Atelier Tanaka

Book 6: Chapter 2 (2)

Sickness Unto Death

The pilot brought the airship down near the wreckage.

Goggoru-chan, Edita Sensei, and I got off of the ship and went to explore the wreckage of the destroyed pirate airship. I hoped Sensei would stay behind, but she insisted on coming and I reluctantly agreed while planning on doing everything to protect her.

The captain and his crew remained behind so we could take off immediately if there were any signs of danger.

“There’s debris everywhere.”

“You’re the one who shot it down.”

“Yeah, well, that’s true but still.”

Edita wasn’t holding back at all and it made my heart hurt.

It’s like sorting through the wreckage of a plane crash.

The armor and the materials that made the ship were scattered everywhere. I don’t even know what I’m looking for or where to start. There was one section of the ship that remained largely intact. It was what could be considered the heart of the ship and likely held what I was looking for. I’m not looking forward to moving some of the debris and finding a mangled corpse beneath.

“Heal!”

I’ll just take care of that by casting a few recovery spells in a large area.

“They’re just bandits, right? Why even bother?”

“It’s my way of justifying my actions.”

Not that what I did was wrong.

I’m not saying I don’t feel any guilt for taking out a ship full of people. Due to the difference in our strength, taking them out was as simple as flicking a switch. Maybe things would be different if they had managed to threaten my life like the Sylphs.

“…you’re A difficult man to understand.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Sensei looked completely stunned.

“It’s possible there are survivors that may attack us. I want both of you to stay back. Edita-san, if possible, I’d like you to stay close to Rocoroco-san. She’s as strong as the Demon that follows Doris-san.”

“W-What did you say!?”

The shocked expression remained on Sensei’s face but now it was directed at Goggoru-chan.

“What’s wrong?”

“…is she really that strong? This Goggoru girl.”

The chocololi and white loli exchanged glances.

The only one that could compete with Rocoroco-san is Christina. However, I think that any violence is unlikely to occur as Rocoroco-san would avoid any fights if possible.”

“R-Really….”

She looks terrified.

I suppose I can understand why.

“…what?”

Edita Sensei continued staring at Goggoru-chan.

The latter offered a one word response.

I’m surprised that she’s so willing to talk to Edita Sensei. I’m used to being the only one she wants to talk to so I’m feeling a little jealous. I’m starting to feel possessive of Goggoru-chan and want to make her my exclusive property.

Now that I thought that I’m sure she has something to say.

“…do you want us to be exclusive?”

“No, it’s good for you to make new friends.”

“Is that what you really think?”

“There will be more people to help alleviate your loneliness.”

But I still don’t want you to.

I want you to be mine, Goggoru-chan.

I love you, Goggoru-chan.

“….”

“…which is it?”

“…I’m sorry, please, don’t torture me.”

I can’t help myself.

Goggoru-chan is just too cute.

Without the context of my thoughts, Edita Sensei was completely lost.

“Oi, what are you two talking about?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. I just hope you and Rocoroco-san can continue being friendly and grow closer. It’s obviously important to keep your distance, but I think you can be friends while keeping in mind the length of a spear.”

This is strange. This is almost a harem-like scenario. Two beautiful lolis fighting over me. If I could start a physical relationship with the two of them, and they both have hymens, I could reach a happy ending. I could finally ascend.

I actually had a similar experience back in school. Two girls approached me at the same time and I actually had to say, “Oi, oi, there’s only one of me.” something like that actually happened to me. That was easily the highest point in my life. All of that was a lie. I was only being used to do homework and take care of cleaning the school for them.

“I see. W-Well, I suppose I could try…just a little though….”

“Please, that’s all I ask.”

My blonde loli Sensei approached Goggoru-chan with a curious expression on her face.

The chocololi offered both of us some advice.

“You’ll be safer over there. By the large stones.”

“Stones? The big ones over there.”

“Yep.”

“A-Alright.”

As fellow lolis, I hope they can become friends.

“I’m going to look through the wreckage.”

I left the two lovely lolis behind and headed for the airship by myself. To prepare for anything, I covered myself in invincibility magic. The Dark Elf decapitating me is still fresh in my mind.

I targeted the largest chunk of the wreckage with my flight magic and slowly lifted it.

I managed to lift it all in one go.

A large object similar to a jewel fell from the wreckage.

“This is….”

Something similar to purple amethysts that I’ve seen being sold at souvenir shops at gem museums. It’s essentially a massive version of that. This one is a large obelisk about two meters long and one meter wide. The purple colour was lighter around the edges but a deep purple near the centre.

I recall seeing something similar when I defeated the Red Dragon. Although, that one was bigger and red in colour. I wonder if there’s something like this in the loligon’s body.

“…I suppose I should just take it back with me.”

After using that heal, the survivors might gather themselves and prepare an attack if I wait too long.

I lifted the magic stone with my flight magic and turned to leave. As I did, my foot landed on something hard. I looked down to see what it was and,

“…a pendant?”

