By the Grace of the Gods: Volume 1

by Roy

  There were monsters outside, so standing around for too long was dangerous. I let them all inside and started preparing tea in the back. It was just the other day that I discovered several tins of seemingly high quality tea leaves among the loot of some bandits that had attacked. Since they looked good and hadn’t expired yet, it should be fine to serve them. The main problem was the cups.

  Just like with the chairs and furniture, I didn’t have enough for twelve people, so I had to make them with earth magic in a hurry. Next to the tea, I served some honey I gathered from a beehive the other day, as well as some ginger and fruit juice resembling lemon found on the same day to make a honey-lemon syrup. This was the only thing I had in place of sugar, so I hoped it would be all right...

  “Sorry for... the wait. Have some tea.”

  “Oh my, thank you very much.”

  “It smells lovely, thank you.”

  “Hmm. It seems you have some rather good leaves.”

  “There were lots... among the bandits that attacked.”

  “I see... Oh ho, this is good.”

  “Yes, it is indeed.”

  “The flavor of the leaves has steeped well. Where did you learn to pour tea like this, Master Ryoma?”

  In my previous life. Though I couldn’t actually say that aloud...

  “My grandmother... loved drinking tea...”

  The almighty excuse: grandparents. I owed the gods a lot for coming up with this excuse. I was the type of person who couldn’t keep my own secrets, after all. They called me foolishly honest in my previous life... Though I didn’t see it myself.

  But for some reason, the lies came out of my mouth quite easily when they were decided for me beforehand. On top of that, it had been written in the gods’ letter that they had even called out the souls of my would-be grandparents and received permission from them. I was truly grateful for that.

  “If you like, help yourself... to some honey...”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll take some too. Honey’s a high class item, so I don’t get it often.”

  “H-Hughes!”

  “I took it from a beehive... the other day... It was free... so please help yourself too, Camil.”

  “Oh, really? Then maybe just a little...”

  “You’re no different than me!”

  That was when... Eliaria, I think it was? The young lady took a sip of the tea and noticed something.

  “Oh? This honey isn’t just honey, is it? Is there something in it?”

  The butler immediately checked it. Was the giger (a ginger-like root) and lamon (a lemon-like fruit) a bad idea?

  “There’s lamon juice mixed into it. What a nice and refreshing taste. But that doesn’t seem to be all.”

  Thank goodness, they didn’t think it was poison! I should just reply honestly here. It’s not like it actually was poison or anything.

  “I added... giger roots.”

  “So this taste was giger. I’ve never considered it as anything more than a bitter plant, but the way it brings out this flavor is wonderful.”

  “...Giger, can be used in cooking... meat... fish... Gets rid of raw smell...”

  “That is a very interesting fact to learn. I shall inform the head chef next time we return. Thank you very much, Master Ryoma.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “...Now, we got a little off track with all the surprises, but Ryoma, I’ve brought some things along today as a thank you for the other day. I’d love for you to accept them. Sebas.”

  “Right away. Item Box.”

  After drinking the tea and taking a breather, Reinhart brought up the topic of presents, prompting the butler sitting at the back to stand up and use his magic, causing a black circle to appear in midair. He stuck his hand into that circle and took something out of it.

  Item Box.

  It was one of the fundamental spells of the higher difficulty space magic that, as its name implied, could create a space for storing items. That’s why I could use it too, but... Weren’t there a few too many gifts? The table before me was getting crowded with baskets of fruit and packages wrapped in paper and fabric appearing one after another.

  “Umm, this many?”

  “Yes. We didn’t know what you would be happy to receive, so we brought a variety of things. I’d like you to take them.”

  Reinhart said as he unwrapped a package. There were various things inside, ranging from preserved foods to clothes, writing utensils and desk clocks that functioned based on the same magic stones used as lights. They were all practical items missing from my home. It seemed like they had brought all the things they saw were missing last time they were here.

  “The clothing sizes were estimated roughly, so if they don’t fit you... Araune, Lilian.”

  ““Yes.””

  “If you ask these two, they’ll adjust it for you immediately.”

  I had been wondering why the maids had come all the way out here, but was it really for this? I felt kind of bad for them, but at the same time I didn’t have many clothes, so I was grateful. For now, I agreed to accept the items they offered as presents.

  “Truly... thank you so much. For bringing... so many things.”

  “It was no big deal. We had business around here anyway.”

  “Business? Come to think of it... Something about the forest.”

  “Yes, do you remember how I told you about my family having generations of tamers? My daughter Eliaria has been studying until now, but it’s about time she got her own familiar. We came here to capture a slime for her first contract.”

  Wow, her first contract. I guess she wasn’t allowed one up until now, if he was saying it was about time. They were living creatures, so depending on the monster, they could be dangerous to care for. Well, either way, she was allowed one now.

  “Congratulations.”

  When I said that to the young lady sipping her tea, she smiled bashfully and thanked me. Apparently, she was yet to form her contract.

  “We searched on our way here, but there wasn’t a single slime in sight.”

