Following the Ducal Couple's visit to Gimul, the town’s reconstruction progressed at an exponential rate.
Supplies from other regions began to arrive in steady waves, and by the end of the first month, the harsh winter had finally broken. The snow that had once piled up daily began to melt away, revitalizing the traffic on the highways and fully restoring the flow of commerce.
By then, my personal assistance with the reconstruction was no longer necessary. While handling the various administrative procedures for the transition of my businesses, I spent my days as an adventurer fulfilling extermination requests that could be completed near the town.
As previously planned, management of the security company passed from my hands to the Ducal House. Roughly half of the personnel took their wages and returned to their hometowns, while the remaining half were either hired directly by the Ducal House or provided with new employment opportunities elsewhere.
I likewise entrusted the hospital attached to the security company to the Ducal House. It continues to operate as a workspace for medical professionals whose own clinics were damaged during the crisis. Through my interactions with Dr. Mafrar and the four resident physicians—working alongside them in study and research—the facility has gradually begun to resemble a university hospital.
While I still hold the rights to the Bamboo Forest laundry shop, I officially delegated the position of Shop Manager to Calm, who had been assisting me as the Vice Manager. I moved to a system where management is fully outsourced, while I took the titles of Owner and Manager of the newly established Sales Department.
My role as the Sales Manager involves traveling to various towns to scout potential sites for future branches. Additionally, I brainstorm ways to approach new customers and consult with Calm on the best strategies for expansion.
To be blunt, it simply involves looking around the towns I visit during my adventurer work and reporting any promising locations or ideas to Calm whenever I return to Gimul. My level of freedom has increased, but my daily routine remains largely unchanged.
Furthermore, I hired capable managers to oversee the various other ventures I had started, such as the waste processing plant, construction-related businesses, the dining hall, and the hotel. Since many business owners had lost their own shops during the recent disaster, I was able to recruit motivated individuals from among them. It felt a bit insensitive to call it "turning a misfortune into a blessing," but the arrangements were settled in a way that was mutually beneficial for everyone involved.
My appointment as a Ducal House Technician also significantly boosted public trust in me. For our job openings, we received a flood of applications—not just from former business owners, but also from their former employees, and tamers from other security companies or the Tamer Guild.
The interview process was more exhausting than the paperwork, but thanks to that effort, I successfully outsourced all the smaller shops. I even managed to increase the staff at the laundry shop, where we are now training new recruits across four specialized divisions: Accounting, Customer Service, Security, and Slime Management. Many of the new hires have prior experience in management or service, making them efficient and easy to train.
The staff from the Gimul main store and the three former slime researchers I hired as branch manager candidates are handling the instruction. Fortuitously, I received word from the Lenaf branch that the researchers had completed their general training and were ready to manage a shop. I had them return to Gimul to oversee the new branches and assist with the newcomer training.
Once these new recruits have mastered our methods and Calm deems them trustworthy, new branch managers will surely emerge from their ranks.
Of course, I won't force anyone into the role. If someone views their job as a temporary way to save up for their independence or to rebuild a shop they lost, that is their right. As long as they don't intentionally harm the business or steal the Cleaner Slimes, they are free to do as they wish.
Financially, things are stable. Between my technician appointment and the business transfers, the Ducal House has provided compensation and research grants that gradually exceeded my initial total expenditures. While I can't afford to become complacent, I no longer have to worry about funds.
Once two months had passed, I began to devote myself entirely to adventuring. Using Long-distance Teleportation Magic with my Rimur Birds and other tamed monsters as beacons, I cleared requests indiscriminately. Since some extermination tasks required multiple people, I occasionally formed temporary parties with whoever was available.
Most often, I teamed up with Fei and Yudam, as they were shop employees with adventurer certifications who could easily adjust their schedules. Next were the young men from the former delinquent group. For work closer to town, I occasionally joined Miya and her party as well.
I spent my days focused entirely on raising my rank. And today, three months later...
"The completion of the request has been confirmed. With this, Ryoma Takebayashi, you have passed the promotion exam and are officially a C-rank adventurer. Congratulations."
"Thank you very much."
Having satisfied the requirements during my travels, I had finally achieved C-rank status.
However, a slight complication had arisen as a byproduct of my progress.
"Just to be certain, this was done through the proper procedures and the official judgment of the Adventurer Guild, correct?"
