By the Grace of the Gods: Volume 1

by Roy

  At my order, the slime by my feet expanded its body like a balloon until it filled the entire space in the staircase of the cesspit. After yesterday’s splitting, the total number of scavenger slimes surpassed a thousand. Their combined form was titled King Scavenger Slime instead of Huge, the size of its body being significantly larger than yesterday. It seemed like a thousand slimes formed a king slime, but it seemed capable of combining further, so it was possible it could change again.

  I didn’t know how far it could go, but... the skills were as follows:

  King Scavenger Slime x1

  Skills: Disease Resistance 7, Poison Resistance 7, Foul Feeder 8, Cleanse 8, Deodorize 8, Deodorant Solution 5, Stench Release 7, Nutrient Reduction 6, Physical Attack Resistance 3, Maximize 4, Minimize 6, Jump 3, Gluttony 1

  Consume and Absorb had disappeared in exchange for a new skill called Gluttony. When I tried using it, the king scavenger slime maximized its size to reach the ceiling of the pit and started clearing through the filth at a speed several times faster than before. With its bigger body, it was able to reach the walls and ceiling that the regular scavenger couldn’t, so it might be a good idea to let it split again to have two kings on each end of the corridors with regular slimes filling the middle.

  However... was it because the skill was still level 1? While the speed of a single slime was exponentially faster, the 730 slimes from yesterday seemed to work faster. It might be better to work with numbers for now. Having reached that conclusion, I ordered the slimes to break apart and clean that way, working on the ceiling and walls myself.

  The doubling of the scavenger slime numbers really had a big impact. I worked nonstop until the first cesspit was cleaned, but today’s work took two hours less than yesterday. After finishing my work, I cleaned up my clothes and belongings and stepped outside. Then...

  “Yo, is something else up?”

  “I’ve finished cleaning here. Please confirm it’s clean before I move on to the next.”

  “Already, nya?!”

  “Was it not meant to be one pit a day?”

  Huh? Ah! I see, yesterday I cleaned one pit in a day. Based on that information, the three of them assumed I could only clean one a day.

  “It seems like there was a slight misunderstanding. The truth is, after I finished cleaning yesterday, the scavenger slimes were triggered into splitting. I was forming contracts with the split slimes in the cesspit, which took some time. The actual time it took to clean one cesspit was around 5 hours, but the numbers doubled through splitting too, so it goes by much faster now.”

  “But even if the numbers doubled, it just went from 1 to 2, right? How much faster could they possibly, well... eat?”

  “This slime is normally shrunk with a minimize skill, but it’s actually an advanced type of scavenger slime called a king scavenger slime. Do you know of big slimes?”

  “Yeah, I do. The big-ass slimes, right?”

  “The advanced species above big slimes are formed by combining groups of the same species of slime. That’s why what looks like one slime is actually a lump of many.”

  I made the scavenger slime split into 20 slimes before the three of them.

  “Wha-nya?!”

  “Whoa... Are you serious...?”

  “This is...”

  “I learned the other day that barely any research has been done on slimes, so the only ones who know this are myself and my acquaintances. Since I have always researched slimes, I believed it was common knowledge when I talked to everyone. I’m sorry.”

  “No, if the work can go smoother then it’s for the better. But how many of these scavenger slimes are gathered in this one slime?”

  “1464 slimes.”

  “A thousand and...?! No, excuse me... If there are that many, then this speed is most reasonable.”

  “Please keep the slimes a secret as part of the confidentiality of this mission.”

  After that conversation, they confirmed the pit had been cleaned and I moved onto the next cesspit... rinse and repeat.

  Chapter 1 Episode 20: Things Realized in Hindsight

  Three days later...

  This was the last one. I had been working pretty much non-stop for three days. While some of the time had been spent chatting, pretty much every other moment went into work. When the overnight shifts finally came to a close, I naturally started to recall the events that had occurred up until now...

  “This one is done too. Let’s move on to the next.”

  “Wait up. How many straight hours have you been working for?”

  “The sun has already set, nya.”

  “You have cleaned two of the pits with this. How about a little break?”

  “My physical and magical energy are still good enough to keep going. And this needs to be done as quickly as possible.”

  “...You better not be pushing yourself.”

  “It does not appear so to me either, but...”

  “I agree, nya. Which means there isn’t a reason to stop you, and we certainly do need to hurry...”

  When I finished cleaning the second pit on the first day, Jeff and the other two adventurers agreed that I could move on to the next cesspit. The next time I came out, the guards had changed their shifts.

  “Oh, he’s out.”

  “You’re Miya’s friends...”

  “It’s Welanna.”

  “Mizelia.”

  “I’m Cilia. We’re in charge of the shift from night to morning. Pleased to be working with you, Ryoma.”

  “Same here. Well to cut straight to the chase, this one is done. Please confirm it. Also, I heard that you would be bringing magic replenishing potions as supplies...”

  “I have them here.”

