Chapter 20 Boosting Underachievers To The Top With The Placebo Effect
One day, at the [Comet Workshop] where I was freeloading.
"Hey, Mercury. Is Leaf-kun here?"
"Aerial? What's up?"
Aerial-san is a member of the guild I belong to, [Divine Gemstone].
He's an S-rank adventurer, a skilled swordsman.
With short, neatly trimmed brown hair, a slender figure, and handsome looks. I'm jealous of him.
"Well, I have a little favor to ask Leaf-kun."
"Me? What is it?"
"I want you to listen to my little brother's troubles."
"Little brother...?"
Hmm, where could his little brother be?
Then I notice someone behind Aerial-san.
"Is the kid behind you your little brother?"
"Eek! S-sorry, sorry!"
Behind Aerial-san, there was a little boy.
Unlike his big brother, he's a boy who seems a bit timid.
"Mio... You don't need to be so scared. Leaf-kun isn't a scary person."
"Mio?"
Is that the little brother's name?
"B-b-b-but! He defeated ancient dragons and high-level dragon species with just one hit, he's a dangerous guy, right!?"
"N-no, I didn't do anything like that."
"No, you did."
Mercury-san sighs.
"You defeated Hydra and Basilisk the other day, didn't you?"
"Um, but aren't those just regular poisonous snakes?"
"So, Mio-kun, what business do you have with this dangerous guy?"
Huh? Am I being ignored by her? Oh well.
Mio-kun tries to say something, but he ends up hiding behind Aerial-san.
His big brother explains with a sigh of exasperation.
"Actually, I want him to become stronger."
To summarize the story, Mio-kun is an adventurer.
He has an amazing job called [Dual-wielding Swordsman].
However, even after five years of being an adventurer, he is still in the F rank.
"Dual-wielding Swordsman is amazing, right? It's a rare class."
"Mercury-san, what does rare class mean?"
"It refers to very rare jobs. It is said that only a handful of people can have them. In fact, those who are called heroes all have rare classes."
Oh... I see.
So, are Granny and others rare classes too?
Huh? Isn't that not rare at all?
Aerial-san continues the conversation.
"Mio has a rare class, but unfortunately, he is timid. He can't fully utilize his abilities."
"Timid... like how?"
"He can't go out of the town alone."
"That's too weak... not suitable for being an adventurer."
Mio-kun shakes his head vigorously.
"B-b-b-but! I-I... I want to become a strong adventurer like my big brother!"
I see... He admires his big brother.
That's why he's so fixated on being an adventurer.
"Please, Leaf-kun. Can't you somehow make my little brother stronger with your medicine?"
Mercury-san says with a sigh.
"You see, Aerial. Even if he becomes stronger with the power of medicine, it's only temporary... like doping, you know? It wouldn't really mean he got stronger in the true sense, right?"
"That's... indeed true. But I want to give him confidence."
I see.
To sum it up, Mio-kun has incredible potential. But he's timid and always at the bottom rank.
I want to somehow boost his confidence and help him break out of being a dropout.
Hmm. I see. There's a way.
"I understand. I'll do something about it."
"Oh, really! Thank you!"
"I'll go prepare a bit, so please wait."
I decide to borrow Mercury-san's workshop.
She followed behind me with a worried expression and asked,
"Why did you take on this task?"
"Because we're members of the same guild. Granny always said to take care of our comrades."
As I arrived at the workshop, I collected moisture from the air and placed it into the Tenmoku Medicine Pot.
Then, without using the Prescription skill, I poured it into a bottle.
"This... looks clear but is it just water?"
"Yes, it's just [plain water]."
"When you say it's plain water, it sounds like something amazing..."
"No, this time it really is just [plain water]."
"What do you plan to do with it once you give it to Mio?"
"Just watch."
I took the bottle of water and headed over to where Mio-kun was.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is my special concoction, um, [drink it and you'll be full of energy and able to work for 24 hours straight drink], or in short, [energy drink]!"
"It sounds like a dangerous potion..."
However, Mercury-san knows it's just plain water, so she looks at the energy drink with a worried expression.
Well, just watch. It'll be fine.
"I-If I drink this, c-can I become stronger too?"
"Yeah. I guarantee it. Don't worry, trust me."
A bright light shines on Mio-kun's anxious face.
"Yes! I believe in Leaf-san! Aerial-niichan said you're an amazing apothecary, so I trust you too!"
I see, he decided to trust me, whom his big brother trusts, not just my words.
Well, either way works.
"Well then, drink it up and go on an adventure. And from today, come here every day. I'll give you the energy drink each time."
"Yes! Then, I'll have it right away!"
Mio-kun drinks the energy drink I made (just plain water).
"Wow! It's delicious! This is the first time I've had such an easy-to-drink medicine!"
"...Well, it's just water after all."
Mercury-san mumbled softly.
No, no, if you say that, it's meaningless.
"I feel like I can do it! Ooooohhh! I'm gonna do itttt!"
* * *
On that night.
"Leaf-san! I did it!"
With a thud, he put the monster's carcass on the workshop counter.
"I finally defeated a monster all by myself!"
"Wow, congratulations!"
There lay a mere wolf on the counter.
I've never seen one, but it's probably a monster. It claimed to be one, after all.
"This is all thanks to Leaf-san's energy drink! Thank you!"
