Chapter 46 The Interview in Another World Was Surprisingly Hard
In the end, I was unable to beat the Elder Slime.
Or rather, I was stopped by Leticia.
“Stop it, Nagi-san! Or else we will get caught in the ‘Contract’.”
I almost lost my temper with the Elder Slime and forgot about it.
I made a ‘Contract’ with Letica to ‘take good care of the villa’.
If the house is fatally damaged by the Delayed Arts, I will have violated the contract. I would lose ownership of the villa and my slave contract with Aine would be terminated.
Worst of all, I might be subjected to the ‘punishment of the Contract’.
And there’s another reason why I didn’t attack.
I’m not sure what to make of this. The Elder Slime started crying.
“Well, I’m abandoned anyway! Do it. Kill me at once, yeah yeah ─ ”
What?
Huh.
I was so distracted by this that I ended up releasing the “Delayed Arts” in an open area, and we decided to listen to Elder Slime’s story.
“I’m sorry for being so rude. But it’s been a long time since anyone has spoken to me…”
Of course.
“I’ve been lurking in the waterways of this town.”
The Elder Slime, with blue drops dripping from his body, began to talk about why he was here.
As I said at first, he was enhanced by the elves and became an Elder Slime.
But it seems that he was discarded because the first researcher (his creator) died. The elves who took over the research were incompetent and couldn’t complete the Elder Slime.
After being abandoned, he lived in the waterways. For a very, very, very long time.
But in the past few weeks, something started to happen to his body.
“I think it’s probably because I was thrown away unfinished, but my body has started to grow. I’ve never lived outside of town, and I don’t want to be seen. I’ve been wandering around looking for a place to stay, and I somehow ended up here…”
“I was convinced that I was about to reach the end of my life, and I decided to set this vacant house as a place to die, but the speed of my body’s bloat was faster than I expected.
Before the festival ─Because the sea dragon Kerukatoru is approaching the town, the magical power in the atmosphere is also increasing. Far from stopping the growth, I couldn’t move my body well.
In the end, my body … will continue to swell, and it may even burst, engulfing the house.”
“…… Hey!”
“To stop the expansion, I need a part of the elf’s body! It can be hair or the tip of their nails. If I take it in, the stray cells should return to their original state in a stable manner. It’s a request. I don’t really want to bother young people too… ”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to understand what I’m talking about,” he said, dripping blue jelly from his body.
I had no choice but to help the Elder Slime.
The fact that the story of “Elder Slime” is true has been confirmed by comparing the information of Cecil and Reggie about the increase in magical power in atmosphere.
The familiars who protect the elf forest are made to require elf hair, claws, and body fluids to maintain their bodies. If they go against it, they can be disposed of immediately. Therefore, the familiars seem to continue to escort the elves as long as they live.
I know, but …… it was very annoying.
“All right, all right. Anyway, we just need to bring the elf to you, right?
And with my [Food Negotiation LV 1] skill, the following treaty was made between me and Elder Slime.
(1) Souma Nagi will provide Elder Slime with a part of the elf (hair, nails, body fluids). Elder Slime will take it into its body as food (source of magic power).
(2) The Elder Slime will “prey on it and leave the house at the same time.
(3) The Elder Slime “will honestly leave the house as soon as it preys on it, and will not antagonize Souma Nagi and the others until negotiations are concluded or not.
And I was off to work again.
< It seems that the Lord is not so worried. >
Reggie said at my back.
“Is that so? Nagi”
Rita, who was walking next to me, looked into my face.
This is the main street of the town. We’re on our way to the adventurer’s guild in Irgafa.
I’ve asked Rita to come with me as my bodyguard and Reggie as my sword.
“That’s right. If you go to the Adventurer’s Guild, you’ll probably find at least one elf. If you tell them what’s going on and ask them to help you, or if you make a formal request through the guild, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.”
“I’m sorry. My Lord.”
Suddenly, Reggie in human form appeared in front of me.
It’s palm-sized and sways its red twin-tails sitting on my shoulders.
“I can’t even control a single slime.”
“There’s nothing you can do about the level difference.”
“That’s very kind of you,My Lord. How should I respond to your kindness? …”
The figure-sized Reggie clapped it’s hands.
‘Yes!I’ve got a great way to repay your kindness!”
“A great way?”
“Yes! I’ll summon a slime that can be used to prepare for the night! I’ll hide it in the beastman girl’s bed, and when she falls asleep, I’ll start working on her. I will stimulate her all over her body, and when she is in heat, the Lord appears. How about the Lord teach happiness to a girl who has lost her reason? The Lord is happy, the beastman girl is happy, and I’m happy because I get to watch the whole thing unfold… Wait, Wait ! Don’t try to throw my body into the sea!”
Damn it.
