Chapter 39- took it off

But as this hospitality continued throughout the meal, Frank suddenly felt like something was off. There's no such thing as genuine warmth without reason.

Tiffany was bought by him, a slave who had been given all her knowledge to prioritize her master above all else. Chris was a succubus with an insatiable appetite, addicted to Holy Semen. So, what about Joan? What was her motive?

He had already taken on guild commissions, and his work was extremely professional. There was no need for the administrator to continue pressing him with personal attentiveness. Was it love at first sight? Frank sat by the vanity after just looking in the mirror. Although he was considered handsome and muscular, much better than in his previous life, he didn't think he was quite at the level to make a girl pursue him so actively. He felt like it would take someone like Takeshi Kaneshiro or Daniel Wu for that kind of attention.

It would be best to lay the cards on the table first, to prevent any surprises later. He didn't want to find himself in bed enjoying the aftermath, only to hear her voice her desires. That would make him feel like he had just had intercourse with a deceitful witch. He'd rather make deals with real prostitutes; at least there's honesty in transactions.

Thanks to Ivanka, Frank knew he was currently at a stage where he had the least trust in women. To prevent his suspicions from festering, he decided to speak up. "Joan, considering I've let you treat me to two meals, is there anything I can help you with?"

Joan smiled and replied, "I'd be grateful if you could complete the guild's commission well. A high rating will significantly increase my salary next year. I don't want to trouble you any further..."

Her words implied that she did indeed have something she wanted to ask for help with, but she didn't feel comfortable bringing it up just yet.

"You've seen for yourself, my work is quite relaxed. With my abilities, I only need to work for a half day each day. If you have any difficulties, just let me know. You're the first friend I've made here, and I'd be happy to help you if I can." Actually, complimenting her appearance at this point would have a more direct hinting effect, but even though Frank thought about it, he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

Whenever he thought about it, he would recall some things he had heard. Such as leaders harassing female subordinates, teachers sexually assaulting female students, or directors exploiting actresses. They seemed no different from those who took advantage of others' needs, asking for favors in return.

"But... um..." Joan rested her chin on her hand, looking quite distressed. "But you're a Saint-level pharmacist, and I don't have much savings. I can't afford to hire you."

"I can help a friend without charging. This commission has earned me quite a bit, and my expenses aren't that high."

"But if I don't repay you, I'll feel uncomfortable." She took a small bite of radish, tongue flicking it around before swallowing. "After all, my hope... relies on that."

"Um... on what?" Frank's curiosity was piqued. "Tell me about it first."

"I heard that pharmacists can start creating their own formulas once they reach the transcendent level. Is that true?"

"Yes, it becomes easier after reaching the Saint level."

"Do you have your own special potions?" Joan's eyes sparkled, leaning forward, clearly interested in the topic.

"Yes, but not many yet. After all, I've just started traveling around and I'm not planning to go to dangerous places." Frank had no intention of revealing secrets here—Instant Blood Replenishment potions were common in games, but in this world, they were highly-priced treasures. Even if they temporarily drained one's self-healing abilities, in critical moments of battle, who wouldn't want to gulp one down and seek immediate recovery? Those long-term recovery potions, even as potent as Goddess Dew, would struggle to save lives in dire situations.

So his Blood Replenishment No.1 could probably make a huge profit effortlessly. But the risk would be significant; once word got out about a genius who could mass-produce instant recovery potions, there would likely be numerous factions vying to get their hands on him. It's better to keep quiet and make a fortune.

"Well then..." Joan's expression seemed somewhat hesitant, as if she were asking a goblin to pursue a harpy, "I, I'd like to inquire, is it possible to create a potion that can keep the user calm and composed for a period of time?"

"Does that need to be created?" Frank frowned. "There are plenty of drugs that can alleviate confusion or rage."

"No, no, not for those abnormal states, it's... a physiological state." Joan seemed to have finally made up her mind, speaking softly, "Mainly... to help me through mating season."

"Huh?" Frank's eyes widened. "Do you really go into heat like ancestral spirits do?"

"Usually not, but sometimes... there's a small chance of this happening due to our biology, and there's nothing I can do about it." Joan sighed and got up, walking into the bedroom and returning with a carrot, handing it to him.

He took it and squeezed it, only to realize it wasn't a real vegetable but made of gelatinous material. Being a man who had been exposed to Earth's thriving adult entertainment industry, he immediately realized that this thing wasn't for decoration or consumption.

"This phenomenon may be called atavism, anyway... it's been troubling me since I was about eight years old. That's why I left the tribe's settlement and moved specifically to human territory. I didn't know how to deal with it until I met you. I thought maybe there's something I couldn't find, but you could make a medicine that could help me." She took back the fake carrot, saying wistfully, "I know it's a stretch, but... it's all I can hope for."

