LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 76
Under pressure, the investigator faced straightforward charges: “Intentional negligence and interference in the investigation of the Crown Prince’s whereabouts.” Mishandling the missing case of the Crown Prince was considered a severe crime.
“If you’re unlucky, it could be a death sentence, or at least a lifetime in prison, right?”
“Probably so, huh.”
“I suppose so. Anyway, the Crown Prince is safely back, and here we are, sweating under the scorching sun, tsk tsk. It’s exhausting.”
“What are you talking about? It’s good for us to have something to do because of this.”
“Well, it’s been a long time since we’ve had such a big project.”
“That’s true. It’s good for us contractors when construction works come in.”
The robust old man laughed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The mayor’s residence was now a construction site, where a Minotaur ran wild a few days ago. Workers could be seen carrying materials and sweating at various places on the site where they were restoring the damaged buildings and gardens.
The elderly construction contractor said,
“By the way, did you go to the dock yesterday?”
“Huh? No, I was at home.”
“Is that so? You missed a good spectacle?”
“A spectacle?”
“The Minotaur brought by the Crown Prince.”
“Oh, I heard about that. Is it real?”
“Of course.”
“Did you see it yourself?”
“Haha. Of course.”
The old man laughed heartily.
“All of a sudden, the sea was churning. Then, lo and behold, a Minotaur bigger than a house, cleaved through the sea water and sprang onto the dock. And around its neck, the Crown Prince was seated.”
“You must have been quite surprised.”
“I was. At first, I couldn’t even breathe, I couldn’t believe it. I thought my old age had gotten to me. And the Minotaur, supposedly rough and fierce, was obediently following the Crown Prince’s commands. Moving as the Prince gestured, breaking iron bars, moving like an aquatic creature.”
“Really… did he really tame it?”
“The Minotaur? The Crown Prince?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I don’t know about that. But probably…”
“Probably?”
“He subdued it?”
“Subdued… it?”
“Yes.”
“But, sir.”
“Hmm?”
“How could a normal person like the Crown Prince subdue a monster like the Minotaur, it sounds a bit…”
“Do you think it’s impossible?”
“Yes. Wasn’t the Crown Prince abducted by the Minotaur that night? But to subdue the monster after being abducted… it sounds a bit… unbelievable.”
“Indeed. I would have doubted it too, if I hadn’t heard the testimony.”
“Testimony?”
The man tilted his head. The old man lowered his voice with a meaningful look.
“… Actually, this is a bit of a sensitive story. Are you confident you can keep your mouth shut?”
“What exactly are you talking about?”
“Shh. Keep your voice down. It’s nothing else but, I heard that the Crown Prince can grow as big as the Minotaur.”
“… What?”
“Ahem. I said keep your voice down.”
“But how can such a preposterous…”
“It’s not preposterous. Do you know my nephew?”
“I do. Didn’t you say he had joined the crew of a personal sailing ship?”
“He saw it himself. That night, when the Minotaur was running wild.”
“… Really?”
“Yes. He said the Crown Prince somehow grew as large as the Minotaur. He even saw him fighting the Minotaur and stabbing large spikes into its back and neck.”
“Was your nephew drunk?”
“Rubbish. Did he have time to drink in that situation? Other crew members also saw it.”
“…”
“So what I’m saying is, it seems like the Crown Prince really did defeat and subdue the Minotaur.”
“Haha…..”
“This is not something to laugh about. Think about it. What kind of monster is a Minotaur? Isn’t it a fierce creature, even more than the brutal Ogre that’s known to be fierce? And would such a Minotaur listen to a weaker being? Even if they were polite?”
“Hmm, well, that’s true when you put it that way.”
“Right?”
“Yes, I see your point. I just remembered something.”
“What is it?”
“There was a widely spread rumor in the Empire… Have you ever heard rumors of the ‘Supreme Crown Prince’?”
Interest appeared on the old man’s face. The man continued his story, and the ears of the laborers carrying goods around perked up.
The ‘Supreme Crown Prince’ rumor, which seemed plausible even without any evidence, spread secretly in Cremo. Far off in the garden area, the Minotaur Uruus was casually grazing on grass, chasing a swarm of flies by swishing its tail.
