Chapter 97 Expanding the Inventory꞉ Slime Cultivation and a Nervous Date with Aerith
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Having successfully secured investments from various quarters, our shop finally began making moves toward the sale of the “Arse-series” product line.
First, I requested the Tasogare Merchant Guild¹ to procure materials, while simultaneously issuing a material collection quest to the Adventurer’s Guild. Next, to facilitate mass production, I had to update various molds to a “taiyaki machine” style. We also needed to begin the large-scale manufacture of lotions and products like the Slime-kun Who Dwells in a Woman’s Arse².
By far the most arduous task was the mass production of the “Slime-kun,” which served as the gateway to the entire Arse-series. Without this, the sale of other products would be difficult, yet cultivating the magical creatures known as slimes took a great deal of time and effort.
The simplest method would have been to have our female employees, starting with our test-subject slave Lily, cultivate them within their own digestive tracts. However, customers would naturally be repulsed by slimes grown in someone else’s body, and the employees themselves would likely loathe selling a “Slime-kun” that had emerged from their own rear ends.
Instead, we opted to cultivate them in their natural slime state and then use magic to imbue them with commands. This method, however, was an absolute drain on both funds and labor. We had to hire the Adventurer’s Guild to catch slimes alive, and the cost of the feed to raise them was no laughing matter.
One had to be exceedingly cautious; if a slime were accidentally released into the streets, the constables would haul me away. Furthermore, if one made a mistake and allowed them to multiply too much or become feral, even a slime could be dangerous. It was a delicate operation.
We primarily used the newly purchased neighboring house as the breeding ground, and that was where the command-writing took place. Since this task required someone highly proficient in magic, I had to rely on Tania, the elven adventurer, or Satsuki, the court mage. One of them always had to be occupied with it, which in turn caused other tasks to stall.
The savior in this situation was Sister Amelia, who had been dispatched from the Church of Demon-Subjugation³. Through her extraordinary research and repeated experiments, she had succeeded in reproducing the effects of “Hardening Magic” using the “God’s Miracle” wielded by the clergy.
Unfortunately, because the technical systems differed, it wasn’t as simple as standard Hardening Magic, and it seemed to consume a great deal of her energy. Nevertheless, Amelia had reached a point where her productivity nearly matched Satsuki’s. If she continued to refine her technique, reaching Tania’s level of efficiency was no longer a mere dream.
It seemed that Archbishop Trantestar had been working behind the scenes of this “Holy Hardening Technique” development. He had apparently instructed several sisters to assist in Amelia’s research. It appeared he had some ambition of turning the convent into a production factory for adult artifacts.
But well, I decided to set that aside for now. There was no harm in it, and if things ever got out of hand, I figured I could ask Mother Marian to give him a good, stern wallop to settle him down.
With mass production now a reality, the remaining hurdle was sales. Like our other products, we intended to sell them in distant locations through the Tasogare Merchant Guild and the Church of Demon-Subjugation, but the Arse-series required a bit more care in handling.
If they were purchasing at our storefront, I could personally give them a long, thorough explanation, but that wouldn’t be possible at agencies or in far-off towns. Therefore, based on the materials I had created when seeking investment, I put together a simple “Rear-End Development Handbook.”
Any usage that did not follow this handbook was strictly at the user’s own risk. Furthermore, I decided to enforce a rule that first-time customers would not be sold anything other than the beginner’s set.
I wasn’t sure how strictly this would be followed, but ultimately, I had no choice but to trust the various agencies. I had already signed contracts stating that if problems arose, the responsibility would lie with them, so it should be fine.
Now, having said all that, I’m sure you can understand just how busy I’ve been. I certainly wasn’t putting off the problem. I did feel, just a tiny bit, that I had waited longer than intended, making it rather awkward to bring up…
”Oh my, oh my! So this is how the artifacts are manufactured desu!”
