Chapter 459 Breeding Plan ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”So, Master, is there anything else we should watch out for?” I asked.
”Hm? Me?” Kogima replied.
”Yeah. You’re definitely holding something back.”
”Well, I wonder about that…”
It was a research meeting regarding monster breeding. I had just finished listening to an explanation of potential breeding sites from Ray, the Viscount of Nixfen, who was providing the land. I turned my attention toward my alchemy mentor, Sir Pigole Kogima. He was staring intently at the map, looking for all the world like he had a secret he was itching to spill.
”I’m curious as well,” said Kushe, the head court mage of Coalmine. “I’d love to hear the insights of the renowned Master Kogima, the leading authority on monster materials. Surely you aren’t in the dark? You belong to the lineage of the great Master Orguru¹, after all.”
Kushe nudged my master, who seemed uncharacteristically hesitant to speak. I’d never heard of this “Master Orguru.” If he really was part of the old man’s master’s lineage like she said, that would make me the latest-and least-link in that chain.
I tilted my head and glanced to the side. Satsuki, our own country’s court mage, looked just as clueless as I was. My apprentice, Mailse Nina, however, had a knowing look on her face, as if she’d just put two and two together. I looked back at the old man, and he finally opened his mouth as if resigning himself to fate.
”…You’ve certainly done your homework for someone so young,” Kogima said. “I suppose you aren’t the head court mage for nothing.”
”Master, who exactly is this ‘Master Orguru’?”
”He was my master’s… well, his master’s master from three generations back. From your perspective, that makes him your ancestor five times removed.”
This was news to me. I knew my master’s mentor and some of their research, but anything further back was a total blank. Actually, I remembered the old man telling me once that “it’s better if you don’t know.” Given how this conversation was going, I was starting to see why.
”‘The Alchemist of Chaos’² he was called. A great magic-user. He messed up in various ways and had his name erased from many places. But to anyone in the know, if you’re an alchemist researching monster materials in the Western Nations, it’s impossible not to have some connection to him.”
”Wait, what kind of ‘messed up’ are we talking about?”
”Heh heh. Kento, are you seriously telling me you don’t know? I just assumed that was the whole point. Look, even your apprentice seems to be on the same page.”
I bristled at being left out of the loop, but Nina did look like she’d already figured it out. She looked more surprised by my confusion than by the name itself. If a sister of the Church was okay with it, it couldn’t be that heretical… right?
”…Nina, you know about this too?”
”Ah, well, of course? I mean, I completely thought The Master was just carrying on his ‘research’ this whole time…”
”…If all three of you know, would one of you just tell me already?” I snapped.
The three of them traded looks. My master looked like he’d just swallowed a lemon, Kushe looked like she was having the time of her life, and Nina just gave me a pained smile. Then, they all spoke at once:
”That is–“
”That is, of course–“
”Umm, that is–“
”–‘The Slime that only dissolves clothes.’” “It is.” “It’s that…”
”–Huh?”
Yeah. Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t hear them. I just really, really wanted to pretend I hadn’t. I knew I was the last person who should be judging anyone, but still… I’d actually felt a spark of genuine respect for the alchemist who’d managed to make such a ridiculous idea a reality. But finding out that guy was practically my great-great-grandfather?
”…When you started designing those idiotic magic circuits, I held my head in my hands wondering what kind of karma I was dealing with,” Kogima muttered. “And when you started selling those slimes meant to be… inserted… I thought the world was truly coming to an end.”
Yes, I am terribly sorry. My master’s patience was even more legendary than I’d realized. I didn’t want to find out like this, though. If I had to sum up my feelings in one phrase, it was “Are you for real?…” I didn’t know whether to be impressed or horrified. Anyway…
”…So… Master. Do you actually know how to breed Master Orguru’s ‘clothes-dissolving slimes’?”
”Don’t be a fool. The Church saw to it that the research was thoroughly erased. However… my master did pass down a few techniques regarding the breeding of ‘acceptable’ monsters that that alchemist and his followers tinkered with. Specifically, knowledge regarding tentacles that narrowly avoided being classified as Forbidden Tools³…”
”Oh…”
Come to think of it, one of the old man’s inventions was a defense system using a plant-monster called ‘Spooky Ivy.’ I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Or is it just that birds of a feather flock together…?