I put the magic sword Reggie that I was holding towards the sea back on my back.
“I’ve always told you not to do anything selfish.”
“I’m sure she’ll agree. Let’s check. Hey, Beastman girl. Do you hate the Lord?”
“How am I supposed to react here?”
Pushu, Rita, who has turned red enough to steam from her head, eats at Reggie.
The tip of her swaying tail is bulging.
This reaction is … angry, isn’t it …?
“Anyway, right now it’s more important to find a countermeasure against Elder Slime!”
Rita changed the subject with a bright red face, as if to hide her embarrassment.
“If only I had an elf acquaintance, the story would be over quick …”
“Don’t take it upon yourself. I know the Iturna Cult was human supremacist cult.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I am so useless.”
“Fufufu, Beastgirl. Don’t worry, I have an idea.” Hiding under my collar, the doll, Reggie, turned her chest away.
“I met her in the hot spring town. You may not have seen her as you were in the middle of a battle, but I remember her face.”
“Come to think of it, I think I also saw one elf in the hot spring town.”
I met her in a hot spring area … or rather, there was an elf girl who was about to take a mixed bath.
I’m sure she was part of the parade of soldiers.
To put it the other way around, that’s about all the elf acquaintances we know of.
“What was she like Reggie?
“I’ve seen her and she seems like a real gem.”
“A gem?”
“I don’t know what to say. Just looking at her makes you want to torment her body and soul, to bring out your deepest desires in your heart.”
Why are you waving your hands in the air, Reggie?
Rita is staring at me seriously, so stop.
“I’m sure she doesn’t realize it yet. It’s a waste. If she realizes her true nature, she and those around her will be happy. A person like that should be kept in the secret storehouse of the palace. It is a secret treasure artifact that will soothe the weary heart of the king.”
“… I’m talking about that elf.”
“… I think I’m also talking about that elf.”
“I’m about to ask the guild for a job, so don’t be rude.”
“No, not at all. If you don’t want me to.”
Reggie sledged and returned to the magic sword.
… I’m sure it’s thinking about something strange, this guy.
As we were walking while talking, we were back on the main street of the town before we knew it.
The Adventurer’s Guild had a … proper sign.
A sea dragon is entwined with the symbol of a sword and a staff intersecting.
That seems to be the emblem of the Adventurer’s guild in this town.
The elf I met at the hot springs was called … Rafilia.”
I hope she’s here, but if she’s not, I’ll have to talk to Iris.
I’m pretty sure she works for Iris. She might know something about her.
“Why do I have to be told that much !?”
I didn’t need to look for her.
The moment I opened the door of the Adventurer’s guild, her – Rafilia’s voice – jumped into my ears.
I looked around the guild. The structure was the same as the one in Metekal. The only difference is that the reception desk is on the first floor. There are chairs and tables around it. There is a quest board by the wall. A tavern counter in the back. Adventurer-like people are drinking tea and wine.
An elf girl was sitting at the table near the entrance.
Her pink hair was pulled to one side. Her eyes were a little droopy, and she looked as if she was about to start crying. Her arms and legs, stretching out from her short clothes, were all white, and her body was thin, but her breasts were so large that they could fit on the table. She’s clinging to the table, looking around as if she’s asking for help.
There are several men standing around her. I can’t see their faces. All of them are wearing silver masks.
They are talking. I can hear their voices. Well…
“Your motive for applying is quite naive. Do you think you can get a quest with such a motive? Have you thought about whether or not your skills can be put to use at this party?”
What …?
“I’m sure you’re not the only one with the required skills. There are plenty of people available. You didn’t really think you’d be hired, did you? What did you do between the last quest and this one? Isn’t the fact that you don’t have enough money for living expenses proof of your lack of self-management?”
“Self-management? I can’t help it, can I? Because they all ran away with the money.”
“Hmm. Not only do you lack self-management, it seems that you also lack crisis management skills.”
“What’s that?”
“In the first place, when you work, you should always assume the worst. Will the party run with the reward? It would be bad to trust such a person, right? You can’t even manage the money after it’s been distributed… Oh, it hasn’t even been distributed? The representative received the money and then ran away? I’m not sure what to do, but I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out.”
A group of men wearing silver masks surrounded the elf girl.
“I’m not saying that! What the hell!”
“What do you mean, aren’t you the one who applied for the quest we requested?”
“”That’s why you don’t have to say that! I just wanted to earn some money to go back home!”
“Don’t change the subject. Don’t go off on a tangent. We are concerned with your humanity. Do you take up my time and then complain when it’s not convenient? How did your parents raise you? What is your family’s job? What is their income? Didn’t you apply for the Quest because you were naive?”
“No, I didn’t! I’ll find another job!”
