The Man Picked up by the Gods Volume 1 Chapter 20

TL Note:

Schedule Changes:

Alright guys, so I'm taking summer class for extra credits and it's starting this week. So with that, a change in schedule. No chapters on T, W, and TH. Don't get your hopes up but I'll at least try to get a chapter out on Saturdays. With this we're down to 4 chapters a week from 5. 

まったくあやつは……儂の作った街をより良くしようとしてくれるのは嬉しいが、ああなると暫く使い物にならんわぃ

Volume 1 Chapter 20

“A while ago? What do you mean?”

“How very suspicious, Ryouma-san.”

Mentioned Rheinbach-sama at the obvious lie.

“If you have something to say, it’s ok to say it, you know?”

Rheinhart-san, suddenly understanding, said.

“I see. Then you know I can use Alchemy, right?”

“That’s right. The papers have already been processed.”

“I think I can still produce some iron from this mine if I use Alchemy.”

At those words, this time everyone else aside from Ryouma stiffened.

Rheinbach-sama couldn’t help but ask

“Yes. I once talked about how I managed to remove the poison from the salt in the salt mountain in the Forest of Gana, right?”

“In the same way I removed the poison from the salt, this time I can gather the soil and produce iron. That red soil is the color of rust. Say, if one were to leave his sword wet, over time it would get rusty, right?”

“That’s true but… Ryouma-kun, if you think you can do it, why don’t you try doing it? I actually have a way to sell something like that legally without catching attention.”

It is an iron ingot with 100% purity.

Having understood that he had succeeded, Ryouma handed the ingot to Rheinhart-san and had him use ‘Identify’ on it.

“You really were able to do it……………………I’m sorry, Ryouma-kun.”

Rheinhart was shocked that Ryouma was actually able to produce iron. While he was dumfounded for a while, he quickly put himself together and bowed his head deeply. At that sudden behavior, Ryouma was at a lost.

“Eh!? Why all of the sudden!? Please raise your head!”

At those words Rheinhart raised his head but he spoke with a face that looked very apologetic.

“Although I didn’t think you’d swindle others, but because there are a lot of people who say they can make gold and swindle others, I thought for sure you wouldn’t be able to do it. I’m sorry for not having been able to trust you.”

When Ryouma finally understood what was bothering Rheinhart, he immediately told him that he doesn’t mind, however, Rheinhart did not look satisfied. Rheinhart kept apologizing, and Ryouma kept forgiving, their conversation kept moving parallel to each other until Elize and Rheinbach finally interfered. When they finished talking, Sebasu spoke up.

“Rheinhart-sama, about this iron…”

“Unfortunately, we cannot sell these things.”

“This thing is certainly iron and Ryouma-sama’s ability to perform Alchemy is truly awe-inspiring, however, there is just one problem, the purity is too high.”

Having been told that, Rheinhart, Elize, and Rheinbach used ‘Identify’ again. Afterwards, they each breathe out a defeated sigh. Seeing those three’s expressions, Ryouma couldn't help but ask what was wrong.

Apparently in this world, the highest purity that can be sold has 10% impurity. And the inferior ones have greater than 40%. If there happened to be an iron with 0% impurity, meaning a pure iron, there would be a huge commotion over it and there would be many people who would try to find out the manufacturing method.

Receiving that explanation, Ryouma realized what the problem was. At the same time, he thought of a way to fix it.

Ryouma quickly drew a hexagram within a circle, and put on top of it the ingot and the soil he got when he extracted the iron. And then he allowed his magic power to flow into the formation.

The hexagram formation is for using Alchemy’s ‘Mixing’. Using this, one will be able to mix several materials without bias. Because of this, Ryouma was able to lower the purity of the ingot by mixing it with the original material. As a result its color changed to black. When he used identify on it this came out,

Iron Ingot

Grumbled, Rheinbach.

The madam looked at Rheinhart and asked

“Since this is to help Elia gain some experience and since Ryouma-kun already has some experience, Ryouma will also have to step back. If she needs help, at most just talk to her.”

