"I'm home," I called out as I stepped through the door.
"Welcome back, Boss."
By the time I reached Gimul, night had already fallen. When I stopped by the shop, the staff were in the middle of their dinner.
"Am I interrupting your meal?"
"Would you like to join us, Boss?"
"It’s raining out, and you must be freezing. At least have some soup," Shelma said.
Led by the head cook, the women paused their meal to prepare a portion for me. Accepting their kindness, I took a sip of the warm broth.
"Phew..."
The warmth spread through me, heating me to the core.
"Thank you very much."
"Don't mention it. Thank you for your hard work, Boss," Shelma replied.
"What kind of job was it this time? It was quite a sudden departure."
I explained that I had stumbled upon a search request for a missing person at the guild the day before. I’d taken the job and, after a series of events, successfully rescued the man.
"And so, after delivering him safely to Kereban, I dropped by to see some acquaintances before heading back."
"I'm just glad he's safe," one of the girls said.
"It really was a blessing in disguise. I even managed to recover the cargo he was supposed to deliver. The blacksmith on the receiving end was understanding of his situation, so there shouldn't be any trouble with his future work. Oh, that reminds me. 'Item Box.' Caulm-san, take a look at this."
"Hmm? This is... a list of Magic Tools? And from the Dinome Magic Tool Workshop, no less. Isn't that the place that manufactures the music boxes for the Morgan Company? They’ve been a rising star lately, rapidly expanding their influence."
Caulm was as well-informed as ever.
"The acquaintance I mentioned is from there. We have a personal connection. He promised to provide some Magic Tools for the shop, but..."
When I had visited the craftsman, Dinome-san, he had been quite blunt.
"How should I repay you for the music boxes? They're selling like crazy, and I've built up quite a tab with you," he had said.
When I asked him to develop a clock with an alarm function, he surprised me by pulling a finished prototype from the back. I was confused since I hadn't even ordered it yet, but he claimed it was my idea. Apparently, Serge-san had mentioned my interest in such a device to him. Come to think of it, I did remember discussing the concept with Serge-san back when I first showed him the music box.
I accepted the prototype, but since one clock couldn't possibly settle the debt he felt he owed me, he had insisted I pick out more items.
"I already have everything I need for camping, and none of my gear is broken, so I couldn't think of anything else. I brought this list of tools he can provide instead. Please let me know if there’s anything the shop needs or anything that would be a good addition. If it's useful, we can bring it in."
"What is the specific budget limit?" Caulm asked.
"He didn't give me one. He just told me not to hold back. Serge-san was there when we made the arrangement, so I'm trusting his judgment. Based on the way Dinome-san spoke, I don't think we need to be overly reserved. If we ask for too much, I'm sure he'll let us know. Besides, I don't mind paying out of pocket for anything we truly need. We have enough in the budget for that, right?"
"Yes. As a capital investment, it wouldn't be a problem at all."
"Good. I'm sorry to add more to your plate, but please get everyone's input and pick what we need. Send word to the Lenaf Branch as well."
"Understood."
"Oh, let me see! Vice Manager, let me see too!"
"What kind of things are on there?"
"If there are Magic Tools for security, I want them, ne," Li Ling added.
"Li Ling is right. If they don't have any, that's fine, but I am interested, yo," Fei agreed.
The employees were clearly excited. They passed the list around, each pointing out items that caught their eye.
"I've heard of this 'Stove' Magic Tool. I've never used one, but they say the heat control is excellent. I'd love to give it a try. There are so many other rare cooking tools here too," Shelma noted.
"Of course Shelma-san wants kitchen gear! You cook every day, after all. But I'd like to try them too," another girl added.
"As for me... it's getting colder, so maybe some heating equipment?"
"If it's a Magic Tool... it'll save me the trouble of gathering firewood," Dolce muttered.
"Dolce-kun, you don't need to gather firewood for the shop. We buy it. However, depending on the item, a Magic Tool might actually be cheaper in the long run. We'll have to look into the operating costs," Caulm said.
