Chapter 190

Chapter 190

Hearing this, Lorant couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"Oh? Monroe? Do you have any new findings?"

He struggled to squeeze through the narrow gaps between the workbenches, making his way over to Monroe's workstation as if he had trekked through mountains and rivers.

Monroe was still dressed in his odd patchwork robes. The tall, lanky mage swiftly slammed the lid onto the boiling cauldron, preventing the purplish, thick bubbles from spilling out.

His movements were so agile that Lorant watched with wide eyes, suspecting that Monroe's agility must have come from plenty of prior mishaps with overboiling pots.

Once Monroe had dealt with the immediate issue, he turned back around.

"Yes, boss, take a look at this." He rummaged through his cluttered desk and pulled out a semicircular small cup, no bigger than half of Lorant's palm.

The small cup, only a finger's depth, had once been a container for small, valuable materials. Now, it was filled with a milky white paste.

"What is this?" Lorant turned the small cup in his hands, examining it closely but still unable to figure it out.

Monroe gestured for Lorant to take a whiff.

Lorant, somewhat skeptical, brought the cup to his nose.

The lab was filled with so many strange smells that he wasn't too eager to subject his nose to another one.

However, as he leaned in, a faint, delicate fragrance wafted out, making Lorant's eyes light up.

"A scented balm?" he said in pleasant surprise, holding it.

Beside him, Monroe said happily, "Yes! This is something I made using the flowers of the Spitroot plant!"

He didn't understand why Lorant immediately identified it as 'scented balm,' as if he had seen something similar before. This solid balm was only created yesterday, and even his husband didn't know about it yet.

Excited, Lorant reached out and touched the solidified milky substance.

It felt hard with a slight greasiness, resembling wax at first glance.

By rubbing it in circles with his fingers, he could use the warmth of his skin to thinly coat his fingertip.

Lorant spread the balm on the back of his hand and brought it to his nose. The scent was similar to what he had smelled earlier, with only minor differences after application, which didn't detract from its pleasant aroma.

"You mentioned before that we should find a way to preserve the Spitroot flowers for studying different flowers or to try creating a new type of perfume," Monroe continued, seeing Lorant's satisfied expression.

To be honest, he had been uncertain at first. After all, Lorant had asked for 'perfume,' but what he had created was a solid. This made Monroe worry that Lorant wouldn't like it.

However, Monroe hadn't fully grasped the reason behind Lorant's request for 'perfume.'

As a qualified product, whether it was a liquid, cream, or another form that could be easily preserved, as long as the fragrance didn't fade easily, it was enough for Lorant.

What he needed was the delicate scent of the Spitroot flowers, and so did the noblewomen of Holand.

To be able to become the sole 'perfume rose' in a city filled with sewage and foul odors, those noblewomen were willing to pay amounts that an average family might not see in a lifetime.

Looking at the scented balm in his hand, Lorant's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Monroe! You've done well!" He patted the thin mage's arm vigorously, and both of them were immensely pleased.

"Come, let's go outside and talk. The smell in here is too overwhelming and it's affecting my sense of smell." Lorant squeezed the small jar of balm in his hand and walked out.

Every step he took in this lab felt like walking on eggshells, but Monroe, draped in his elaborate coat, floated out behind him with the grace of a nimble butterfly.

Taking a seat on a nearby wooden chair next to the mage's cottage, Lorant carefully examined the balm under the sunlight.

Clearly, Monroe hadn't paid much attention to the appearance of this product.

He had haphazardly piled the solidified balm in the small cup, giving it the appearance of a half-melted, eerie milky-white candle.

Lorant inhaled deeply to clear his sense of smell, then sniffed the delicate fragrance lingering on his hand again.

Though he couldn't identify which Spitroot flower's scent it was, the refined aroma suggested to him that it would be well-received.

"Tell me, how did you manage to create this?"

Monroe sat up straight and began reporting his work to Lorant.

