After returning to the shop, I met up with Jeff and the now properly dressed Koken and his group.
"Well then, I'll head out here."
"Thank you for everything, Jeff!"
"Don't worry about it. See ya!"
With his part done, Jeff walked away. I bowed to his retreating back, then led Koken’s group toward the guild.
By the way, the three of them were registering with the Commerce Guild. When I asked which one they preferred, the decision had been unanimous.
Once we arrived, we were immediately shown to a reception room for an audience with the Guild Master.
"Are these the new recruits you mentioned?"
"Yes. I found them just now through a personal connection."
"You certainly move fast, don't you? You only just came to talk to me this morning. Well, being light on your feet is a strength for a merchant. So, you three intend to work at this boy’s shop?"
"Yes!" the three replied in unison.
Hearing their enthusiastic response, the Guild Master looked them over, her eyes widening slightly.
"I see, I see... Ryoma, what exactly did you do? I can sense a strange level of ambition coming from these folks. Despite that, they don't look like they’d ever betray you. No matter how I look at it, they don't seem like people who only met you today."
She was as sharp as ever.
Since Koken and the others had all been slime researchers once, they recognized the true value of the Cleaner Slimes. Consequently, they held a very high opinion of me for discovering them, looking past my age and appearance.
At the same time, they must have had a lot of pent-up frustration. Between the joy of finally being able to vent that frustration and the relief of a stable salary, they had grown attached to me in a very short time. Tony, in particular, seemed to have accumulated quite a lot of resentment after the hardships he faced regarding the Tamer Guild.
Regardless of the reason, the Guild Master gave them her seal of approval. We proceeded with the registrations and finalized their contracts.
While their primary job would be managing the Cleaner Slimes, I ensured the contracts were ironclad, drawn up in the presence of a guild official to prevent them from handing the slimes over to anyone else. There were apparently several grades of contract paper; the one we used was a special variety normally reserved for high-stakes transactions.
It didn't use magic, but the paper itself served as proof of a high-priority document. Since it was strictly managed by the guild, forging or altering it was impossible, and any breach would result in severe punishment.
As an exception, I included a clause allowing the transfer of slimes to the Tamer in charge of a new location, provided they had my permission. Without that, I wouldn't be able to expand with Branch Stores.
Once the formalities were finished, we thanked the Guild Master and left.
There was only one place to go next. I took them to the shop to introduce them to Caulm and get them to work immediately.
"Numbers thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, please!"
"Numbers thirty-eight, thirty-nine, and forty! I'll leave these here!"
While walking to the shop earlier, I learned that Koken was a former noble. Perhaps because of that, his manner of speaking was a bit haughty, so I put him in charge of transporting laundry.
Tony, having worked as a day-laborer miner, had excellent physical stamina, so he joined the transport team as well.
Lobelia had plenty of experience in customer-facing roles, so I put her at the reception desk. It was a sudden assignment, but she seemed to be handling it well. Or rather... had she learned how to charm people at her previous job? Several adventurers visiting the shop already seemed completely smitten. Her outfit wasn't particularly revealing, but I suppose that didn't matter. Appearances weren't everything.
Regardless, I decided to look at those smitten adventurers as likely future regulars.
Now that I thought about it, this shop was filled with beautiful women. Or maybe the average looks of people in this world were just higher? I didn't feel like I'd met anyone particularly unattractive so far. Even the older people seemed to age gracefully.
As I was pondering this, a loud voice echoed from the shop floor.
"Koken?! What are you doing in a place like this?!"
"That voice... Raypin?!"
"Are you two acquaintances?" I asked as I approached.
Koken was still clutching a bundle of laundry, while Raypin stood behind the counter, looking shocked.
"Y-yes. Raypin was a former colleague of mine."
"We were in the same year at the Monster Research Institute where I used to work. I quit after a few years... but I never imagined I'd run into him here. Koken, when did you arrive in this city?"
"That is..."
It sounded like a complicated story.
"Koken, feel free to take a break. Raypin, you come back here too. You can talk in the back."
I let them use the reception room in the rear of the shop.
About twenty minutes later, after hearing the full story, Raypin let out a long sigh.
"I had no idea you were in this city before me. I thought you'd only just arrived."
"And I didn't know you were here either. I assumed you were still flying between cities in pursuit of monsters."
"Even if I travel, I still need a base of operations. Still, to reunite like this... it's quite a coincidence."
"I thought I'd never see you again. There were many times I regretted not joining you when you left the institute, but every time I thought about it..."
"That is why I told you. Neither of us was suited for the institute life, even if we were capable researchers."
"Unlike you, I have no talent for magic. Nor do I have the talent to tame powerful monsters. I thought the life of an adventurer would be too dangerous for me to keep up, so I refused. I still don't believe that was a wrong choice. However... I do think I should have cut ties with the institute sooner. If I had, I might not have squandered my fortune and gone bankrupt."
A somber atmosphere filled the room, but Koken was the one to break it.
"However, I’ve been hired here starting today, so perhaps my life isn't so bad after all. I feel like I can finally show up those people who mocked us. Besides, even though it’s only been a few hours, seeing the Cleaner Slimes has made me find meaning in my research again—something I’d only been doing out of spite and habit. I’m truly grateful to the Manager."
"I'm counting on you from now on, so please do your best."
"Of course."
