I laid out the materials I had purchased in town across my room at the inn and set to work.
First, I coated the fabric’s surface with Sticky Slime adhesive. To dry it, I used "Dryer," a spell I’d developed by blending "Breeze"—the basic Wind Magic for moving air—with "Fire," the basic Fire Magic for heat. By repeating this process, I began mass-producing waterproof cloth.
In the past, I’d once lost control of "Dryer." The wind had fed the flames, creating a fierce, roaring blast. While I’d eventually refined that mistake into an offensive spell called "Flamethrower," using it inside an inn would have been a disaster.
By the time I finished the last of the fabric, being careful with every cast, it was already past noon. It would have been easy if the spells were of the same attribute, but combining different types of magic made the control quite difficult. Well, there was no point in dwelling on it now.
Next, I had the Sticky Slimes produce thread, which I wound onto the wooden spools. The strength of a Sticky Slime’s thread changed depending on the ratio of adhesive to hardening liquid. By having them adjust the mixture, I could create material perfectly suited for any purpose.
A 7:3 ratio of adhesive to hardening liquid resulted in a soft, beautiful thread ideal for sewing. A 6:4 ratio produced something much sturdier. At 5:5, the thread possessed enough flexibility for traps but would snap if a person or beast struggled too hard. Finally, a 4:6 ratio yielded a high-strength thread capable of strangling a man or an animal.
When I’d tested that 4:6 thread back in the forest, I had strung several lines between trees and lured a Black Bear into them. The threads had withstood the impact of the bear's charge once, leaving thin, shallow cuts across its body.
Wait, couldn't this be a lethal trap depending on how it's used? I had thought at the time, and I’d promptly tucked the technique away. Since then, I had rarely used it, except for instances involving massive swarms of monsters like Goblins.
The only other exception was when the trees in the forest had reminded me of my past life on Earth, prompting me to craft a guitar. I’d adjusted the thickness of the slime thread to use as strings. While strong, they weren't sharp enough to cut my fingers just by touching them. If I kept experimenting, I was sure I could find more harmless uses for the material.
Getting lost in simple, repetitive work always brought back old memories. Before I knew it, I’d finished winding the 6:4 thread. Next came the cutting. I carefully measured and sliced the waterproof cloth into several specific components.
I wanted to make a set of work clothes—something like the coveralls from my previous life—and a pair of makeshift chest waders. Starting tomorrow, I’d be cleaning vault toilets. Even though I planned to let the Scavenger Slimes handle the bulk of the work and I could use Cleaner Slimes to stay hygienic, I had no desire to do the job in my everyday attire. If I could prepare proper gear, I should.
Just as I finished the chest waders, there was a knock at the door.
"Master Ryoma, I heard you had returned. Are you in?"
It was Sebas. I hurried to open the door.
"I’m here," I said.
"Have there been any problems?"
"Not particularly."
"I see. The inn staff informed me that you went out this morning and returned before noon, only to hole yourself up in your room without even coming down for lunch..."
Ah... come to think of it, I had completely skipped the meal.
"I’m sorry. I got a little too absorbed in my work. Did I worry everyone?"
"If you would be so kind, please show your face to the family. Particularly the Duchess and the Young Lady. If your work consists of the sewing I see there, you can finish it in their suite. I shall have the two maids assist you as well."
I had intended to go speak with them anyway, so the timing was perfect. I stowed my tools and fabric into my Item Box and headed to the ducal family's rooms, my slimes trailing behind me.
As soon as Sebas led me inside, Elise and Eliaria rushed over.
"Are you safe?! Did something happen?"
"Ryoma-kun! Are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Now, now, you two. Calm yourselves," Reinhardt said.
"He can’t get a word in if you crowd him like that," Reinbach added.
At their words, the two ladies finally stepped back.
"I apologize for the concern," I said. "Nothing went wrong. I simply got a bit too focused on my work and forgot to eat."
"Oh, thank goodness," Elise sighed.
"Really, I thought something terrible had happened!" Eliaria added.
"Ho ho ho. As long as everything is well, that's what matters," Reinbach said. "But what sort of work were you doing?"
"Sewing. I was making a suit for a cleaning job."
I pulled my tools and materials from the Item Box to show them.
"I see... I take it this fabric has been given that waterproof treatment of yours?" Reinhardt asked.
"Yes. That took me until past noon. I’ve been tailoring the pieces ever since."
"Why the sudden need for such specialized clothing, noo?"
Since Reinbach asked, I began explaining the day's events. They told me I could keep working while I spoke, so I continued my task.
