Three days had passed.
I was finally at the last one.
For the past three days, I had worked almost without sleep or rest. Aside from some brief chatter, nearly every hour had been dedicated to the task. As the end of this grueling stretch finally drew near, my mind naturally drifted back over the events of the last few days.
"I’ve finished here. Let’s move to the next one."
"Whoa, hold on. Just how many hours do you think you’ve been at this without a break?"
"The sun has already gone down, nya."
"The second cesspool is finished. How about taking a breather, forsooth?"
"I’ve still got plenty of stamina and mana left. Besides, I need to wrap this up as soon as I can."
"...He really doesn't look like he's pushing himself too hard..."
"This humble one agrees..."
"I'm of the same mind, nya. In that case, there’s no reason to stop him. It’s a fact that we should hurry, nya..."
After finishing the second cleaning on the first day and getting the consent of Jeff and the other two, we moved locations and resumed the work. By the time I emerged again, the guards had changed.
"Oh, you're back out."
"You must be Miya-san's friends..."
"I'm Welanna."
"Mizeria."
"I am Silia. We're in charge of the watch from night until morning. We look forward to working with you, Ryoma-kun."
"Yes, I look forward to it as well. To get straight to it, I've finished here. Please confirm it. Also, I heard that Mana Recovery Potions were being prepared as supplies..."
"We have them right here."
Medicines in this world fell into two broad categories.
The first was "medicine," which utilized the medicinal properties of herbs and stones found in nature, much like on Earth. The second was "magic medicine," which derived its effects from the mana contained in the materials or substances altered by magic. "Potions" referred to a type of magic medicine that was particularly fast-acting.
Silia, the rabbit-kin, cast Appraisal on me and the surrounding area while Mizeria, the tiger-kin, pulled a glass test tube from a large bag. It was filled with a smooth, dark green liquid. Mizeria warned me that a single bottle could restore about 2,000 mana, but cautioned that exceeding my total capacity would cause mana sickness. Once she finished her explanation, I gulped down all ten bottles provided.
"Thank you. Now I can move on to the next one."
"Already? At least take a short rest."
"I heard you didn't rest once while Miya and the others were on watch. You haven't eaten either, have you? Here."
Welanna held out a basket filled with sandwiches.
"The client's butler gave these to us. You can head to the next spot after you've eaten, right?"
"A butler? Was it Sebas?"
"Yeah, he certainly introduced himself that way. He’s an acquaintance of yours, right? He mentioned you might forget to eat if you got too absorbed in your work. He had other business to attend to, but he waited here until just a short while ago."
I didn't have any physical issues, but since I actually had forgotten to eat, I gratefully accepted the meal. This naturally led to more time spent interacting with them.
"So, did the news about the disease reach you?"
"The Guildmaster said he’d secure our doses through an acquaintance by tomorrow. But seriously, kid, were you really planning to work through the night without a single break?"
"I intended to take breaks, of course."
"Those breaks are too few. You should be resting after every single tank."
"That's true... To tell the truth, I was a bit skeptical. I thought what you were doing might be impossible."
"I have confidence in my stamina. I think your doubts are only natural, Silia-san, considering my age."
"It's a common story for rookie adventurers to put on airs, take on jobs they can't handle, and fail miserably."
"I agree," Mizeria added. "If Ryoma-kun hadn't disclosed the skills on his Status Board, I would have absolutely opposed this. It's unthinkable to trust a rookie who just registered with no track record to handle a job that could devastate the city based on his word alone... But now, I think you were the perfect choice."
"No, anyone would think that way. Please don't let it bother you."
Mizeria looked a bit awkward as she spoke, but I hadn't expected to gain full trust from people I had just met. Without a convenient tool like the Status Board, it was only natural that I looked like just a child. Because right now, I really was one.
After finishing the meal and chatting for a while, I returned to the cleaning. The next time I took a break was just before the guard shift changed again at dawn.
"Excuse us, we're here for the rotation."
"Thank you for your hard work, Cher-kun, Raypin-san, Gordon-san."
"Silia, good work."
