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Vol 06 Chapter 180: The Spider’s Thread II

「Ah, hyah…」

「Stop making weird noises.」

「S-sorry. This is my first time being pulled like this…」

I wrapped the thread coming out of Alice’s mouth around a rod. We’ve already wound about ten meters of it.

Alice can produce thread from any gap in her body, even from the pores on her skin. But she finds it easier to produce it from her mouth or anus. Of course, pulling it from her anus would be inappropriate for various reasons, so I collect the thread from her mouth.

The slight glimmer from the saliva makes it look somewhat obscene.

「Um… how much do you want to take?」

「I want to go until the limit. How much can you produce?」

「Hmm, enough to weave a piece of cloth about this size.」

Alice spread her arms wide to demonstrate.

So she can produce enough thread in a day to make that much cloth.

For a single person, that’s a considerable amount. But it’s still far from enough to sustain a national industry.

Well, relying solely on Alice might not be the best idea anyway.

「Alright, let’s collect as much thread as we can until you reach your limit.」

「…Okay.」

The thread smoothly flowed from Alice’s mouth as I wound it up.

Each time I pulled the thread, Alice let out an erotic sound. And every time she made those sounds, Julia and Tetra, bound like sushi rolls, groaned in jealousy, while Fiona watched the scene with a bewildered expression.

It was an incredibly surreal sight.

◇

「How about it, Ainz? How much would you sell this cloth for?」

I showed Ainz the cloth woven from the thread collected from Alice. His eyes widened in amazement.

「This is incredible… What fiber is this?」

「It’s a secret. So, how much would it be?」

Ainz touched the cloth, flicked it with his fingers, and held it up to the sunlight as he answered.

「At first glance, it looks like silk… but it’s even more durable than silk. The sheen is beautiful. On top of that, it’s finer and lighter than silk thread. If it were me…」

The price Ainz proposed was… one and a half times the price of the same weight in silk.

On the Adernian Peninsula, silk is traded at the same price as gold of the same weight. That should give an idea of its high value.

「Can this be mass-produced?」

「Impossible.」

I shook my head. Alice can produce more thread of poorer quality, but creating thread strong enough to rival silk requires a significant amount of her stamina, and she can only produce a small amount each day.

Moreover, after producing it, she becomes utterly exhausted and unable to move for two days.

Forcing her to produce more is out of the question.

「Well, I’ll let you know if we can start mass production.」

「…Please, let me handle the trade.」

Ainz winked. I only realized it was a wink after he had left.

◇

「Alice, your father was a human who turned into a spider, right?」

「Yes, that’s correct. It seems the [Blessing of Transformation] he held went out of control, turning him into a spider.」

And that spider raped a woman, resulting in Alice…

This goes without saying, but even one of the biggest spiders in Japan, the huge Joro spider1 from Okinawa cannot rape a human woman. It might be able to restrain her with its web, but the size of their reproductive organs wouldn’t match.

This means that Alice’s spider-transformed father had reproductive organs large enough to rape a human woman, which implies his body was also significantly large.

A spider at least over a meter in size…

「Without understanding the exact abilities of the [Blessing of Transformation], it’s hard to say, but… if there’s a restriction like it can only transform into ‘things the holder has seen’ or ‘things that exist in this world’, then a giant spider of that size may actually exist.」

Spider silk is stronger and superior as a fiber compared to silkworm silk. However, industrializing it is extremely difficult.

This is because spiders are carnivorous, requiring a constant supply of live prey, unlike silkworms that can be raised on leaves, making the cost different. Moreover, spiders do not form colonies, so if they are housed together, they start cannibalizing each other, which means they need space. And most importantly, the amount of silk that can be obtained from a spider is very small.

That’s why spider silk hasn’t been industrialized.

However, if we consider a giant spider the size of Alice’s father, it is possible we could secure a significant amount of silk.

「Hey, Julia. You can’t figure out the specifics of the [Blessing of Transformation] just by looking at Alice with your [Blessing of Insight], right?」

「Yeah, unless I directly examine the blessing, it’s meaningless.」

Julia shrugged her shoulders.

