A month had already passed since I settled into my daily routine.
Alongside my morning foundation training, my medical studies were progressing smoothly thanks to my background knowledge. Lately, I had been proactively taking on vermin extermination requests to serve as both training and a way to gather medicinal herbs and food. Metal and Iron were also gradually learning how to transform, becoming viable armaments in their own right.
Then, one morning, an emergency message arrived from the Lenaf branch.
The slimes had multiplied uncontrollably, exceeding the contract limit for Koken and the others. As the only one who could take them in, I had no choice but to handle it personally. After confirming there were no issues with my schedule, I left Gimul immediately.
By the time the sun began to set, I had already reached the Lenaf branch.
The journey that had previously taken me until noon the following day, I had completed before sunset. No matter how much of a fantasy world this was, the distance between towns didn't change on its own. It was simply that my traveling speed had increased.
It seemed my constant use of space magic for commuting and requests was paying off; my proficiency had improved without me even realizing it. My running speed didn't feel particularly different, so the distance covered by a single teleportation had likely increased. I would have to verify that properly eventually, but for now, I was happy to feel the tangible results of my training.
Savoring a small sense of accomplishment, I stepped through the shop’s doors.
The shop was still open, and there were quite a few customers browsing. As I was about to join the line, a voice called out from the counter where an employee had just finished serving a customer.
"Manager!"
"Good work, everyone."
"I’m so glad you could make it," Tony said, stepping forward.
"Of course. Tony, where are the slimes?"
"Over here. Lobelia, Branch Manager Carla, if you please."
"Don't worry about it. Leave the floor to us," Lobelia replied.
"You two go take care of the slimes," Carla added.
Leaving the customer service to the women, Tony led me toward the employees' living quarters. It seemed they were temporarily using one of the rooms as a slime storage area. Security was tight; an adventurer we had hired as a bodyguard stood watch outside the door.
"It’s been a while. Thank you for the security, as always," I said.
"Ah, it's the manager. No, thank you for the job."
"How are things looking?"
"Quiet. The floor of the room is just carpeted in slimes. No intruders, and none have escaped. For anything else, you should ask Koken; he’s inside."
I stepped into the room. "Koken, it’s been a while."
"Oh! Manager, you arrived sooner than I expected."
"I rushed out the moment I heard the message. So, are all the slimes waiting for contracts in here?"
The room was furnished with bunk beds, a desk, and chairs. Koken had been writing at the desk, but the floor around his feet was entirely covered by cleaner slimes.
"That’s right. Seventy-five in total."
"Then let's get started. Monster Contract... and that’s the last of them."
"Exactly seventy-five. Confirmed," Koken noted.
"Is your magic power holding up? I have potions if you need them."
"I'm fine," Tony replied. "I have a relatively high capacity for magic power."
The number wasn't quite as overwhelming as the scavenger contract rush had been. More importantly, I wanted to know what had caused this sudden population boom.
"I’ve summarized the details in these documents," Koken said, handing over a few sheets of paper.
I scanned the report. I see.
Reason one: A sudden surge in customers. Because Lenaf housed the Dragoon Guild—a hub for transport businesses using flying monsters—the city saw a high volume of travelers, cargo clients, and guild members. Word of mouth from our regulars had reached these outsiders, and they had started frequenting the shop. Naturally, more laundry meant more food for the slimes.
Reason two: Adjustments to the production of deodorizing fluid. Because they were consuming so many nutrients, the slimes had produced more deodorizing fluid than we could sell. While it wasn't a loss for the shop, the staff had tried to lower production slightly to manage the surplus.
"And then the cleaners, having stored up all those nutrients, underwent division," I muttered.
"Exactly," Tony confirmed.
"Going forward, we won't put limits on the production of deodorizing fluid," Koken explained. "We’ll just dispose of any excess to prevent this from happening again."
"It was only for a few days, but I put everyone on edge," Tony added.
"We literally can't contract any more slimes, so that's probably for the best," I agreed.
If the numbers grew too large, I risked exposing the secret of the Big Slime. I didn't think it would be a problem if Koken and the others found out, but they were still in the middle of learning the ropes. I didn't want to distract them with something so significant just yet.
Sharing information about new species was one thing, but the existence of Big Slimes would be a bombshell. Fortunately, even if the total number of slimes exceeded a hundred, they didn't seem to merge if they were contracted to different tamers. It was likely because the command structures were separate. I intended to enlist their help with research eventually, but not now.
In any case, I was glad they had handled it so professionally. Everyone had been anxious about management and security, but the cleaner problem was solved for the time being.
"Are there any other issues?"
"Nothing beyond what we've sent in the periodic reports to Gimul," Koken said.