  “Slimes are monsters — living creatures — after all. There’ll be some days when they don’t show up.”

  “...Then, over here.”

  I stood up from my seat and pointed at a spot on the forest map on my wall.

  “River. The slimes... go there often.”

  Wild slimes often went there to drink water. So they could probably find one or two if they focused their search on that area. For the record, the most I had ever captured at once was 14, while on my way to fetch water. Although that had been just the one time.

  When I told her that, she informed the adults around her and received permission to go, before she turned back to me as though remembering something.

  “May I call you Ryoma?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Then, Ryoma. If it isn’t too much trouble, could you teach me how to choose slimes?”

  “Choose?”

  “Yes. I only need to capture one slime, so if there are many in one place I won’t know which one to capture...”

  Oh, so that’s what she meant. But there weren’t any real differences between the slimes...

  “If you’re choosing... you can choose a slime that fits the evolution you want... But, it will take time. If you want to fight... go with another monster. If you’re not keeping it for a long time... then there’s no need to spend time choosing... Do you still want to choose?”

  “Yes, since it will be my first familiar. I shall treasure it forever.”

  She sure had a pure smile directed my way... Well, I guess she really would treasure it, so it wouldn’t hurt to lend a hand...

  Hm? Why did I come to such a conclusion just now? I’ve never been able to tell such things before... Was I being tricked? Charmed? Me, a mentally forty-something-year-old man, being rooked by a child?

  ...

  ...

  ...Let’s stop thinking about it.

  “
Is that all right?”

  Well, I didn’t mind teaching her, but with my speech in its current state... I was already anxious about my use of words. If only I could speak a little more smoothly...

  “If you’re fine with me... sure. But, you can only choose... out of three species.”

  “What’s wrong with the other species?”

  “One... Unknown evolution conditions... One... None of the right food to feed... One... Hard to make a lady do... Though the last one has the best abilities...”

  “Excuse me, could I have a minute?”

  While I was talking to Eliaria, her mother came to join our conversation. Her expression was extremely serious.

  “Mother... I am the one talking right now. This is preparation for my first contract, so I ask that you do not interfere.”

  “I know that, but there’s something I can’t help but wonder about. Ryoma, it almost sounded as though you knew the conditions for slime evolution...”

  “To an extent, yes.”

  When I answered with that, Elise started muttering to Reinhart as though I confirmed her suspicions. Reinhart looked like he was shaking his head lightly...

  ‘I’ve never heard of such a thing!’

  ‘Neither have I, I’ve only heard it was being researched!’

  ...Or something like that?

  “Could this be... like with the big slimes...”

  “Yes, it is. Slimes exist everywhere, but they’re actually very mysterious creatures. That’s why you must be careful who you tell things to, understand?”

  I thought it was a pretty simple thing, but... Well, there were plenty of things that hadn’t been explained in modern Japan, too. If there was anyone who researched slimes here, I’d like to talk to them one day.

  But for now, what should I do...? I thought for a moment, but reached a conclusion rather easily. I’d tell them. To be honest, the results weren’t as important to me as the process. The reason why I began researching was because I had an interest in slimes. The process of researching was the fun part, so I didn’t really care about the results. Most importantly, I had already told them what I knew, so it was too late to hide anything anyway.

  “It’s okay... The evolution condition of slimes... is food. Their diet... decides their evolution species... Sticky slimes eat green caterpillars... Poison slimes eat poisonous plants... Slimes have their own food preferences, leading to their most suitable evolution. If you keep feeding food against their preferences... their evolution is delayed... and can sometimes end... in death...”

  “I see, so that’s the evolution condition of a slime.”

  Eliaria expressed deep interest, so I nodded and continued speaking.

  “If they have nutrition, they’ll evolve easily. When you feed them more, they’ll evolve faster... I use poisonous herbs, green caterpillars... cleaned animal bones... The slimes that gather around them... and respectively turn into... poison slimes, sticky slimes, acid slimes...”

  “Which slimes couldn’t be chosen?”

  “Cleaner slimes, scavenger slimes, healing slimes. But their abilities... are exceptional.”

  The members of the ducal house only seemed to know of the healing slime, as they exchanged looks of confusion.

  “What kind of slimes are cleaner slimes and scavenger slimes?”

  “Their skills... cleanse and deodorize, are their characteristics.”

  “Cleanse and deodorize? I’ve never heard of them.”

  “I can tell deodorize has to do with eliminating odors, but what does cleanse do?”

  “Would be easier... to show you... Please wait a moment...”

  I went into the back and took a blood-soaked cloth from where I was preparing a rabbit in the kitchen, then returned to the room with a cleaner slime.

  “Thank you for waiting... This is a cleaner slime... Watch...”

  “A blood-soaked cloth? What are you going to do with it?”

  “Look.”

  I gave the cleaner slime an order in my head. The slime took the cloth I was holding into its body and began to spin it around its core. I’d seen it many times now, but it still looked exactly like a washing machine to me.

