Chapter 61:  Innovative Trends Are The Fruits Of Creation

The initial supply of the “miracle drug,” the hair loss pause treatment, sold out everywhere it went, creating long lines in every square it visited.

Of course, there were still strong suspicions, but using Johanna as the face of the product was effective.

“How could the saintess who serves the goddess lie?”

This showed just how much trust the city’s people had in Johanna’s image.

But of course, that couldn’t be true.

Johanna also lied from time to time.

When she made long-lasting sweet snacks to sell, about 20% of the stock would mysteriously “evaporate.”

Naturally, I subjected the prime suspect to the “Confession Protocol.”

The procedure for the Confession Protocol is as follows:

1. Lift Tina up.

25. Put Tina down, completely drained of energy.

After completing an indescribable act, Tina finally revealed the identity of her accomplice.

Immediately raiding the scene of the crime, we caught the saintess red-handed.

“Uh, I, I, I didn’t eat it…”

With crumbs all over her mouth, the saintess tried to make excuses, but we arrested her on the spot.

Having caught her in the act, she had no choice but to willingly participate in this grand commercial venture.

But this business is just getting started.

Our prospective bald gentlemen are still on the fence, but in a week, they will line up five times around the store, driven by almost religious fervor.

It was only natural.

Even with modern advanced pharmaceutical technology, no drug has been developed to “completely” prevent hair loss.

Even if it’s temporary, if taken consistently, wouldn’t it become permanent?

To meet that demand, securing an adequate supply was essential.

“Ark-nim. We’re running short on materials, huh?”

“Hmm…”

We ran into the chronic problem of material shortages.

And the material in question was…

The tail fur of the beastfolk, which I had personally banned from poaching…!

It seemed as if there was some law of conservation of fur.

By sacrificing the tail fur of the beastfolk, we could temporarily preserve the hair of humans.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a problem right now.

But once someone is addicted to the drug, they can’t stop taking it.

Sure, it can’t grow hair where there is none, but if the supply of the drug that preserves existing hair is cut off?

I might become not just a village villain, but a world-class villain, treated as a demon lord.

“Bam bam”

As I stroked Rumi’s tail, I fell deep into thought.

How could we legally and peacefully poach tail fur?

The fate of our newly stabilized shop depended on it.

* * *

As the saying goes, many hands make light work.

So, for the future of our shop, I called a meeting.

Of course, Rumi and Renatel were excluded.

……Discussing a project to strip beastfolk of their tail fur in front of beastfolk was a bit too much, don’t you think?

“Can’t we just catch some and strip their fur?”

“Rejected.”

Ari shamelessly suggested outright plunder without batting an eye.

“Our relationship with the catfolk isn’t exactly amicable. Why don’t we just wipe them out while we’re at it?”

“……That’s a bit……”

Saha, she has a bit of a radical side.

Having struggled a lot with cats while climbing the tower, she must have built up some resentment.

But such genocidal ideas are not good.

“Hmm. What if we charm Tina and quickly strip the tail fur? She won’t remember it anyway!”

Essentially similar to Ari’s plundering idea, but Tina’s suggestion included a way to avoid leaving any traces, making it seem somewhat reasonable…

“No, that won’t do.”

I almost got swept up in the bandits’ schemes.

The only conscience in the hero party, that’s me.

I must constantly be on guard and enlighten the heroes to prevent them from straying onto an evil path…!

“Isn’t there a more peaceful way to solve this? No stripping, no stealing.”

“Hmm.”

“……”

The collective intelligence fell into silence.

“May I offer a suggestion, my lord?”

Ellis, with a modest gesture (wow), a bewitching smile (kya), and her moist lips parting (pya), spoke.

“There is a drug that causes hair to fall out. If we feed it to them…”

“Devil! You’re truly a devil…!”

“Oh my, you flatter me.”

I reaffirmed the average morality of demons.

Give me back my wow-kya-pya.

After vowing to later confiscate and destroy all of that world’s forbidden evil drugs, I looked around at the collective intelligence.

It seemed no one had a better idea than violent methods.

“Hmm, I’ve been thinking.”

Though she bore the dishonor of being a snack thief, Johanna, who seemed to have the highest moral standards among this band of outlaws, finally began to offer her opinion.