There was a beautiful metal pendant lying in the dirt at my feet. The metal had an engraved insignia on it and looked as if it would be worth a large sum. I could maybe sell it for a few silver at a pawn shop.

“….”

Might as well take it while I’m here.

It might give me enough gold to continue funding Dragon City.

Being a sky pirate doesn’t seem so bad.

I took down one ship and managed to get all this valuable loot.

***

One more night passed by in the steadily swaying ship. The morning I woke, a strange event occurred….

“This is….”

I woke up and began fixing my appearance. As I was combing my hair, I felt a strange sensation on the side of my head. A small patch of my head felt different as I combed it.

If this had happened in my previous life when I was in a rush to get to work, I might not have thought anything of it. However, now I’m on an airship with not much else to do. Naturally, I fixated on it and searched for the spot with my fingers.

I quickly found what it was.

“…bald.”

I discovered a small bald spot around the size of a ten yen coin on the side of my head. It’s only a few inches from my forehead. I believe this is called alopecia areata. The small patch felt. Incredibly smooth as I rubbed it.

When it comes to alopecia areata, there is usually more than one spot. I frantically began combing through the rest of my hair with my fingers and found another patch of similar size near the base of my neck.

“Seriously….”

Now I’m bald on top of being ugly.

This really is the end.

It’s possible this is a result of the stressful life I’ve been living. Thinking back, the past few weeks have been hectic. I was able to push myself harder than ever before since I didn’t have to worry about getting sick or injured due to my recovery magic.

It could entirely be due to the revelation that the Elixir of Youth, my new life’s goal, was now entirely unattainable. Maybe the sky pirate attack yesterday added to it without me even realizing.

Each individual event may not be much, but they quickly compounded to cause this middle-aged man to develop alopecia areata. Even better, there’s no way of treating it in this world.

What am I going to do?

Seriously, should I try hiding it?

Bald. Bald, baldy.

If alopecia areata progresses without treatment, it can lead to permanent baldness.

“No, I can’t give up yet.”

Who needs modern medicine when I have recovery magic.

I didn’t even give it a second thought as I summoned a magic circle around me.

“Hnnn!”

I used all of my power to cast recovery magic on myself. The magic circle lit up the bathroom. The pure, white light that the circle emitted reflected brilliantly off the bald spot near my forehead.

Good, good, I can feel it.

I can feel my hair being stimulated.

Heal fully.

I basked in the healing glow for several minutes.

After a while, I allowed the magic circle to dissipate once I felt satisfied. Although, nothing led me to believe that it had worked. As the white light faded, the bathroom returned to its previous state.

I used the mirror to find the bald patch that was now hidden by my hair. I hesitated as I slowly lifted the hair to expose the patch. Please, I beg you, let it be there.

“Ah….”

It is.

It’s growing back.

The hair I thought I had lost was quickly growing back.

“Thank goodness….”

I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a sigh of relief.

I enjoyed the feeling as I pulled on the newly grown tuft of hair. I’ll do everything I can to take care of this from now on. I’ll only eat food that’s good for my hair. I ran a finger comb through my hair.

And, with no resistance whatsoever, several strands came out between my fingers.

“Ah….”

My newly grown hair was easily pulled out.

I wasn’t ready for that.

It hit me hard enough to make my legs feel weak.

I was more terrified by this than any horror game or movie I’ve ever seen.

“….”

Maybe that’s it. I need to continuously heal myself. It’s a different disease with separate symptoms, but the treatment may be the same as what the Princess Pussy of the Penny Empire needed. If I don’t constantly cast recovery magic on myself, I won’t retain my hair.

If I keep that up for a few days, maybe it will fix for longer.

If I want to get my hair back permanently, I need to treat the cause. My recovery magic only heals the symptoms which won’t cure the disease. And stress can be caused by a multitude of sources. At least with a curse, you have a definitive cause.

“…what am I going to do?”

I’m in shock.

I didn’t think losing my hair would hit me this hard. I never expected to learn such a painful lesson in my mid-thirties. This may be more shocking than the moment I learned Goggoru-chan was reading my thoughts.

It’s not like I can use recovery magic on myself all the time.

“….”

I’ve finally reached a dead end. There’s no recovery from this.

Even in a world of sword and sorcery such a thing is inevitable. In my previous world it’s the same too. How can medicine be advanced enough to treat a previously deadly disease in just a few days, but it can’t stop a few hairs from falling out?

This may not be deadly in the normal sense, but it is deadly to my social status.

“No, wait a second.”

I can’t give up yet.

What have I been going to school for and what is my job title now? Alchemy.

If magic can’t do it, medicine will.

There has to be some way to cure it with alchemy.

“…this is going to put my skills as an alchemist to the test.”

This isn’t about youth this time.

This is about hair. I have to save my hair.

It’s fortunate that we’re traveling to Academy City. A city with that name must be doing tons of research on new medicines. I may be able to find a recipe or a starting point to create a potion of hair regrowth.

This is a world of swords and sorcery after all.

I’ll definitely obtain a potion of hair regrowth.

***