Chapter 39 Exchange Begins!
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It had already been a month since we first established contact with the dwarf village. By now, trade with the neighboring settlements was in full swing. Well, if you could even call it “trade.” There wasn’t any money changing hands; it was mostly just bartering or people helping out in the fields in exchange for a share of the crop.
That’s right-thanks to my connection with Nyan¹, word had spread to other villages. I’d met all sorts: beast-kin, small-folk, and even some who were called “Divine Beast-kin².” Apparently, that’s the catch-all term for anyone with a beast-like base. To me, they just looked like bipedal animals; they didn’t seem to have any flashy special abilities, but their physical stats were reportedly through the roof across the board.
There were exceptions, though. For some reason, dragonewts were classified as Divine Beast-kin even though they were human-based. Honestly, it didn’t really matter-we could communicate just fine, so I didn’t see any reason to complain.
So, day after day, this eclectic mix of races ended up hanging out in front of my house. They were wary at first, but once I told them they could take half the harvest if they handled all the manual labor, they were over the moon. We’ve managed to build a pretty friendly relationship. Now, it’s just a normal part of life to sit side-by-side at the terrace table, swapping jokes and stories.
Between all these interactions, I’d even managed to hire a girl to help out as a housekeeper.
One month into this new life, the “town” finally made its move.
”Ugh… they’re finally here,” Charlotte said, her face twisted in a look of pure dread.
She was right. The elves had arrived, and they’d brought an army with them.
I’d had a heads-up about this, so I’d already told the locals to clear out. They said they wanted to keep an eye on things from the nearest dwarf village, so I assumed the kids from the other races were over there too. That meant I didn’t have to worry about collateral damage if things got ugly.
Not that I had any intention of starting a bloodbath.
With that in mind, we all sat down at the table on the terrace and watched the column march toward us. It was a mixed unit of various races. Judging by the quality of her gear, the female elf walking at the head of the pack was the commander.
As the column filed in, most of the soldiers couldn’t stop staring at the fields. Their eyes were wide, and they were walking with their heads turned completely to the side. You’re going to trip, I thought. Sure enough, one guy stumbled, and a second later, half a dozen of them were rolling on the ground.
By then, the commander had reached talking distance, so I stood up to meet her.
”Well, hello there,” I said. “What can I do for you today?”
”…Don’t play dumb with me,” the commander replied. “What are you plotting? Are you trying to take over from the inside this time?” She looked at me with an expression of pure, unadulterated hostility.
”Look, ‘this time’ or not, we don’t belong to any country,” I said. “We were about to be killed, so we left to find a place where we could live in peace. That’s all.”
”And you expect us to just… believe that?” she asked.
”Probably not. But I figured if we could help with the food supply, we might be able to work together,” I replied. “If you really don’t want the help, I guess that’s that.”
She knit her brows at my response.
”Regardless of your reasons, the fact remains that you are here illegally,” she said. “We’re taking you into custody. We can talk after you’re in chains.”
”Hmm. If you’d asked us to come along for a chat, I might have considered it,” I muttered. “But I’m not really into the whole ‘restraint’ thing. If you can look at these fields and still decide we aren’t worth the professional courtesy, then I don’t see much value in dealing with you guys either.”
”Heh… you really think the few of you can resist us?” she sneered, trying to look intimidating.
”Ahaha, you really think a few hundred of you can resist me?” I shot back, mimicking her tone perfectly.
”You… you’re mocking me, aren’t you…?” the commander said. It seemed I’d managed to get her legitimately pissed off.
”Oh, wait. Before we do this, let me show you one of my cards. You can decide if you still want to fight after that,” I said.
I turned toward a small mountain behind the house. Using my Storage³ skill, I “cut” it out like I was using a massive pickaxe, then instantly manifested it in the air several meters up, a short distance away.
CR-R-R-ACK-THOOM!
The sound was deafening, and the next thing I knew, I was eating dirt.
The ground had dropped so suddenly I thought it had disappeared from under me. It wasn’t just a “shake”-it was on a whole different level. Well, I did just drop a mountain, even if it was a small one. I guess that’s to be expected.
I stood up, patting the dust off my clothes and feeling more than a little embarrassed. Everyone else was sprawled out on the ground. Even Amelia and the others were frozen in place, looks of pure shock on their faces. Only Charlotte was glaring at me with a look that said, “Seriously? You went way too far.“
”Uh… anyway. If you guys don’t want to fight, I won’t either,” I said. “And if you don’t want to work with us, we’ll just leave your territory. Why don’t you go back and figure out what you want to do?”
