Chapter 15 Yeah, Well. Let’s Abandon Them.
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
When I woke up, Charlotte was busy at work as usual, the air filled with the wet, rhythmic sounds of her effort.
But really, Charlotte. You and the others squeezed every last drop out of me yesterday. There’s nothing left.
As I lay there stroking her head, Collet and Lisha joined in. Between six hands and three mouths, they managed to milk me dry all over again. I was actually impressed. I guess you can always find a little more in the tank if you really try-a simple, honest observation.
The orgy eventually ended, and we all headed out for our shifts.
”Drained. I’m completely drained,” I muttered.
”I-I’m sorry,” Charlotte said. “I think I just got a bit competitive…”
”It’s fine. Better than you being lonely. More importantly, did you catch the meaning of my question yesterday?”
Charlotte stiffened. “You’re going through with it? All the way to the end?”
”If I can. If it looks like a lost cause, we run. First, we fall back to the village. If the village is toast, we take Lisha and disappear. I’m no ‘Hero,’ and I’m definitely no legend.”
I watched her face, gauging her reaction.
”I’m relieved,” Charlotte admitted. “Honestly, a part of me wanted you to just kidnap Lady Lisha and run for it right now.”
”I get that. But if we’re going to run the moment the Orcs hit the village, the risk is the same whether we do it now or later. We can always dig a hole and hide underground before anything dangerous spots us. We can make our own safe zone. And if the village is overrun? If even the Guildmaster can’t fight them off, it’s only natural to retreat.”
If we stayed in the underground tunnels I’d prepared, Lisha could hold her head high and say she did everything she could before she had to flee.
”I see. If we’re with you, Ibuki-sama, we don’t even have to worry about being hunted down.”
”If we prepare, yeah. As long as I keep a handle on things with Sensing¹, we’ll be fine. So, I figured we’d clear out a few more today in that safe zone we found. If that fails, we stick to the plan.”
Charlotte nodded, convinced. We flew out of the village under the guise of “resource gathering.” I hit a metallic vein with a massive pickaxe-three swings and I’d replenished my iron-then headed for the trap site.
We landed, entered the tunnel, and pushed the minecart toward the pitfall. I reset the traps, winding the high-tension rubber to its breaking point. I used the fresh iron to reinforce the pit lids and the spikes of the Greatsword Mountain, and decided to drop oversized, spiked iron blocks instead of rocks. My firepower just took a massive leap forward. Not bad.
I fed Mana into the Cocoon and used Storage² to send it to the surface. Immediately, the Mana signature of what must have been the boss began to move. It didn’t approach the trap, though; it watched from a distance, like a commander. The others were back to hammering on the iron plates covering the pit. I’d made them significantly thicker, so they weren’t deforming yet.
Seeing them like this, I realized they weren’t just monsters. They understood what they were doing.
”Are Orcs usually this smart?” I asked.
”Among monsters, yes,” Charlotte replied. “They build settlements and crude buildings, after all.”
I’d had this mental image of them as roaming mobs, but I was wrong. Here, they were closer to wild animals or tribal predators. I needed to stop thinking in game logic.
”Whatever. Let’s open the floor,” I said, and triggered the lid.
The Orcs fell with shrill screams. Immediately after, a massive roar echoed through the air-GRRROOOAAR!
At the sound, the Orcs surrounding the hole didn’t scatter. They threw themselves into the pit willingly. The sheer numbers were staggering.
”You’ve got to be kidding. Charlotte, the moment this looks bad, we’re out. Got it?”
”Yes. I’m ready,” Charlotte said, drawing her sword to cut the release rope.
I spammed Storage³, monitoring the survivors. The pit was filling up, and I hesitated to drop the iron while they were still pouring in. But we were hitting a wall. I dropped the hammer.
CRUNCH. The spiked iron pulverized the pile. I instantly stored it and dropped it again.
