Chapter 287: Secure a Base and Lunch Break (2/2)

Looks like you succeeded. [Reinbach]

Its only one success, but if we fix the environment here, even a land like this should be able to produce food through Slime Farming. Ill produce food for later too and continue observing. Theres a chance that the miasma might seep into the soil given enough time, but the planters have already been coated with light-attribute mana, so that shouldnt be a problem. Regardless, Im sure even normal people can reproduce my results. I dont know if enough profit can be made to make it worth the effort, but Ill be making a report to Reinhart-san later about this, so Ill ask him then to check. [Ryouma]

Many villages have fallen because they couldnt do work due to the miasma, so if your results can really be reproduced with enough training, Im sure it will be a great help to many people and villages. The Grave Slime and that spell of yours should also make the subjugation of undead that much safer. It makes me look forward to the future. [Reinbach]

Especially since the problem with that spell is that it requires the continuous burning of food. If food could be produced on site, the burden of procuring and transporting food will dramatically decrease, and the efficiency becomes that much higher. [Sebasu]

Reinbach-sama, the previous duke, and Sebasu-san, who a.s.sists him, seemed to have something in mind and were really happy.

Is there anything you would like, Ryouma-kun? [Reinbach]

Reinbach-sama, youre always so quick to talk about rewards. [Ryouma]

You would be rewarded as a specialist even if you provided only the information pertaining to the Grave Slime since it can be an effective way of dealing with the undead. [Reinbach]

Even if you tell me that Theres nothing I particularly want right now I mean, Ive already received too many things.

For example, the money I gave out during the incident at the end of the year has been promised back to me in installments. And on top of that, I received social standing through the job of Specialist and was even given tax exemption on a portion of my income. My income is also s...o...b..lling to the point that its actually terrifying.

And theyre asking me if theres anything else I Oh, right!

How about a new lab? It would be great for researching the grave slime, and it would be really convenient if I could use a land like this freely. I was wondering what to do about the feed too once I got back. [Ryouma]

Their numbers have already gone past 1,000 just this morning, right? I was really surprised when I saw that. [Remilie]

As someone who was used to the reproduction of slimes, however, I was more surprised that they ate enough undead to increase their numbers by that much and still have only consumed a fraction of all the undead. In any case, since theres so many of them, Im going to need just that much to feed them all.

Due to the nature of slimes, they wont die even if they cant have their favorite food. Theyll eat whatever is available and evolve into another variant. Thats not a bad thing per se, but its not conducive to observing a single species for a long time, so it would be best to have a location I could regularly procure undead from.

It wouldnt be a problem if they were fine with normal animal meat, but [Ryouma]

Its another story if they need undead, huh. There are several places in the Jamil Duchy that have been corroded by miasma, so you can use those for your lab. We dont know what to do with them either, so if anything, youd be helping us out if you were to take them off our hands.

However, something like that wont suffice as compensation You might not mind but others will. [Reinbach]

It will look like a troublesome territory was pushed onto you. [Remilie]

How about you stop thinking about it and just accept coin? Theres nothing wrong with having lots of coin, right? [Schieber]

About that Recently, Ive actually been told to spend more. [Ryouma]

My business has grown thanks to the large amount of money from the dukes family. And by being appointed as a specialist, the laundromat also turned into a semi-official company.

Moreover, I am also receiving support from the duke through my research funds. In other words, tax is being used to fund me, so its more important than ever to clarify the flow of money.

Thats why we hired a tax collector and a legal officer from the dukes family to work for us. [Ryouma]

Even in my previous life, there has never been a shortage of government subsidy abuse, as well as the bas.h.i.+ng and criticisms on the media and internet. In the past, such matters didnt really have anything to do with me and were just things that I read on the screen, but now, there was a chance that those same criticisms might fall on me.

Ive been told that an annual review by the Merchant Guild was sufficient for the average business owner, and Ive been told that it wouldnt be a problem for me either, but I wanted to be sure. Thats why I went out of my way to get the duke to refer me to an expert as part of my reward.

So that former tax official told you to use more money? [Schieber]

We could produce vegetables and grains through Slime Farming, and weve also started to produce alcohol and processed food from our produce, so we were completely self-sufficient when it came to our meals. Most of our living necessities were also self-produced, so we barely used any money other than for the stores management. [Ryouma]

The business expense and tax exemption privileges wouldnt be a problem for last year, but I was told to be more conscientious from this year onwards. I was thinking that tax levied would go to the dukes family anyway and become the dukes familys profits or be used for the benefit of the duchy, but

Reinhart-san saw through me and instructed the people he sent to stop me if I tried to pay more tax than I needed to and to make sure that I used the money for my own sake. Steyer-san, the former tax official, himself told me so. I was also told that it wouldnt be good to donate too much to the church and was restricted in that regard. [Ryouma]

It might have been obvious since hes a former tax official, but he was really devoted to his duties, and he completely crushed my shallow wit. He said that a tax collectors job was to collect the amount of tax as prescribed. He was also presently an employee of the store and not of the duke. Thats why he says its his job to maximize the profits of the store and pay only the right amount of tax.

I didnt have a lot of leeway in my finances in my previous life, so I couldnt spend money to support anyone, but if I had a lot of money, I dont think I would have regretted or hesitated to splurge. But he wouldnt be able to understand that even if I tried to pa.s.sionately explain it to him.

In the end, he just told me, Ive seen owners trying to get away from paying taxes and owners wanting to bribe the duke, but its my first time seeing someone who just wants to pay more tax. [Ryouma]

Well, thats true [Schieber]

I understand that Im in an enviable position, but I have little to no experience having lots of money, so I really dont know how Im supposed to use it. In the end, Ill either just use the money to start a new project or repeat what I did at the end of the year. [Ryouma]

Despite not knowing how to use money, you seem to be managing your a.s.sets quite well. [Remilie]

Starting a new project, using money for the sake of the future Those are all correct ways of using money. [Reinbach]

Its working out somehow thanks to the advice of my excellent managers and the cooperation of my subordinates. [Ryouma]

I have a lot of people supporting me now.

Ive entered a ton of industries. It would have been unthinkable in previous life.

If not for all those people helping me, the only idea I have to use my money is to save.

Sorry to keep you waiting. [Sebasu]

Looks like Sebasu-san finished making lunch while we were talking.

We still have a lot of things left to do, so I better make sure to fill myself up.

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