Volume 6 Chapter 7-2 Dwarf Who Dislikes Dwarves
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”That’s a good question. Researchers have many different opinions about how to classify treants…”
It seems there are various theories about classifying treants and dryads. Treants are thought to be monsters formed when old trees absorb mana, while dryads are tree spirits, similar to nymphs. But isn’t that basically the same thing?
Classification might seem unimportant, but it matters a lot. Dryads are sometimes worshipped, while treants are hunted as monsters. One researcher’s work can completely change how they’re treated—it’s like night and day. It really makes you think.
Mr. Ginchi seems like the type who can’t stop talking once he gets going on a topic he loves. I know someone like that too—a resident of the same world as the Professor.
There are chatty dwarves in this world. I don’t mind long conversations if the topic interests me, but Mr. Ginchi’s communication style seems to confuse his subordinates.
They avoid deep discussions with him, just like with the Professor. It’s not that they dislike him; they just can’t follow what he’s saying. Geniuses can be lonely, can’t they?
”By the way, isn’t raising plant-based monsters dangerous?”
I had to ask. We’re right in the middle of the royal capital, next to the palace. It would be terrifying if they were dangerous.
”The ones planted here haven’t moved at all recently. Once they reach this state, they’re no different from regular plants. It seems the theory that treants don’t move if their environment is good was correct.”
He sounds a bit regretful. Sure, it would be interesting to see them move, but if they’re content staying still, isn’t that better?
”Isn’t that a great discovery? If we can satisfy them, we won’t have to fight plant-based monsters, right?”
If we can coexist with them by managing them, it’s like farming. If they provide valuable materials, it could be profitable.
”There it is—that’s the important part! You’re really smart. The idiots in academia can’t even understand something this simple.”
So there really is an academic world? I wonder if they discuss monsters like this. It sounds like a boring, troublesome meeting.
* * *
Near the center of the pyramid greenhouse, just under the apex of the square pyramid, stands a magnificent mansion. Since rain can’t fall inside, the copper roof is probably just for decoration. The round windows look airtight, and the doors have handles like those on a submarine hatch.
It’s not a home but a research facility.
In the woods surrounding the mansion, a white figure appears, startling me.
It’s a naked woman, staring blankly into the distance. She’s not a mannequin—her body sways slightly. On closer inspection, there are more of them, bathed in sunlight filtering through the trees.
”Those are companions of the Alraune and Mandrake. People say the more dangerous ones are the most beautiful, but that’s just a myth.”
There were a few Alraune in the Schulz collection. Ms. Hóa said they’re quite dangerous monsters.
It seems he doesn’t think about risks when it comes to things like treants.
”Many plants that mimic beautiful women use their charm to make humans care for them. Give Mandrake water and fertilizer, and Alraune meat juices, and they’ll behave. Some dangerous types drain life force or blood, but they’re exceptions. Parasites don’t kill their hosts.”
So there really are dangerous ones.
They look fragile, with seductive smiles and sexy features. I wonder if they’re different species.
There’s something about them—a charisma beyond human women. Even knowing they’re plants, you want to cherish them.
It seems many people in the outskirts are into plant-type monsters.
I’ve heard stories of young men finding Alraune in forests and secretly caring for them. If villagers found out, it would be like a lynching, but apparently, one incident involved all the men in the village.
”I’ve heard that even Nyōnin-take──the woman mushroom──can be dangerous”
Ms. Hóa was eager to burn it down. I couldn’t ask for details, but it’s apparently very dangerous.
”Where did you hear that? Don’t confuse that infectious disease with Alraune.”
According to Mr. Ginchi, Nyōnin-take is a mold that parasitizes humans. Infection transforms people of all ages and genders into mana-infused beauties. It’s so dangerous that all nations worked together to eradicate it about a hundred years ago.
Ms. Hóa said she burned some recently, but from an elf’s perspective, a hundred years might be recent.
There are Nyōnin-take victims in the Schulz collection. The treatment is harsh: burn it to kill and resurrect. Success depends on vitality and luck. If the mold reaches the whole body, failure is likely.
While Schulz’s magic is active, the mold can’t spread. Until an antidote is found, I plan to seal it in a magic bag. Owning such a terrible biological weapon makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it.
