Chapter 89: About a Certain Apothecary

It had been one week since their arrival in Tosa.

For seven straight days, from morning until night, they had traveled across the province, visiting every apothecary they could find. They purchased ingredients indiscriminately and acquired every medicinal text available.

During meals and the briefest moments of rest aside, Esther’s hands never ceased turning pages. Her eyes scanned line after line with fierce concentration, searching desperately for a breakthrough.

At night, the steady grinding of herbs echoed through their lodgings, the dry rasp of mortar and pestle continuing long after the moon had climbed high.

—And as a result.

“…This is very bad,” Esther muttered at last.

“Feels weird coming from someone who hasn’t done anything,” Ryu replied lightly, “but you don’t have to panic that much.”

“Indeed,” Ryoma added. “There is still more than half a year of leeway. You may proceed at a measured pace.”

“I am making progress, little by little,” Esther said, her brows knit tight. “But with our current methods, it will take far too long. If I could approach this using the knowledge gathered here in Hinomaru—particularly Tosa—it would be a different matter. However… the compounding techniques, the equipment, even the magical principles differ slightly from those of the continent. We may fail at the very last step.”

“In other words,” Ryu summarized, “you’re torn between steadily advancing based on existing knowledge, or forging a new path using Hinomaru’s methods.”

“Precisely. The former is reliable, but may not conclude within our time limit. The latter allows more breathing room, yet carries the risk of complete failure. Such is the nature of inventing new medicine.”

“A difficult dilemma indeed…” Ryoma murmured.

“Sorry,” Ryu said with a faint grimace. “My Dragonification’s progressing too fast.”

“I resolved myself from the beginning,” Esther replied firmly. “Do not concern yourself.”

For the foreseeable future, Ryu would likely have to shoulder the duties of Imperial Ambassador alone. That was the weight Esther had taken upon herself.

“But!!!!!”

““But?””

Esther suddenly raised her voice, eyes blazing.

“I have just obtained a significant key!!!!!”

“Seriously?”

“As expected of a first-rate apothecary,” Ryoma said admiringly.

“…Perhaps,” she amended.

“So it’s not confirmed yet.”

“The possibilities are boundless,” Ryoma encouraged.

Esther continued.

“Over this past week, I gathered and personally reviewed every medicinal text in Tosa. In doing so, I discovered a pattern. That pattern is…”

Ryu and Ryoma swallowed in unison.

“Nearly all of Tosa’s medicinal texts were written by a single apothecary!”

“But the covers listed different authors,” Ryu pointed out.

“They are all pseudonyms,” Esther declared. “I am certain of it.”

“You mentioned on the first day that there may have once been an extraordinary apothecary here. Is it that person?”

“Exactly.”

Yet one problem remained.

“If all are pseudonyms, then the true name is unknowable, is it not?”

“Ugh…”

Esther’s ears drooped.

However—

“If I were that apothecary,” Ryu said calmly, “I would publish one of them under my real name. Not out of whimsy… but as a message.”

A message meant only for those who would notice the trick.

What, then, was hidden within it?

“That oddly makes sense,” Ryoma admitted.

“Hm… Perhaps that person, like Ryu, was somewhat eccentric. There may be something in common between them…”

“You just casually called me eccentric, didn’t you?”

Even so, investigating dozens of names one by one would take far too long.

Which meant… it was finally his turn.

“Alright, Ryoma. Abuse your authority as a retainer of House Itagaki and investigate these names. There should be household registries in the castle, yes?”

“We are counting on you, Ryoma.”

“I accept the task.”

In the next instant, Ryoma vanished from sight.

“Then we’ll take a break and enjoy some Tosa sweets,” Ryu declared, pulling out the confections they had purchased the day before from his item bag.

“Uooooo!!! Sweets for the first time since yesterday!!!”

“Gya!”

( I wish to try the mikan sablé! )

Meanwhile—

Within the main keep of Tosa Castle, in the front palace where official matters were conducted, Itagaki Taisuke sat in council with his retainers.

“Recently, Chosu and Hizen have gradually expanded their influence…”

“This year’s fishing yield compared to last year’s…”

“A major merchant from Satsuma has submitted a request to open a shop…”

At that moment, the sliding door rattled open.

“Oh! Ryoma!”

“When did you return?!”

“Join the meeting as you are—your opinion is valuable!”

Ryoma responded with a brief wave.

“Itagaki-san, I shall borrow the domain registries.”

“…Do as you please.”

With that single exchange, he strode to the shelves, gathered several thick volumes of household records in his arms, and exited just as briskly.

“H–Hey, Ryoma!”

“At least greet Itagaki properly!”

“More importantly, is it really alright to let him take those?”

“They contain confidential information!”

The registries listed not only names but addresses. They were, strictly speaking, classified documents. Their concerns were reasonable.

But Itagaki merely said—

“…If it is Ryoma, I have no objection. For him to act so directly… something good must have happened.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

In his private quarters, Ryoma flipped through the registries.

(The author names in those medicinal texts all appear ordinary at first glance. Yet both surname and given name are composed of unusually complex characters—none of which exist in Tosa. The apothecary who devised this must have been remarkably clever… or possessed exceptional taste. Fortunately for us, that makes the search easier…)

It was almost as if the trail had been deliberately left visible.

He began with the newest registry, turning page after page. Then an older volume. Then an older one still. And then one from even further back in time.

Two hours passed.

Now he carefully handled a registry so aged its pages had turned brown and brittle. He turned each sheet with painstaking care, afraid it might crumble at a touch.

“………………”

Still no name.

(There are dozens of author names. Why does not a single one match…? At this rate, Esther’s efforts will be in vain…)

Cold sweat beaded along his brow.

He untied the cord of the final volume.

The pages threatened to disintegrate as he slowly, reverently turned them.

“….”

Gulp.

And then—

“Found it…!”

His gaze fixed upon the name inscribed there:

Sanjō Kokaji Munechika

(No mistake… This person edited those medicinal texts. But wait—this surname, Sanjō Kokaji… I have seen it somewhere before…)

Ryoma’s eyes widened.

“It is the same surname as the swordsmith who forged Futsunomitama and Kurikara…!”

—The apothecary in question and the swordsmith who forged Kurikara.

There was a distinct possibility that these two were connected.