Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Taste Training (3)
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While I was away briefly, Lilian must have continued the taste training on her own, because she was still wearing the blindfold and eating something.
The problem was that what she was eating was unmistakably in a cup of the exact same design as the one I'd just seen.
'No, they're probably all the same design in the shop anyway. It can't be the semen I just shot into it, right?'
I tried to shake off the ominous feeling from that familiar cup design and quietly circled behind Lilian to peer into the cup's contents.
"Oh? Ian, you're back?"
But whether she heard the door or my footsteps, Lilian set down the cup she was sipping from and greeted me. With her eyes covered, a bit of the contents had smeared around her mouth—a thin, sticky, milky-white liquid... No matter how I looked at it, that was semen!
No, it was weird to jump to semen just from the color. Maybe it was some kind of syrupy sauce? There were plenty of white sauces out there...
Gained experience via [Lust Absorption Lv.2] effect.
[Regeneration] skill level has risen to 2.
Shut up! I was just desperately denying it! Experience points were nice, sure! But why of all things did the Regeneration skill level up...? Probably because it was a fresh Lv.1 and needed the least EXP to level. Fine, whatever, moving on for now.
No matter how much I tried to deny it, that skill message proved it was semen. And not just any—my hot, fresh load from moments ago!
"Uh, Lilian. What was that you just ate?"
"Oh, I tried one more while I was waiting. It seems like it was made from the same ingredient as that sausage from earlier, but I can't quite place it. Probably one of the new ingredients that came in with the recent Labyrinth mutation... I'll have to check the shipment list later."
Thank goodness? At least she didn't seem to suspect anything. If she had, I'd be Guardsman Ian without a doubt. Not that I'd intended the pseudo-fellatio earlier or her drinking my semen this time.
"Um, Lilian."
"Ah, Ian. Sorry. I demonstrated first, but I got it wrong when it came to identifying the ingredient... I forgot about the new arrivals this time. Of course, this process is even better for taste training."
"No, that's not the issue... Where did that last ingredient you ate come from?"
"Shall I show you?"
She removed her blindfold and led me from the room to another one—the room where I'd jerked off earlier, now storing pre-prepped ingredients.
"These are ingredients ready to eat without further prep. The shop's magic teleports them to that tray from before. Just place them here—no need to worry about arrangement—and they're automatically sorted and sent over."
"...What if something poisonous gets in?"
"No worries. All incoming shipments are inspected. Poison detection magic activates during transfer too. Oh, and there's preservation magic here to prevent spoilage."
"........."
So my semen from right here got classified as an 'ingredient' and sent straight to Lilian? I'd heard of dishes using semen before... But out of all the ingredients stored here, why that one?
"Hmm... Hard to tell just by looking what the one I ate was. There aren't many liquids..."
Now that we were in the storeroom, Lilian started inspecting the ingredients to find the one she'd just eaten. Panicking, I hurriedly dragged her out, claiming I wanted to continue the lesson.
"That last ingredient might get rave reviews from my kin if processed right. It was sweet, but with a weird fishy taste and sticky texture—like human semen."
......Not like. It was semen.
"W-Well... What if it really was semen?"
"No, it tasted like a single pure ingredient, not something mixed. Semen doesn't have that sweetness or umami. The fishiness makes me think it was from something like testicles, processed."
"...Yeah, probably."
I couldn't bring myself to say more and just quietly followed her lesson. As a bonus, she gave me a blindfold and several ingredients. Taste them blindfolded and guess, she said.
The blindfold was high-end—not just cloth, but enchanted to resist removal and block vision perfectly. Better suited for massages than taste training, maybe.
"Oh, take this too."
As she taught me prep methods and signature recipes for the ingredients, Lilian stepped out briefly and returned holding something. A kitchen knife...?
"A chef needs their own signature knife. This one's got a bit of mithril alloy—great for tough ingredients, resists corrosion. It was my spare... Here."
A mithril kitchen knife? My weapon wasn't even mithril yet, and now I'd have mithril in knife form first.
She handed it over as payment for teaching me Poison Cooking later, so I accepted meekly. She mentioned the price, but I pretended not to hear. If I thought about cost, I'd display it instead of cooking with it...
As a bonus, I prepped all my troll meat soaked in poison and cooked it. I gave some to Lilian. She said she'd research making poison-free versions by tasting it herself...
"You said you have the [Poison Resistance] skill, right? That's why you ate the poisoned meat."
"Yeah. Even the troll blood—Alchemy Guild won't make potions from it due to the poison. Hard to dispose of..."