Compared to Nyōnin-take, Alraune might be quite cute.
”More people die from falls than Alraune damage. Ignorant people fear everything recklessly, which is troublesome. Maybe we should focus on its usefulness instead?”
”Usefulness?”
”We plan to sell safe, cultivated varieties as pets. Why don’t you try one? I’ll offer it at a discount for a trial.”
Are you asking me to be a tester? I’d rather not—I might become a sacrificial subject. Even though I’m busy, I don’t want more worries. I’m curious about monster breeding, though.
The variety Mr. Ginchi is marketing is a mutated northern subspecies called Mimic Batmaiden, selectively bred over generations to be easier to raise.
They crossed it with other species, keeping only the best-looking and safest individuals.
The main figure behind the breed improvement seems to be an eccentric noble who’s been raising Alraune for generations.
Elves are secretly involved too. Mr. Ginchi provided large-scale production technology, culturing clones for stable quality.
The women in the garden seem to be the product.
They have a strangely captivating, melancholic expression—not overwhelmingly beautiful, but the fact that plants look so human is fascinating.
Though they have no intelligence, they smile sweetly. The faint scent might be an aphrodisiac? Something makes my core shiver, but I have maxed allure resistance.
”This breed produces clones directly from the parent stock. It doesn’t need soil, so you can grow it without worrying about weeds.”
Normal Alraune remain plant-like for decades until growing to a certain size.
Suddenly splitting into a human form, their reproductive strength is intense.
”Isn’t it dangerous?”
”Well, it does suck some vital energy, but it’s confirmed there’s no life-threatening risk for adult men.”
The ones being cultivated here are experimental samples. They plan to release them around summer, mass-produced in warm climates.
I wonder if it’s really safe? Hopefully, no dangerous new species will mutate.
* * *
After hearing about the Alraune project, I’m led through a watertight hatch into the mansion.
Only Mr. Ginchi can go beyond this point; the attendants turned back.
Instead, wood golems dressed as maids greet me. Their faces resemble Noh masks but move elegantly.
Considering Ms. Nina’s previous body was reused from wood golems, the structure is simple but high-performance.
”The maid golems are one of my proudest creations. I combined cheap parts to match the lifespan of the magic crystal, keeping costs to a minimum.”
Mr. Ginchi designed these golems. As long as they don’t break, they’re fine until the magic crystal runs out. The design philosophy is the same as the doll princess: disposable by default.
This relates to Ms. Nina’s short lifespan. Of course, many others share the responsibility. I won’t forgive you, Mr. Ginchi! Well, I suppose I will forgive you now.
The fact that he seems to have no ill intentions is troublesome. Even without malice, a crime is a crime, but since Ms. Nina seems saved, I’m not that angry.
”Why not make the magic crystal replaceable? With regular maintenance, it could last a long time, right?”
”You think like an old dwarf. If you base it on repair, unnecessary structures will increase. It’s more efficient to replace than repair. All living beings live and die, you know.”
This is a theme I discussed with Mr. Zenom.
Repairs take more effort than imagined. Disassembling, fixing, and reassembling. If you don’t design for disassembly, you can just glue it instead of using screws. It increases strength, reduces weight, and lowers costs. Screws are a luxury here, after all.
However, for tools you’re attached to, you’d want to keep using them even with repairs. If it’s a doll princess with memories and emotions, it would be even more so.
”I don’t know if these wood golems have personalities, but disposing of something human-shaped feels wrong. In my world, it was believed dolls had souls, and there were temples for them.”
I don’t know about other countries, but some Japanese people love dolls and are afraid of them. It’s probably in the realm of magic, but it’s different.
I don’t understand well either, so I can’t explain it properly. Even with Mind Communication, it’s beyond my ability.
”Well, well, it seems dwarf superstitions exist even on Earth. If it’s the core of the doll princess, you might call it a soul replica, but it’s just a replica. My wood golem’s core was mass-produced from discarded doll princess cores. Can that be called a soul?”
Mr. Ginchi misunderstood my words about doll souls, but thanks to that, I learned about the doll princess.
The replica of the soul and body. The result of recreating ancient technology is the doll princess.
