By the Grace of the Gods: Volume 1 Read online

  However, Ryoma was able to carry his belongings into the cave with some sense of satisfaction.

  Taking a blanket out of his supplies, he made a place to sleep against the wall, then reached inside his supplies again for food.

  Because he had chosen fruits and plants that could be eaten raw, there wasn’t much in his portion.

  But he was able to fill some of his stomach with half his total portion.

  I’ll save the rest for tomorrow and sleep for now. I’ll start gathering food and other things I need to survive starting tomorrow. There’s lots to do, but it’s all worth doing.

  He blocked the entrance of the cave for safety, leaving only a hole for air.

  “Gain, Kufo, Lulutia... I am truly grateful to you all for your kindness.”

  Having finished his work for the day, Ryoma wrapped himself in the blanket and whispered his passing thoughts of his life to come, the words echoing into the darkness of the cave before disappearing.

  Several minutes later, he was breathing peacefully in his sleep.

  ■ ■ ■

  Meanwhile, three pairs of eyes peered at Ryoma’s sleeping face from the divine realm. Their owners were Gain, Kufo, and Lulutia... In other words, the gods that had sent Ryoma to Seilfall.

  “Looks like it’s going well so far.”

  “Yes, he had no problem receiving the powers either.”

  “And he’s made shelter for now. It seems like he’ll be fine.”

  The three of them showed relief in the endlessly wide, white space that they stood in.

  “Indeed. But let’s keep watching over him for a while. Even with consent, it would pain me to see him suffer. And I’m a little curious anyway. Would you agree, Kufo, Lulutia?”

  “Yup, I agree with Gain.”

  “Me too. But honestly, what was Earth’s god thinking? Interfering with the fates of the living for no reason.”

  While Kufo approved of Gain’s suggestion, Lulutia went on to express her clear disgust for Earth’s god.

  “Calm yourself, Lulutia. There’s no point in wondering about that now.”

  “But doesn’t it bother you too, Gain?”

  “Of course. He’s a fine specimen of a human, but you definitely don’t see many humans who have their fates tampered with like that. Not even a god would dare interfere with fate so flippantly. For one to take a person’s happiness is, quite honestly, reprehensible.”

  “I can’t imagine why one would go out of their way to use trials to do that.”

  Trials were a type of salvation originally meant to be presented by the gods managing the world onto a large collective such as a race or a kingdom in times of great, imminent danger. The decision to present the trial and timing of when to do so was entrusted to the judgment of the world’s gods, but overcoming the trial meant a befitting power could be obtained. Many of the heroes spoken of in legends had used the power they gained to drive away the threat just like this.

  “The goal was to present hardship, but a trial is still a trial. Overcoming that hardship would result in receiving a power...”

  “It seems like each occurrence was continuously suppressed at the level of everyday misfortune or bad luck, and for an awfully long time at that...”

  “They say that enough dust can make a mountain, after all. The fact that the power he received was useless for his work and fortune was also rather wicked. Well, it was fortunate that his body was strengthened instead, I guess. If not...”

  “We only realized it because of that, after all. And from what I can see of his memories, his father also...”

  The gods continued to chat until the completely oblivious Ryoma woke up.

  Chapter 1 Episode 1: Three Years Later

  Three years after Takebayashi Ryoma hid himself away in the Forest of Gana to devote himself to training his martial arts and magic...

  He still had no intention of leaving the forest.

  “All right, all right... It’s food time!”

  The crude cave that had been his dwelling had been widened with his improved earth magic, a barrier placed at the entrance to secure the safety of his home. He also had furniture made of hardened dirt he had got from digging out the cavern.

  More than enough food could be acquired from the blessings of the forest, which he could determine the safety of eating with the knowledge received from the gods and the neutral magic Appraisal. Within such a comfortable environment, Ryoma didn’t have any strong desire to leave the forest, instead spending his time enjoying the hobbies he couldn’t have in his previous life.