The meal continued in a warm, lively atmosphere. Once everyone had finished, Caulm informed me that he had several reports to go over, and we moved to the Manager's Office.
I felt a pang of guilt. Because I'd returned at such an odd hour, I was making him work late.
"I'm sorry for the late hour..."
"This hardly counts as overtime, Boss. First, regarding your formal wear. The tailor contacted us to say the suit will be finished in three days. It will be ready for pickup anytime after that."
That was fast. However, Caulm clarified that only the suit would be ready then; the tie pin for the ensemble would take a full week. Still, I thought the turnaround was impressive.
"I asked them to prioritize it, so it will be ready well before your visit to the Ducal House. The craftsman said he would put his soul into the work so as not to shame the materials you provided."
"He sounds surprisingly motivated."
Caulm gave a small smile. "He has clearly judged you to be a client worth keeping. On that note, regarding your visit: I would like you to take Fei-san with you as a guard."
"Fei-san? I trust his skills, but is that really necessary?"
"It is not just about safety on the road. There is a matter of protocol as well."
Formal protocol, then. I suppose it was only natural for someone visiting a Duke to have an attendant or guard. If that was the expectation, I would follow it.
"What about you, Caulm-san?"
"I cannot leave the shop unattended. I will instruct you on proper etiquette before you depart."
"I see. Will the shop's security be okay without Fei-san?"
"I would like to bolster our numbers just in case."
"Should we put in a request with the Adventurer Guild again?"
"We could, but I would prefer to hire new dedicated guards. At the Lenaf Branch, Koken-san and the others are doing well in their management training under my sister. This would be a good opportunity to hire and train reliable security staff for when we eventually entrust them with their own branch."
He was right. I’d heard the training was going well, and we had discussed letting them run a new branch as early as next year. We needed to secure personnel beyond just managers, so hiring them early to vet and train them made sense.
"Then let's look for both. Protecting the shop is our first priority."
"Understood. Moving on... actually, that concludes the official reports. The rest are personal letters from Koken-san and the others. It seems they’ve made some new discoveries regarding slime research."
"Really?" I perked up.
"Two discoveries, to be precise. Both involve the use of Cleaner Slimes. First, Lobelia-san has been looking into 'The Beauty Effects of Cleaner Slimes.' She made a habit of cleansing herself with one before bed and realized her skin condition was improving. She ran experiments with the other employees and observed customers who requested full-body washes. She is now convinced they improve skin health, specifically noting a high efficacy against acne. Boss?"
"I'm fine... I just realized that was a total blind spot."
I hadn't given a single thought to beauty. But it made sense. Cleaner Slimes eat waste. A full-body wash would remove old skin cells and built-up oils. Since acne is caused by clogged pores, a slime could theoretically keep the skin perfectly healthy.
"The details are in these documents."
"Thank you. I'll write back with my thoughts later. What was the second discovery?"
"Tony-san's 'Document Restoration' method. He noticed that after washing clothes, the dirt was gone and the fabric was dry. He wondered if he could 'wash' a document he'd made a mistake on. It worked. The 'dirty paper' became 'clean paper,' perfectly reused. It’s a great discovery for cost-cutting, though we’ll have to be careful about which documents we use it on."
Again, it was so simple, yet I hadn't considered it at all.
"Can we give them a reward for this?"
"Slime research isn't part of their job description, but these results are genuinely valuable to the business. I agree we should. The question is the amount..."
In my previous life, a bonus was usually a month's salary.
"What is their current daily wage?"
"As trainees, they receive 150 Suut per day."
At six days a week, that was roughly 3,600 to 4,000 Suut a month. But they were doing great work, and I wanted to encourage them. Including research funds, I decided on three months' worth.
"How about a flat 10,000 Suut each?"
"I was thinking two months, but we have the surplus. As an investment in the future—and if that includes research funds—it's well within reason. I’ll notify them."
