Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 278

Slime.

It is a formless monster that lives in dark places such as caves. It never grows very large, and when the core taken from its body is treated with a special liquid, it becomes the core part of the shock-absorbing components of the shoes that our company manufactures. 

However, I don’t think Father Serio is knowledgeable about the technical aspects of such shoes, so I assume most of the requests come from the townspeople.

“Slimes…” I say, unsure how to respond.

“Was that surprising?” Father Serio explains with a smile like a child who has successfully pulled a prank. “This town has sewage drains. The slimes that live there are usually welcome creatures because they consume the waste of small animals like rats and cockroaches. However, sometimes they multiply too much and clog the drains. Unlike the first and second-class districts, third-class districts lack specialized cleaners, and the drains are narrow compared to the number of residents, so they get clogged easily. When that happens, sewage overflows, causing the corners of town to smell like waste, raising concerns about disease. The town volunteers decide to exterminate the slimes, but even though they’re weak, they’re still monsters. When they fight back, town residents who aren’t used to rough situations often end up getting injured unexpectedly.”

“I see…” I nod, impressed.

When I start visiting the second-class districts of this town, in addition to visual differences like the condition of the cobblestones, I notice there is no smell of sewage while walking down the streets.

I think the difference is due to being in a downtown area and that the sewer pipes have become dilapidated and are overflowing, but I hadn’t realized they could also be clogged with slime.

“I’ve been an adventurer in this town for a few years, but I’ve never received a request like that. By the way, did you know, Sara?” I turn to Sara to ask.

“I mostly had requests outside the city where I could use my bow…” she replies.

Father Serio nods, acknowledging that it isn’t surprising we are unaware of this, and then he explains how he comes to know about it.

“Actually, one of the city’s residents is brought to the church with an injury. It isn’t severe enough to require magical healing, but the wound has distinctive characteristics, so I ask how it happened. That’s how I learn about the situation.”

“So, did you recommend that they hire an adventurer?”

“Yes. As I interact with the adventurers at this church, I get to know a few of them and realize they aren’t the rough people they are often portrayed to be. The city residents are worried about the costs, but I recall that adventurers mention slime cores can be sold for small change. So, we end up thinking that the requests might not be as expensive as they fear. Oh, Kenji, is something the matter?”

“N-No, it’s nothing. It’s a very interesting story,” I reply, trying hard to keep my expression natural as I answer.

The requests are undoubtedly related to our company.

Recently, we purchased a lot of slime cores to mass-produce shoes.

In this world, it’s easier to obtain standardized parts and components cheaply and in large quantities by selecting monster cores rather than by standardizing industrial products. 

We place large orders with the Adventurer’s Guild, buying those that meet the standards and selling or discarding those that don’t, while keeping some for prototypes. 

However, as a result of purchasing so many, the market price for them has been subtly rising.

This has created an opportunity for budding adventurers to earn some pocket money, leading to enough work for townspeople to request slime extermination. That is the broader picture beginning to emerge. 

Unexpectedly, the expansion of the shoe business has created requests for novice adventurers. 

While I can’t shake the impression of a self-perpetuating cycle, I can confirm the flow of requests from city residents being mediated by the church to the Adventurers’ Guild. 

The only thing left to do is see what would be necessary to scale this up. 

Could we implement the initial idea of placing a menu of requests for adventurers in the church? 

I start to consider various scenarios in my head.