"Oh no, it's nothing. Come back again tomorrow."
"Yes!"
Mio-kun proudly carried the carcass and went home.
Mercury-san asked with wide eyes.
"What's going on...? That kid who never fought in F-rank before just defeated an A-rank monster."
A-rank...?
I don't really understand, but it seems like that monster from earlier was really a monster after all.
In my forest, it was just a normal wolf.
"Mercury-san, do you know about the [placebo effect]?"
"Placebo...?"
"It's also called the fake drug effect."
I pick up the energy drink I gave him and explain.
"He believed this plain water was a powerful medicine and drank it. Believing it's a powerful medicine would bring great effects... By believing it, it actually does bring great effects. That's the placebo effect."
"I see... So it's the power of belief."
"Yes. He has a rare class job. This means he had the potential to become strong enough. With the power of belief, if we can eliminate his lack of confidence, he can unleash his true power and achieve results."
"Ah... I see now. Leaf-kun is quite knowledgeable."
Well, I'm a pharmacist, you know.
Besides knowing how to make medicine, I also know how to use it.
"I thought Leaf-kun was going to use some dangerous medicine for doping this time."
"Didn't Mercury-san say so too? That enhancing with medicine is only temporary. It wouldn't make sense. It's better to boost confidence with a placebo effect so he can demonstrate his true abilities."
"That's right. If he relies too much on medicine, he won't be able to do anything... Hehe, Leaf-kun is indeed thoughtful."
* * *
From the next day onwards, Mio-kun drank the energy drink at our place and embarked on adventures day after day.
"Leaf-san! This time I defeated bears! Ten of them!"
"Amazing!"
"Hey, these are not just bears! They were A-rank monsters!?"
The next day.
"Leaf-san! Look at it! This me defeated a dragon!"
"Wow!"
"Wow, but... wait, haven't you changed your personality?"
The next day.
"Hyahahaha! Look at it, Big Bro Leaf (Aniki)! I defeated an ancient dragon with my bare handsssss!"
"WAIT JUST A MINUTEEEE!"
Mercury-san puts a stop to it.
"What's wrong, Big Sis Mercuryyy (Anego)!?"
"This is too much of a change, right!? What's with this super muscular body!"
Before we knew it, Mio-kun had indeed become huge.
He was about 2m tall (6'6ft).
His body was incredibly muscular, to the point of being surprising.
He was shirtless with only a vest on.
He wore sharp piercings, shiny silver accessories, and had a mohawk hairstyle with tattoos on his face.
"Hyahaha! I defeated monsters and now I'm superrrr strong! Muscle build-up!"
"No way, it's not just muscle build-up! Your appearance, your way of speaking, your personality! It's all changed too MUCHHHHH!"
Indeed, he does look a little cooler.
"But hey, isn't it like Mercury-san putting on makeup and wearing accessories? Isn't that what city life is about?"
"You thought my fashion sense was on par with this!? I'm so SHOCKEDDDD!"
Why is she so shocked?
"Anyway, Leaf-kun... isn't this a bit strange? I mean, isn't it just a placebo effect? Can it really cause such a drastic change in a person?"
"Hmm... yeah, it does seem like it's working a bit too much..."
At that moment...
"Ughhh!"
"What's wrong, Mio-kun!?"
Suddenly, Mio-kun started to look uncomfortable!
"Uh, energy drink... I need a drink... Haah, haah... Without it, I... Grrrrr! DRINKKKK!"
Mio-kun went on a rampage!
He started breaking things left and right!
"Hey!? Leaf-kun, stop him!"
"Yes! [Prescription: Sleep]!"
Thud!
Seeing Mio-kun stop his rampage, Mercury-san breathed a sigh of relief.
"Leaf-kun, what's going on!? It's just supposed to be water, right!? He showed clear signs of poisoning!"
"That's... strange. It's just supposed to be water..."
I took out the Tenmoku Medicine Pot and poured water into a bottle.
"It really is just water..."
"Let me see, [Appraisal]!"
Mercury has the ability to see hidden information in things with her Appraisal Eye.
"WHAT IS THISSSSS?!?"
"Huh, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong!? This isn't just ordinary water! It's [Ultra Divine Water]!"
?
So what's the big deal...?
"Why are you looking so surprised? It's Ultra Divine Water! The best water in the world! It not only helps you recover from fatigue, extends your lifespan, and makes you younger. When combined with other herbs, it has a lasting effect and is even used in alchemy. It's a super rare water!"
Oh really?
Is this water really that amazing?
"But this water is what I always make when I make medicine, just plain water."
"Darn it! I shouldn't have believed a weirdo's claim of being 'normal'! Darn it!"
"Weirdo? Who?"
"I'M TALKING ABOUT YOUUUUUUU!"
...After that, Mio-kun's addiction symptoms improved thanks to my treatment.
Even without drinking the Ultra Divine Water, he gained confidence by hunting a lot of monsters and as a result, became an S-rank adventurer like his big brother.
"Hyahaha! Big bro Leaf, I owe you big time! I'll be your follower for life, so take care of me, okay!"
"M-Mercury! My little brother has gone off the rails! Please help!"
Even though Aerial-san asked for help, Mercury-san hesitated to respond.
"Um, well... isn't it fine that he gained confidence and became stronger as originally planned?"
"That's right!"
"You should reconsider...!!!!"
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