The Man Picked Up by the Gods - Volume 1 Chapter 16
~Side Ryouma~
Today, we will be beginning the operation to clean the latrine pits. The lookouts for today are Miya-san, Jeff-san and the dragonewt, Asagi-san.
Asagi-san talks like someone you’d find in a samurai play. I asked him about it and it seems that his ancestor is the disciple of an other-worlder. Story says, that despite being human he possessed a body that wouldn’t lose even to a dragonewt and was an accomplished swordsman. That other-worlder's manner of speaking and name was inherited by the dragonewt who became his disciple and was passed on for generations to come.
“Before I open the door, please dip the hand towel into this before covering your face with it.”
As I said that I gave the order to the Cleaner Slimes to spit out some deodorization liquid into the container I prepared.
“What is that?”
“It’s the Cleaner Slime’s deodorization liquid. It’s not harmful to your body and will thin out the bad smell.”
“I see.”
The other three, understanding, dipped the hand towel into the deodorization liquid and covered their nose and mouth with it.
“Well then, I’ll be opening it.”
And then, I opened the door…
“I’m off–…”
“Ugu! …… bleeeeargh …”
As I tried to say goodbye, Asagi-san suddenly threw up.
“Are you ok?”
“Sorry… when you opened the door I prepared myself for the stench, but nothing came. So I thought it wasn’t anything special and slid the towel a bit… my bad. The Dragonewt’s nose is on the same level as the Beastmen’s, you see.”
Ah, so it was something like that, yesterday I was also like that at first.
“Well it can’t be helped. Even I, who is a human, found it so unbearable that it even went to my eyes. If I didn’t have my slimes I wouldn’t have been able to endure it either. I’ll leave the deodorization liquid here so please use it freely. Well then, I’ll be off now.”
As I said that I went inside. Just like the latrine pit yesterday, the situation here is also pretty bad.
Before I started cleaning I thought to use Identify first on the virus. At that, this came out:
Idake Virus (Alt. Hugging Virus): Reproduces on excrement and is the virus responsible for the Idake disease. Once infected, the Idake disease will break out within 10 hours.
Symptoms: Fever, cold, vertigo, numbness of limbs, paralysis of the entire body, confusion, and cardiac arrest.
Prognostic symptoms: either the limbs or the whole body will remain paralyzed.
Source of infection: Oral
Weakness: Heat and dryness
So there really was a dangerous virus!
I ended up getting rid of it immediately yesterday so I didn’t get to use Identify on it. Good thing though, that I did use Identify within yesterday. Like that I was able to provide useful information to the guild about this.
Since I’ve already identified it, I have no use for the filth anymore. Just like yesterday, I’ll have the Scavenger Slimes take care of it.
Speaking of which, because of the Scavenge Slimes’ splitting yesterday, they ended up numbering over 1000. When I had them fuse into one, it became a King Scavenger Slime.
Finally a King Slime has come out. If I increase the numbers of the slimes again there may still be another transformation but right now the number is still too few.
King Scavenger Slime x1
Skills
Disease Resist Lv7
Poison Resist Lv7
Eat Filth Lv8
Cleaning Lv8
Deodorization Lv8
Deodorization Liquid Lv5
Release Stench Lv7
Return Nutrients lv6
Physical Attack Resistance Lv3
Enlarge Lv4
Compress Lv6
Jump Lv3
Overeating Lv1
Looks like Digestion and Absorption disappeared and was replaced with a new skill called Overeating. As I try to test it, I have the King Scavenger Slime activate the Enlarge skill, becoming big enough to reach even until the roof of the latrine pit, and then it begins to munch at the excrements at a speed several times faster than normal.
I don’t know if it’s because it’s still only at lv 1 but the speed is still slower compared to yesterday’s Scavenger Slime’s eating speed at 730 individual slimes. Although if you look at it from the perspective that there’s only one slime eating, it is quite fast.
If I can make the Scavenger Slimes split again and have 2 King Slimes, then I could leave the two sides to the King and leave the center to the normal Scavenger Slimes. Since their bodies are so big that they can reach the ceiling, if I do that I won’t even need to use magic and my life will be really easy.
