I’ve Been Reincarnated as a Tentacle Slime~ I Want to Live a Comfortable, Secure Life and Do Whatever I Want~ - Chapter 138

◆ A few days ago: Alfred’s POV ◆

“Alfred-sama! The cargo has all been loaded!”

The dog-eared boy, Kid, whom I bought recently, reported to me.

Kid not only had a keen sense of smell but also possessed the [Riding] skill and could drive a carriage. He was the perfect slave for me now.

“Good work. After you finish your meal, we’ll head out.”

I loaded sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, and other new seeds (seed potatoes and seedlings), along with various types of alcohol, except for honey mead.

Regarding the alcohol, it’s just my guess, but since honey mead was the only kind served at the village meals, I figured there would be few options.

After that, once I receive the dairy cows, sheep, and goats from Gordon’s village past Padia, the cargo will be complete.

Since the village only had chickens, I figured they would want them as well.

–

“Master, is it okay for me to eat the same meal…?”

“Yeah, that means I expect you to work hard enough to deserve it.”

“This is amazing!! I’ve never had fire ox steak before!! — So, Master, if your business goes well, will I be able to eat this again?”

“That’s right. If you work as expected.”

Typically, slaves don’t eat the same food as their masters, and even I only eat fire ox on rare occasions.

If I let them experience eating good food, they’ll be more motivated to work hard to eat it again.

Do your best… In times of emergency, your detection skills will be crucial.

After eating, we made our way to Padia town.

◆◆◆ The Following Day ◆◆◆

“I can’t believe you’re letting me stay at the room as you at the inn… I’ll definitely follow you, Master!”

Until recently, Kid only scanned the surroundings from the cart, but from this day on, he began stopping the cart and exploring the area on foot.

A slave cannot change their master by themselves. So, they must show their worth in their current environment and earn better treatment.

Kid’s current treatment is among the highest for slaves. He probably doesn’t want to lose this treatment, which is why he’s working hard.

“Master, it’s fine. There’s no human scent around here.”

“I see. Then let’s move forward.”

◆◆ The Day They Arrive at Cruz Village ◆◆

After receiving livestock in Gordon’s village, we continued our journey with two carriages.

Maybe the operation in Spada went smoothly, as no one followed me and we safely arrived near the village.

“That’s quite the wall… Master.”

(I don’t remember a wall being here…?)

I thought the wall was further in last time… but I wasn’t calm back then, so it might have actually been here.

The number of soldiers was the same as before, with two on either side of the gate and two on top of the wall.

“Alfred-sama, I presume? Thank you for coming. Please follow me.”

I was guided into the village by a female soldier wearing bronze armor.

It seems my feeling of unease was right, as I passed through the gate and saw nothing but cultivated fields stretching out on both sides, about 300 meters wide. Beyond that, another gate could be seen.

To the right of the cobblestone path, villagers were working the fields. Their clothes were new, with some even wearing outfits similar to those of city girls.

It seems like the village has developed a lot since the last time I was here.

What shocked me further was that beyond the second castle gate, to the left, there were numerous buildings similar to those in the city: white walls, blue roofs, and two- to three-story structures.

It looked as if part of the city’s scenery had been cut off and placed here.

–

I was guided into the luxurious reception room, just like last time, where soldiers wearing bronze armor stood, and an elderly man named Legos sat at the general’s right hand.

I had Kid stand behind me.

“Ah, it’s been a while, though not too long. Thanks for coming. Is that dog-eared individual your companion?”

General Cruz’s gaze grew sharp, exuding an intimidating aura.

He was probably warning me, ‘You’re not telling unnecessary people about this place, are you?’

“This is Kid, my slave. I’ve ordered him not to reveal any information about this place, so there’s no chance of any leaks.”

Slaves can be given forced orders to some extent. While I can’t order them into life-threatening situations, I can compel them with commands like ‘Don’t share this information.’

“I see, that’s good. Now, shall we begin the business negotiations?”

The general’s imposing aura faded, and a softer atmosphere took its place. It seemed I had earned his trust.

–

“This time, I brought seeds for vegetables like sweet potatoes, as well as seed potatoes and seedlings to be planted now. And—”

I informed them that I had brought vegetable seeds, alcohol made in the city, and livestock

Bringing only what was asked for makes you a second-rate merchant. A true merchant brings what the customer desires as well.