  The medicine of this world could be generalized into two categories: medicines that used the natural effects of herbs and treatments just like on Earth, and magic medicines that used ingredients with magic energy or magically activated properties. Potions were one type of magic medicine with immediate effects. The rabbit-eared Cilia went about appraising while the tiger-eared Mizelia took out a test tube shaped glass container. It was filled with a watery, deep green liquid. Each tube that Mizelia had was able to recover approximately 2,000 magic energy. Considering my total magic energy and how overconsumption could lead to the detrimental state of a ‘magic hangover,’ I confirmed my own status and drank 10 potions.

  “Thank you, I can move onto the next one with this.”

  “Already? You should rest a little.”

  “You didn’t take a single break while Miya and the others were on guard either, right? How about some food? Here.”

  With those words, Welanna handed me a picnic basket with sandwiches.

  “The butler of the client entrusted us with these. How about you eat before moving on to the next?”

  “Butler? Was that Sebas, by any chance?”

  “That’s how he introduced himself. You know him, right? He said you might forget to eat if you get too into your work, then he left because he had other work, but he was waiting up until just a little while ago.”

  I was fine for physical energy, but I had forgotten to eat so I accepted gratefully. With that, the amount of time I spent interacting with the girls increased too.

  “Did the information I sent about the disease arrive?”

  “The guildmaster said he’d be able to secure enough for us by tomorrow through one of his acquaintances. But you were seriously intending on working through the night, huh?”

  “I fully intend on taking breaks too, of course.”

  “Not enough of them, though. You can rest after each cesspit, at least.”

  “She’s right. To be honest, I had my doubts about whether you were pushing yourself too hard.”

  “I have confidence in my stamina. But Cilia’s doubts are most reasonable, considering my age.”

  “It’s common to hear about new adventurers taking on jobs beyond their skill level to show off, then failing.”

&nbs
p; “I feel the same. If Ryoma hadn’t displayed those skills on a status board, I would have definitely objected. Entrusting a job with the whole town’s safety on the line based on the statement of a newly registered and inexperienced adventurer? Absolutely not. ...But now I think you’re the best option.”

  “No, I’m sure that would be the most rational response. Don’t worry about it.”

  Mizelia had looked a little awkward as she admitted her words, but I never expected to be trusted by people I only just met to begin with. Without the convenient tool of the status board, I really did look just like a regular child. Since I was actually a child, right now.

  We finished eating like that, and I returned to cleaning.

  The next time I took a break was when the sun was rising and the guards for the next shift arrived.

  “Good work today. We’ve come to relieve you.”

  “Thanks for coming, Sher, Leipin, Gordon.”

  “Thank you, Cilia.”

  “How’s the work coming along?”

  “It’s going faster than we expected, how’s Ryoma holding up?”

  “He’s working hard. There doesn’t seem to be an issue with his stamina. But the work’s on hold for the moment.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “It would be faster just to show you...”

  “Why-whoa!”

  “What in the world... There are so many slimes, I can’t even see the floor.”

  “I heard he used slimes, but did he cause a stampede?”

  “Stampede? Ryoma called it splitting, though.”

  “Splitting? With this many?”

  I was making the slimes split again to increase efficiency when the next shift arrived.

  “Are you the people on the next guard? Nice to meet you, I’m Ryoma Takebayashi. Sorry about the mess. The slimes began splitting themselves. Work efficiency will increase after this, so please be careful not to step on them.”

  “Right... I’m Gordon. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’m Sher.”

  A short but bulky body and limbs. Half his face was hidden behind a thick beard. That was the impression I got from the dwarf, Gordon. The human who introduced himself as Sher looked at the slimes with interest. He looked to be around middle school or high school age. The last person was... a middle-aged man with glasses and a staff. He was staring intently at the slimes.

  “Hmm... they don’t appear to be weakened, so I guess it isn’t a stampede... Oh? Why, pardon me. My name is Leipin. An adventurer researching monsters. If you don’t mind me asking, this isn’t a stampede, right?”

  “I’m Ryoma Takebayashi. I also research slimes as a hobby. Sorry to answer with a question, but what is a stampede?”

  “It refers to the sudden division of slimes. It occurs when slimes are in a position to divide, but their tamer continuously blocks them from doing so until they reach their limit and divide against orders. This is said to be an instinctive reaction to having their reproduction means stopped. Once a stampede begins, they explode dramatically in numbers, but the original body and divided body are both weakened and begin eating everything around them to regain nutrients.”

  “I didn’t know slimes did such a thing.”

  “Wild slimes divide freely, so it doesn’t happen naturally. But there was a case of research materials being destroyed this way, and the laboratory was shunned for it. I have never witnessed it with my own eyes.”

  “You just assumed so based on this large number?”

  “Indeed.”

  He was interested to hear that there were over 1,000 slimes to begin with and that they combined into big slimes and more, so I talked to him about slime and monster research while making contracts with the new slimes, magic energy potion in one hand. As a result, by the time I finished all the contracts, Sher and Gordon were completely lost.

  ...And so I continued with the endless cleaning task, interrupted once a day by Sebas bringing food. He even waited in front of the door on some days. The picnic basket had a letter from Eliaria, telling me not to worry about the slimes I left at the inn, as she was taking care of them well. Supported not only by the 9 guards, but everyone else as well, I continued to clean.

