Chapter 458 Breeding Plan
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Not long after, Coalmine’s chief court mage, Kushe¹, returned to the capital.
Along with her came Ray, the Viscount of Nixfen.
To tackle the current agenda, I also requested the presence of the court mage Satsuki, my disciple Nina-Mailse, and my alchemy mentor, Master Kogima Pigole.
We all gathered at the “Second Lab”² in the northwest district of the Royal Capital.
”Phew… finally made it back.”
”Doesn’t feel like you were gone that long,” I remarked.
”It was basically a whirlwind trip. How did you even manage to slip away?”
”Don’t make me sound like a fugitive! I handled everything properly. I just put all the likely questions into a written report before I left. Besides, His Highness Ierse seemed just as eager to see me off.”
”If you say so…”
Kushe acted as if she owned the place, messing with the experimental equipment without a second thought.
This mad scientist might be a handful, but she certainly gets the job done.
What bothered me was why Her Highness, the Crown Princess, wanted to “send her back.”
They’re clearly after our technology, but since having Kushe around is an undeniable help, I’m in a tough spot.
They likely let her return with just enough info on the “Ddo-Buddy Cannon”³ to satisfy them, while tasking her with finding new tech—or offering her own expertise to put us in their debt.
His Highness certainly knows how to utilize someone like Kushe.
If that’s the play, I’ll just have to make sure I make the most of this opportunity.
”Or would you have preferred me to say… I rushed back because I missed you?” Kushe asked.
”Sure. Try to be a bit more romantic next time.”
”Hmph. You could at least try to give me a cute reaction.”
”That can wait. We have work to do first.”
”Yes, yes. You really are a slave driver,” Kushe replied.
As we talked, I spread a map across the large desk we’d cleared for the meeting.
It was a map of the Nixfen territory, courtesy of Viscount Ray.
It was massive—larger than my full arm span—and detailed enough to show every small town and village.
Crucially, it included terrain and vegetation data.
”Alright, thank you for coming,” I said. “As I mentioned before, today’s agenda is… the breeding of monsters.”
The idle chatter died down as everyone turned toward me.
This was mostly an introduction between Master Kogima and the rest of the group.
Satsuki and Kushe were already close after working on the “Ddo-Buddy Cannon,” but Ray and Nina were essentially strangers.
Despite the difference between a provincial noble and a court official, they exchanged proper, stiff greetings.
From Nina’s perspective, the old man was her master’s master.
She was clearly nervous greeting a “Sacred Artificer,” but Kogima had already promised not to interfere with my decisions.
”I have to say,” Kogima remarked, “even for my own disciple, you’ve picked a hell of a theme to tackle.”
”It’s a necessity for the future. And for the record, I’ve secured permission from the Church—or rather, from the Holy Eminence himself.”
”Hmph. Slime breeding is common enough,” Kogima said with a nod. “And as an alchemist who uses monster parts, the thought has crossed my mind more than once.”
I glanced at Nina, who gave a sharp nod.
She wasn’t just here as a student; she was the Church’s watchdog.
Everything she saw would go straight back to the Holy Eminence.
Our shop’s motto is “Safety and Satisfaction,” and this research required the same level of care.
”Here’s the breakdown,” I continued. “The goal is breeding the ‘Gurgle Snail’⁴, whose population is starting to dwindle. As you know, these are the primary material for our ‘Tremble-Ddo-Buddy’⁵. We need a stable supply, but since they only live in the forests near the capital, our stock is at risk.”
”True,” Kogima agreed. “Most people ignore them because they’re useless for anything else, but they really don’t exist anywhere else.”
”Exactly. That’s why we’ve asked Viscount Ray for help. We’re going to see if we can breed them in the Nixfen forests. Ray, can you give us the report?”
”You got it,” Ray said, standing up to point at the map. “This is the capital, Fenoro. This road leads to the main highway toward the Royal Capital. Nixfen is small, but as you can see, we have plenty of untamed land. These are potato fields, and over here we grow wheat. Most settlements are along the roads, so in terms of monster habitats—”
Ray explained the local geography, the existing monster populations, and the climate.