  One particularly devoted hobby was the research of ‘slimes.’ In the beginning, he had captured a slime by simply trying the ‘taming magic’ he had been bestowed with, which somehow led to the decision of keeping it as a pet. Half a year later, he woke up one morning to see the slime was a different color. Fearing it had fallen sick, he hurriedly used the taming magic Monster Appraisal to find that it had evolved into a species of slime called the sticky slime.

  From that day onwards, Ryoma became interested in slime evolution and spent much of his time observing them. And the first thing he learned was that wild slimes were at the bottom of the ecosystem. Because slimes did not possess the power to hunt prey, Ryoma was yet to witness a wild slime eating a proper meal. However, he would feed them the leftovers of his own meals, as well as carcasses of the green caterpillars he often came across on his hunts. In other words, Ryoma’s slimes ingested much more nutrition than their wild counterparts on a daily basis.

  Furthermore, the green caterpillars in the meals were capable of spitting out a sticky string. Ryoma formed a hypothesis that one of these differences was what caused the slime’s evolution, so he captured new slimes and continuously fed them green caterpillars and food. Two months later, the slimes that had only consumed green caterpillars had all evolved into sticky slimes.

  In addition, the slimes with green caterpillars removed from their diet as a controlled variable had evolved into a different species of slime. It was from this point that Ryoma’s interest grew significantly, leading to huge numbers of slimes being captured and fed assorted leftovers and gathered materials, resulting in the six species of slime Ryoma presently kept.

  Slime x13

  The weakest monsters of the world, existing everywhere. Omnivorous, with an average diameter of 20cm. These mysterious creatures will die when the core within their jelly-like body is damaged, causing everything other than the core to disappear.

  Skills: Consume 2, Absorb 3, Split 1

  Sticky Slime x153

  A creature of the same size as the regular slime, capable of forming a highly sticky solution in its body. It can either spit the sticky fluid directly, or hide and use it in traps to capture prey.

  Skills: Strong Sticky Solution 4, Hardening Sticky Solution 1, Sticky String Shot 1, Jump 1, Consume 3, Absorb 3, Split 3

  In the beginning, its only skills were strong sticky solution and the three basics: consume, absorb, and split, but it eventually learned hardening sticky solution and jump as well, which was how Ryoma learned that monsters could also acquire skills through training. Sticky string shot was discovered when Ryoma was investigating the qualities of the strong sticky solution and hardening sticky solution alongside evolution, mixing the two solutions to create a string shape. When he tested whether the same phenomenon could occur within the slime’s body, all the training led to the acquisition of those skills.

  Acid Slime x100

  A slime with exceptionally high digestive ability, capable of consuming less-digestible material such as animal bones. After being discovered in the process of researching evolution, its numbers increased through splitting.

  Skills: Acid Production 3, Acid Resistance 3, Jump 1, Consume 4, Absorb 3, Split 2

  Poison Slime x188

  Slimes that have been continuously fed poisonous plants. A fair number of slimes had been unable to resist the poison and died, but those that survived evolved. After that, their n
umbers increased through splitting.

  Skills: Poison Production 3, Poison Resistance 3, Paralyzing Poison Production 3, Jump 1, Consume 3, Absorb 3, Split 3

  Cleaner Slime x11

  Slimes drank water often, but there were some which were oddly insistent on drinking Ryoma’s bathwater after he was done washing. Seeing no issue with that, Ryoma allowed them to do as they wished, which resulted in this evolution.

  Skills: Cleanse 4, Deodorize 6, Deodorant Solution 4, Disease Resistance 5, Poison Resistance 5, Jump 1, Consume 3, Absorb 3, Split 1

  Scavenger Slime x457

  When Ryoma was unhappy with the smell coming from the toilet and waste disposal area he had created in the cave, he recalled how slimes liked to swarm around rotting corpses and threw twenty newly captured slimes into the room. As a result, the slimes acquired the skill to digest the things they ate and expel the nutrients as fertilizer, along with the tendency to split more often than the other slimes.

