Chapter 24 – Side Rihalzam – Part one

“Good grief, why do I have to spend time doing this? It stinks…”

Mumbled Rihalzam.

“It’s all Rust’s fault for quitting all of a sudden.
That guy wasn’t devoted enough, and didn’t appreciate what the alchemist association did for him.”

Rihalzam was in an equipment vault of the alchemist association.
The things stored here needed to be handled with extra care.

He was also covered with the fluids of a monster called scavenger slime, and on the ground pointing a suction device at the fluids.

Part of the scavenger slime’s fluids was sucked into the suction device with a noise that sounded like nasal mucus.

For some reason there was a lot of trouble involving the alchemist association during this time, and master alchemists had to leave the association to deal with it.
Even Rihalzam could not escape having to do this kind of work.

Many things in the special vault were dangerous, and required regular maintenance.
Some would explode if left alone, and some monster materials would go berserk.
Maintaining this vault was quite important.

There used to be an administrator whose sole job was to manage this vault, but once the new president took over, he reduced the budget and fired him.
Although it was not a part of their job description, the basic research department took care of it as one of their many chores.

But as a result of the dissolution of the basic research department, no one was left to maintain the vault, and something troublesome happened just a few days before.
The thick fluids of scavenger slime exploded.

“Dammit.
Entry is restricted because there are class one hazardous materials that only someone with a master rank can handle.
If it wasn’t for this rule I could’ve sent my underlings instead.
Ah… It stinks.
My nose is bending.”

The smell that could be described as a combination of something decomposing and gastric juices was characteristic of scavenger slime, and it assaulted Rihalzam’s naval cavities even though he was wearing a mask.

Master Rihalzam! Master Rihalzam! We have trouble!”

Someone called him from outside the vault.
It was one of Rihalzam’s underlings, a new hire of the arms alchemy department.

“What! I’m busy Tortake!”

Shouted Rihalzam.

“B-but it’s urgent.
The vice-president of the arms association was screaming to go get Master Rihalzam…”

“What!? Say so sooner! Alright, it doesn’t matter who, when one of the master alchemists gets back tell them to finish up here!”

Rihalzam jumped out of the vault.

“B-but I can’t… Uppu!”

As Rihalzam passed by Tortake, the stench followed him, and Tortake’s voice was interrupted by him holding his nose.

“W-what do I do? It’s not my place to say that.
And who even knows when someone might get back…”

Said Tortake as he looked at the door that Rihalzam left wide open.
He reached in to try to close the door that opened inward, but was stopped by a repulsive field placed on the vault.

It reacted to a master rank medallion, and was temporarily disabled when one was near.
It was designed to repel anything bigger than air.

Tortake peeked inside and saw scavenger slime fluids stuck to the walls and ceiling.

“Ahh… I guess I’ll go to the entrance and wait for someone to come back…”

Said Tortake as he left, with the door still wide open.

No one was left in the vault, but the open door meant air slowly began to circulate inside it.

This air carried magic elements, which also made their way inside.

No one was around, and time passed.

The scavenger slime fluids stuck to the walls continued to touch air and magic elements, until a very small crystal appeared inside it.

What was supposedly just fluids, moved slightly.