By noon, the operation to draw out and eliminate the undead—leveraging both the terrain and the thunderous explosions—had concluded successfully. As planned, we set foot within the Town of Ghosts.
Having spent the morning wiping out the undead near the gate, the town was now a true "ghost town," heavy with a quiet, somber atmosphere. This was likely a temporary lull, however; once night fell, more undead were bound to surge from the city's depths. The operation now shifted to its second phase: Securing a Base.
The city was laid out in a series of concentric circles centered around a tower. Rows of simple, rectangular housing units lined each level of the basin-like terrain. It looked as though the structures had been subject to various additions and repairs over the years; the resulting irregularities gave the place the appearance of a moth-eaten baumkuchen.
Narrow, circular paths connected the various districts, while a long central staircase stretched from the gate all the way to the tower. These circular housing units seemed designed to act as walls to prevent prisoners from escaping; combined with the sheer height of each tier, scaling them would be a daunting task. At the very least, it would be impossible for zombies or skeletons to manage.
Our first move was to use the Grave Slimes—whose numbers had swelled during the morning operation—to blockade the paths leading to the central stairs. We then inspected the buildings nearest the staircase. If they were clear, we secured them with Holy Space. If any stragglers remained, we cleared them out before taking control of the structure.
Fortunately, the simple layout of the housing facilities made the process of blockading and inspecting go smoothly. By the time we had secured five buildings, the goblins I had tasked with preparations sent word that they were ready.
"Everyone, it looks like the experiment is almost ready to go," I announced.
"In that case, let’s make this our last building for the time being," Reinbach suggested. "It’s a fine time for lunch, anyway."
"That makes six buildings—three on each side—so it’s a good place to break," Sieber added. "Let’s finish this up quickly."
"I’m ready when you are," Remily said.
"Here I go, then. Flash Grenade!"
I tossed a sphere of light about the size of a baseball through a small opening that had likely once been a window, then ducked behind the corner of the building. I focused my Mana Perception, and a second later—
"Gyah!" "Hieee!"
Sharp, scream-like sounds echoed from within, followed almost instantly by a flood of intense light from the openings. I had designed this spell with the concept of a flashbang to incinerate any undead hiding in the shadows. A few quick-footed wraiths managed to phase through the back walls to escape, but they didn't get far.
"Light Ball."
Anticipating their flight, Remily accurately picked them off. Sieber and Reinbach then entered the building to confirm it was empty. Finally, we deployed Holy Space to ensure the building wouldn't be reoccupied.
"Good work, everyone."
"Good work to you too, Ryoma-chan."
"Keep the experiments brief once you’ve eaten," Sieber cautioned. "The real fight begins after sunset. You should get some sleep while you can to prepare for the night."
We had defeated a staggering number of undead since morning, but that was merely the prelude. The true test would come during the night when their activity peaked. My plan was a bit aggressive: I intended to use the magic I had developed yesterday to purify the entire area at once.
We would only proceed as long as we could maintain a margin of safety, and we could always retreat to last night’s base if things took a turn for the worse. Still, there was no doubt it would be a long night. As Sieber said, resting now was the smart move.
With that in mind, we returned to the building closest to the town entrance. There, Sebas was busy setting out tables and chairs. Since we were technically indoors, he was making sure we could enjoy a proper sit-down meal.
"Welcome back. Lunch is being prepared, so please wait just a few moments more."
"Thanks, Sebas. How did the work go on your end?"
"The goblins worked quite diligently," he replied. "They seemed well-acquainted with the task, so I don't anticipate any issues with the experiment. I couldn't understand their speech, of course, but they looked even happier making fields than they do when they are fighting."
"Except for a few of them, my goblins are all like that," I said.
Even as their numbers grew, my goblins remained consistently dedicated to eating, drinking, and leisure. I didn't have any complaints—if they were too aggressive or rebellious, I’d have to dispose of them as a tamer—so their temperament was a relief, but it was still a bit of a mystery.
Well, if Sebas was still getting lunch ready, I decided to finish the experiment first.
"I’ll be right back. This won't take long."
