Osechi, the Mouse, and the Sweeper Episode 2

Things start off with a flashback where a certain researcher (Leib) and those around him thought, “I wanna eat more good food.” Yet they also thought, “I can’t be bothered to make any.” So then they started thinking, “why doesn’t it just appear out of thin air?” They gave up right away thinking, “no one would do that for me.”

So the researchers then sighed and said “okay fine I’ll make something that’ll do that for me.” Maybe it’s because they stay up late all the time, but those researchers seemed pretty excited. Normally they would never use the ideas, premises, materials, or methods they did here, but somehow they created a miracle upon a miracle, and so a piece of overtechnology was created.

The end result didn’t look it, but it was the cutting edge of engineering, and they dubbed it the cook slime. The researchers tried it out right away, putting in ingredients to a storage bag on the back of the slime, then told it to make something. Leib also asked it to store stuff cheaply amongst other things and trails off vaguely asking it to make something good.

Leib being so vague turns out to be the reason things have turned out like this. Camera tunes back into the present as Algernon finishes explaining how the slimes ran off, then guesses it’s because the things like their creators. Leaving them alone would cause a ruckus though, and Algernon says responsibilities should be taken as the creator. That’s how they were asked to pick the slimes back up.

The cook slime is sitting on a table where Algernon had put it, and Kengo comments on how dumb the reason is the cook slimes exist. Shirou agrees with the feelings behind the slime though, then starts ranting a bit about how someone would complain about his food, make vague requests, and be bratty for as long as he can remember. This all happened even when Shirou wasn’t done making anything or even making it for said person to begin with.

Since he doesn’t actually name Kengo as doing all this, Kengo squirms at how specific it all is. Shirou needles him about his guilt and says he ought to say thanks or say it was good every once in a while. Ryouta attempts to stop the tangent and put off their talk for another time. You either comment that it’s like Shirou’s nerves were struck, try to calm Shirou down, or thank him for always.

Going C, Shirou gets bashful as he apologizes and says he want trying to get you to say that, but he’s still happy you said so. Anyways, Touji says he mostly gets what’s happening and says Algernon should take the slime back quickly. He also however asks Algernon to pay some damages beforehand. Algernon asks what he means, so Touji says he wants him to repay the gang for the osechi the slime took.

Kengo is surprised that Touji is so insistent on this. Algernon comments that they thought Touji was the cool-headed type but is surprised at how considerate he is for you guys. They do concede they have some level of responsibility, but they also have their pride as a cleaner. Algernon then agrees, then has a suggestion for the group. Touji tells him to spill it, and you either wonder what the idea is or tell Touji he sounds like a villain.

Title card pops up, and this chapter is called The Osechi Hosting War.

Time skips a moment as Agyou comes back from the kitchen carrying some plates. Touji asks if Algernon is really suggesting they eat the osechi the slime made. The AI admits they only thought of it just now as the best possible solution, then prompts everyone to try.

Kengo admits he’s hungry but still thinks it’s weird to eat a slime. Ryouta points out that the slime osechi looks exactly like Shirou’s though. You either ask if the slime cooked it, say it doesn’t look slimy, or ask what the metamorphosis the slime did is anyway.

Algernon says that while he called it that, it’s really just cooking. After you express shock at this, Algernon explains how the slimes work. First, one slime picks up food, Shirou’s osechi in this case. After analyzing it all, it makes a recipe that all the other slimes use to cook up the same thing in tandem. That way they can mass produce something that there was only one of to start with.

Touji is surprised but understands as he says that’s how the three cook slimes all turned into osechi slimes. Algernon adds that the slimes have ingredients stored in them to guarantee freshness. Ryouta is convinced by this to start eating, and you join in whether enthusiastically or in trepidation.

The whole gang starts trying out the food, then proclaim the food to be great. You either react positively, in amazement, or casually. Algernon comments on liking the chestnut kinton for its sweetness and velvety texture. You then either express shock and ask how they’re doing that or wonder if they were originally a living thing.

Algernon says that both parts of them were originally organic life forms and that only part of their bodies were replaced. Because of that, they say it’s especially important that they can satisfy their needs as a living thing. Whatever Charlie takes in, Algernon can sense as well. They describe it as clean and efficient with nothing wasted. Charlie says nothing, and the game labels him with the name Algernon while the mouse is pretty much always labeled the helmet voice.

