Chapter 14 (1/2)

‘What is this feeling…’

Kynemeia entwined her hands and rested them on her stomach as she burrowed into the head’s chair inside the conference room.

‘Ah, I guess that’s it.’

The sensation that felt as if paint is spreading inside your heart, and you end up thinking ‘Ah, so this is why you shouldn’t run your mouth off.’

‘No, no. It’s more like the burden of someone in authority. With great power comes great responsibility, maybe something like that.’

This strong and particular impression was only to be expected when any authoritative figure stated something.

“If you look here, at this part!”

She stared blankly at the Head of the Lyonne Merchant Company, Mikhaela.

The woman with an immaculate appearance, and a pair of small, slanted eyes set upon dusky skin, was displaying the data on an image sphere and delivering her presentation passionately.

“The key detail is this clean hand which looks like it didn’t actually touch anything.”

The retainers kept nodding as they viewed Mikhaela’s presentation. It wasn’t a problem when Mikhaela, the one in charge of Lyonne Merchant Company, came in person to meet her. Kynemeia was already planning to meet her even if she didn’t.

‘Since I’ll have to meet her first of all if I want Behemoth’s swords to bear a reputation as the finest of the finest of swords…’

However, Mikhaela’s visit wasn’t the issue per se, but her purpose behind it—she’d come here bearing a project proposal declaring that slimes made for an extremely lucrative product.

‘…How did it come to this?’ She racked her brains wondering how this situation came to be out of the blue. It was the Behemoth sisters, who held vast gratitude and affection for Kynemeia. It was most likely that they unequivocally assumed that ‘slimes’ were Kynemeia’s long-desired idea of a business venture.

“So she still has a childlike side too.”

“She’s so cute.”

The sisters chuckled as they researched diligently, touched the real slime monster, and finally…

Kynemeia touched the slime erected in front of her.

‘They really made it…’

‘It was really possible? Are they geniuses?’

“I’m convinced our Lady is a genius!”

Mikhaela exclaimed, slamming her hands on the conference table.

‘…!’ kkamjagiya

Kynemeia, who was listening to Mikhaela with only half an ear, clutched at her racing heart.

“Such a groundbreaking idea. Our Lady is well beyond a genius.”

Mikhaela rested her hands on the table and looked at the girl, her eyes brimming with respect. Kynemeia evaded her gaze as best as she could and waved her hand dismissively.

“…Mhm. Thanks…”

“To think that our Lady is merely eleven years old, this Mikhaela can hardly believe it. ‘Ah… I have no regrets in joining the Lyonne Merchant Company. Rejecting all of the famous families’ proposals and coming to Lyonne Merchant Company were all for this day. This lowly Mikhaela Cooper shall forever devote her life to Lady Kynemeia,’ I dared to have such thoughts when I first heard of the explanation about the toy slime.”

‘Didn’t Mikhaela join the Lyonne Merchant Company because our employment terms were the most satisfactory?’ was what Kynemeia was about to say, but she held them back. Mikhaela, having recited the Kynemeia Lyonne hymn awhile, cleared her throat with a reddened face and resumed talking.

“This will be a hit. No question about it!”

Mikhaela pointed at the image floating from the sphere, and Kynemeia shifted her vacant gaze ahead, resting it on the levitating image.

‘Just…’ While Kynemeia was in a state of dumbstruck wonder, the retainers rose to their feet and began clapping thunderously.

“Magnificent, as expected.”

“Our Lady is unparalleled in the slime world!”

“Unparalleled!”

The retainers poured forth all the praises that she hated to hear.

‘No…’ She smiled awkwardly. She was just making things up, but somehow it had given rise to the existence of the unparalleled and master artisans of the slime world. It might be because Mikhaela was thrilled at the prospect of earning money, but her eyes kept on sparkling.

“How… To even think of processing monsters…!”

‘It wasn’t to make this, though…’

She fiddled with the slime. It was soft and squishy to the touch but felt firm enough to not break when twisted and toyed with. It was definitely a product with higher utility than the sand toys or dough that the kids in the empire had been playing with. Mikhaela then continued again,

“Since the material is derived from a part of the monster that doesn’t require specialised techniques, unlike its hard bones or leather, we can round up ordinary technicians and mass-produce…”

‘Wait, then from what part exactly is it derived from?’

“This slime, what part is it made from?”

“Ah, that—”

Mikhaela smiled.

“—A slime’s body fluid and (BEEP-).”

Plop, the slime dropped from Kynemeia’s hand.