  Skills: Disease Resistance 5, Poison Resistance 5, Foul Feeder 5, Cleanse 6, Deodorize 6, Deodorant Solution 4, Stench Release 4, Nutrient Reduction 3, Jump 1, Consume 6, Absorb 3, Split 6

  There weren’t many species, as he had switched his focus from evolving them to rearing them partway through, but their numbers were over 900.

  Ryoma’s personality meant he wasn’t bothered by simple and repetitive tasks to begin with, so with no one to stop him in this situation he had lost sight of where to stop. However, that lifestyle was what healed Ryoma’s tired heart and gave him vitality. This allowed him to live his life steadily despite the occasional encounter with bandits or large beasts, which Ryoma could deal with using his own powers and army of slimes.

  And so, Ryoma would go on living in this way...

  Or so he had thought, when fate came knocking one day.

  It was during his daily hunt when, instead of prey, he spotted five armored people in the forest.

  It’s rare to see people around these parts. Their equipment looks too uniform for them to be bandits... This might be my first time seeing people who aren’t bandits in this world. Well, I am a recluse living in the depths of the forest... Oh, is there someone injured?

  Hidden in the thickets behind the trees, he observed from a distance, and saw one person was leaning on his companion’s shoulder, wrapped in bloody bandages instead of armor.

  “U-Urgh...”

  “Hang in there, Hughes!”

  “Camil, how’s your magic energy?”

  “Sorry, it’s still...”

  He doesn’t look too good... They don’t seem to be bandits, so I can’t turn a blind eye... I can at least let them rest at my place. If they turn out to be bandits, I have my emergency measures in place anyway.

  Ryoma stepped out of the thicket he was hiding in to call out to them. However...

  What should I say to them? ‘Good day?’ No, this isn’t the time to be so carefree. ‘Oi! You lot!’ That would just make them wary, and it’d be rude to boot. Really, what should I say to them?!

  Although Ryoma had stepped forth with the intention to help, it had been three years since he had last spoken to anyone else. He found himself faltering, unable to decide on what to say, during which time the group on high alert had spotted him.

  “Hey! Who goes there?!”

  “Wait.”

  The person leading the group immediately pointed a sword at Ryoma, but was stopped by a man behind him who slowly walked forward.

  “Sorry for pointing a sword at you. We were a little on guard. What might you be doing here? This isn’t a place for children. Are you lost?”

  Ryoma was questioned, though he was still having trouble finding his words.

  “I was... hunting.”

  “Hunting? By yourself?”

  Rather than words, Ryoma nodded in confirmation.

  “This is a dangerous place, but... Oh well. Did you need something from us?”

  Ryoma pointed at the injured person.

  “He’s... injured.”

  When Ryoma reached into the leather bag at his waist with his empty hand, the man with the sword stepped forward and pointed it once more, as though to protect the other man. Ryoma realized the knife he had equipped next to his leather bag was probably the reason for that reaction and jumped back, swiftly taking out his homemade medicine and offering it with both hands to show he had no ill intentions.

  “...Is that medicine?”

  The man with the sword asked after seeing that, at which Ryoma nodded before forming his words with difficulty.

  “Injury... bad... Use medicine.”

  “You’re letting us use that medicine?”

  “Hurry.”

  The men exchanged glances, but the slender man named Camil accepted the medicine bottle warily and checked its contents before feeding it to the injured person. When the injured man regained some of the color in his face, the attitude of the men towards Ryoma softened a little.

  “You have my gratitude for giving us your medicine. Hughes should last a bit longer with this.”

  “Can rest... at home. Should rest.” This is pathetic, even for me...

  With his clumsy words, Ryoma slowly but successfully managed to invite the group home. He led them into the forest and through the trees, proceeding at a slow pace for the injured person. On the way, their whispered discussions reached his ears.

