kscans

Chapter 121 - Chapter 9. The Purple Mist

A fence surrounded the grassy plains. Within the multiple partitioned sections were various animals. Cows were most prominent, but I could also see sheep and horses. The huts scattered between the sections were long and narrow. From one of them, I could hear the flapping of wings and animal cries.

This ranch, located near the Royal Capital, was said to be the largest of all the Dalgan Company's business partners. Apparently, migratory birds also flew to the surrounding ponds.

The heir to that very Dalgan Company was now kneeling before Prince Craig, in front of the many employees who had gathered at the ranch's entrance. Craig, who had coincidentally been nearby for training, was praising him for his achievements.

Among the large crowd, it seemed the head of the Dalgan Company, who had rushed over from the Royal Capital, was also present. It was likely the red-faced man in the center. Beside him stood a painter, brush in hand. I see. They'll preserve this moment in a painting for all of posterity to see.

As expected of the wealthy. It made sense, as his company was set to be promoted to a Gold Member alongside the Plural Company next year.

"Well, Dalgan's future is secure." "I knew that young master was something special from the start."

I overheard such comments. While the work Dalgan had actually performed couldn't be depicted in a painting, his achievements were genuine. The man himself, however, was extremely reluctant, calling it a public spectacle. It was also a bit of information control to give Craig a reason to stop by, so I needed him to bear with it.

Incidentally, back at the academy, after complaining to me, he had grilled Sherry with an intensity that nearly crushed her, asking what one should do when royalty comes to visit. I could only think, He knows better than to ask me.

"Shall we head to the hut first?" I said to my companion.

"Yes. Let's hurry," Noel replied from beside me. "It was a real pain to prepare the aqua regia since no one uses it these days." Perhaps she was thinking about the difference between this idyllic scene and the Magic Dormitory. She was holding two bottles, one made of brown glass and the other of frosted glass.

◇◇

Noel and I entered a hut at the far end of the ranch. Inside were mammals like cows, sheep, and horses. Birds such as chickens, quails, and ducks were kept in numerous cages. There were also lizards and newts.

"Eek."

Noel leaned her face toward one of the cages and hurriedly leaped back. A snake was sticking its forked tongue out from the cage.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Craig and his aide entered, patting Dalgan on the shoulder.

"Still, you didn't have to come all this way yourself, Commander," I said. He must be incredibly busy. Besides, the sight of a prince in a livestock hut is bad for a commoner's heart. Look at Dalgan, he looks terribly uncomfortable.

"This is a countermeasure against the horse-dragons, which we believe are the Empire's main fighting force. I must see it with my own eyes. Especially since everything you do, Ricardo, is far from common sense."

His hands-on approach was the same as ever. It was reassuring, though that last comment was uncalled for.

"You've done well too, Noel."

"Y-Y-Yes. You are too kind, Your Highness."

In her haste to bow, she bumped the bottles together and then scrambled to hold the lids down with her hands. I wished she would be more careful. The liquid in both bottles would cause serious trouble if it touched her skin.

"V-Vinder. We're making aqua regia, right? May I start mixing it? We shouldn't keep His Highness waiting," Noel said, her face clearly showing she would rather escape dealing with the prince and return to her actual work. Her transparency was almost endearing.

"No, what I need isn't aqua regia, but one of its ingredients."

I stopped her. Craig looked at the two bottles in Noel's hands, then turned back to me.

"First, I want to confirm the most important thing. Will that pollen work on the Empire's horse-dragons?"

"Of course, there are no guarantees. But since they are relatives of the dragon the Knight Order subjugated, they most likely rely on air sacs for respiration. I think it's safe to assume it will be effective," I said.

While the time it took to work varied, it had been effective against all birds. Dalgan had already confirmed this for me. We had also used a correlation analysis I asked Mia to run to estimate the parameters that determine how long it takes to take effect.

And among dragons, horse-dragons, and birds, dragons and birds are the most distant evolutionarily. Since the pollen worked on those two, there was a high probability it would also work on the air sacs of a horse-dragon.

Of course, nothing is more prone to exceptions than biology. But I couldn't imagine they would abandon the greatest advantage of dinosaur-type creatures, their respiratory efficiency. In fact, the creatures believed to be horse-dragons had demonstrated speed and stamina that the Knight Order could not match.

"I see. In that case, the problem is how to get the horse-dragons to consume the pollen."

He was right. Unlike wild dragons, their feed is provided by humans. Moreover, they move at high speeds on the battlefield. The previous method of dusting a horse with pollen wouldn't work.

But based on the results of the experiments Dalgan had conducted, I had no intention of using that method from the start. Today's experiment was for an alternative.

