An Arcanist in Karakura Town 27: Preparations 1 (Patreon)

An Arcanist in Karakura Town
Chapter 27: Preparations 1

-VB-

Time flowed.

Summer days grew longer.

Nights grew shorter.

Perfect temperatures at nights meant they were nights perfect for some serious love making. As pregnant as she was, she forbade vaginal sex but completely fine with anal!

Unfortunately, I had obligations that came before pleasure.

As the Arrancar Invasion approached, I needed to finish my experiments within the week and start producing tangible results so that by the time the Arrancars got here, I would at the very least be able to wipe out half of them should they decide to attack me.

What I was really preparing for would be the full scale invasion, and because I have already established through research that there was a direct connection between how fast someone became petrified and the maximum intensity of their spiritual pressure, I needed either a lot of mines or several big ones.

I would have discussed this Orihime as I usually do with most optics, but I knew by now that she wasn’t into deciding the fate of others.

There was a reason why she wasn’t involved in the fishing, caging, and experimentation.

As she currently was, her pregnancy had progressed to the point where her taut belly was starting to really expand. It wasn’t anywhere like one month or one week before birth, but it was getting there with her three months now.

Oh, it also wasn’t that I thought “women need to just stay in the bedroom,” but rather because Orihime was just not the kind of person who would engage in cruelty like I often do.

Petrifying a Hollow, one at a time, and letting its peers see it die was in no way merciful and humane. That was about sadism, building up tension, intensifying horror, and forcing them to live what they saw happen to others.

I was a sadist.

It was … an odd thought.

I wasn’t a sadist before I came to this place. I was a normal guy doing normal things living a normal life.

Was this my true self? Given power over others, I used it to seduce and fuck women, and tortured, mutilated, and experimented on those who had no value to me.

It was a morbid thought.

I always thought I was a decent guy.

I now knew that I wasn’t.

…

I stared at the cages in the far corner of the warehouse, a corner which was warded off even from Orihime. The cages sat empty, but there were lingering spiritual presence that remained from those that became stone.

I smiled instead.

“I guess I am a monster in human skin,” I said to myself before checking the clock. It was time for Orihime to come back home. Today was her last day in school before summer vacation started. She was going to be eating and then going out to play with her friends, so I would have to help her with some weight dispelling spells.

The door opened.

“I’m home~!”

“Welcome home!” I greeted with a broad smile as my other half closed the door behind her.

-VB-

While Orihime went out to socialize, I stayed indoors to start production on Petrification Mines.

I quickly ran into a problem.

For each landmine, I needed reagents in quantities I did not possess.

This meant that I either had to hunt excessively and risk being found out or ask someone else for resources.

“Hidemasa~!”

“Hello, master,” he responded drily from the other side of the phone call. “What is it that you need?”

Geez, he did not sound happy.

“We’ll talk about that later. You don’t sound like you’re having fun.”

He sighed deeply. “I am dealing with people. I am dealing with people who have centuries to their name. I am dealing with people whose ego is as big as the planet. I am dealing with egotistical and uncultured swine who have rivalries with each other.”

Yeah, he was not having fun.

“Well, I kind of need some reagents if you can buy it on my behalf and send them over.”

He didn’t respond for a moment.

“What is it for, master?”

“Well, I made this cool neat trick I call ‘petrification landmines-’”

“Master,” he cut me off. “While I am not someone who can go out of his way and tell others what war crimes to not commit, I highly urge you to not commit war crimes.” A pause. “What war crimes have you already committed?”

I laughed nervously. “Is it really a war crime if I am doing them in evil spirits…?”

“According to the Reverse Side Compact of 1877 that most of the European magicians seem to follow, war crime done on spirits, regardless of their status, is classified as war crime.”

“... Well, drats.”

“I heavily urge you to not make petrification landmines, master. They do not sound like something you want around your house.”

“I tested them out! It doesn’t work on anyone that has a flesh and blood body!”

“And pray tell, master, how did you test this?”

I clamped up and changed topic.

“So can you buy them for me or not?”

“Master, I am trying to get the help of entire magical-nations, and having you commit war crimes behind my back does not make this easier. Please think of my own efforts.”

“But I don’t have anything else to fall back on then! It’s the only thing I have been doing for the last two months!”

“Landmines, master? Of all of the things you could research, hone, and perfect, you chose landmines?” he growled. Oh wow, he must be really mad. He never growled at me before.

“... You know what? I think I’ll risk detection and gather them myself. Can you at least send some pregnancy and baby care packages from Europe? I hear their stuff is higher quality, even if more expensive.”

I only heard a sigh from him. “I will, master. I hope your landmines don’t blow up on any allies. Good night.”

“Good night!”

The call ended.

I thought about the last thing he said.

Did I even have allies?