Chapter 396 Days of Research ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”What do you think you’re doing, you layabout? Sleeping in a place like this again…”
”Nngh…! Mnn…. Oh, Master…”
I rubbed my crusty eyes and gave a massive, bone-popping stretch before curling back into a ball. Looming over me with a look of pure exasperation was my alchemy mentor, Kogima Pigole¹.
”I’d like an upgrade, please,” I muttered.
”I don’t know exactly what you mean by that, but I can tell you’re being disrespectful. You bratty apprentice!” Kogima barked.
Look, if I’m going to be woken up, I’d much rather it be by a total babe than some crusty old geezer. I was only saying what every man on earth was thinking, but the old man just kicked me over for my honesty. Once it comes to this, there’s no point in trying to stay down.
”Ow, ow, ow… Give me a break, will you? Try to see it from my perspective-waking up to your mug first thing in the morning is a nightmare,” I said.
”Shut your mouth! You delinquent! You don’t have an ounce of respect for your master! Besides, it’s hardly ‘morning’!”
Startled by his words, I scrambled to my feet and looked around. I was in the warehouse of Research Lab No. 2, my usual haunt lately. Between my daily rounds checking on the four pregnant girls, our nightly “experiments”², and various errands, I rarely saw the sun. It was only natural I’d lose track of time.
Still, waking up to the sight of an old man followed by a pile of monster carcasses lacked any sort of aesthetic grace. It was all so utilitarian. But more importantly, what time was it? This room had no windows to keep the materials fresh. Seeing me standing there like a dazed idiot, Master Kogima let out a heavy sigh.
”It’s nearly midnight. I don’t know when you crashed, but if you’re passing out at this hour, you’re clearly overworking yourself. You were so still I was worried you’d actually kicked the bucket,” Kogima said.
”Ah, well… I guess I just pushed myself a little too hard last night…”
True, things had been hectic lately. Between the trade route negotiations, acting as a tutor for His Highness the Royal Brother, running the shop, and researching new products, my plate was overflowing. But the truth was I’d just been a bit too “active” in the bedroom the night before. He actually sounded worried, though, so I felt a bit guilty. Better to play it off before he really got mad.
”Never mind that. Are you doing okay, Master? Researching at this hour…”
”I’m fine. I just finished putting the kids to bed. My brain just switched on, and I couldn’t sleep,” he replied.
”Ah, I know that feeling. So, what are you working on?”
”Hmph. Good timing. You’re helping.”
I literally just woke up, man. I grumbled internally while yawning and followed him. Without even waiting for an answer, Kogima marched into the depths of the warehouse. By the time I caught up, he was already rummaging through the shelves.
”Monica’s Forest? I thought I’d already picked that place clean,” I noted.
Kogima was eyeing materials from the very first area I’d ever scouted. My conclusion back then was that there wasn’t much of value there. Most of the monsters were the same common types you’d find near the capital. Even the ones that had migrated from the Forest of Ur³ to the south were interesting, sure, but I hadn’t found a practical use for them yet.
I shared my thoughts with him. I didn’t think Kogima would waste his time on nothing, but he just sighed again, lamenting his “hopeless” apprentice. I couldn’t help but smirk, covering my mouth to hide it. Don’t get me wrong-it’s not that I’ve developed a thing for being scolded by an old man. It’s just that it made me happy to realize there was still so much I could learn from him.
Even though I’d technically graduated and opened my own magic circuit shop, I knew I hadn’t mastered everything during that short apprenticeship. That’s why I kept pestering him at his house and why I invited him to this joint lab in the first place. I wanted more.
There’s a certain joy in being a professional, walking a path with no right answers, and still being able to see your mentor’s broad back leading the way ahead of you. I hope he keeps treating me like a rookie forever. While I was lost in thought, Kogima found what he was looking for.
”A Giant Bear?” I asked.
”Exactly. It’s right in front of you, isn’t it?”
Kogima grinned at me. The Giant Bear is exactly what it sounds like-a massive bear, and incredibly common around here. I’d been chased by one near the capital once, so it left an impression… a bad one.
