Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Breeding three E-grade animal pets wasn't difficult; for Lorant, who had seen countless strange creatures being bred, it was even somewhat mundane.

However, simplicity had its advantages, and Lorant was now very adept at such tasks.

Moreover, among the three E-grade animal pets, only the 'Little Ghost' required a secondary exotic beast, while the other two could be directly bred using exotic beasts and potions. Thus, a morning was enough for him to complete all the work.

Lorant rewarded himself with a delicious lunch.

High-grade exotic beast steak paired with spices from the elves satisfied his appetite, making him miss the rich variety of seasonings from his previous life even more.

Soy sauce, chicken essence, sweet bean sauce, satay sauce, sesame paste, chili sauce, curry!

Each one was so tantalizing that he could almost taste them in his dreams!

Unfortunately, Lorant's knowledge of these things was limited to their usage.

He knew nothing about how they were made.

Lorant felt he wasn't a qualified transmigrator.

After all, other transmigrators usually brought encyclopedic knowledge with them—how to brew soy sauce, cure meat, make wine, soap, or glass—all clearly understood.

Hmm?

Wait a moment?

Lorant paused while eating.

While he might not know much about the others, his memories of web novels told him something about glass.

Glass, wasn't it made by burning sand?

Although it certainly wasn't as simple as just setting fire to sand, and not any type of sand would do.

But what did it matter? As long as he had a general direction, there would be a way to figure it out.

Lorant had thought about creating this transmigrator's trump card when he renovated the Animal Pet Shop recently but had forgotten amidst his busy schedule.

And speaking of which, soap shouldn't be too technologically complex either?

Despite the existence of cleaning spells, the living standards of ordinary people were still far too primitive.

Large-scale infectious diseases due to hygiene issues had occurred three times in the past century. Two hundred years ago, an epidemic covered half of the human empire, claiming millions of lives within a short time. It was only through the Pope's use of the Great Prophecy that the disease was finally eradicated.

Many attributed these terrifying phenomena to the rulers' incompetence or divine wrath.

But in reality, most of these epidemics, except for a few caused by toxic exotic beasts entering human territories, lacked clear causes.

However, Lorant knew better.

He was certain that those infectious diseases were closely related to people's poor hygiene practices.

Even during the most impoverished times, Lorant's family lived in the outskirts of Holland, where conditions were far worse than now but still better than areas further from the city.

Even there, sewage flowed freely, and filth was rampant.

People had no basic hygiene awareness, drinking raw water and disposing of waste indiscriminately were common occurrences.

This lack of hygiene awareness naturally led to such conditions, but another reason was the lack of good cleaning products for the common folk.

Using the sap from dried grass to wash clothes was already considered quite clean.

Thinking about this, Lorant grabbed a leaf paper nearby and started scribbling on the dining table.

By evening, Lancelot returned from hunting in the Black Forest, riding Little Qing with Little Seven, only to find Lorant focusing on a pile of sand in the courtyard.

Beside him was Little Yi, tail drooping, looking dejected and aggrieved.

"You need to control the temperature! Little Yi, this won't work!" Lorant pointed at the burn marks on the sand, seriously instructing Little Yi.

Little Yi lowered its head, rubbing against Lorant in a pleading manner, its beautiful eyes full of innocence.

It was just a little dog, not meant for such tasks!

At least not for burning sand experiments!

"What are you doing, Lorant?" Lancelot curiously approached, drawing Lorant's attention.

Lorant sighed, pointing at the pile of sand, saying helplessly, "I'm trying to create something by burning sand..."

"Only it's not going well."

Lorant had already prepared himself mentally before starting the experiment.

After all, he knew nothing about this technology, and his high school physics and chemistry knowledge had long faded away.

His only memory of glass-making came from a novel he once read, where the protagonist burned sand to make glass, turning a small investment into a fortune...

Now, he realized that what could be glossed over in a sentence in a novel required a complex process in reality.

There must be some extraction involved, followed by combining with appropriate materials, and then burning to achieve the desired result.

It was not a simple task.

He had been too naive.

Lorant rubbed Little Yi's head somewhat dejectedly and let it go to play with Xiao Qi. He then prepared to clean up the sand.

Seeing the little creature looking dispirited, Lancelot felt a bit sorry for it. As he cast a gentle breeze spell to clear the sand pile, he couldn't help but say, "If you really want to conduct research and experiments, it's not impossible." Although he didn't know what Lorant was trying to do, Lancelot instinctively supported his actions.

Lorant shook his head with a bitter smile. "No, I really don't understand these things. I only have a rough idea. If I were to pursue this, I'd need to invest a lot of time and effort, and even then, there's no guarantee of success."

For him, the biggest challenge was actually the lack of energy to undertake this task.

Without the existence of animal pets, Lorant would have devoted himself entirely to figuring out these things.

But with the presence of animal pets, his energy was clearly insufficient.

Even with the support of the magic system, managing the animal pets consumed most of his daily energy. The remaining time was dedicated to simulating breeding to gain more routes. Spending time on such experiments was not cost-effective for Lorant.