"Is this issue severe?" Frank decided to ask first, then see if he could come up with a corresponding formula. "Or, how severe is it?"

Joan rubbed the fake carrot with her fingers and said softly, "I feel it's quite severe. Even if I do nothing all year, I'll naturally go into heat at least twice, each lasting two to three months. During these two to three months, even if I try to satisfy myself, like... using toys like this carrot, it only provides relief for a day or two."

"Actually, masturbating once every couple of days doesn't seem like a very serious issue."

"It's not just once; to alleviate it, sometimes I need a whole night. As a result, severe sleep deprivation occurs, and the precious one or two days of relief often pass by while I'm asleep." Joan, looking distressed, rested her forehead in her hand. "But what's worse is that if I encounter someone I like, admire, or find attractive, it also triggers me into heat. In that state, I feel extremely uncomfortable all over, intensely hot, and my lower body swells, requiring me to change underwear three or four times a day. The desire for mating is so intense it could drive me crazy." Here, she suddenly stood up, blushing, and said, "Sorry, I... need to change my underwear." Frank watched her go into the house, and curiously peeked, only to be surprised to find a small water mark on the chair where she had been sitting.

When she returned, he straightforwardly asked, "So you're currently in heat? But I didn't notice."

Joan sighed, "I have to make sure I can live properly. As a single woman, if this secret were to be discovered, it would cause a lot of trouble. Actually... my heat cycle for the first half of the year has passed. This time, it was triggered by you."

"So... what result are you hoping for?" Frank thought for a moment and said, "I can give it a try."

"As I age, the severity of my heat cycle increases exponentially. I feel like I won't be able to bear it sooner or later. I just hope there's a medicine that can calm me down during this time, so I'm not... so full of desire. As long as there's such a medicine, I'm willing to pay any price to obtain it."

"So, something like a reverse aphrodisiac..." Frank set the effect in his mind. "Any other requests?"

"It would be best if it could last longer. My heat cycle lasts about three months each time, more than sixty days. I hope the medication can provide a longer-lasting and more soothing effect." Joan murmured, admitting that after going into heat, her gaze seemed somewhat unfocused. "Oh, of course, that's not necessary. If I have to take it every day, I'll take it seriously."

The request for a long-lasting effect and decreased desire... tsk, it's hard to consider such requests as positive effects, but he furrowed his brow and tried to manipulate it, unexpectedly managing to come up with a combination.

It's truly a strange world where an aphrodisiac would be classified as a poison; abstinence is considered a positive effect rather than a side effect. He extended the duration to three months and maximized the reduction in desire, only to find that Joan couldn't afford the ingredients required by this formula.

After adjusting it, reducing the duration to one month and halving the sexual desire, it seemed much more feasible.

He fetched paper and pen, listed the ingredients, and handed it to Joan. "Take a look. Would the material requirements be a burden for you?"

Joan hesitated, looking at the list on the paper, and said softly, "You... created a formula? Just like that?"

"It's not validated yet. I need to know if you can afford it first. After all, the medicine may only last for twenty days, and you'll need to drink three bottles during one heat cycle, which will consume quite a lot of materials."

"I... should be fine. There's nothing particularly expensive in here, just some strange ingredients, like this... isn't this spice sold in the food market?"

"As long as there's inspiration, magic crystals can be used in medicine. Don't be too rigid."

"If it's just the material requirements, I can manage. What about the pharmacist level requirement? When you travel elsewhere, what level of pharmacist should I seek help from?"

"At this level, the examiner should be able to handle it. Once you confirm it's feasible, gather the materials and make a sample while I'm here, so you can try it."

The finished product needs a name to enter the memory database. He thought for a moment and simply marked it as "Tranquil Oral Solution." It was a tribute to his past life.

"Thank you so much!" Joan clasped his right hand excitedly, tears of joy shimmering in her eyes. "I can finally live like a normal girl. Thank you... thank you!"

"It's not successful yet, so don't celebrate too soon. If it really works, you can thank me then." Frank smiled, withdrawing his hand and taking a sip of soup. "Your cooking is delicious; let's consider that my repayment."

"No, that's not enough. I..." Whether it was because of excessive excitement, Joan's body suddenly swayed, and then she blushed and ran into the bedroom.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I... I need to change my underwear again."

Ah... damn it, got hard. Frank quickly pressed down on the erection bulging in his pants, whispering to himself, not to take advantage of the situation—that would be too unethical.

Joan came out and stood beside him, looking down.

He asked in confusion, "You changed so quickly?"

Joan grabbed her apron with both hands, her arms trembling slightly, and said softly, "No, I... took it off."

"Huh?"