The Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Cult - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Religious Order Episode 69

Prim furrowed her brow briefly, then stopped deliberating and began creating.

First, she would make a ‘lotus accord’. Since creating the scent of lotus from actual lotus flowers is nearly impossible, she would blend various fragrance materials to create the impression of ‘lotus’.

She first mixed neroli, lemon, and luna ether together. She separately blended jasmine and mimosa, then added everything together with the previously mixed components and violet leaves to complete it.

The sensual nuances of jasmine become refreshing when they meet neroli and lemon.

Neroli is a fragrance material extracted through steam distillation from white flowers that bloom on bitter orange trees, specifically referring to those from Nerora Territory in the upper Solevante Peninsula.

It originated from Duke Anna of Nerora hundreds of years ago, who enjoyed sprinkling orange blossoms in her bathwater. It has a clear, fresh citrus fragrance with a clean, aquatic feeling.

The violet leaves add a green, cool sensation. Combined with a cucumber-like water scent, this enhances the fresh feeling of lotus.

And the fragrance people call mimosa—more precisely, the absolute extracted from Acacia dealbata—has a delicate powdery feel with a soft honey scent. It was perfect for expressing lotus that never gets wet or contaminated.

Finally, finishing with the clean, sharp fragrance of luna ether would complete it.

Just as Prim was about to confirm that everything was properly mixed, an exclamation burst out from right beside her.

“This is… this is lotus!”

Prim looked back at him, slightly startled.

Though she was somewhat flustered by the sudden loud voice, Prim felt her heart lift somehow.

Recently, no matter what she made or said, she had only encountered people who couldn’t understand. Meeting someone who could recognize her intention just by watching her blend was truly refreshing.

“You recognized it?”

‘Why did such a person disappear?’

Why had she never known about him at all?

“Jasmine with neroli and lemon—yes, that’s tradition itself. But adding mimosa and violet leaves with luna ether…”

Mennellik trailed off.

This wouldn’t be the scent of ‘real lotus’.

But it was the scent of ‘lotus’ that people imagine.

No, perhaps it was the ideal lotus fragrance that everyone had only dreamed of.

While Mennellik was momentarily speechless, Prim’s eyes sparkled.

“This luna ether is particularly high quality—I love how it has such a sharply clean scent.”

The luna ether made from the new species of argentum that grew in the Silver Aspen Forest was good too—though Baron Corvus’s skill in making fragrance materials from it was disappointingly lacking—but this had the scent of luna ether she was accustomed to using.

“…Right, that’s why I like it too. Enough to specially obtain it from the west.”

Mennellik swallowed with a dry throat. His master had also been quite pleased with this luna ether.

“The idea to use mimosa…”

“The floral scents are sufficient, and what’s additionally needed is powdery texture, some weight, a supporting base role, and green notes like lotus stems or leaves…”

“Indeed, mimosa is perfect! Even if weight is needed, it shouldn’t be too heavy. That’s why you chose mimosa instead of cassie absolute from Acacia farnesiana.”

“Yes!”

Prim’s eyes sparkled brightly.

Mennellik gazed at the completed lotus accord as if looking at enchanting amber.

Though this would be a wonderful fragrance on its own, Prim didn’t stop here.

The real fragrance she wanted to create was just beginning.

First, she added the base. She put in sandalwood and musk mallow, slowly mixing the liquid. The subtly different liquids explored each other like spreading paint before finally becoming one. Next, she added tuberose, ylang ylang, freesia, and galbanum.

These white flowers bloom at night and attract moths for pollination, making their scent stronger and richer.

Tuberose in particular has such a gorgeous, thick scent that it’s even more difficult to use. So she added freesia to soften it, like diluting with water and soap.

After adding the lotus accord, she would finish with bergamot and eucalyptus.

After mixing all the fragrance materials, she lightly dabbed it on a scent testing cloth. The fragrance was still unmatured, wild and sharp, but sufficient to understand what she intended to create.

“May I… may I smell it?”

Prim gladly offered the cloth piece. Mennellik swallowed dryly and slowly brought the cloth close to his nose.

Instantly, an amazing scene unfolded. Though still rough and hazy, he could recognize what lay beyond.

A fragrance like awakening from a dream. As if he had glimpsed an unknown future in that dream.

Could one experience such a fragrance while strolling through some secret prophet’s garden, then emerging by lifting that veil of darkness?

In the middle of the night, under moonlight, as lotus blooms and withers while whispering forbidden futures, so wistful and…

Mennellik held his breath and pushed the cloth away. The fragrance grew distant.

“Are you planning to offer this to Levitia?”

“You noticed.”

The girl’s eyes lit up. Her face showed joy at having someone understand her intention.

Mennellik stared blankly at the base Prim had completed, stunned.

“I wanted to try using eucalyptus and bergamot together. They’re fragrances that awaken the mind and spirit.”

And the god of revelation awakens believers by showing them the future.

“I thought it would be nice to add lotus fragrance to that, but there’s no proper lotus fragrance material.”

Lotus has such a faint scent that making it into fragrance material is nearly impossible. At best, one can steep lotus in water and mix it with alcohol to enjoy a faint feeling, but of course this doesn’t function properly as a fragrance material.

“So you made a lotus accord separately…”

“Yes.”

“You made the texture and balance more precise with galbanum and freesia.”

“Exactly!”

“And under these light, cheerful fragrances, there’s sandalwood and… is there a particular reason you chose musk mallow?”

The musk extracted from musk deer scent glands in this perfume organ is very high quality. You must know that, right?

At Mennellik’s question, Prim’s eyes widened briefly, then she rolled her eyes once before speaking.

“Levitia dislikes musk.”

“What… did you say?”

“And so do I.”

Some fragrances can only be obtained by killing animals. Is that scent so special, so worth insisting upon?

Prim too had once indulged in such precious fragrance materials.

Musk obtained by killing musk deer, civet obtained by confining civet cats and harvesting from their scent glands, castoreum extracted from beaver tail glands…

Some people cry that these are irreplaceable fragrances. Of course they were sufficiently special and beautiful scents, but were they special enough to kill and harm something just for that fragrance?

Prim didn’t think so.

“And for this fragrance, musk mallow is better than musk. It has floral notes. For a fragrance about seeing the future and awakening refreshed, musk is…”

“Too sensual.”

“Exactly.”

Prim nodded in agreement.

Mennellik felt slightly drained and quietly stared at the bottle.

“But you haven’t passed the third exam yet. You know that, right?”

“…”

Prim rolled her eyes once. Mennellik moistened his dry lips with his tongue and glanced around.

Bianna and the Marseria Priest who came with Prim were busy examining fragrance extraction equipment, and Rozien was watching what they were doing nearby.

“There’s less than a month until the third exam. Once you take that, you’ll be a perfumer. But not before then. You understand, right?”

“…”

“By the way, if someone who isn’t a perfumer arbitrarily offers fragrance at the temple, they go to prison!”

“I know.”

Prim nodded in response.

“And you have to do the military assignment anyway, right? You’ll be making something then too.”

After passing the perfumer qualification exam, one must perform a military assignment for the first and last time.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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