Suddenly having a problem pushed onto you, a normal person would be troubled. Elia, however, was someone who had always received their training. And so this is how she replied,

“I understand, I’ll do my best.”

From the looks of things, it would appear she’s used to suddenly being given a problem. 

“It’s dark and I can’t see very well.”

Elia was different compared to Ryouma who had always hunted during the night in the forest.

“Ryouma-san, what do you do when hunting during the night?”

“I can’t use Search. Can Ryouma-san use Search?”

“How do I use it? I know the theory, but I don't actually know how to apply it.”

Hearing that, Ryouma thought for a while. Then he created a container made out of stone with earth magic and filled it up with water using water magic.

“Please look at this.”

“I get it. That explanation was really easy to understand. Well then, ‘Search’ !”

Elia immediately invocated the magic, ‘Search’. At that instant, magic power flowed into the surroundings with Elia as its center.

“There are a lot of monsters just a little bit ahead of us!”

“Is that so? Looks like I need to practice.”

“I understand. Thank you, Ryouma-san.”

Ryouma nodded and invocated ‘Search’. And as Elia mentioned, there were a lot of monsters ahead.

“If we go this way, the road will get wider and there’s an empty cave ahead. I am getting a lot of response from the ceiling of that place. It looks like there are plenty of monsters filling the ceiling, they’re probably cave bats.”

“If they’re in the ceiling, then they’re probably cave bats.”

“If there’s so much of them that they’re filling up the ceiling then… Elia, will you be alright?”

Said Rheinbach-sama.

Hearing that, the three couldn't help but ask at the same time,

“Yes. If it goes well I may be able to round up the bats.”

Ryouma then explained while he confirmed the bat’s ecology.

At that, he found out that the Cave Bat’s ecology is not that different from the bats of Earth. Knowing that, Ryouma proposed the use of sound. He figured, if they were to use a magic that can create a powerful sound, it should be able to knock the cave bats out.

Actually, while he was living in the forest, Ryouma was able to create several sound magic.

A magic that silences the sound surrounding the target, ‘Silent’. A magic that does the opposite and makes the sound louder, ‘Big Voice’. A magic that allows sound to reach far, ‘Whisper’. While practicing Big Sound, Ryouma was accidently able to produce a sound explosion capable of destroying the ear drums, which he called ‘Stun Sound’ and by combining it with ‘Whisper’ he was able to create a remote non-lethal magic called ‘Sound Bomb.

Sound Bomb is extremely powerful but it has the downside of making a big noise. Using this magic, it was possible to destroy the ear drums of the Black Bear in one shot, causing it to faint. Ryouma figured that if this was used against the bats it would have some effect.

Only, there were currently three problems. The first is whether or not the noise it produces will cause the tunnel to collapse or not, the second is whether there are people around or not and the last one is what will happen if it fails to dispose of the bats.

Ryouma asked Rheinbach about the first question and as it turns out, since the tunnel has been strengthened by earth magic, there’s nothing to worry about regarding the cave collapsing. As for the second problem, it’s possible to figure out if there are any people around by just using ‘Search’ and then in the instance that the ‘Sound Bomb’ fails to dispose of the bats, then Ryouma will deal with it using the slimes.

Ryouma brought out the Sticky Slime from the Dimension Home and using ‘Enlarge’ had it block the tunnel, giving it the order to act as some kind of net. The slime, following that order, used the ‘Sticky Liquid’ to create a net. Ryouma then put up a sound proofing barrier preventing the sound from the outside from going inside.

“ ‘Search’ ……………… Good, there’s no one there. The preparations have been completed.”

“We're ready as well, you can go anytime you want.”

“This is amazing.”

“Amazing, Ryouma-san!”

“Well cave bats don’t really sell that well so...”

Hearing that, Ryouma made the sticky slime split and had the 364 sticky slimes eat all of the cave bats. After that, Ryouma felt that the sticky slimes have become able to split again, so he decided to have them split once he got back home to the lodging.

After that, Ryouma and his slime continued to support Elia while she hunted the small rats for the next hour.

