Preparations were complete.
I finished getting ready in front of the cesspool where I would be working, arriving a bit earlier than the others. My outfit was extremely conspicuous, and I knew that walking through the city with a group of adventurers in tow would only draw more unwanted attention. Besides, I assumed the others had their own preparations to manage, and I wanted to check the area personally to ensure no pathogens had leaked out yet.
Now, I just had to wait for the first guard rotation—ah, here they come.
The sound of footsteps stopped, and the door leading outside swung open. Three people entered, all of whom I recognized from the meeting. Among them were Miya, the cat-kin who had requested the job I took the other day, and Jeff, whom I had met right after finishing that same request.
"Thank you for coming," I said.
"Yeah, yeah. Though we haven't actually done anything yet," Jeff replied.
"It’s been two days, hasn't it, Ryoma-kun? It looks like Jeff and I already know you, but I should probably introduce myself properly, nya. I'm Miya Cat of the cat-kin. I'd like you to call me Miya, nya."
Miya wagged her brown-furred ears and tail as if to emphasize her heritage. Jeff stepped up next.
"Right. Like I told you before, I'm Jeff Grange. Just so you know, I wasn't raised with much polish. I don't care for stiff language, and you don't need to be formal with me either. Just keep it casual."
"I appreciate that. I'm not really forcing the formality, though; it’s just how I speak."
"Then that's fine. And next is..."
"That would be me," the third man spoke up.
He was someone I hadn't met before. He had dark, brownish-black hair cropped short in a somewhat haphazard style. I hadn't paid much attention during the meeting, but his speech was peppered with archaic, dramatic phrasing. More strikingly, the weapon he carried was a sword—no, given its length, it was a tachi. It was the first time I had seen a Japanese-style blade since arriving in this world. I hadn't even seen bandits carrying them. Just who was this man?
"I am Asagi. I set out from the Dragonewt Village on a journey to master the blade, but for now, I have settled in this city as an adventurer. They say even a chance encounter is the result of fate. I look forward to working with you."
"I am Ryoma Takebayashi. It’s a pleasure to meet you. So, you're a Dragonewt?"
I had heard that Dragonewts were also known as Dragon-kin and possessed dragon-like traits. Since he looked like an ordinary human to me, I hadn't realized his race.
Asagi seemed to catch on to my confusion.
"It seems you did not take me for a Dragonewt?"
"I'm sorry. Since this is our first meeting, I didn't notice..."
"Do not trouble yourself. The traits of a Dragonewt do not manifest in fixed locations like the ears of a cat-kin. Most of us possess scales on only a portion of our bodies, and in rare cases, small horns. Otherwise, we are no different from humans. Dragonewts whose scales are hidden by their clothing are difficult to distinguish by sight. Much like myself."
As he spoke, Asagi pulled back his collar, revealing scales the same color as his hair running from his neck down toward his chest. While that was interesting, I was even more curious about his manner of speaking and his weapon.
"Excuse me, may I ask you one thing?"
I felt it might be rude to ask about his speech directly, so I asked about his home instead. According to Asagi, the Dragonewt Village was a settlement built on a distant island by a person believed to be a transfer person from another world.
"Many of my kind possess bodies and magical reserves far more robust than those of humans. This has been true since ancient times; it is said that long ago, Dragonewts used their strength as a shield to behave with extreme insolence toward other races.
"However, the man who established our village was a master swordsman who, despite being human, possessed a body that surpassed even the Dragonewts. Legend says he struck down every Dragonewt who oppressed the people. Yet, he did not kill those he defeated without cause. Moved by his character, the Dragonewts of that era became his disciples.
"Together, they moved to an uninhabited island where they would no longer threaten others. To this day, we have inherited the techniques and the soul of the samurai. This is a passage from 'Shimanagashi,' the legend that tells of our village's founding."
Asagi was a descendant of those original disciples. His way of speaking had been passed down through the generations, starting with that transfer person. Even the origin of his name was taken from the color of the robes worn by a group of samurai mentioned in the old stories—apparently, a group that the transfer person had deeply respected.
