Meet the Landers: Li Gan

As Uta's lab hits the evening hours, and the slimes bubble and hop about in their 'cages', there is a knock on the door. A little rap of the back of fingers, before the door opens inside. Does she even keep her lab locked?

"Is this the laboratory of the famous Adventurer researcher, Uta?" A tired male voice sounds.

There is a moment of silence. And then, where the sound of feet tapping on tatami would go, most races would hear nothing, due to the Spriggans' natural inclination for sneaking. What other Spriggans hear, however...

The door to the lab is opened, and Uta stands there in the frame, stray grains of rice sticking to her cheeks. "...I would hardly call myself famous, but- yes, yes this is my humble laboratory, part of the Royal Society for the Appreciation and Study of Gelatinous creatures. Is there anything I can do for you, mister..."

"Li Gan. A humble fellow researcher." The man answers, touching his hand to his chest and bowing towards Uta as she presents herself. Rising back up, he pauses for a moment and looks to her face. "You have something stuck to your face, Adventurer Uta." He points out to her, then touches his face with a finger to point where the rice is stuck on her face.

"Are you attempting to create a rice slime? I promise you, that will not work." The man points out. With the door open, he motions; "May I come in? I've come to understand you are skilled at the acquisition and training of monsterous creatures."

Uta bows in return, as it is polite to do in such circumstances.

"...Rice slimes? I actually haven't- wait, did... did some of my dinner get stuck to my face?" She passes a hand on her cheek, and feeling something is off, she plucks one grain. "Oh. Uh. It... it must definitely be, wait- no. I haven't had dinner yet. Must be lunch." There is a short pause. "...actually, I had ramen for lunch. Uh. Does this mean this is breakfast?" Another short pause.

Deep inhale, smooth tone, "I am sure you will understand if I neither confirm or deny my experiments about rice slimes. But-" She scratches her head, and candidly admits, "...I have /been/ practicing Monster Handling a lot of late. I myself am still working on the part where I /acquire/ them, but-" She inhales once again, and launches in what now sounds like a well practiced spiel, "fear not, for here at the Royal Society for the Appreciation and Study of Gelatinous Creature, in cooperation with the Quick-Feather Peko Ranch, can boast a vast array of employees and contractors who will ensure that your request will be carried out, and you will be surprised at how great a deal it will turn out to be in the end!" She smiles and gestures for Li Gan to come inside. "May I offer something while we discuss this business transaction? Tea? This new beverage from Starlight Trading called Coffee?"

Li Gan patiently listens to Uta trying to figure out whether or not this rice is what part of the food cycle, and just politely smiles for her to finish going off on a tangent. When she finishes, he motions his hand.

"I will not be staying for very long. And I've already had the opportunity of trying this 'coffee' brought in by Starlight Trading." The Lander professes to Uta. "I'll be brief and to the point." He ducks his head a bit as he steps in, looking at the doorway, making sure he gets through. He's not incredibly tall compared to someone like Shiroe. But he's tall enough.

"There is a Manticore that has been popping up in an area in the Holy Empire Westelande, in one of the desert dungeons. And I need you to bring it to me in Shibuya."

"Ah, a pity you have to go so soon. I was going to ask what it is that you research. It would have been interesting." Uta says, while she pours some piping hot green tea into two cups. Given how no boiling is necessary, it would appear that she had already made a batch for herself. As she approaches with the tray, she looks up and away and asks, in a tone that sounds a lot like wondering aloud, "Manticore... humanoid head? Body of lion? Tail like that of a scorpion? Terrifyingly lethal?" She hesitates, lets that thought roll in her head, then smiles wide. "I can start working on that, sure!"

As she sets the tea down in front of her guest, she continues "...No, seriously, have you tried making rice slimes? That sounds like a neat idea."

"I research the functions of the world." Li Gan answers Uta as he takes a moment to appreciate the laboratory itself, walking along some of the floating slimes and touching along the glass they are going up and down inside of.

"Hrrm, yes. That's right. There are some monsters which appear to be a mish-mash of other creatures. And I want to understand them." He answers her as he turns around and rubs his hands together for a moment.

"As for the Slimes of Rice." He pauses, looking down at the tea, and motions his hand, rejecting this gift as well. "Someone who came before you tried it. I have some pages of an old book." He explains.

Uta's ears perk straight up at the latest revelation. "-You mean," she flicks her hand in the air and makes a few gestures. The yellowed sheet which triggered her Strange Mood shimmers into existence in her hand. "...from /this/ book?" She holds it up with both hands, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the sheet, pulling it taut, as if she was keeping a scroll open. "This is one of the great mysteries I have been trying to crack myself. I have a special interest in trying to put the whole book together again. Are you interested in trading those pages?" After a little silence, she adds, "And, uh, I dabble in trying to figure out how this world works as well. If... that is what you mean with 'the functions of this world'."

Much quieter, as an afterthought, she adds, "Uh. Seems like our interests overlap a lot."

The man smiles as the book is revealed. "Ah yes, that's the one." He notes. "Or at least, a copy of it." He notes. "It seems there are multiple of these books out there, each with various pages missing." The man explains. "Not too uncommon. Probably one of the first attempts at creating a Monster Manual." Li Gan proposes.

"I can get you a copy of those pages." He remarks. "Hmm, it's good to have interests overlap." He then remarks, ignoring her comments on how this world works. "How long do you estimate it to be, to procure a Manticore?"

"Let's see, we'll need to gather provisions, assemble a team, travel there, find the dungeon- do we know exactly which dungeon it is, by the way, or do we also have to locate the dungeon? Anyway, go into the dungeon, fight there..." Uta paces around the room and gestures in the air as she follows her own caravan of thought. She rambles on about more steps that might be needed, finishing with, "...and then securing it in Shibuya. Hm. That makes it a ballpark of..." She looks at her hands, fingers shoot up and down in some sort of fast arithmetic. "...a few weeks, give or take."

Uta seriously hopes she got that estimate right -- she is a Monster Handler after all, not a Monster Catcher. But sounding too uncertain in front of a customer is not good publicity for the business. "That good?"

"Hrrm, here's contract through the Hunters Guild that details the location." He answers Uta, placing it down on one of the lab tables next to her food, hoping she won't forget it if he places it there. "And that time table is acceptable." He adds, as he begins to move back to the door, turning back for a moment as Uta asks him if that is good.

"It is. When you bring it to me in Shibuya, ask some of the New World Alliance people for a guide down below. There's a lot of traps in the area beneath that town. You would not want the Manticore dying trying to get to me." Li Gan proposes. "I'll make some copies of the pages you are looking for, and have a gift in return for your efforts."

"It will be done, don't worry! Here at the Slime Lab we are very professional!"

She sounds very convinced when she says this. She moves to where the contract is, picks it up, and begins to scan it. "Understood. I have contacts in the New World Alliance. I'll make sure to ask them to guide me to you, so I can deliver the Manticore. Sounds very straightforward."

At the mention of the pages, Uta's ears shoot up straight up again, and she rubs her hands with a wide smile. The additional mention of a gift makes her eyebrows raise a little further. "Oh, thank you. I will do my best to give such a great customer the best servie I can!", she says with a bow, as Li Gan appears to be leaving.