"No raids like the main shop had, either," Tony added. "Just minor things, like a drunk customer refusing to leave at closing time."
"Sales are steady, too. Even though we have fewer regulars than Gimul due to the city's size, we're still seeing a net profit of ten thousand suut a day."
"No problems with management then..."
I would eventually need to prepare a branch to leave in their hands, but at this rate, I’d have the funds sooner rather than later. Everything seemed to be going well. I considered sharing info about the deodorant slimes, but I decided to handle one more errand first.
Since I had come all the way to Lenaf, I should stop by the Saionji Company. If I didn't do it now, I might forget.
"Excuse me," I said as I entered the spice shop.
"Welcome! Oh? If it isn't the young master from Bamboo Forest."
"It’s been a while. I’m glad you remembered me."
The employee who had helped me last time was tending the counter.
"Of course I remember. Our chairman praised you to the skies after you brought in that massive haul. Besides, I could hardly forget you when your shop is right across the street."
"I suppose that's true... Is Pioro here?"
"I'm afraid not. The chairman left for the Royal Capital three days ago on business. His daughter’s enrollment is coming up soon, so he went to see her off."
"I see... that’s a shame."
"Oh, but the madam is in. She’s in a meeting right now, but if you don't mind waiting a bit, you can see her."
I decided to wait. I had brought a small gift, so I wanted to hand it over personally if possible.
"In that case, do you mind if I browse? I was looking for something with a nice scent."
"Please, be my guest. If you want something fragrant, the cinnamon that just came in is—!?"
The clerk froze. From the back of the shop, a woman's muffled scream echoed through the air.
"...What was that?"
"I’m not sure... but that voice... was it the madam? Excuse me, one moment!"
The clerk rushed to the back. After a while, a man stepped out from the adjacent storefront, looking utterly dejected. He bowed repeatedly and hurried away down the street.
As a light breeze blew past him, a foul odor drifted into the shop. The man himself was grimacing, and pedestrians were actively swerving to avoid him.
"Thank you for waiting. This way, please."
I was finally called in.
"Ryoma-kun. I’m so glad you could visit," Kurana said.
She led me to the dining table rather than a reception room. She was as elegant and beautiful as ever, but she kept making a small motion to discreetly sniff her nose.
"Kurana-san, are you feeling alright?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing like that. I just... I tried something incredible a moment ago."
"Something incredible?"
"It’s called 'shappaya.' Apparently, it’s fish pickled in a mixture of salt and various herbs, then fermented..."
"Ah... wait, is that the incredibly pungent one?"
"You've heard of it?"
"I'm not sure if it's the exact same thing, but I know of a similar food."
It was likely something like kusaya. A merchant had come to sell it, and Kurana had agreed to a tasting. However, as a beast-kin with a sensitive nose, the experience had been harrowing.
"Please, have this. I hope it helps as a palate cleanser. It’s a cake that’s quite popular with the women at my shop."
"Oh, thank you so much."
I chatted with Kurana for a while, letting the cake do its work.
The next day.
I had spent so much time talking with my research team that I ended up staying the night. I ate breakfast and was preparing to head back to Gimul when I noticed a commotion on the road leading to the gate.
"What's going on?" I asked a bystander in the growing crowd.
"A brawl between adventurers. The ones fighting were already hauled off, but they started hurling these strange barrels at each other, and—urp!"
The wind shifted, and a smell like rotting matter wafted over. As I got closer, the scent became sharp enough to sting my eyes.
"That smell..."
"It’s awful... blegh..."
The crowd began to disperse as people fled the stench. This gave me a clear view of the man I had seen yesterday; he was currently being cornered by a group of angry citizens.
"Hey! Do something about this! My gear smells like death!"
"Please, I—"
"I can't run a shop with this stench out front! Why are you dumping trash in the street!?"
"It’s not trash! It’s a preserved food called shappaya!"
"Everyone, please calm down," a member of the guard shouted, trying to intervene. "He's a victim here too."
"I get that, but my shop and my goods are covered in this foul juice! I can wash the walls, but I can't sell these products anymore!"
The scene was a mess. Cloudy liquid and bits of fish were scattered across a wide area. It looked like the liquid had been stored in small, hand-sized barrels. They’d been throwing these things at each other?
The guards were struggling to manage the situation. The sheer number of people demanding compensation was overwhelming them, and much of the crowd's anger was being redirected toward the timid merchant. He was a victim of the brawl, too. It was painful to watch him get blamed for something out of his control.
...This might be good publicity for the shop. I think I'll help.
Slipping into an empty alley, I summoned the deodorant slimes to take care of the mess.