Chapter 22 It Seems There Is Still a Little Time
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We headed back to the stall to check on the progress. They’d sold about thirty more plates today. It looked like Ivy had been a real firebrand, drawing in crowds just like yesterday.
”You’ve got a real knack for sales, kid,” I said.
”What?! I don’t need that kind of talent!” Ivy barked. “I’m a swordswoman, you hear? And a good one! This plate-peddling gig is just a distraction!”
”Hahaha! Bold words for a pipsqueak,” I replied. “Don’t forget, I’ve got a real knight like Shirley on my side.”
”P-Pipsqueak…?! Don’t you mock me!” Ivy cried.
The more you tease Ivy, the better the reaction. She’s a riot. As I was enjoying the show, Shirley stepped forward, her gaze sharpening.
”If you intend to harm my master, I will show no mercy,” Shirley said.
”Whoa, it’s okay, Shirley,” I said quickly. “She’s just here for the atmosphere. Think of her as our short-term, short-tempered mascot, Ivy.”
”I told you, it’s Ivy! And I’m not short-tempered! It’s your fault for being so mean!” Ivy snapped.
”Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I said, reaching out to give her head a messy rub. Shirley seemed to grasp our dynamic then, bowing slightly as she retreated a step. But Ivy wasn’t done; she called out to stop her.
”Hey, you said you’re a swordswoman, right? How about a spar?” Ivy asked.
”If my master permits it…” Shirley said, looking to me.
I gave them a nod. “As long as you both promise not to actually hurt each other, go for it,” I said.
Before the words were even out of my mouth, they both reached for their hilts.
”You idiots!” I shouted, diving between them. “Are you out of your minds? Who tries to spar with live steel against an ally?!”
”But it’s not like we’re at a school! I don’t own a blunt sword!” Ivy huffed.
”Fine, fine! I’ll make you some wooden ones!” I said.
I whipped up two practice swords on the spot and handed them over. Ivy’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
”Wait… did you just make those? Right now? How?!” Ivy demanded.
”Doesn’t matter. They’re just wooden swords,” I said. “Shirley, you’re up.”
I didn’t feel like being interrogated about my crafting, so I sent Shirley a look. She caught on immediately.
”Very well. Ivy, I am coming,” Shirley said.
”Right! Bring it!” Ivy replied.
The mock battle started behind the stall, and it ended in a heartbeat. Shirley effortlessly slipped past Ivy’s opening strike, her practice blade held perfectly still against Ivy’s throat.
”Whoa, Shirley! That was awesome! You’re incredible!” I cheered.
”It is only by your grace, master,” Shirley said. “With my natural strength alone, I could never move like that.”
She was being humble, but those were the movements of someone who had spent years refining her craft. She’s definitely our heavy hitter now-a very welcome surprise. Meanwhile, Ivy was looking pretty pathetic after getting shut down in a split second.
”Hey, don’t give me that look. Want some ramen?” I asked.
”Don’t patronize me! …But yeah, I’ll eat,” Ivy muttered.
”Pick one! You either get my sympathy or the ramen!” I teased. I smirked down at her. “Life’s not all sunshine and rainbows, kid.”
”Fine! Then be nice and sympathize with me!” Ivy cried.
”I’m offering you a bowl of ramen, aren’t I? How much nicer do I have to be?!” I asked.
”Ugh… I guess that’s fair. Thanks,” Ivy said.
After she finished her bowl, I decided to give it a go myself. “Alright, my turn. Let’s see what you’ve got,” I said.
We squared off, but the moment our swords met, Ivy’s weapon didn’t just fly away-it shattered. A single hit from me pulverized her wooden sword into splinters. The force was enough to send her tumbling backward across the dirt. I hadn’t even gone all out.
Whoa… is this what happens when your level gets this high? I wondered.
In my daily life, everything feels normal. It’s just like the ceiling of my maximum output has been deleted; I can pour an infinite amount of force into a single point if I want to.
”Ra… Ramen!” Ivy screamed, her cheeks puffed out in a pout.
”Why are you acting so entitled? You already had a bowl,” I said.
I gave her forehead a playful flick-thwack-and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
”Crying isn’t going to get you what you want. You already used up your pity-points for the day,” I said.
