice. It seemed to be because of what Roche did. While embarrassed, Syllabus nodded “Eh, yeah, I see.” He then turned to Roche.

“Well then, we are sorry but let’s not come here anymore, please give my regards to the other female pharmacist.”

He carefully said his goodbyes and left the store together with the melancholy Krust.

“…Funny knight”

Roche, muttering at the counter, had no idea that the cause of the strangeness of the funny knight was his own subordinate.

*A metaphor that basically means people that as long as something bad is found out about them the rest of the bad things will easily be found out too.