Well, going back to the topic.
The work today finished 2 hours earlier compared to yesterday because the slimes’ number doubled. All in all I finished the work here in 3 hours, and then just like yesterday I used Cleaning, and then went back outside.
“Something the matter?”
“The job here is already over so please confirm that I’m clean and then we’ll go straight to the next one.”
“It’s already over, nya?”
“Didn’t you need to take a whole day for a pit?”
Eh? Ah! Oh yeah, I remember they got the info about me needing one day to clean one pit. So I guess they thought I would take the whole day for one just like yesterday.
“Actually after I finished the job yesterday the Scavenger Slimes began to show signs of splitting, so I had them split and contracted them while inside the latrine pits. Because of that I took more time than I should have. In actuality I only really need 5 hours to clean one pit, but since the number of the slimes had already doubled, that time’s become even shorter.”
“The number doubled? But even then it wouldn’t be that many right? Does it eat that fast?”
Now that I think about it, these guys don’t know about the composition of the slimes, huh?
“Now that I think about it I haven’t mentioned anything about the slimes, huh? This slime is normally this small because of the compression skill, but in actuality it’s actually a high class scavenger slime called the King Scavenger Slime. Do you know about the Big Slime?”
“Ahh, I know. It’s a big slime, right?”
“A Big Slime is the combination of many slimes of the same kind. So when you see one of those, what you are actually seeing is a lump of many slimes.”
As I said that I had the Scavenger Slime split into 20 parts.
“Nya!?”
“Wow, seriously?”
“This is…”
“Since the slimes didn’t seem to have been researched all that much, the number of people who know about this include only me and those that I have taught. Since I’ve always researched slimes I talked like something like this was common sense, my apologies.”
“It’s fine as long as you’re able to do your work. However, how many Scavenger Slimes do you have gathered here?”
“1464”
“One thousand?”
“You have that many?”
“Yes, in order to become a King Scavenger Slime, the minimum number required is 1000 Scavenger Slimes. Incidentally, anything from 100 to 500 slimes will end up as a Big Slime, and between 500 and 1000 will end up as a Huge Slime.”
“I see… if that’s the case then I can understand how you’re able to do it so fast”
After my explanation we went to the next latrine pit, cleaned up, and then repeated the same for the rest of the pits.
3 Days Later
~Side Ryouma~
This one’s the last. I haven’t slept a wink in these three days.
Right after I finish one pit, I would go out and find that the lookout’s been changed. Seeing them, we’d chat for a bit and then I'd immediately start to work on the next one without getting any rest.
There was one time that I was surprised though. After finishing my work, when I came out I saw Sebasu-san waiting for me. Since he knew that I had a tendency to forget to eat when I’m focused on something, he brought a light meal for me to eat. I actually did forget about it, so I was really grateful.
Of course the other 9 lookouts also supported me.
The schedule went like this, from afternoon to evening, Jeff-san, Miya-san, and Asagi-san. Then from evening to morning, Wereanna-san, Mizeria-san, Syria-san. And then from morning to afternoon the ones in charge are, Gordon-san, Jell-kun, and Raypin-san. They were all good people.
The Scavenger Slimes split again and its numbers ended up at 3033. I had them fuse at 1011 each, and with 3 King Scavenger Slimes side by sides, with the combination of Enlarge and Overeating, they were able to easily clean the walls and the ceiling. Their skill levels also increased. Their current status are:
King Scavenger Slime x3
Skills
Disease Resist Lv7
Poison Resist Lv7
Eat Filth Lv8
Cleaning Lv8
Deodorization Lv8
Deodorization Liquid Lv6
Release Stench Lv8
Return Nutrient Lv7
Physical Attack Resistance Lv4
Enlarge Lv5
Compress Lv6
Jump Lv3
Overeating Lv4
The Disease Resist didn’t level up again so I guess that means lv. 7 is enough for the Idake virus here.