“Uh, isn’t long, flowing tail fur considered a symbol of honor among them?”

“That’s right.”

“What if we just change the trend?”

“!”

A bolt of lightning struck my head at this quite rational and reasonable suggestion.

Even in my homeland, trends change.

Once, all men grew their hair in a messy, so-called “shaggy cut.”

But now?

After fierce competition with the era’s trendsetters like the two-block cut, the shaggy cut is now only seen among mysterious groups in some remote areas or characters from the past glory of fantasy.

We could lead a new trend in the Great Forest and among the beastfolk.

And as a byproduct, we could rightfully acquire tail fur…!

Looking out the window, I saw Rumi disciplining Renatel as usual.

Someone like Renatel, the commander of the Darang Dreamland, would be the perfect first sacrifice for the Great Forest’s short-tail decree.

A moment later.

“Kyauuu…!”

“Stay still, you mutt!”

After subduing Renatel, who had been lured in by the promise of snacks, the original bandit gang began a serious discussion on how to design a short yet stylish look.

“Anyway, there are already many beastfolk with their tail fur cut short. Why not make it a unified fashion for a new era, a new paradise for beastfolk? Something like that.”

Atot…

I didn’t see it before, but she seems to have a bit of a failed art student vibe. 

Beastfolk glamour? 

What a terrifying idea…?

Moreover, Renatel, who was to be the test subject, reacted with outright hostility. 

If not for Rumi holding her by the scruff, she would have lunged at Saha immediately.

That’s not democratic.

I confiscated a snack in front of Saha to reduce her speaking rights.

Saha looked at my fingers with sad eyes.

Only after this collective punishment did more sound ideas begin to emerge.

After much deliberation, we decided on a style that would cut as much fur as possible while still maintaining beauty.

A style often seen on cute breeds like Pomeranians.

I don’t know the name, but it’s shaved from the base to the middle, leaving a brush-like tip.

Of course, Renatel’s opinion as the test subject was thoroughly ignored.

Why?

Because the perfect hierarchy between Rumi and Renatel had already been established.

The Darang commander cannot defeat the beastfolk commander.

Though she was still a candidate for the beastfolk king.

“Kauuu!”

“No, nooo!”

“My pride as a Langin…!”

“Ugh, huuu, sob…”

There was some minor resistance.

But as the saying goes, those in authority must set an example.

Like Yi Hyeong, the diplomatic king of Joseon who pioneered the short-hair decree to reform the old era, we must lead by example to control the chaos.

* * *

19th floor, 1st zone.

“What, what is that look…? Wait, why are you coming closer, stop, I said stop…! Kyau, kyauuuu!”

“Nyaaaah! What are you doing to my fluffy, cute, luxurious tail nyaaaah!”

For the crime of being captured.

And for the crime of ensuring the captives couldn’t escape, we allowed Enya and Ruyen to pioneer the “soon-to-be-trendy Great Forest tail style.”

Of course, it was only natural.

Renatel was the first to undergo tail fur grooming for both Langin and catfolk.

A good human tradition.

Joy shared is joy doubled!

Of course, some who misunderstood the intention muttered, “If I can’t see it, no one can,” while liking hateful images.

But surely, the head of our Darang Dreamland wouldn’t have such a dark thought, right?

“Everyone, attention! From today, we will move towards a new era with a new fashion! To make the Langin great again, and the beastfolk great again!”

Fortunately, the Langin didn’t have slogans like “Our body, hair, and skin are from our parents.”

And the cute ribbon tied to the neatly groomed tail was a charming touch.

The seeds of an innovative trend began to sprout in the beastfolk’s territory.

Since there was no time limit in the 1st zone, remnants of the old era who had accepted the new fashion began to pile up.

Roughly estimating, it was a quantity far beyond what our heroes could intermittently plunder.

Moreover, we confiscated the tail fur stored in Darang Tower.

We could probably produce enough for two months.

Of course, Ellis would have to work a bit harder.

But hey, Neb is good at alchemy too, right?

“Alright. Let’s head straight to the 20th floor today.”

Now that we’ve graduated from the Great Forest.

It’s time to “educate” and “enlighten” new demon friends and integrate them into the hero party.