The buildings in this area were all identical, featuring a single entrance in the front and another in the back. A corridor ran through the center connecting the two, with what used to be prisoner cells on either side.
The cells had no walls or partitions left. They had apparently once used thick iron bars as dividers, but those had been salvaged when the prison closed. Now, the interior was just one large open room, marked only by the shadows of where the cells had once been.
This meant I could set up a field—and with the help of slimes, it was easy.
"Gigi!" "Gobubu!"
As I approached the plots, the goblins gave me their reports. I couldn't understand the words, but the intent came through clearly: the tasks I had requested were finished.
On the left side of the corridor, rows of large planters I had crafted with Earth Magic were filled with Soil Slimes, with potatoes already planted. On the right, I had used Earth Magic to break up the building’s floor and manually mixed in fertilizer, planting the same type of potatoes there.
"Okay, let's test it out. Get the water ready."
"Gob!"
Starting with the planters on the left, I used Wood Magic to stimulate the growth of the crops. They grew smoothly without any issues. The buds, leaves, and fully grown potatoes all looked perfectly healthy.
The plot on the right, however, was a different story. The growth stimulation worked to a degree, producing a few buds and leaves, but the plants withered before they became edible. Even when I used extra mana to force them to grow larger, the stems and roots remained spindly, and the leaves were pale and sickly. The resulting potatoes were tiny and shriveled—hardly something anyone would want to eat.
I cast Appraisal on the failed batch.
Miasma-Corrupted Potato A potato grown using Wood Magic to force growth in land that has been plagued by miasma for a long period. Growth was hindered as it was eroded by the soil's miasma during the growing process. Due to the accumulated miasma, consumption will cause illness and, in the worst-case scenario, death. Inedible.
"I see. That's definitely a failure."
"Gii..."
I’d dispose of the bad ones later. The potatoes in the planters, however, were perfectly edible. The results confirmed that the decisive factor was the soil. Since the air was purified by Holy Space and the water was provided by Sebas's magic, it was essentially clean-room cultivation. The only difference was the earth they grew in.
"I'll take it from here. Thanks for the help, everyone. Go ahead and take turns eating lunch."
"Gogo!" "Gobubbu!"
I watched the backs of the goblins as they raced off toward the food. Just as I was about to head back to the group myself, I noticed everyone watching me.
"It appears you were successful," Reinbach noted.
"It’s just one test, but it seems that if the environment is controlled, food production through the Slime Farming Method is possible even in a place like this. I’ll keep observing them while I grow some more food for tonight, but there's a chance miasma might seep into the soil over time. Still, I should be able to counter that by coating the planters with light-attribute mana. I think this is something ordinary people could replicate, too. I'm not sure if the profit would justify the labor, but I’ll report this to Reinhardt-san later and have him verify it."
"Many villages have been abandoned because the miasma made farming impossible," Reinbach said, looking thoughtful. "If this technology can be replicated with enough training, it could save countless people. Combine that with the Grave Slimes and your new magic, and the danger of dealing with the undead drops significantly. The future looks bright."
"The only downside to that particular magic was the need to burn food," Sebas added. "If we can produce that food on-site, it will drastically reduce the cost and effort of logistics. Efficiency will soar."
Reinbach, the former Duke, and Sebas, his long-time aide, seemed genuinely moved by the prospect.
"But with such results... Ryoma-kun, is there anything you’d like as a reward?"
"Reinbach-sama, isn't it a bit early for that?"
"Nonsense. Just the discovery of the Grave Slimes is enough to guarantee a technician's reward. They are a revolutionary tool against the undead."
Even with him saying that, I didn't really have anything I wanted... or rather, I felt like I had already received far too much.
For instance, after the incident at the end of last year, I was promised a massive payout and reimbursement in installments. On top of that, my technician status came with tax exemption privileges on a portion of my income. My wealth was growing like a snowball, reaching levels that were frankly terrifying for a former salaryman like me.
Is there anything else... oh, wait!
"How about a new experimental site? It would be great to have a place like this where I can freely research the Grave Slimes. I was also worried about what to feed them once we return home."
