Chapter 65

 Volume 2 part1
At the ojousama and the other’s room, Arone-san poured me a cup of tea as usual while I reported to the duke’s family.

Have you talked to the guild?
[Elize]

Yes, and I’ve also employed three new monster tamers today.
[Ryouma]

You’ve hired some already? Aren’t you going too fast?
[Reinhart]

Maybe, but I found some good people, and besides, the guild master of the merchant guild gave her approval.
[Ryouma]

Oh? Then I suppose that’s fine.
[Reinbach]

Moreover, they’re all people who have been demoted and researched slimes. They seem really fired up, saying stuff like ‘with this we can finally show those guys up!’
[Ryouma]

I see…
[Reinhart]

They might be more reliable than people who make excuses to keep up their appearance.
[Elize]
After talking about the store, Reinhart-san also told me about the grell frog outbreak. They intend to form to try their hand at taming the rimel bird the day after tomorrow.
 
The next day.
I dropped by the store early in the morning and told them about my plans tomorrow to free up my schedule. When I did, Caulkin-san [1] told me what to watch out for regarding the rimel bird.

Thank you. You sure are well informed.
[Ryouma]

Ha ha ha. That’s because I’ve been trying to tame one every year. Although I’ve never succeeded, I did gain a lot of knowledge.
[Caulkin]

Are you going this year too?
[Ryouma]

I was planning to go until yesterday, but since I have a job at this store already, there’s no reason for me to go after the rimel bird anymore.
[Caulkin]
Caulkin had a cheerful face as he said that.
It makes me happy to hear him say that about my store.
I left the store in a good mood as I dropped by Serge-san’s store.

Welcome, Ryouma-sama.
[Ryouma]

Good morning, Serge-san. I’ve come to deliver the water proof cloths.
[Ryouma]

Thank you very much. These are for the other day, yes? Also, it seems you’ve advertised for me too, as 5 customers dropped by yesterday.
[Serge]

How are the sales?
[Ryouma]

They’ve been selling quite well, even past the 5 customers you referred to me. They’re especially popular among adventurers. When they found out about them, they even bought some for their friends.
[Serge]

Oh, come to think of it, I walked every day in that outfit when cleaning the latrine pits. I stood out a lot in those days, so that’s probably why they’re so popular among the adventurers.
[Ryouma]

That’s probably it. From the way things are going, the demand is likely to rise faster than expected.
[Serge]

I brought 70 cloths today, but I can still amp up the production. I’ll try expanding the workshop to increase the production.
[Ryouma]

Thank you, but please don’t push yourself.
[Serge]
Ah, looks like Serge-san has also heard about how I work too much.

Don’t worry. My store doesn’t really need me anymore, and most of the time spent producing the waterproof cloths is just waiting for them to finish drying.
[Ryouma]

That’s good then…
[Serge]
Serge-san seemed to look at me suspiciously as he said that. After that he checked the water proof cloths that I brought and paid for them. After receiving the payment and the next batch of untreated cloths, I left for the abandoned mine.
 
After arriving at the abandoned mine.
I asked the sticky slimes to start treating the cloths, then I took 2 earth slimes with me along with the scavenger slimes and went to a different tunnel to create a new workplace.
I got the two earth slimes to make a hole via ‘Create Block’, while the scavenger slimes carried the blocks and I reinforced the walls. Like that we quickly built the new workshop. With more racks at hand, I was able to produce more waterproof cloths.
As a result, I managed to create twice as many cloths as before, totaling to 140 cloths. The sticky slimes look like they can still work more, so we should probably be able to stop around 150 cloths. It’s not good to work the slimes too hard, after all.

Alright, go ahead and do what you want for now.
[Ryouma]
The slimes worked a lot today, so I decided to exempt them from today’s training.
I built a bowl with earth magic and filled it water via water magic.
…Oh, the slimes have gathered around the bowl. They’re drinking, they’re… Huh?
When I looked at the gathered slimes, it suddenly occurred to me.
Could the slimes other than the earth and dark slimes absorb mana?
…Let’s try it out.
I released neutral mana.
…The earth slime and the dark slime absorbed it a little slower than usual, but it seems the other slimes could absorb mana too.
When I changed the attribute, I found out that the sticky slimes preferred neutral mana, the poison slimes preferred poison mana, and the metal and iron slimes preferred earth mana. The earth slime and the dark slime are a given.
But what was surprising was the bloody slim, who preferred neutral and water, the acid slime, who preferred poison adn water, the cleaner slime, who preferred water and light, and the scavenger slime, who preferred earth and darkness… They actually equally preferred two elements.
It seems there are slimes that like multiple things too..
The heal slime prefers neutral, water, and light. It actually prefers three different types of mana, but what it really likes is a healing spell. Why is the heal slime the only one who prefers an actual spell over mana? Well, I can consider it as training for my healing magic, so whatever…
While I was thinking that, the heal slime suddenly became eligible for a split. Does mana also serve as nourishment to these slimes? I should investigate this more carefully later…
For the mean time, I let the heal slimes split and formed a contract with them. The heal slimes now numbered four.
After that I made some preparations to tame a rimel bird. I took my guitar from my Item Box and started practicing.