  Ten seconds later, the slime spat out the cloth and picked it up with a tentacle-like extension of its body, handing it to me to show everyone clearly. The four members of the family showed a curious reaction at the sight, but the butler and two maids had a glint in their eyes.

  “The blood is gone, right? And the color is a little different. Did it melt away?”

  “It was just absorbed by the slime, wasn’t it?”

  “No, My Lady. That’s not all.”

  “Araune?”

  The older one of the two maids reacted to Elise’s words.

  Apparently she was called Araune.

  “Master Ryoma, that slime eats filth, doesn’t it?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Based on the material of that cloth, I believe it was covered in much more filth than just blood in its earlier state. Its current state is the original color of the cloth. Grime gets harder to wash off the more it builds up. Even if you spent time handwashing the earlier cloth, it may have never returned to its original color. In other words, the cleansing skill has the ability to remove even the most stubborn of grime, is that correct?”

  “That’s partially correct... To be more precise... it ‘only’ removes the grime...”

  I gave the slime an order and stuck my hand holding the cloth into the slime’s body.

  “What?!”

  “This is beyond words...”

  A normal slime would consume everything it takes into its body. They probably thought my hand would melt off. The expressions of everyone in the room stiffened. However, my right hand was unaffected as I removed it from the slime five seconds later.

  “Are you unharmed?”

  “It only dissolves the filth... It’s a slime that only eats what it’s ordered to... be it humans or animal meat...”

  “So such a slime exists...”

  “Please don’t scare me like that, it’s bad for my heart.”

  “Sorry... That was normal for me... Since it’s not a cloth I usually want to touch...”

  “True, you couldn’t call that a clean cloth.”

  “It used to be a goblin’s loincloth.”

  When I said that, Eliaria frowned while the maids showed even more interest. This world did have the saying that ‘there’s nothing dirtier than a goblin’s loincloth.’

  “With this slime, you can keep clean in any situation... You can’t bathe... while traveling... right?”

  “Yes, the most we can do is wipe down our bodies. This is my first extended journey, and I felt disgusting after a single day without a bath...”

  “This slime solves... that problem.”

  The young lady whipped her head towards me at that. Scary! Her eyes and everything else were scary! Her mother and the two maids also had intense looks in their eyes.

  “It eats... all the dirt and smell... from your body and clothes, so...”

  “That one! The cleaner slime, I want that one!”

  ...Oh no, why did I make a sales pitch for the one I said couldn’t be chosen myself?! And it was the hardest one to talk about, too! Ugh, I must have gotten too excited about slimes... I should have talked about scavenger slimes instead!

  “But the selection criteria for this one is...”

  “No! After showing me such a wonderful slime, saying that is too mean!”

  “Master Ryoma, as a maid from a family that has served the House of Jamil for generations, I have also learned the basics of taming magic. Please teach us the method of choosing a cleaner slime.”

  “I want to know too!”

  All the women seemed rather invested... it must have been pretty important to them. The men had all backed away a bit, and the four escorts looked completely unconcerned.

  “Ryoma... I ask that you refrain
from upsetting the women...”

  “It’s hard to say... in front of ladies...”

  “It’s something you can’t tell them?”

  “No, I don’t mind telling. It’s just... hard to say.”

  “If they’re the ones asking for it, shouldn’t it be fine?”

  Camil caught my gaze and asked casually, trying to mediate between us. I took the four escorts with me into a corner of the room and quietly whispered the selection method and how I came to learn it.

  “...I understand why you don’t want to say it.”

  “So such a method existed, huh?”

  “It certainly would be difficult for a man to say that to a woman.”

  “Wouldn’t it be hard for women to say that to each other, too...?”

  “Well, whatever happens, happens.”

  It was Hughes who stated that simply. He then turned around and shouted to the women, “Young Miss! My Lady! I know the method! You listen too, Araune!”

  Wait, what was this person thinking?! Did he have a good way of telling them?

  “Really?!”

  “Yeah! Young Miss, wash your body! Then you lure the slimes to the dirty bathwater and feed it to them!”

  He said it!! He just straight up said it!! Ah... There goes the fair palms of the ladies making contact with his face...

  After the women had calmed down, Reinhart explained how the conclusion Hughes revealed had been reached. When given the option between clean water and dirty bathwater, normal slimes would go for the clean water. But for some reason, slimes that can evolve into cleaner slimes like to gather around bathwater...

  Once they evolved into cleaner slimes, they stopped eating regular meals and lived off grime and water alone... That was why they loved grimy water the most, as it was a combination of the two.

  “I never imagined there would be a slime of such a nature...”

  “I’m sorry...”

  “Ah, no, it’s not your fault, Ryoma.”

  “Cleaner slimes... might be hard for a woman to capture...”

  “Ryoma.”

  “Huh?”

  “I still want a cleaner slime after all.”

  It seemed like Eliaria didn’t want to give up on cleaner slimes.

  “Then, one of your escorts...”

  “That cannot do. I may be a trainee, but I’m going to become a tamer. I cannot rely on others to do things for me.”