Afterwards, the four people left the tunnel. After they had rested, they were planning to go to the next dungeon, but at that moment, Rheinhart came over. And then he said,

“Ryouma-kun, can you make a few more samples of the iron we are going to sell?”

And so, because of that, Ryouma had to separate from the others to make more ingots.

He finished the ingots fairly quickly, but the three had already gone into the tunnel. Being bored, Ryouma thought of entering a tunnel but instead started making the slimes split.

However that also ended in an hour and without anything to do, Ryouma took out the slimes from the Dimension Home and passed the time by training.

Ryouma used Earth Magic to make a rod out of stone and used it along with his fists to hit the slimes. In response, the slimes either dodged that or defended.

Ryouma did something like this from time to time while in the forest to train the slimes. The slimes may be weak monsters but unless one hits the nucleus inside their body or hits the soft semi-liquid body of theirs, they can’t die.

The slime can make the nucleus inside its body go anywhere. So when Ryouma is fighting the slimes, the slimes move the nucleus to the opposite direction to protect it and escape from the attack with its semi-liquid body. In the instance where it is kicked to the ground, the slimes can do the same thing to negate the damage.

Right after taming it wasn’t possible, but after being together for a long time, Ryouma began to see the slimes making skillful movement and so he began the training.

Ryouma focused on teaching the slimes the foundation of battle techniques on dodging and defending. Like going under the bosom of the opponent coming at you to cut you down to dodge, and entwining yourself around the hand holding the sword that has come near you or making use of the semi-liquid body and using the enemy’s weapon to parry.

Moreover, while slimes are normally unable to fight except by ramming their body against their opponents, Ryouma’s slimes are able to extend tentacles and use it like some sort of whip. There are also some that can counter attack with weapons as if they were using their hands. Nowadays there are slimes that can extend their bodies and use spears and pseudo-rod techniques.

Also, while Ryouma was practicing with the slimes, Lilian was watching. Lilian couldn’t’ believe her eyes when she saw the slimes executing movements that slimes normally couldn’t, however, Ryouma didn’t notice this.

After this, Lilian went to Sebasu and asked, “Are Slimes able to use battle techniques?” Because of that Sebasu began to worry about her health. Fortunately though, she was able to solve the misunderstanding when she mentioned that she was talking about Ryouma’s slimes. However, being unable to believe that slimes could use battle techniques, Sebasu said, “Ryouma-sama’s slimes are able to perform skillful movements so maybe that’s what you saw?” Hearing that, Lilian was convinced and she forgot about the slimes.

“Ryouma-san!”

“Yes, the training for today has ended. But more than that, I have a present for Ryouma san.”

“Fufufu… If it’s Ryouma, I wonder if you’ll like it?”

As Elia and Elize said that, Rheinbach came with a box made out of a stone. Looks like it was made with earth magic.

“Inside this is a magical beast, it’s weak but you should still be careful.”

Hearing that it’s a magical beast, Ryouma opened the lid while being cautious. In the next moment, Ryouma was captivated when he saw what was inside.

“Slime?”

What was inside was a dark grey Slime. It was obviously not a normal slime, but it was a kind of slime Ryouma had never seen.

“It’s a high class slime called Metal Slime. We saw it by chance so we caught it.”

When he came, Rheinhart greeted him,

“Yes. It’s unfortunate that I am unable to get many opportunities to meet with the members of the Duke’s Household like this. But I’m happy to see that you are all doing well. 

And as for this young lad here, I believe it’s the first time we’ve met. My name is Serge Morgan. I am the president of the Morgan Firm.”

“I am Ryouma Takebayashi. Because of some twist of fate I’ve come to be in the care of the Jamil Household. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Although Serge was surprised at Ryouma’s manner of speech, he showed a smile. And in response Ryouma also smiled. And although this man's manner of speech was similar to Matthew of the Tamer Guild, Ryouma wasn’t able to feel the sort of ill will he felt from Matthew.

Like this their greetings ended, and they went onto the main topic.

Chapter end