”Uuuuugh! Then train me! Make me stronger!” Ivy pleaded.
”Not a chance,” I replied. “You wouldn’t work for free just because some stranger told you to, right? If you want something from me, you’ve got to offer something of equal value. That’s how a negotiation works.”
As I lectured Ivy, Shirley’s eyes started darting around nervously.
”Master! I shall work twice as hard to earn my keep! Please, give me your orders!” Shirley cried.
”No, Shirley, you’re different,” I said. “You’re my companion, and my strength is your strength. That’s just how it is.”
”Then why can’t I join?!” Ivy wailed.
”Because you’re a temporary employee! And a well-treated one at that!” I said.
As Ivy was busy shouting “No fair!”, a voice boomed from the distance. “Ivy!”
A group of women came sprinting toward us, swords drawn and ready.
”You there! What the hell are you doing to my daughter?!” a woman shouted.
Ah, Ivy’s mom. I guess when she didn’t show up for the regular transport, they got worried and came looking for her. Given how spoiled Ivy is, it makes sense she’s doted on.
”Well, it’s a long story, but…” I started.
I made sure to give her the full breakdown of exactly how much trouble her daughter had caused me.
”Ivy… is this true?” the woman asked.
”Ugh… I-it’s not like I spent all my travel money! I still have some left!” Ivy squealed.
”That is not the point!” the woman yelled.
Crack! A heavy fist landed right on Ivy’s head. She might be doted on, but her mom clearly wasn’t a total pushover. Ivy rolled around on the ground, clutching her skull. “G-gah-gah-gah!”
”It seems you were telling the truth. I apologize for the trouble,” the woman said. “I’ll make sure you’re compensated for the headache my daughter caused you.”
”Oh, no need for that,” I said. “At first, I just couldn’t stand the thought of a kid sleeping in an alleyway, but it turns out she’s a natural-born salesperson. She’s made me a tidy profit. Her pay was well-earned.”
The mother’s eyes went wide, looking at Ivy as if to say, This brat? Really? I couldn’t help but offer a dry smile. I knew exactly how she felt.
”See? I told you I was working!” Ivy bragged.
”Haaaaah…” Her mother let out a soul-weary sigh, but she reached down to stroke Ivy’s head anyway. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Don’t scare us like that… When the people on the regular transport said you’d suddenly canceled your trip, I came running.”
”S-sorry…” Ivy clung to her mother like the child she actually was.
Now that the air was cleared, I invited them to sit. Even if she was just a temp, her family deserved some hospitality, so I served up some fries as a snack. Ivy’s mother, Lean¹, took a bite and looked visibly stunned.
”I’m impressed. You’re quite the operator, aren’t you?” Village Head Lean said.
I noticed other people didn’t react much, but maybe commoners in this world don’t get to taste black pepper often. Considering the price of those withered seedlings I saw earlier, maybe spices are a luxury here.
”I appreciate the kindness. But was she really helping you out?” Lean asked.
Ivy, taking offense, immediately started hollering at passersby. Within minutes, she’d actually snagged another customer and sold two more plates.
”Hmph. It’s not a skill we need back in the village, but a way to survive is a way to survive. Ivy, take pride in that,” Lean said.
”Aw, so it’s useless at home? Typical…” Ivy slumped.
Lean watched her daughter with a soft expression before turning her attention to Lisha.
”Wait… aren’t you from Hasshi Village?” Lean asked. “I think I saw you at the guild reception desk a few years back.”
”Eh? Ah, yes! Does that mean… Ivy’s mother is from Yada Village?” Lisha asked.
”That’s right. I’m Lean, the village head,” Lean replied.
If Yada is next to Hasshi, it’s basically the closest neighbor to the Kingdom of Dole. This was the perfect chance to dig for info.
”Since you’re from Yada, you’re right on the border with Dole, right?” I asked.
”Yeah. It’s been a real pain lately… why do you ask?” Lean said.
”Honestly? I can’t stand the Kingdom of Dole². Especially the nobles and the military,” I said. “I’d like to know if many of them have been crossing over lately. I’d prefer to stay as far away from them as possible.”