”It’s a secret, but we can transfer doll princess memories to spirit fragments. They deteriorate, but they learn manners and etiquette. It’s experimental, but if successful, we can reuse discarded doll princesses.”
Mr. Ginchi says this proudly. Is that good or bad? All I know is the doll princesses’ happiness is completely ignored.
”The Authority has stopped producing doll princesses, so I’m in trouble. I finally have a plan, but it would all be for nothing if the research is wasted.”
I didn’t know. Has the doll princess system been abolished? I’ve heard the number of summoned Heroes has increased. The budget per Hero must be reduced.
Personally, I agree with not making doll princesses. It would be nice if they stopped summoning Heroes too.
”Why not cast the wood golem’s core as a mold and make a new core?”
Even if it’s a degraded soul replica, wouldn’t it be sad to throw away? No, if it’s destroyed, does the soul get released? I wonder how that works.
”Of course, I thought about that too. It was badly deteriorated and unusable.”
The more copies you make, the more it deteriorates—that probably means the soul’s information is analog.
In the secret workshop, complex optical devices are arranged. This is the manufacturing machine for golem cores. The body of the wood golem is made by outsourcing. Golems in wooden boxes are loaded onto trolleys by maid-costumed golems—a surreal scene.
”The core part of golem manufacturing is the core. The equipment to process spirit fragments is only here in the world.”
He looks confident. Mr. Zenom makes this face when creating a masterpiece. After all, this person must also be a dwarf.
”Isn’t the spirit orb more high-performance than spirit fragments?”
Spirit fragments are rare drops from defeated spirits, often used for attribute equipment.
Spirit orbs are crystals cultivated by spirits, given as souvenirs.
Both are similar, but spirit fragments are cursed and lower-performance.
”What era are you talking about? Spirit orbs are not easily obtainable nowadays.”
”Are they really expensive?”
”Last time they were auctioned, they exceeded 100,000 gold coins. I should have got it back then no matter what.”
I see, they sell for that much. I never worried about money. Still, maybe it was right not to sell. It’s a keepsake from Exceneca, so making attribute gear and taking good care of it is best.
Comparing the spirit fragment in the device with the orb, the difference is obvious. It’s like low-quality marble versus crystal. Plus, the fragment is soaked in the resentment of killed spirits.
”No way, you. Isn’t that a spirit orb! I see, you’re a Hero… If you’re a Hero, miracles like this can happen. I really want it. I’d pay at least 150,000 gold coins!”
Mr. Ginchi’s behavior has become suspicious. Fifteen thousand gold coins would be 15 billion—a huge sum. But everything for Ms. Nina’s revival is ready. We don’t need money anymore.
”This is proof of trust from the spirits. I cannot give it to others.”
If he come to take it by force… what should I do? She’s Ms. Mahal’s friend and a dwarf, so I want to believe he’s not that bad.
No, but dwarves don’t hesitate to use any means for a good job.
”Then! I want you to engrave the core into that orb. Of course, I’ll give you the completed wood golem.”
It sounds generous but is self-serving. Mr. Ginchi gets to do the experiment he wanted.
”Fine. I’m not intending to make golems disposable. Please design it so the magic crystal can be exchanged.”
”That’s no trouble at all. If you don’t mind the cost, it’s not difficult. It might be fun to do something like that once in a while.”
Looks like he can design it to be non-disposable. I wonder why he’s so fixated on cost? It’s bothering me. I can see why Mr. Zenom felt like picking a fight.
”If you had made the magic crystal of the doll princess exchangeable, wouldn’t its lifespan have been extended?”
”That wouldn’t work. The homunculus body itself doesn’t have much lifespan. By the time the magic crystal runs out, the replicated soul has already lost its life strength.”
That’s because it wasn’t a complete homunculus, right? Ms. Mahal said homunculi are immortal. I’m starting to worry. I should check on Ms. Nina and confirm with Ms. Mahal.
* * *
”Hehe, as expected of the spirit orb. It produces precision far beyond fragments.”
Like a mad scientist, Mr. Ginchi runs around the workshop, letting out strange cries.
He’s probably not a bad person, but he’s seriously twisted. The more capable someone is, the more their distortion can cause disastrous effects. A single scientist can change history—that’s common knowledge where I come from.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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