”Are you… a god…?” the commander stammered, still pinned to the ground by shock.
”Nope. Just a guy,” I replied.
”Then… how…?” she asked.
”Like I said. I’m just a guy,” I said.
”That… that makes no sense,” she muttered.
”Nothing about this world makes sense,” I replied.
After that weird little exchange, I helped her up. “Anyway, stand up. Let’s talk.”
”So, what’s it going to be?” I asked. “Are you going back to headquarters to deliberate, or are you authorized to give me an answer right here?”
”If I say we don’t want you… will you truly just leave without a fight?” she asked.
”Yeah. But your setup is like an alliance of small countries, right?” I said. “If other race says they want me, I’ll just go to them instead. Of course, if everyone feels the same way you do, I give you my word we’ll pack up and go.”
Her attitude shifted. She looked conflicted. “Wait. I… I need a little time.”
”That’s fine. Oh, and here’s a proposal: I’ll build you a set of fields ten times the size of this one anywhere you want, as long as you accept me as a local power,” I suggested.
If they went for it, it would be the easiest path forward. Since this region is basically a collection of small territories, getting recognized would basically make me the head of my own little micronation.
But as I said it, her face darkened.
”Th-that’s difficult… if you’re human, that makes you a citizen of an enemy nation,” she said.
”I know that. That’s why I’m offering you such a sweet deal,” I replied.
I understood where she was coming from. Her suspicion was natural. Honestly, the fact that she didn’t run away and was actually trying to negotiate after seeing that display of power was impressive.
”I’m only suggesting this because if we can trust each other, it’s a win-win,” I said. “I know I’m asking for the impossible here.”
”Guh… If that were true… but the chasm between our peoples is far too wide to bridge so easily…” she said, a bitter look on her face.
”Yeah, I’ve heard the stories. I get it,” I replied. “Look, I said ‘trust me,’ but you don’t have to go all-in from day one. I just want to be able to hang out with my neighbors without getting arrested. I’d love to go see the town, but I’m not exactly itching to go sightseeing in a place where everyone is staring at me like I’m a monster.”
”Sight… seeing…?” she asked, her mouth hanging open.
”Yeah. What else would I go for? We’re strong, but we’re just regular people,” I said.
”…I hear what you’re saying,” she replied. “Honestly, there are so many problems with this that my head is spinning. But we don’t want to make enemies for no reason either. For now… we will keep you under observation, but we won’t move against you. How does that sound?”
”Works for me,” I said.
”It… it does?” She looked genuinely bewildered that I’d agreed so easily.
I asked her if she was leaving a garrison behind, and she told me she’d send a team over once she’d picked the right people. With that, they headed back.
Once I saw them off, I headed to the dwarf village to fill them in. They all looked incredibly grim.
”This is a tough one. I don’t know which side we should take…” Nyan’s mother muttered.
That’s when Lara, a woman from the cat-kin, spoke up.
”We’ve already talked it over. We’re sticking with Ibuki, no matter what happens,” Lara said. “If the elves won’t give us food and keep drafting our men for their wars, the only thing waiting for us is ruin anyway.”
”I want to stay with Ibuki, too. We’re at our breaking point,” Isaac, the wing-kin chief, added with a look of pure tragedy. “Almost everyone who was fast enough to fly over the danger zones to find food is already dead…”
The other races were still hesitating, unsure if they really had to pick a side just yet.
”Look,” I said, raising my voice. “I’m hoping to make this work for everyone. The elves said they want to work with us, they just don’t know if they can trust us. I just have to prove to them that they can.”
”But while things are tense with the elves, can we even come to the fields?” one of them asked. They all looked relieved when I told them the plan hadn’t changed.
Apparently, after the whole mountain-dropping incident, they were terrified I was going to go to war with the elves. The moment I mentioned I was aiming for a peaceful resolution, you could practically feel the tension leave the room.
”Actually, that part is fine,” I said. “Working for humans is technically ‘tacitly approved’ since everyone knows you’ll starve if you don’t. I’ll just tell them you’re here because you need to eat.”
”Ah, if that works, then we can just keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Lara replied.
