Chapter 7

It has been a few days since I received a treatment space in the tavern.

In the morning, I search for treasure chests on the fourth floor, and in the afternoon, I drink at the tavern while looking at Yuell's smile and her flashing miniskirt.

Occasionally, one or two customers come for treatment every hour.

I can say that the tavern's temporary treatment clinic has been a success.

After all, there are no disadvantages for me.

I just need to drink and eat as usual in the tavern where I always stay, and cast healing magic when needed.

That alone brings in a few hundred zenni each time.

Moreover, I don't have to pay a kickback to the tavern.

There aren't many customers, but since there are no costs for rent or staff, it might be more profitable than a small treatment clinic like Ellis's.

Besides, the location of the tavern is excellent.

No patients with severe injuries requiring the use of Exheal come here.

If adventurers suffer serious injuries during their dungeon exploration, they are usually treated at the adventurer's guild's treatment facility.

Even if ordinary people in the city get seriously ill or injured, they wouldn't think of bringing them to a treatment facility in a tavern.

They would likely take them to a larger treatment facility with inpatient facilities.

In other words, things are going smoothly.

Very smoothly.

However, there is one problem that needs to be solved urgently.

If this problem isn't solved, it could lead to significant trouble.

But I can't shout about it loudly.

This is a problem that everyone potentially faces, and in my current situation, it's a precarious balance.

The problem is my libido.

To put it bluntly, I have no way to relieve my sexual desire.

It might seem trivial.

Very trivial.

But that doesn't mean it can't be solved.

In the morning, when I wake up suddenly.

Yuell's intense gaze at the tent in the thin blanket.

The sense of crisis that runs through me.

This can't go on.

It absolutely can't go on like this.

Since she is a slave and still young, that's true.

But sleeping in the same bed with a girl I have no intention of touching was a mistake from the start.

So, I tried to separate the rooms.

Yuell looked at me with a sad, tearful expression.

I couldn't do it.

After that, I tried to get a twin room.

Yuell's expression became even darker, and she bit her lower lip tightly, with large tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

Her hand gripped the hem of my clothes tightly, trembling slightly.

I couldn't do it.

The only thing I can do now is to somehow deal with my libido.

But Yuell is always with me.

During dungeon exploration, meals, and even in bed.

I can't even find time to be alone.

If I say I'm going out and ask her to wait at the inn, Yuell looks like an abandoned puppy.

I don't have anyone to consult with.

I've only been in this world for a little over three months.

Moreover, I've been living in Ellis's treatment clinic the whole time.

I don't even have any male friends.

Consulting a girl might be a good idea, but it would likely exacerbate the problem.

Given my personality.

There's nothing I can do.

I'm at a dead end—

...Wait, no, I do.

I remember, I do have male friends.

Yes, I'll consult with them.

So, I'm at the tavern.

I brought Eight and Gazer, the guys known as AB, into the men's restroom.

"Ha ha ha ha! No, Shiki, isn't it that Yuell wants to be enjoyed too? Sure, she's still small and doesn't have any chest, but with that much cuteness, a reaction is inevitable, right?"

That's Gazer's opinion.

"No, Gazer, think about why Shiki came to us for advice. He wants to relieve his desire without touching Yuell and without being found out, right?"

That's Eight.

I'm starting to understand their personalities.

Gazer is basically an idiot, while Eight is relatively calm.

Eight's speech is also slightly more polite, and I can sense a bit of intelligence.

"Eight is right. I have no intention of touching Yuell, and I want a way to relieve my desire without doing so."

"Troublesome, huh? Just do it in the toilet."

Gazer said this while moving his hand up and down.

Stop it.

Stop that movement.

It's not funny when someone named Gazer does that.

It makes me feel sick.

"Besides, there's the smell. Yuell often gets close to me. If I could wash my body immediately, it would be fine, but I can't. I'm afraid she'll notice. Is there any good method?"

Yuell often buries her face in my abdomen.

Recently, when I pet her, she gets so close that it feels like she's hugging me.

Moreover, she probably smells me.

Like a dog.

She's cute, but...

If I go to the toilet for that purpose and do it right after, it would be a disaster.

"There is. A good method."

That's Eight.

I thought it was a dead end, but there is a method.

Eight is impressive.

His expression and gestures exude intelligence and dignity.

He's a reliable man.

By the way, Wisdom and Eight seem similar.

"Really!? Please, tell me!"