Anyways, you can ask if they share *all* sensations, proclaim that efficiency mindedness has come to an extreme, or ask if the design philosophy is the same for the osechi slime.

Going A if it matters, Algernon speaks up and says his own life span as a machine was set when he was born just like you guys as organics. He also feels he should cut out anything that doesn’t relate to his goals or maintaining his body as much as possible. The AI is surprised Algernon would talk to anyone at all, never mind that you aren’t his client. Algernon stops talking again, which the AI sighs about.

The mouse turns to you and starts telling you that Algernon is stubborn and hardly ever talks to anyone. They figure he probably likes you or is interested in you, so they ask you to talk with him again. Then the gang starts talking about the food they’re all eating.

Touji comments on a konbu seaweed roll he’s having, which while it isn’t real according to him does have a lot of flavor. Shirou says he couldn’t tell a difference and says the simmered nishime dish came out well. Agyou mentions liking the fish omelette roll. Ryouta says it was a great idea to add two more layers to the box set and loves the roast beef and shrimp gratin. Kengo says you wouldn’t be able to tell a slime made the food and raves over the meat.

Some time later, you guys have managed to eat through 3 out of 5 layers to the box of osechi when Ryouta starts to talk about something while having juice. He remembers Algernon talking about how the slimes put the osechi within themselves and asks about them not actually transforming. The mouse explains that the original set is being kept inside the slime for reference and locked in in a sense. The lock will be undone once the copied meal is eaten up so you can take it back out, and the mouse suggests a toast for this idea.

Ryouta says it’s a pretty indirect way for it to tell you to eat, but he shrugs since the food is good. Touji says it’s understandable and mentions it’s impossible to see into to look at the original dish. You comment on not knowing, on it being okay, and/or that it’s not this, and Algernon goes silent. Kengo starts getting suspicious of them, and the mouse squeaks.

Kengo refuses to be distracted by the noise and accuses them of not knowing which one has the original dish. The mouse excuses it as an act of god saying the slimes were with the osechi when he found them. Algernon himself just looks away unconcerned.

Agyou says you guys should hurry. There may only be three of them now, but if more come then it’ll be an issue. Since he brings that up, Shirou asks how many cook slimes there are to begin with. The mouse says that not including the ones they already caught and the three here, there’s five left. Shirou says that must be the rest of them then. Kengo doesn’t get what Shirou’s saying and starts asking where he’s looking at.

You reason there must be eight cook slimes loose total. Shirou tells you guys to slowly look at the corner of the room, and it turns out the other five slimes are there with the two already sitting there. They promptly transform, and the mouse gives a mild wow at that. You either say this is the worst possible situation or suggest giving up.

If you go C, the AI argues against that saying bad things will happen if you leave the slimes alone. Ryouta asks what, so they pull out a manual Some Researcher wrote up about the cook slimes. The words are read off in Leib’s voice, starting off with the classic doomed scientist written record gag before he gives up to disclaim any responsibility.

Anyways, the notes say that if the food the cook slimes cook up are left alone, the slimes will go on a mass riot. You can also just call it setting off their tempers, and Leib grumbles something about having to set a safety in them. Ryouta is alarmed about this warning, and the AI says the slimes will get mad and stuff their food into people’s mouths. The issue would be the part of all of the slimes doing so at once.

Touji is slowly processing all this and asks if this means the slimes will rampage at the shrine if left alone. Kengo asks basically the same thing. You either call it an osechi panic, say this is really awful, and/or say you guys have to do something.

Agyou points out that you guys have to get rid of seven five-layered boxes of food, and Shirou adds that you guys are barely close to finishing the first box. Kengo also points out that even if you guys weren’t full, most of everyone around doesn’t eat that much. Ryouta says he can probably eat one more whole box on his own, but still. Kengo is surprised but glad about that.

You say that leaves six boxes to account for but the situation is dire, so you call out for help. Gullibursti barges in on cue eager to help and asks you what the problem is. He seems surprised at everyone smiling at him, and time skips to after Gullinbursti finishes off one of the boxes and collapses. Five are left, and you thank Gullinbursti. He gets up and says he’s happy to help, then falls back over.