”Alright, then let’s keep the fields running like usual,” I said. “Whether I’m around or not, as long as you put half the harvest in the warehouse, the rest is yours. Also, I’m going to go to the villages of the two who chose to back me and set up some fields for them. Can you lead the way?”
”Wait… what?” Everyone turned to stare at me.
”Look, if you’re willing to welcome us even with all this craziness going on, the least I can do is a little pro bono field work,” I said.
If they were going to put their lives on the line for me, I wanted to return the favor. Like Nyan said, they were good people. I couldn’t just sit back and be stingy knowing they were literally starving to death.
”You… why are you being so good to us?” a Divine Beast-kin woman asked, looking completely floored.
”Because I want us to have a relationship where we help each other out,” I replied. “You guys treated me well when I shared my food, right? If we’re going to be neighbors, helping each other is just the right thing to do.”
And I meant it. The girls I’d hired as housekeepers and the people working the fields had all shown me genuine gratitude. They’d bring handicrafts, magic stones, or whatever they could spare from their villages, and they were always asking if there was anything else they could do to help. If they weren’t just going to leech off me, I was more than happy to invest in them.
As I was explaining this, a girl from the fox-beast-kin suddenly dropped to her hands and knees, pressing her forehead to the floor in a desperate plea⁴.
”Please… I’m begging you… please help my village too,” she sobbed. “I can’t speak for everyone yet, but… I’ll do whatever you want! I’ll do anything! Just… please…”
”Whoa, hey, what’s wrong?” I asked. I didn’t get why she was going this far when they already had access to the current fields.
”My village… we’ve been on the front lines for so long,” she said. “The hatred for humans is so deep. I told them Ibuki wasn’t like the others, but they wouldn’t listen. But at this rate… it’s going to happen again…”
She shows tears.
It seems that households with someone recognized as a warrior can eat, but otherwise, it is apparently more miserable than in other villages.
Because they cannot eat, they cannot move properly and cannot go out for Subjugation⁵; thus, they aren’t recognized as warriors, and it’s said that every year there are households that have no choice but to starve to death.
Even if a few people bring back what they can harvest, all food is treated as communal property.
No matter who brings it back, it’s the same—priority distribution goes to the households with warriors, so only a small amount goes around.
That being said, they can’t increase the personnel working in the fields any further.
This is because the pressure from those in households that have produced warriors, or those from households where people have already been killed, is incredibly strong.
In her case, she is only able to come out because her big sis is a warrior and is understanding.
”Whoa. That’s too severe… I get it. If that’s the reason, it can’t be helped.
But, doing it completely for free is no good. If you say you’ll work at my place, then it’s fine.”
”Really!? I’ll do anything! I’ll work hard!”
”Right. Then starting today, you’re a servant at my place too.”
With the talk settled, it was decided to go to the villages of the Cat-kin, Wing-kin, and Fox-kin, so I brought out a small aircraft, put several people on board, and went on a journey through the sky.
They were stiff with nerves, but since the distance was within domestic levels, it was very close.
When getting off, I let them down gently using a parachute-type landing.
The place we arrived at was the Fox-kin village.
My thought was to clear up the troublesome matters first and then move to the next.
I quickly designated a one-kilometer range and swapped it with soil, planting various kinds of vegetables in the same distribution as the fields at my place.
”Wha… Is it, is it already finished!?” the Wing-kin man said, pulling back and trembling in fear as if the area had suddenly turned into a field.
”No, if it stays like this it’ll dry out, so I plan to lead water in through a river later.
I can’t say it’s finished until I’ve done that.”
”Is it possible to put a river through?” asked the cat-girl Lara-chan, her eyes wide.
”Well, if you can pull the water over, you can put it through, right?”
”No, I’ve heard that it’s impossible from any river because of the slope issue…”
”Heh heh heh, with this power, I can just create a slope.”
”Oohhh!” they shouted, their faces showing delight.
”Well then, it’s not finished yet, so let’s head to the next one.”
And so, without saying anything to the Fox-kin village, we flew off, taking the Fox-girl along as well to the next destination, the Wing-kin village.
There also, when I did the swap with a “pop,” Isaac was overjoyed and ran off saying he’d call everyone from the village.
Soon, the Wing-kin people came out in a crowd, and I was surrounded by a thousand-scale group of Wing-kin.
”Look! This person has restored the earth for us!