"How is the progress?"
"It's moving much faster than I expected, but is the kid exhausted?"
"He's been doing his best and seems to still have stamina, but we've paused the work for a moment."
"Is there a problem?"
"First, please have a look..."
"What the—whoa!"
"What is with this many slimes? There’s nowhere to step!"
"I heard he used slimes, but has there been a stampede?"
"A stampede? Ryoma-kun called it Division."
"Division? Is this number merely from Division?"
To increase my efficiency, I had been letting the slimes that were able to divide do so, and before I knew it, the relief shift had arrived.
"Are you the next guards? Once again, I'm Ryoma Takebayashi. Sorry for the crowd. The slimes started dividing, but once they're finished, the work will go much faster. Please be careful not to step on them."
"Oh... I'm Gordon. Nice to meet ya."
"I'm Cher."
Gordon was exactly how I imagined a dwarf: short, with thick limbs, a sturdy torso, and a face half-hidden by a dense beard. Cher, a human who looked to be in his teens, introduced himself while keeping a wary eye on the floor.
The third man, a middle-aged scholar with glasses and a staff, was staring intently at the slimes.
"Hmm... they don't look weakened, so it's not a stampede... Hm? Oh, excuse me. I am Raypin. I am an adventurer for the sake of researching monsters. I wish to ask one thing: this is not a stampede, correct?"
"I'm Ryoma Takebayashi. I also research slimes as a hobby. Sorry to answer a question with a question, but what exactly is a stampede?"
"A stampede is a sudden, explosive division in slimes. It occurs when a slime is ready to divide, but its tamer continuously prevents it. Eventually, instinct takes over, and they begin to divide uncontrollably. It is said to be a reaction to having their reproductive cycle suppressed. Once a stampede begins, their numbers increase exponentially, but the individuals become severely weakened and attempt to replenish their nutrients by eating anything and everything around them."
"I didn't know slimes behaved like that."
"Wild slimes divide as they please, so it almost never happens. Furthermore, because there have been cases in the past where they destroyed research materials, they are somewhat loathed in academic circles. I myself have never actually seen it with my own eyes."
"But looking at this number, you thought it might be one."
"Indeed."
I explained that I’d originally had over a thousand slimes and told him about Big Slimes. This piqued his interest, and while I continued to form contracts with the newly divided slimes with a Mana Recovery Potion in one hand, we talked endlessly about monster research. By the time I was finished, Cher and Gordon looked completely lost.
Throughout the project, Sebas delivered a meal at least once a day. Sometimes he would be waiting at the entrance; other times, the basket contained a letter from Elia, reassuring me that she was taking care of the slimes I’d left at the inn. Supported by the nine guards and many others, I repeated the cycle of cleaning and resting.
As a result, the scavenger slimes divided again, bringing the total to 3,033. By merging them into three King Scavenger Slimes of 1,011 each, I could work with three units in tandem, which significantly reduced the labor. Their skill levels had also increased.
King Scavenger Slime x3 Skills: Disease Resistance Lv 7, Poison Resistance Lv 7, Scavenge Lv 8, Sanitization Lv 8, Deodorization Lv 8, Deodorizing Fluid Lv 6, Foul Odor Release Lv 8, Nutrient Return Lv 7, Physical Attack Resistance Lv 4, Enlargement Lv 5, Reduction Lv 6, Jump Lv 3, Binge Eating Lv 4
Disease Resistance hadn't increased further, but Level 7 was clearly sufficient for the Idake disease pathogens. Through the work, Sanitization, Deodorization, and Binge Eating had all leveled up. Even Physical Attack Resistance had gone up, perhaps from their bodies constantly rubbing against the walls or each other. Either way, higher levels were never a problem.
Following behind the slimes and continuing to heat-disinfect the walls with Mist Wash and Range, the end finally came into sight. I reached the far edge of the final cesspool. I splashed water over the walls and ceiling the slimes had already processed and heated it all at once. A quick check with Appraisal confirmed everything was disinfected. No problems.