「Hmm, there’s no helping it…」

「Should I try asking Griffon-sama just in case?」

◇

「Hmm, your analysis is half correct and half wrong.」

Griffon-sama replied to my question while gulping down his drink. As expected of Griffon-sama, his wisdom is unparalleled. He’s like a walking and flying Wikipedia.

「The [Blessing of Transformation] allows the holder to transform into creatures that the holder has seen, You are correct in your first assumption. However, during a rampage, it’s possible for multiple creatures to merge together.」

I see… So, for example, a mix of a hawk and a lion?

「An interesting hypothesis. However, I have been in this form since birth. Though, I do not deny the possibility that my parents were born through such a process. I have never seen another of my kind since birth.」

Griffon-sama, aren’t you an endangered species? Is that okay?

「Should I bring you a cute female lion or a female hawk?」

「Mind your own business.」

Griffon-sama bit into the meat and chewed it. For now, he seems content being alone.

「I don’t need to increase the numbers of my species, it would reduce the available food.」

Well, that’s true. It would be dangerous if many large, apex predators like Griffon-sama were flying around.

「What do you plan to do if you find such a large spider?」

「I plan to harvest its silk.」

Actually, I have the secret ambition of making the textile industry a major industry in our country. This is because it’s difficult to earn foreign currency with distilled liquor and paper alone.

Paper can be easily reproduced, so it won’t provide long-term earnings. Distilled liquor isn’t a bad industry, but relying solely on it is a problem.

Still, we don’t have the technology or resources on this peninsula to create glasswork like the Persis Empire or goldsmith and pottery like the craftsmen of Kirisia.

The only industry that seems feasible is the textile industry. However, while hemp and flax are practical, they don’t have the high profit margins that silk does.

I would love to have silkworms, but… they’re likely prohibited for export by the Scarlet Empire. Besides, who knows how long it would take to travel to the Scarlet Empire and back.

If we could industrialize spider silk, it could generate significant profits.

「Hmm… I don’t understand the need for flashy clothes, as long as they keep you warm, it should be enough. But I hope you succeed.」

Griffon-sama said indifferently.

◇

「So, I want to ask the knowledgeable Nikolaos. Do you know of any large spiders native to Germanis?」

I discreetly called Nikolaos and asked him. Although Nikolaos is a geologist, his knowledge is quite extensive.

It is a long shot, but he might know something.

「Hmm… a large spider, you say? Could you wait a moment? I’ll look through my home encyclopedias by tomorrow.」

He seems to have an idea. Let’s not rush him. Do your best.

The next day, Nikolaos came to the palace with an encyclopedia. He unfurled a scroll before me.

「The spider you’re referring to, one as large as a human… it can only be this one.」

Nikolaos pointed to a page with an illustration.

This… is written in very old Kirisian. Let’s see… ant spider?

「It’s a spider native to the southeastern region of Germanis. It behaves like ants, moving and nesting in colonies. The colony is led by a pair, the King Spider and the Queen Spider, with over a hundred subordinate spiders. The King and Queen Spiders are as large as ten-year-old children, while the smaller spiders are about the size of apples. They weave webs across vast forests, transforming them into a single massive nest. Their prey includes deer, boars, and occasionally even lesser dragon species. However, only the King and Queen Spiders primarily eat meat; the smaller spiders survive by rotting leaves and cultivating fungi. The smaller spiders rarely live beyond six months. Their natural enemy is lesser dragon species with flame sacs… like the Salamander. Yet, their webs are resistant to flames, a defensive adaptation.」

These things remind me we truly are in another world. Earth could never have such fantastical creatures. There are mammoths and pseudo-tyrannosaurs here, too. These spiders even practice agriculture—since when spiders are that intelligent?

Could we domesticate them? It’s uncertain without studying their ecology, but perhaps we could prevent them from nesting, capture the newborn spiders immediately, and extract their silk to the limit?

「What do you think, is domestication possible?」

Nikolaos leaned forward, intrigued.

「Domestication, you say? That sounds fascinating. There’s no record of anyone attempting it before. We won’t know until we try. However, some dragons have been domesticated. If we can tame dragons, perhaps spiders aren’t impossible.」

We won’t know until we try… true enough. The main issue is how to acquire the first individuals.