"Oh, for that..."
Before parting, I grumbled about the remaining troll blood. Lilian pondered, then drew me a map.
"This is an alchemist's workshop I know. Not Guild-affiliated, independent. They might refine it for you. Guilds are strict on poisonous materials, so independents are better."
She's reliable and handles alchemy-prepped ingredients sometimes.
I was curious what ingredients needed alchemy, but I'd save that. For now, I'd visit the marked spot. First time at a private alchemist workshop... Wonder what they'd be like?
"...................."
This the place?
I found the spot on the map: a small workshop, charred black overall, green liquids splattered everywhere, walls soot-stained—like an abandoned ruin.
It matched the location, though...
"Anyone here?"
The door was open, so I rang the entry bell and called out. It looked sketchy as hell... But Lilian recommended it, so trustworthy, right?
"A customer...?"
Luckily, a low voice came from inside. Rustling followed, and a man appeared.
'An orc?'
Didn't alchemists need dexterity? Orcs seemed the opposite...
The one who emerged was an elderly-looking orc in a black robe, hunched over. Unlike buff, healthy orcs, he was scrawny.
"Uh, is this an alchemy workshop?"
Maybe I'd come to the wrong place, so I confirmed. Orc and alchemist didn't match well...
"Heh heh... Yes."
".............."
His eerie vibe suited a dark mage more than an alchemist.
Still, seemed right, so I handed over the troll blood and explained the request.
"Could you refine this troll blood into a potion?"
He inspected it, then—before I could stop him—dipped a finger in and tasted it.
"Prime stuff... But soaked in poison..."
"I-Is that okay? The toxicity..."
"I have resistance... Fine."
Who tastes blood like that, even with resistance? Sketchier by the minute, but he accepted the job.
"Coming here instead of the Guild means you want it with the poison intact, right...?"
"Yes. Concentrate it as-is into a potion, no purification?"
"Heh heh... Poison potions suit assassination."
"I'm drinking it."
"??"
What? His sinister orc face switched to 'crazy person' stare. He just tasted poisonous blood himself. Unfair.
Thankfully, no more questions. He took the blood inside. Hmm...
"Mind if I watch?"
"Fine. Name?"
"Ian."
"........."
That's it? No intro of his own? Well, letting me watch alchemy was lucky enough.
Unlike fears, the interior was well-equipped: complex tools, colorful potions, disposable magic items on display. While he prepped, I browsed for buys...
What's this skull? Manduros blood? No labels?
He returned with herbs and liquids, put my troll blood in a strange device, and mixed rapidly. Scrawny for an orc, but his large hands moved with surprising delicacy.
Before I could watch closely, he blended, condensed, produced a slightly cloudy liquid like stamina potions—but thicker—and bottled it into five vials for me.
"Ah, done already? How much?"
"Hmm......"
What? Started without quoting price—now ripping me off?
"You said you're drinking it...?"
"Why would I kill someone? It's for me. I have countermeasures, don't worry."
He went inside, returned with various potions.
"These all work fine, but poison makes them unsellable... Wanna buy?"
"Poisonous potions?"
"Like your troll—byproducts from poison-killed monsters. If poison doesn't faze you, how about them?"
Such potions existed? Alensia would've mentioned...
"Guild discards these. I keep 'em. Only I sell this stuff. Take some..."
"........."
Super shady tone, but basically clearance unsold stock.
Perfect for me, though. Bought at bargain prices—cheaper than normals. Got antidotes (ironic poison ones), doping potions, painkillers, mana potions. With these, I'd return often.
"I'm Gould..."
Guessing the same, he introduced himself. Looked pleased selling dead stock.
"How do I use this? Topical or ingest?"
"Dip and drink..."
"Pardon? Not topical? What if I apply to wounds?"
"Gets soggy..."
"........."
Odd phrasing, but ingest anyway. Bought a bunch, so generous—he fetched an unlisted item from back.
"Service..."
"Uh, what's this?"
Vial of pink potion? First time seeing that color.
"Aphrodisiac..."
"........."
Why give this free? Legal?
"Not for sale... Personal make... But effective..."
"........."
Sketchy, but freebie. Couldn't refuse.
"Rub on skin... Makes area sensitive..."
"Ah, yes. Thanks."
I thanked vaguely and left. Sketchy guy, but solid shopping. Got troll blood potions too. Concentrated poison—eat carefully. [Poison Resistance] hit Lv.3, so maybe okay... Test on surface first, not Labyrinth.
The aphrodisiac? Shoved in my pocket. No plans to use it.