Won't we end up on the street? Oh well, guess we'll survive.

"Are you in need of coin fast?"

[Oh, I don't have any place to stay for the night, so I was looking forward to that reward. How much delayed will it be?]

"*Sigh* Who knows. I'll try and go figure this out."

Then the guard leaves and I am left here with the others.

"How about you come back with us back to the camp?"

[You guys have a camp? What is it for?]

"You see we are all lumberjacks. We just happened to take this slime extermination side job because they couldn't find anyone else. Well, at the rate they are paying anyway."

Oh, I see!

[I'll come along with pleasure!]

Can't be worst than the outdoor no matter what.

Thus our merry party heads toward outside the town to a nearby forest. How are there so many forests around here? I guess this world doesn't have any deforestation issues yet. Good thing I probably won't have to live that again.

Still, humans are destructive by nature it will only be a question of time before it happens. Well, magic might help in this case. As long as there is a way to grow trees fast it should be fine. Wait, is mana perhaps a limited resource too?! I can't sense it anyway so it doesn't concern me.

We finally reach our destination. It turns out to be a big wooden building with lots of bed bunks aligned in rows. There is also a building dedicated to storage and one for the kitchen.

I get a bed assigned to me. One of the bottoms bunks so that my beast companions will be able to sleep nearby. I also get handed a simple change of clothes.

"Tonight let us celebrate and raise a toast to the man who made it so we came out alive of there!"

"To surviving!"

"Thank you!"

[Guys I barely did anything. You could have simply run away from it and it would have been fine.]

"No, they are right. In a normal situation, we would have to rotate to take the vanguard. This would have made it so we would have been tired upon reaching the king slime. We would have probably kept moving as a group closely. We could have all very well been swallowed together. You did save us."

"Of course raising a toast without alcohol won't do. Boys someone go and get some booze for our savior!"

Wow. I barely did anything and I even ate the nucleus. If anything it still turned out alright for me. This encampment also seems relatively poor. I really shouldn't abuse their generosity.

[Don't worry about it. How about we wait to get paid first? I didn't especially do it to save you guys either, so you don't have to feel indebted to me at all.]

"Oh, we know. This is a man's pride. No matter the circumstances you did save us. Even if it wasn't your initial intention."

It seems they won't take no for an answer. Thus I start drinking. I make sure to turn off my alcohol resistance to show my appreciation. Can't just guzzle it up like water without showing any effect. The more I interact with them the more I realize that there are good people in this world. Some that just want to have a good life.

These guys are not trying to participate in any war. Sadly they might very well become collateral damage. For instance just today they could have died from a ruler that does seem to give a damn about the common populace. One part of me is thinking that this place really needs some reforming. Off with all the bloodthirsty gods and establish some ground rules. Of course, I'm just delusional I don't have that kind of power.

This place is surprisingly ruled by a medium-size sect under the diplomatic god. Some kind of subordinates. Well, I truly can't judge only from today's event. It seems it was a special case.

We keep talking about anything and everything. Some gossip that I can't follow at all. Some about the work they do here. They do tell me about the number of trees they need to fell every day here, and it sounds pretty high.

From time to time they ask me to tell the slime story again. At some point, I just tell them I just went for a quick swim inside a king slime. For some reason, this oversimplification entertains them a lot.

We joke around until the sun starts setting. Apparently, they need to hold a meeting about the work for the upcoming day. They tell me I can simply go and rest. That I can relax.

I won't say no to that. Somewhat comfy bed? Check. Wolf pillow? Check. Unicorn blanket? Check. Wait no, she's trying to steal part of my blanket it seems. Oh well, whatever I'm warm enough.

Thus I drift into pleasant dreams.

****(POV)

We are having a meeting after our savior went to sleep.

"Do you all know what to do?"

"Of course, tell no one about him and keep everything that happened to ourselves."

"And?"

"Not even family members will know!"

"Good."

"So why again do we need to do this?"

"He is clearly some powerful individual. That tamer guy left talking in his back about how trashy our savior was. He is clearly hiding his power. I do not know why, but he is."

"Why would he hide it? Isn't it good?"

"He probably dislikes them. If I'm not mistaken, he should be some kind of benevolent monk. He has the strength and the temperament for that. There is no way someone that powerful would join something such as cleaning slimes in a sewer otherwise."

"Didn't he do it for the money?"

"Fool! Do you think an expert like him is truly in lack of money? He could easily get some by foregoing his morals. He could simply work as a mercenary. Do you know how many warriors are able to take down a king slime alone?"

"That …how many?"

"That was a rhetorical question. The point is not many. I researched a lot before accepting this mission. A king slime is a rank 4 creature."

This is the reason why I kinda became the de facto leader of the group. The fact that I can read.

"That strong?!"

"That strong."

We adjourn the small meeting. I make sure the security measures are up then I go inside to sleep.

As I enter the small wolf looks at me and nods.

Why do I get the feeling it knows what we just talked about?

This is impossible, right?!