After days of grueling work, it was finally over. I led the slimes out, occasionally checking them with Appraisal as I went. I was greeted by the three members of the morning shift: Gordon, Cher, and Raypin.
"Is it finished?"
"Yes, it's all done."
"Well done! So everything is finished now. You really saw it through, kid."
"You were really going non-stop the whole time."
"The only time you rested properly was for meals."
"That's true. Ah, Raypin-san, please confirm."
"Umu. ....................Good, there are no problems. I have used Appraisal on your clothes, belongings, and the surrounding area; they are all clean. We shall return to the guild and report."
"Thank you. Shall we go then?"
"Wait. I shall take you there. Warp."
It turned out Raypin could use Space Magic. He sent us straight to the guild’s front doors using Warp, a mid-range teleportation spell. He spoke with a bit of a pompous air, but he was a very thoughtful man. When we entered the guild, the receptionist immediately showed us to the Guildmaster's room.
"Ryoma! Is it done?"
"Yes. All thirty public cesspools have been processed. It's safe now."
"I see! That's a relief... Alright! Everyone, go home and get some sleep! I'll notify the others that it's over. Come to the guild tomorrow at noon; I'll pay the reward. You're the one who handled most of it this time, so you can expect a hefty reward."
"Understood. If you'll excuse me... Oh, Guildmaster."
"What is it?"
"There are no infected people, right? I haven't heard much news."
"It's fine. Along with arranging the medicine, I asked an old lady I know who's an expert in the field for help. So far, no patients with Idake disease have appeared... but that disease takes hold within ten hours of the toxin entering the body, right?"
"Yes, that's what showed up when I appraised the waste."
"Then it'll be fine. The medicine you told us about is being prepared, and we have a decent stock ready. Even if patients appear, we can handle it. So you, hurry home and rest. You haven't slept, have you? If patients do appear, I'll call for you, but you won't be able to do anything if you're staggering around."
"...That's true. If you'll excuse me, then."
I left the Adventurer Guild and parted ways with the others. With no one left to talk to, a sense of nostalgia washed over me—the pleasant lightheadedness that comes after pulling an all-nighter. I walked toward the inn, feeling the cool breeze against my skin.
When I arrived, I found the entire Jamil family gathered there.
"Welcome back, Ryoma-san!"
"Welcome back, Ryoma-kun."
"Welcome back."
"It seems you have returned safely. Good, good."
"Welcome back, Ryoma-sama."
"I will take your luggage."
"Have you finished your meal?"
I was greeted by all seven members of the household. A deep sense of nostalgia washed over me. When was the last time someone had welcomed me home like this? Not since my mother passed... No, Elia and the others had welcomed me plenty of times before, so why did it feel so different this time?
"Ryoma-kun, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No... my physical condition is fine, but for some reason, I just remembered things from a long time ago...!"
Family. That was it. The atmosphere of these people was so similar to hers. When things weren't going well at my company, when I came home exhausted day after day, when I was fired, when I couldn't find a job, when I was depressed... the person who had always welcomed me during those times was my mother.
"Ryoma-san!? What is the matter!?"
When Elia’s voice pulled me back to reality, I realized I was crying. Tears were streaming down my face before I even knew it.
"Ah... sorry, I'm fine. I just remembered a bit about my family. The atmosphere here just overlapped with them... though your faces don't look anything like hers, of course..."
My mother hadn't been ugly, but she’d had a very plain, average face. Her features were nothing like this group of handsome men, beautiful women, and refined gentlemen.
While I was thinking about such stupid things, the Duchess pulled me into a hug, while Elia clung to my arm. Reinhardt-san placed a steadying hand on my shoulder as Reinbach-sama patted my head. Sebas and the two maids watched over us all with warm, gentle smiles.
From then on, I was fussed over in a whirlwind of care—I was fed, bathed, and tucked into bed. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from my first all-nighter in years, but my mind felt hazy. Still, the feeling wasn't bad. The warmth of their welcome... the delayed sense of accomplishment... wrapped in those twin satisfactions, I surrendered myself to a deep, peaceful sleep.