"Well, you know I am merely an apothecary, so even though I really wanted to preserve the flowers that the Spitroot spits out permanently, my skills were insufficient."

"I had a general direction, but just relying on potions wasn't enough to achieve it. I needed the help of some more powerful mages."

"However, before I could fully explore that path, I started experimenting with whether I could ‘deconstruct’ the flower to preserve certain aspects, such as its color or fragrance."

"I experimented with various methods, and only this one succeeded last night." Monroe pointed to the small cup in Lorant's hand. "This substance is a blend of Slime mucus, Stinky Fruit juice, and several other mineral ingredients."

"This substance seems to be able to extract the fragrance of the Spitroot flower, but it only emanates after it solidifies; it was odorless when first extracted."

Under the sunlight, Lorant noticed the dark circles under Monroe’s eyes.

As just an apothecary, he was not even a full-fledged mage, so his physical condition wasn't much better than Lorant's.

It appeared he hadn’t slept since creating this substance.

"Under normal circumstances, the Spitroot flower’s fragrance would have faded by now, wouldn’t it?" Suppressing his excitement, Lorant patted Monroe’s shoulder. "You’ve done an excellent job, Monroe!"

"This is exactly what I wanted."

"But before we discuss anything further, you need to get some rest."

Just as Monroe thought Lorant was going to ask him about the detailed formula, Lorant got up and walked out, his voice echoing back.

"Otherwise, someone will worry themselves sick! Get some rest, and then come see me at the shop."

Without turning back, Lorant waved his hand. Following the direction of his hand, Monroe saw Dominic standing at his doorway, arms crossed, looking at him helplessly.

The sleep-deprived apothecary sheepishly approached, allowing the elf to wrap his arms around his waist. The couple indulged in some affectionate lip-locking.

Concerned, Dominic looked at the dark circles under his husband's eyes and was about to lead him inside for some much-needed sleep.

Just as Monroe, who had already closed his eyes while leaning on him, suddenly pushed him away and dashed back into his lab.

"Wai-, wait, Dominic! My crucible!"

......

After being forced to sleep by Dominic, once Monroe woke up and made his way to the backyard of the Animal Pet Shop, he found Lorant leisurely grilling over a fire.

From the color of the flames, Monroe could tell that the shop owner was using the flames of a Glassy Ice Flame Dog for the barbecue.

Maomao, lying beside the fire, quietly controlled the temperature, looking natural as if he had done this many times before.

"You came?" Lorant smiled slightly at Monroe, holding up the grilled skewer in his hand. "Want one? Aunt Martha marinated these. She's been trying out some new dishes recently, and I think the flavor is quite good."

Monroe accepted without hesitation. He had run over as soon as he woke up and, not having eaten yet, the aroma of the grilled meat made him even hungrier.

"Delicious!" Monroe found it delicious, even though it was hot and he had to keep blowing to cool it down, he chewed enthusiastically.

The meat marinated with special fruits was tender, and the unique spices were spicy and slightly tingling, so good that one would wish they could swallow their own tongue.

"When the tavern opens, I'll go there every day with Dominic!"

Lorant chuckled. "Alright, I'll give you both a 50% discount card, feel free to improve your lives anytime."

The two joked for a while before Monroe finally got to the main point after finishing his skewer.

"Boss, this is the recipe for the 'fragrant balm'," Monroe rummaged through his coat pocket and handed over a neatly folded piece of paper to Lorant.

As a researcher at the Animal Pet Shop, the results he obtained using the shop’s resources and achieving the shop’s objectives naturally belonged to the Animal Pet Shop.

As a qualified native of Sacklen, Monroe had that level of awareness.

Lorant took the recipe and gave it a quick glance. All the materials were clearly marked, and the process was simple.

At a glance, it appeared to be a 'simple potion' that didn't require much magic involvement to complete.

This was quite a surprise to him.

For pharmacists, potions were divided into two types: 'simple potions' and 'potions'.

