Chapter 224
Chapter 224. The Best and the Worst
“—Hoooaaa!? High Elf skin!?”
In a corner of the Dwarf workshop, Demon Lord Castle branch.
Kusemon, who was a bit tired from the influx of orders, freaked out like she took some kind of drug.
In her hand was—incredibly soft, high-quality white skin.
“W-What do you want me to make with this…?!”
With a pale face, she trembled, realizing just how ethically problematic this was… even for her, the notorious Kusemon…?
“I knew it was no good.”
“No way!! Absolutely not!!”
With a loud bang on the workbench, Kusemon stood up, her face flushed and breathing heavily.
“This kind of opportunity won’t come again!! It’s generally unobtainable, and there are mountains of ethical issues! At least in the alliance territory, it’s absolutely impossible!! Thank you for this precious opportunity! Please, let me create something!!”
Ah… you’re really on that side after all…
“Ah! But the payment… what do I do for payment?! I almost want to pay you, but the rules, haah, haah…!!”
Her pupils wide open and her eyes wandering vacantly, she started to hyperventilate. Oh boy…
“…That’s it! This piece of skin! If there’s any left over, please give me the scraps! I want to study it to the max…!”
“Ah, um… yeah… sure…”
“Yayyy! Thank you! Thank you! Oh ho ho… Oooohh…!!!”
Kusemon was shaking to the point I started to worry, but suddenly she went stiff and became serious.
“I’m starting to calm down now. So, what kind of thing do you want?”
Whoa! Talk about a sudden composure!!
In the end… we decided to use Liliana’s skin.
“It’s the skin of the Sacred Dog!!”
“Idiot!!”
I instinctively snatched the skin from Viene’s hands just as she was about to expose it in front of the actual dog, but it was too late; Liliana jumped off the sofa and rushed over, sniffing, sniffing, sniffing!
“…Wow?”
But since she wasn’t really a dog, it seemed she didn’t understand anything and just tilted her head in confusion.
By the way, this skin was presented by the Night Elf after we welcomed Liliana. There are two types: the raw material and one crafted into a coat.
Speaking of which, when Liliana first came to our place, the servants dressed her in that vest made from her own skin by the Night Elves. It was such an outrageous move that everyone, including me, was left speechless.
Since then, both the vest and material had been sealed away in the closet to avoid agitating Liliana…
“Kuun?”
Liliana was adorably sitting, sticking out her little tongue, looking as if she was feeling a strange familiarity but had no idea why.
…So she doesn’t realize it’s her own skin… even now…
On the plus side, it’s good that it hasn’t triggered any horrific memories of skinning. But on the downside, her memories and self-awareness are still missing, showing no signs of returning.
Anyway, I guess I should just put this away…
‘…However, as a material, isn’t it top-notch? Storing it away would be meaningless.’
Antendeixis pointed out in his usual tone.
Well… that’s true…
‘Furthermore, with such high-quality materials, Kusemon would surely produce something amazing. Liliana doesn’t seem to care, and its performance is high. And you, who are reluctant, can earn the power of taboo. It’s all benefits; isn’t the Demon Lord’s subjugation approaching? What’s there to hesitate about?’
Ugh… ugh…
I looked back at Liliana once more.
“?”
Those big eyes.
“Can… I use this?”
“Woof!”
—And that brings us to the present.
However, when asked again, “What do you desire?”, I hesitate.
“Well… I can only leave the design to you, but at the very least, it should be something I can walk outside normally in.”
“Got it. So, an order for formal wear instead of underwear!”
That was close! If I hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have known what would have come out…!!
“But, make sure it’s not too bothersome to wear under casual clothes or armor, and keep the decorations minimal, or make them removable, please.”
“Oh! Under armor, I see…”
Kusemon’s eyes lit up, as if she realized it wasn’t just formal wear.
Of course. Now that it’s come to this, I won’t just settle for something extravagant. I feel bad for Liliana, but I’ll boldly ask for something rock-solid against dark foes…!!
“The White Dragon scale armor I use has a strong magical barrier, but… if I put the same effect on the under layers, would that interfere?”
“There’s a good chance it could! The stronger effect would prevail, and the weaker one would be almost nullified! If they were made by the same creator, adjustments could have been made! But really, we won’t know how it will turn out until we try, so I’d recommend a different enchantment!”
Hmm. There’s a chance the precious material could go to waste, and I’m not inclined to try it. I’ll leave the magical barrier to the armor and give it a different effect.
So then… what do I need for the future…
—I cast the spell for a soundproof barrier.
“Fire and ice resistance. And at the highest level. I want something that will protect me from magical flames and cold air.”
Maximizing the effects of temperature control that Kusemon specializes in. Of course, I had the first and second Demon Lord Prince battles in mind…
“I’m a craftsman myself, you know.”
Noticing the barrier, Kusemon grinned.
“I won’t leak any information about our customers. Especially to you, Zilbagias. I’m truly, specially grateful for the opportunity to showcase my skills!”
…I see. That’s incredibly interesting.
The emphasis on “our customers.” While she’s upholding her confidentiality, Kusemon subtly hinted that—
“There’s something prepared for the other Demon Lords’ Bon-Dé styles too.”
Well, it goes without saying I had anticipated that. Who would honestly reveal the performance of such expensive magical tools to potential adversaries? Nevertheless, getting confirmation on it is still significant in its own right…
“I see… I won’t fall behind my older siblings.”
I smiled back, and Kusemon didn’t say anything more; just deepened her smile.
“Then, fire and ice resistance, it shall be! But with such an extraordinary item, I’d love to incorporate something that utilizes the light attribute as well! What do you think? Shall we add a glowing feature?”
“You can make it glow?”
“Absolutely, we can do that!!”
Ehh… a glowing Bon-Dé style? Isn’t that a bit too ahead of its time…?
…No, but.
“It’s not just light, it should be pure light.”
I suddenly became calm and muttered to myself.
“Of course! After all, it’s a High Elf!”
Kusemon chimed in.
Then… what else do I need…
“—Protection effective against undead combat.”
I looked straight at her and asked, “Can you do that?”
“…Heh.”
Kusemon’s eyes widened slightly before she smiled with interest.
“—I can do that, of course.”
