The sun was nearing its peak in the sky, marking the approach of noon.
"He’s here!"
I had been told he would likely return around this time, so I had been waiting in a corner of the guild for about an hour. I finally spotted Jeff. I waited until he had finished reporting the completion of his quest before calling out to him.
"Jeff-san."
"Hm? Oh, if it isn't Ryoma. What’s up?"
"I was hoping to move forward with that matter we discussed the other day."
"Oh, that was fast. I thought you’d wait a bit longer. Want to head out now?"
"Is that really all right?"
"I don't mind. I was planning on heading to the Slum today anyway. Besides, my place is in that direction."
"In that case, I'll be in your care."
As I followed Jeff, I helped him carry the groceries and supplies he bought along the way. Apparently, these were gifts for the people in the Slum. It seemed that former residents of the Slum who now lived in the Town of Gimul all did their part to provide aid, even if it was just a little at a time.
"Especially lately, since that incident caused everyone's income to drop. Look, we’re almost there."
As we walked and talked, the presence of people thinned out. The buildings grew older, and the few children I saw were dressed in increasingly tattered clothing.
They waved or called out when they saw Jeff, and he responded with a friendly word for each. It was a peaceful scene, and it was clear that Jeff was genuinely beloved here. They stared at me as I followed behind him, but I felt no malice. I didn't think I had to worry about being mugged.
After walking a bit further, we reached a building that was old but solidly constructed, and slightly larger than the surrounding structures.
"Old man, you in there?"
Jeff gave the door a light knock, and it swung open on its own.
I felt a faint trace of mana. Magic, then...
"Looks like he's in. Let’s go. Follow me."
I followed Jeff inside to find a spacious room with very little furniture.
Directly across from the door was a simple desk. Seated behind it in a large chair was a man who looked to be in his sixties.
"Back again, I see."
The man smoothed back his white hair and spoke quietly, leaning back into his chair.
"Jeff. I’m always grateful for the help, but I’m not quite old enough for you to call me 'old man' yet."
"You’re plenty old."
"My legs and back are still sturdy; I'm no geezer. More importantly, who’s the kid? Are you asking me to look after another one?"
"This kid is an excellent Adventurer, despite his age. He earns enough to feed himself. This isn't about that. He’s brought an offer that might actually benefit the Slum."
"Hoh..."
At those words, the man turned his gaze toward me.
"It is an honor to meet you. My name is Ryoma Takebayashi."
"There's no need for such polite speech here. I’m Ribru, the overseer of the Gimul Slum. Since you’re with Jeff, I assume you’re reasonably trustworthy, but I’ll say this just in case: don’t cause trouble here. If we can maintain a good relationship, I’d appreciate it."
As he spoke, he released a sudden, heavy pressure. He certainly had the presence of a man in charge.
"Of course. I have no desire for unnecessary conflict either."
When I stood my ground, Ribru-san snorted and gave a sharp grin.
"Didn't even flinch... You've got some grit."
"You bet he does. He’s a guy I’ve personally acknowledged," Jeff added.
"I see. So, what’s this 'good offer'?"
"I will explain that myself," I said.
Since it concerned my shop, it was only right that I be the one to lay it out.
"—And that is the situation."
"So, someone is harassing your business, but you don’t know who. Either way, you need people you can trust. And you don’t care if they’re from the Slum as long as they’re reliable... is that it?
Well, it’s certainly not a bad deal. I have no complaints if you can provide a workplace that pays a wage people can actually live on.
If you’re going to hire them and pay them properly, feel free to take whoever you want. It just means more food and supplies to go around for the people who stay."
The negotiation concluded surprisingly easily. I had considered the possibility of an introduction fee, but perhaps Jeff’s reputation carried that much weight. Regardless, the next step was the most important: gaining the trust of my prospective employees.
After excusing ourselves, Jeff and I left the overseer’s house and headed toward the home of a Tamer Jeff knew. Along the way, Jeff had flagged down two children and sent them off to fetch a few others.
"Where are those children going?"
