Construction Day 3
After mulling it over at the inn last night, I concluded that with my current Construction skill, a building consisting of one basement level and two floors above ground was my limit. I decided to build to that exact capacity, treating the shop as a trial to see just how far my architectural abilities could go.
However, turning the entire lot into a shop would make it far too large. I planned to use half the land for the storefront, a quarter for employee dormitories, and the remaining quarter for a backyard.
At the construction site, I used Create Block to simultaneously excavate the basement and produce stone blocks. I left the task of transporting and organizing the stones to my slimes.
To reinforce the massive hole left behind, I applied my knowledge of the Construction skill to Earth Magic, developing a spell called Pavement. This allowed me to pave and strengthen the pit, transforming the loose earth into a sturdy foundation. It felt like compressing the ground into a flat, seamless slab of bedrock, free of any cracks or hollows. In one fell swoop, I had completed what would be known on Earth as the hardcore, blinding, and base concrete stages of foundation work.
Back in Japan, there was a step called reinforcement placement between the blinding and base concrete, but that didn't exist in the architectural knowledge of this world. Was that truly okay? I felt a twinge of worry regarding earthquake resistance.
My knowledge of Earth’s construction was hazy—just bits and pieces from old part-time jobs—and it didn't align with the common practices here. Still, according to the local methods, the foundation work was technically finished. It would be a hassle if things went wrong because I tried to do a half-baked job of combining methods, so I decided to trust the local process for now.
I used the Sticky Slime’s Hardening Fluid as a substitute for cement to assemble and secure the stones I’d produced, further reinforcing the structure. Since this didn't require magic, I had the slimes help me, and the work progressed at a rapid pace. I then set up stone pillars using magic. Once the basement walls and the first-floor flooring were complete, I began working on the sections that would form the exterior walls.
Magic truly was a marvel of convenience. Up to this point, I hadn't used a single piece of lumber or spent a single Suut. It was a simple design—essentially stone pillars and walls reinforcing a stone box—but I could tell the structural integrity was more than sufficient.
Things were going so well that I briefly felt the urge to style the pillars like the ancient temples I’d seen in school textbooks, but I suppressed the impulse. There was no point in making a shop's basement that extravagant.
I’d used a significant amount of mana, so I decided to call it a day.
Construction Day 4
On top of the first floor, I built the walls and room partitions using more stone and Hardening Fluid. Once those were set, I moved on to the second floor. I spent the entire day on this task alone.
Construction Day 5
I completed the ceiling and began working on the interior. I cut down trees from near the abandoned mine and attempted to process the wood using magic, guided by the knowledge from my Woodworking skill.
I used Alchemy to gradually draw the moisture out of the wood. Then, by adapting the Wind Magic spell Wind Cutter, I developed a new spell called Circle Saw, envisioning the circular saws used for lumber processing on Earth. I followed this with Polish Wheel—a spell combining Wind and Earth Magic—to sand the boards and give them a smooth finish.
To cast Polish Wheel, I used Break Rock to create fine sand and then used Wind Magic to whip it around the Circle Saw, making it rotate like a tire. Rather than cutting, the spell used the sand caught in the high-speed vortex to grind and polish the surface of the object.
While using Alchemy to dry the wood was efficient, the rapid moisture removal caused many pieces to warp or crack. Since I wasn't using them for structural pillars, however, I figured it was fine. I managed to produce enough boards and lumber, though the processing took up the rest of the day.
Construction Day 6
I used yesterday's lumber to build shelves and a counter. Afterward, I used Adhesive Fluid as a substitute for varnish to coat and seal the wood. Once dry, I used more Adhesive Fluid to panel the stone walls and floors with the wooden boards.
I had realized that a purely stone interior felt too cold and heavy for a shop; the wood panels made the atmosphere much more inviting.
As I was using Earth Magic to fine-tune the wooden aesthetic, I noticed the Cleaner Slimes acting peculiar.
Were they eating the wood scraps and debris from the construction? They usually ate dirt and grime, but they’d never voluntarily gone after trash before. Scavenger Slimes did that, but... wait. They weren't eating it. They were gathering it and spitting it out in a single pile. Were they cleaning?
I quickly used Monster Appraisal on one of the Cleaner Slimes and found a new skill: Cleaning Lv1. I didn't even know such a skill existed, let alone that a slime could learn it. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Some of my slimes already knew Staff Techniques.
Intrigued, I checked the others and found that an Acid Slime had acquired Woodworking Lv1. I had asked them to help, sure... I’d had them digest old wood from the demolition, gave them tools to shave lumber, and used their acid to dissolve wood for simple shaping. Apparently, that was enough to earn a skill in this world.
Well, as long as it made the work go faster, I wasn't going to complain.
From that point on, my pace increased even further. I would cut the basic boards, and then the Acid Slimes would handle the resizing and shaping. Looking at the finished product, the Acid Slimes did a surprisingly professional job.
Construction Day 7
The interior visible to the customers was finally ready. All that remained was the exterior. While the color of the hardened earth blocks wouldn't technically hurt business, I wanted to add a finishing touch. A laundry shop—a cleaning business—should project an image of purity. Ideally, the walls should be white, or at least a color more evocative of cleanliness than dirt-brown.
Earth Magic couldn't help me with color, so I decided to pay a visit to Mr. Serge.
"White walls, you say?" Serge mused.
"Is it not possible?"
"It is possible, yes. However, white is rarely used for commercial shops. You'll find it on the walls of noble estates, but white stone is quite expensive, and the stains are far too visible."
"I see your point... but for a laundry shop, the current color just doesn't sit right with me. Wouldn't white look much more hygienic than the color of soil?"
"Indeed, I agree with you on that. However, our current stock is quite limited."