Cleaning, Deodorization, Eat Filth’s levels all increased because of the operation here. And then for some reason the Physical Attack Resistance also levelled up. Were the slimes rubbing their bodies against the walls the entire time? Or maybe they were bumping against other slimes? I don’t know, but in any case the higher the level the better.
Well it took some time but now the job is done, so I guess I’ll head out.
“Is it over?”
“Yes, it’s done.”
“Good job! With this everything’s done.”
“I thought you’d end up taking a rest half way through but you actually really did do it in one go.”
“Well I did rest during mealtime.”
“Well that’s true. Oh yeah, Raypin-san please check that Ryouma is clean.”
“Umu, leave it to this great one…………… There doesn’t seem to be any problems. Clothes, belongings, surroundings, everything is clean. All that’s left is to report to the guild.”
“Thank you very much. Then, shall we go?”
“Wait a moment, this great one shall take you there. ‘Warp’.”
Raypin-san used the mid-distance movement magic, Warp, and sent me to the entrance of the guild. Raypin-san is a scholar magician and became an adventurer for the sake of researching and observing magical beasts. He showed great interest to my Cleaner Slime and Scavenger Slime, and valued the results of my slime research highly. Although he may use words that seem arrogant, he is a really caring person.
When we entered the guild, the receptionist lady immediately went to the Guild Master’s room.
“Is it done, Ryouma?”
“Yes, I’ve cleaned all the 30 latrine pits of the community toilet. It’s safe now.”
“I see! That’s good… great! Today, everyone should go home and rest! I’ll go inform the others that the job is done. And then come here to the guild tomorrow, I’ll hand out your payments.”
“Understood, please excuse… oh right, Guild Master?”
“What?”
“Do you know the Idake Disease?”
“Idake Disease? ……….. no. Well, I was never really that informed about things like that. In any case, what about it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, it’s just that when I used Identify on the filth in the latrine pit, that’s the name of the disease that came out. I know its danger and symptoms, but I don’t know exactly how dangerous it is.”
“I see… well in the meantime, it’s safe right?”
“Yes, we have already successfully dealt with it.”
“Then it’s fine. I’ll go check about that disease called Idake too but, regardless, you should hurry up and go home, you haven’t slept a wink right?”
“That’s true. In that case, please excuse me”
As I said that, I went back to the lodging. As for the other three, it seems they did their own things to pass the time.
“Welcome home! Ryouma-san!” - Elia
“Welcome home, Ryouma-kun.” - Madam
“Welcome home” – Rheinhart
“Looks like you came back safe. That’s good.” –Rheinbach
“Welcome home, Ryouma-sama” – Sebasu-san
“Please allow me to carry your things?” – maid
“Have you had your meal?” – maid
(either Aro-ne or Lilian)
I was welcomed by Elia and the rest. ……ah…… since when was it that I was greeted…………was it when my mother died? No, I was greeted by Elia so many times, yet why is it that this feeling is…………
“Ryouma-kun, what’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“No……my body is fine, I just remembered something from the past……!”
Family……that’s right…… it’s similar, the feelings this people give…………………back then, without being able to do well in my work, day after day I would be exhausted, I would look for work, and without finding, I’d be depressed…………during times like that, there was always one person that would welcome me home……it was my mother……
“Ryouma-san!? What’s wrong!?”
When Elia said that, I noticed something. I’m crying. Without knowing it, tears have already started to come out from my eyes.
“Ahh……sorry, I’m alright. I just remembered my family for a bit. Being surrounded by everyone like this……even though you don’t resemble each other at all……”
My mother is half Chinese and Japanese. Although she wasn’t bad looking, there were times when she didn’t really look all that great. She was ok. But, to actually be reminded of her by these beautiful people, their faces are so different, and yet…
As I was thinking of stupid things like that, all of the sudden the Madam hugged me. Elia embraced my arms, and Rheinhart-san put his hand on my shoulder. I felt Rheinbach-sama pat me on the head, and I noticed Sebasu-san and the two maids were looking at me warmly.
After that they took care of me, fed me, prepared the bath for me, and afterwards tuck me to sleep. Yes, just like this, I fell sound asleep and retired for the day.