Chapter 33 Underground Organization…?
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next day, at noon.
”My lord, I have returned,” Rosanna said, lowering her head in a solemn bow.
Olivia and the others, who had been investigating the underground organization¹, had finally returned. Our group was whole once more.
”Welcome back. Were there any problems?” I asked, but my voice trailed off. Two figures were hiding behind the group. One was Amelia, but the other was a dark-skinned girl I didn’t recognize.
”This is her. She turned out to be a demi-human when we caught her,” Amelia said.
”Wait, there was no need to capture her, was there?” I asked.
”No problem, Master. Neither she nor I have done anything wrong,” Amelia replied.
”Is that so? If you say so…”
I looked toward the dark-skinned girl. She was peering at me with a frightened expression. She looked younger than Amelia-maybe the age of an older elementary schooler. I had heard the term “underground organization” and expected a group of thugs, but she was quite cute. Based on Amelia’s behavior and the way Rosanna and the others looked at her, she didn’t seem like a bad person.
”Well, would you like some tea?” I asked. The girl tentatively stepped forward.
”Ah… before that, let me ask. Why were you looking for us?” the girl asked, her eyes still clouded with fear.
”Right… it’s a bit of a story. To put it simply, the Kingdom of Dole is after me. I wanted to know if it would be hard to live quietly on your side of the mountains.”
”Why are they targeting you?”
”Probably because they want to hide their own crimes,” I said. It was a blunt answer, but she seemed to accept it immediately. It appeared Dole was an enemy to her as well.
”Regardless of the details, if you’re willing to talk, please have a seat.”
I poured her some tea and encouraged her to sit.
”Wait! It… it’s sweet!” she muttered, looking surprised.
I suddenly remembered that I usually add the sugar all at once when I make the tea. Everyone prefers it that way, so I’ve made it a habit.
”Do you dislike sweet things?” I asked.
”No! It’s just… sugar is so expensive. I was just shocked…”
Right. Sugar is incredibly high-priced here too, but since I can produce it in bulk with my skills, I never gave it much thought.
”So, are humans really that hated over there?”
”Well, yes… that’s how it is. We are at war, after all,” the girl replied.
”I figured. If I went there to talk, would they attack me?”
”Most likely. There have been treacherous attacks in the past. We don’t trust anyone anymore, so humans don’t even bother coming to our side,” she explained.
As we talked, I learned that the underground organization was actually a group of demi-humans who could pass as humans, coming over to work as seasonal laborers. Apparently, the area beyond the mountain range is mostly wasteland with poor harvests. Most of the monsters aren’t edible, so many places struggle to even find a meal without procuring food from this side. A wealthy elite monopolizes the riches over there, and those living in the remote areas can’t survive. The various villages pooled their people together to form this organization just to stay alive.
”That sounds like a life-or-death situation for you. Was it okay to tell me all that?” I asked.
”It’s not okay. But you’re the first human I’ve met who is willing to talk like this, even knowing what I am. We… we want a connection.”
She told me that as rumors spread, they would eventually reach their limit.
”I see. If that’s the case, we might have a shot. All right, let’s try going to the other side of the mountain.”
”What?! You’ll be killed if you do that!” the girl cried.
”No, I don’t plan on facing them on a battlefield.”
It’s natural to attack an enemy on the battlefield. My plan was to sneak over and try to start a business, just as she had. When I mentioned this, her expression turned uncertain.
”Don’t worry. I’m not asking you to help. I’ll just see if I can fit in, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll come back.”
”It… it isn’t that easy to come and go…”
”I can manage it. We’re strong, you see.”
I didn’t intend to tell her about my skills, so I left it at that. In reality, we were already among the strongest people around.
”Will you… will you truly swear not to fight us?” she asked.
”Yeah. At least, I won’t be the one to attack first.”
”I’m sorry for asking, but I still can’t fully believe that.”
”You don’t need to worry about it. I’m going to do what I want either way. It’s the same for you, right? Even though you were told not to enter human territory, you still did.”
The girl stood up with a loud clatter.
”T-That’s because we can’t survive otherwise-! My apologies. I suppose that applies to you as well…”
”Well, we’re strong enough that we might be able to avoid trouble, but we’d prefer to live in peace. If we can make a place for ourselves over there, we’re going to try.”
”It’s still impossible…” the girl said with a troubled face. When I asked if the hatred was really that deep, she shook her head.
Hatred was a factor, but she explained that life simply wasn’t sustainable over there. They couldn’t enter the cities where the wealthy lived, so they couldn’t get materials or food. Their lives were so desperate that they didn’t even have the energy to be emotional about it.
”Besides, the ones fighting are the city people. We aren’t warriors…”
”Do they even demand money from you?” I asked.
