Chapter 81 The Unapproved Side Project* (1/2)

Doctor Sagen Zaroth was truly a blessed individual. Blessed with good fortune. Blessed with great benefactors, and blessed with a profound knowledge the likes of which none other could fathom. He was truly in a league of his own, and confident of his proficiency. And finally, his benefactors had thought to have him grace their presence to talk of his truly exceptional achievements.

His absolute confidence in himself and his work was illustrated by his walk from the carriage to the Duke's main office. Head held high, shoulders back, and a condescending smirk condemning pretty much everyone else to be irrelevant to him. Truly, it was a grand achievement that had led Zaroth this far and he knew that he was valued by the Duke. First the Voluton Fruit project, and now this, there was truly no one else that the Duke trusted to carry out the darker side of research and development.

Though, on a side note that Zaroth himself was unlikely to acknowledge, there were probably few who would go as far as what Zaroth had just to constitute an achievement. Especially on a living subject.

Zaroth was announced by the beanpole of a man that the Duke called his personal advisor. Zaroth hadn't had much interaction with either the Duke or Ludwig, but he knew which one could give him more authority and resources.

”Zaroth,” Cornelius greeted.

”Greetings to you, my Lord,” Zaroth replied with a polite nod of his head.

Cornelius lifted his eyes over his desk to look over Zaroth, ”Well get on with your report, I only have so much time to spare”.

”Yes, my Lord,” Zaroth replied, ”As per my previous communications you should know that the pregnancy was far longer than anticipated, which I can only assume is the result of the subject's species”.

”And the birth?” asked Cornelius.

”Unfortunately it was quite violent, my Lord,” Zaroth replied, ”The foetus was almost...impatient to leave it's mother's womb. It tore through her abdomen and then consumed what blood of hers it could before she died. The anthrite cuffs seemed to enforce the same restrictions upon it as its father, but I did not have much time to witness its further development before it was taken away. If I might be able to-”

Cornelius gave an anger sighed, ”So not only did the pregnancy last longer than usual, but the foetus killed the mother purposefully during the birth?”

”Yes, my Lord,” Zaroth replied, ”If I could have some time to further observe and examine the infant, I'm confident that I could replicate the process”.

”Replicate the process?” Cornelius growled out, ”There are only so many courtesans with a suitable bloodline, and even fewer of them would be willing to enter into such a relationship with the monster I keep hidden in the most feared prison mine on the continent. Not to mention that reports seem to indicate that despite him being chained, your guards have been incapable of preventing him from injuring or killing anyone that comes near him. I would have hoped that Seri had survived, it was our only hope”.

”My Lord?” Zaroth question.

”The child,” Cornelius replied, ”It had to be terminated”.

Zaroth's eyes widened, ”It was fine when it left the-”