From now on, we, the Wing-kin, shall welcome this kind-hearted person, Ibuki, as a precious friend, even if he is a human!”
When he announced that, there was a scattering of “clap-clap” sounds of applause.
Everyone was in a daze, just staring at the fields the whole time.
”Ibuki, I’m sorry. It seems those guys haven’t understood the situation yet.
Once they understand, we will surely welcome you. I want a little more time.”
”No, no, this is plenty for now. For a race that’s a war opponent, it’s only natural.
We can just build the relationship slowly.”
”Ibuki… thank you,” Isaac said, bowing his head and taking my hand in both of his, getting misty-eyed.
I told him that everything comes after self-sustained operation via the river is possible, and left the Wing-kin village.
Since he left to move on to discussions with the villagers, I took Lara-chan and the Fox-girl and headed to the Cat-kin village.
So when I performed the soil replacement in the same way, Lara-chan brought the clan chief.
The chief here was a young woman.
According to Lara-chan’s story, the harsh reality was that most of the elderly, whose physical strength had declined, could not survive this food shortage and died.
From what I heard, Isaac is about the only male clan chief, and the tops of these groups are almost all women.
”This is surprising… Is this, magic?” she asked, pointing at the field.
”It’s a skill. Ah, but the details are a secret.”
”Th-that makes sense… But was it really okay?
To do something like giving before a promise is exchanged.”
”A promise has been exchanged, hasn’t it? Haven’t you heard?”
When I turned my gaze to Lara-chan, she shook her head, saying, “I told her properly, you know?”
”No, I only heard about welcoming you to the village?”
”Ah, yeah. That’s the condition. Right now, I need that.”
I told her my life story and explained that since I intend to fight the human nation, the Duchy of Dole⁶, I wanted to create a place where I could evacuate.
”In order for a human like me to live comfortably here, I need more trust than usual.
Though, if I’m asked for more than this, I’ll be taking compensation.”
”I see, so you intend to do something that makes it so you can no longer stay in the human domain…
It’s only natural for us to pay compensation if we are the ones asking. I understand.
As long as you do not force unreasonable demands, we will accept and welcome you.”
Saying that, she also took my hand in both of hers and lowered her head slightly.
Isaac did it too—is it some kind of etiquette for showing gratitude?
”That helps. Well, I’ll come by to play again sometime.”
”I understand. We will be prepared so that we can welcome you then.”
And so, I left the Cat-kin village and returned to my home.
”You were late. Did something, happen?” Amelia asked, throwing the question at me and Maria.
Yes. My guard this time had been Maria.
She’d been silent, but she was by my side the whole time.
”Nothing. Just as planned, I just made fields in the places that declared they’d accept me.”
”Then that’s good. I thought it would be no problem if it was Nyan.”
”Hm, the dwarves haven’t declared anything, so I haven’t made a field there yet, you know?”
”Muu… Was I mistaken in my judgment?” Amelia muttered with a sharp gaze, and although I gave an explanation of the circumstances, she seemed unsatisfied, until Maria finally opened her mouth.
”More than that, I thought the lack of honorifics was the problem…
I was on the verge of saying, ‘Attach a -sama, you forehead-flicker-bastard!’”
”Eh… Maria-chan? I don’t really need a -sama, you know?”
”Eh… You do need it, don’t you?
Even after having all that done for them, were they still calling Ibuki-sama without an honorific!?”
For some reason, even Luna-chan started heating up.
”Wait, wait, wait. What I want is the peace of mind of having returned to my family home!
I can’t settle down if I build a relationship where I’m worshipped.
So, that kind of thing is fine only when it’s necessary.”
”Muuu… Are we people you can’t settle down with?” Luna-chan said, looking like she was about to cry.
”No, no!
Wait… come to think of it, I can settle down even if I’m addressed with -sama.”
Thinking about it, I’ve never had any trouble with everyone at my place using honorifics.
Even so, I have no intention of forcing them to call me that, but it doesn’t seem like it’s a “no” either.
”In the past, I felt a distance when I was addressed with -sama…
It seems I myself have changed a bit.”
When I said that, they seemed to understand the part about feeling a bit of distance, and this time they showed troubled faces, but I just let it slide, telling them they could do as they liked.
”Right. More importantly, we have one additional servant.”
I told them about the Fox-girl I’d left at the house on the surface.
