Algernon then starts referring to the audience in plural as future clients, then bids a happy new year. When asked about their name, Algernon thinks it’s an uncool question, then decides to go by Mystery Sweeper Duo for the both of them. They then decide to talk about something that happened to them today, describing it as a very New Years sort of story that can only happen this time of year. Algernon squeezes in a squeak just before the story event starts proper.
Things tune in at some time at the night as a bunch of slimes are jiggling around in the woods, far away from the bustle of the city of Tokyo. Their instincts push them forward, and they begin trekking towards town. Before they manage to leave the forest though, Algernon swoops in to attack, then comments on them being faster than expected when they manage to avoid them.
Charlie remarks that it’s better than being a rat, then notes that they shot down five of them so far. He suggests grabbing them all now while they’re stunned. Algernon comments back that Charlie is making them sad with how insensitive he is, brushing off his words as a joke towards a former genius rat.
Charlie doesn’t respond to this, so Algernon focuses back on work and activates an electromagnetic web they have for capture mode. Some time later, Charlie sighs, and Algernon asks him to hold it in since they’re on the job and they don’t know how many possible future clients are listening.
Charlie seems annoyed by this, and Algernon talks about having work as a nice thing through the turn of one year to the next. They do understand though, saying they feel like playing a bit when they reach a stopping point after some work.
Charlie then says he understands something and remembers something about that. He mentions that video recordings of end of the year specials are taking up a lot of space on their hard drive and suggests deleting them. Algernon seems alarmed about this and says they don’t have time to be doing that while on the job. They call Charlie unfeeling, but do admit that he is a cyborg. Then they note that two slimes are coming in at them 30° to their left.
Charlie adds the two new slimes to their list and orders Algernon to track them. Algernon quickly scans for them and reports that several slimes are heading for the urban areas. Charlie gets irritated at how things are turning out and comments that a mouse trap wouldn’t work. Algernon says a mouse trap could never work on mice, comparing it to a nice plate for cheese. Charlie calls him out for being smug and suggests sticking a paralytic in the cheese next time.
Algernon then changes the subject and says the slimes must have reached town already, which they’d have preferred to have caught all the slimes before happening. Charlie isn’t willing to put up with any complaints and says they just have to complete the job.
Algernon comments that Cleaners would obviously be hated in places they aren’t known in, and that they’d prefer to stay away from risky places. They shrug it aside though as they say they’re popular. Charlie doesn’t answer that and says they should pursue. Algernon bugs him for a response as the screen fades for a bit.
Title card pops up, and this chapter is called The Sweeper’s Work Begins.
Camera tunes in at the shrine as a little lost kid cries for his aunt and uncle. With all the big people around he got scared, so he yells for help. Agyou notices this immediately on what he calls his komaimu sensor and calls Touji about it. He then bounces over to the kid who calls him a puppy upon seeing him, and Agyou tries to soothe the kid and promises to help find who he’s looking for right away.
Time skips as the kid thanks Agyou for reuniting him with (I guess) his family, an oni and a yaksha. Agyou sighs after he leaves and comments that there’s been a lot of lost children cropping up with the big uptick in shrine visitors too. He tries to remember whether he helped lost children when he was at his shrine back in Wa no Kuni during New Years, though he does remember it wasn’t as crowded.
A voice calls out to Agyou commenting on how hard he’s working and that the head priest thanks him for all he’s doing. Agyou brags that he’s alright, swearing to become a great komaimu as he turns around and calls the speaker his grandpa. Touji is confused to be addressed as such, and Agyou tries to backtrack and explain he was remembering old times.
Touji brushes it off and understands, then tells Agyou it’s almost time for their break. He suggests having some chestnut red bean jelly and putting on some tea, and Agyou happily agrees.
Inside the shrine, Ryouta greets the two of them happy New Years and says they all came by to hang out. You greet them happy New Years too, whether the regular way or the abbreviated way. Touji comments on how you respond, then greets you back, followed by Agyou greeting you.
Shirou asks how Touji and Agyou are holding up. Touji says he’s used to it since it’s like every other year, then says Agyou is doing well. Kengo pokes fun at them for having tea and red bean jelly in the back and jokes that they’re slacking off. Touji is shocked and offended by this remark and says Kengo’s way of speaking hasn’t changed.
Agyou notices Moritaka and Hanuman aren’t around and asks where they are. Ryouta says Moritaka is out exchanging greetings with people while Hanuman is off playing games with Tsathoggua. Touji says that does sound like Hanuman, though he still seems to disapprove. You either say there are plenty of ways to spend New Years or say it’s rude to nitpick.
Going A, Touji admits that you’re right. But anyways, Touji offers you guys tea and red bean jelly too, telling you guys to sit back. Some time later, Ryouta is amazed about the jelly commenting on its restrained sweetness and the steamed bun type of texture on the bottom of it. Agyou agrees and says he was surprised when he had some earlier.
Touji says he’s surprisingly happy to hear them like the jelly, then mentions that he’s liked it since he was younger. Kengo tries to downplay how good he thinks it is, and Shirou pokes at him saying he can just say it outright. Shirou then says it’s good himself.
