"Well, it cures diseases. It cures diseases. I can cure anything."
The day after being an intellectual with Ursuna, I walked around town with a homemade flag on my back.
The banner features the seal of the Adventurers' Guild and an image of the Grim Reaper holding a scythe with a cross and a red line crossed over it.
Cure for disease. Cure for disease. The disease will disappear and everything will be healed in a moment.
The new business model I came up with was a cure for diseases.
The idea is that if you use an Influencer to transfer Resistance to Diseases, Medicines, and Poisons, you can cure any disease or poison.
There are healers in this town who can apparently cure even serious injuries, but healing magic does not cure diseases or poisons. So even if I treated diseases and poisons, it wouldn't be like invading their work.
Furthermore, the initial investment was practically free. All I had to do was buy scrap wood from the guild and make a flag.
I thought this would be profitable anyway, but...
"Hmm... No one is coming near me..."
Almost two hours have passed, but the townspeople are just watching us from afar and no one is coming to see us. Although I feel like we're attracting a lot of attention.
What's wrong with that? If it can cure any disease, it's no wonder people are drawn to it. Could it be because it doesn't have enough prestige? Hmm, I guess I was too optimistic in thinking it would be a resounding success from day one.
No, no, we mustn't give up. We must persevere.
"Cure for disease. Cure for disease. I can cure anything."
Just as I was about to leave, someone raised their voice especially loudly...
"What are you doing?"
A group of women appeared before me who I thought I had seen before. The trio consisted of a burly, muscular warrior with a large scar on her cheek, a mage with his head down and a large pointed hat, and one who looked like a silent thief. Where did I see them? Hmm, I'm sure...
"You're the seniors
from the adventurers' guild, right?"
"Eugene... well, that's right. We're the second largest group of the season. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it in time. If I could have completed a few more missions, maybe I could have..."
Ah, I see. I think it was my victim from six months ago. Thanks for the food.
Still, what was it that didn't arrive on time? Ursuna seemed a little disappointed, so maybe there was some kind of competition within the adventurers' guild.
To be honest, as a small-time adventurer, everything was very different from what I had imagined, and I wasn't interested at all in what the higher-ranking groups were up to.
_
"So, what are you doing here?"
"I've opened a healing business. I'm already busy, so please don't bother me."
"...A healer? What's that, a doctor?"
"I'm not a doctor. Do you think I have any knowledge of medicine?"
When I said that, the warrior burst out laughing, leaving behind the dark side she had shown before.
"You're right! There's no way to cure any disease! Hahahaha!"
"Well, I may not be a doctor, but I can cure diseases. I can also neutralize poisons."
Hahaha, you're a walking bastard, hunting rabbits despite being a man, but it seems that in the end you've gone crazy too.
"Who would believe that a guy who spends his days dredging sewers and pulling out shit can cure diseases?! Come on, take a good look at the people around you... They all look like they don't believe it!"
After the warrior told me that, I looked again at the faces of the people in the city... Well, my empathy is dead now, so I can't really read the expressions on people's faces.
But now that you mention it, even if a poor man who used to water the sewers every day suddenly announced that he was an expert doctor who could cure all diseases,
—I doubt I would want to see him. Because there is a big difference between my image of him and that of the doctor.
"I see, I see... I guess people would only come to judge me for digging drains, which is what I became known for, so I won't attract the attention of people wandering around."
Hmm. Should I go to a neighborhood where people don't recognize me? But I've been in the city for six months and I'm known in most neighborhoods. I've even been to the slums.
And I was just wearing my everyday clothes... I probably should have bought better clothes, but I don't have the money.
This is bad, I'm stuck. I thought it was a good idea.
The warrior smiled at my state and continued talking.
"And why did you start this scam? If you're going to lie, you should tell a better lie."
"I'm not lying, you know? In fact, I bear the name of the Adventurers' Guild."
When I said this and showed her the Adventurers' Guild seal, the warrior's expression tightened.
Are you serious? You mentioned the Adventurers' Guild for such a petty scam. Who knows what punishment you might receive afterward...
"I'm serious. I swear by the Adventurers' Guild sign that I can eliminate any disease or poison. Now, if you're going to get in my way, move aside."
When I said that, the warrior let out a sigh.
