Chapter 9

"Hmm, this is the place with the most complaints.

I'll have you take care of this area."

The place Oranje pointed to was precisely the boundary between the commoner district and the noble district.

To put it bluntly, it was the area where the nobles barely managed to maintain their status.

Many of them, who only held titles or had very small territories, took great pride in being nobles and often had poor personalities.

Their pride in being different from commoners often led to unpleasant attitudes.

Most of them were likely of commoner origin if you traced their past a bit.

To put it more bluntly, they were troublesome people who only had a petty noble's pride.

There were many complaints from such people.

"This is an enlarged map of the area.

Maps aren't free, so don't lose it."

Ji was handed another rolled-up piece of paper.

When he opened it, it showed an enlarged map of the area Oranje had pointed to, with the garbage collection points and particularly noisy houses marked.

"Do you understand how to do it?

You'll need to transport the garbage to the carts pulled by horses..."

"I don't need horses or carts."

Ji answered confidently.

He thought Oranje knew what he was doing since he hadn't asked about it until now.

However, Oranje assumed that since Ji hadn't been to the slums, he didn't know what to do.

But it seemed Ji knew everything and even said he didn't need anything.

"Hmph, well, fine.

The time and method are up to you.

Just be careful not to be too late, as that will also lead to complaints."

"Hehe, you can count on me."

"If you can't do it, be prepared for the consequences."

The negotiation was settled.

It was a one-time chance, but one time was enough.

Oranje also braced himself for severe complaints.

"I understand.

Then, one more thing for success."

"What is it?"

"There's something I need you to prepare..."

While Ji was making a small request, Fyos had already finished his tea.

---

"Hmm, hmm."

The next day, Ji visited Oranje early in the morning and then headed to the designated noble district.

The town was still dim and had few people around in the early morning.

The morning air was cool and pleasant.

Moreover, Ji was wearing a large dark blue cloak over his usual tattered clothes.

Usually, people would look at him with annoyance, but today, no one would recognize him as a pauper just by his clothes.

The cloak he had requested the previous day was to avoid being treated worse than in the commoner district if a pauper's child was seen wandering in the noble district.

He needed to look like he wouldn't be chased away, even if he didn't look like a noble's child.

The cloak was a bit large, but it was good because it gave him room to carry Fyos.

After passing through the commoner district and entering the noble district, he headed to the collection point near the noisy house.

It was an empty lot.

Now, it was surrounded by a high wooden wall and used as a garbage collection point.

Ji didn't know the details, but when a house was abandoned, it was either due to a promotion or a downfall.

The fact that it remained an empty lot suggested that the owner had likely failed in business or had a foolish son, and the nobles, who disliked ominous things, couldn't find a buyer.

Even if this land were put up for sale again, no one would buy it because it had become a garbage collection point.

Still, it was surprising that the collection point was established despite the strong opposition from the surrounding area, especially the neighbors.

Even commoners would dislike having garbage next to their homes.

The pile of garbage was in large burlap bags, so it looked brown.

It was easy to imagine how difficult it would be to transport this amount quickly.

Nobles produced more garbage than commoners.

This was because commoners tried to use things until the last possible moment, while nobles did not.

Food was a good example.

Unlike commoners, who would eat food that was almost spoiled, nobles would throw it away at an early stage.

Some nobles would even throw away clothes if they got a tear.

It was hard not to think it was wasteful, but since it was a matter of values, he had no intention of criticizing.

If Ji had the means, he would prefer new things over something that was almost spoiled.

"Alright, I'm counting on you."

Ji released Fyos, who had been carried, into the collection point.

Fyos hopped and approached the garbage, covering a bag and absorbing it into his body.

The burlap bag slowly dissolved, revealing the contents. As food scraps and vegetable peels appeared, they quickly dissolved as well.

It took longer than expected.

Despite his big talk, this might lead to complaints if someone saw him working.

A bit of worry crossed his mind, but as Fyos got used to the work, his efficiency improved.

He gradually became faster at dissolving the garbage and could handle multiple bags at once.

The garbage from the noble district included a lot of still-edible food of good quality.

While slimes could eat anything, they had preferences, just like humans.

Even though they could digest and absorb anything, Fyos preferred food that humans could eat, especially things that tasted good.

The garbage from the nobles included leftovers from meals, making it Fyos' favorite type of garbage.

By the time Fyos had dissolved all the garbage, his body had grown larger.

In the wild, it was rare to see a slime in this state, but their body volume increased until they completely absorbed what they had eaten.

Fyos, like other slimes, had grown significantly because he had absorbed a lot of garbage at once.

However, if he got too big, it would be hard to carry, so Ji waited for him to shrink back to his original size.

It was a bit strange to think about the garbage inside, but Ji jumped into the larger Fyos.

Fyos' body rippled and enveloped Ji.

It was a strange sensation.

Ji, who had never experienced this feeling before, couldn't describe it.

The soft, body-fitting texture was almost sleep-inducing.

It was even more tempting because it was early in the morning.

Food, especially good food, was digested and absorbed quickly.

Fyos soon shrank, and Ji got off and carried him to the next collection point.

With practice and the temporary increase in size due to undigested garbage, the efficiency of garbage disposal improved even more.

Fyos wrapped and dissolved the garbage, then carried it.

Fyos seemed to understand something and stayed at a size that could be carried, even when he grew larger.

Ji could control him to some extent, managing to carry him even when his vision was partially blocked.

Although he would need to set aside time for Fyos to fully absorb the garbage later, it wasn't a problem to handle a large amount at once, as he had done it before.

The problem was more on Ji's side.

Fyos' processing speed was fine, but Ji's stamina couldn't keep up.

Unlike the rambunctious kids in the slums, Ji was relatively quiet and had the stamina of a child.

He was somewhat frail and, while his exact age was unknown, he was smaller than other children his age.

There were fewer collection points in the noble district, and they were farther apart, so it took more time to move between them.

Ji caught his breath while Fyos was processing the garbage, but by the end, Fyos was faster.

Thanks to his efforts, he finished the garbage disposal before the sun was fully up.

He was tired but left the noble district before anyone saw him.

If a pauper's child were seen, it would ruin everything.

He hurried to the commoner district and took off his hood with relief.

The commoner district, where Ji now lived, was bustling with shops and people.

There were even street vendors selling simple breakfasts for those who started work early.

He took deep breaths to steady his ragged breathing, enjoying the good smell.

But he had no money.

He resisted the urge to be drawn to the street vendors and headed to Oranje's place.

"What is it? Did you have a problem?"

As soon as he entered the merchant's office without knocking, Oranje looked at him with a puzzled expression.

It was too early, even for a team of five.

Oranje suspected he had abandoned the job.

"If I'm here, you should know the reason, right?"

Ji sat in the same chair as before.

During the walk, Fyos had shrunk to a more stable size.

He was still slightly larger, but it was within an acceptable range.

Fyos was in a good mood because he had eaten a lot of food, and that feeling was faintly transmitted to Ji.

"I completed the job today."

"Huh?"

Oranje stopped writing and widened his eyes.

His thoughts about potential complaints were interrupted.

"…You're not lying, are you?"

"Of course not."

Oranje, who was more sensitive to lies as a merchant, moved from his desk to in front of Ji.

He observed Ji closely, but the child showed no signs of lying, such as avoiding eye contact or fidgeting.

Oranje deliberately didn't say anything next.

A timid person would sweat, fidget, or lick their lips.

Even a strong-willed person, if inexperienced, would be somewhat flustered by Oranje's intense gaze.

But Ji's attitude was confident and self-assured.

If he were lying, he would be a great actor.

With such courage, he could certainly become a merchant.

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