Chapter 376 Expansion Plan ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The looming shortage of monster materials was the biggest hurdle for my expansion plan. But the real obstacle wasn’t the supply line – it was the Church. Since the “Ddo-Buddy”¹ trial cleared my shop of heresy, we had maintained a decent relationship, but this was different.
The goal this time was breeding monsters. As the formal name “Church of Demon Subjugation” indicated, their entire mission was the eradication of monsters to ensure human peace. My plan to actively increase the monster population was the polar opposite of their doctrine. I expected a fight.
Still, I had the Queen’s backing. As Her Majesty pointed out, my shop carried the personal endorsement of Lady Loire-Rose, the presumed Saint. Since the trial, I had been funneling “gifts” to her through Archbishop Trantestar of the Canarias Cathedral. She had blessed the “Tremble Ddo-Buddy” line so publicly that I doubted the Church would turn on me now.
With those calculations running through my head, I visited the Canarias Cathedral, only to find the Archbishop was out. Apparently, he was at the convent. Since Mother Marian’s departure, the Archbishop had been pulling double duty as the acting administrator of the Canarias Convent.
He’s a surprisingly hard worker for a man who looks that shifty, I thought, heading toward the patchwork stone buildings of the convent. I used to visit almost every day, but as I approached, I noticed the neighboring lot was unusually loud.
”Archbishop,” I called out.
”Ah, Lord Harvest!”
Archbishop Trantestar turned toward me. He was dressed in more practical, mobile vestments than usual, clutching a stack of blueprints. He was standing in a gap where a fence had stood only days ago. The convent and the neighboring plot were now a single, open space.
”Is this the expansion you mentioned?” I asked.
”Indeed. Sister Amelia was spearheading this project. I was hoping to wait for her return, but it’s taking longer than expected, so I decided to break ground myself,” he replied.
The convent had turned a tidy profit manufacturing our goods, and they were reinvesting that gold into a new workshop. Amelia had secured the neighboring property before she left for the West to handle the “Stampede,” and the Archbishop had picked up the slack.
”And what brings you here, Lord Harvest? Do you have business with me?” the Archbishop asked.
”Yes. We’re preparing to build a new factory, and I wanted to give you a formal report,” I said.
”That’s excellent news! Honestly, I’ve had it up to here with the Holy City’s constant nagging for more stock. It’s a godsend. Really, if mass production were as easy as they seem to think, I wouldn’t have a grey hair on my head. But let’s not stand around in the dirt. Come inside.”
The reputation of Amelia and the “Holy Labor Corps” had skyrocketed after they took down those two Great Dragons. Since they were known users of our products, demand in the Holy City had reached a fever pitch. It was the primary reason I needed the new factory.
We sat in the convent’s reception room to discuss the current production cycles.
”So, where is this new facility going to be?” he asked.
”A certain noble stepped forward. We’ll be building on their land,” I replied.
”Oh? Keeping the location a secret, are we?”
”For now. It’s still in the early stages, but you’ll know soon enough,” I said.
I considered telling him, but the “monster breeding” aspect was too sensitive. If things went south, I didn’t want to drag the Nixfen territory down with me.
”Fair enough. When can we expect the supply to increase?” the Archbishop asked.
”Regarding that, you can actually increase your local allocation immediately,” I told him.
”Oh? How so?”
”I’ve decided the new factory will handle all exports to the West and South. Currently, your workshop handles the Southern shipments, doesn’t it? You can reallocate that entire portion to the Holy City instead,” I explained.
”I see! That’s a massive weight off my shoulders. I might even be able to look into hiring more staff around here…”
”I’ll leave the details to you,” I said, “but please try not to make Mother Marian angry when she returns.”
”Hahaha! Leave it to me. This is a massive business opportunity; I won’t let it slip through my fingers,” he said.
Talking to this man always felt more like a boardroom meeting than a religious consultation. I didn’t mind as long as our interests aligned, though I secretly worried he’d start selling “Amelia-branded buns” the moment I turned my back.
Now that he was in a good mood, it was time for the real talk. I gauged his expression and started in a roundabout way.
”There is one potential issue, however…”
”Hmm? What’s on your mind? Out with it,” he urged.
”It’s more of a concern for the future. If we keep ramping up production, I’m worried the Pororo Snail”² population will crash,” I said.
