The Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Cult - Chapter 76
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
The Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Religious Order Episode 76
“Huh.”
Conrad unconsciously clicked his tongue quietly.
“That Bishop becoming a Cardinal won’t be far off.”
Even among Levitia’s Cardinals, there weren’t many who had received divine revelations of such massive disasters. It was an achievement that could instantly overwhelm the Cardinals of Luminoxia Aila.
“If this miracle had happened just a few years later, he might have even aimed for High Priest, but well, everything has its timing, doesn’t it.”
The current High Priest was still in good health, so this miracle would also fade with time.
“Anyway, the surrounding vassals, Knights, and mercenaries are sufficiently gathered… Yes, I mentioned timing. This matter might also be well-timed.”
“What timing?”
“Right now we’re in the middle of the Perfumer Qualification Exam… They say they’re changing the third test to mass production of fragrances. Thanks to that, it seems we’ll easily be able to prepare fragrances for battle.”
Conrad didn’t seem very interested in that part and just shrugged once.
“When this Perfumer Qualification Exam ends, well, His Excellency the Elector should come and offer congratulations.”
“It’s not like that person would come. It would be enough if you congratulated them. They say there’s quite a promising Perfumer this time. An orphan who’s only ten years old…”
“Yes, yes, I understand. Well, I’ll try shaking hands, patting backs, and such.”
“Don’t talk like that!”
“Yeeees.”
Conrad nodded half-heartedly and gestured to Brigitte. It was time to change clothes and become a clown.
* * *
The biggest problem with mass production is that it’s difficult to mix fragrance materials uniformly.
For a small bottle the size of a palm, shaking it moderately or stirring with a glass rod would mix it uniformly enough, but for large containers, even a strong person would find it difficult to lift and shake by hand, and stirring with arms wasn’t easy either.
While others were measuring and pouring fragrance materials into large glass basins, Prim lined up ten glass bottles the size of generous milk bottles on her desk.
Then she poured fragrance materials into each bottle in turn. Prim’s eyes, hands, and senses measured all the fragrance materials precisely. The fragrance materials were divided and contained in all ten bottles in sequence.
Compared to pouring into a large basin once, dividing the work among ten bottles should definitely take more time, yet Prim’s speed wasn’t much different from theirs.
Prim closed the bottle caps and gently shook the ten glass bottles to ensure the fragrance materials inside mixed sufficiently.
When the fragrance materials of different concentrations rippled and became completely one, only then did Prim pour them all into a large glass basin.
When she stirred and mixed them sufficiently, a very intensely concentrated fragrance rose up and stung her nose. Such a strong fragrance didn’t even make her think it was good. However, everything is sharp and immature when first born. Prim smiled.
‘This fragrance is for people to use…’
Depending on the type of fragrance, those used on people and those used directly on weapons and armor were different.
Things like Blade Sharpening Blessing and Accuracy Enhancement Blessing act directly on weapons and armor, so they’re made in fragrant oil form dissolved in oil rather than alcohol. This was to avoid damaging the weapons and armor.
However, those used on people are dissolved in alcohol and made in perfume form.
Prim confirmed that all the fragrance materials were mixed and raised her head. Mennellik was standing beside her.
Since such a quantity of fragrant oil couldn’t be ruined by mistake, the proctors were walking around and observing closely.
He asked Prim.
“Is it time to add alcohol now?”
At his question, other applicants glanced over with a start. They hadn’t finished mixing their fragrance materials yet. The still-separated fragrance materials looked like mixed paints of various colors.
“Yes, after waiting just a little more like this.”
“What’s the fragrance concentration?”
“As perfume.”
“No thoughts of cologne?”
“The immature blessing in this fragrance can’t be used by inexperienced Knights. It would rather endanger them, so it’s better to supply it only to skilled Knights.”
Prim answered gently.
Mennellik momentarily confused whether his conversation partner was a ten-year-old child or a skilled Perfumer, then came to his senses.
“That… that’s right.”
At the same time, confirming that the fragrance materials had stabilized appropriately, Prim picked up a bottle containing alcohol. It was alcohol of 95 degrees or higher.