◇

「Hey, Raymond. Once things settle down, would you be willing to travel abroad?」

「… You’re asking me to go to Germanis to look for spiders that may or may not exist, that may or may not be useful if they do exist, and that we have no idea how to capture?」

「No, no, the spiders are just a side note.」

I’m not that foolish. The idea of industrializing spider silk is merely a hopeful possibility. If it doesn’t seem feasible, I’ll give up on it. We won’t be in trouble if it doesn’t work out.

「Look, we’ve gained access to the sea, and we’ve annexed Lezado. I think it’s time we established diplomatic relations—or at least some exchange—with foreign countries.」

Specifically, the Persis Empire. I want to build a friendly, peaceful relationship with that Empire.

Given our worsening relations with Pofenia, it’s urgent to establish good relations with the Persis Empire.

Moreover…

「Don’t you think it would be beneficial to have an understanding of the forces in Germanis, considering our strategy against the Rozel Kingdom?」

「Indeed, you’re right.」

Luckily, he seems to agree.

「Honestly, I’d like to go myself, but being the king makes it difficult. Iarl is essential for internal diplomacy on the Adernian Peninsula, so he can’t be moved. That leaves only you to rely on.」

I briefly considered Ainz as an option, but he’s a merchant and a Kirisian. He might be suitable as an assistant, but not as a full representative.

In that regard, Raymond has the right status and capability.

「My tentative plan is for you to first visit the Kirisian Peninsula, observe its advanced city-states, then proceed to greet the Persis Empire. Afterward, establish diplomatic relations with the tribes and factions in Germanis and northern Gallia that are opposed to the Rozel Kingdom…」

When I made the suggestion, Raymond smiled.

「Actually, I’ve always wanted to visit the Kirisian Peninsula. It was a dream of mine when I was younger…」

Raymond gazed into the distance with a nostalgic look.

I see, so you too had a youth filled with dreams and hopes.

「Maybe it’s not a bad idea to leave the Adernian Peninsula at least once in my life. Alright, I’ll take it on. I’ll finish up my current duties, negotiate with the Kirisian merchants, and prepare for the mission… Considering the preparations, we should be able to depart in about a year.」

Raymond seems unusually enthusiastic. The Kirisian Peninsula is one of the most advanced regions in the world after all.

The Adernian Peninsula is practically on the edge of the civilized world, it’s pretty far from the really civilized countries. It’s natural to have the desire to see more.

「Sorry for the sudden request.」

「No, no, it’s fine. Besides, I’m not sure if I’ll live another twenty years. It’s a good opportunity.」

Raymond is the brother of the previous king. He’s forty-five years old.

It’s an age where you start feeling the years. He might be thinking it’s best to do it while he still can.

AN: At forty-five, in the Adernian Peninsula, one is transitioning from middle-aged to elderly.

Incidentally, there’s a background setting that the oxygen concentration in this world is slightly higher than on modern Earth. About twenty-seven or twenty-eight percent (roughly).

Does that mean the temperature is lower? Not really. The planet is a bit closer to its star.

Currently, Arums’ planet is experiencing a warming trend because the star is a bit more active. Therefore, snow rarely falls in the southern half of the Adernian Peninsula. It’s probably warmer than Earth.

Additionally, the moon is relatively large, so nights are a bit brighter. The tides are also more dramatic than on Earth.

Also, the dragons that occasionally appear are synapsids. Therefore, they are warm-blooded animals and produce milk. The pseudo-tyrannosaurus creatures are not related to the actual Tyrannosaurus rex.

The mammoths used by the Rozel Kingdom are mammoths but not the same as Earth’s mammoths. They live in forests and survive by eating leaves.

As for gravity, there isn’t much difference. It might be slightly less, but not significantly.

The crops being the same as those on Earth despite the differences in oxygen concentration and temperature is because… well, let’s just not question it too much, okay?

TN1: Trichonephila clavate, also known as Joro spider is a type of spider from East Asia known for its striking colors and the strength of its silk, it’s also pretty big being able to grow to 22mm, still, they aren’t even close to the biggest spiders on Earth that can reach 30cm like the Theraphosa blondi also known as Goliath Birdeater.