"Their numbers topped a thousand just this morning," Remily remarked. "It was quite a shock to see."
As someone used to slimes multiplying, I was more shocked that they had eaten that many undead and yet we had barely made a dent in the town's population. Regardless, keeping that many slimes fed required a constant supply of food.
Slimes don't die if they can't find their preferred food; they just eat whatever is available and evolve into something else. While that’s usually fine, it’s a problem when I want to study a specific species over a long period. Having a dedicated area where I could secure undead would be a huge help.
"I wouldn't have to worry if they ate regular meat, but..."
"But they need the undead, then," Reinbach finished. "There are several areas within the Jamil Duchy plagued by miasma, so setting up an experimental site won't be an issue. In fact, those lands are a headache for any lord, so we’d be grateful if you took them off our hands. However, that’s not quite right as a reward. Even if you’re satisfied, it wouldn’t look right to others."
"To the average person, it would look like you were being saddled with a cursed plot of land," Remily added.
"Why not just accept the coin and be done with it?" Sieber suggested. "It’s not as if having more money is a burden."
"Actually, my accountant is telling me to spend more."
Between the payments from the Duke and the growth of my business, my laundry shop was effectively a semi-public enterprise now. Since I was also receiving research grants—which were essentially taxpayer money—I had to be extremely careful with my finances to avoid any suspicion of impropriety.
"That's why I hired several former tax collectors and legal officers who used to serve the Ducal House to handle my books."
In my previous life, scandals involving the misuse of government subsidies were constant. I used to just watch those news reports as an outsider, but now I was the one who could potentially be in the crosshairs.
I’d been told that passing the Commerce Guild's annual audit was enough for most business owners, and that it would be fine for me too, but I wanted to be certain. That was why I’d asked the Duke to introduce me to these specialists as part of my reward.
"And this former tax collector told you to spend more?"
"Well, I can grow my own food with slime farming, and lately I’ve been making my own alcohol and processed goods. I can make most of my daily necessities myself, so aside from running the business, I hardly spend a dime..."
I could manage last year's earnings through business expenses and tax breaks, but from this year onward, I was told I needed to be more proactive about spending. Personally, I felt that if I paid more in taxes, the money would go to the Duke and benefit the territory, so I was fine with that, but...
"It seems Reinhardt-san anticipated that," I explained. "Steuer-san, the former tax collector, told me that before he left the capital, Reinhardt-san gave him strict orders: 'If he tries to pay more tax than necessary, you must stop him. Make sure he uses that money for himself.' He even put a cap on my donations to the church so I wouldn't go overboard."
Being a professional, Steuer was incredibly dedicated to his work, and he had completely shut down my naive ideas. He told me that a tax collector’s job is to collect exactly what is owed by law, not to accept overpayments. Since he was now employed by me, his duty was to maximize the shop's profits through proper tax-saving measures.
I suppose it’s a bit like wanting to support a favorite creator or performer. I couldn't afford to do that in my previous life, but now that I have the means, I genuinely don't mind the expense. No matter how many times I try to explain that, though, I just end up making him exasperated.
"In the end, he told me, 'I have seen many businessmen who try to dodge their taxes or offer bribes to the Duke, but this is the first time I have ever met one who tries to pay more out of pure sincerity.'"
"I bet it was," Remily laughed.
"I know it's a 'rich man's problem,' but I've never had a lot of money before, so I honestly don't know what to do with it. That’s why I just keep reinvesting it into new projects, just like I did last year."
"For someone who claims not to know how to use money, you're managing your assets quite well," Sieber noted.
"Starting new businesses and spending for the future is the very definition of a proper investment," Reinbach added.
"It’s only working because of the advice I get from experienced owners and the help of my staff," I replied.
I truly felt that. I only had what I had now because of the people supporting me. When I looked at the businesses I was running—things I never could have dreamed of in my old life—the weight of their support really hit home.
Without them, the only thing I’d know how to do with my money would be to put it in a savings account.
"Thank you for waiting."
As if on cue, Sebas announced that lunch was ready. We still had a long day ahead of us, so I sat down to eat and build up my strength for the coming night.