”By the way, Nina, does the Church know about all this?”
”Of course we do. Master, you seem to think the Church wants to brand everything a heresy, but honestly, we’d rather not get involved if we can help it. It’s a huge headache to get on a mage’s bad side. Though, it sounds like you’re already halfway there…”
I remembered the look on my master’s face when I’d asked him about ‘Sacred Artificers’ before. To mages, the Church is a nuisance, but I guess it’s a two-way street.
Well, after that bombshell, there was only one thing left to do. I tried to pull the conversation back together before the atmosphere completely fell apart.
”…Our shop’s motto is ‘Safety and Peace of Mind.’ Everyone, please keep that in mind! Master, so we don’t repeat the mistakes of Master Orguru, can we get your professional opinion on the plan again…?”
”…Umu, it can’t be helped, I suppose.”
My master finally steeled himself, and we dove into a serious discussion on how to avoid any “worst-case scenarios.” First, for the Fenoro Forest site, we’d need a high-level barrier. Kushe volunteered for that immediately.
Next was the safety of the locals. Apparently, the Church only steps in once civilians start getting hurt. We hammered out a crisis management plan with Nina’s input.
”Phew… Is, is this much okay? Then, I’d finally like to ask about the breeding method for the ‘Pororo Snail’…”
”Umu. For the time being, there’s nothing for it but to try releasing them.”
”No, is it really okay to do it that simply!?”
”It won’t be simple. This is the most strictly regulated crisis-response plan I’ve ever seen. Kento, make sure you document everything. This isn’t the kind of data we can go public with yet, but it’ll be an invaluable resource for future generations.”
”Ah, the Church would appreciate a copy of those records too. It’ll serve as an excuse in case of a ‘worst-case scenario.’”
”I was planning to do that anyway, but…”
”Umu, the rest comes down to constant observation. Have you decided who’s going to handle the fieldwork? You can’t leave the capital.”
”Yeah, Kushe is going to handle it.”
”Nn, leave it to me-! I’ll be staying with Viscount Nixfen and keeping daily logs.”
”Then we just need to finalize the recording format and the maintenance schedule. It would be nice if they just bred on their own, but it’s rarely that simple. We need to know what they eat, if they’re egg-layers, and what kind of nests they prefer. For starters, we need to determine how to tell the males from the females–“
In this way, the discussion became more heated than I’d expected, and we ended up continuing the meeting until late. …Honestly, I wanted to think about the breeding of other monsters too, but that’ll have to be for another time.
—
Summary:
During a meeting to plan monster breeding in the Fenoro Forest, Kento discovers his alchemical lineage trace back to Master Orguru, the creator of the infamous ‘clothes-dissolving slime.’ Despite the embarrassment, the group develops a rigorous crisis management plan. The chapter concludes with the team preparing to monitor the breeding of Pororo Snails.
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Trivia:
- Kento’s ‘butt-slimes’ are actually a hereditary alchemical trait.
- The Church (Nina) is surprisingly lenient about lewd research as long as mages aren’t antagonized and civilians are safe.
- Kogima has been quietly tolerating Kento’s degenerate inventions because he recognized the lineage.
- Kushe is the one who will be doing the daily observation on-site
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Character Insight:
Kogima shows significant depth as a mentor by admitting his own connection to forbidden research. Kento experiences a mix of shame and pride in his ‘ancestral’ calling.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘clothes-dissolving slime’ is a meta-commentary on common ecchi tropes in light novels.
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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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Kento – Lord Harvest—the unassuming owner of the Harvest magic tool shop (with a discreet adult goods side). An isekai’d Japanese salaryman resembling Kazuma Satou, with dark hair and basic magic for crafting. Recently triumphed over a Great Dragon; now juggles his harem, tinkering, and ties to Amelia and the Queen at Ddo-Buddy Manor.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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