…That’s it.
[Ryouma]
My playing isn’t too bad for someone playing as a hobby. Of course, it’s not that good.
Anyway, it would be great if this is enough to tame one, but eh… Whatever happens will happen. If it’s no good, then I’ll just look for another bird-type monster.
I killed some time until the cloths finished drying, then I went back to town, I dropped by Serge-san’s store again.

Well done.
[Serge]
It seems this much was enough to fill their stock for now. It takes time to turn these cloths into product, so for the time being, they won’t be needing any more water proof cloths. It seems Serge-san is really trying not to make me work too much. But, really… It’s actually the slimes who make these things, you know?
I should turn the remaining cloths into waterproof cloths too.
After leaving Serge-san’s store, I looked up at the sky and thought to myself.

…There’s still some time, but there’s no work left to be done…
[Ryouma]
There’s nothing to do even if I go home now, and it’s too late to be going back to the mine to train, so… Let’s drop by the church then.
[1] Corkin changed to Caulkin for continuity’s sake since I’d previously translated it as Caulkins.
Volume 2 part2
When I got to the church, the woman who made my status board was there by the gates.

Oh, you’re…
[Nun]

Thank you for last time.
[Ryouma]

Welcome. How may I help you?
[Nun]

I’ve come to pray.
[Ryouma]

I see, then please follow me.
[Nun]
I sat in the chapel like last time and offered a prayer with my hands folded.
………………………Hmm?
Huh? I thought I’d go to the divine realm as usual, but nothing is happening.
…But then again, I guess it’d be weirder if I could go every time.
Or at least that’s what I was thinking when all of the sudden everything turned white.

!? This is? Oh, it’s the usual, I guess. There was an odd lag there, though.
[Ryouma]

Sorry, sorry, I don’t use this power that much, so it was harder than expected.
[???]
When I turned around, the one who replied was a short-statured hairy old man who carried a barrel of alcohol over his right shoulder, while holding a sake bottle with his left hand. He stood there as he emptied the contents of the glass bottle into his mouth.
There’s no mistaking it. It’s the God of Wine!

Could you be Tekun-sama, the God of Wine?
[Ryouma]
When I asked that, he moved the sake bottle from his mouth and replied.

You got that right. The name’s Tekun. By the way, you don’t need to talk politely to me. I’m a god, so if I feel like it, I could just read your mind, so there’s no point in using keigo (polite language). Besides, it’s a pain, so when you call me, just call me Tekun. Aight?
Well, take a seat.
[Tekun]
Oh, yeah… These guys can read minds, so there’s not much meaning in using polite language, I guess.
I sat just as Tekun-sama instructed me to.

Then I’ll just talk casually…. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Ryouma Takebayashi. Thank you for giving me your divine protection.
[Ryouma]

I’ve seen you from time to time, so it doesn’t really feel like our first time. And don’t mind the divine protection, I just give it from time to time whenever I see someone interesting. It just so happened to be you. That’s all.
[Tekun]
As Tekun said that he drank from his sake bottle.

Are you the only one around today?
[Ryouma]

Yeah. The others are doing whatever thy want. As for the god of war, the god of magic, and the god of the land, I can’t see anything but white, but they’re probably somewhere comfortable. In human terms, that’s where they built the place they would call a house and lived in it.
[Tekun]

I see. I didn’t know that… Do you have a house too?
[Ryouma]

Nah. Don’t have any. I’m a god of wine and craftsmen. Wine and craftsmen can be found in all sorts of places, so I just wander through those places as I please.
[Tekun]

You wander?
[Ryouma]

The divine realm is more or less connected to the world you live in. Well, if you want a better explanation, you’ll have to ask someone else. I’m not good at explaining stuff like this. But enough of that. Drink.
[Tekun]
Tekun took a cup full of liquor from thin air and gave it to me. The shape of the cup was just like that of a goblet, but it was gold, and silver and small jewels could be found adorning it here and there.

Come on! Cheers!
[Tekun]

C-Cheers!
[Ryouma]
I ended up toasting because of him, so I just went along and drank from the cup.

…Delicious!

A sweet liquor that’s extremely delicious.

It’s made from fruit and honey raised in a land blessed by the god of the land and the god of farming. And the ones who made it have also received my blessig, so of course it’s delicious.
[Tekun]

Wow… Could I also get my hands on these when I come back? Also, you can give a divine protection to lands too?
[Ryouma]

I’m glad you like it, but this is an offering, so it’ll probably be hard to get your hands on one since the excess stock are distributed among craftsmen or those within the circle.
As for the divine protection, well, I can only bless people, but the god of the land can bless lands. There are other guys too who can bless places they like. Gayn also once blessed this whole world, you know? After all, he’s the god of creation.
[Tekun]
Oh, yeah.