The person I had invited today was the young lady of the Garou Merchant Guild⁴, and Aerith, the wolf-beastman who was likely to become my wife. Though, considering I have to get Lily pregnant, and Tania and Laika are around, I’m not entirely sure if we’ll actually file a marriage certificate.
Aerith’s attire today was that of a lady who had accidentally wandered into the lower town. She wore an elegant, light blue one-piece dress. It had little ornamentation, but the design was flawless in its simplicity.
Watching her swing her gray tail—the same color as her hair—back and forth with excitement while touring the production process of adult magic tools was… well, I wasn’t sure if it was charming or something else entirely.
Regardless, the purpose of today wasn’t a factory tour, but to continue the conversation from that day. Normally, I should have been the one to visit her, but I thought showing her the actual workspace was the best way for her to truly understand the shop’s current situation. I guided her through the workshop, explaining our business status.
”As you can see, including myself, the shop has six employees. Among them, Sister Amelia and the court mage Satsuki are here on secondment, so I don’t know how long they can stay. If they leave, our production efficiency will drop by more than half, Kento said.”
”I see… In that case! If it ever comes to that, we can use the Garou Merchant Guild’s connections to find a mage desu! Aerith replied.”
”This is the warehouse where we keep the stock, and over here is the development lab. Though we usually just call it the experiment room… Ah, that way is the Slime-kun cultivation room, so please just take a peek. We have to adjust the temperature and humidity every time someone enters, Kento explained.”
”I had heard that you purchased the house next door, but this makes sense desu. I have a feeling it might still become quite cramped desu, Aerith observed.”
”The capital… basically the money we can use, is like this, and our current income and expenses are like this. I’ve calculated the profits for the Arse-series like so, Kento said, showing her the figures.”
”It’s a very sound management style desu. It looks like a business in the middle of a growth spurt desu… Aerith said quietly.”
”Regarding future plans, once the Arse-series sales are on track, I want to move into developing and selling high-end luxury items. Specifically, I’ve already developed a ‘High-Class Slime-kun’ with enhanced effects, and I’m thinking of making a ‘Wiggling-Buddy’ or a ‘Piston Machine,’ though they might end up being quite large… By the way, this is what they’re projected to look like, Kento said.”
”That’s wonderful desu! If you go through our merchant guild, we can find customers no matter how expensive the items are, so please feel free to proceed with development as you wish desu! Aerith exclaimed.”
”Next is the working schedule. I’m aiming for the shop to have a complete three-day weekend system. We fell behind when we re-released the Tremble-Ddo-Buddy⁵, but for this Arse-series launch, I plan to reduce working hours as much as possible, Kento stated.”
”Y-you’re going to have that many days off desu? N-no, I think it’s wonderful desu. To think you care so much even for the lives of your employees desu… Aerith muttered, looking surprised.”
”Aside from that, since it’s a workplace with many women, I want to ensure we have ‘heat cycle leave’ and ‘menstrual leave’ fully available. Even now, when someone feels unwell, I prescribe magic medicine and handle it by rubbing their bellies… After that, there’s ‘pregnancy and childbirth leave’ and ‘childcare leave.’ I want to be flexible with those, Kento added.”
”I-I see… You really are quite overprotective desu, aren’t you? I heard my mother was working on the very day she gave birth to me desu… Aerith said, looking a bit dazed.”
”I also want to make sure the welfare benefits are substantial. Injuries and illnesses aren’t a problem since I can make magic medicine, but I’d eventually like to plan a company trip… Ah, I usually make lunch myself. Sometimes dinner, too. It’s just about lunchtime, so you’ll eat with us, right, Aerith? Kento asked.”
”M-magic medicine is free desu…? It sounds like it would be a family trip desu… The owner himself cooks… Ah, yes, I would be happy to have some desu… Aerith replied.”
Perhaps because I had just spoken about everything in the order it came to mind, Aerith seemed to be worrying about something even during lunch. It was a sharp contrast to her happy expression from the morning.