Algernon starts talking to the AI and brings up a suggestion since he doesn’t think it’s efficient to let the incident escalate. Leib or whoever is the client told them to prioritize people’s safety if the slimes were to go rampant but accepts if it’s impossible, so Algernon suggests time traveling to after the rampage is over and burning them all.

The AI considers it but is only willing to do so if it’s possible for them to check that you guys have escaped to safety. Kengo says you guys have to do something now whether you force yourselves to eat, or as Shirou finishes his sentence, find other people to eat it. Shirou doubts you guys will have it that easy though.

AI-gernon thinks you guys should give it up and let the world go to Utopia again. They think about how optimizing your decision making will speed things up to the point the world will hit the barrier of the speed of light, but trail off there. You agree that it would be really convenient if you guys could find people to eat the food, say it’ll be a disaster if a panic occurs, then decide to try calling Behemoth.

You end up getting Behemoth’s voicemail as it says he can’t come to the phone right now since Ziz made some osechi from Gehenna. Shirou still takes a moment to ask if Gehenna really has that there.

AI-gernon notes it looks like you guys are about to give up, which they think is the most logical thing to do. They decide to go with Algernon’s original suggestion, and Algernon starts setting it all up when you begin to rally yourself. Ryouta says he knows what you’re thinking, and you speak officially as guildmaster to ask the gang to help solve the mess.

Touji is motivated since people important to him are at the shrine as well as a bunch of innocents. Agyou says he’d lose a lot of komainu points if he lets a panic happen at a shrine he’s protecting, and Gullinbursti pushes himself up to comment on how brightly you shine.

Outside, Algernon is about to get ready to time travel since he’s got all the prep work done, but the AI stops him before he goes through with it. They can apparently hear you guys as Shirou says you guys will have to split up the last six boxes among yourselves and have each person give them to someone.

Shirou says he’s already called Mononobe and the other teachers, so he’ll be bringing them the osechi for their drinking snacks. Kengo says he’ll take his to Kabukicho even if it bothers him. The Outlaws ran out of drinking snacks themselves, so Kengo can dump a box onto Tetsuya to deal with it.

Touji says he extended his break and says he’ll be going to the police academy. For better or for worse, Hougen is over there training cadets today along with Tajikarao, so Touji can give them a box. Ryouta repeats that he can eat a box by himself and that he’ll be fine, and then the gang splits up to deliver their food.

The slimes babble a bit about the dishes they’re cooking, and Agyou notes there’s two boxes left to handle. You are taking those boxes, and although you have no leads you’re heading out now too. Agyou says he and Gullinbursti will go with you, even if all they can do now is help carry the boxes since they’re full. Gullinbursti says he wants to help in between burps and asks to come along.

AI-gernon walks back in and volunteers to handle one of the boxes, though they admit to not having ideas who to give it to. You are either happy about this and suggest going together, or point out it seemed like they were about to run out on you. The AI says this is a job they took on, and they’d rather finish things up smartly and neatly if possible.

Algernon asks what the AI is planning, so they respond by saying they might be rushing it too much. They can probably afford to slow down a little for New Years because it’s not like they have to get anywhere that fast in what they call a small city. Algernon cancels the time jump and agrees to follow along with the AI’s idea. The AI in turn teases him for being so nice to them since long ago that they could cry tears if it were possible.

You guys head outside and Agyou wonders what the plan is since you can’t just give the food to strangers. Gullinbursti is sure you have a plan, so Agyou cheers up and thinks you’re some master planner. You express surprise, try to bluff your way through it, and think to yourself that you can’t admit to not having a plan.

AI-gernon also wonders what you guys can do and comments it’s a pretty long shot to conveniently have people you know suddenly show up and collapse of hunger. So of course that’s exactly what happens as Ashigara pops up and collapses from training too hard and being hungry. Gouryou does too after failing to score with anyone and losing his wallet. Arachne also walks up and thinks aloud about how visiting the shrine after staying up three nights straight might be a bit much and probably should have had breakfast.

You point out this stroke of luck, and Gullinbursti is mildly surprised there really are people who will flop over as soon as New Years rolls around. Agyou says you should feed them right away, so you call it an osechi battle and tell everyone to get started. AI-gernon adds that you guys should start things off clean for the year and squeaks as the episode battle starts.