Chapter-06 · EP-096

Episode 96: Shirou's Solution

That morning, several shiny black luxury cars were lined up in front of Yamashita-san's house.

Yamashita-san saw them through the window and tilted his head, wondering who could have come. Luxury cars like these never came to this rural area. Could it be some mistake?

As he watched, a man in a black suit got out of one of the cars and walked toward his house.

Yamashita-san hurried to the entrance.

"Are you Yamashita-san?"

"Huh? Y-yes, I'm Yamashita…"

The man in the black suit bowed politely. His manner was courteous, but there was a certain tension.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Ikoma, from Arkrejia Development. Excuse me, but would it be possible to see the factory where you make the antidote?"

"Huh? No, that place is a trade secret…"

Yamashita-san was confused. How did this man know about the antidote? He hadn't spoken about it to anyone outside for years.

"I see. Then, may I ask you a few questions?"

"More importantly, who are you people? What do you want, suddenly showing up here?"

The man in black bowed again.

"I apologize for surprising you with this sudden visit. We heard about your antidote from Shirou Ichinose-san and came today. I'm sorry for not making an appointment beforehand. Haven't you heard from Ichinose-san?"

"Ichinose-kun? Does he know something about this?"

Just as Yamashita-san grew even more confused, Shirou came running up, out of breath.

"Yamashita-san! Sorry, I'm a bit late."

"Ichinose-kun!"

"Are you Shirou Ichinose-san?"

The man who introduced himself as Ikoma turned to Shirou.

"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you."

Shirou gave a slight bow.

"Ichinose-kun, what is this all about? Who are these people?"

Yamashita-san looked at Shirou with a confused expression.

"Well, I wanted to let people know about how useful your antidote is…"

Just then, a new luxury minivan arrived and parked next to the other cars.

The sliding door of the back seat opened, and a tall middle-aged man got out. He wore a black suit and white shirt, with a dignified presence.

A young woman followed him out. Shirou recognized her.

"Oh, if the young lady is here, then that person must be…?"

Shirou muttered quietly.

"That person?" Yamashita-san asked back, but before Shirou could answer, the man named Ikoma stood at attention, waiting for the middle-aged gentleman to approach.

When the gentleman approached, Ikoma bowed deeply and greeted him respectfully.

"Good morning. These are Yamashita-san and Ichinose-san."

"Good morning. Nice to meet you, Yamashita-san, and Ichinose-kun."

The middle-aged gentleman spoke with a gentle smile. His voice carried a natural dignity.

"Uh… yes…"

Yamashita-san gave a weak reply. He still didn't understand the situation at all.

Shirou looked at the young woman standing beside the gentleman – Hikaru Kujo. She gave a small nod and smiled at Shirou.

"Yamashita-san, this is His Grace Duke Keiichi Kujo, and Lady Hikaru Kujo."

"D-d-d-Duke?!"

Yamashita-san's eyes went wide. A Duke – the highest rank of nobility, of which there were only eight families in Japan.

"What could a Duke be doing all the way out here in the mountains?"

"I came because Ichinose-kun invited me."

Duke Kujo answered calmly.

"Ichinose-kun! What exactly are you trying to do?"

Yamashita-san pressed Shirou.

"Well, the young lady Hikaru here is a first-year at the same academy as me. We're in different classes, though. Anyway, yesterday I contacted her to talk about protecting the antidote herbs, and she said she'd speak to her father…"

Yamashita-san listened with his mouth open in surprise. It was unthinkable for an ordinary high school student to directly contact a Duke's family.

Duke Kujo continued the explanation where Shirou left off.

"After hearing the story, I wanted to see the situation for myself. How effective is the antidote you make, Yamashita-san? And how much antidote herb can be harvested from the dungeon here? So, Ikoma, have you finished your assessment?"

"I'm sorry, but we haven't been able to ask anything yet…"

Ikoma said apologetically.

"W-well, if that's the case, it's a crude shed, but would you like to see the factory?"

Finally grasping the situation after the Duke's appearance, Yamashita-san, though nervous, resolved to show him the factory.

"Is that alright? Then would you mind explaining things to this man, Ikoma?"

"Of course."

"And do you have any of the antidote on hand?"

"I'm afraid I'm out of stock at the moment…"

Yamashita-san answered apologetically.

"Ah, then I have some. Here!"

Shirou said, taking the antidote out of his pocket. A small yellow ball.

"May I see it?"

"Please, go ahead."

Duke Kujo took the antidote from Shirou's palm. He stared at it, examining it closely.

"Hikaru, would you take a look?"

"Yes, Father."

Come to think of it, Hikaru was said to have the "Analysis" skill. Shirou watched with interest.

Hikaru took the antidote, closed her eyes, and concentrated. After a few seconds, her eyes opened wide.

"This is…"

"You can tell?"

"This is remarkable. It has an effect equivalent to a Rank 2 Cure Potion."

"What?!"

Duke Kujo and Yamashita-san both exclaimed in surprise.

"What does that mean?"

Shirou asked, not fully understanding.

Duke Kujo began to explain carefully.

"Ichinose-kun, 'poison' is actually a broad term for substances that have adverse effects on humans. Normally, the treatment differs depending on the substance. There are various types, such as neurotoxins, hemotoxins, and cytotoxins. However, within a dungeon, any poison is recognized as just 'poison.' A single Cure Potion can cure any type of poison."

The Duke paused and continued.

"And Rank 2 can cure even the very strong poison found below the 20th floor, called 'deadly poison.' In other words, this antidote is a panacea that can cure various poisons that adversely affect the human body on the surface."

"That's… pretty amazing, huh…"

Seeing that Shirou didn't fully grasp the gravity of the situation, Hikaru explained in simpler terms.

"This antidote isn't just for dungeon explorers. Every medical institution would give their right arm for it. If there's only a small amount, the price would be unimaginably high. If you can produce it in quantity, it would be needed by people all over the world."

Finally understanding the value of the antidote, Shirou said excitedly.

"Yamashita-san, that's amazing! You could help the whole world!"

Hearing that, Yamashita-san, perhaps still not accepting reality, just nodded silently, unable to speak. He seemed inwardly moved that the technology he and Saito-san had developed together was so valuable.

Duke Kujo summarized the situation.

"What matters now is how much can be produced regularly. We need to assess the production capacity of your factory, Yamashita-san, and the amount of antidote herb that can be harvested from the dungeon. First, Yamashita-san, may we see the inside of your factory?"

"W-well, if that's the case. Please, come in."

Thinking that the antidote herb field Saito-san had left behind could now be used to help people all over the world, Shirou felt a warmth in his chest.