  The scavenger slimes split once more, now totaling 3033 slimes. I had 1011 of them each form a king scavenger slime and line up in a row, reducing the workload significantly. Their skill levels had also gone up.

  King Scavenger Slime x3

  Skills: Disease Resistance 7, Poison Resistance 7, Foul Feeder 8, Cleanse 8, Deodorize 8, Deodorant Solution 6, Stench Release 8, Nutrient Reduction 7, Physical Attack Resistance 4, Maximize 5, Minimize 6, Jump 3, Gluttony 4

  Disease resistance did not increase further. I guess that meant 7 was enough to deal with the Idake virus. Instead... or rather, for some reason, gluttony and physical attack resistance went up. Was it because they were constantly bumping into the walls? Or was it when they bumped into the slimes beside them? I didn’t know why, but having higher levels wasn’t a problem.

  I followed behind the slimes while disinfecting the walls with Mist Wash and Squall until the end was right around the corner.

  We arrived at the final cesspit. After the slimes finished disposing of everything, I sprayed water everywhere and heated it, then used Appraisal to confirm that the virus was gone... All good. With this, the repetitive work up until today was over.

  I took the slimes and headed outside, occasionally making random appraisal checks. Waiting for me was the morning shift: Gordon, Sher, and Leipin.

  “Is it over, then?”

  “Yes, everything’s done.”

  “Good work! It’s all over now. You did well seeing it through to the end.”

  “You really pulled it off without any rest.”

  “The only times you really rested were for food.”

  “That might be true. Ah, please do a final check, Leipin.”

  “On it. ...All right, no problems here. Your clothes, belongings, and the surroundings are all clear. Time to return to the guild for a report.”

  “Thank you. Then, let us go.”

  “Hold it. I’ll take us there. Warp.”

  He sent us right outside of the guild with the mid-range teleportation space spell, Warp. For someone who seemed quiet and proud, he was a considerate person.

  We entered the guild and the receptionist immediately let us through to the guildmaster’s office.

  “Ryoma? Are you done?”

  “Yes, 30 cesspits in the communal toilets. Every single one has been dealt with accordingly. Everything should be fine now.”

  “I see! That’s great... Okay! Everyone go home and rest for today! I’ll contact the others and inform them that it’s done. Come to the guild tomorrow afternoon for your reward. Since you pretty much did everything this time, you can look forward to it.”

  “I understand. Then, if you would excuse me... Oh, that’s right. Guildmaster.”

  “What is it?”

  “Were there any reports of infection? I barely received any information on the town while I was inside.”

  “It’s all good. I asked for an old granny who specializes in medicines and stuff for her help, but there have been no reports of the Idake virus yet. ...That Idake virus shows up within 10 hours of entering a body, right?”

  “Yes, that was what the appraisal of the filth said.”

  “Then it should be fine. The preparations of the medicine you told us about have been underway, and we’ve prepared a number of doses already. If anyone infected shows up, it should be treatable. That’s why you should hurry home and rest. You haven’t slept at all, right? If an infection arises, I’ll inform you; you’ll be no use if you’re staggering on your feet.”

  “...You’re right. I shall go now.”

  After saying that, I left the Adventurers’ Guild behind me. Once I bid farewell to the other three, there was no one left to talk to. I headed towards the inn as a chilly breeze blew around me, making me feel that some
what nostalgic sense of loneliness after an all-nighter.

  The wind was refreshing after such a long shift, and when I wandered back to the inn the entire ducal house greeted me.

  “You’re back! Ryoma!”

  “Welcome back, Ryoma.”

  “Welcome back.”

  “Looks like you’ve returned safe and sound. Good, good.”

  “Welcome back, Master Ryoma.”

  “Let me take those for you.”

  “Have you eaten yet?”

  Seven people welcomed me.

  This was... somehow nostalgic... Come to think of it, how long has it been? For people to welcome me home like this... Was it since mom died? No, Eliaria and the others have done this many times already, so why was this feeling happening now...?

  “What’s the matter, Ryoma? Are you hurt anywhere?”

  “No... my body isn’t in a bad state, it’s just... I suddenly remembered my past... with my family...”

  Family? That’s right... These people gave a similar feeling.

  Memories from my past life flashed before my eyes. In the oldest memory I possessed, I could already form a fist. The house back then was inherited from my grandparents, with a small but splendid training room. There, I was taught martial arts from a very young age. Father instructed me. From before I had even started school. I probably spent more time there than anywhere else in my childhood. And my father was probably the one I interacted with most.

  My father made a living as a swordsmith, highly praised as a living national treasure in his youth. Despite his young age, any sword he smithed would be bought by zealous fans at a high price. That’s why I have memories of adults often visiting our home with swordsmithing requests. But Father accepted those requests very rarely. There was a limit to the number of swords that could be smithed in a year, and young smiths could barely make a living smithing as much as possible.

  However, Father would only smith as many as he needed to feed his family — as well as the minimum to keep work relationships happy — and put the rest of his time into instructing me. All the adults that came over would tell me “You’re so loved,” and at the time I was young and happy to hear it.