Chapter 106 – Drug Development

Finally back from the pilgrimage, and after taking some time off, I’ve holed up in the research lab today.

Right now, right in front of me is the sign for the “Backyard Herb Garden“—now officially renamed the “Saintess Herb Garden.”

Actually, Note is the one who put up this sign for me.

I’d consulted with her about tending to the herbs while I was away, and the very next day, it was like this.

As expected of Note. It’s astonishing how something this simple solved everything.

It looks like the white and black priests were checking on them in my stead.

Thanks to them, the herbs safely survived the winter and are growing vigorously.

While I’m at it, I’ll pick some herbs.

“Whoa. It’s been so long, the lab reeks of chemicals. Ventilation, ventilation!”

I held my breath, flung the doors and windows wide open, and used wind magic to blow out the stagnant air.

I immediately began lining up various reagents and equipment on the desk.

“Phew. I really want something like an anesthetic—ideally a local one.”

Layering sleep magic on lightly takes so much focus and wears me out, and it’s even worse in dire emergencies. Disaster dispatches are a battle against the clock, after all.

“Saintesses across the nation have to want it too. Those screams during recovery could shatter anyone’s mental health.”

I clenched my fist tight and psyched myself up. “Let’s do this!”

“Marie. I figured you’d be here.”

“Huh? Heart?!”

Heart peeked his face through the gap in the slightly ajar door.

“What brings you here today?”

I hurried over to the door and ushered Heart inside.

“I had a bit of free time, so I thought you might be here.”

Oh no.

He’s smiling with those kind eyes, but this has to be guard duty.

Ted’s been away for a while, so I came here alone without a second thought.

Heart’s total overkill as an escort in a safe place like the church—what an imposition…

“Sorry for showing up unannounced. I should have called a holy knight for protection.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I wanted to take it easy for once too.”

A workaholic saying something unusual.

Come to think of it, Heart’s aura has felt softer lately than it used to.

Somehow, it’s really comfortable.

“I’ll go wash my hands, so please wait inside.”

“Even covered in mud, you’re beautiful, Marie.”

Sheesh. With that killer smile, he’s out there mass-producing stalkers.

Incorrigible.

I went into the washroom, washed my hands, and wiped my face with a towel dampened in water.

The towel came away with mud on it.

Eek, mud on my face too…

So that’s what he meant by “even covered in mud.” How embarrassing.

I hurriedly threw on my lab coat, washed the herbs I’d picked earlier, and brewed some tea.

Careful not to disturb Heart, who was reading by the window, I quietly set the tea down on the side table.

I took a sip of my own herbal tea and dove into my research at the desk.

“Ah, what a nice aroma.”

I turned at the sound of his voice—Heart had noticed the tea.

He had the cup in his hand.

“It’s delicious even when it’s cold, you know.”

I lightly applied freeze magic to the slightly cooled tea. Heart took a sip and beamed.

“You’re right. It transformed into this crisp, delightful fragrance.”

“Yeah, it’s the tea leaves I took the liberty of naming mint. No medicinal properties, but the scent is amazing.”

It smells just like mint—a harmless weed that’s neither poison nor cure—so I named it mint on my own.

Lately, I’ve been hooked on turning it into herbal tea.

“Marie’s always loved herbs, ever since way back.”

“Hehe. The fruits of brainwashing.”

Heart raised an eyebrow at “brainwashing?”, smiled, drained his tea, and picked up his book again.

A light flickered at the edge of my vision.

“What are you researching?”

Heart rested one hand next to me as I worked on extracting components from paralysis poison.

Before I knew it, the room had grown dark, and Heart had turned on the light.

“An anesthetic.”

“Anesthetic?”

“I was thinking of making a drug that safely numbs sensation in part of the body for a set time…”

Heart immediately grasped the reason and gave me a pained look. “That…”

He seemed to be recalling that horrific scene, peering at me with worry.

“Hehe. Saintesses nationwide would kill for it, I’m sure.”

To show him there was no need to worry, I deliberately played it upbeat and goofy. Heart got the message and chuckled. “That’d be one hell of an invention.”

“Right! I was bragging to Gain about it the other day, but we’ve got all sorts of prototype drugs here.”

With that, I opened the shelf at the far end and wiggled my fingers with a “Ta-da!”

“Huh. Lots of antidotes. What’s this one?”

Heart curiously picked up a bottle labeled “Petrification Prevention Drug.”

“Hehe. That’s for fighting giant serpents.”

Heart tilted his head with a laugh—”Giant serpent?”—but it was no laughing matter.

These were more effective than anything on the market. I made them to protest Master… wordlessly at first—no, I threw plenty of sarcasm and complaints his way, but still, it was my way of protesting.

Master claimed he’d been watching from the shadows, but that’s beside the point.

Lost in those memories, I was fuming when my stomach suddenly growled.

“Want to have dinner here today? We can have meals delivered from the church.”

“Yeah. The general cafeteria is off-limits, right?”

His words brought back memories of parade day.

The biggest black mark on my record happening on my debut as a saintess—classic me.

If I could, I’d want to curl up clutching my head and roll around on the floor.

“Ahaha. Yeah. Note chewed me out big time for it.”

“Heh. That was a thing, huh. Hard to believe it’s been nearly three years.”

Heart gazed into the distance. “That little Marie’s turning eighteen this year, huh.”

And so, Heart and I had dinner together in the research lab before heading home ahead of curfew.

Peaceful days like that repeated for a while.

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