Chapter 230: The Garbage Processing Plant and Wist-kun’s First Love (2/2)
“You’re even using magic tools just to get rid of the stench?” [Taylor]
“I’m acquainted with a skilled craftsmen willing to work with me, so…” [Ryouma]
“I see. That’s good. You should treasure your relationships… Anyway, I should be going. Everything seems to be going well, after all.” [Taylor]
“I’ll send you off.” [Ryouma]
A dorm has been built here for the employees of the garbage processing plant and the other employees, the view is also unobstructed, and the atmosphere is great too, but this place was still once part of the slums.
The branch head is quite old, and he is also the branch head of a guild, so I think it would be best if someone accompanied him still.
“You don’t have to, I’ll be fine. I’m not the branch head of the tamer guild just for show, you know.” [Taylor]
He said as he patted his chest over his coat.
“Kyu?” [Hamster?]
A super tiny creature that looked just like a hamster poked its head out of his coat’s chest pocket.
“What a cute little guy.” [Ryouma]
“He’s my familiar, Fernek. He’s a kind of monster beast known as Resonance Mole. Resonance Moles excel at sensing and finding enemies, and they can even communicate with other members of their species even from far away. He’ll notice it if anyone dangerous approaches, and his friend at the guild will also inform everyone on our behalf.” [Taylor]
“Wow, he’s pretty amazing despite being so cute.” [Ryouma]
He looked like a hamster, but it turns out he was a mole instead.
“He might be small, but he’s really dependable. I have some other cards to play in case something happens, and I’ll be going back through the road you built, so I’ll be fine. Besides, unlike me, you have a lot of work to do, right? You better get those done. I’m sure they’ll end up helping me out a lot indirectly too.” [Taylor]
We had to fix the roads around the garbage processing plant to make it possible for the carriages to transport garbage in and out of the garbage processing plant. We even connected the roads here to the main roads, and there are a lot of carriages going to and fro, and I have my slimes on alert too, so…
“I understand. I’ll stay here then. Please be careful.” [Ryouma]
“You too. Once everything’s calmed down, let’s go out for a cup of tea sometime.” [Taylor]
As he said that, he left, and I headed inside the garbage processing plant.
The employees used a rake-like tool to make the piles of garbage collapse, then they quietly spread it over the coarse-wire-mesh-floor next to it.
By doing that they were able to loosen the solidified garbage, separate them, and send them to the scavenger slimes waiting below in the basement.
The bigger garbage that couldn’t fall through the wire mesh would be taken away and brought to the department in charge of crushing things to be crushed, and then the crushed garbage would be brought back.
This is done to ensure the safety of the scavenger slimes below and to make their absorption of the garbage more efficient.
After all, the Absorb skill of the slimes is most effective when used on a target that they can bring into their bodies. On top of that, it’s also easier for them to absorb things that are softer.
“Looks like everything is going well.” [Ryouma]
Zeff-san and Camil-san are in charge of this area, so I wanted to talk to them, but… Where are they? Hmm?
I noticed someone working at a corner of the area.
“Wist-kun?” [Ryouma]
…When I was starting this job, I called out to Berk, an adventurer friend of mine, and to Gazel, a friend I became acquainted with during the adventurer’s guild beginner instruction program. Just as the expert garbage collector, the garbage grandmother, told me, nothing would be more reliable than to have people privy to the rules and the actual work accompany the workers.
In that regard, the guys I mentioned were from the slums and were even garbage collectors themselves until just recently. They were more than qualified.
So I asked them to do the job, and they happily agreed.
Although in Wist-kun’s case, I’d only heard from Berk that he’ll be taking the job too and we hadn’t actually met in person. He seems to have grown a good deal bigger since we last saw each other.
“Good morning.” [Ryouma]
I did my best to avoid interrupting everyone during their work as I approached Wist-kun and called out to him.
“Ah, Ryouma-kun. Good morning.” [Wist]
His voice sounded a lot heavier than I last remembered.
“So it really was you.” [Ryouma]
“Y-Yeah. You couldn’t tell?” [Wist]
“I thought it was you, but you’ve grown up so much so suddenly, for a moment, I wasn’t so sure.” [Ryouma]
“I-I started growing up really quickly recently. Because of that I had to buy new equipment all of the sudden. Meanwhile, everyone else was fine just making some minor adjustment on theirs.” [Wist]
I’m sure that must have been a serious blow financially… But since he’s grown bigger, that means he’s also a step closer to being an adult, and that means he can do even more things now. This place pays well depending on how much work one has done, so I hope he does his best.
“By the way, have you seen Zeff-san and Camil-san?” [Ryouma]
“T-They’re probably in the office upstairs. The garbage grandma dropped by just a while ago, and they seemed to have showed her in.” [Wist]
“I see, thank you. Sorry for disturbing you when you’re in the middle of work.” [Ryouma]
After saying that, I headed for the office in the second floor, but—
“R-Ryouma-kun!” [Wist]
“? What’s the matter?” [Ryouma]
“Ah. Umm, actually, uh…” [Wist]
I wonder what this is about.
He called out to me so suddenly, but he’s all shy again.
Is it something hard to talk about? I’m curious, but first I need to calm him down.
When he spoke again…
“T-There’s a m-maid over at your place, right? T-That beautiful…” [Wist]
“Yeah.” [Ryouma]
Those words and his blushing face were more than enough to tell the story.
Wist-kun might be timid, but he’s a boy too. And he’s in his puberty too.
Come to think of it, on the day of the interview, the interview for Berk’s group was meant to be only perfunctory, so I’d left it to the maids. That must be when he saw them.
“I-If it’s not a problem, c-can you please t-tell me her name?” [Wist]
Just when I was wondering what he was going to ask, it turned out to be something really wholesome – her name.
But which one? There’s three of them, after all. I asked him which one he was referring to, and…
“I-I’m not sure how to put it, but t-the person with great style, or erm, the woman…”
Wist-kun’s face blushed an even deeper shade of red as he started talking about the maid’s body.
I’m not trying to embarrass him, really, but his descriptions aren’t really helping.
I don’t know if he’s talking about Lilian-san or Rurunez-san. They both know how to dress, but if it’s Rurunez-san, then unfortunately, she’s already married, so I don’t think his love is going to be reciprocated, but…
“I-It’s the burliest one among the three!” [Wist]
Hmm? Burly? Could he be talking about…
“You mean Riviola-san?” [Ryouma]
“Is that her name? That maid from the Big Monkey Man Tribe?” [Wist]
“If it’s the maid from the Big Monkey Man Tribe, then there’s no doubt about it. Come to think of it, you’re from the Big Monkey Man Tribe too, aren’t you?” [Ryouma]
The Big Monkey Man Tribe was one of the Beast Tribes, and were known for their big stature and their well-developed muscles. Frankly speaking, it’s easy for them to put on muscle. Riviola-san is so muscular in fact that it’s easy for people from other races to mistake her for a man. She has a tough body, but I suppose she does have good style as well. Although, that’s less along the lines of being a woman and more along the lines of being a bodybuilder, but I digress.
I’m so sorry, I know it was really rude of me, but when he mentioned ‘beautiful’, I subconsciously omitted her from the list… I need to do some reflecting.
After that, because I was feeling guilty, I told Wist-kun about Riviola’s good points and told him that she was a good person, and then I left.