The chased away swarm of flies scattered. One of them caught a sunbeam and flew up. It went up to the window of the third floor of the semi-remaining mayor building. And then it crashed into someone’s finger.
Tic-!
“But this Minotaur…”
Demian, who had just swatted a fly trying to enter through the window, asked, looking down at the Uruus in the garden below.
“How exactly did His Majesty tame it?”
“Tamed?”
Raciel, who was asked, smiled subtly. He petted the little creatures, Kozumi and Poboki, who had been clinging to him like glue since they met again after several days.
“I never tamed it. It just misunderstood on its own, so I left it be.”
“…What?”
Demian tilted his head.
Misunderstood? It was a strange word. In fact, even seeing it with his own eyes, he didn’t fully understand. That night when there was chaos, the Minotaur that had rampaged to kill the Crown Prince.
But now that it has returned after abducting the Crown Prince? It has changed. It was following the Crown Prince so much that the events of that day seemed to fade.
How exactly was it tamed? What trick was used to make the Minotaur follow the Crown Prince like this? That was a question that almost everyone in the city had been pondering since yesterday, not just Demian.
‘But it wasn’t tamed.’
Misunderstood? What on earth could it be? What exactly did the Crown Prince do? As he pondered this, Raciel continued speaking.
“Do you remember that day when I suddenly became huge?”
“…Yes.”
That event was also full of mysteries. A faint smile appeared on Raciel’s lips.
“It was nothing. I had eaten the sunflower seeds that I feed to Phantom Beasts. Don’t ask why I ate it. It was a situation where I had to do anything to survive.”
“…”
“Anyway, in that enlarged state, I tried to calm it down with my acupuncture, and coincidentally, the place where it was hurting got better for a moment.”
“Wait, did it…?”
“You get the idea?”
“Did it misunderstand that you healed it?”
“Yes. It sees me as its benefactor.”
“…”
“Well, strictly speaking, I wasn’t its enemy from the start, was I? It’s a good thing if we can get along. Isn’t it?”
“Well, I guess so. Of course, it’s a fortunate thing for me as well.”
“Fortunate?”
“Yes.”
Demian smiled and nodded.
“Because the hazard pay that I was supposed to receive that day didn’t fly away.”
“…Because I’m safe?”
“Yes.”
“Am I your monthly paycheck?”
“What’s that?”
“A fool who blindly gives out money?”
“If that’s the meaning… then it’s accurate.”
“Wow. You don’t even bother hiding your focus on money anymore.”
“Aren’t all employments like that after all?”
“Oh my, you’re becoming quite shameless.”
Raciel joked with a smile. A bitter smile appeared on Demian’s lips. He talked bluntly like this, but in reality, he was bitter. The Minotaur that rampaged that night. He failed to protect the Crown Prince in front of it.
‘I was thinking about the money, but I didn’t live up to it. It’s shameful.’
He never doubted his own abilities. He was confident that he would be like that in the future.
But it was not.
Suddenly, he was confronted with an extra-large Minotaur. He felt his own sword to be powerless in front of the monster. He was not strong enough to protect the crown prince.
He was embarrassed.
He was ashamed.
‘…Let’s train more.’
He vowed never to suffer such humiliation again. He would become a strong man worthy of protecting the crown prince, worthy of his salary. With a firm resolution in mind, Demian changed the subject.
“The reason I can answer so audibly is because of the pride that I have completed all the tasks your highness ordered last night.”
“Hm? The task I ordered?”
“Yes. Didn’t you assign me a task last night?”
“Could it be that you have already finished it?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve prepared all kinds of medicinal herbs I told you about, in just one day?”
“Yes. It’s thanks to the fact that this is the largest port and trading city in the north.”
“Huh. That’s pretty impressive.”
Raciel clicked his tongue.
Yesterday, Raciel had returned to Cremoro and had a pleasant reunion with his companions after dealing with the intimidating inspection team’s interrogator. On the side, he had given Demian a special order to prepare the ingredients for the Minotaur-bile Clear Heart Pill. The list of ingredients was extensive and included various rare and beneficial medicinal herbs.