Prim didn’t even pour half the alcohol into the fragrance base, gently stirring and slowly mixing. The fragrance materials meeting the unfamiliar clear liquid seemed surprised at first, but eventually melted following Prim’s touch.
The second time she also poured high-purity alcohol. The bottle, which seemed as big as Prim’s body, was 2/3 filled.
And finally, she slowly poured alcohol of slightly lower proof than that.
“Is there a… reason you did it that way?”
“I calculated the alcohol evaporation. When mixing in large quantities, the alcohol evaporation amount is also large, so if done wrong, the fragrance materials could separate.”
Just as Prim’s words ended, a scream of ‘Ah!’ came from the far end. The alcohol had evaporated, lowering the purity and causing the fragrance materials to separate.
As the bustling sounds of proctors looking at the test taker’s fragrance material condition and hurriedly adding high-purity alcohol to fix it echoed—we can’t throw all this away before battle!—tension appeared on everyone’s faces.
However, Prim was looking only at her own glass bottle with a face showing no emotion, as if she had heard a stone rolling somewhere.
“It’s done.”
Even seeing it was still in a cloudy state, Prim stopped stirring, removed the stirrer, and closed the bottle.
Mennellik was completely bewildered by that flawless production process and just gaped.
A ten-year-old showing excellent and intuitive talent in perfumery was wondrous but not incomprehensible.
That would be the light called talent.
On the other hand, this was an ability that only time could create. Only through trial and error, experiencing failure, and carving away bit by bit could one complete such a beautiful line.
‘But how could she do this.’
Mennellik gaped in shock. Unless the soul of a skilled genius Perfumer was dwelling within, how could this be possible?
No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible… but thinking of his master made him tilt his head again.
‘…Maybe real geniuses are like this…?’
Since he had never been one of them, he couldn’t feel their perspective or the limits of their possibilities.
If there was any consolation, it was that having experienced such incomprehensible talent once, the shock was somewhat less. If Prim had been the first time he’d seen talent of this level, he would have collapsed from illness.
“If we wait about a week now, it should be usable in the field.”
Fragrance needs the magic of time. This sufficient time is truly the final keystone.
However, the sealed bottle was already beginning to sparkle transparently and beautifully.
The Divine Blessing, already moved by that fragrance, was naturally settling in.
“Oh, G-God…”
Mennellik unconsciously called upon God. At that sound, other applicants turned around and gaped.
However, Prim had a face that showed she had no idea what was surprising. Finally, Mennellik explained with an incredulous expression.
“Good heavens Prim, Divine Blessing doesn’t settle into incomplete fragrances!”
That was obvious.
What god would take unfinished cooking?
What god would try to shove cookies fresh from the oven, not cooled enough and crumbling, into their mouth?
What god would wait in front of marron glacé that needs days to wait, standing there from the day syrup is poured?
What god would do such things?
Gods have no need to do so and no reason to do so.
Yet Prim’s fragrance had made it so. To wait in front of a fragrance not yet sufficiently matured…
And before the shocked Mennellik and others, Prim tried to compose her bewildered expression.
‘Ah, wasn’t this normal?’
Since it had always been like this, Prim couldn’t even imagine other cases. Everyone had shocked faces, which was more surprising to her.
“But still… it takes time for the blessing to become complete anyway, doesn’t it? Right now it’s just…”
Wasn’t this a kind of signal that this was a fragrance worthy of blessing, meaning she didn’t need to immediately throw away what she’d worked hard to make?
Usually no signs showed even at this stage?
‘Then without such signals… they just wait for the maturation process that takes at least a week to generously two months?’
What if after two months it turned out there was an error or mistake in the fragrance and it didn’t receive blessing?
Of course, Prim had never failed to receive this signal.
Prim soon regretted her words slightly. She noticed the expressions of the surrounding Perfumer applicants.
When those expressions appeared, they usually cried saying they didn’t have suitable talent and ran out. Then they never returned.
‘What if all those people cry here?’
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————