Observing the faceless body before him, Luo Shu tilted his head slightly and asked Verde:
"What side effects would a yokai born from this body have?"
"Theoretically, none," Verde replied calmly.
"Theoretically?" Luo Shu raised an eyebrow.
Verde's glasses seemed to reflect the glow of a mad scientist:
"Correct. Theoretically. Because any long-lived species born from this yokai body would experience some degree of lifespan reduction. But for humans, such side effects would be negligible."
"Of course, since your target is Nue, he'd likely notice this lifespan alteration after birth."
Luo Shu chuckled: "If it's after birth, then noticing doesn't matter."
Once Nue was born, according to the ritual, Luo Shu's task would simply be preventing Nue's rampage. In that scenario, such minor side effects wouldn't concern him.
"You've worked hard this time, Verde."
After pausing briefly, Luo Shu added:
"Besides the funding Lacus promised, the Hidden Management Department will transfer 300 million yen as departmental gratitude."
Luo Shu didn't believe in verbal thanks, and ordinary gifts wouldn't interest Verde. Research funding made for an ideal present.
At this, Verde adjusted his glasses again, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly:
"Don't leave yet. I have some gifts for you to take back and test."
"What gifts?" Hearing this, Luo Shu suddenly felt uneasy.
"Yokai flesh separated from Test Subject Zero. Don't worry, they're replicas cultured in nutrient solution."
Verde continued calmly:
"Classified as centipede yokai and wolf yokai flesh, I believe? Apologies, I don't often memorise experimental material categories."
'You call these gifts?' Luo Shu couldn't help but complain internally.
The thought that these were flesh products replicated from yokai genes extracted from Naraku's body, meant for culinary use, made him distinctly uncomfortable.
'Do I really dare eat this stuff?'
While mentally griping, Luo Shu replied:
"I'll have the people at Totsuki give it a try."
Well, the key was to remind Erina and Alice not to eat this stuff. As for Gin Dōjima... he'd just have to apologise.
He supposed Mr Dōjima wouldn't mind? After all, consuming highly nutritious, energy-rich substances seemed beneficial for martial arts training.
Just as Luo Shu was silently musing, Verde explained the reason for handing over the flesh to him:
"Haven't you recently recruited the Totsuki Group? Take these there for testing and remember to bring back the specific data..."
"Never mind, untrained personnel would struggle with this task."
Verde shook his head, then turned to Mira Tsubakihara:
"Third-Class Researcher Tsubakihara, make a trip to the Hidden Management Department soon to record the data. During this period, ensure you complete the training here in the Research Department."
"I also need to observe your Alchemy abilities. If the tests succeed, many experiments could proceed."
Verde was quite curious about Alchemy. To that end, he even planned to apply for some of the points Lacus would allocate to him, to accelerate Mira Tsubakihara's professional development.
If the experiments succeeded, perhaps some previously unusable Abyss Artefacts could have their side effects mitigated through Alchemy.
Those special Abyss Artefacts sealed away due to excessive side effects had long been objects of Verde's desire. He was itching to start researching them immediately. Unfortunately, without sufficient safety measures, Lacus wouldn't approve his applications.
"Understood, Doctor. I'll do my best," Mira Tsubakihara replied with a smile.
Seeing this, Luo Shu shook his head. While Verde's experiments might seem bizarre to normal people, this mad scientist truly had a knack for nurturing talent.
Though he worried Mira might pick up bad habits from Verde, considering her future prospects, he had to agree with her learning under him.
Of course, if there were any adverse signs during this learning period, Luo Shu would naturally intervene to stop it.
Luo Shu tilted his head slightly, glancing at the faceless body inside the nutrient tank:
"Prepare to send this faceless body to the Hidden Management Department."
"Aside from that, Verde, have you prepared the raw liver needed for Nue's development?"
"The composition of livers is essentially the same."
Verde gave Luo Shu a sidelong glance, showing little interest in elaborating on complex biological science, simply stating calmly:
"I've studied the report you sent. Based on speculation and calculations, the pure female raw liver Nue requires is essentially an organ contaminated by pure Spiritual Power."
"So the method to deceive Nue is simple: have a shrine maiden with high-quality Spiritual Power infuse the organ with Spiritual Power using a specific method. Of course, for humanitarian reasons, I recommend using pig liver."
"Rest assured, as long as the shrine maiden doesn't slack off and infuses enough Spiritual Power, pig liver can fully substitute for human liver—even providing better nutrition."
Feed pig liver to Nue? Hearing this, Luo Shu's expression turned awkward, as if he wanted to complain but didn't know how.
A man-eating yokai, in Verde's words, was somehow turning into a pig liver enthusiast... Luo Shu thought strangely before asking:
"Will Nue notice?"
Verde smirked dismissively: "An infant's nutrients all come from the mother. With the right nutritional supplements, if the mother doesn't mention it's pig liver, how would Abe no Seimei know he wasn't eating human liver?"
"Moreover, what he truly craves is high-quality Spiritual Power. How could the innate Spiritual Power of some pure, high-status women compare to that of a properly trained shrine maiden?"
"Still, this method isn't without its hassles."
"The main issue is the near-zero yield of Spiritual Power-infused pig liver. You'll need to seek out minor Onmyou Agency families and have their shrine maidens assist."
"50,000 yen per pig liver is a reasonable price. Any higher, and the budget will strain."
"If possible, try to place bulk orders to drive down the price. Based on calculations, a qualified shrine maiden can produce about five portions of pig liver per day. You'd do best to target shrine families with many daughters but mediocre strength, then settle payments weekly to keep the cost per experimental sample below 40,000 yen."
Luo Shu's eyelid twitched as he watched Verde teach him how to save funds.
'With such practised methods, you must have had a tough time in daily life?'
"I'll do my best."
Hearing this, Verde said nothing more, simply turning to leave. Before exiting, he remarked coolly:
"If possible, try to collect some of Nue's tissue samples. The flesh and blood of a half-yokai hold significant research value—especially one who was originally an Onmyoji."
"I'll try." Luo Shu responded with a wry smile.
'The person isn't even dealt with yet, and you're already eyeing his by-products.'
'How utterly typical.'
With that thought, Luo Shu shook his head and glanced back at the faceless body:
"In that case, the only remaining trouble is the darkness of human hearts."
A mocking smile crossed his face:
"But for modern times, that's probably the easiest thing of all."