Lean’s expression soured. “Well, most Karl people feel the same way,” she muttered. “We haven’t seen anyone from Dole in the last few weeks, but being neighbors, we usually get them a few times a year. Always those arrogant soldiers and nobles… They stop by for ‘materiel requisition’ and start a riot the moment we tell them we can’t sell our winter stores. They’re absolute bastards.”
”I can only imagine. My sympathies,” I said.
”You really get it?” Lean asked, looking for solidarity.
My whole group nodded in unison. “We get it.”
She seemed to realize then that we had our own history with those people.
”This town is on the main road to the capital, but they haven’t passed through yet, so you should be fine for now,” Lean said. “Our village is cursed to be on their path no matter what, but if you stay off the main routes, you’ll probably never see them. If you’re really worried, you might want to move to the next town over soon.”
Okay. So the investigators haven’t reached this area yet. We still have a window of time. I headed home to talk it over with everyone. Our chat with the people of Yada Village wrapped up, and it was time to say goodbye to Ivy.
”Good work, kid. Here’s your final pay,” I said.
”Thanks! You better come visit our village! I’ll be waiting for that ramen!” Ivy shouted.
”Were you even listening to the conversation? Well… maybe if the chance comes up,” I replied.
Lean sighed at her daughter’s antics. We gave them a casual wave and headed back to our house. As soon as we sat down at the table, the topic of the Kingdom of Dole came up immediately.
”Master, since they haven’t arrived yet, do you think we should stay?” Charlotte asked.
”I’m not sure. I was actually hoping to get your thoughts on it,” I said.
I laid out the scenarios. “If we stay, I’d like to buy more slaves to help us out. Actually, even if we leave, it might be a bit lonely with just the four of us… maybe we should increase our numbers regardless.”
The words hung in the air. I stopped myself, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. It sounded like I was just looking for an excuse to go slave-shopping, and the thought made me feel a little squeamish.
”Look, if you’re willing to leave civilization behind to follow me, there’s no real need for you to be slaves, but…”
”Given your current position, Ibuki-sama, it’s better we keep the slave status as long as we’re in human territory,” Lisha said. “In that case, why don’t we make this business a massive success? We can focus on gathering people until the organization has real power.”
Lisha was suggesting that since she was already prepared to jump ship, they might as well go all out.
”I suppose so,” I replied. “I can take everyone with me when I leave, so it won’t go to waste. Alright, let’s get serious about the business starting tomorrow.”
”Wait, you weren’t being serious before?” Charlotte asked, tilting her head.
”Not really. I was just messing around. I mean, I had some fun with it, but I wasn’t even close to full effort. There’s plenty of merchandise I can put out that won’t break the local economy.”
It was true. I could craft anything. I just needed to rent a few more stall locations, set them up for the girls, and start selling. Even if they didn’t turn a huge profit, the overhead was only a hundred yen a day for the permits. With their current numbers, the total cost was pocket change.
”Oh! Like the ramen and fries?” Charlotte asked.
”Yeah, those. I can do it, but here’s the problem-everyone would have to cook them on the spot. Is it safe to show off the Magic Tools?”
If the food got cold, it was ruined. Fries could be reheated, but cold ramen was a disaster.
”Legally, there’s no issue,” Lisha said after a pause. “But we should build a screen to make it look like we’re using firewood. If someone of low status is seen using high-end artifacts, vultures will start circling.”
”True enough,” I muttered.
”But if we don’t sell those, we won’t have anything to sell at all, right?” Charlotte asked with a worried look.
”What are you talking about? I can make anything.”
I used Processing on some iron and wood, producing ten knives in an instant. I followed that with several styles of clothing, stacking them by the dozen. I continued to churn out sellable goods, lining them up on the table one after another.
”See? My overhead is zero. We aren’t going to run out of stock. Even if we sell these at a loss, it’s all pure profit.”
”Wow… Ibuki-sama, you really are amazing!” Charlotte cheered.
Usually, this was where things would take an erotic turn, but I stayed focused on the shop preparations. I added wooden and silver spoons, forks, and knives to the inventory. Since silver was expensive, I kept those to a minimum.
Next, I moved on to furniture. As long as I had wood, I could mass-produce tables, chairs, and dressers. They were bulky, but with the girls’ increased strength, they could pull a handcart easily.
”Stop! These are too much!” Lisha interjected.