"Please do."
With the reports finished, I decided to bring up the idea of hiring former criminals. I explained the conversation I'd had with the gods—omitting the bits about my past life and the divine realm, of course. As I spoke, Caulm's expression darkened.
I suppressed the urge to ask if he was against it, waiting for him to process the idea.
"At this point in time, I am against it," he said finally. "We are only in our first year of operation. Our performance is excellent, and we have no shortage of ordinary applicants. There is no reason to take on the risk. At the very least, we should wait until we have more branches and a more stable foundation."
"I thought you might say that." It was the logical answer.
"However, I do have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. I understand your desire to give people a second chance, Boss. Honestly, I think that's a job for the lords or the church, but I've worked with you for over six months now. I’ve seen your philosophy in action. While it sometimes surprises me, I’ve come to respect it. Implementing this now is premature, but I am not rejecting the idea entirely. If we take our time, move in stages, and carefully vet our candidates, I don't see why it shouldn't be our ultimate goal."
I was surprised. I’d expected to have to argue my case much harder. "You're accepting this surprisingly easily."
"To put it bluntly, Boss... after watching you treat girls from the countryside and residents of the slums with such high regard and no prejudice, I’m hardly shocked. It’s thanks to that attitude that we all have such a peaceful workplace. It’s a project that requires caution, but I don't feel any instinctive revulsion toward it. I trust your judgment based on the work you've done so far. Besides, as I said, we need a stronger foundation to make this work. If this motivates you to be more proactive in growing the business, the shop wins either way."
"I see." Caulm really did understand me. He was as sharp as they came.
"Thank you. Where should we start, specifically?"
"How about buying a slave?"
Slaves. Right, they were a legal part of this world.
"A slave... I have the basic knowledge, but I'm not really familiar with the process. Could you be more specific?"
He kindly explained the nuances to me. In this country, slaves were generally split into three categories: Poverty Slaves, Debt Slaves, and Criminal Slaves.
Poverty Slaves were those who sold themselves or their family members to escape starvation. Debt Slaves were those who couldn't pay back what they owed and were using their labor as collateral. Criminal Slaves were those reduced to slavery as a legal punishment.
"Poverty and Debt Slaves are often there because of unfortunate accidents or desperate circumstances. Hiring them would be a good way to supplement our staff while helping you develop the mindset and protocols needed for your future goals. Furthermore, Criminal Slaves are restricted by magic from escaping or harming others, which makes the risk lower than hiring a free former criminal."
Caulm pointed out that while some slaves were there due to bad luck, others were there because of their own self-destructive choices.
"Poverty and Debt Slaves have traded their freedom for the protection of their lives. Many, naturally, want to earn their freedom back. Our wages are good, so working here would give them a genuine chance to do so."
"I see. Are there any specific rules I should know about?"
"A guarantee of basic food, clothing, and shelter, and a prohibition against unjust violence. Your current management style already exceeds every requirement. From our perspective, it would be almost no different from hiring through the guild."
"I see..."
I sat in thought.
"Do you find the idea of slavery distasteful, Boss?" Caulm asked.
"It's not that I dislike it exactly, it's just that I've never lived in a society where it was a reality."
I knew the system existed, but I’d never imagined being a part of it. Still, Caulm’s logic was sound. It was a standard part of this world, and I needed to understand it better. When I told him I’d consider it, he offered one more piece of advice.
"In that case, you should visit the Moulton Slave Company in Gaunago. Before my sister and I came here, Serge-sama mentioned they were a safe and reliable trader. He told us that if we ever needed to hire slaves, that was the place to go."
Gaunago was where the Duke’s mansion was. I could visit the trader while I was there for my greetings.
...Wait, had he planned the whole conversation around that?
I looked at him suspiciously, feeling like I’d been perfectly led to a conclusion. Caulm simply maintained his serene, professional smile.
He really was a reliable man. I made a mental note to thank Serge-san for the recommendation the next time I saw him.