She explained that they are forced to provide a certain number of men as laborers. She muttered with a look of pure disgust that handsome men are taken as “laborers” only to be used as toys.
Apparently, like humans, their population is skewed toward women. However, there are no power struggles between men there, and while the male ratio is higher than on this side, she said the people in power are primarily women.
”You’ll be attacked if you’re caught, too,” she warned.
”No worries. I’ll protect him,” Amelia said, and Shirley and the others nodded in agreement.
”I don’t plan on losing even if we’re attacked… but I don’t intend to let it get to that point in the first place.”
”Oh? Do you already have a vision for this, my lord?” Lisha asked, joining the conversation.
”Yeah, more or less. If I build a place on the other side where the people from the underground organization can come to work, we can have a proper exchange.”
Everyone nodded in understanding.
”That’s impossible! You only say that because you haven’t seen the other side!”
”If it’s impossible, I’ll just come back without doing anything. I won’t try to take anything by force.”
I patted her head, thinking she was quite mature for her age, but she got angry with me.
”I’m not a child! I’m an adult woman!”
”Lying is bad. You’re smaller than me,” Amelia muttered.
”I’m twenty years old this year!”
”Liar!”
As they argued, Amelia’s stomach let out a low growl, and the bickering stopped.
”Wait, have Olivia and the others not eaten yet?” I asked.
”We had dinner last night, but…”
I cut her off and produced four large servings of ramen.
”You eat, too,” I said to the guest.
”Wait… when did you do that?!”
She was shocked to see the ramen appear on the table in the blink of an eye. However, since she had been busy arguing with Amelia, she didn’t ask any more questions.
We had already eaten, so we sat at a different table to chat and drink tea.
”Um… what do you plan to do once we get there?” Fran asked anxiously.
”I won’t do anything special. She said they were starving, right? I’ll just tell them I’ll feed them if they work. With my skills, I can change the soil and start a farm. I have all the seeds I need.”
I had seeds for improved, hardy, and delicious vegetables. I could use a skill to create a farm and let them harvest the food. If I hired people to help clean the mansion and gave out food, we would naturally be seen as leaders by the local people.
”The people in power will probably see it as a problem, but I’m hoping to use that time to prepare to take down Dole.”
”Why would that help?” Fran asked.
”Even if the races are different, if we have a common enemy, they might see us as being different from other humans. It won’t change things easily, but it’s a start.”
As I spoke with Fran, Shirley suddenly hugged me tightly.
”My lord, thank you…” Shirley whispered, clinging to me.
”For what? Dole is our enemy too, right?”
”Yes!” Shirley said with a look of terrifying determination. I patted her head and kissed her cheek, and she gave a small, troubled smile. I felt someone watching us.
The dark-skinned girl was staring at me. When I looked back at her, the face of a cat came to mind.
”Want seconds?” I asked.
”T-That’s not it!” she yelled, her face turning bright red. “I heard you say you’re going to fight Dole…”
”Yeah. Shirley and I have a grudge against them. Once everything is ready, we’ll move. I want to help my fellow countrymen who were deceived, too.”
”I see…” she said, looking down.
”I haven’t asked your name yet. And what race are you?” I asked, introducing myself as well.
”I am a proud Dwarf. The daughter of Doran-Nyan nyo. And I really am an adult!”
Nyan? Like a cat? She did seem a bit cat-like. It was an interesting name. I smirked, thinking she might get mad if I called her “Miss Nyan.”
”Right. I understand you’re an adult. So, you’re a Dwarf? Are Dwarves good at blacksmithing?”
”Well, yes. Many of us are. I’m not as good as my mother, but we’re all pretty good at making things!”
It seemed some tropes were the same here, even if the gender roles were a bit different.
”Do you like alcohol?” I asked.
”Only the good stuff! I’m not picky, but it has to be quality.”
”So low-alcohol drinks are no good?”
”Out of the question! If it doesn’t have a kick, it’s just water!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her response.
”I see. Then making some good booze should be effective too.”
”Don’t do anything strange. I came here prepared to die, you know!”
”That’s a bit much. Don’t say things like that,” I said. As we continued our slightly awkward conversation, she gradually seemed to get used to us. Soon, evening approached.
”It’s late, so what are you going to do? Do you want to stay the night?” I asked.
”What?! Is it really okay for me to stay?”
”Sure. There’s no limit on guests.”
Inns in this world are quite relaxed. They don’t even take names. As long as you provide your own food, you just check out when it’s time to leave. Since I usually sleep with someone, there was an entirely empty room available. I didn’t mind letting her stay since she had told us so much.
”No, I mean-is it really okay to let a stranger like me stay? A demi-human?”
”Yeah. You don’t have a weapon, so I don’t mind.”
None of us were at a level where we could be hurt by someone without a weapon anyway. She didn’t seem like the type to cause trouble.
