Chapter 98

 Volume 3
The days passed by cyclically and before I knew it a month had already passed.
My daily training and my study on medicine are going well because of my existing knowledge on the subject matter. Recently, I’ve been proactively taking Monster Extermination Jobs when I go out to collect herbs, partly to procure food and partly to train myself. The metal and iron slimes have also learned to transform their bodies into weapons and have gotten better them.
It was on the morning of such a day that when I showed my face at the store, an urgent message came from the branch store at Renauph.
The slimes had grown too numerous. They had already surpassed the maximum number of slimes Caulkin-san and the others could tame.
As such, I had no other choice but to go.
After making sure that my schedule was clear, I went to Gimuru.
By the time I got to Renauph, the sun was already setting.
The last time I came here, I arrived on the afternoon of the next day, but this time around, I was able to make it just before the sun had fully set. Even if this might be a fantasy world, the distance between towns won’t just suddenly change. If so, then the reason I was able to get to Renauph so quickly must be because I got faster.
From my house to Gimuru. From Gimuru to the outskirts of the town. Before I knew it, I’ve gotten really good at the dimension magic that I’ve been using to commute and do jobs. My running hasn’t gotten that much faster, so it’s probably because my teleportation probably covers more distance now that I was able to reach Renauph so quickly.
Seeing results like this is another happiness of training daily.
Feeling satisfied, I passed through the door of the store.
It was still during work hours, so there were a lot of customers inside.
When I tried to line up normally, a voice called out to me from the counter.

Boss!
[Tony]

Good job.
[Ryouma]

I’m glad you could make it.
[Tony]

Of course. So, the slimes?
[Ryouma]

Over here. Oh, Robelia-san, Branch Store Manager Carla.
[Tony]

It’s alright. Just leave this to us.
[Robelia]

We’ll leave the slime to you two.
[Carla]
After leaving the customers to the two of them, Tony brought me to the living quarters of the employees. Apparently, they’ve temporarily assigned one of the rooms here for the slimes to use. They’re managing them fairly securely, as an adventurer security guard was keeping watch in front of the room.

It’s been a while. Thank you for always watching the store.
[Ryouma]

You’re the boss? Thanks for hiring me.
[Guard]

How is it?
[Ryouma]

Nothing special. The room is just packed with slimes is all. There are no intruders and none of the slimes have tried to run away either. Boss Caulkin is inside, so if you need more info, you can ask him.
[Guard]
I went inside.

Caulkin-san. It’s been a while.
[Ryouma[

Ohh!　Boss, you got here a lot quicker than we were expecting.
[Caulkin]

I came as soon as I got your message. Are these all the slimes that need to be tamed?
[Ryouma]
Within the room was a two-story bed, a table and some chairs. Caulkin-san seemed to be writing something on the desk, but cleaner slimes could already be seen by his feet.

Exactly. There’s 75 of them all in all.
[Caulkin]
Let’s deal with them quickly then.

‘Form Monster Contract’… This should be the last.
[Ryouma]

Yep, that’s all 75 of them.
[Caulkin]

Is your mana alright?
If you’re tired, we have some potions here…
[Tony]

It’s alright. I have plenty of mana.
[Ryouma]
And this isn’t even comparable to that time when I had to tame a bunch of scavenger slimes.
I wonder why they suddenly multiplied, though.

We have that explained in writing here.
[Caulkin]
Caulkin-san handed me the document on the table.
…I see.
Reason 1. The sudden increase of customers.
Renauph is home to transporters that ferry goods by means of flying monsters. Moreover, because of the presence of the dragoon guild, there are a lot of people that go in and out of town, from the people affiliated with the dragoon guild to the people that have taken up a job to transport something to the people that are simply using the flying monsters as a form of transport. There has also been an influx of customers after word spread from our regulars.
Naturally, the more work there was, the more food the slimes had.
Reason 2. The regulation of the production output of the deodorizing liquid.
Because of all the nutrients the slimes were taking in, the amount of deodorizing liquid produced by the cleaner slimes were more than expected, overstocking inventory. Although the store didn’t make any losses, the employees tried to throttle the production rate.

And because the slimes had more nutrients than they knew what to do with, they multiplied.
[Ryouma]

Exactly.
[Caulkin]

From now on, don’t try to regulate the production of the deodorizing liquid. Just throw the excess deodorizing liquid, so this doesn’t happen again.
[Ryouma]

It was just a few days ago, but it seems we made everyone worry needlessly.
[Caulkin]

We can’t tame more slimes than this anyway, so it’s probably fine even if we don’t throttle the production rate.
[Tony]
If the slimes increase too much, the secret of the big slime will be revealed. …I don’t really mind if Caulkin-san and the others find out, but they’re still learning about the store. I don’t want their attention to be divided too much.
The information of new variants is one thing, but the Big Slime is too big of a bomb for them. Fortunately, even if they have more than 100 slimes, as long as the slimes are contracted to different tamers, they can’t fuse.
Maybe it’s because the chain of command is different. I’ll probably be able to make some more progress in that area if I they can help me with my research, so I do intend to tell them one day, but… Just not now.
Anyway, I’m glad that I was able to deal with the slime issue. All the employees seem to be worrying about the slimes, but with this, the cleaner slime problem has been dealt with.

Are there any other problems?
[Ryouma]

Nothing other than those mentioned in the regular reports.
[Tony]

No one’s attacked us like in the main store, but there have been petty issues like when a drunk customer refuses to leave…
[Caulkin]

The store is also doing well financially. Although the scale of the town can’t be compared to Gimuru and there are less regulars here, but we still make about 10,000 suits in profit a day.
[Tony]

So, there are no problems in management then…
[Ryouma]
In that case, I’ll soon have to prepare a store for Caulkin-san and the others… I should be able to prepare the capital for that in the not so distant future. It’s good that everything is progressing smoothly.
In that case, I can share with them the information on the deodorant slime.
…Or at least that’s what I was thinking, but before that.
I went all the way out here to Renauph, so I might as well take this opportunity to drop by the Saionji Company. If I leave it for later, I’ll probably forget.

