Chapter 96

It seems that using the shell of a monster's egg can create a capture orb.

Monster's egg?

"Monsters just spawn, right? Do they even have eggshells?"

"Well, some monsters do drop eggshells... Alright, I'm done."

Hime nodded after inputting something on her smartphone.

"What did you do?"

"I instructed Ako to buy up all the monster eggshells available on the market. They are used as ingredients for potions, so there are some in circulation."

"That's right. We don't have to search for them ourselves if they're available on the market—hmm?"

Could it be—

I called Milk, but she was still in class and hadn't returned home, so I left a message.

Mom had boiled some somen, so I had a light lunch.

I went for a walk with Kuro and Shiro and came back.

Then, after a while, Milk arrived.

"Taiga, I brought the monster eggshells."

Milk placed the monster eggshells on the table.

There were about ten of them.

Sure enough, they were there.

Mr. Ushizou had told me that I could use anything in the storage at home in exchange for sending him the Holy Maiden's Elixir.

Mr. Ushizou is currently working in the New York dungeon, so he can't return to Japan immediately.

I called Milk, thinking that there might be monster eggshells there.

"So, what are you going to make with these?"

"I'm going to have Mizuno-san make a capture orb."

I explained what a capture orb was.

Then, Milk looked at me with exasperation.

It seems she thinks all of this is due to my bad luck.

"That's unfair—this is Mizuno-san's achievement."

"Would it be a problem if I blamed you? I think it's probably all Ichiya-kun's doing... or rather, his work?"

"Look, Mizuno-san is also having trouble, isn't she?"

I'm the one causing the trouble, but I have to push through here.

"So, Mizuno-sensei, please make the capture orb."

I picked up the eggshells.

When I identified them, they turned out to be the shells of a Were-rabbit's egg... I thought rabbits don't lay eggs, but maybe it's different for monsters?

"I'd prefer you not to call me 'sensei'... but okay. I'm nervous since it's my first time, but I'll give it a try."

Mizuno-san took the eggshells and began to chant.

Then, the eggshells were covered in a layer of light.

This is—

"Um, how long will it take?"

"I'm not sure... maybe an hour?"

"It's not instant, huh."

Come to think of it, the simple synthesis process was similar.

Ayame arrived.

When she asked what we were doing, I gave her the same explanation.

Again, she blamed me.

It seems no one is willing to defend me.

What is luck, anyway?

Then—

"I'm done!"

"Huh? This is it?"

It's completely different from what I expected.

It's about the size of a turtle egg and feels a bit soft when touched.

I thought it would be something like a Poké Ball, but it looks more like a millet dumpling that Momotaro might carry.

Is it closer to a potion than a magical item?

I'll identify it.

【Capture Orb (Beast): Feeding this to a beast-type monster will tame it. Tamed monsters can be entrusted to the Dungeon Bank.】

I did a more detailed identification.

【Capture Orb (Beast): The higher the monster's weakness, the higher the chance of taming it. It cannot be taken outside the dungeon.】

Only beast-type monsters, it seems.

It's not guaranteed to work.

Since only one has been made so far, I can't be certain, but the type of egg and the type of capture orb might be linked.

"It can only be used inside the dungeon. That's really good."

"It's different from Kuro. He can go outside the dungeon."

"Oshino-san, what's good about that?"

Ayame asked.

"If monsters could be taken outside the dungeon, they could be used for military purposes, right? Also, we need to experiment to see if a monster tamed in the Black Dungeon can be transported to the White Dungeon and tamed there—"

Military use—now that I think about it, she said something similar when we talked about taming methods.

The power of monsters is that strong.

It seems the capture orbs Mizuno-san made won't be used in war.

"So, Hime! How much do you think this will sell for? More than 10,000 yen?"

This was important for Mizuno-san.

It took her an hour to make the capture orb.

2,000 yen per hour is her hoped-for price.

"Well... at first, they might buy it for any price, but eventually, it might settle around 500,000 yen per orb. Since it's not guaranteed to work, it will likely be treated as a consumable. Of course, the price will depend on the type, and we plan to sell it at a higher price until the demand stabilizes. Before that, we need to register it with the Dungeon Bureau and sell it on a trial basis."

"So... what? 100,000 yen right now!?"

"No, I said it's high right now. For the first batch, we'll use it ourselves, but the reward will be 1,000,000 yen, okay?"

"H-Hime, 1,000,000 yen?"

"Is that too low?"

"It's too high! It's almost a year's salary from my part-time job at the convenience store!"

"But I can't make it any cheaper. Don't worry, taxes are handled well since Maiko is a member of the EPO corporation."

I don't think that's what you're worried about?

Actually, I also thought it was expensive.

Magical items are ridiculously expensive.

Even a magic water bottle costs about that much.

"In reality, there are people who would pay 100 million yen for a capture orb. Taming a monster has been a childhood dream for some."

"Taiga is right, but if we have Maiko mass-produce capture orbs, someone who pays 100 million yen now might complain if the price drops to 5 million yen in six months. Eggshells are rare, but they're not impossible to obtain. Especially—"

Hime looked at me.

Ah, with my luck, once I defeat the corresponding monster, it will drop a lot of eggshells.

And once I reach the floor with the target monster, I can easily hunt them with the PD.

"That's right. For now, 5 million yen per orb seems reasonable."

"That's not reasonable at all!"

Mizuno-san was confused.

The money was transferred immediately via Ako.

Then, Mizuno-san started making capture orbs from the eggshells Milk brought to my room.

She's very serious about it.

"By the way, Taiga, did you get your mother's permission?"

"Yeah, it's all set. I can finally enter the PD."

I told Milk, and the four of us moved to the garden to set up the PD.

Seeing the stairs leading underground, Milk and the others looked relieved.

"The stairs are visible... We're properly married."

"That's true, I'm relieved."

"Would they disappear if we got divorced? I don't want to get divorced!"

Hime quickly corrected herself, but I already knew that.

She's the type who worries about such small details.

What would actually happen?

I don't want to find out by getting divorced, so I can't confirm it.

Hime went in first.

Next, it wasn't Milk or Ayame, but Kuro.

Shiro tried to follow but couldn't enter.

Unlike the Dark Wolf Kuro, Shiro is just a normal white puppy.

"Shiro, take care of the house—"

"Kuun."

Shiro looked sad, but I'll pamper her later.