I repeated this three times until the spikes on the trap were mangled. I wanted to fix them with Processing⁴, but the pit was full of survivors. If I stored the trap now, I could only redeploy it on top of them, and more were still raining down. I couldn’t even close the lid. It was a stalemate.
”We’re done. Retreat!” I shouted.
”Right!”
The moment I braced myself, Charlotte cut the rope and the minecart launched. The scenery blurred. By the time we veered around the Ballista in the main hall, the cart was slowing down. I hopped off and checked the tunnel.
”They haven’t climbed up yet. Without the boss, they’re just disorganized. Still, this spot is burnt. We can’t use it again.”
Real life doesn’t have a despawn timer. The pit was a mess of corpses and scrap. I recovered the Ballista and the rails into Storage⁵, then walled off the passage with solid stone as far as I could reach.
Back on the surface, we took off in the plane. Charlotte looked relieved.
”I’m so glad you’re not the type to take unnecessary risks, Ibuki-sama.”
”I’m just glad you’re not a brat about it. I was worried you’d ask why we were running after all that work.”
”I would never!”
We bickered like that until we reached the village. At the guild, I took Lisha and headed to the dismantling yard. To show Collet the gravity of the situation, I dumped out a pile of two hundred Orcs. I didn’t want to reveal my skills, but Storage⁶ was already a known factor.
”Keep my Class a secret. There are more where those came from. The situation is dire.”
In reality, I had nearly two thousand in my Inventory, and the settlement had only a few hundred left.
”No way… this is like a nightmare from the old stories,” Collet said, backing away from the pile of Greater Orcs.
I pulled the corpses back into Storage⁷.
”I’m showing you this because the village is in trouble, but my life is on the line, too. Keep it quiet. You handle the talking.”
Collet glared at me. “Who… what are you, exactly? Answer me.”
Are you serious? That’s your first question? I’d just risked my neck to show her the truth, and she immediately started prying.
”I told you. It’s a secret,” I replied, annoyed. “Lisha, sorry, but I couldn’t clear them all. This might be too much.”
”Don’t apologize! I’m just glad you’re safe,” Lisha said. “But… how will we convince the village?”
”Report the settlement and its scale. Show them the Greater Orc heads as proof. That’s enough for you to say you did your duty, right?”
”She’s right,” Collet added. “Lisha isn’t a combatant. If she sends the report to the town, she’s done her job. But Ibuki… if you quit now, the village will hate you. If you run, don’t expect to ever come back.”
Figures. The hero who quits before the job is done buys a lot of resentment.
But then I saw Collet glaring at Lisha. Lisha was trying to save the village, and Collet was looking at her like she was a traitor. Collet was more of a disappointment than I thought. She was a walking red flag.
”What do you want to do, Lisha? If you want to stay until the end, I’ll stick with you.”
”No. If it puts you in danger, I don’t care if they hate me. But… will you promise never to leave me?”
”Haha. I’d never leave someone like you. But I hate the idea of you being the scapegoat.”
She was a good woman. If she could be that loyal, I could stick it out a little longer.
”Fine. Let’s stay a bit longer.”
”Wait, Ibuki! If it’s that dangerous, you can’t!”
”Relax. I’m doing this my way. Besides, Charlotte is just a farmer. She can’t even fight. That’s the level of ‘danger’ we’re talking about.”
”What!?” Both of them stood there, stunned. They probably thought I was using Charlotte as a meat shield because she was a slave.
”I can’t talk about my setup yet. Just wait until this is over.”
”I’m not trying to pry,” Lisha said, “but if Charlotte can’t fight, you’re going in alone? That’s worse!”
”Listen. I don’t put people I care about in danger. I’ve crunched the numbers. I know exactly how far I can push this.”
If someone asked if there was zero risk, I’d have to say no. But Charlotte is precious. My own life is on the line. I knew what I was doing.
”Then… will you take me with you?” Lisha asked.
”Sure. It’s not like I’m doing anything fancy.”
