It had been five days since my return to Gimul.
Less than a week after getting back, I was already visiting the Saionji Company Main Store in the Town of Lenaf.
I was there to finalize a contract we had settled on at the Ducal House: the dispatch and utilization of my Bloody Slimes. Nominally, it was a business arrangement, but the real objective was risk management—distributing the species across different locations to ensure they wouldn't all be wiped out by some freak accident. I had brought three slimes to leave in their care.
As I waited in the reception room, the door flew open after barely thirty seconds.
"Ryoma! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Chairman Pioro burst in with his usual boundless energy.
I’d had the same thought during my first visit, but truthfully, he hadn't kept me waiting for a single second. His response was so fast I almost wondered if he had been lying in wait for me.
"You’ve come at a good time. It’s a big help that you’re early, but is everything all right on your end? Didn't you just get back to your own shop?"
"Not at all. The personnel Serge-san arranged for me are excellent. In fact, they might be a little too excellent."
"Oh? Did something happen?"
"It’s a bit of a long story, but..."
It had happened the day after I arrived back in Gimul.
Just as we had planned, Ox-san and I held a sparring match in the vacant lot next to the shop. I had taken Calm’s advice to heart and decided to put in a bit more effort than usual. For Ox, it was his first chance to demonstrate his true abilities at his new workplace. Since we were both fired up, the match inadvertently began to escalate.
In the end, the shockwaves and dust clouds kicked up by our duel blanketed the watching employees and customers. Children burst into tears from the intensity of our auras, and a few elderly folks were so startled they fell right over. I had overdone it just a little too much, and I received a very stern lecture from Calm afterward.
"Fortunately, many of the customers were regulars. They graciously accepted our apology once we offered free full-body cleaning services to compensate for the dust. I’d also notified the Guard Force in advance that we would be holding a match, so it didn't turn into a major incident, but..."
After we had smoothed things over, Calm pulled me aside for another talk. First, he told me that while the match was a bit excessive, we had succeeded in broadcasting Ox’s strength to everyone in the area. More importantly, he apologized for a misunderstanding. When he’d said the day before that he was glad I was "getting serious," he meant he was happy to see me take an active interest in expanding the business—not that he thought I hadn't been working hard enough.
I told him I was the one who should apologize for jumping to conclusions.
However, as we kept talking, I gradually realized how much he appreciated my new proactive attitude. I started brainstorming ways to facilitate that expansion. If we were going to open more branches, we needed funding. To get funding, we needed more efficient revenue streams. I started rattling off ideas—a laundry collection and delivery service for the elderly, a private waste management firm... Calm cut me off mid-sentence.
"I know you’re always thinking of the business, Manager, but please stop trying to create more work for yourself every chance you get. You are overworking yourself!"
"That is what he told me..." I explained to Pioro.
Furthermore, by yesterday, Calm had already overhauled the security protocols, finalized the emergency response plans, and cleared the mountain of paperwork for our future expansion. When I finished my tasks and asked what was next, he told me, "There is no work left for you until you return from your next trip. Please rest." He refused to give me anything else to do. So, as it stands, I currently have no problems and, quite literally, no work at all.
"I see..." Pioro gave a wry smile.
"Well, you should rest when you can. Besides, even if you need funds, it’s not like you’re backed into a corner, right?"
"That’s true. Customers are increasing now that the cold makes water work difficult, and lately, the sales for our Deodorizing Fluid have far exceeded expectations."
"Ah, that stuff. They were using it at the Ducal House too, so it’s only natural for it to spread to other towns."
And yet, I haven't heard any reports of inferior counterfeit products circulating. The mystery of the Deodorizing Fluid—the specific property where it cannot be diluted by human hands—seemed to have actually worked in our favor.
"To be honest, the sales of the Deodorizing Fluid are currently higher than the laundry service itself."
"Oh, is that so?"
"The laundry service brings in a few small gold coins a day at most, but the fluid often doubles that. On a good day, it hits double digits. The trend is especially noticeable at our second branch."
"In that case, there's no need to rush into securing funds, is there? Especially since branching out into new fields is a massive undertaking. That's likely what that Calm fellow is concerned about. If you suggest more work right after he tells you you’re doing a good job, it’s no wonder he thinks you don't get it."
"I admit the timing was poor... However, after coming to the city and starting work, I feel like I've gradually come to understand my own way of working. For example, the other day at the Ducal House, we talked about various new ways to utilize slimes, didn't we?"
"We did. Certainly."
I had realized that my role should be proposing new ways to utilize slimes and designing new business models, much like I did with the laundry shop.
This was where my background as a System Engineer—an SE—really applied. In simple terms, I was a system designer. I could apply that experience to design workflows involving slimes or propose efficiency improvements. My perspective was different from the people of this world; I could look at cultural customs from a different angle and solve problems by building systems where slimes handled the labor. Designing these smooth operational flows was where I could be most useful.
I explained this logic to Pioro, omitting the specific term "SE," and he seemed convinced.
"If you have your own vision, Ryoma, then I'll support you. Just don't push yourself too hard."
"Thank you. Everyone has already told me that... Besides, the first priority is increasing the number of laundry shop locations. As for the funding, we’ve agreed not to overdo it. We’ll watch the situation and, if necessary, we’ll request a business loan."
"Oh? I thought you were quite resistant to that before. Did you change your mind?"
"A little."
In the past, I’d had no experience with business loans. I felt anxious about whether the shop would succeed, and I’d had an excessive aversion to debt, viewing it as a burden with no way out.
Thinking calmly about the current situation, I had a clear prospect for repayment. Even if I temporarily incurred debt, there was an expectation that my income would increase as more shops opened. If I could repay it systematically and without strain, the final profit would be greater if I increased the number of shops early on.
"I know it's a bit selfish of me to say this after refusing you once before."
"Don't worry about it. That was the day we met. It's only natural to be cautious about borrowing money from someone you don't even know well. I don't hold it against you. Merchant growth isn't just about playing defense; it's about taking calculated risks to seize profits. If you've become able to make those kinds of decisions, then you've taken a step forward as a businessman."
"I'm happy to hear you say that. It makes me feel like I'm growing, even if only little by little."
As we were talking, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
"This is a bit late to ask, but when you said I 'came at a good time' earlier, did something happen on your end as well?"
"Oh! I almost forgot. That item we discussed finally arrived. It’s a specialty food that’ll be great for your daily meals and your upcoming trip to the Shulls Great Forest."
"!! Could it be that? I thought it was supposed to take much more time?"
"I thought so too, but honestly, I don't know if it's good luck or bad. There are some circumstances behind it, but it'll probably be faster if I just show you."
My heart danced at the thought of the item, but I prioritized our original purpose: finalizing the slime dispatch contract. Once that was done, I officially handed over the three Bloody Slimes to the staff member who would be in charge of their management.