Kaito stood on a street corner in Iron Fortress, watching the fruits of his labor.
A human woman stood before a newly installed public water station, her eyes wide with disbelief. She placed a wooden bucket beneath a tal pipe protruding from the stone wall. Following the illustrations on the nearby sign, she tentatively turned a small wheel.
The mouth of the pipe glowed with a faint blue light, and crystal-clear water began to flow.
The woman's jaw dropped. She looked at the pipe, then at the sky, then back at the pipe.
"Magic... it's truly magic..." she whispered.
Once the bucket was full, she turned the wheel back. The flow ceased instantly. She hoisted the bucket, her expression shifting from shock to a mixture of joy and religious awe.
Watching this, Kaito felt a small, glowing ember of accomplishnt in his chest.
He had issued the decree: every household and every street corner in Iron Fortress and Jade Territory was to be equipped with this plumbing system. A simple Water-Elent magic array was engraved on the stone slabs behind the walls. A single charge from a Skeleton Mage provided enough power for a full week. Public facilities were recharged for free by the Arcane Legion, while private units required a ten-copper maintenance fee.
Next to the water station was another new structure: a small stone building with a sturdy wooden door. A sign was carved into the wood: [Public Lavatory].
Inside, the stalls were separated by walls, but a single trench ran beneath them all, with water constantly flowing through it. The water circulation was powered by a magic array in the first stall. Waste was carried through pipes into a network of tunnels recently excavated beneath the city.
Yes, a sewer system.
Just as Kaito was beginning to feel a bit smug about his civil engineering prowess, Greed appeared by his side, clutching a report.
"My Lord, a report from the Departnt of Infrastructure."
Kaito took the docunt but didn't open it. "Summarize."
"The... aroma... wafting from the sewer grates has beco a topic of public discourse."
"Aroma?"
"Yes, My Lord. The feedback is overwhelmingly negative. The populace believes it to be the precursor to a plague or a demonic curse."
Kaito understood imdiately. The city's entire output of waste was being concentrated into dark, stagnant tunnels without a proper treatnt system. The stench must have been ungodly. He quickly scanned his ntal library for a solution. Finally, he locked onto a specific creature.
Sothing that ate anything, was completely harmless, had a massive appetite, and was incredibly easy to maintain.
"Slis."
Kaito imdiately ordered Greed to assemble ten Tier 2 Skeletons. Monts later, the squad stood before him.
One skeleton had a small wicker basket strapped to its back, with a fuzzy yellow chick peeking out. Several others were individuals who had shown... "unique thought patterns" in their previous roles.
"Our objective is to capture common Slis," Kaito announced. "Your mission is to bring them back alive. Do not harm them."
The skeletons nodded in unison, letting out a chorus of "Gahs."
"Any questions?"
Papa Skeleton raised a bony hand.
"Speak."
The skeleton's jaw clicked and rattled, followed by a pointed gesture toward the chick in the basket. The chick let out a cooperative cheep.
Kaito stared at the cute little bird for a long mont. "No. The bird stays here."
The skeleton looked at the chick, then back at Kaito, its Soul Fire drooping. It began to lift the chick out, preparing to hand it over to the villager Buck for safekeeping.
Kaito felt a phantom headache beginning to throb in his skull.
"Fine! Take the damn chicken! But if it gets eaten, that's on you. Everyone, move out!"
The Great Sli-Hunting Expedition—led personally by the Supre Ruler of the Undead Empire, ten skeletons, and one baby chicken—marched toward the marshes outside the city.
Within thirty minutes, Kaito was already regretting his life choices.
The marsh was a disaster zone: mud everywhere, tangled roots, and swarms of buzzing insects. And, of course, the Slis. They were everywhere. Clusters of blue jelly quivering on logs or half-subrged in the murky water. They looked harmless, squishy, and even a little cute.
Kaito stood on a patch of relatively dry ground and pointed. "Alright, targets spotted. I've provided nets and buckets. Go."