Charlotte gave a wry smile. “I want to argue with that, but I can’t think of a single lie to prove you wrong.”
”Wait a minute!” Collet yelled. “If she can’t fight, why are you taking her into a war zone!?”
”Because I want to be with her. We’re in the same boat now. Right, Charlotte?”
”Yes ♡,” she chirped. “If you die, I die too. We’re together forever ♡”
”Hey, think about the ‘not dying’ part. Don’t say creepy things. You want me to plug that mouth?”
”Please ♡”
She was clearly happy that I’d said our fates were linked. She was in full-on spoiled mode. Usually, I’d have kissed her, but that was what she wanted, so I just pinched her lips shut instead.
”Is this really the time for this!?” Collet screamed.
”Save that for the people who haven’t lifted a finger while the Orcs moved in,” I said, my voice cold. “I didn’t cause this crisis.”
”What is wrong with you…?” Collet glared at me. “People’s lives are at stake!”
”Hey, hold on. So my life is cheap, but yours is precious? I’m the one who came to warn you while there was still time to cull⁸ the herd and get out. Remember that?” I said.
I already thought she was a pain, so I didn’t hold back the sarcasm. She snapped immediately. “Then what the hell are we supposed to do!?” Collet asked.
Charlotte looked on with cold, indifferent eyes, but Collet was still glaring daggers. Lisha stepped forward and slapped her across the face.
”Collet, enough with the tantrums. How dare you snap at our savior!” Lisha said.
”What!? We’re about to lose our entire home! It’s easy for you to say – you’re just looking for a man so you can bail on us!” Collet shouted.
”Oh, please. You’re the one being toxic in a crisis,” Lisha replied. “He helped us out of the goodness of his heart. Thanks to you, he probably won’t do another thing for us. You’re more pathetic than I am, and I’m the one admitting I’m running because I can’t fight.”
Lisha turned to me with a faint, weary smile. “Ibuki-san, I need to write some reports before I head back. Would you mind waiting for me at the house?”
I nodded. She pulled me by the arm until we reached the guild, then let go.
”I’m sorry about Collet. She’s… a bit self-centered,” Lisha muttered.
”It’s fine. I said my piece. Besides, you didn’t do anything wrong, Lisha,” I said.
She looked like she was taking it to heart, so I kissed her forehead to reassure her before heading back to her place.
”Man, I couldn’t just keep quiet, but speaking up is such a headache,” I muttered to myself.
”It really is,” Charlotte agreed. “They don’t realize they’d be dead already if it weren’t for you, Ibuki-sama.”
”Regardless of how long they could have lasted, they were in a bad spot. An attack was inevitable,” I said.
Having spent so much time flying, the view from the sky made it obvious how bizarre this place was. The monster density was on another level. It wouldn’t have gotten this bad unless the area had been neglected for years. Lisha said she’d reported it to the village head and the town, but they’d ignored her. If that’s the case, it’s their own fault.
And yet, she’s probably the one who’s going to take the heat. Maybe I should just kidnap her and bolt? But… this is her hometown. I never did ask what happened to her family.
While I was mulling it over and playing with Charlotte, Lisha came back. She had finished sending the letters.
”Well then, shall we head out once we’re ready?” Lisha asked, acting as if nothing had happened.
”Are you sure? What about your family?” I asked.
”They aren’t here. They moved to the town. My younger sister is with them. I stayed because of my job at the guild, but honestly, I should have just gone with them,” Lisha said.
”I see. Let’s go then. Now that you’ve sent word, they can decide for themselves whether to investigate or run. It’s not your call to make anymore. You’ve done enough,” I said.
She was about the same age as Charlotte. In a situation that could swallow several towns, you don’t put the responsibility on a girl with so little experience. It wouldn’t make a difference if she stayed or not. I decided we’d escape together.
