_Homunculus._
This concept, meaning “small human,” is a taboo in alchemy that studies the profane technologies of human experimentation, artificial cultivation, and cloning. Naturally, the regulation of such technology is stricter than any taboo designated by the Empire.
As soon as it’s identified that someone has researched _Homunculus cultivation technology_, they immediately make the list of candidates for _Great Evil_, prompting the local Adventurer’s Guild, regional armed groups, and national extermination forces to spring into action.
Even if one is fortunate enough to escape overseas, the suffering does not end. This technology is designated as a taboo not only by the Empire but also by the Gift Academy.
If the Empire fails to exterminate, the _Student Council_ of the Gift Academy will lead the _Suspended Students_ scattered across the world to track down the violator with their family and organization’s military forces. There are even attacks from _Graduates_ that match or surpass the forces of a single family or organization.
The reason why one should not dare to dream of _Homunculus_ research if they do not wish to die stems from this issue.
“If we could cultivate artificial organs to help sick and poor people recover, wouldn’t that be a good thing? Your church’s humans only treat famous people, wealthy individuals, and the upper class because the divine power spent on treatment is less than the good deeds performed!”
Once, there were magicians who gained the support of the masses and expressed such legitimate grievances.
Technological development is generally realized for righteous purposes, after all.
However, human malice invariably reaches out with its ugly hands, even to technology developed for good.
“Director Kaizowski, your technology is optimized to supplement our country’s insufficient military might. How could you be so short-sighted to think of using it for medical purposes?”
“Shut up! Our technology is not a tool for your filthy militaristic nation’s invasion wars!”
“Ha ha ha. Doctor, how can you be so ignorant of worldly matters? Do you really think our Millennium Kingdom has generously supported medical reform and the weakening of divine authority? From the start, you had no choice. Even if you refuse, all technology now belongs to us.”
Kaizowski, the biotechnological genius and production-line magician studying artificial cultivation technology, committed the blunder of using spies sent by the Millennium Kingdom as instructors.
“You… you all… could it be that all of you…?”
“Sorry, Doctor.”
“Your technology is essential for the revival of our kingdom.”
“Please make sacrifices for the sake of patriotism.”
“I will present you with a floral tribute for the grave of the Empire. Today’s raid will be an assault by the Empire’s special forces, and you will be remembered as a martyr.”
Kaizowski had his technology taken away, and the Millennium Kingdom acquired immense military power through artificial cultivation technology to dominate the Western City-States and expand their malignant influence over the Empire.
That was until the Dragon Principal appeared and smashed the facility while picking up Kaizowski.
_[Interesting. A mere human dares to step into the realm of life creation, achieving it not through pure magic but through the realm of science.]_
_[I’ve decided. I will allow you to research your technology to your heart’s content. However, if you wish to release that technology to the public, you will have to follow my proposal.]_
“Great Dragon… I am just an incompetent magician abandoned by my country. What can I do for you?”
_[Create a being. A test subject _Homunculus_ who has high magical resistance, outstanding physical capabilities, and can be used for all sorts of experiments without issue.]_
“!!!”
_[Not a human, but a _Homunculus_. Not a long-lived type, but a short-lived one. By supplying non-humans as sacrificial subjects for experiments to the Academy, you can research and widely offer technology that saves humans.]_
_[But you cannot leave the Gift Academy. The same goes for the _Homunculus_ created in the Gift Academy. I won’t easily part with my possessions. Dragons are greedy, after all.]_
_[So, what do you say? Is my offer tempting? If you don’t like it, I’ll let you go. But I can see how you would respond.]_
Kaizowski, holding his bleeding head high, didn’t hide his venom even before the Dragon.
“One thing. Just one condition exists.”
_[Speak.]_
“Please destroy the Millennium Kingdom. I cannot tolerate the atrocities of the old kingdom trying to reclaim glory through war, oppressing people like me and the like!”
_[It’s nothing. I will grant your request.]_
Dragon Principal Omoshiroi believed that the value of _Homunculus_ technology far exceeded the value of the entire Millennium Kingdom, which couldn’t forget its former glory.
As a result, the Western City-States collapsed overnight into the Western Three Kingdoms.
Whether Kaizowski would regret this or if it would be those countless _Homunculus_ born and dying in the Gift Academy that would regret it could only be known by themselves.
*
“Ah, there’s such a backstory to the birth of _Homunculus_. Isn’t it truly a tragic tale?”
“Wow, Principal, that’s really awful! But didn’t the Jibsa Jang go home?”
“Hee hee hee. Running away is difficult the first time, it’s even harder the second time!”