"—And that is why I accepted the cleaning request," I finished. "A plague outbreak would be a disaster for the city, so I wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible."
"Hmm..."
"I understand your reasoning," Reinhardt said. "And we are grateful for your initiative. However, for the Town Office to act in such a way... Sebas."
"Yes, my lord."
"Go into the city and gather intelligence. I want to know if the Town Office is truly behaving as Ryoma described. If they are, their maintenance costs should have plummeted compared to previous years. Yet the reports I received today showed no such change. This raises the distinct possibility that someone is embezzling funds."
"As you wish," Sebas replied before departing.
"Thank you, Ryoma-kun. Thanks to you, we may have uncovered a hidden crime," Reinhardt said.
"Indeed," Reinbach added. "Embezzlement is bad enough, but stealing money intended for the city's welfare and harming the people’s livelihoods is intolerable. Besides, the wages for the slum residents were established decades ago. To haggle over those rates is inexcusable! They are spitting on all my hard work..."
"Lord Reinbach’s hard work?" I asked.
"The installation of the public toilets and the hiring of slum residents as cleaners was a public works project my father-in-law initiated," Elise explained. "It was meant as a measure against disease and to provide social relief for those living in the slums."
"Years ago, I issued orders to every local governor to oversee the construction of those facilities," Reinbach said, his voice heavy. "When they didn't believe the people in the slums would actually work, I ignored the warnings of my advisors and went directly to the slum bosses to negotiate. I spent so much time and effort ensuring the construction and employment were handled correctly in every town. To think that effort is being undermined now... it is truly frustrating, noo."
Reinbach looked genuinely pained. It seemed this project held a deep, personal meaning for him that went beyond simple administration.
"Regardless, if this is true, it cannot be overlooked," Reinhardt said firmly. "No matter who else might forgive it, House Jamil will not."
"We truly appreciate this, Ryoma-kun. It was fortunate that we caught wind of this while we were still in town. Something is clearly wrong. If the project I pioneered were still functioning as intended, that request would never have reached the guild in the first place, noo."
"I’m glad I could help," I replied.
"Indeed. Let the maids assist you with those clothes. Arone, Lilian, help him."
"As you wish," the two maids replied in unison.
With the two of them supporting me, I divided up the tasks. I had Lilian work on the gloves and Arone on the coveralls, while I set about braiding the various cords I would need.
"Master Ryoma, what kind of thread is this?" Arone asked. "I have never seen a thread so fine, smooth, and beautiful, yet so incredibly strong."
"Oh, that? It’s Sticky Slime thread," I said.
"Slimes can produce thread?" Lilian asked.
"Only Sticky Slimes. And even then, probably only mine. I wondered if I could make something useful by mixing their adhesive and hardening liquids, and I found I could process the result into thread. When I taught the slimes how to do it, they eventually learned to produce it themselves. It was very helpful for making clothes back in the forest."
I summoned a Big Sticky Slime and had it demonstrate.
"See? It spits it out like this. I can even have it change the thread’s strength by adjusting the ratio of the liquids it mixes internally."
When I showed them threads of various thicknesses, Arone and Lilian immediately asked if I would sell some to them.
"Please, there's no need for that," I said. "You've been so kind to me. If you want some of this, I’ll give you as much as you like."
The two maids were delighted. Apparently, this thread was of such high quality that even Arone, who had served House Jamil for years and tailored countless garments, had never seen anything like it. Perhaps because I was used to synthetic fibers from Earth, I hadn't realized how special it was in this world.
Later, I consulted with Reinhardt and we decided to commercialize the thread alongside the rain gear. As the conversation continued, I learned that because Lord Reinbach had implemented such thorough environmental policies, the Jamil Territory was famous for having clean and healthy towns.
Reinhardt wanted to build on his father’s legacy by fostering commerce and further enriching the territory. To him, the slime-based products I had developed almost as an afterthought looked incredibly promising. He bowed his head and asked for my continued cooperation for years to come. I bowed back and asked for theirs as well. Everyone in House Jamil was wonderful, and I was more than happy to help.
Between our conversation and the help of the maids, my work suit was finished in no time. When I tried it on, the fit was perfect.
I put on the gloves, tucked the ends into the sleeves, and tied them shut with the cords I’d made to keep the grime out. Seeing me in a one-piece waterproof suit with integrated boots and chest-high trousers fastened with cords, everyone remarked on how strange I looked.
However, they all agreed that the gear was highly practical for the task. Reinhardt even mentioned that, while not a final decision, he wanted to consider the suit as another potential product for commercialization.