Even my “simple” designs were too perfect; the lack of any hand-carved flaws marked them as luxury goods.
”They won’t sell?” I asked.
”They’ll sell, but you’ll be a target,” Lisha said apologetically. “Handling luxury goods without a powerful backer is a huge risk, even with a proper storefront. Ceramic plates were already pushing it. I’m no merchant, so maybe it’s already too late, but…”
I gave her a sharp smirk. “Who cares? Didn’t we just agree to do this flashily?”
”Eh…?” The girls stood there, stunned.
”If we gather enough people, we can leave whenever we want. Even if we have to bail before then, we can just start over in another country. I’m not staying in this kingdom if it gets in the way of what I want to do.”
I had no attachment to this land.
”If we keep the stalls close together, Shirley can protect us, right? As long as you’re with me, we’ll have an easy escape route.”
I had noticed the girls were moving with incredible speed lately. I’d tested them in a race outside, and the results were staggering. As long as they avoided high-level mana users-none of whom had shown up yet-they were safe.
”Stats really are a cheat code,” I muttered.
”If I’m this fast, can I fight too?” Charlotte asked.
”You could probably hold your own, but if I’m around, let’s leave the heavy lifting to Shirley. She’s the one with the actual training.”
”Yes! Protecting everyone is my mission!” Shirley said, snapping to attention. I patted her head, and her cheeks flushed red.
We headed back inside to finish dinner and finalize the plan for the following day.
—
Summary:
Ibuki tests his companions’ and his own vastly grown strength, shattering a wooden sword effortlessly, just as Ivy’s mother Lean—Village Head of Yada near Dole—arrives to fetch her daughter. Facing potential investigators from Dole, Ibuki debates staying or fleeing while eyeing more slave purchases to bolster their group, then aggressively scales his business by showcasing his instant Processing skill to craft knives, clothes, and furniture. The team realizes their superhuman speed offers a solid escape if the kingdom turns hostile.
—
Trivia:
- Ibuki can create wooden swords instantly using his Crafter class.
- Black pepper is likely a luxury spice for commoners in this world.
- Yada Village is a mandatory stop on the route from the Kingdom of Dole to the capital.
- Ibuki’s physical power is now disproportionate, allowing him to pulverize objects without even going all out.
- The term ‘Karl people’ refers to the locals/native residents of the current region.
- Ibuki views his current life as ‘playing’ and hasn’t used his full power yet.
- The ‘Slave’ status is kept intentionally for social convenience within human territory.
- Ibuki’s items are considered ‘luxury’ because they are too perfect (lacking manual flaws).
- The protagonist has zero emotional attachment to the current country.
- Shirley is the only one with formal combat training despite everyone’s high stats
—
Character Insight:
Ibuki is becoming increasingly aware of his ‘overpowered’ status but remains grounded through his interactions with Ivy and his sense of responsibility toward his companions. His internal conflict regarding ‘slave-shopping’ shows he still retains modern moral sensibilities despite the setting’s norms.
Ibuki shows a shift from passive living to active ambition, though his motive is primarily freedom and personal desire rather than duty. Charlotte is eager to prove her utility in combat, while Lisha remains the voice of realistic caution.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The contrast between the slapstick violence of Ivy’s mother and the grim political reality of the Kingdom of Dole highlights the tonal shift as the party prepares for potential conflict.
The use of ‘Yen’ as a mental unit for the protagonist highlights his Earth origins and the ‘game-like’ abstraction of the world’s economy.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Ivy – A thirteen-year-old Knight Academy student in the Royal Capital, direct retainer of a minor noble house with blue-collar vibes; daughter of Lean from Yada Village, she’s a small-built, energetic aspiring swordswoman and temporary shop girl, deeply doted on by her family.
• Shirley – A 14-year-old girl, former daughter of a warrior family and a fencer. Ibuki’s second slave, purchased for her combat class. A newly acquired slave from a warrior family (buke). She is described as having a ‘dignified’ air and ‘cool’ beauty. She wears a tight, glossy white party dress and is initially terrified and confused by the household’s kind treatment.
• Lean – Village Head of Yada Village and Ivy’s mother. A leader who is protective of her daughter but stern when necessary. Familiar with guild operations.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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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