I wondered if I had disappointed her. I had said a lot of nice-sounding things, but there were still many things I hadn’t been able to achieve. I was trying to run a clean business, and I thought I had built a workplace environment much better than the average worker’s in this world…
”Was the lunch not to your taste? It’s just commoner’s food, so please forgive me, Kento said.”
”N-no! It’s very delicious desu! Kento-san, did you perhaps run a restaurant before opening the magic tool shop desu? Aerith asked.”
”It wasn’t anything like that. I just happen to know a variety of different dishes, Kento said.”
”I-is that so desu… Aerith murmured.”
She really did seem to find it delicious, as her tail wagged back and forth while she ate the yakisoba-style pasta. However, her face remained clouded. It was strange; wasn’t she usually more dignified and the type to take the lead?
”Master, Master. You’ve been talking about nothing but the shop and management for a while now. It’s only natural that Aerith-sama would feel uneasy, Lily whispered, coming up to my side and advising me.”
She was right. Because she was the daughter of the Garou Merchant Guild, I had unconsciously slipped into a business-like way of talking.
”I’m sorry, Aerith. I didn’t mean it that way. Compared to the Garou Merchant Guild, this is just a tiny shop, and I wanted you to make a decision after knowing the full situation, Kento apologized.”
”T-that’s not it desu! After hearing everything, I felt even more strongly that I must not let you get away desu! It’s just, well, your story was so sincere that I didn’t know how to respond with anything other than my body or money desu…” Aerith said.
Aerith took my hand, her wolf ears drooping sadly. She didn’t look like the daughter of a great merchant guild or a femme fatale who had hunted many men; she looked like an ordinary woman her age. Seeing her like that…
”Alright, let’s go on a date. A real date, Kento declared.”
”Eh…? Aerith gasped.”
I decided then and there to take her all around the royal capital.
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Summary:
Kento prepares for the mass production of the new ‘Arse-series’ products, navigating the difficulties of cultivating slimes. He enlists the help of Sister Amelia, who develops a holy version of hardening magic for production. Kento invites Aerith to the shop to explain his business’s status and future plans. After a somewhat overly professional explanation, Kento realizes he has made Aerith uneasy. To rectify the situation, he asks her out on a proper date in the royal capital.
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Character Insight:
This chapter highlights Kento’s dual nature: his pragmatic, modern approach to business and employee welfare versus his occasional social denseness. Despite his success, he remains grounded, valuing the honesty of his workplace. Aerith, meanwhile, shows a more vulnerable side. Despite her high status, she is genuinely moved by Kento’s sincerity and feels inadequate in the face of his holistic care for his staff, revealing that she values emotional connection over mere financial or physical transactions.
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Behind the Scene:
The author uses the ‘Slime-kun’ cultivation as a way to contrast the grosser ‘easy’ methods of the world with Kento’s more sanitary, albeit expensive, modern sensibilities.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Satsuki – A talented Court Mage who was forced to analyze the shop’s adult magic tools. Miranda’s granddaughter. Now she’s the new worker at Harvest, a development she finds both humiliating and surprisingly fulfilling due to the rapid progress in her research under Kento’s guidance. Has long black hair, palace mage robe, and staff.
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Trantestar – The middle-aged man Archbishop of Canarias and the initiator of the current trial. He is an alleged ally of Kento but remains suspiciously neutral.
• Marian – A ‘Mother’ and supervisor from the Church of Demon-Subjugation. Her appearance and demeanor defy the Church’s purported ‘chastity,’ instead she has wavy purple long hair, busty, black nun, tear mole under eye, and monroe walk. She has arrived with a clear purpose: to confront Kento about the ‘Devil’s Stick.
• Aerith – A wolf beast-person and Ouka’s daughter. She is intensely attracted to Kento’s creative genius and is not shy about showing her interest. Have gray fur hair and tail, wearing elegant dress.
• Laika – The beastwoman dog.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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