"Use the slime jelly dropped from the slimes on the seventh floor of the dungeon."

Slime jelly.

I know it.

I've seen it in powdered form at grocery stores.

Its usage is similar to cornstarch.

The difference is that it can eliminate the smell of meat, reducing the preparation time.

"Slime jelly? You mean the one used to thicken food?"

"Yeah, Gazer probably doesn't know because he's a brothel guy. Slime jelly is a soft, transparent lump about twenty centimeters in size when dropped. It's processed and used."

I'm starting to see the big picture.

It's that, right?

Like the famous red and white striped one.

Slime Jelly X.

"But, that won't solve the smell problem, right?"

No matter what tools are used, if the smell isn't solved, it's meaningless.

"No, it's not a problem. If you've used slime jelly in cooking, you know it eliminates the smell of meat. But have you ever eaten raw slime jelly?"

I don't think I have.

Whether it's used in a sauce or soup, it's usually cooked.

Even when used to prepare meat, it's always cooked afterward.

"Raw slime jelly absorbs the smell of anything it touches, not just meat. It's very weak to heat, so the property disappears when heated. High-end restaurants that value the flavor of ingredients never use slime jelly."

Wow.

It might work.

He must use it often.

He called Gazer a brothel guy.

So, what are you, then?

"Moreover, when you add water to the slime jelly, it becomes slippery. It has a perfect texture. If you add a lot of water, it dissolves quickly. A wise person like you would understand, right?"

The toilets in this city are water-flushed.

That's what he means.

"Ah! Thank you, Eight, you're my soulmate!!"

"You're my savior. This is nothing for me."

I feel a warmth in my eyes.

Eight, we are best friends.

This is what friendship is.

I'm glad my first friend in this world is you.

Gazer? That idiot doesn't know.

"But, there is one problem."

Problem?

From what I heard, there didn't seem to be any problems.

"The lump of slime jelly is not available on the market. It's sold directly to manufacturers by the adventurer's guild, where it's processed into powder. In other words, the only way to get it is to go to the dungeon and collect it yourself."

What?

How can that be?

No, wait.

Calm down.

"Can't you just buy it at the adventurer's guild?"

"Can you say that in front of the beautiful receptionists at the adventurer's guild? Buying a lump of slime jelly is like declaring, 'I'm going to do something inappropriate with slime jelly.'"

Eight says this with a sigh.

I imagine it.

The receptionist with shoulder-length brown hair and fluffy dog ears on her head.

She's probably around twenty years old.

Her big, round eyes and a bright, professional smile.

She's probably been working for two or three years.

The freshness of a new employee has faded, and she's just starting to gain confidence.

I approach her.

At first, she responds with a practiced, gentle smile.

But the moment she hears my request, her smile tenses.

A mix of hidden contempt and professional pride.

She scolds me internally but gives me a slightly stiff smile.

Reluctantly, she hands me the slime jelly.

As I take it, I grip her hand tightly.

I look into her wide, surprised eyes, slowly lower my gaze, and smile slyly.

Her professional smile cracks, revealing a look of disgust.

She pulls back, as if protecting herself.

I feel a bit excited.

No.

No.

Calm down.

I can't let a moment of pleasure ruin my reputation.

I understand.

I can't buy it.

So, I have to go to the seventh floor of the dungeon.

But we're only on the fourth floor.

"Damn! After coming this far! Is it impossible? Do I have to give up!?"

What a mess.

It will take time to reach the seventh floor.

Can I endure?

Even if it takes a few days to reach the seventh floor, my libido is already at its limit.

A hand is extended in front of me, Eight's hand.

"Shiki, don't be so sad. We're friends, right?"

In his hand is a lump of slime jelly.

"Y-You're giving it to me?"

"Yeah, of course."

Eight smiles brightly.

His smile is so radiant.

It feels like warm spring sunlight to me.

Now I can understand how Eight felt when I healed him in the dungeon.

A ray of light piercing through the dark despair.

A feeling of the world being filled with light.

I am truly saved by Eight.

"Eight, Eight!!"

Thank you.

I have a great friend.

I'm glad I could help Eight.

Red light streams in from the window, announcing the beautiful sunset that marks the end of the day.

Taking a deep breath, the fresh air fills my lungs.

Looking outside, I feel a slight nostalgia for a landscape different from my hometown.

But, holding the trembling slime jelly in my hand, I think to myself.

I'm glad I came to this world.