"Well, I am just glad you are alive and well. If you are working at Ryoma’s shop, your future is secure."
The conversation settled down, and I suddenly wondered why Raypin had come by. He hadn't brought any laundry. Was it in his Item Box?
"By the way, Raypin, did you have a laundry request today?"
"That is right! I am not here for laundry today. I dropped off a large batch yesterday, so I am fine for now. I actually came to let you know about something, Ryoma. Are you familiar with Grel Frogs?"
"The monsters that undergo an outbreak in the nearby marshes, right? Their skin is used for armor, and their organs are used for medicine."
"If you know that much, this will be simple. The outbreak is about to begin."
"Is that true?!"
"The peak should be in three or four days, but capture requests for Grel Frogs will be posted at the guild starting tomorrow. They sell for a high price as medicinal ingredients, making it a profitable time. Furthermore, the Rimul Birds that prey on them are highly sought after by tamers and nobles. Taming one would definitely boost your reputation as a tamer and improve your standing with the guild. If you're interested, you should give it a shot."
I certainly was. Regardless of guild evaluations, I'd heard Rimul Birds were very fast flyers. They could be perfect for a communication network.
"Thank you for the information. If I'm going to open Branch Stores in other cities, I'll need a fast and reliable way to send messages. I think I'll try my hand at it."
"I see. Good luck, then."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It was Caulm’s voice. His voice was so similar to Carla’s that it was hard to tell them apart without seeing them.
"Manager, Mr. Asagi and four other adventurers are here. They wish to speak with you."
I wondered what was up. I got silent approval from my guests and called out.
"Please, show them in."
"Certainly."
Caulm left, and Koken said he would get back to work, noting that he could see Raypin anytime now. Replacing them were Asagi, Miya, Welanna, Mizeria, and Silia.
"Welcome, everyone. What brings you here?"
"Sorry for the sudden visit-nya. Oh? Was Raypin here too-nya?"
"I was just informing Ryoma about the Grel Frog outbreak."
"Hmph, Raypin as well? We also had a matter to discuss regarding that."
"To be quick about it, Ryoma," Welanna cut in. "Those work clothes you were wearing before—can you tell us where you bought them?"
"We can get our clothes washed here, but the trip back and forth is the problem," Mizeria explained. "Especially for us beastfolk and Dragonewts. We want clothes that won't get dirty so easily."
Ah, that made sense. This was a perfect time to introduce them to Serge’s shop. Since I'd already delivered the Waterproof Cloth, they should be in production.
"They're sold at the Morgan Company in town. They aren't well known yet, so I'm not sure how much stock they have. They might be in short supply... but you all met the president, Serge, at the shop's opening celebration. If you mention I sent you, I'm sure he'll be happy to help."
At the very least, he wouldn't brush them off.
"Really?! Thank you so much!"
"It's no problem at all."
"No, it's a huge help. A beastfolk’s nose is more sensitive than humans realize."
"Even the lingering smell is unbearable..."
Was it really that intense?
"You have my thanks. I shall visit the Morgan Company at once. Pray excuse me!"
With that, Asagi rushed out of the room.
"What's with him? That's unusual."
"Indeed," Raypin mused. "Normally, Asagi would spend a long time apologizing for a sudden visit..."
"Wait!" Silia gasped.
"What is it-nya?!"
"Ryoma's work clothes! He said they might be in short supply!"
"!!"
"So that’s why!"
"Asagi was in a rush so he wouldn't miss out on buying them!"
"We can't stay here-nya! We have to hurry-nya! Thanks, Ryoma-nya!"
Miya and the others scrambled out in a panic. I had no idea they hated the smell that much. Just how sensitive was the sense of smell for beastfolk and Dragonewts?
"They certainly are a rowdy lot..."
"Aren't you going, Raypin?"
"I am used to foul odors and filth. It is part of the job in monster research. Besides, I use magic to capture Grel Frogs, so I do not need to enter the marsh. I do not get very dirty."
"I see."
I chatted with Raypin about monsters for a while after that.
According to him, if you sold a Grel Frog to the guild, a single one fetched a Medium Silver Coin. The medicine refined from their organs had a wide variety of effects.
Recalling the Pharmacology knowledge I’d been granted when I came to this world, I realized there were over fifty types of medicine that used Grel Frogs. Many of them were restorative tonics or vitality boosters, which sold for high prices to noblemen.
The key was the processing. If an unskilled person did it, the quality dropped immediately. It would still work as medicine, but the effectiveness was lower, and some high-grade variants became impossible to make. That was why the guild requests were for live capture; people were strictly warned not to butcher them themselves.
The most critical step was the bleeding. It had to be done with extreme care, or the quality would plummet. Wait... if I used my Bloody Slimes, wouldn't they be perfect for the job?
Then there was the process of drying them for preservation. If done poorly, they would rot, so it required quick work with Wind Magic. The quality was largely determined by how fast they dried. Alchemy would probably work just as well for that.
The processing was simple, the uses were numerous, and they could be preserved.
You didn't have to take an official request to capture them, though you might be low-balled on the price if you tried to sell them without one. Still, I thought I might go out and secure some as ingredients...
As we talked, time flew by.
"Is it already this late? I have overstayed my welcome."
"Not at all, I had a great time."
After seeing Raypin off, the shop's business hours came to an end.
I checked the day's sales and then decided to head home.