"If the experiments Dalgan-senpai conducted on many birds are correct, there is a way to enhance the pollen's effect and make it easier to administer," I said. It was a grim thought, but we couldn't afford to be selective about our methods. The time had come for the liquids Noel had brought.

I opened the lids of the frosted glass and the brown colored glass bottles. I wafted the scent from each with my hand. I remembered that aqua regia was made by mixing two types of acid. The one I was looking for was a common acid that I had even handled during my few student experiments.

"This one." I picked up the frosted glass bottle.

"That's Crucid. Be careful. It's not as bad as Salad, but it's still pretty nasty if it gets on your hands," Noel warned, the same person who had just nearly smashed the bottles into her own face.

"That's the kind of strength I need. The three of you, please step back just in case."

Given its unique properties, I didn't think it would affect humans, but its potency should be higher, so I couldn't be careless. There was also the possibility of creating a completely unknown poison.

After confirming that Craig and the others had left the hut, I dropped a very small amount of the purple powder into the clear liquid I had poured into a bottle. Fine bubbles immediately began to cling to the powder.

I placed the bottle on the ground and retreated to the entrance with Craig and the others.

The liquid took on a faint purple hue. Looking closely, I could see a faint purplish gas beginning to rise. I closed the hut door.

After a while, we heard a muffled cry, a sort of "Gu... keeeh."

We must have waited for a quarter of an hour. I first opened all the windows and both the front and back doors, then waited a while longer. Covering my mouth, I cautiously peeked inside from the entrance. It looked safe.

When I entered, all the birds in the cages were lying on the ground with their wings spread wide. Scattered feathers littered the area around them.

Neigh

The horse in the hut neighed as if nothing had happened. The cow was still eating grass, just as it had been when we left. The lizards, newts, and snake seemed to have enough energy to startle Noel all over again.

"It looks like we're okay," I said, and the other three came inside.

"No matter how many times I see it, this ain't a pleasant sight," Dalgan said as he checked on the dead birds. "Even the ducks, which took a while to affect in pollen form, were killed instantly."

"So instead of the pollen itself, you dissolved it in acid to create a mist?" Noel asked, grimacing at the dead birds. I nodded.

"I see. A poison mist. This way, we won't need any subterfuge to mix it into the horse-dragons' feed," Craig concluded.

"Yes. What's more, it appears to be harmless to animals without air sacs, which makes it much easier to handle."

If it had no effect on humans, its application would become dramatically simpler. And that tiny amount had produced this result. That was a blessing, considering we would need to use it on a large number of horse-dragons. All that was left was to figure out how to disperse this poison gas.

"And the time it takes to become effective is short as well."

"It works much faster than feeding them the pollen," Dalgan answered. We would need to repeat the experiment a few more times to be sure about that.

"But Ricardo, you are quite knowledgeable about poisons. Did you borrow Noel's wisdom?"

"...I was only told to prepare the materials," Noel said, glancing repeatedly in my direction. An awkward silence fell. Well, nobody wants to be friends with a guy who knows a lot about poisons.

"Please just chalk it up to one of my usual dreams," I said. I was referring to the experiment Fulsy, Dalgan, and I had conducted before to clarify the pollen's toxicity. The one where we used magic to test its pharmacokinetics. That experiment had suggested that the pollen turns into a gas in the stomach before affecting the lungs.

While its properties as a poison were different, the pathway was the same as the most famous poison used in mystery novels from my past life, potassium cyanide.

So, my idea was to turn it into a poison gas from the very beginning.

"I am joking. For now, your existence has been nothing but a boon to the kingdom. Besides, if something were to happen to you, we might lose Alfina's prophetic powers as well. I cannot afford such a great loss."

"In any case, please leave the deployment to the Knight Order," I said. As a former civilian, I had no knowledge of how to disperse poison gas on a battlefield.

"So, about this Crucid. How much can you prepare? I would also like to hear the details of its storage."

"Y-yes, um, it's not used very often, and for storage, well, it deteriorates over time, but making it is just a matter of dissolving it, so, um..." Noel stammered in response to Craig's question. I approached Dalgan, who was burying the dead birds.

"I'm sorry, senpai. For always making you do things you don't want to do." I said while helping him dig the hole. The meat was probably safe to eat, but I had no intention of trying it.

"We can't have the kingdom losing, can we? So, what's next?" he asked perceptively. I felt even more indebted to him.

"...About the gelatin and cow's blood you got for me the other day, I've run out. I need about twice as much as last time."

"...Twice as much isn't a huge amount. I'll get it. Still, a new dish in times like these?" Dalgan looked at me suspiciously.

"Well, it's a kind of food, I suppose." I said evasively. It wasn't humans who would be eating it. It was hard to tell him that I was having him prepare it just so it could rot.