”What’s the plan for it?”
”We start with the butchery. Get to work.”
When the master commands, the apprentice obeys. I used Kogima’s magic to haul the carcass to the processing area in the corner of the warehouse. Funnily enough, because I’d been helping the Prince with his “part-time job” lately, I’d become quite the pro at skinning these things.
I made quick work of it-slitting the belly, hauling out the organs, and harvesting the claws and fangs. Anything we didn’t need for the research, I figured we could dump on the Adventurer’s Guild for some extra coin.
”Phew… That should do it. But Master, it really just looks like an average Giant Bear to me,” I said.
”Heh, don’t be so impatient. I think we hit the jackpot with this one.”
I still didn’t have a clue what he was getting at. Feeling a spark of excitement, I watched as he started digging through the pile of guts we’d just removed. Then, it clicked.
”Ah…!”
”You see it now? Even if it’s the same species, they don’t all eat the same things, do they? Look at this stomach-it’s packed tight! This one was a greedy bastard. Or maybe it just woke up from hibernation and was making up for lost time,” Kogima explained.
He slapped the bulging stomach. It was huge enough to swallow a man whole, and it was stuffed to the limit. Usually, after hibernation, bears stick to easy-to-digest stuff like wild greens. Giant Bears are mostly the same, but with a body that big, maybe they need a more caloric “recovery” meal.
Regardless, Kogima was grinning like a madman as he sliced the stomach open with a wet schlick. Both of us were covered in bear fluids by now-we must have looked like total psychos-but I couldn’t stop smiling either.
The contents were a foul, half-melted slurry. The stench was enough to sting the nostrils and make your stomach turn, but my curiosity was stronger. I dove right in, and the treasure hunt began.
”Hmm, definitely an omnivore. Fruits, some meat… It looks standard for this region, but wait-hey, start sorting these by type. Accuracy doesn’t matter, just get them in piles,” he ordered.
”You got it!”
We worked in sync, picking through the stomach contents. We separated the animal bits from the plant matter, grouping anything recognizable. Once we had the piles, we’d use magic to wash away the filth and do a deep dive into the data-figuring out exactly what this bear had been hunting and how.
You can learn a lot from a pile of half-rotted meat. If a bear eats every single scrap of its prey, it means it’s starving. If it’s being picky, it means it’s living the high life-or it’s too scared to stay in one place for long.
For example, this bear had swallowed a Killer Bee whole. Usually, they only go for the soft abdomen, but this one ate the head, the legs, and even the stinger. It was full, but it didn’t have the luxury of being picky. Definitely a sign of the ecosystem being disrupted by those Forest of Ur refugees.
”This is good. When things get shaken up like this, they start eating things they’d usually avoid. We might find something truly rare. Let’s crack open the others!”
”Right behind you!”
In that dark room, we spent the whole night joyfully hacking apart monsters. And as a result, the next morning, we both got an absolute earful from our families while trying to keep our heavy eyelids open.
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Summary:
The protagonist is woken up at midnight by his alchemy mentor, Kogima, in their joint research lab. Despite his exhaustion from multiple jobs and a busy night, he joins Kogima in a late-night butchery session. They discover that local Giant Bears are eating atypical prey, suggesting an ecological shift caused by monsters fleeing from the Forest of Ur.
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Trivia:
- The protagonist is supporting four pregnant women.
- The protagonist has a ‘part-time job’ helping the Prince with butchery.
- Monica’s Forest was the first area the protagonist explored.
- Giant Bears are common, but their diet change is the key plot point here.
- The lab has no windows to preserve materials
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Character Insight:
The protagonist shows a deep, underlying respect for Kogima, enjoying the fact that he still has things to learn despite his own professional success. Kogima shows a fatherly concern for the protagonist’s health, despite his gruff exterior.
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Behind the Scenes:
The term ‘experiment’ is a recurring euphemism in this series for adult activities, maintaining the ‘magic shop’ theme.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Kogima – Kento’s alchemy master. A middle-aged man who is a henpecked husband to his wife, Josephine.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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