"I see..."
In hindsight, I probably should have gone to a carpenter or a contractor for building supplies. Come to think of it, I was surprised he had any white stone in stock at all.
"The strength of the Morgan Company lies in our variety," Serge said proudly. "Even if we lack stock, we can procure almost anything if given enough time."
So I could order it, but I’d already spent a fortune on the land. Wait... this was a mining town with an ironworks, wasn't it?
"Mr. Serge, there's an ironworks in this city, right?"
"There is. What of it?"
"If they're smelting iron, don't they use lime in the process?"
"You are well-informed. Yes, they do use lime."
"Can I get some of that? Ideally for a low price."
"Certainly. My shop stocks it as well, and it isn't particularly expensive to begin with."
"Perfect. In that case, I might be able to use the lime to create my own white stone."
In Japan, lime was a key ingredient in plaster, so it was perfect for building materials and color. I didn't know the exact recipe for plaster, but I could use magic to form it into blocks. If I coated them with the Sticky Slime's Adhesive Fluid, they would be resistant to rain and easy to clean.
Serge clearly hadn't considered that possibility. He promptly provided me with quicklime. By combining it with water and Alchemy, I converted it into slaked lime, which I then compressed into stone blocks.
Mr. Serge seemed a little too interested in the concept of cheap white stone, so I quickly bought several large sacks and made my exit. He was a good man, but I needed to stay focused on the shop for now.
Back at the site, I spent the afternoon in silence, mass-producing the blocks and affixing them to the exterior. Before the sun began to set, I had covered the walls in white stone, filled the gaps with a mixture of magic and lime, and then mobilized all my Sticky Slimes. The result was a brilliant white exterior, fully sealed with a protective coating of Adhesive Fluid.
I had a fair amount of lime left over, so I stored the excess in my Dimension Home.
"It’s finally looking like a real building."
The structure was mostly complete thanks to the frantic pace. However, the pristine white shop now made the surrounding grounds look dismal.
I didn't want bare dirt everywhere. I wanted to plant a lawn or some flowers.
...Actually, my neighbor was a florist. They might have seeds.
Deciding that there was no time like the present, I headed over. The moment I stepped in front of the shop, a voice called out to me.
"Welcome! Oh, it’s Ryoma-kun!"
"Hello, Leni-san."
It took me a second to pull the name from my memory.
"You don't need the '-san'! I'm younger than you anyway, so just Leni is fine. So, what do you need?"
"All right, Leni. I’m looking to buy some flower or grass seeds."
"Seeds? We have a few kinds. Hang on a sec. Mom!"
Leni shouted toward the back of the shop. Pauline, who had been chatting with two other women at the counter, shouted back.
"What are you screaming for? Where are your manners?"
"You were too busy gossiping to notice a customer, Mom! He’s right here!"
"Oh, if it isn't Ryoma-kun. Come to buy something?"
"My, so this is the Ryoma-kun I've heard about?" one of the other women asked.
"He's so small, but he's quite something, isn't he?"
The two women who had been talking with Pauline crowded around. I figured I should introduce myself.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ryoma Takebayashi."
"Oh, look at how polite he is! I wish my boy would learn from him. I'm Kiara. Good to meet you."
"And I'm Mary. It’s a pleasure. I've heard the rumors."
"Rumors?" I asked.
What kind of rumors were going around?
"You've been building that shop next door for a few days now, haven't you?" Pauline said. "It’s looking much more impressive than we expected. People are saying you're a master mage."
"I'm no master. I've just practiced magic that’s useful for daily chores, so I happen to be good at this specific kind of work."
"Being able to put up a sturdy building like that makes you a master in my book. There’s also the rumor about you keeping a mountain of slimes."
"That part is true."
"We know. We saw it ourselves," Kiara added.
"Seeing all those slimes carrying those heavy stones you made... it was quite the sight," Mary said.
"You were watching that?"
"I'd never seen slimes move like that before. I couldn't take my eyes off them."
"Tamers aren't exactly rare in Gimul," Pauline noted, "but they usually have those big, scary monsters. Anyway, you were looking for seeds, right?"
"Yes. I’d like some flower and grass seeds. Do you have any in stock?"
"Sure do. Flower seeds vary in price depending on the type, but the grass is one hundred and thirty Suut per bag. How much do you need?"
"I’d like enough to cover the dirt around the new shop, so..."
As I tried to calculate the area, Pauline offered a hand.
"Why don't you show me the place? I can give you some advice."
"I'd appreciate that. Thank you."
I led Pauline back to the site, with Leni, Kiara, and Mary following close behind. It seemed the whole group was coming along. The four of them stopped in front of the shop and stared.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"I'm just stunned," Pauline admitted. "This place wasn't this color this morning, was it?"
"I just finished repainting it. I thought a soil-colored building wouldn't look clean enough for a laundry shop. I bought some lime and finished it up with my magic and slimes."
"Good grief... you really do work fast."
"It certainly looks lovely this way," Kiara said.
"A laundry shop, was it?" Mary asked. "Maybe I'll give it a try. If I can save some time on the washing, it’ll make my other chores a lot easier."
"Please do. Since we're neighbors now, I'll do your first bag for free."
I pulled two laundry bags from my Item Box and handed one to each of the women. I couldn't miss an opportunity to secure new customers.
Following Pauline's professional advice, I bought fifteen bags of grass seeds and two bags each of four different flower varieties. I planned to start the planting tomorrow.
Come to think of it, I recalled someone mentioning I could post advertisements on the guild’s bulletin board. I needed to visit the guild anyway to have the Scavenger Slimes process some fertilizer.
With my plan set, I headed home to start drafting the advertisement.