  “What is a child doing in a place like this?”

  “He still looks pretty young...”

  Well, I am eleven years old right now. Being this deep in the forest is suspicious. That being said, it doesn’t feel nice being doubted like this. I’d like them to feel less wary... Should I try making small talk? No, I don’t have anything other than the backstory prepared to explain why I’m here... I might end up digging my own grave if I made small talk.

  “Is there really a place we can rest up ahead?”

  “I don’t know. But the potion earlier definitely had an effect, so he doesn’t seem hostile.”

  “Some hunters create safe zones within the forest where they can hide. He may have some kind of campsite.”

  Exactly! As long as you don’t attack me, I have no intention of fighting either. That’s right, I should check whether my traps have caught anything. That way I can prepare a meal while their injured member is resting. If I do that much for them, anyone reasonable would be a bit more friendly.

  Ryoma came to a stop and called over the sticky slime he had on standby next to the traps, using the effect of the taming contract. But to those beside him, it looked like Ryoma had just came to a sudden stop.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Trap... caught prey... Be here soon.” Ryoma said, casually observing the one who had spoken to him.

  Is he the most important person here? Everyone was following his orders earlier, including the man with the sword. Maybe the rest are his escorts or something.

  Ryoma thought to himself, when the grass rustled and parted to reveal the sticky slime with a horned rabbit’s carcass in tow. However, the man beside him swiftly drew his sword, unaware that it was Ryoma’s familiar.

  Oh no!

  Ryoma leaped forward and picked up the slime and trapped kill.

  “...Is that slime your familiar?”

  The action had alerted the man that the slime was a familiar, to which Ryoma nodded his head furiously. The man gave Ryoma and the slime another look before sheathing his sword again.

  “My apologies. I didn’t realize it was a familiar.”

  As long as we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding, it’s fine. I haven’t been using enough words to express myself, either.

  A slime was still a monster, so it was only natural to think of ones in the forest as wild. Ryoma put the slime and kill away in his bag and started to walk again. This time, with a conversation based on the incident just now.

  “But that slime sure brings back memories. My first contract was with a slime as well.”

  “...A tamer?”


  “A former tamer. I haven’t formed a contract since the familiar I bonded with retired from old age. I used to have a red horse and blizzard ape in the past, though.”

  “...Amazing...?” I don’t really know those monsters...

  “I come from a family which has been taming for many generations, so we’re taught various tricks and techniques from a young age. I don’t particularly excel in any area of magic, but I do have a certain level of pride in my sword arm.”

  Generations of a family. And with personal escorts. This person is either a noble or someone rich and influential. Or maybe someone with such connections... Wait, calm down. I was informed in advance that this kingdom is more tolerant regarding the social gap between nobility and commoners. The gods picked this kingdom on purpose, because it was easy to live in. Based on his actions until now, there’s still plenty of room to be friends. If I think of it as a business party with no higher or lower statuses... But I can’t let down my guard either way.

  Ryoma was in a slight panic, as he gathered his thoughts in his head and walked around retrieving the kills from his traps.

  Ten minutes later, they arrived at the cliff where Ryoma’s home was.

  Chapter 1 Episode 2: The Mysterious Boy

  Reinhart’s Side

  “Please wait,” the boy said as we reached the cliff.

  It didn’t look like there was anything around us, so I thought we were waiting for more kills to be delivered. The boy stepped forward and placed a hand against the bare rock, crumbling part of it away with earth magic. Apparently, it was past there.

  “Come in...”

  So this was his ‘home.’ Indeed, it wouldn’t be easy for a monster or wild animal to break into that. The cave seemed very sturdy. On top of that, the boy used barrier magic over the entrance once he confirmed we were all inside. With that, it made a more than suitable place to rest. However, barrier magic was a difficult magic to obtain. Like me, Camil also took an interest in that and started talking to the boy as he worked.