Excuse me.
[Ryouma]

Welcome!　Oh?　Aren’t you the Bamboo Forest’s?
[Clerk]

It’s been a while. Thanks for remembering me.
[Ryouma]
When I entered the spice store, a clerk that I’ve been acquainted with before was tending to the counter.

Our president praised you lot, after all, and you even carried such a huge game back with you. On top of that, we’re just diagonally opposite your store. Can’t possibly forget, now can we?
[Clerk]

Well, that’s true…
[Ryouma]

How may I help you today?
[Clerk]

I came to Renauph because something suddenly came up, so I thought I’d drop by and say hi to Pioro-san.
[Ryouma]

I see… Unfortunately, the president left three days ago for the capital on merchant business. The ojousama will also be attending the academy very soon, so she went with him…
[Clerk]

I see… That’s unfortunate.
[Ryouma]

Ahh, but the madam is in. She’s currently in the middle of business talks, but if you wait for a bit, you should be able to meet her.
[Clerk]
In that case, I might as well wait. I’ve prepared some souvenirs, so if possible, I’d like to give it face-to-face.

Can I take a look at your products for the time being then?　I’m looking for something fragrant.
[Ryouma]

Please go ahead. If you’re looking for something fragrant, then might I recommend the newly arrived cinnam—!?
[Clerk]

!?

Just as the clerk was about to leave the counter, a woman’s voice that resembled that of a shriek suddenly resounded from within the store.

What was that?
[Ryouma]

I’m not sure… I think that was the madam, though?　Sorry, please wait for a moment. I will go and check.
[Clerk]
The clerk excused himself and ran inside.
And just when I was thinking he wouldn’t be coming back.

Sorry for the trouble.
[???]
A man who had his hips at a frightfully low position left the store nearby in low spirits. The man bowed his head many times and walked away with the gentle wind.
…KUSA…
As the man walked away from the spice store, a foul smell rode the gentle wind. The man that walked away was frowning himself, so it came as no surprise that the passersby avoided the smell.

Sorry to keep you waiting. Please come.
[Clerk]
Oh, I’m being called.

Ryouma-han. Thank you for dropping by.
[Kurana]

Good afternoon, Kurana-san.
[Ryouma]
The place I was brought to wasn’t the reception office, but the dining table.
But what I’m really concerned about is… her nose. Is her nose inflamed or something?
Although she’s trying to keep her elegance as a beauty and is acting as reserved as she could, I can still see her sniffling.

Kurana-san, are you alright?
[Ryouma]

Please don’t worry. I’m not sick. I just ate something amazing a while ago…
[Kurana]

Something amazing?
[Ryouma]

I believe it’s called ‘Shappaya’?　It’s a dish wherein fish is soaked in liquid mixed with salt and various herbs.
[Kurana]

…Ah, could it be that dish that stinks a lot?
[Ryouma]

You’ve heard of it?
[Kurana]

I don’t know if it’s the same, but I know a processed food that fits the description.
[Ryouma]
It’s probably a kind of food like kusaya [1].
It seems a person selling that came here and gave her one to try.
But as a member of the beast tribe, the smell was too harsh for her nose.

In that case, why don’t you have this? It might be able to help wash your mouth of the taste. It’s a cake that’s been recently popular among the women in my store.
[Ryouma]

Oh, my. Thank you so much.
[Kurana]
I gave Kurana the cake and chatted with her a bit.
The next day.
I was so into my conversation with my research team that I lost track of time and before I knew it it was already morning.
I had breakfast and prepared to go back to Gimuru, but when I got to the gate, it was noisy for some reason.

Did something happen?
[Ryouma]
There was a crowd of people by the road. I asked them that.

Some adventurers were fighting among themselves. The ones fighting have already been caught, but midway they started throwing some weird barrels at each other— U…!
[Random Guy 1]
When the direction of the wind changed, a foul smell could wafted to our noses. When I approached the source of the smell, even I was stunned.

This smell…
[Ryouma]

It stinks… Uppu…
[Random Guy 1]
As the direction of the wind changed, the crowd of onlookers walked away.
Because of that I could get a better look. The man from yesterday had been driven into a corner by men and women of all ages.

Hey!　Do something about this smell!　My equipments stinks!
[Angry Man 1]

Even if you tell me that…
[Man from Yesterday]

Because of all this trash here in front of my store, the customers won’t come!　Why do you even have all this trash piled up in the first place anyway!?
[Angry Woman 1]

These aren’t trash! 　These are shappaya! It’s a kind of preserved food!
[Man from Yesterday]

Everyone, please calm down. He is also a victim like you people.
[Guard]

I know that, but my store and all my goods are covered in this stinky stuff. Of course, I could clean my equipment and the storefront, but the goods affected can’t be sold anymore.
[Angry Man 1]

You should blame that on the people who started fighting in the first place. For now, let’s try to get the situation under control.
[Guard]
Presently, the thick liquid and fish that are probably the source of the smell are scattered everywhere. The liquid was stored inside some small barrels that could be carried with one hand. The people fighting threw those at each other, and this was the result…
The guards did their best to control the situation, but there was no end to the number of people complaining. Some of the anger ended up getting directed to the weak man who owned the barrels.
But he himself was a victim. It feels bad to lay the blame on him.
…It would serve as advertisement for my store too, so why don’t I help them out a bit?
As such, I entered an alley with no one around and prepared some deodorant slimes.
[1] – Dried Japanese fish that smells really bad.