Nowadays, the lifeforms of this world has grown up and are changing the world as they please, though., so the places with Gayn’s divine protection are decreasing. The same is true for me, but there are also times when I stop giving the divine protection on my own volition.
Like for example, I could’ve given a divine protection to a blacksmith devoted to his craft, but if that divine protection turns him into a no good fellow, then I’ll feel like removing the divine protection.
[Tekun]
As Tekun said that, he drank from his sake bottle.

By the way, do you know where Gayn and the others have been going to lately?
[Tekun]

Where they’re going?
[Ryouma]

Yeah. I haven’t been seeing them lately. It’s not like I have nothing else to do, so I’m not really that troubled, but seeing them missing so frequently has me a little concerned.
[Tekun]

Hmm… But you just called me here too, so…
[Ryouma]
It was then that I remembered what Kufo told me last time.

Oh, maybe they went to my world.
[Ryouma]

Your world? …What was that called again? Earth?
[Tekun]

Yeah. That one. Last time I came here, Kufo said that Gayn and the others went to Earth to sightsee.
[Ryouma]

HAA!? They went sightseeing!? What the heck are they doing!?
[Tekun]
Tekun yelled out in surprise.

Is that strange?
[Ryouma]

…Normally, gods don’t interfere with other worlds. Bringing people like you from another world to this world is something we do only because this world is in really dire straits. In other words, it’s an exception brought about by pressing circumstances. Going sightseeing is most definitely not a valid reason for an exception.
[Tekun]

But Kufo was so sure about it last time we talked. He said Gayn was fanboying over Japan’s idols, while Rurutia was going around the world eating all sort of sweet food, and Kufo himself was exploring the unexplored regions of earth.
[Ryouma]
When Tekun heard that, he suddenly thought of something.

But how could it be? Is that really the truth? I don’t know much about idols, but…
[Tekun]

It’s true. Really.
[Ryouma]

It’s not impossible to go, but… Won’t the god of your world get mad? Besides, something like this has never happened until you came h— It couldn’t be!!
[Tekun]
Suddenly, Tekun stood up with great fury.

What is it!?
[Ryouma]

Those no good bastards… They couldn’t have been so free that they used negotiations with the god of your world as a pretense to go sightseeing, could they? They’re not the only ones free, you know? How dare they have fun by themselves!
[Tekun]
As Tekun trembled all over, he took the sake barrel over his shoulder and yelled.

I can’t stay here! I have to find them!
[Tekun]
As Tekun was about to run off, I called out to him in a panic.

W-Wait! What about me!?
[Ryouma]

Ah, sorry… But don’t worry, when the time runs out, you’ll go back on your own. Take some liquor with you. If you let mana flow into that goblet, you’ll be able to get liquor anytime. Sorry, but I’m really in a hurry right now. Later!
[Tekun]

W— Fast!
[Ryouma]
I couldn’t even see him as he ran off in an amazing speed. Actually, the speed he’s moving at doesn’t match his steps. Ahh, I can’t see him anymore… He really left me behind…

I can’t believe I was left alone in a place like this… Anyway, I might as well kill some time drinking…
[Ryouma]
I drank a mouthful of wine.

Yeah, this is seriously some good stuff. But I sure wished I had some snack to accompany it.
[Ryouma]
Unfortunately, there’s nothing here but the liquor and the goblet. Tekun said I could get as much wine as I wanted from this goblet as long as I coursed mana through it, but that’s only for liquor. Snacks won’t come out… But wait… If I can use mana, does that mean I can use magic here?

Item Box!
[Ryouma]
A black hole appeared in thin air.
It seems I can use Item Box.

I did it… I guess it doesn’t have anything to do with the place. Well, whatever. With this, I should be able to find something I can use for snacks… Don’t I have some fruits around here… None? Well, I have been living at the inn for a while now, and I’ve been storing all my food at the fridge at the store, so…
[Ryouma]
I took out the items in my Item Box, but there was nothing that could serve as snacks.
While I was thinking that, the light that signaled my return came.
Oh no! I have to clean up quickly or else!
Hurriedly, I emptied the goblet, then I threw all of my stuff back into my Item Box.
After storing everything away, I closed the Item Box, and the light signal became stronger. Before I knew it, I was back in the human world.

D-Did I make it?
[Ryouma]
When I used Item Box, everything I took out was back. What a relief…
It’s too bad about that wine, though. I drank everything in one gulp, but I feel like I wasted it… I should’ve just quietly enjoyed it…
It was really delicious too. What a pity.
This must be my first time feeling like this over a cup of liquor.
After leaving a donation, I left the church feeling a little sad.
I went back home after that.