After summoning a powerful Outsider who almost went to a bad ending by miscasting the Servant summoning spell, the Jibsa Jang returned home once more after being folded up by the _Folding_ that the Outsider had deployed.
I thought I wouldn’t see him again, but Jibsa Jang Okashii-ne has now returned to _Middle Realm_ and is bothering me with strange stories today again.
How does he manage to know such information?
It’s not like he was there himself.
As a player, I don’t even know these stories, so it’s quite fascinating!
“Are you going to create my body with such a sinister technology?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll make you in human size! We can also solve the short lifespan issue!”
“No, I’m not worried about specs or performance… It’s too dangerous. I’d become a target of the Empire and the Academy. Not just me, but even Oknodie!”
Oh, senior.
Are you still worrying about such things?
“The Empire has Mazgaki as Empress now, and the Empire Faction Professor has all been driven out, leaving it empty, you know?”
“Huh?”
“The Principal is over the branch campus, all excited and out of his mind while the professors and instructors are in much smaller numbers due to extra lectures; it’s much less than during the Foundation Workshop Battle!”
“Then what if they actually try to create something? The problem comes afterward!”
“If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry! There’s an event coming up!”
The new event can’t only be created by Titosso.
I also often create new events that have never been seen before for strategy purposes.
_Homunculus_ is truly an event that has a lot of potential.
The Principal strictly controls that, in principle, _Homunculus_ can only live within the experimental area.
But what, exactly, defines _Homunculus_ as such?
Is it their small size?
Short lifespan?
Life created through artificial cultivation technology?
The absence of a human soul within them?
There are many classification criteria, but getting a _Homunculus_ out of the experimental zone is simple.
All one has to do is get a test subject accepted as a formal human.
“You will be the vanguard of that!”
“No way. That’s totally burdensome. I’m scared I’ll get executed first by the Dragon Principal!”
“Hehe. Too late to say no now.”
By poking the finger of the _Aptitude Evaluation Hat_ to the experimental area’s door, I passed the biometric identification with a fingerprint I had taken a few days ago, mimicking the iris recognition with mana, and using a blood sampling needle to inject the blood of an instructor I kept hidden within my body for the blood test.
I bypassed the mana puzzle that required a specific pattern of movement as well.
After passing through the five-fold access restrictions, the door to the _Homunculus_ specialized management area opened.
“Grandpa of the Okashii-ne, be careful not to activate the detection devices!”
“Hee hee hee. My stealth is so good that even the gods can’t catch me. There won’t be any trouble.”
We passed through the _Homunculus_ training, living, and research areas, finally arriving at the production zone.
Even with many staff members drawn away from the Academy, there were still researchers wandering inside this crucial facility, but they were not up to par to detect my advanced _Hiding_ and _Stealth_.
Thanks to my _Hiding_ technique also working on the senior, I easily avoided all guards, making the monitoring magical tools temporarily send out fake data.
━━━
_Homunculus Production Zone_
_First Cultivation Facility_
_Entry Restricted to Officials Only_
━━━
In the cultivation facility, there’s an automatic production device that can produce _Homunculus_ with just a button push. As long as mana-depleted magic stones are replaced in time, the magical process will take place automatically.
However, this “automated mass-production _Homunculus_” is short-lived.
Even if produced, they won’t last long before dying.
I can’t put my senior into such an inefficient body!
Moreover, doesn’t the knowledge accumulated by witnessing the birth of Avalon and the biotechnology of the ancient Three Great Evils exist in me now?
“I’ll make you with the best materials!”
“I appreciate it, but it’s also a bit scary… If it’s discovered that such precious materials were used for my creation, what kind of trouble would I face?”
“You’re too valuable to just throw away, so I don’t think I’ll kill you just like that!”
“Phew.”
“I’ll use you for experiments throughout your life, but as long as I persuade them well, it’ll be fine!”
“Honestly, I’d rather not.”
I quickly grabbed the _Dark Aptitude Evaluation Hat_ and stuffed it into the _Consciousness Transfer Device_.
“Who are you all…?”
“Huh?”
At that moment, an unexpected voice was heard.
It wasn’t a person.
We had been cautious and intruding the whole time.
What spoke to us wasn’t a person, but rather a substance.
The _Consciousness Transfer Device_ I had just touched itself spoke.
“Hee hee hee. Poor scientist’s fate.”
It was through a single word from Grandpa Omoshiroi that both I and my senior recognized it at once.
The _Consciousness Transfer Device_ contained the soul of Director Kaizowski, the creator of _Homunculus_ cultivation technology, just as Senior Alice’s consciousness resided within the hat.
