After dinner.
Just as they had the night before, the ducal couple and the two chairmen of the major trading companies gathered in the mansion's drawing room.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting," I said as I entered.
"It’s fine, we were just talking anyway," Elise replied with a warm smile. "Thank you for looking after the slimes."
"With so many varieties and such a large number of them, it must be quite an ordeal, Ryoma-kun," Reinhardt added.
"That reminds me, how many species are you keeping now?" Piolo asked.
"Nineteen at the moment. About four of those are currently waiting to evolve."
"I heard the total count is in the tens of thousands," Serge remarked. "Caring for them must be an immense task."
"It's not as bad as it sounds, since I feed them in groups according to their species. Reinhardt-san, thank you again for the slime food. It was a huge help."
"Don't mention it. I've already received word from various departments saying they were grateful you took the waste off their hands. Please, feel free to ask whenever you need more during your stay."
I responded to everyone as they welcomed me into the conversation, then took a seat beside Elise.
"Now then, since Ryoma-kun has joined us, I’d like to continue our discussion from yesterday," Reinhardt said. "However... there are two things I'd like to address first. Just a few administrative matters."
The atmosphere shifted, and Reinhardt took on an unusually somber air. Elise handed out a stack of documents to each of us. As I flipped through the pages, I saw sketches of faces, lists of crimes, and bounty amounts.
"Wanted posters and..."
"Half of that is information regarding bandit activity reported within the territory," Reinhardt explained. "I happened to receive these reports while I was working today. Since you three travel frequently between cities, I thought it best you were informed."
"This is much appreciated," Serge said, his expression focused.
For a merchant, information regarding road safety was a literal lifeline. Both he and Piolo began poring over the documents with intense interest. I, however, found myself drawn more to the posters themselves.
"Looking at these, the bounty amounts vary quite a bit depending on the individual."
Even for the same crimes, the rewards ranged from ten small gold coins to several hundred. The highest was a staggering two platinum coins. When I asked why there was such a gap, Reinhardt was kind enough to explain.
"Bounties are generally determined by the extent of the damage and the danger level of the criminal. However, nobles or merchants who have been victimized can personally add to the reward. The group with the two-platinum bounty is a gang of robbers specializing in jewels. They're quite notorious."
According to him, since they targeted only high-value gems, the financial damage was astronomical. Furthermore, they had drawn the ire of not only the robbed jewelers but also the various nobles who had been waiting to purchase those gems. As the victims’ anger mounted, so did the bounty.
"They don't strike often, but they prepare meticulously and proceed with extreme caution. Apparently, they have several skilled Space Mages among their ranks, making them incredibly fast and difficult to track. Naturally, their targets have guards, but the fact that they've succeeded so many times suggests they have some formidable fighters as well. I haven't heard of them targeting individuals, but... Ryoma-kun, please be careful."
"I understand. Thank you for the warning."
He was likely referring to the diamond I had worn with my suit the day before. Even though nobody had said anything at the time, those with a discerning eye had clearly taken notice.
"Moving on... oh, that's right. Regarding the Scavenger Slime fertilizer you gave me yesterday. I’ve received a report."
"Oh? That was remarkably fast," Elise noted.
I agreed with her. Could they really have judged its safety and properties within a single day?
"Yes... about that, Ryoma-kun. Do you know of the 'Forest of the Earth Mother Goddess'?"
The title 'Earth Mother Goddess' made me think of Willieris-sama, but I had never heard of the forest.
"I see. Well, our Head Gardener is originally from Altura—a country to the east. The Forest of the Earth Mother Goddess is a 'Sacred Land' and a focal point of faith for the people there. According to him, the soil in that forest is nearly identical to your fertilizer."
"Wait, really?" I blurted out. The idea that a sacred land's soil was similar to waste-eating slime fertilizer was the last thing I expected to hear.
"It contains massive amounts of mana and has a high affinity with Wood Attribute Magic," Reinhardt continued. "If used in excess, it can even turn plants into monsters. The effects are identical. However, the soil from the forest is apparently far more potent than the Scavenger Slime's fertilizer."
In Altura, they reportedly harvested a small amount of soil from the sacred forest once every few years. They would mix it with a vast quantity of regular dirt to dilute the effect, using the result as a special fertilizer. The process was considered a sacred ritual to share in the forest's blessings.
"So, if we follow the same procedures as that ritual, the Scavenger Slime fertilizer can be used safely?" Piolo asked.
