Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Lancelot flipped down from the roof, his long legs, clad in knight's attire, tracing an impressive arc.

Lorant couldn't help but squint and take half a step back.

He felt as if this guy was like a male peacock in full display.

Constantly exuding an aura that made other males uncomfortable.

What was even more annoying was that Lancelot seemed completely unaware of it.

"Have you completed your mission?"

Lancelot picked up a pure black Thick-Feathered Slime and examined it while walking over to Lorant. He nodded and said, "Yes, I've finished my evaluation mission. I can relax for a few months now. This mission went smoothly, and I brought you a gift."

"A gift?" Lorant looked at him with confusion.

"Yes, but you'll have to wait a bit to see it. Lennart and the others are still on their way; they should be here in about an hour." Lancelot played with the Slime in his hand and winked mysteriously at Lorant.

"You're going to love it!"

Lorant was somewhat curious. "Did you catch some rare exotic beast? Or..."

Before he could continue, Lancelot interrupted, "Don't try to guess the gift. The surprise will be better when you see it, right?"

"That's the essence of a gift!"

"Stop thinking about the gift, little Lorant. You mentioned these two types of Slimes are new pets you created?"

Seeing that Lancelot didn't want to elaborate further, Lorant didn't press the issue. His attention returned to the Slime, and he nodded. "That's right. These are the second and third new pet species I'm preparing to launch for the Animal Pet Shop."

Lancelot pinched the soft Slime, seemingly recalling something, and shook his head with a bitter smile. "You really are a cunning little guy. When we signed the contract, I was tricked by you."

Though he said it, Lancelot didn't seem genuinely upset.

Lorant immediately understood what Lancelot meant.

The two had previously signed a contract similar to a bet.

Within a year, Lorant would introduce one, three, or five new pet species, which would affect their profit-sharing ratio.

At the time, they agreed that the criterion for qualifying a new pet was whether there were buyers for it.

Lancelot parted the feathers of the Thick-Feathered Slime and studied its body structure, feeling conflicted. "Back then, I overlooked the characteristics of the pets."

"With pets being so affectionate, as long as they look cute, there wouldn't be a shortage of buyers."

Lancelot only realized this loophole in the agreement and reflected on it.

To be honest, Lancelot helped Lorant's pet shop primarily for money. As long as the pets sold well and generated income, that was enough for him.

Whether they were useless show-offs or not didn't matter to him.

Lorant naturally understood this logic. Although Lancelot wasn't truly complaining, he still defended his pets.

"Not exactly. These D-grade Slime pets aren't just for cuteness and companionship," Lorant said seriously.

"I was serious. They possess the [Rapid Growth] skill. In less than two weeks, their fur and feathers grow to their fullest extent."

"If groomed every two weeks, a Slime can produce a considerable amount of fur during its decade-long adulthood!"

"The fur from these fluffy Slimes, after simple processing, becomes excellent textile material with great insulation properties."

Lancelot still seemed unenthusiastic. "For insulation materials, there are already many options on the market. Unless the Slime's fur is superior, it will be hard to convince people to choose it."

Lorant sighed and patiently explained to the native, "True, the fur they produce doesn't have the additional attributes of high-grade exotic materials, but the biggest advantage of Slime fur isn't its quality."

"The exotic materials won't hinder the promotion of Slime by-products."

"As you can see, Slimes reproduce in large numbers and can produce a lot of fur due to their characteristics."

"I conducted research. Currently, the main insulating materials suitable for winter use on the market fall into two categories."

"One type has only insulation properties, while the other has both insulation and special magical effects."

"And most of the ordinary materials are tough, low-grade exotic hides."

"My Slimes' fur is both soft and insulating, easily replacing those poorly tanned leathers."

Lancelot thought for a moment. "Then the price must be comparable to low-quality leather. Professionals aren't as sensitive to temperature as ordinary people and won't spend much on insulation."

"Ordinary people don't have the means to pay too much for it either."