A 'simple potion' was one that could be prepared without the involvement of the maker's mental energy or magic power.

Generally, these were lower-level potions. The higher the level, the stronger the function, and simple potions became rarer.

The potion master from Knight Town, for example, specialized in simple potions.

And all along, Lorant had been preparing simple potions too. But his recipes were all system-produced. Even an ordinary sleep potion would be worth fighting over.

The fact that such a powerful sleep potion is still a simple potion is simply incredible!

Not to mention the fact that the compendium includes aphrodisiac potions, soothing potions, and even those effective against powerful level-teen beasts.

The former Lorant might not have grasped the distinction, but now he knew how precious these system-produced recipes were.

Knowing the rarity of simple potions, he was astonished that Monroe had come up with one.

"Simple potion?" Lorant looked at Monroe in surprise.

Monroe wiped his mouth. "Yes, Boss. This recipe is the result of many attempts. You mentioned that you hoped the items we developed could be prepared without professional involvement, so I've organized it into a simple potion as much as possible."

"You've done a great job, Monroe!" Lorant couldn't help but admire the recipe he held. "From today, I'll set up a separate lab for you to research the Spitroot. You'll have five team members. Provide your requirements, and we'll interview and find suitable people together."

"You can experiment in the direction you believe is right and come to me if you encounter any issues."

"At the same time, your material quota will be doubled. If you need anything, contact Tang En anytime."

"Also, I'll give you a reward of 10,000 gold coins. You can choose to receive the coins or exchange them for equivalent items, and coordinate with Emma for the details."

"Oh, by the way, there are a few Dream Weavers left in the shop. You can take one home as an employee perk. Although it may not be as effective as those used by mages, having one around will ensure a good night's sleep."

Lorant finished explaining Monroe’s reward in one breath and turned to see the thin and tall mage already blushing with excitement.

"Really? Oh! I mean! I didn’t expect it! Shopkeeper! You are truly generous!"

Monroe thanked him incoherently, not expecting that a project he didn’t value much would bring him so many rewards.

His ultimate goal was still the permanent fixation of the Spitroot flower, and this was just a by-product of his casual efforts.

"No, this is what you deserve, Monroe!" Lorant smiled. Just thinking about how much profit this little ointment could bring to the Animal Pet Shop made him want to smile.

The money-loving shopkeeper thought to himself that he would probably even dream of fragrance when he slept that night!

The next morning, a well-dressed and energetic Emma arrived early at the Animal Pet Shop.

Along with her was Nia.

When the two competitors saw each other, they couldn’t help but straighten their backs, not wanting to have any issues with their posture in front of the other.

When Lorant came down with sleepy eyes, he saw the two emerging business leaders of the Human Empire facing each other and practicing their smiles in his living room.

Well, apart from practicing their smiles, Lorant really couldn’t think of any other reason why they would be sitting there silently facing each other.

"Morning, ladies!"

"Morning, shopkeeper!" "Good morning, shopkeeper sir!" Nia and Emma greeted him enthusiastically.

Lorant rarely called them in so early to talk about work matters, so both were on edge.

Something that made the shopkeeper pay so much attention must be important.

Lorant sat at the head of the table and yawned. His casual attire made him look a bit out of place compared to the two well-dressed career elites.

"Have you had breakfast?" he asked, rubbing his empty stomach.

Emma shook her head with a tight-lipped expression. Breakfast was a luxury not available in Mauplan, and most families didn’t have the habit of eating this meal.

And today, to get to the Animal Pet Shop on time, she had been busy dressing up early in the morning and hadn’t had time to eat the breakfast prepared by the maid at home.

Nia also shook her head. She was in the same position.

"Perfect, let’s eat! We’ll eat and talk." Lorant got up and went to the back kitchen, where he found the bread Martha had left.

As for Martha herself, she was probably overseeing the construction site at the tavern again.

She was more focused on the progress there than Lorant, who was happy to leave the work to her so he could take a break.