"The Head Gardener believes so. For now, we'll continue testing the sample you gave us, but it seems perfectly viable as a fertilizer. However, there is a slight concern regarding its proximity to a religious icon."
I saw his point.
"Soil from a sacred land and fertilizer produced inside a slime... personally, I think they’re entirely different things, but depending on who hears it..."
"There might be some who find it blasphemous," Piolo finished with a grimace. "Occasionally, you run into folks who get quite radical when faith is involved."
"I think we can maintain that they are separate things," Reinhardt said, "but we should be mindful of it if we plan to commercialize it in the future."
An element of unease had cropped up from an unexpected direction, but I suppose it was better to know now than later.
"That's all from me," Reinhardt concluded.
"Then, may I go next?" Elise asked. In contrast to Reinhardt's serious tone, she seemed to be in high spirits. The cause was almost certainly what had happened earlier that day.
"Elise... I’ve been wondering, you’ve been in an exceptionally good mood since dinner," Reinhardt teased.
"I have! Actually, Ryoma-kun made me some 'Bath Bombs' and 'Sugar Scrubs'! My fatigue just melted away!"
Elise began to describe her experience with the products in exhaustive detail.
"Is this the beauty talk from yesterday?" Serge asked, looking intrigued. "A medicine that turns a bath into a hot spring... how fascinating."
"Ryoma, is that skin-cleaning medicine really that effective?" Piolo asked.
"The results can vary from person to person," I said modestly.
"I want more of both!" Elise insisted. "The bath bombs are so easy—you just drop them in—and they warmed my body far better than regular hot water. And the sugar scrub! Just rubbing it on made my skin feel completely different!"
Watching Elise rave about them, I realized I had forgotten something. Once you got used to these things, they seemed ordinary, but the initial impact of using them for the first time was quite significant. I remembered being surprised when I first used a sugar scrub in my previous life. I hadn't had any interest in beauty products; I had only used it because it was a gift and it felt like a waste to throw it away. Yet, after that first time, I remember thinking, Wait, this might actually be good...
When I had mentioned it at my old company, my coworkers had laughed and said it didn't fit my character.
"Madam, the ones I made at noon were the simplest versions," I explained. "I think the scent and the effect would be even better if we used specific oils or added fragrant oils."
As for the bath bombs, by adjusting the ratio of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, you could make the bath either slightly alkaline or slightly acidic. Slightly alkaline water made it easier to remove dead skin, sebum, and dirt from pores. It was also effective at neutralizing acidic odors like sweat or aging odors. It was a powerful ally for middle-aged men.
On the other hand, slightly acidic water from citric acid helped with fatigue recovery, acted as an anti-inflammatory, and provided sterilization and deodorization in a different way. Since human skin is naturally slightly acidic, it was gentler than alkaline water. One could choose based on their constitution, skin condition, or mood. There was still plenty of room for improvement, such as adding medicinal herbs or seasonal plants.
"That sounds wonderful!" Elise cried.
"Wait, did you say it works on aging odor?" Piolo asked, leaning in. "Maybe I should try it..."
"Piolo, were you worried about that?" Serge asked with a grin.
"Don't be a fool! I'm not at that age yet! It's just... I thought my wife might have muttered something the other day..."
"Hahaha! Well, if Elise praises it this much, it must be something special," Reinhardt said.
"Indeed," Serge agreed. "Ryoma-sama, if it's alright, could we also try these bath bombs and sugar scrubs?"
"Of course. I have some ingredients left from earlier, so I’ll make a batch later and have them delivered to your rooms."
With the beauty products settled, the conversation turned back to me. It was time to discuss what I hadn't been able to say yesterday... but everyone suddenly straightened their posture, looking at me with intense focus.
"What's wrong? You’re all so stiff," I noted.
"Well, you already dropped quite a few bombshells yesterday, like the Running Mush," Reinhardt said.
"I'm looking forward to what comes next, but I'm also a little bit terrified," Serge admitted.
"I've already resolved to be prepared for anything," Piolo added.
"We're ready, Ryoma-kun. You can speak freely."
The pressure was immense. Was I the only one who felt like I couldn't say anything trivial now?
"Then, I'll share one way to utilize slimes that I didn't get to mention last time."
Amidst a strange tension, I explained the serum I had derived from the Bloody Slimes. I started with a basic explanation of what serums and antibodies were, then moved on to my time instructing the rookie adventurers. I described how a Bloody Slime had accidentally consumed venom, how it survived and leveled up its Poison Resistance skill, and how I had connected its blood-based physiology to the production of antibodies. I even told them about the animal experiments I had conducted to test the extracted serum.