If I were a ‘Hero,’ I guess I’d stay and fight. But I don’t have the heart to protect these villagers. If they perish because they were too lazy to cull the monsters, that’s on them. They aren’t helpless; they just didn’t act. I have no obligation to fix the screw-ups of strangers. If Lisha is okay with leaving, so am I.
”Lisha, I’ll ask one last time. You won’t regret this?” I asked.
”I won’t. Even if the evacuation is too late. I’ve been telling people for years that we couldn’t just leave the monsters alone. The previous guildmaster told me how much we had to cull to keep the village safe. He got so fed up that he retired and left. Since I was just a ‘young girl,’ nobody took me seriously. I’d rather leave than see you in danger for people like them, Ibuki-san desuwa,” Lisha said firmly.
That was all I needed to hear. If she feels bad later, I’ll just have to comfort her.
”So, where to? The town where your family is?” I asked.
”No, I’d prefer somewhere else. I can’t exactly call them a family to be proud of,” Lisha replied.
”Lisha… you’ve really had a rough time, haven’t you?”
I hugged her and stroked her hair.
”I’m perfectly fine now. Because I’m being rewarded right now,” she whispered, clinging to me. Her body pressed tight against mine, her chest crushing into me as she leaned in. It felt like an invitation.
Not now… Control yourself. And you too! Get a grip, you damn undisciplined heart!
I took both their hands. “Let’s get going.”
We headed outside. As I pulled out the plane, I realized it was only a two-seater. While Charlotte explained things to a confused Lisha, I modified it into a three-seater. It added weight, but the extra leg-power from a third person would help the horsepower. With the magic tools⁹, we could definitely make it to the next town.
We have plenty of food and seasoning. Do we even need a town? But we’re out of bread, and I can’t eat meat forever. Plus, the loot from twenty orcs turned into a nice chunk of change. We can afford a shopping spree.
I pulled the plane back out. While trying to calm a nervous Lisha, Charlotte and I started pedaling like mad. “Here we go! Charlotte!”
We soared into the sky.
”What do you think, Lisha-sama!? Isn’t Ibuki-sama incredible!?” Charlotte shouted.
”Wh-what is this!? It’s terrifying! I’m scared!” Lisha screamed, clinging to the handlebar for dear life.
Turns out she’s afraid of heights. That’s actually the normal reaction. Plenty of people back home would be terrified. If I didn’t have my skills, I’d be worried about the wind knocking us out of the sky too.
”Look! Down! Properly!” Charlotte urged.
After a moment, Lisha opened one eye and peeked over the side.
”See? Isn’t it beautiful!?” Charlotte asked. Lisha stayed silent, but she slowly opened both eyes and took it all in.
”We’re… flying,” she whispered.
I figured I should say something to help her relax. “Is that right? Well, that’s news to me,” I joked.
”Hehe, oh Ibuki-sama…” Charlotte giggled.
”Lisha-sama, isn’t it wonderful?” Charlotte asked.
”Yes… it’s beautiful. So this is what it looks like from above,” Lisha said softly.
Finally convinced she wasn’t going to fall, she kept staring at the horizon.
”We’re coming down now. It’ll be a pain if people see us flying too close to the town,” I said.
”Okay!” Charlotte replied.
We touched down, but I’d forgotten how rough the landing was on unlevelled ground. All three of us yelled as we hit the dirt.
”Dammit – I was so focused on the orcs I forgot the landing gear,” I grumbled.
”I thought my heart was going to stop!” Lisha cried.
I patted her head to comfort her, then we climbed out. We’d stopped in a good spot; after a quick walk through the woods, we hit the main road. A little further, and we finally reached the town.”,
—
Summary:
Ibuki attempts to thin the Orc population using a sophisticated pitfall trap but is forced to retreat when the numbers become overwhelming and the boss Orc intervenes. Upon returning to the village, he reveals the scale of the threat to Lisha and Collet, sparking a debate over heroism versus survival. Ultimately, he decides to stick by Lisha for a while longer, despite the rising tension with Collet.
