The Next Day
Since morning today, there are 8 people, men and women, gathered in the meeting room of the Adventurer's guild.
"Hey, Wereanna, so your party also came"
"Jeff, looks like you too… Why do you think we were called today"
"Don't know. The others don't know either. It doesn't seem like we have any common denominators, not in our tribe, age, or even in our ranks. Don't have any clue on what basis we've been chosen so we've been talking about it. How about you, do you have any ideas? It's only you guys who were called as a party, you know?"
"I don't know either. The only thing common in my party is that we're all female members of the beastman tribe. But I don't think that's got anything do with it, right?"
"Yeah. Since I'm a guy, and I'm also a human. We also have two other humans here, a dwarf, and even a dragonewt. So tribe and gender shouldn't have been a part of their criterion."
As they were discussing, another female beastman entered the room.
"Good morning~. Nya? Wereanna, Mizeria, and also Syria, nya? You guys were also called?"
"Miya, you were also called?"
"That's right nya. After I came back from my mission yesterday, the receptionist told me to come here today nya. To think that you guys would also actually come, who knew? Nya."
"Me? Oh hey, hasn't your smell gotten better? Did you finally move out of that trashy house?"
"Even though, you wouldn't listen to me no matter how many times I told you to move out of that house."
"Did you finally reach your limit?"
"Wrong, nya. I'm still living in that house, even until today nya. Even if it's like that I still bought it nya. If I don't live in it, it will be a waste nya."
"Then, how come your smell's gotten better?"
"Actually, yesterday, someone finally took the request to clean my house again. It was a kid, nya. And that kid managed to clean up my house, nya."
"That stinky hell hole? He cleaned it up?"
"I was also surprised nya. He actually cleaned that basement without even taking 2 hours, and even blocked the hole in the wall, nya. He cleaned it up with magic, and even made the room sparkling clean, nya"
"That's amazing, what kind of guy was it?"
"Looked like a rookie kid, nya. Was probably under thirteen years old, and was carrying a big basket made out of wood and vines on his back, nya."
"Ha? Under 13 years old with a big basket? Isn't that the guy called Ryouma?"
"Right, nya! He certainly called himself that, nya"
"You knew that guy?"
"The day before yesterday, when he came back from his work, the old man called him. He made a face that looked like he had no idea why he was being called, so I told him it's just the old man being nosy. That kid's really polite."
"True, he's certainly a polite kid, nya"
While they were talking another person entered the room. It was Ryouma. When Miya saw that, she exclaimed.
"Excuse me. Is–"
"Ah! The kid nya!"
"Miya-san? Miya-san and Jeff-san was also here, huh?"
"Hey, it's me from the other day. So you were also called huh? Good timing, we were just talking about you"
"About me?"
"Nice to meet you, you're Ryouma, right? I am Wereanna of the Dog Man Tribe. I've been a longtime acquaintance, and was also a former party member. I was really shocked when I heard you were able to clean Miya's house, you know? It's amazing you were able to clean that house."
"It's fine that she bought the house but with the walls crumbling and being in that state… you saw it right? For a member of the beastman tribe that possesses good nose something like that was painful, and so we tried recommending her several times to move out but she wouldn't listen… ah, by the way I'm Mizeria. Best regards."
"And I'm Syria of the Rabbit Beastman Tribe. I look forward to working with you."
"I'm Ryouma Takebayashi. I also look forward to working you all."
"These three are members of the former party I was in, nya. Because the smell of that house permeated my body, it was quite difficult for the members of the party especially for Wereanna, who was a member of the Dog Beastman Tribe, and since I didn't want to give up the house I had to leave. And then some, nya"
"Well Miya is sometimes stubborn…"
"She wouldn't listen no matter what anyone said"
"You really did well to live there for 5 years"
"To live there for 5 years, that's quite something, huh?"
Ryouma made a speechless face. And then at that Jeff asked Ryouma.
"By the way, the basket you had with you the other day, you also brought it with you today, right? What's in it?"
"Inside this is my Slave Monster. I am a Slave Magic User after all"
"Oh? So you were a Slave Magic User. What are you raising?"
"Several types of slimes. I'm still an apprentice. Slimes are quite slow so it's faster to carry them on my back through my basket and run during times when we need to hurry. And it's also not good to scare people so…"
"I see~"
As we were talking, the Guild Master entered the room.
"Good, looks like everyone has gathered. Take your seats"
At those words everyone sat.
"Well then, I'll start explaining the reason why I called you all out here today. But before that I need you all to make an oath that not a word of what we will be talking about here will leak outside. If there's someone who can't do that, then please leave the meeting room. I should also inform you now that you don't have to take the mission after hearing my explanation. Just don't leak the details of the conversation outside, aside from that even if you refuse the mission, I won't mind. There won't be any fine."
Hearing those words, everyone nodded without hesistation.
"Good. Well then to start off with, let's talk about what criterion I called you guys here. The first is that I can trust you guys to some degree, second, a tight mouth, and last, that you all possess the Disease Resist Skill. You guys have it, right?"