Well, I guess there's still a chance he could become my husband, so I think it's better to stop him... Hey, then try to cure my hangover.
I drank too much last night and my head has been hurting since this morning.
I asked my usual alchemist to make me some hangover medicine, but it didn't work.
"Since you swear by the guild seal you wear, if you can really cure me, go ahead. In return, if you can't, you'll have to kneel and apologize to the guild.
"Okay, I understand. So,
how much will you charge me for the treatment? "To be honest, I don't know what the current price of medical expenses is these days."
Hahaha, how arrogant of the swindler to say that. Let's say, about five silver coins. That's the most you can do to cure me!
"Five silver coins? According to my intuition, that would be about $7 to $10. I haven't had any illnesses since I came to this world, but medical expenses here are surprisingly low."
Is that so in a world where healing magic and potions exist? I've heard that neither healing magic nor potions can cure illnesses, but perhaps the cost of treating wounds is low here, and so is the cost of treating illnesses...
To begin with, I only do low-level work, so I don't really understand the prices in this world.
Even so, it seems a little too cheap... Well, even if they don't make much profit per person, they can make money by selling in large quantities with a low profit margin.
"[Influencer] - [Resistance to drugs and poisons]"
I hold my hand in front of the warrior and activate the skill.
You don't even need to touch it with your hand; you can activate it just by looking at it. I think it would be easier to know that it has healed you if there were some kind of action.
The warrior blinked and brought a hand to her forehead.
up.. What's going on? Glancing sideways at the action, the thief raised an eyebrow.
"What's going on, Ambassa?"
"...You're kidding. The headache and nausea in my chest are completely gone."
"I told you it was true. Now give me my tip."
Ah. Here are five silver coins.
I held out my hand to take the payment before grabbing the coins.
Then the warrior grabbed my hand and leaned toward me.
"Really? Can you really cure any disease?!"
"But I already said yes. I swear by the guild's shield that I can cure any illness. Do you still doubt me?"
"P-please! Then please cure him!"
Saying this, the warrior grabbed the wizard's shoulders, who had his face bowed, and pushed him toward me.
"Leader... I don't want to be examined by someone I don't trust..."
All right! Listen, I beg you, Eugene. Please cure him. No healer or doctor has been able to cure him!
The wizard resisted, but when the warrior forcefully snatched his wizard's hat, he closed his eyes as if resigned.
He had many red bumps on his face, and the corners of his lips were red and rotten, making it look as if his mouth were open.
"Now take off your gloves. Let's begin the examination."
"..."
As the warrior instructed, the wizard took off his gloves.
His palms were covered with what looked like warts that had turned yellow.
...Is this measles?
No, I think I saw a picture like this on campus. I'm sure there was a message on the campus bulletin board saying to be careful because there was a disease with these symptoms going around. Hey, I'm sure...
"Syphilis?"
"Yes, that's it! That's what the doctor said weeks ago! What's going on! You weren't a doctor after all!"
"Well, I know that. I'm not a doctor..."
"Hey, please, Eugene. If this continues, I'll go crazy and die in ten years, won't I? I know very well that it's an incurable disease. Couldn't you at least make the symptoms less severe...?"
—Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, right? Nowadays it can be cured with antibiotics, but in the past there was no cure. Apparently, it was introduced to this world by foreign travelers during a time of conflict and became a serious epidemic, especially in the most marginalized areas of the city.
"Okay, leave it to me. I can fix it with a quick check."
Chhhp? I don't quite understand, but please...
I placed my hand on the wizard's forehead.
There you go, [Influencer] - [Resistance to Disease].
"Oh... ohhhh! It's a miracle...! Anole, your face is back to normal!"
Really...?! Really?! Ah, my hands are so soft! They're my hands! They're my real hands again...! I can't believe it...!
As soon as the warrior and the thief saw the wizard's face, they hugged him on both sides.
Then the wizard looked at his hands, clasped them in front of his chest, and began to cry.
"Ah, my body doesn't hurt anymore...! The disease is really gone! Thank you, thank you so much...!"
Mmm, good for you. Don't feel bad about thanking me after all. I just used a trick to fix it quickly, so it's a little embarrassing to be thanked so generously...
The most important thing is to take advantage of what you can get.