Then, Ibuki confronts the ungrateful villagers and decides to abandon the village with Lisha and Charlotte. Lisha reveals her past frustrations with the village’s negligence toward monster culling. The trio departs in Ibuki’s modified flying machine, eventually reaching a new town after a bumpy landing.
—
Trivia:
- Ibuki is technically a ‘Crafter’ job class, not a ‘Hero’.
- Charlotte is a ‘Farmer’ and has no combat capabilities.
- Ibuki has nearly 2000 Orcs in his inventory, far more than what he showed.
- The Orc Boss did not fall for the trap and instead commanded from a distance.
- Real life in this world has no ‘despawn’ mechanic for corpses.
- The previous Guildmaster left due to the same negligence Lisha faces.
- Ibuki specifically modified the plane from a two-seater to a three-seater mid-scene.
- Lisha’s family lives in the town they are heading toward, but she isn’t proud of them.
- The landing gear on the plane was not modified to handle rough terrain
—
Character Insight:
Ibuki’s pragmatic nature is highlighted; he values his companions over the village’s gratitude. Charlotte shows a dark, obsessive devotion (‘If you die, I die’). Collet acts as a foil, representing the ‘moral’ but somewhat hypocritical view of the villagers.
Lisha shows a more resolute side, choosing her safety and Ibuki over a village that never respected her. Ibuki reaffirms his non-heroic stance, prioritizing his own group over a community that failed to manage its own risks.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘landmine’ reference for Collet is a modern Japanese slang term for a woman who seems attractive but is emotionally volatile or ‘toxic’.
The ‘mabiki’ (culling) concept highlights a common fantasy trope where failing to control monster populations leads to inevitable disaster, serving as a catalyst for the protagonist to leave the starting area.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Charlotte – Short, skinny late‑teen slave girl with messy brown hair, feline eyes, and a soft, slender body. Was an Ex‑Level 8 farmer, now Level 10 and bound to Ibuki, who she calls “Master” and calls herself his wife. Wears rags at first, then pretty clothes he makes, plus his bat‑wing hairband. Blushy, clingy, protective, and easily emotional, she follows him on runs, fights, and flights while always worrying if she’s useful enough.
• Collet – A small‑chested employee at the village butchery/slaughterhouse and childhood friend of Lisha. Outspoken, provocative, and blunt, she spends a night at Lisha’s house after being brought home, where she reacts strongly to Ibuki’s abilities and no‑nonsense attitude—earning his label of a “walking red flag.” A sharp‑eyed, self‑centered villager, she lashes out at both Ibuki and Lisha during the crisis, clashing with them under pressure.
• Lisha – Mature‑looking native woman with a soft “big‑sister” vibe, a big, bon‑kyu‑bon chest, and an hourglass figure. Polite, domestic, and secretly shy, she treats being with Ibuki as a blessing and quietly fixes the bedding after they’re done. A skilled cook, hot‑spring lover, and “doer” who melts when others take control. She’s the Guildmaster and receptionist/butcher for the Hasshi Subjugator Guild, good friends with Collet, and lets Ibuki and Charlotte stay at her place, worrying about his safety while torn between duty and her feelings for him. Has a younger sister and family in a nearby town.
• Hero – Ibuki’s upperclassman from Earth—summoned as the naive Hero with emotional, mentally fragile personality. Empathetic yet reluctant and inadequate-feeling, lacking survival instincts and political skills. Currently in despair and terrified by his situation.
• Ibuki – Broke high‑schooler from Earth who got tossed into another world with the “Crafter” class he first thought was useless—turns out it’s totally busted. Black‑haired, germaphobic, and low‑key bitter but sharp as hell. Uses Synthesis, Processing, and Inventory skills to survive, craft gear, and haul loot while exploring. Currently a Level 10 otherworlder, wielding a stone axe, traveling the frontier forest with Charlotte, and just trying to stay alive long enough to find a bit of peace.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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