"Of course. Though your record consists heavily of request completions and the subjugation of monsters and bandits, you have far exceeded the required track record. Furthermore, you completed the preliminary exam the other day and this current request, which served as the secondary exam. We have judged your promotion to be entirely legitimate. Regarding the incident the other day, we are truly sor—"
"No, I have no intention of demanding an apology," I said, cutting off the receptionist. She was pale and about to bow. "I won't say I completely fail to understand why I was viewed with suspicion. However, it is a fact that I was unilaterally accused of fraud and threatened with detention or the revocation of my certification. It would be troublesome if people started making complaints after my promotion, and if that happened, I would be forced to rely on the authority of the Ducal House to protect myself. For everyone's sake, I simply wanted to make the situation clear. I have no intention of suing anyone here."
My words seemed to relieve not only the woman handling the procedures but also the other staff and adventurers watching us. The heavy tension that had filled the air since I arrived finally began to soften.
"I will update your Guild Card now. Please wait a moment."
The woman took my card and headed to the back room. Left with a moment of downtime, I glanced around the lobby.
"!"
"Hey, what's with this mood? Did that kid start making trouble—"
"Idiot! Keep your mouth shut!"
Except for a few people who weren't present when I first arrived at this guild, most averted their eyes the moment I looked at them. If I were to summarize the events that led to this atmosphere in three points, it would look like this:
- I work at "full power."
- Because of the speed and volume of my kills, the reception suspects me of fraud.
- Overhearing adventurers pick a fight then or later, leading to a "display of strength."
It was a recurring cycle. The ones who got involved this time were a stubborn Guild Master and a sarcastic examiner. Because I was told to "show my strength" in a public preliminary exam that felt more like a shaming, I stood out far more than intended, and the rumors grew out of control.
I never expected a cliché isekai trope like this to happen so often at this stage, but since I started seriously grinding for rank... I wonder how many times it's been? I don't think it's hit double digits yet, so maybe eight times? Regardless, it's become a common occurrence lately.
Honestly, it isn't comfortable, but since I'm not the one picking the fights and I don't feel the need to be overly passive to keep the peace, it's actually easier for me mentally. Usually, this kind of talk only happens in places where I'm unknown; in Gimul and the surrounding areas, nobody doubts me at all.
On the contrary, some people have recently started calling me "The Cleaner." I’d heard that famous adventurers often receive aliases based on their appearance or deeds. In my case, it supposedly comes from my management of the laundry shop and the fact that I frequently accept sanitation-related requests.
However, among the adventurers and guild staff who know my combat record, it seems they use the name with a different meaning—referring to me as a "cleaner" who handles monsters and bandits by making them disappear entirely...
It's a bit embarrassing, but it's a clear sign that they acknowledge my strength. Considering that, I suppose my current life is going quite smoothly.
"Thank you for waiting."
The receptionist returned and handed back my Guild Card. I doubted they would try to arrest me for forgery by handing me a fake, but I double-checked the contents anyway. There didn't seem to be any obvious issues. Then again, a plot that was obvious at a glance wouldn't be much of a plot.
"Um... is something wrong?" she asked hesitantly.
"No, I was just savoring the fact that I've finally reached C-rank. Thank you very much. I'll be going now."
I didn't hold a grudge, and I didn't want an apology, but I didn't exactly trust them either. I was simply staying alert as a precaution.
I thanked the nervous receptionist and left the guild. I used Space Magic to teleport to the city gate, and once outside, I teleported again to the location of the Rimur Birds I had sent ahead.
"Oh? Is this... already near the next town? They've made it quite far. As expected, they're fast."
"Pirororororo!!"
I was currently standing halfway up a high, rocky mountain. Looking out past the desolate mountain path and across a steep cliff, I could see the city walls in the distance. The Rimur Birds chirped proudly, as if to say, "How's that for speed?"
Their mobility really was impressive. According to what I'd heard, the next town was the westmost point of the country—a true frontier. Reaching it by land meant crossing three mountains with extreme elevation changes, which would take three days even if one hurried.
By flying, they could ignore the terrain entirely. I had only sent them out a few hours ago, yet they had covered a distance that would have taken three days on foot. When I was in a hurry, like during this rank grind, they were an incredible asset.
At this rate, even if I were being pursued, I would have easily shaken them off. Given this distance, I should be able to reach the westmost town of Teressa before sunset, even at a leisurely pace.
There had been a few bumps in the road, but I had finally reached C-rank. I was just one step away from the Great Forest. I just had to keep pushing forward!