“We’re talking about your humanity. Don’t you listen to me? Isn’t that why the last party ran away from you? Where are you going, I won’t let you go. I’m not going to let you go. It might affect your future quests, Rafilia Grace. We’ve got your personal details…”
“Stop it already ──!”
The pink haired elf girl was surrounded by masked men. You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life. The guys in the adventurer’s guild – they don’t react. And the ones behind the guild counter. Are they pretending not to see her? Why?
I mean, this is…
I’m not sure if this is a “pressure interview”.
I’m not sure what I’m seeing in this another world.
“You know, Rita…”
“What is it, Nagi?”
“Is there such a thing as a party that attack people verbally until they break?”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
“The guild usually stops it.”
“The guild’s receptionist, she’s all flustered.”
“Either she can’t handle it or she doesn’t know what to do.”
“Either way, it sucks.”
I’ve been cornered in that way before. I was being interviewed for a part-time job, and they were so insistent that I should … ‘know’ whether I wanted the job or not.
So I understand. That was the way of the world I was in.
“… A visitor or just a black party in another world …?”
Either way, it doesn’t matter. We need the help of an elves.
We don’t know anyone else, so the quickest way is to negotiate with that girl, Rafilia.
“Lord …, help her. If you don’t, the masked ones will take her away.”
At my back, Reggie murmured in a soft voice that only I could hear.
“I know, I know. I’ve thought of a plan.”
“Don’t let her get away.She’s the one I was talking about before.
“The … gem?
“What did I tell you? There are some people who makes you want to bring out of your deepest nature. That’s exactly what she is. We must not let her escape! In that girl you may find the clue to the skills you seek, the skills that will enable you to live without work!”
“What?”
“I’ve seen many, many princesses and beautiful girls in the King’s service. I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m not sure what to do. And yet, they are as beautiful as if the gods had created them on a whim. You can call her ‘The beauty that destroys a country’. They always have some mysterious skill that even they don’t know about!”
“Save her! Trust my eyes, My Lord, as they have lived for nearly a hundred years!”
Reggie flatly declared.
I would have helped her even without having been told to do so.
I never expected to come across a pressure interview whie i am in this world ─ I feel nauseous just by looking at it.
The men are hiding their faces with silver masks. You can’t see their facial expressions.
The same thing happened in the original world. At the interview, the other side is backlit by the window where the setting sun shines, and I can’t see the other person’s face. He asks high-pressure questions in a state where I can’t read his facial expression.
The inability to read facial expressions is a huge disadvantage in negotiations.
“If…”
I walked outside for a moment. My eyes scanned the stalls on the street. I found what I was looking for.
I paid the asking price and went back to the guild.
“Reggie, come out. Can you take a normal human form, like you did in the dungeon?”
“For a short time, yes.But I can’t be too far from the sword or else you wont’t be able to fight.”
“If you can move, then it’s fine.”
I told her the plan.
“Rita, you wait outside. I’ll signal you if there’s a fight and you can help.”
“Roger that. Be careful.”
“And are they using their spatial dominance skills now?”
“… Hold on. No, they aren’t using any such things.”
“Thanks, Rita.”
I patted Rita’s head.
Rita’s skill [Area Breaker ] can not only break the opponent’s space control but if the opponent uses a skill that affects the space, she can see it with her eyes. If Rita can’t see it, then what they are doing right now is just a normal pressure interview.”
Then I can break it.
After all, I’m a professional at it.
“Rita, put that on , just in case. And cover your ears and tail, too.”
I handed Rita and Reggie the festive gear I had bought at the stall. I’m going to put the same one on my face.
I’m not going to let them know who I am if I don’t know who they are.
I nodded to them and stepped into the Adventurer’s guild.
They were too preoccupied with Rafilia and the masked men to pay any attention to me.
No one was surprised to see me. Maybe it’s because it’s the festive season and the men surrounding Rafilia are wearing silver masks.
But it’s surprisingly easy to blend in with your face covered with these festive tools. It’s only available for a limited time though.
“I’m not taking any quests. I won’t be accepting any quests. I’m sorry for talking to you!”
In the adventurer’s guild, Rafilia was out of control.
She’s banging on the table and pouting with tears in her eyes.
“It was a mistake to aspire to be an adventurer. I should not have wanted to see the legend again…”
“It’s as if we’ve been misunderstood. If we don’t clear up the misunderstanding, our reputation will be at stake.”
“I’m not going to say anything! I’m not an adventurer anymore!”
“Oh, I won’t let you get away with it, Rafilia. I’m trying to be civil here. If you kick the chair and run away, your career will be damaged. You might not get any more jobs from the Adventurers’ Guild. What will you do with your life if that happens?”
“Oh, oh, oh, oh!
“Why do you look so dazed? Are you not listening to me?”