Hearing Lorant's words, Lancelot smiled mysteriously. "That's true. Every project in a Mage Tower initially faces similar problems. A great invention often starts as a fleeting idea."

"To put it into practice requires more than one person working together to sift through countless wrong paths to find the right one."

"Such tasks are rarely accomplished by one person alone." He curled his lips slightly; Lorant was still too unfamiliar with these matters, which gave Lancelot a sense of accomplishment.

Lorant's eyes lit up, and he turned excitedly to look at Lancelot. "Do you mean I can find people to help me with the research? Yes! That's exactly what I should do!"

He immediately understood that before now, Lorant had never considered asking others to assist him with this work.

But after hearing Lancelot's words, his mind became active. Why not? He could provide inspiration and direction, while professionals could handle the specialized tasks.

Not just one person, but several, even forming a dedicated research team.

Everyone could focus on their specific roles. Lorant had many ideas worth exploring, ensuring the research team would never run out of projects.

Moreover, given the current income from the Animal Pet Shop, maintaining a mature research team would be a negligible expense for Lorant.

With his thoughts clarified, Lorant immediately wanted to rush to the Congress of Magic to post job advertisements.

Lancelot quickly grabbed Lorant, who was about to dash towards the teleportation array.

The knight shook his head helplessly. "Don't rush, Lorant. You're not thinking of hiring people right away, are you?"

"Of course, if we're going to do this, the sooner the better, right?" Lorant looked at Lancelot innocently, puzzled by why he was stopping him.

"But the Animal Pet Shop hasn't been renovated yet. We have plenty of land but no facilities. How can you expect them to research outdoors every day?"

"Even if they accept that environment, where will they live? Is it practical to teleport from the Congress of Magic every day? Or should they find a dilapidated house like Lennart?"

Lancelot listed the issues rationally.

Although the teleportation array made travel convenient, each use consumed part of a high-level crystal's power. A level-five beast crystal could only support two long-distance teleports, such as to Sakolen, before losing its effectiveness.

It was an expensive mode of travel.

While Lorant usually didn't mind these expenses, he wasn't completely oblivious to waste.

Seeing Lancelot's points, Lorant thought for a moment and compromised. "Alright, let's renovate the Animal Pet Shop first. Once we've completed some areas, I'll start hiring researchers."

Even though he wanted to use transparent glass during the renovation, Lorant reluctantly abandoned this impractical idea and began reassessing his territory.

The abandoned town where the Animal Pet Shop was located had already been cleared of temporary tenants with the help of The Knights of the Thorns.

Now, the entire town belonged to Lorant.

The town sat on the north bank of the Holy Shield River, forming a neat trapezoid.

The southern side, adjacent to the river, was the base of the trapezoid, about one-third longer than the northern side, which bordered the outpost.

On the east and west sides were roads leading to the Black Forest. The eastern road, directly outside the Animal Pet Shop, connected to a wide bridge spanning the Holy Shield River and led straight to the outpost. This road was busy with regular traffic.

On the other side of the road was a small field belonging to the outpost.

The western road was less traveled because it ended at the riverbank, with the nearest bridge being dozens of miles further west along the riverbank.

Beyond the western road, heading toward the bridge, was a relatively sparse grove of trees.

These were the 'Black Forest Seeker Trees' planted by the Knight Regiment.

A characteristic tree species of the Black Forest, these were also Level Three plant beasts.

They stood fifty meters tall, with thick trunks branching out every meter, creating a symmetrical pattern. The tree bark was pure white, occasionally revealing a pale yellow core beneath.

The branches held large, thick leaves, dark green in color, contrasting sharply with the white bark.

These plant beasts used illusions to lure beasts or humans into consuming black fruits, causing them to lose their sense of direction and eventually die of starvation, becoming nutrients for the trees.

However, cutting down a mature Seeker Tree and extracting the core from its trunk yielded the 'Seeker Heart,' an essential item for adventurers. After simple processing, wearing the 'Seeker Heart' prevented people from getting lost in complex environments.

This is also the purpose of the Knight Regiment planting this Seekerwood Forest.

Such a town layout is good news for Lorant. The Animal Pet Shop has no neighbors on either side, with only a lookout post that could be considered a half-neighbor.

Moreover, the relationship between the lookout post and the Animal Pet Shop is good now, serving as an excellent barrier to protect the shop from being easily attacked by beasts that might emerge from the Black Forest. Their presence reassures Lorant.

For this renovation, Lorant doesn't plan to overextend himself. He intends to expand gradually from the existing foundation.

If the original area of the Animal Pet Shop is seen as a small square, Lorant is now drawing a larger square around it.

Firstly, the Windbreaker Horse stables, which must be added, are built behind the beast warehouse, forming an L-shaped corner with it.

From the stables, Lorant has planned a separate pasture for the Windbreaker Horses.

This pasture is about the size of five football fields, large enough for at least two hundred Windbreaker Horses to comfortably stroll together.