...Listening to the story, however, I felt a slight sense of dissonance. It might have been that the story was distorted over time, but I got the distinct impression of a foreigner who had a slightly skewed understanding of Japanese culture.
"Hey, the history lesson is great and all, but shouldn't we get to work?" Jeff cut in.
"Ah, right. Sorry."
"I got a bit carried away," Asagi admitted.
Jeff's reminder snapped us back to the task at hand.
"I’m going to open the door now," I said. "But before I do, please soak your face masks in this."
I gave a mental command to a Cleaner Slime, which spat out deodorizing fluid into a waiting container.
"What is that?" Jeff asked.
"It’s deodorizing fluid from a Cleaner Slime. It significantly neutralizes foul odors. Don't worry, it doesn't contain anything toxic or harmful."
"Got it."
The three of them followed my lead, soaking their cloths and tying them around their faces to cover their noses and mouths.
"Alright, opening it now."
I pulled the door open.
"I'm heading i—"
"Ugh! ...Gack..."
I was about to offer a final greeting, but Asagi suddenly doubled over, gagging.
"Are you alright?"
"Forgive me... when the door opened, I smelled nothing and assumed the situation wasn't as bad as I’d feared. I let my guard down. A Dragonewt’s nose is nearly as keen as a beast-kin’s. The moment my mask slipped, the stench hit me like a physical blow."
I understood that all too well. I had reacted the same way when I started yesterday.
"It can't be helped. Even as a human, I was reeling yesterday. The smell is so foul it actually stings your eyes. I wouldn't be able to stand it either without the slimes. I’ll leave the fluid here, so please use it as much as you need. Well then, I'm off."
Leaving them behind, I stepped into the cesspool with my slimes. As expected, this one was in just as horrific a state as the one from the day before. Before starting the cleaning, I decided to see if I could identify the pathogens in the waste. I focused and used Appraisal.
Idake Pathogen: A pathogen that breeds in filth and causes Idake disease. Incubation Period: Symptoms manifest within 10 hours of entering the human body. Symptoms: Onset begins with dizziness, fever, chills, and numbness in the limbs, progressing to total paralysis, loss of consciousness, and cardiac arrest. Aftereffects: Potential permanent numbness or paralysis of the limbs. Infection Route: Oral ingestion. Notes: Weak against heat and dryness. A specific cure exists.
I knew it! There really was a dangerous pathogen here. I had processed everything yesterday before I thought to check, but I really should have appraised it then. If I had, I could have given the Guildmaster concrete information sooner. Wait—it says there's a cure?
The moment I read that, the name of the medicine and its recipe surfaced in my mind as if I were recalling a long-lost memory. It must have been part of the knowledge Gain and the others granted me. I needed to pass this along immediately.
"Everyone, can you hear me?" I called out.
"What's wrong, nya?" Miya was the first to answer.
I had purified myself and the area around the door before opening it a crack to speak.
"Before starting the cleanup, I used Appraisal magic on the waste to see what we were dealing with. I’ve identified a pathogen for a plague called Idake disease. However, I also know there is a specific cure for it. I came back to report this."
"Is that true, nya?!"
"Yes, I'm certain. Some of the ingredients are expensive, and it might take time to prepare, but could you please contact the Guildmaster?"
"I'll go," Jeff said instantly. "If I tell the old man the name of the disease and that there’s a cure, he’ll find a way to get it for us, even if it’s pricey. I don’t know how long it’ll take to set up, but I’m going now."
"Wait a moment! Please take the recipe for the medicine as well. If they have the ingredients and an apothecary, they can make it on the spot."
"You even know how to make the stuff?!"
"I remember my grandmother teaching me about it," I lied.
"That is a godsend," Asagi said, pulling out writing tools. "Tell me, and I shall record it."
I quickly recited the ingredients and the process to Asagi. He didn't seem to understand the technical terms, but he recorded the spellings accurately as I spoke.
Seeing him work made me realize I hadn't used a brush in years. Since coming to this world, I had used only quills or wooden pens. Even in my previous life, I only touched a brush for New Year's cards.
"It is finished. Is this correct?"