Shirou then brings out something for Touji to see, which Touji notes is a multilayered lunch box. He asks if it’s osechi, New Years food in there. Ryouta says the osechi was made by both Shirou and Chouji, so there’s both the traditional stuff as well as a mix of Western foods too. You can either be shocked at that, ask if that’s why it was so heavy, or ask about the blend of east and west style foods.
Agyou is amazed and notes that aside from the chestnut kinton and chicken, there’s also hamburgers and stir fried shrimp in chili. Shirou says osechi is filled with a lot of meanings and wishes, so they ended up making a lot more for it. He apologizes if anyone is put off by the nontraditionalness of it and says he has a more standard one made too.
Touji says he’s happy to have the blended one, mentioning that with a lot of guests coming with children that this idea would make people happy. Ryouta invites Agyou and Touji to eat it with them since they’re still on their break. Ryouta also comments on there being a lot of famous stores nearby and having done research on them. You however wonder if they’ll be even open or if there will be crowds there.
Touji shoots down Ryouta’s plans and says all the nearby places are packed. Ryouta is disappointed but not too surprised. Shirou suggests they go back to the dorms and eat since there should still be more osechi left. Kengo says there isn’t, and as Shirou starts to ask, Ryouta says he basically ate it all with everyone else at the dorms who didn’t go home for the holiday.
Shirou is shocked by this, and Kengo says they ate through it all pretty much as soon as the year ticked over. Shirou grapples with himself and says making more of the side dishes younger people like backfired on him. Touji tries cheering him up by giving him something as thanks for the food. He says it should go well with the New Years soup they’re handing out to visitors.
Ryouta asks if it’s really okay, and Touji says yes while mentioning there are a lot of rules for the first three days of the year. For example, you should refrain from using fire in the kitchen during that time. Osechi was meant to inform you of these things, though Touji does say it would be meaningless if they’re eaten up just like that on New Years. You thank Touji and say you’re looking forward to the soup.
Touji tells you guys to wait while he takes the osechi to the kitchen, but before he goes anywhere he notices the food is somehow gone. Agyou points outside to the garden, where the osechi is with the weird slimes. You notice and wonder if they want to eat it, though you also note that they seem a bit different.
Agyou says it’s weird that he doesn’t sense impurity from the slimes. Touji agrees and says they make him uncomfortable. Shirou wonders what they’re doing with the slime, but Ryouta figures they were attracted to the smell. Kengo says you guys should grab the food back already because he doesn’t want the slimes to eat it.
Kengo stands over them menacingly and reaches out for the box, but he pulls back when he hears gunshots. You look for the source, and Touji points out to above you guys. A voice says you guys shouldn’t get close to the slimes. Kengo demands they show themselves, which the voice sighs over but decides to make an exception and agree to it.
Algernon appears in front of you guys, and the AI greets you guys for the first time and a happy new year, tacking on a mouse squeak at the end. You either comment on his manners, comment on how mechanical he looks, or question the mouse squeak.
Charlie doesn’t say anything, and Touji asks who he is and why he fired warning shots. Algernon apparently didn’t fire any shots at all as it takes them a sec to understand, but they apologize and say they wanted you guys to get away from the slimes. They admit it wasn’t a smart move but explain Kengo was in danger.
Shirou asks if Algernon is saying the slimes are that dangerous, and they confirm it is towards normal people. They also say the slimes are about to metamorph. The gang is surprised by this, and the slimes transform on cue by taking the osechi. This has the effect of multiplying the amount of osechi there, and you refer to the slimes as osechi slimes now.
Charlie thinks to himself that they didn’t make it, then asks what the mouse thinks since the other slimes might do something the way things are going. Algernon says he’ll deal with it and says it might actually be easier over here. Charlie agrees to it, and Algernon starts congratulating the gang because the cook slimes have picked their osechi. It might not be that happy an occasion, but he tries to get everyone to think positive. You either agree, ask what cook slimes are, or shout about being involved in shenanigans right off the bat in the new year.
Going B if it matters, Algernon says they’ll share their info as a sign of good will. The two of them are a Sweeper duo, and the mouse AI introduces himself as the negotiator part of Algernon. You ask if the cyborg and helmet is a two people in one deal, ask how cyborgs differ from robots, or look at his abs and ask if he’s a former human.
Algernon explains that a cyborg is a fusion between an organic body and technology. He’s a cyborg based off a mouse while his partner is a human based cyborg. When you ask how much of them is machine and not machine, the AI decides to not answer and justifying it by saying they don’t want things slipping to their business rivals.
Agyou asks them about being cleaners since he doesn’t see a broom and dustpan anywhere on them. Algernon thinks they shouldn’t explain every little thing to kids since that’s bad for their education, but they explain themselves as people who clean up anything.
Touji pulls out his swords and demands to know what they’re here for. Algernon says that since you guys have been caught up in their work, they’ll tell you what’s going on. They then start approaching the slimes and say they’ll do so while eating the osechi. Elsewhere on the shrine, Gullinbursti comments on having come back again, then senses you around. He also picks up on you being in trouble, so he calls it a twist of fate, then says he’ll come over right away since he wants to help. On that note the episode ends.
Four years of new year shenanigans and the protag still not used to it?! XD
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