"..."
The four of them stared at me with deathly serious expressions.
"...It was a good thing I was mentally prepared," Reinhardt finally said, and the other three nodded in unison.
"The things Ryoma-sama calls 'antibodies,' the relationship with 'Poison Resistance' and 'Disease Resistance' skills, and an antidote made from a Bloody Slime... I am no medical expert, but I can see that the value of this is extraordinarily high," Serge remarked.
"True," Piolo added. "Even if the trigger was just that snake's venom, I can see how this could be applied to other poisons. And as for whether the story is true... there's no reason to doubt you now."
"There's no profit for Ryoma-kun in lying to us," Elise said softly. "Though at this point, it might actually be easier if it were a lie we could just laugh off..."
"To be honest, I feel like I'm in over my head too," I admitted.
Finding antibodies in Bloody Slimes, extracting serum, and testing the effects—it was fun while I was doing small experiments by myself, but it was too much for one person to utilize effectively. If I were to release it to the world, it would be far too much for a single child to manage.
Furthermore...
"Actually, there's more."
"...There's still more?" Reinhardt asked.
"The reason I was able to notice the antibodies and serum was because of the Poison Resistance level-up. That Bloody Slime already possessed some kind of antibody other than the Bush Snake venom when I acquired it. I bought it from an adventurer who had come from elsewhere, and it had Poison Resistance and Disease Resistance from the start."
I explained how, once I noticed the antibodies, I used Appraisal magic to investigate what else it possessed.
"I found several antibodies, but one of them was for the 'Cursed Wound.'"
Everyone simultaneously let out heavy sighs, leaned back, or stared at the ceiling in exhaustion. I couldn't blame them. The Cursed Wound was a malady that could strike anyone after an injury, regardless of the wound's size or the person's status. It was a disease that appeared as if the victim were truly cursed.
A few days after being wounded, the victim would begin to feel numbness in their limbs or face. As it progressed, they would lose control over their body. It looked as if a demon had possessed them; the entire body would tremble violently, sometimes remaining arched like a bow and hardening like stone. In extreme cases, the spine could even snap under the force of the spasms. The patient remained conscious throughout, suffering from the agony of a body they could not control until they finally died. The mortality rate was nearly absolute.
In other words, it was tetanus. In this world, there was no effective treatment; it was feared by all, from kings to peasants, as a curse from which there was no escape. And I had just presented them with the possibility of a cure. The value of that was truly incalculable.
"Are you certain it’s an antibody for the Cursed Wound?" Reinhardt asked. "I'm not doubting you, but..."
"Appraisal identified it as such without question. The Cursed Wound can be contracted anywhere, so it stands to reason that the malady—the bacteria—responsible for it is everywhere as well."
Tetanus bacteria are ubiquitous in soil, after all. The Bloody Slime must have picked it up from the environment.
"But Ryoma-kun," Elise said, "to create an antibody, one must survive the infection, right? How did the Bloody Slime survive a disease that kills almost everyone?"
"I have a few theories. First, perhaps the amount of bacteria it took in was very small. Since slimes have a different biology than humans, the bacteria might not have been able to multiply effectively. Second, the symptoms of the Cursed Wound primarily involve muscle spasms. Since Bloody Slimes are composed of blood and lack a nervous system or muscles, the toxin might have had very little effect on them. Their unique physiology likely worked in their favor, though I have no definitive proof."
"I see... that does make sense," Elise murmured.
"The manufacturing process for a new medicine alone is worth a fortune," Serge said, "but the possibility of a specific remedy for the Cursed Wound... it's as dangerous as it is wonderful."
"That's an understatement," Piolo said. "If the wrong people find out, you'll be targeted. In fact, it's a certainty. The Medical Guild and every research institution in the world would be hunting you down."
"I know. I've always had a feeling that research institutions aren't exactly the most trustworthy places," I admitted.
We all fell silent, contemplating the weight of the discovery. For a while, the only sound was the quiet clink of teacups.
"Ryoma-kun."
Reinhardt broke the silence.
"Yes?"
His expression was more serious than I had ever seen it. I instinctively sat up straighter. In the heavy, tense atmosphere, he spoke with absolute clarity.
"How would you like to become an official 'Technician' for the Jamil family?"