Lorant has also expanded the activity area for the Crystal Iceflame Dogs, extending from the original spot to ultimately leave a space roughly nine times the size of the "Icefire Land."

Lancelot plans to remake some toys for the Crystal Iceflame Dogs here later.

This time, he has experience and intends to use high-grade beast bones to make toys for the Crystal Iceflame Dogs.

Such items not only have a taste the little ones love but are also more durable than ordinary metal.

Most importantly, the raw materials cost almost nothing.

It's a win-win situation.

Additionally, a large swimming pool will be added. The Crystal Iceflame Dogs enjoy playing in the streams that flow into the backyard during summer, so Lorant plans to prepare a fixed swimming pool for these little ones, allowing them to play water to their heart's content.

As for the pet Slimes, Lorant only kept ten of his favorite colors in the Animal Pet Shop. These little creatures are less picky after being raised artificially. So far, they require minimal attention beyond regular nutrient spray.

They don't need much space, so Lorant planned their activity area near the Animal Pet Shop and residence, under a small pavilion, where they can hop around.

The dazed pet Slimes look quite cute like this.

The upcoming "Dream Weavers," potential "Phantom Spiders," and the yet-to-be-born "Floating Octopuses" are pets that don't require additional space.

The first two are small in size, while the latter has minimal environmental requirements and can be mixed with Crystal Iceflame Dogs and Windbreaker Horses.

Apart from the pets' territories, Lorant also designated a small area next to the Crystal Iceflame Dogs' territory to build his research lab.

He plans to prepare the lab according to the standards of the Beast Tower.

He also plans to develop underground like the Beast Tower, ensuring that any future beasts inside won't run amok and saving ground-level space.

Of course, these aren't immediate concerns. For now, Lorant only plans to dig out a lab that can accommodate five or six people.

After all, as a lab initially aimed at glass-making, it doesn't need a spacious area.

In addition, Lorant plans to build several residences at the other end of the Windbreaker Horse area.

This way, not only will the Black Gold Yew Squad have a place to stay when they occasionally visit the Animal Pet Shop, but Mike and his sister, who will soon start working there, will also have a place to live.

The employees of the Animal Pet Shop naturally need a place to live.

Promised room and board shouldn't mean they have to stay in the beast warehouse upon arrival.

Lorant also plans to add two more beast warehouses.

These will be built parallel to the current one.

Once completed, they should form a complete rectangle with the stables behind them.

Next to this rectangular building, Lorant plans an indoor reception room, ensuring guests visiting the backyard have a pleasant experience regardless of the weather.

Peter remains the best person in charge of the expansion project of the Animal Pet Shop.

Lorant just needs to clearly convey his ideas, and Peter will start implementing them with the craftsmen.

This time, Lorant divided the Animal Pet Shop into two functional areas.

One is the original storefront, which has been expanded to about twice its original size.

The original marble counter remains unchanged, with a small rest area added behind it, featuring a coffee table and two soft chairs.

This compensates for the lack of seating for conversations in the shop.

The shelves inside are categorized by pet type.

Lorant grouped all the food, snacks, collars, tags, toys, combs, etc., for the Crystal Iceflame Dogs into a tall, floor-to-ceiling cabinet.

Next to the cabinet, a life-sized model of a Crystal Iceflame Dog stands as a marker.

Lorant commissioned Liszt to find a skilled mage to create this model using fur brushed from twelve Crystal Iceflame Dogs.

The model is lifelike, almost as if it were alive, designed to mimic the dog's personality and respond to touch.

While it cannot compare to a real Crystal Iceflame Dog, as a magical model, it is quite exquisite.

On the model, Lorant installed specially designed harnesses and weight-bearing panels, showcasing these tools.

The other end of the shop is dedicated to the Windbreaker Horses.

The same life-sized model displayed the entire set of equipment that Lorant had commissioned from the blacksmith.

This included saddles, reins, and stirrups, among other things.

Lorant had prepared a wide variety of styles for customers to choose from. Some were more comfortable, while others better highlighted the beauty of a particular color of Windbreaker horse.

Naturally, these "upgraded" versions were distinctly priced compared to the dull, unremarkable base models.

In addition to these, Lorant thoughtfully prepared a plethora of decorative items for a specific group of people. These items served no practical purpose but were very beautiful.

For example, there were specialized necklaces, head ornaments, and crystal armor for Windbreaker horses...

In short, they were extravagantly luxurious and exquisite.

To achieve this, he even sought out a renowned fashion designer in Holland through the business alliance to help with the designs.

The final result left Lorant quite satisfied.

Windbreaker horses with different coat colors paired with variously colored accessories created entirely different appearances.

The saying "a person relies on their clothes, a horse on its saddle" came true at this moment.

Lorant meticulously matched the "breed" horses he had selected, ensuring each "premium" Windbreaker horse had its own unique set of accessories.

This justified their expensive prices.

Watching those reins, which differed from the base models only in color, being carefully packaged and labeled as "premium," Lancelot was filled with shock as their prices skyrocketed several times over.

The conscientious merchant Lorant once again gave the naive knight a valuable lesson.