‘But those… were not just one or two.’
Mountain herbs, deer antler, ginseng, cork tree, rehmannia, oyster shell, large head atractylodes, turkey tail mushroom, donkey hide gelatin, baizhu, lilyturf, gold, angelica, saposhnikovia, white atractylodes, schisandra, balloon flower, hovenia, poria cocos, rehmannia, ginseng, musk, hardy rubber tree, cinnamon, phellodendron, white pine mushroom, eucommia bark, jujube, and honey.
In other words, all the Avengers of medicinal herbs were gathered. All the beneficial medicinal herbs were needed.
‘Of course, I left out the mercury-containing injections. That’s too risky. Anyway, because so many kinds of medicinal herbs were needed, I thought it would take at least a week.’
But he had gathered all of them in just one day. While Raciel was feeling the majesty (?) of the trading city, Demian spoke.
“Ah, and there’s one more piece of news.”
“News? What is it?”
“It’s said that the emperor has turned his steps toward the imperial palace.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. He heard on his way here that you had returned safely.”
“So, as soon as he heard that I was safe, he turned to the imperial palace?”
“Yes.”
“He’s a cold guy.”
Raciel chuckled. That’s like Emperor Asterion. But that was rather a relief.
‘That guy, he’s a bit burdensome.’
In fact, Raciel is not his son. He’s just covered in Raciel’s shell. But he didn’t want to share the affection of a father and son, hiding that fact and receiving attention.
It felt disgusting to him. No, before that, it was burdensome!
‘It’s rather good. It would be best to keep it this way, safe and sound.’
Raciel made a promise to himself. And he was prepared for what was about to begin.
“Good. Since his majesty has turned his steps and all the medicinal herbs have been prepared, we can start right away.”
“Start?”
“The preparation of the Minotaur-bile Clear Heart Pill.”
Raciel’s lips twitched upward in a smile. All the ingredients had been prepared. The most crucial ingredient, the Minotaurus Ohwang, was also secured as a Special S+ rank. There was no reason to delay the concoction.
“So, clear out the kitchen of the royal villa right away. I need to prepare the medicinal herbs.”
“Understood.”
From that moment, Raciel’s cooking class(?) began in the kitchen of the royal villa, which was in the midst of restoration. Various medicinal herbs were carefully prepared according to their specific requirements. The skins were peeled off. They were dried and torn apart. They were roasted and grounded into powder. The jujube was boiled and mixed with honey to make the base ingredients.
The remaining ingredients were accurately added to the base ingredients in a golden ratio, mixed, and blended. The finishing touch was a high-end luxury brand packaging adorned with gold leaf.
Finally, on the fifth day,
‘…Finished!’
The first prototype of the Minotaur-bile Clear Heart Pill was completed. But Raciel was not satisfied with just that. Indeed, medicine is useful only when it exerts proper and accurate medicinal effects. Even if it was made with great care, if it has no medicinal effect, it’s utterly worthless.
‘So, I have to test it first.’
He placed the prototype of Minotaur-bile Clear Heart Pill on his palm. With a throbbing heart, he stared at the prototype and activated his skill.
Ding Dong!
[Your self-made decoction has been detected.]
[Would you like to activate the ‘Component Analysis’ option of the Decoction Making Skill?]
[YES / NO]
‘Obviously, yes.’
As soon as he made the choice, the option was activated.
[The ‘Component Analysis’ option of the Decoction Making Skill is now activated.]
[Scanning]
[3… 2… 1…]
[Scan completed.]
Ding Dong!
A clear and pure sound rang in his head. Details about Minotaur-bile Clear Heart Pill sprang to mind.
Then,
‘…Huh?’
The various specifications of the Minotaur-bile Clear Heart Pill. While reading through it, Raciel paused. His eyes widened at one part.
‘Wait. What is this?’
An unexpected side effect was discovered during the manufacturing process. But the contents of that side effect…
‘Crazy?’
Raciel swallowed hard. With his heart pounding rapidly like a triple accelerator, a premonition of a super jackpot bestseller product bubbled up.
(To be Continued)
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