AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 53
Episode 6-4
“Waa! Onee-chan’s hands are cold and it feels nice!”
“Hehe, thank you. It seems like you have a little fever. ‘Cure.’ There, you should be fine now.”
“I am always grateful for your help.”
Following Anna-san, who entered confidently, I also stepped into the church.
In addition to the chapel, which was a place of prayer, the church also had a hospital ward and an orphanage. It seems that there is also a so-called workhouse.
Guided by a female staff member who was familiar with the lich and undead Anna-san, we naturally walked through the hospital ward and orphanage.
“Don’t worry about it. And I brought some medicine again this time.”
“Really… How can I thank you enough?”
The female staff member who received several small bags from Anna-san moved her hands while shedding tears. I think it’s probably a religious gesture, like crossing oneself in my original world. Anna-san didn’t return the same gesture.
“Shall we go, Naoya-san? I’ll explain various things on the way.”
“Oh, yes, please do.”
“Onee-chan, thank you! Uncle too!”
“Wait, hold on, little one. I’m only 24. In other words, I’m not an ‘uncle,’ but a ‘big brother.’ Got it?”
“Bye bye! Uncle that did nothing at all!”
“Hey, that was intentional just now, wasn’t it? Alright, I’ll remember it for next time we meet!”
We were sent off by the children’s laughter and Anna-san and I left the church. Somehow, I received a colder reception from the church’s children than from the undead Anna-san. I don’t understand.
“Next time we go to the church, should we bring some toys or something? I wonder if we have any in stock.”
“Fufufu~. Naoya-san, you’re kind.”
“Huh? No, that’s not it. You see, a child’s positive feelings spread to their parents, relatives, those around them, their friends, and their friends’ parents, and so on. I thought I might increase the fans of Aion Mall with gifts as a starting point.”
“Ha, I see.”
We walked down the main street after leaving the church. I feel like Anna-san’s expression is a bit strained, but it’s probably just my imagination. After all, an undead went to the church, so she must be tired.
“Anyway, as Naoya-san saw earlier, when commoners get injured or sick, they usually get treated at the church.”
“There were hospital facilities as well. So, they treat it with magic and medicine?”
“Yes, that’s right, Naoya-san. That’s why churches with many healing magic users serve as medical facilities. Of course, there are adventurers and knights who can use healing magic, so not everyone is affiliated with the church.”
“Knights who can use healing magic… Holy Knights? Like Chloe?”
“Yes, Chloe can also use healing magic.”
“Seriously… Despite being called a clumsy knight, she’s high-spec…”
“And also, nobles mostly employ doctors and pharmacists. High-ranking priests sometimes make house calls.”
“I see… External injuries can be treated with magic, and even internal medicine can be managed with magic. Hmm, it seems like the medical and pharmaceutical fields are fundamentally different, so it might be challenging to establish medical malls or pharmacies here.”
“And for minor colds or illnesses, people often buy medicine from the town’s pharmacies.”
“I see, so there is a demand for medicines as well.”
As I walked down the main street, listening to the medical situation in this town without expanding too much into the other world’s context, Anna-san waited for me and entered a shop.
She seemed to be selling the potions she had made to the “town’s pharmacy” she had mentioned earlier.
“By the way, why can magic heal in the first place? What is magic? I’m supposed to be ‘a human with no magic in this world,’ so maybe the people of this world and the people of my original world are actually different beings.”
“Sorry to have kept you waiting, Naoya-san.”
“Ah, no, I was just thinking about the truths of the world. By the way, Anna-san, you can also make potions?”
“Fufu~, of course, Naoya-san. Poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin… just like life and death.”
“Yes, I heard something I probably shouldn’t have again! Undead jokes are not funny! It was an undead joke, right?”
“…………Fufu. It’s been a while since I walked through the town with someone like this. It feels a bit like a date, Naoya-san.”
“The way you change the topic so blatantly! Even if you say that, I won’t be flustered! Office romance usually worsens workplace relationships!”
I ignored the undead joke and the date comment and continued walking down the main street.
Afterward, Anna-san visited several pharmacies and supplied them with medicines.
It seemed that the ingredients for the medicines, such as medicinal herbs and materials, were collected by the skeleton squad as they went about their duties.
The tireless skeleton squad that didn’t need sleep and never got tired was incredibly efficient. They might be the best workforce. I might get startled if I encounter them suddenly at night, though.
“Phew, that’s it, Naoya-san.”
“Hmm. I think this is a reasonably big town, but there are few pharmacies, aren’t there?”
“That might be the case. Sometimes, there’s a shortage of medicine…”
Anna-san slightly lowered her head.
There didn’t seem to be any undead-like emotions there. Well, I don’t know about the ordinary undead in this world. I had an image of them hating the living.
“Is that so? The Aion Mall in the other world shop has two users of healing magic who can also make potions! With this world’s style, maybe I can start a medical mall or a drugstore!”
I exclaimed loudly, trying to divert the conversation.
There was no sign of Anna-san going along with the deliberate change of topic.
“In this town, there are users of healing magic, doctors, and pharmacists. Even commoners can afford medicine, and at the church, you can receive ‘Heal’ magic through donations alone. But…”
Anna-san’s head remained lowered.
I stopped walking to match Anna-san, and we stood still together.
“But, Naoya-san, there are diseases that cannot be cured.”
The words that came from Anna-san were incredibly ordinary.
“Yes, that’s right. In the world I came from, even though medicine and pharmacology had advanced, there were still diseases that couldn’t be cured. Researchers are still working hard on them, I believe.”
“…Is.. that so.”
Perhaps Anna-san’s face appeared dark because I wasn’t affected by the ‘Charm’ magic.
“Now, Anna-san, if we’re done, shall we head back? We need to get back soon, or we won’t make it for the late afternoon peak!”
“Yes, you’re right.”
I tried to forcibly change the subject, but Anna-san’s mood remained low.
Anyway, we had achieved our goal of understanding the medical situation in this town, so we were about to head back to Aion Mall shop when…
“Oh, my? Isn’t this the new store manager of Aion Mall? It seems like you had a successful day yesterday, huh?”
We stopped in our tracks.
Both Anna-san and I did.
“Oh, oh, and we have the renowned town pharmacist with us too. This is perfect; there are a few things I’d like to ask.”