Five days into the monster subjugation, and the first day of shop construction.
"Ryoma, help us, nya..."
While I was having a meal during my lunch break, Miya and her group approached me. Trailing behind her were Jeff, Asagi, and Raypin, all of them completely drenched in blood. I wondered what on earth had happened to them.
"Could you get this blood off us? The smell is unbearable."
"Goblins? You guys really went at it again, didn't you?"
As I spoke, I ordered my cleaner slimes to wash all seven of them.
"Ah, finally clean... Your cleaner slimes are incredibly handy, Ryoma-kun."
"I am in your debt. In the state we were in, we would have been hard-pressed to even go get our lunch."
"Good grief. Jeff’s work is simply sloppy," Raypin remarked.
"I already said I was sorry..."
I waited for the seven of them to fetch their food, and we talked while we ate. It turned out they had just wiped out a newly discovered goblin nest. It was a remnant from a previous group, and the nest was small enough that the seven of them and a few others had handled it easily. The trouble started after the battle, during the disposal of the corpses. Jeff had been gathering the bodies by skewering them with his spear and tossing them into a pile with reckless abandon.
"We finished the cleanup quickly enough, but the pile of goblin corpses was unstable. Just as we were talking about heading back, the whole thing collapsed," Asagi explained.
They managed to dodge the falling bodies, but they couldn't avoid the spray of blood. Raypin had apparently taken a direct hit from a tumbling corpse.
"That sounds like a nightmare..."
"Tell me about it. If you weren't here, Ryoma, we’d be eating lunch and working the afternoon shift smelling like death."
"It's truly impressive that you can remove goblin filth so effortlessly," Syria added.
"Thank you."
At that moment, I realized I hadn't actually told them about my plans for the laundry shop.
"Speaking of which, do you remember that laundry shop I mentioned three days ago?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Jeff asked.
"Well, I've decided to move forward with it."
"Oh, for real? When do you open?"
"I still need to prepare the storefront, so it’ll be a little while. The price will be one medium copper coin, just like I told you before."
"A storefront? Does that mean you are actually setting up a proper shop?" Raypin inquired.
"I consulted with a merchant I know, and that's how it worked out. I’ve already registered with the Commerce Guild, and since I had the bounty money from the bandits I defeated a while back, I've already purchased the land. As for the staff, I’ll either hire through the guild or use the staff my merchant friend offered to provide. I still plan to continue my work as an adventurer, though."
"I see. It is surprising to see one so young establishing a business, but it makes perfect sense. Not just myself, but any adventurer who knows the utility of your slimes will surely become a customer. Furthermore, a unique business like this is bound to generate rumors. If it becomes as prosperous as I expect, running it alone would be impossible."
"You might be able to pull it off, but you'd never have time for adventuring, right?" Miya noted.
"Exactly. I'm surprised it's becoming such a big production, but as long as I can keep adventuring, it’s all for the best. I’ll let you know before the grand opening, so please come by. I'll even have a discount for group contracts."
"Oh, really? In that case, maybe I'll recruit a few people..."
"Ryoma-kun is already sounding like a proper merchant, nya."
"He has always spoken with such refinement that it doesn't feel out of place at all," Asagi observed.
We finished our meal while chatting, and then I spent the rest of the day working hard on the subjugation mission.
"This is your land, Master Ryoma."
"It really is spacious."
I visited Serge immediately after finishing work to inspect the land I had purchased.
Before me stood a dilapidated two-story building on the verge of total collapse, situated on a lot slightly smaller than a youth baseball field. It looked to be about twenty by one hundred meters. In terms of sheer area, it might even be larger than Serge’s own shop.
It had looked much narrower on the map...
"The tavern that occupied this site also served as an inn. It included guest rooms, warehouses, and the like."
"I see... and I’m really allowed to do whatever I want with it?"
"Indeed. As long as you stay within the property lines, you have free rein. Do you intend to start work today?"
"I think so. I’d like to get a head start on the weeding and some of the demolition."
I released my scavenger slimes from my Dimension Home and directed them to start eating the grass away from the building. Once they were set, the weeding would basically take care of itself.
Watching the thickets of weeds being slowly pulled down and consumed, I set up a soundproofing barrier around the building to avoid disturbing the neighbors. I began dismantling the ceiling boards from the top floor down. As long as I was mindful of the noise and safety, I wouldn't be a nuisance to the residents nearby.
Using brute force to speed things along, I destroyed the entire ceiling and then used Break Rock to turn the stone side walls into soft soil. Once I was sure the structure was stable, I cleared the interior by shoving the ceiling fragments, furniture remains, and the dirt that used to be walls outside in one grand motion.
I dismantled the remaining frame and pillars piece by piece using Wind Cutter.
My architectural knowledge was supposed to be limited to basic labor from past part-time jobs and things I’d overheard, but it seemed that coming to this world had granted me knowledge commensurate with my skill level. Now, I felt confident enough to design a simple building if I put my mind to it. Even with the demolition, I knew exactly which points to break to make the structure collapse safely, which made the task incredibly easy.
The Construction skill was incredible. Magic made everything so much easier.
In about an hour, half the weeding and half the demolition were complete. Since night was falling, I decided to call it a day.