“… I, I, I…”
“I’ll have to think about the punishment for being so rude. So, would you accept a fifth of the reward posted on the quest board? In return, we will provide you with accommodation for the duration of your stay. It’s the same inn we stay in – it’s more fun – no, it’s more convenient. Oh, you won’t take the job? Did you say that? I think you’re mistaken. You’ve got the look of a dead fish in your eyes. That’s a good sign. Now, let’s change places and slowly make a ‘Contract’…”
“Repeating the same question until she can’t answer anymore.”
I said.
“And when she refutes, you deny her humanity.”
I said it again and the masked men looked at me.
“You don’t allow her to leave the room. The aim is to get her to sign a contract on terms that suit you. It’s like a bad black company. Is that how the adventurer’s guild in Irgafa asks for quests?”
GOTON
I tap the wall with [Building Strike LV 1] (destruction attribute invalid).
The Adventurer’s Guild building shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
All the people in the guild turned to me.
” I’m sorry to interfere with your negotiations, but the method was so bad that I had no choice except intervening myself.”
“What are you doing?”
One of the masked men shouted.
“Let’s say,’A person who respects the shrine maiden of the sea dragon.'”
I ── stroked the “Kerukatoru’s mask” that covers my face.
It’s a good way to hide my face. I’ll ask Iris’ permission later. The “goodies” are “the sea dragon mask to protect my privacy”.
Then I turn to the masked men.
“I want to work with Rafilia-Grace, and I want to do it legitimately, unlike you.”
After saying that, I looked around the guild.
All eyes in the guild were focused on me.
All right, no one has noticed Reggie.
Reggie, now in human form, hides under the table and goes to Rafilia.
Reggie pats Rafilia’s leg. Rafilia, who was stunned, jolts. In the meantime, Reggie hands her a small piece of paper from under her feet. She points at me.
I’ve told Reggie what to write.
‘I’m the one you met at the spa. I want to get rid of the masked men and ask you to do a job for me. If you believe me, I’d like to talk to you.”
My face is hidden behind a mask, so Rafilia can’t see me. Raphilia can’t see me because my face is hidden behind a mask.
Rafilia’s face turns bright red.
Reggie whispered to her that it was confidential information.
This was a bet. If I want her to believe me that she has met me before, and that I’m the one who accidentally saw her naked in a hot spring resort in the spa town of Rihgerda…
I had to tell her that I knew she had three moles in a row on the right side of her belly button.
“… Oh, that time …”
Rafilia’s eyes met mine.
Rafilia nods looking mellow. She doesn’t look angry. On the contrary, she has a soft face. At least she doesn’t seem to be hated.
Reggie points a finger at me. Then, while crawling under the table, it went to the corner of the room. With a plain face, it mixes with the people who look at us in an unconcerned manner.
“Thank you again, Raphilia-Grace.”
I bowed my head to Rafilia.
Now it’s time to negotiate.
“I need your help. Can you help me with my work?”
“Oh… yes…”
“What the hell are you doing? Are you kidding me? What’s with the mask?”
Interrupting Rafilia’s words, the masked man said.
“It’s the mask of the sea dragon Kerukatoru.”
I replied, still wearing my festival mask.
“If these people are visitors, they may know my face. I want to keep my identity a secret as much as possible. Besides, they’re wearing masks too. It’s not fair for me to expose my true face.”
“Are you really going to be a hero of the sea dragon? You don’t have to talk to a suspicious guy wearing a mask, Rafilia-Grace!”
“”Eh?””
Rafilia and I pointed at the masked men at the same time.
Behind the silvery masks, the men’s eyes widened. I’m sure you’re not expecting me to say that.
” We are the Order of Divine Command. We’re not like you.”
“The Order of Divine Command?”
I look at Rafilia. She shakes her head. She doesn’t seem to know either.
“Don’t you know? It’s the party that currently boasts the highest quest capture rate in Irgafa. This silver mask is a proof that you are a member of the Order of DIvine. It’s different from the festival mask.”
“I see. But I don’t know you.”
I looked at Raphilia.
“And …in case you’re wondering, Rafilia and I know each other. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you’re willing to negotiate in this situation.”
The rest is whether Rafilia believes in this.
At the hot springs … it was not a very good encounter.
“I know, I know. He’s a …… person I’ll never forget.”
“Is it okay to negotiate as it is?”
“Not at all…”
Well, if I had such a pressure interview, would I get a fever?
Did Rafilia need money to go home? Then, what about these conditions?
“The job I would like to ask Rafilia-san is ‘Elder Slime Countermeasures’. The required time is about 2 hours at the longest. There is no battle. The reward is 120 Arsha.”
“If you are satisfied with these conditions, please help us. Rafilia Grace ”
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