Martha’s bread had become more skillfully crafted, and Lorant casually selected a few filled breads and placed them on a plate. Emma, who was following behind him, quickly stepped forward and took the plate in her hands.

Under Lorant’s guidance, Nia found some breakfast milk boiled with ‘Aromatic Berries’ to remove the fishy smell for the three of them.

The breakfast at the Animal Pet Shop brought a lot of inner surprise to the two managers.

What kind of hard life had they been living before?

Could there really be such delicious food?

This was not the same kind of bread they usually ate, was it?

Nia and Emma tried hard to restrain their eating etiquette, managing to finish the meal gracefully.

After satisfying their hunger, Lorant finally remembered his primary purpose.

"I’ve brought you here today for this," he said, pulling a small balm out of his pocket.

"Take a look at this ‘balm’ and tell me what you think."

Emma was the first to carefully pick up the milky balm from the table. She leaned in for a closer inspection and, when she got near, suddenly caught a whiff of a faint fragrance.

The young woman's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the seemingly ordinary item in her hand.

"What is this?"

Seeing Emma's astonished expression, Nia, a few years older and more composed, leaned in to examine it.

"Is this made from Spitroot?" Nia asked.

"What’s its purpose? Is it like perfume?"

"The scent is lovely, but I’m curious about its longevity."

"It would be better if it were a bit stronger."

"I think the strength is just right."

The two women exchanged remarks, discussing the matter. When it came to such things, these two career women had more authority than Lorant.

As current users of 'perfume,' they were able to offer different opinions immediately upon encountering this new balm.

What Lorant needed were their suggestions and a clear market position for the product.

He leaned slightly forward to catch their attention and then said, "Nia is right; this is one of the by-products of Spitroot. I've named it 'balm.' What do you think its advantages are?"

Emma, looking at the balm on the table, pursed her lips and said, "If this balm can retain the scent of Spitroot, its gimmick is already significant. Nothing in the Animal Pet Shop is cheap."

"Moreover, this scent isn’t available in the current market. In fact, the scents of most perfumes on the market are still quite limited. Most low-grade plant-beast-made perfumes have somewhat pungent smells. Fewer than ten perfumes are truly recognized and used by consumers."

Nia nodded in agreement. "Shop owner, I've smelled many delightful scents from the flowers of Spitroot before. If we can create several types of balms from these scents, they will definitely be a hit."

Lorant nodded, knowing that once production of the balm began, considering the current size of the Animal Pet Shop, a steady stream of cash would flow in.

This will be a cash cow that will astonish everyone!

"Alright then, I need each of you to prepare a detailed plan for the packaging and sales of this balm. The more detailed, the better. I want to see both of your plans by tomorrow morning, to prepare for the product launch."

After giving his instructions, Lorant, with his fingers interlaced under his chin, added, "Apart from this, I also need the two of you to prepare for a 'launch event.'"

"Launch event?" Emma and Nia exchanged glances, confirming that neither of them had understood.

"Yes, a launch event," Lorant said with a smirk. "For example, we could set up a large exhibition hall in the city where people can walk in and see our Animal Pet Shop's offerings with their own eyes."

"The Animal Pet Shop has actually added many new products that can be sold recently, so I think it's necessary to hold a formal external launch event to introduce our products to the outside world."

"Originally, we should have held a launch event every time a new pet or by-product was introduced, but due to various reasons, it has never been organized."

"We need a platform to showcase our products and attract customers to the Animal Pet Shop, encouraging them to become beast tamers!"

"But there’s no urgency. You two can start preparing for it."

Lorant had this idea in mind for a long time, but due to his procrastination, the timing for the launch event has been repeatedly delayed, while the number of new items at the Animal Pet Shop has rapidly increased.

Now, Lorant felt that a simple event with a few words might no longer suit the current situation. Perhaps only a formal exhibition hall can fully showcase the new offerings of the Animal Pet Shop.