The girls didn’t seem to have any objections, so it was settled.
”It’s fine. She’s incredibly weak,” Amelia muttered.
”You’re the abnormal one!” Nyan shouted.
”Yes. I am strong.”
”Kuh…”
Watching them, everyone relaxed. I sent them to the baths and prepared dinner. Since we couldn’t use the kitchen, it was my job to provide the meals. I used my skills to set everything out.
”Um… my lord…” Erina said, walking out of the bedroom.
She had been hiding in there out of shyness, but she had finally come out. Her face was still bright red.
”Hey. Dinner is ready. Want to eat?”
”Y-Yes…”
I sat with Erina while she blushed, and soon everyone else returned from the bath.
”Erina, you did it!” Meena said, slapping her on the back.
”W-What are you talking about?!” Erina shouted, her face turning an even reddener.
The two of them started bickering, and our private moment ended as the conversation turned to everyone’s day. Lisha and the others talked about their combat training.
As the night went on and it was time for bed, everyone headed to their rooms. Nyan looked unsure of what to do, so Amelia led her to the spare room. Despite her harsh words, it seemed Amelia had taken a liking to her.
The usual members remained as we moved to the bedroom.
”So, how was it, Lisha?”
”Nothing special happened. Right, Charlotte?”
”Yes. We went to the government office and the Merchant Guild to prepare. We were just scouting, so we didn’t buy anything yet,” Charlotte said.
”I see. I’m okay with failing, so you don’t need to be too worried about it.”
They both insisted on doing it right, so I left it to them. We went to bed, and after spending time together, I eventually fell asleep.
—
Summary:
Olivia’s group returns with a Dwarf girl named Nyan, revealing that the ‘Underground Organization’ is a desperate survival network for demi-humans. Ibuki proposes moving to the other side of the mountains to establish a farm and trade hub to help the starving demi-humans and build allies against Dole. The chapter ends with a cozy dinner and Nyan staying over, warming up to the group.
—
Trivia:
- Nyan is actually 20 years old despite her child-like appearance.
- The ‘toys’ comment suggests a very dark reality for handsome demi-human men in human territory.
- Ibuki plans to use his Crafter skills to solve the famine issue in the demi-human lands.
- Dwarves in this world have primarily female leadership.
- Ibuki’s party members are preparing to eventually attack the Kingdom of Dole
—
Character Insight:
Ibuki demonstrates a pragmatic and empathetic leadership style, choosing economic and social integration over military conflict. Nyan shows growth from absolute terror of humans to being curious and argumentative, especially with Amelia.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The use of ‘Ramen’ as a peacemaking food is a common trope in isekai, used here to bridge the cultural gap between Ibuki and the Dwarf Nyan.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Rosanna – Older ex-slave in the party, rocking that high-born noble vibe—volunteers for intel on dark orgs, spots the crew’s busted power levels. Loyal AF, scouts underground, bows deep with solemn grace while opening up on missions.
• Olivia – A member of the group who asks about the ‘weird’ monster types with some technical/magic-tech knowledge who is stunned by the efficiency of Ibuki’s skills. Archer. Eldest of the new recruits. Height approx 160cm (5’3). Deep blue-black hair. Calm demeanor.
• Amelia – Quiet, expressionless white short-hair girl with red eyes—smallest in the crew but arguably strongest—once robotic, now opening up, happy with Master’s food/clothes, craving to repay kindness. Ibuki’s loyal CQC bodyguard who goes full deredere lovey-dovey post-intimacy, struggles with personal dreams but sticks by his side.
• Shirley – 14yo ex-knight family swordswoman, Ibuki’s 2nd slave (8-gold scapegoat from Karl), rocking long red hair, dignified cool beauty in tight white dress—shocked by the chill vibes at first. Fanatic loyalist, weapon tester, security guard, blunt questioner of his slave game, one of his 3 wives, combat/sales pro but can’t cook.
• Lisha – Mature native babe with killer curves, huge rack, long brown hair, big-sis vibes—polite shy type who hangs back gathering intel on other Heroes. Head of Sha-sha brand, acting chair, runs group logistics/training with authoritative feminine flair.
• Fran – A young member of the group who is easily flustered. Member of the group who expresses moral or existential concern over the ‘unnatural’ leveling process.
• Nyan – A Dwarf girl, daughter of Doran. 20 years old but looks like a child. Dark-skinned, cat-like vibe. From the mountains.
• Erina – A 17‑year‑old swordswoman and slave under Ibuki’s contract, originally from Paul, with drill hair, a refined noble‑like air and speech suggesting she was once a high‑born lady.
• Meena – A young girl and slave who is easily overwhelmed by Ibuki’s crafting abilities. An 18-year-old thief with a youthful appearance. Height is approximately 140cm (4’7).
• 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.
Thanks for reading.
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