Essential data if we wanted to successfully relocate a species.
Satsuki and Kushe listened intently; they’d traveled these roads during the “Stampede” and were likely cross-referencing their memories with the map.
”Our first choice is this forest near the capital,” Ray said. “Locals just call it ‘The Forest,’ but let’s call it ‘Fenoro Forest’ for now. It’s small, isolated, and has a river running through it—just like the snails’ current home. The deep interior is dark and damp, perfect for Gurgle Snails. Plus, it’s close by. It’s easy for us to manage, and even if we hire adventurers, they’re all based in the city anyway.”
”One question,” Satsuki interrupted.
”Go ahead, Satsuki.”
”How much foot traffic does this forest get? If people are constantly wandering in and out, it’s not going to work for a research site.”
”A fair point,” Ray replied. “But the answer is: almost none. People only go into the outskirts to pick herbs. The forest belongs to the Nixfen family; we used to hunt there, but there’s nothing left worth hunting. The only people who go deep inside are the family kids whenever they’re shoved in for a dare.”
Ray walked us through a second and third candidate, but they all had issues—either being too far away or having too many dangerous monsters.
Kogima seemed intrigued by one specific detail, though.
He suggested that a total lack of threats might actually be a problem.
Apparently, some monsters won’t breed unless they feel a certain amount of environmental stress.
If Gurgle Snails were like that, Fenoro Forest might be too safe.
I wondered how he knew that.
He must have tried his hand at monster breeding in the past.
Either way, the “Gurgle Snail Breeding Plan” was officially in motion.
—
Summary:
The protagonist assembles a team of experts at the Second Lab to launch a breeding program for the Gurgle Snail, the key ingredient for their best-selling adult goods. Kushe returns from Coalmine with political baggage, while Ray provides a map of the Nixfen territory to locate a new habitat. The chapter ends with the group identifying Fenoro Forest as the primary site, despite concerns about whether the environment is ‘stressful’ enough for the snails to breed.
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Trivia:
- Kushe and Satsuki worked together on the Ddo-Buddy Cannon previously.
- Nina is acting as a direct informant for the Church/Holy Eminence.
- The ‘Gurgle Snail’ is only found near the Royal Capital currently, making the business vulnerable.
- Master Kogima hints at having attempted monster breeding himself in the past.
- There is a political undertone: Coalmine is trying to ‘sell favors’ by sending Kushe back
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Character Insight:
The protagonist demonstrates strong project management skills, balancing political interests (Church, Coalmine, local Nobility) while maintaining his primary goal of securing his shop’s supply chain.
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Behind the Scenes:
This chapter shifts from the ‘Stampede’ arc into a ‘Management/Resource’ arc, a common trope in isekai where the protagonist focuses on industrializing magic world resources.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Kushe – Chief Mage of the Coalmine Kingdom—a blunt, mischievous court mage and Kento’s companion. Dark green hair worn haphazardly under a loose robe, she’s assertive, knee-complaining, and leaks secrets to push things forward.
• 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.
• Ray – A Viscount with flaxen-gold hair in a men’s wolf cut. Possesses a sweet mask and a prince-like aura. It is revealed at the end that Ray is actually a woman. She has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district.
• Nina-Mailse – Sacred Artificer from the Holy City with short violet hair and those thick, bottle‑bottom glasses that somehow still look good. A Ward from a big Purist family in the Wielope Empire, but she ditched the whole fundamentalist thing. Sticks close to the Saint and might end up as Kento’s apprentice in the Church of Demon‑Subjugation. Smart, loyal, and quietly rebellious.
• Satsuki – Miranda’s granddaughter—a talented court mage with long black hair, staff, and palace robes. Prickly tsundere companion of Kento who fought in the dragon subjugation. Now humiliated yet fulfilled as Harvest’s new worker, her research thrives under his guidance while she whispers romantic tips to Amelia.
• Kogima – Kento’s alchemy master. A middle-aged man who is a henpecked husband to his wife, Josephine.
• Ierse – The Crown Princess and wife of Gilliam, originally from a foreign land. She is described as lively and healthy with a unique charm. She wants to cheer up her husband. Has long haired hair.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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