Serge had watched the entire process, looking utterly stunned by the combination of slime-powered labor and the sheer force of my magical capacity.
The sixth day of the monster subjugation, and the second day of shop construction.
The monster subjugation at the mine concluded today. Despite a few hiccups, the Guild Master gathered everyone to announce that the request had been officially completed.
However, the management of this place would fall to me now. Even with my schedule, I had to ensure I did a thorough job. I planned to patrol the area at least once a week until I moved into my new place.
While I was lost in thought, the Guild Master called out to me.
"Ryoma, a word."
"Yes?"
"Good work out there. Your share of the monster corpses is in the usual spot. Also, with this request finished, you're officially promoted to E-Rank. Now... I heard from the Duke’s butler that you’ll be the one managing this abandoned mine?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I’m sure you’ll handle it fine, but stay sharp. If you ever find yourself shorthanded, don’t hesitate to say so. Reporting those needs is part of your job, after all."
"Understood."
"Still, turning down the Duke's patronage to strike out on your own... that’s quite a bold move."
"I realized I’d become a bit too dependent on them, so I wanted to tighten my resolve."
"Don't overdo it. You're still just a kid. Anyway, here’s the real reason I called you over... I heard a rumor that you're starting a laundry business using those cleaner slimes. Is that true?"
"It is. You’ve already heard about it?"
"It’s become a pretty hot topic among the adventurers on this job. Those guys are chomping at the bit for the shop to open. Most of them have a pile of filthy gear they’ve been ignoring."
"That’s encouraging to hear. I’ll work as fast as I can on the construction, so please tell them it won't be much longer."
"Right. One more thing—can I use the shop too? What are the rates?"
"Of course. Anyone is welcome. The price is one medium copper coin per specialized bag. I’m also offering two different group plans that come with a discount."
"Hoh. In that case, I’ll check with the staff and see who’s interested. ...Exactly how much of a deal are we talking about?"
"If you compare the individual rate to the largest group plan over a week, the cost per person drops by about twenty percent."
"That much?"
"My goal was just to earn enough to cover my basic living expenses between adventuring jobs, so I wanted to keep the prices low. The discount isn't a one-time thing, either—it applies every time as long as you're on the plan. Signing up as a guild would be very cost-effective."
"Then I’ll definitely have to put the word out."
"I appreciate it."
Once our talk was over, I headed back to the city and resumed the demolition work.
Since the work at the mine had finished before noon, I had plenty of time left even after the demolition and weeding were fully completed. The site was prepped; now I just had to decide what kind of building to put up.
I happened to glance toward the road and noticed a group of children watching me from a distance.
"Do you need something?" I asked.
I tried to keep my voice gentle so as not to frighten them. A particularly young boy in the group stepped forward.
"I don't recognize you! Who are you!?"
"Rick! That's rude!"
The girl next to him scolded the boy for his aggressive tone, while an older boy who seemed to be the leader bowed his head.
"Sorry about him. Rick’s a bit rowdy. We didn't mean to interrupt your work."
"No, it’s fine. I was so focused I didn't even notice you. Besides, I just finished for the day."
More than their behavior, I was curious about their ages. They were definitely children, right? I hoped it wasn't another situation like the group of six from before, where the smallest one turned out to be the oldest.
"Really? Thanks. You're amazing, though. You don't look much older than me, but you can use magic like that?"
"Are you a mage, big brother?"
"Are you an adventurer?"
The questions started flying. Just as I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by their unbridled curiosity, a woman’s voice boomed out.
"Settle down, the lot of you! He can't answer if you all yell at once!"
I turned to see a stout, motherly woman standing there.
"Sorry about that. My kids and the neighbors’ kids are being a handful."
"Not at all. Thank you for stepping in."
"My, you're a polite one. I wish my son would pick up some of those manners. Are you an adventurer, then?"
"Yes, though I only just registered recently."
"Is that so? Well, keep at it. Are you on a job? This old lot hasn't been this clean in years."
"Actually, I'm going to open a laundry shop here, so I've been getting the land ready. ...Ah, excuse me. My name is Ryoma Takebayashi."
"I'm Pauline. This little rascal is my son, Rick, and the tomboy here is my daughter, Leni."
"I'm Rick! I might even make you my lackey!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Sorry about him. I'm Leni, nice to meet you."
"I'm Toll. Nice to meet you."
"A pleasure to meet you all. I'm Ryoma Takebayashi. Do you live nearby?"
"Yeah, all of us live in the residential district right over there. I actually run the flower shop right next door to this lot."
"Oh, really? In that case, we'll be neighbors. I look forward to getting to know you. I'll come by to give a proper greeting once things settle down."
"Don't you worry about that. More importantly, did you say a laundry shop? A place that washes clothes for a fee?"
"Yes, exactly."
I pulled an individual-sized bag from my Item Box to show her.
"This is the household bag. I’ll wash whatever you can fit in here for one medium copper coin."
Pauline’s eyes lit up with interest.
"One bag for a single medium copper coin? That's considerably cheaper than I expected."
"Since we're neighbors, I’d be happy to handle your first load for free once we open."
"Truly? Well then, I’ll certainly take you up on that."
She told me a bit more about the neighborhood, and after thanking her, I headed home for the evening.