With a collective "Gah," the skeletons charged.
The scene that followed was a catastrophe.
One skeleton, trying to channel its inner fisherman, threw a large net over a Sli sitting idly on a log. The Sli paused, wobbled, and then simply flowed through the gaps in the netting. It reford on the other side and jiggled, which Kaito interpreted as mocking laughter. The skeleton looked at its empty net, then at the Sli, tilting its head in confusion.
Another skeleton approached a Sli with a bucket, intending to scoop it up. But the Sli's surface was far more slippery than anticipated. The wooden bucket slid right off it. Carried by its own montum, the skeleton lost its balance and face-planted into the muck. The Sli leisurely wobbled its way onto the skeleton's skull and jiggled happily.
Kaito shouted from the dry ground, "Use the edge of the bucket! Scoop from underneath!"
The mud-covered skeleton stood up and tried again. This ti, it successfully shoved the Sli into the bucket. Success? Not quite. The Sli simply climbed up the side of the bucket and dropped back onto the grass with a wet plop. The skeleton just watched it go, making no move to stop it.
Kaito covered his face with his hand.
Papa Skeleton tried a different approach. It walked up to a Sli, knelt, and placed the chick on the ground. It seed to be inviting the Sli to be the chick's "brother."
The Sli jiggled. The chick cheeped.
Seemingly attracted, the Sli slowly wiggled its way toward the bird.
"Hey, what are you doing?! It's going to eat the—"
Before Kaito could finish, the Sli flowed over the chick, engulfing it completely.
The skeleton froze. It poked the Sli with a finger. The Sli wobbled. From inside the blue mass, a muffled cheep could be heard.
Panic mode engaged. The skeleton frantically tried to peel the Sli off the chick, but it pulled too hard, accidentally swinging the Sli upward until it wrapped around its own skull like a gelatinous helt.
Watching this chaotic ss, Kaito let out a long, weary sigh.
"Those are Slis," he muttered. "Unranked monsters. The weakest things in existence. They have less aggression than a newborn skeleton. How can ten of you Tier 2s not catch a single one?"
The skeletons ceased their confused flailing. They all turned their heads to look at Kaito. One of them jiggled as the Sli on its head perford a celebratory dance.
Kaito shook his head and stepped forward. He walked to the water's edge, picked up a discarded bucket, and found a large, flat wooden board.
He approached a Sli.
He slid the board beneath the Sli's body.
Then, he swiftly inverted the bucket over the Sli, trapping it between the wood and the pail.
Finally, he gripped both and flipped the entire assembly over.
The Sli was now safely in the bucket. He snapped the lid shut.
Done. It had taken less than ten seconds.
Kaito turned to the skeletons. They were all staring at the bucket in his hand. Their Soul Fires flickered; they had actually learned sothing.
"See that? Was it that hard?" Kaito pointed to the spare boards. "Now, do exactly what I did."
The skeletons finally got to work. Slowly, clumsily, they imitated Kaito's thod.
Slide. Cover. Flip. Seal.
One bucket after another was filled. An hour later, they had twenty buckets of Slis ready for transport.
The expedition returned to Iron Fortress. The skeletons trailed behind Kaito, carrying the buckets as if they had just returned from a bloody war. Kaito led them to the central sewer grate.
"Dump them in."
The skeletons obediently opened the lids, pouring the Slis into the grate. The jellies fell into the darkness with a series of plops. Monts later, a rhythmic, wet, squelching sound drifted up—the sound of happy eating.
Kaito peered through the grate. He could already hear... the sound of cleaning. For a Sli, whether it slls like roses or rot, it's all at once it's in their mouths.
The stench from the sewers began to lift almost imdiately.
Success.
Kaito waved a hand. "Alright. Mission accomplished. Dismissed."
The skeletons shuffled off to their posts. Kaito stood alone by the grate for a mont, listening to the happy Slis at work.
He felt quite satisfied. The Empire was one step closer to becoming a civilized world.
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