◆◆◆ Cruz’s POV◆◆◆

(Oh, this is great!)

Since there’s a lot of fallow land, I’d love to have as many seeds as possible. The alcohol I tried in the city was delicious, and having a variety will make everyone happy.

Moreover, once we can gather wool, the industry won’t just be limited to flax, and getting cow and goat milk will expand the variety of recipes we can make.

Alfred has brought everything I need right now.

I’m glad I’ve been hunting with a target of 10 gold coins a day. With this, I’ll be able to buy everything in cash without resorting to bartering like before.

“Hmm. That’s a good choice. I’d like to buy everything… but we might not have enough pasture to raise the livestock.”

It should be fine if we hunt the grasslands in the Wind zone and turn it into hay, but relying too much on dungeon-produced goods might lead to disaster if something happens.

“If we bury Fire Magic Stones in the cultivated soil, we can transform the land into a grassland. There’s plenty of fallow land, so how about turning that area into pasture?”

(What?! Do magic stones have that kind of power?! Huh? Does this mean Alfred knows I can obtain magic stones?

No, I must have been caught last time. Well, I don’t know why, but it works in my favor if he keeps quiet about it.)

“Come to think of it, that’s right. You were plowing for that purpose, weren’t you?”

I pretended I knew and directed the conversation towards Mika.

“Yes, as Lord Cruz said. We were just about to purchase livestock.”

Mika played along with my plan and turned the fallow land I had plowed into a planned pasture.

“Hmm, then I’ll buy everything this time too. Now, Alfred, it’s your turn to make your purchases, isn’t it?”

◆◆ Alfred’s POV ◆◆

(I’m glad everything sold… I was taking a guess with the livestock and alcohol, but it seems like I was right.)

And to think they were already building the ranch… Has our movements been leaked?

“Honey wine and fruit… And if there’s anything else we can buy, I’d like to fill the wagon as much as possible.”

I don’t know what they will reveal, but I’ll wait to see how they respond.

“Sure… Mia, the inventory list.”

“Yes, Alfred-sama, please take a look here.”

The female soldier handed me an inventory list written on paper.

When I saw it――――

I couldn’t hide my surprise. The items listed were materials that could be gathered from floors 16 to 30 in the dungeon.

Of course, they weren’t listed directly; for example, magic stones were just referred to as yellow stone or green stone with vague names…

Still, if they were written in order from top to bottom, such as 15F, 16F, it would be clear even to an idiot.

It’s probably considered an open secret between the two of us.

“Well then, double the amount of honey mead and fruit from last time, and also…”

What should I buy――――

Is there something that could serve as a good camouflage for being connected to the adventurer who shares the same name as the general in the city…?

When I was in the city, that adventurer often gathered materials from floors 21 to 25. By the time I return, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’ve reached floor 30.

In that case――――

“Would it be alright to buy blue stones (from floor 30), salt (from floor 26), and seashells (from floor 25)?”

Selling materials from the water zone on the second layer should serve as a good cover-up.

“Alright, let’s get everything ready by tomorrow morning. From the looks of the cart, that seems reasonable, right? Oh, and could you gather as many bronze armor magical items with earth attributes as possible?”

“Yes. However, bronze and earth magic stones are always in short supply, so I may not be able to acquire as much as you’d like.”

“They should be restocked soon, so there’s no need to worry.”

I see, the adventurers sent to the city are being sent to obtain that.

Wait, does that mean the general has a slime tamer under his command!?

It’s a big deal that I found out he’s connected to a slime tamer.

Those who have built enough of a friendship to directly request something from a slime tamer generally have amassed a large fortune.

I can feel my excitement growing, and it’s hard to suppress.

“I got it. I’ll do my best to collect everything.”

“Yeah, I know it’ll take some time. I can wait that long.”

–

After finishing the business negotiations, I was allowed to stay in the guest room of the fortress again that night.

Tonight’s dinner in the village was fire ox steak and dungeon fish grilled with salt.

The meal was more luxurious than anything we’d get in the city, and both Kid and I ate eagerly.

I heard from the villagers that sometimes they serve roasted whole pigs… I wonder if I could eat that if I opened a shop here?

Chapter length 3860 characters.