He read the notes back to me. Once I confirmed everything was right, Jeff grabbed the memo and sprinted off. With that handled, I returned to the cesspool.
Now then, I was done inspecting the waste. It was time to get to work. "Slimes, let's go!"
Upon my command, the slimes at my feet began to expand like massive balloons, their bodies surging to fill the stairs of the cesspool.
Their combined volume was incredible. Yesterday’s division had pushed the total count of Scavenger Slimes over 1,000. When I merged them, they had evolved into a King Scavenger Slime rather than just a "Huge" version, and the scale of its body was on an entirely different level.
It seemed that 1,000 was the threshold for the "King" status, but since they could still merge further, there was no telling how much more they could grow. I checked its status:
King Scavenger Slime x1 Skills: Disease Resistance Lv7, Poison Resistance Lv7, Scavenge Lv8, Sanitization Lv8, Deodorization Lv8, Deodorizing Fluid Lv5, Foul Odor Release Lv7, Nutrient Return Lv6, Physical Attack Resistance Lv3, Enlargement Lv4, Reduction Lv6, Jump Lv3, Binge Eating Lv1.
The King Scavenger Slime had replaced its "Digestion" and "Absorption" skills with a new one: Binge Eating. When I directed it to use the skill, the slime used Enlargement to swell until it brushed against the ceiling, processing the waste at many times its previous speed.
Because of its sheer size, it could now reach the walls and ceiling that the normal Scavengers couldn't touch. I considered that once they divided again, I could have two Kings—one for each end of the basement—while filling the middle with regular Scavengers.
However, perhaps because the skill was only Level 1, the processing speed of a single King Slime wasn't quite as fast as the 730 individual slimes I had yesterday. For now, overwhelming numbers were still the more efficient choice.
I decided to have them separate to maximize the speed of the floor cleaning while I personally handled the grime on the ceiling and walls.
Doubling the number of Scavenger Slimes had made a massive difference. I worked without a single break, and by the time I finished the first tank of the day, I had shaved two hours off yesterday’s time.
After finishing, I purified my clothes and gear as usual and stepped outside.
"Oh, you're back. Something else come up?" Asagi asked.
"No, I'm finished here. Once we confirm the sanitary state, we can move to the next one."
"Finished already, nya?!" Miya exclaimed.
"Was the plan not to clean one cesspool per day?" Asagi added.
I paused. Ah, right. I only cleaned one yesterday because of the slime evolution. They must have thought that was my limit.
"There might have been a misunderstanding. Yesterday, the Scavenger Slimes were on the verge of dividing, so I had to spend a lot of time managing that process and re-forming my contracts with them. The actual cleaning only takes about five hours per tank, and now that my slimes have doubled in number, that time has been cut down even further."
"Wait, even if they doubled, that just means one became two, right?" Jeff asked, having returned. "Can they really... eat that much faster?"
I realized then that the fact that Big Slimes and higher were actually clusters of smaller slimes wasn't common knowledge.
"These slimes usually use a Reduction skill to stay small, but this is actually a King Scavenger Slime, a high-level evolution. Are you familiar with Big Slimes?"
"Yeah, sure. The giant ones," Jeff nodded.
"Species at the Big Slime level and above are actually Colony Organisms—massive groups of the same species that have merged into a single entity. So, while it looks like one slime, it’s actually a mass of over a thousand."
To prove my point, I separated twenty Scavenger Slimes from the main body right in front of them.
"Nya?!"
"Whoa... you're kidding me..."
"Incredible," Asagi whispered.
"I learned recently that there isn't much research being done on slimes, so I think only I and a few people I’ve told know about this. I've been researching them for so long that I forgot it wasn't common knowledge. My apologies."
"No, as long as the job gets done, it's fine by us," Jeff said. "But seriously, just how many of those things are in there?"
"1,464," I answered.
"A thousand?!" Asagi blurted out. "Forgive me... but with such numbers, that speed is certainly understandable."
"Please keep the details about my slimes a secret, as part of our confidentiality agreement for this job."
They all agreed. After confirming the cleanliness of the area, we moved on to the next cesspool. I spent the rest of the day in a focused rhythm: cleaning, moving, and cleaning again.