"Even if, as you say, a Slime can contribute a portion of fur every two weeks, their own price means the resulting fabric won't be cheap..."

Lorant sensed something was off and quickly interrupted. "Wait, hold on, Lancelot. What do you think the price of a pet Slime should be?"

Lancelot was taken aback. "Huh? How much are you planning to sell these Slimes for?"

Only then did he realize he had subconsciously equated the price of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs with the Slimes.

It dawned on him that these small, harmless creatures shouldn't be priced the same as the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

Especially considering the thousands he had seen, with such prolific breeding...

"Two hundred gold coins each," Lorant had already determined the pricing for these Slimes. "If purchased in bulk for ranch breeding, the Animal Pet Shop can lower the price in exchange for a share of the ranch."

"Two hundred gold coins!" Lancelot's eyes instantly lit up. "That cheap?"

"Yes, I believe that both Fluffy Slimes and Thick-Feathered Slimes would benefit most from large-scale farming to achieve maximum efficiency."

"The larger the scale, the lower the cost of Slime fur," Lorant tempted the White-Haired Knight. "And unlike exotic beasts, raising pet Slimes carries no risk; you don't have to worry about ordinary people being crushed by them accidentally."

"Also, because they are non-aggressive, Slimes don't require much space for movement. Compared to exotic beasts that need vast areas to avoid attacking each other, the difference in density is significant."

Lancelot was indeed tempted; the future Lorant painted was truly appealing.

The disparity between ordinary people and professionals was enormous. Logically, even if all professionals were dedicated to fighting exotic beasts, it would still be insufficient.

However, whether in his territory or anywhere else, farms raising exotic beasts needed at least one or two low-level professionals overseeing them.

Otherwise, if the beasts went berserk, ordinary people would be helpless.

But without needing professionals, the cost of raising Slimes would already present a significant advantage over raising exotic beasts.

Lorant continued to stoke the fire: "Think about it this way—how many professionals are there compared to ordinary people?"

"If we can reduce the cost of Slime fur so that ordinary people can afford it, imagine how vast the market would be!"

"We could even sell to Dwarves, Goblins, Beastmen, and Elves!"

Lancelot watched Lorant with an amused smile, observing his relentless persuasion.

"All right, little fox, just tell me what you're thinking."

Lorant smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to ask if you have any interest in a Slime farm?"

Lancelot tossed the Slime he was holding but did not give a direct answer. "Let me think about it, little Lorant. After these Slimes produce their first batch of fur, I'll give you my answer."

"No problem," Lorant said with a light-hearted laugh.

He had brought up this idea on a whim today. In fact, Lorant had originally intended to propose this business to The Knights of the Thorns.

Since the Knight Regiment had shown goodwill, Lorant naturally wanted to reciprocate.

So whether Lancelot agreed or not wouldn't affect Lorant's plan.

He had full confidence that The Knights of the Thorns would not refuse him.

There were several reasons why Lorant didn't choose to monopolize this business.

First, he lacked the manpower, and second, he lacked the time.

If he were to establish a farm, Lorant currently had enough money to buy land and hire workers, but he needed someone trustworthy and capable to manage the business.

Or rather, Lorant was still like a nouveau riche, having only money and nothing else.

The people he trusted were his family, and he had no established sales channels.

On the other hand, the Knight Regiment or Count Cavendish had plenty of people and land, with the resources of old aristocracy, but they lacked ways to make money.

They complemented each other perfectly.

With Lancelot's help, the large group of Slimes was moved to the open field where the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs played.

Lorant took the opportunity to count the Slimes.

There were 1,762 Fluffy Slimes and 1,745 Thick-Feathered Slimes.

Over three thousand Slimes instantly filled the vast pasture, curiously standing in the icy and fiery grounds, looking at their new neighbors.

Seeing Lorant approach the walkway, a few of the more affectionate ones whined and rubbed against him.

They occasionally glanced at the pasture now occupied by the Slimes, showing a hint of grievance.

It seemed they were complaining to Lorant that their space had been taken over by these unruly newcomers.