"Then, please give me the medical expenses. It will be 10 silver coins for the two of you."
The warrior and the mage then looked at each other as if they had seen something strange.
"Um, well... the amount I mentioned before was just a guess..."
"I'm very sorry. The leader got in a bad mood..."
Hmm? Maybe he's trying to negotiate?
"No, no, I won't lower it. It's already cheap. Come on, five silver coins per person! No more, no less, I'll only accept five per person!"
"...Ah, yes. If you say so..."
Cha-cha-cha-cha.
Well, I got my first reward! I have to give 20% to the guild, so my profit is 8 silver coins. But it's still enough for dinner tonight.
I want to keep earning money like this.
"But you have to be careful not to catch syphilis."
I'm not particularly interested in other people's love lives, but they pay me, so I'll give them some advice anyway.
Then the wizard looked embarrassed and looked down, while the warrior smiled wryly.
"Well, you're right. I usually go to a brothel sometimes, but one day my favorite guy was busy. So I went to a seedy place and ended up with him.
A woman's sexual desire is irresistible. Especially after coming back from an adventure,
I get horny, hahaha!"
Sometimes I have threesomes with cute guys, but I think this time it got out of hand.
Oh, wait a minute, I came across something I can't ignore.
"...Do all adventurers go to brothels?"
It's natural. There are no men who want to marry us, so the only way to release our sexual desires and have children is to go to a brothel. Well, things change if there are men who want to marry us...
The three second-rank adventurers were giving me lewd looks. I don't know what it was, but it gave me a strange chill...
Well, I guess it's okay. I'd rather avoid a woman who hangs out with men in a place where STDs are common. I have [Disease Resistance], so I probably won't catch anything, but still... I wouldn't say it's a bad idea, but it makes me want to stay away.
Let me explain!
This is how a normal girl feels when she sees an old man bragging, "Going to the brothel is a man's duty, ha ha ha!"
If I were to date someone, I would like a girl with strong principles. Although I don't think there are any girls like that in this world. If that's the case, I guess I'll be a virgin for the rest of my life in this world. Although it would be nice if I could get another extra coin for being a virgin in the next life.
"Well, thanks, Yuji! I'll count on you again if something comes up!"
"Yes, yes, it's time to stop going to brothels where you could catch a disease."
After the warrior touched their shoulders, the mage bowed deeply, and the taciturn thief bowed silently with a solemn gesture, the first and second customers left.
At least I've earned enough money for dinner tonight, so I think I'll take a break...
Just as I started walking with that thought in mind, a girl of about sixteen ran out in a panic from among the crowd that had been watching the situation.
She was wearing very simple, patched clothes and coughing hard while covering her mouth.
"Cough, cough... Excuse me! Hey, is it true that you can cure illnesses? I've had a cold for a long time and it won't go away, so could you take a look at me too...?"
"Hmm? I don't mind."
"So, um... the medical expenses... I guess those people were in the guild, so it was very expensive, right? I don't have much money on me..."
"Oh, five silver coins will be fine."
"R-really?! Please!"
While we were having this conversation, the townspeople began to murmur and stir, and soon several people came running toward me.
"M-may I please?"
"Sorry, check me too!"
"Hey, don't push me! I'm going first!"
Please, please, take care of this baby! It's just a newborn, but it's already sick and doesn't even cry...
Double the price, I'll pay you double! I'll give you ten coins to examine me first! My rheumatism is so bad I can't stand it!
What's the matter? Only 10 coins! I'll pay triple... no, ten times more! Look at me, please! I have a hangover and my head hurts so much I could die!
"Hey, don't interrupt me just because you're drunk! What will you do if I run out of magic?"
The number of people running towards me increased rapidly, and before I knew it, a crowd had formed around me. We were pushing and shouting, and a fight broke out.
My God! What is this?
Maybe it's my turn now?
I cleared my throat forcefully, and all the townspeople looked in my direction.
I smiled at them and explained my sales pitch.
Yes, yes, anyone who wants to be healed, please form a single line. Anyone who cuts in line will have to go to the back. We can heal any number of people, so please stay in line.
The fee is five silver coins for everyone, according to the Adventurers' Guild banner. No matter how mild or serious the illness, whether you are poor or rich, young or old, male or female, everyone will pay exactly five coins!