”I see…” The Archbishop’s smile vanished. The Pororo Snail was the core ingredient of the “Tremble Ddo-Buddy.” If the snails died out, his primary source of income died with them.
”The Pororo Snail is quite rare. My research suggests they don’t exist anywhere outside the forests near the Royal Capital. We might find another colony if we look, but it’s a gamble,” I explained.
”That makes sense. It explains why no one else discovered the ‘vibration reaction’ before you did. So, are you saying we’ve hit our limit?” he asked.
This was the moment. Once I said it, there was no going back. I met his sharp gaze.
”Not necessarily. If possible… I’d like to increase their numbers,” I said.
”That is…”
He didn’t scream “Heresy!” or call the guards. Instead, he leaned back, his brow furrowed in deep thought. It wasn’t an enthusiastic “yes,” but it wasn’t a “no.”
”I want to conduct breeding experiments on the noble’s land. Think of it like a ranch. We’d start by releasing a controlled number into the forest and monitoring them,” I said.
”You certainly have a knack for the outrageous. Monster breeding…”
”Is it impossible?” I asked.
”From my position as an Archbishop? I can’t exactly give you a public thumbs-up,” he muttered.
I figured as much. The Archbishop crossed his arms, groaning under his breath. It would have been so much easier if he’d just laughed it off.
”Let’s see…” he whispered. “The favor of Lady Loire-Rose… plus the support of the various nuns… plus the contribution to ‘spiritual training’… plus Sister Amelia’s heroics. Not to mention your magic weapons taking down two Dragons. We weigh all that against Church doctrine and the backlash from the traditionalists.”
”What about my history with the Inquisition?” I asked.
”Lady Loire-Rose’s blessing wiped that slate clean. Still, the hardliners will complain…”
He kept muttering to himself, running the numbers. He hadn’t reached his position through faith alone; he was a master of political equilibrium. Finally, he looked up.
”Honestly? It’s a net negative,” he said.
”I see…” My heart sank. If the Church’s opposition was going to be that strong, I might have to accept that our production had a ceiling.
”Which is why,” he said, leaning in, “we’re going to do it in secret.”
”…What?”
”And another thing – I’ll start greasing the wheels with the people who only care about gold. In the meantime, I need you to keep doing things that make the Church look good. Deepen those ties,” he said.
He was a corrupt monk through and through. I had underestimated just how flexible his morals were. He held up a hand, making a circle with his thumb and forefinger – the universal sign for money.
”And about that ‘Project Harvest’ you mentioned? I’d be very happy if you ‘got to work’ on that soon. I’m counting on you, Lord Harvest,” he said.
He then poked his index finger in and out of the circle he’d made with his other hand, a lecherous grin spreading across his face. I sighed. I never knew whether I could actually trust this man, or if he was just the most useful sinner I’d ever met.
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Summary:
Harvest visits Archbishop Trantestar to discuss expanding production and a risky plan to breed monsters (Pororo Snails) to prevent material depletion. Despite the plan’s heretical nature, the Archbishop agrees to support it secretly in exchange for bribes and social maneuvers. The chapter ends with a lewd gesture from the Archbishop, pressuring Harvest to start ‘Project Harvest’.
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Trivia:
- The Church’s official name is ‘Church of Demon Subjugation’.
- Amelia is currently away in the West dealing with a ‘Stampede’.
- The Pororo Snails only live in a specific forest near the Royal Capital.
- The ‘vibration reaction’ is a technical property discovered by Harvest for his products.
- The Archbishop is balancing political influence from the Saint, the Queen, and the Holy City demands
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Character Insight:
Trantestar is confirmed to be a pragmatist (or ‘corrupt monk’) who prioritizes profit and political survival over strict religious dogma. Harvest shows growth in strategic thinking by leveraging the Archbishop’s greed to bypass Church doctrine.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘circle and finger’ gesture is a common Japanese euphemism for s*xual acts, used here by the Archbishop to reference the ‘Project Harvest’ adult goods project.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Loire-Rose – The current Saintess, possessing a divine appearance yet a modern, playful, and irreverent attitude that clashes with Church tradition. She has white hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and wears clergy robes.
• 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.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Nixfen – A viscount aristocrat who has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district. He is described as a ‘pretty boy’ or ‘gentle-looking man’ (yasao) but is a territory-holding noble likely trained in combat.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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