"Disease Resist Skill? Well, yeah I have it. Old man, you should know about it that I'm a former resident of the slums. As long as one lives there, getting anyone could get a skill level of 1 or 2. Well mine's at 5, though."
The next to respond was Wereanna
"We also have it since we once caught an infectious disease from one of the towns we were working in"
"Fortunately, we were able to survive and come back. As a result we managed to gain the skill"
"If I'm correct, everyone's level 3, right?"
"I'm level 4 now, nya. I don't really like saying it myself but, it's because I live at that trashy house, nya"
After that a veteran looking Dwarf guessed the contents of the topic for the meeting today. When a young adventurer heard what he said, he panickedly exclaimed.
"If you're talking about Disease Resistance then, is it an epidemic?"
"An outbreak!?"
"Calm down Shale. Just as Gordon had assumed, it is certainly about that. Only, it hasn't spread yet."
"Yet, meaning, one or two sick people had caught it?"
"No, we just confirmed that there's a breeding ground for it. It doesn't mean someone's already been infected. The one who found the breeding ground is that Ryouma over there."
At those words everyone looked at Ryouma simultaneously. And then the Guild Master, Wogan, explained about the Scavenger Slime, the information, and basis on why we know there to be an infectious disease.
"… So because the Scavenger Slime's Disease Resist Skill level increased from 5 to 7, although really even at only level 6 it is already not possible to actually completely resist it.
The request this time is to stop this epidemic before it starts to spread. Moreover, if news of this were to leak out to the townspeople, it will cause great panic to the people, so please keep this a secret."
"Our job is to deal with the epidemic, so in other words cleaning the latrine pits right?"
"No, you nine won't be doing that. The only one who will go to clean the latrine pits is just Ryouma"
"Wait a minute! You plan to make the kid deal with that alone? Isn't that absurd? Kids also catch diseases more easily than adults. It's too dangerous."
"To begin with, isn't it impossible to clean the latrine pits of the town with only one person?"
"I also that but this is for the best. Besides Ryouma had already managed to clean one of the latrine pits yesterday with his slimes, so it is possible.
And also the highest level of Disease Resist skill you guys possess is 5, which is Jeff's. Even at level 6 of Disease Resistance, the risk of getting the disease is still high.
With that in mind Ryouma who has a Disease Resistance of level 7, is the one at least risk of catching the disease. Moreover, he also has Stronger Vitality Lv3, Super Healing Lv3, and Stronger Endurance Lv6. Even if he were to catch the disease, his prospects for surviving is far higher than anyone else in this room."
At those words the nine people were shocked and looked at Ryouma. And then Syria asked Wogan a question.
"I understand that he's the most suitable person. But then if you were to leave everything to him, then what will we have left to do?"
"Although Ryouma will be taking care of the process of sanitization, It is vital that we work in shifts to ensure that nobody comes near the area as he works.
To be absolutely sure, I called you guys who possessed Disease Resistance. And after that for those who can use the neutral magic, Identify, please confirm that Ryouma won't bring the virus with him when he goes out after finishing the job."
"Is there any need to have 9 look outs?"
"Well according to Ryouma it will take a few days of working continuously day and night. Ryouma also has Sleep Resistance level 7 so it won't be a problem for him, and naturally, I've confirmed this in his status board"
"I understand, that's why we have to look out alternatively. Ryouma, is it really ok for you to do this?"
"There's no problem since its normal for me to work continuously for a few days. Rather I think it's a rather easy role"
"I see"
"I'll give you guys 10 minutes. This mission is in a sense more dangerous than subjugating monsters. There's no obligation and there's also no penalty for not accepting, so think well on whether to accept this mission or not"
As Wogan said that, he left the room along with Ryouma, whose participation was already decided.
"Haa… what to do?"
At those words, the dwarf adventurer called Gordon replied.
"I'm joining them. After all, this is the town I was born and raised in and I also have a lot of people I know here, so I can't run away."
After him, the next to declare his participation was the dragonewt adventurer.
"This one will also accept. A plague is a threat, and this one has yet to stop one"
Afterwards the ones declaring their participation came one after another.
"While its true epidemics are bad but even so, it's not like we can just push it on that kid, right?"
"Exactly, and first of all, our job is only to be a lookout. The one doing the most difficult job is that guy. So there's no way I could run here"
Or so, Wereanna and Jeff declared. After which, the conversation continued until Ryouma and Wogan finally returned. From the members present in the meeting room, the number of people participating is 9, all of them declared their participation.
After that Wogan also taught to them the knowledge Ryouma shared to him regarding diseases, a knowledge that originally came from Earth but is currently believed to be from Ryouma's grandmother, and then distributed their share of work.
During that time, Ryouma changed to his worker clothes and then went ahead to the latrine pits, since he really stood out in those clothes.
Moreover with several adventurers following behind him, being suspicious can't be helped.
Ryouma met up with the first look outs in front of the latrine pits, and then went inside to start the operation.