Published: August 2, 2025
Today, three chapters are updated simultaneously.
This is the third chapter.
After dinner.
In the same reception room of the mansion as last night, the Duke and Duchess along with the two heads of the large trading company have gathered again today.
“Thank you for waiting.”
“I’m listening carefully, so it’s fine. Thanks for your hard work feeding the slimes.”
“Ryoma-kun’s slimes are numerous and varied, so it must be quite a task.”
“By the way, how many types do you currently have?”
“Right now, I have 19 types. Among them, around four are waiting to evolve.”
“I hear the total number is in the tens of thousands. It must be difficult to take care of them all.”
“We feed them grouped by type, so it’s not that bad. Mr. Reinhardt, thank you for even bringing the slime feed. It really helped.”
“No, thank you. I’ve received messages from various departments saying they appreciated us taking the trash off their hands. Please don’t hesitate to ask anytime during your stay.”
As they engaged me with conversation and invited me to sit beside the madam, I responded.
“Well then, now that Ryoma-kun is here, let’s continue the discussion from yesterday. Or rather... before that, I have two things to report. Just some brief notices.”
Had some problem arisen?
Mr. Reinhardt wore an unusually gloomy expression, and the madam handed out stacks of documents to us.
Flipping through the papers, there were mugshots, charges, and reward amounts listed.
“Wanted posters and…”
“Half of these are information about bandit attacks confirmed within the territory. We happened to receive reports during today’s work. Since the three of you often travel between towns, I thought it would be good for you to know.”
“That’s very helpful.”
Road safety information is the lifeline of merchants. Mr. Serge and Mr. Pioro also looked grateful as they carefully reviewed the documents.
But I was more interested in the wanted posters.
“Looking at this, the bounty amounts vary quite a bit between individuals.”
Even for the same crime, some have rewards of around ten gold coins, others several hundred, and the highest reached two platinum coins—a huge sum. Curious about the reason, I asked, and Mr. Reinhardt kindly explained.
“The bounty amount is decided by considering damage and danger level comprehensively, but nobles or merchants who suffered losses can personally add to the reward. The bandits with platinum coin bounties belong to a notorious gang specializing in robbing jewels.”
He said they target mainly jewels, so the damages are extremely high.
Moreover, not only the jewel merchants who suffered losses but also the noble buyers of the jewels are deeply angered.
Hence, the additional bounties have inflated the total rewards.
“Their frequency of crimes is low, but they prepare meticulously and proceed cautiously. They also seem to have multiple skilled spatial magic users among their comrades, making them fast and difficult to track. Of course, those attacked have guards, but since they’ve succeeded multiple times, there must be quite capable individuals. I haven’t heard of individuals being targeted personally…but Ryoma-kun, please be careful.”
“I understand. Thank you for the warning.”
It’s probably about the diamond I was wearing with my suit yesterday.
Although nothing was specifically said, apparently people who know can tell.
“Now, next… Ah yes, about the scavenger slime fertilizer I received yesterday. I got a report on that.”
“Oh? Already? That’s quite fast.”
As the madam said, perhaps they could already judge its safety and other factors by the day after yesterday?
“Well… about that, Ryoma-kun, do you know the ‘Forest of the Earth Mother Goddess’?”
When I hear Earth Mother Goddess, I think of Lady Wilieris, but I haven't heard of that forest.
“I see. Altura...it’s a country to the east, and our head gardener is from there. The Forest of the Earth Mother Goddess is a sacred ground revered by the people, and he says the soil there resembles that fertilizer.”