"You’ll see soon enough."
Eventually, we arrived at a building, and Jeff hammered loudly on the door.
"Hey! Koken, you old geezer! I know you’re in there! Get out here!"
From the outside, Jeff looked exactly like a debt collector. Just as I was thinking that, the door flew open and a gaunt, middle-aged man stumbled out. He had the exhausted aura of a corporate worker who had just been laid off.
"You’re too loud, Jeff! I can hear you perfectly well without you trying to break the door down!"
"That’s because half the time I call you, you refuse to come out!"
"That’s your fault for visiting in the middle of my research!"
"Like hell it is!"
"What would you know, you who have never touched research in your life! Research is about diving into a deep sea of thought, catching ideas that float up like bubbles and verifying them before they vanish. I don't have time to worry about anything else!"
"And because you didn't worry about anything else, you poured a fortune into research that went nowhere, went bankrupt, and ended up here!"
"Ugh... If you’re going to bring that up... Fine, what do you want?"
"Someone’s here to offer you a job. As a Tamer."
The man named Koken blinked in surprise.
"A job for me? As a Tamer?"
"Yeah. The client is Ryoma, right here."
It seemed he finally noticed me.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Ryoma Takebayashi."
"Forgive my rudeness; you caught me at a bad time. You’re the client? And this work for a Tamer is..."
"Let us inside first, Koken."
Realizing his lack of hospitality, Koken scratched his head and ushered us inside before closing the door. The interior consisted of a single, dim room. The only light came from a single Light Magic Stone. Aside from that, there was only a scrap of cloth in the corner that seemed to serve as a bed.
Since there weren't even chairs, we sat on the floor to talk.
"So, what is it you want from me? Unfortunately, I can’t say my skills as a Tamer are anything special. If you’re looking for raw power, I don't know if I can meet your expectations. If it’s research, however, I believe I can be of some assistance."
"What kind of research?"
When I asked, he gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"It was the final research theme I was assigned at the institute where I used to work... Slimes."
Slimes?!
"Is that true!?"
"Yes. Though I was fired because I couldn't produce results. It was over ten years ago, but I still have a lingering attachment to the field, which is why I’ve continued my research... Why are your eyes sparkling?"
Koken-san, who had been speaking with such gloom, looked bewildered when he saw my expression.
"At the institute, it was a dead-end job, the kind of project assigned to people they wanted to force out. That was the case for me. So why is your face lighting up like that?"
"I’ve been doing personal research on slimes as well."
"What!?"
Koken-san and I stared into each other's eyes in silence for a few seconds... and then, simultaneously, we extended our right hands and shared a firm, meaningful handshake.
"Comrade!"
"Senior!"
"What the hell just happened in those three seconds?!" Jeff yelled.
"No, I just felt this connection..."
"An outsider wouldn't understand, Jeff. The sheer joy of meeting a fellow researcher who shares your passion."
"I definitely don't understand..."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"More guests? It’s a busy day..."
Koken-san stood up and opened the door to find a man and a woman standing outside.
"Koken-san? We heard we might be able to find work here. Is that true?"
"I hurried over because I never thought I’d see the day someone offered a job to a Tamer like me!"
"Ah, Lobelia and Tony. I see the word reached you as well. The client looking for Tamers is indeed here—and more importantly, he is a comrade!"
"A comrade?"
"Does that mean..."
"Just get inside for now!"
Koken-san dragged the two of them into the room and shut the door.
After that, we went through introductions.
First was Tony, twenty-three years old. He had been a talented Tamer, but his talent had drawn envy. Because of his honest and trusting nature, he had been framed by his superiors and colleagues for failed experiments and scandals, then demoted. He was ordered to research slimes and eventually fired for his lack of results.
When I asked why he wasn't working as a Tamer elsewhere, he explained that a powerful figure in the guild of his previous town had blacklisted him. He had been flagged as a Delinquent Summoner through the Tamer Guild’s communication network, meaning no other guild would give him work. Currently, he survived as a day-laborer in the mines.
"...Have you been to the Tamer Guild in this town?"
"I had such a terrible time in the other towns... and I couldn't even afford feed for my monsters, so after I let them go, I just gave up."
He had come to Gimul specifically to work as a miner, having completely abandoned hope in the Tamer Guild. I made a mental note to have him meet Branch Master Taylor eventually.
"It happens to the best of us," the woman said, comforting him.
This was Lobelia, twenty-five years old. She had also been a researcher, but she had been sexually harassed by her superior. At the time, she was so focused on her work that she had no experience with men; in her panic, she had accidentally ordered the monster she was researching to attack him.
It hadn't been a strong monster—it was just meant as a threat—but the superior had been humiliated. He buried his own misconduct and had her demoted to slime research, after which she was fired. Currently, she worked three days a week doing chores at a brothel and supplemented her income with sewing.
With the three of them finished, it was my turn to introduce myself.
When I explained the nature of the work, they were visibly intrigued.
"Slimes like that actually exist?"
"It’s the first I’ve heard of them."
"Their abilities are quite rare."
I decided it would be best to give them a demonstration.
I always kept one Cleaner Slime in my Dimension Home to keep myself tidy. I pulled it out and had it clean my boots first.
"Ooh..."
"It’s definitely a slime."
"The dirt on those boots is completely gone. Was it digested?"
"But the leather is untouched."
"Hmm... So it truly only consumes the grime..."
To prove it was safe for people, I performed a Cleaner Slime Bath on myself.
".................."
I wasn't sure if they were watching with worry or expectation, but I finished my bath under their intense scrutiny.
"Since you're all here, would you like to try it?"
Once I had proven it was safe and made the offer...
"I will! Wait—me first!"
All three of them volunteered at once.
Since I only had one slime with me, they had to take turns. It took a surprisingly long time, but the results were staggering. As soon as they finished their Cleaner Slime Bath, their skin regained its luster and their hair looked vibrant again.
"Hoh... I much prefer this to soap."
"I feel so refreshed."
"It’s been years since I felt this clean!"
It seemed the deep-seated grime and dead skin that the harsh life in the Slum wouldn't let them wash away had finally been removed. Because they were so dirty, the process took longer, but the transformation was that much more obvious.
"This is fascinating. So our job is simply to work with these slimes at a Laundry Shop? And are we really allowed to conduct research in our spare time?"
"With this... we can finally show up those people who looked down on us!"
"The pay is better than anything I've had... and to work as a Tamer again... I’ll do it! Please, let me work for you!"
I felt a surge of momentum and heat that was almost intimidating. I hesitated for a moment, but then again, I wasn't one to talk. As long as they were loyal, our goals were perfectly aligned.
I decided I could trust them enough to hire them, though I’d ask Carla and the others to keep a close eye on them for a while.
"Are the three of you able to leave your current jobs immediately?"
"I don't have one at the moment. My last contract ended the other day, and I was worried about where my next meal was coming from."
"I'm a day laborer, so it's no problem for me."
"I just need to tell the brothel I'm moving on."
"I see. And how are your arithmetic skills?"
"Of course, we all know the basics."
"In that case, I would very much like you to work for me. I haven't decided on a location for the Second Store yet, but you'll need time to learn the ropes at the first shop anyway. What about housing? You can choose between staying here in the Slum or living at the shop."
"Living at the shop!" they shouted in unison.
"Then it's settled. I'd like to take you there now, but... Jeff-san, where is the nearest clothing store?"
It was a bit blunt, but their current clothes were in a sorry state. The Cleaner Slime had removed the dirt, but the holes and tattered edges remained. Most ordinary shops didn't have uniforms, and my employees usually wore their own clothes, but I couldn't have them starting work looking like this.
I asked Jeff-san and Lobelia-san to go and buy several sets of clothes from the nearest shop. If it had just been the men, Jeff could have gone alone, but none of us knew anything about women's clothing, so she had to go herself.
In the meantime, I had to run back to the shop to let Caulm-san know that I had found our new recruits.