Since there are girls already working, the idea is for her to mingle with them.
At night, I basically pretend to hole up in my bedroom and go down to the basement, so they don’t know this place exists.
However, since there’s a possibility of being attacked in the future, it would be safer to have them in the same place; but even for me, I can’t completely trust them from the start, so I haven’t told them yet.
Well, the servants are the girls on this side.
The surface has some defense measures, and the Elves were probably made to think they shouldn’t lay a hand on us carelessly, so it’ll probably be fine.
As we were talking about various assumptions, I remembered that I haven’t been able to see Lisha and the others for a long while.
”Come to think of it, I should go see everyone soon.
I’d put it off thinking it would be bad if the Elves and the Nyan-chans clashed, but I can go now, right…”
Yeah. They said it wouldn’t be a problem because they’d push through anyway, and now that the Elves have shown a direction of not fighting, it should be fine.
When I told the four of them that, Amelia showed a sharp face and said, “I understand. I’ll guard the house while you’re gone.”
”Ibuki-sama, what should I do?” Charlotte tilted her head.
”Charlotte-san, please stay behind. Who’s going to make the meals?”
”That’s right. The members who can cook are concentrated over there…”
When told that by Luna-chan and Maria, Charlotte looked over here, saying, “Eh, yeah. If Ibuki-sama is okay with it, then…?”
”Then, everyone is staying behind to look after the house.”
”Eh… You’re not taking even one person?”
Maria asked about a guard, but I laughed and replied that I wasn’t a child, and decided to head to where Lisha and the others were tomorrow.
—
Summary:
Ibuki faces a military confrontation as the Elven army arrives to investigate his settlement. After a massive display of power by dropping a mountain with his ‘Storage’ skill, he negotiates a temporary truce based on agricultural mutualism. The chapter ends with various beast-kin tribes pledging loyalty to him over the Elven alliance due to systemic starvation and war exhaustion.
Ibuki visits the starving Beast-kin villages and uses his skills to instantly create fertile fields, securing their trust and a future place of refuge. He navigates the delicate politics of war-torn races, emphasizing that his help is a trade for their acceptance of him as a human. Upon returning home, he deals with a comedic but heartfelt dispute among his household members regarding the use of honorifics and his safety.
—
Trivia:
- Ibuki moved a mountain which physically shifted the ground, causing even him to fall over.
- The Wing-kin tribe is near extinction because their scouts died trying to find food in danger zones.
- The Elves view Ibuki as an agent of an enemy human nation regardless of his peaceful intentions.
- Trade in this region is purely barter-based with no currency involved yet.
- The Elves are technically in an alliance with the other races, but the alliance is failing to provide food security.
- The food scarcity is so bad that those without warriors are starving because they lack the strength to qualify as warriors.
- Isaac is one of the few male clan chiefs; most leaders are women due to the high mortality rate of men.
- Ibuki is actively preparing to go to war with the human nation, the Duchy of Dole.
- Maria was secretly guarding Ibuki the entire trip.
- Ibuki still keeps his basement base a secret from the new servants
—
Character Insight:
Ibuki shows a mix of casual trolling and extreme pragmatism. He uses overwhelming force not to kill, but to force a seat at the diplomatic table. His motives are purely for a ‘quiet life,’ yet he is accidentally founding a nation of refugees through his generosity.
Ibuki shows growth by accepting the ‘-sama’ honorific, realizing that his relationship with his household has evolved beyond his initial desire for casual distance. His motive is purely pragmatic—securing an escape route from the human kingdom—but he executes it with genuine empathy for the Beast-kin.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Storage’ skill in this novel follows ‘Macro-scale’ logic, treating terrain as objects that can be moved if the user has the ‘Crafter’ class level for it.
The author uses the ‘hand-holding’ gesture as a specific cultural sign of deep gratitude and contract-sealing among the Beast-kin tribes.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Nyan – A Dwarf girl, daughter of Doran. 20 years old but looks like a child. Dark-skinned, cat-like vibe. From the mountains.
• 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.
• 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.
• Lara – Cat-kin tribe girl guiding Ibuki as intermediary, sis is a badass warrior—sticking w/ him to dodge Elven draft ruin and food shortages, determined survivor vibe in this harsh world.
• 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.
• Isaac – The chief of the Wing-kin tribe. He has a tragic countenance due to the loss of his people while searching for food. The male clan chief of the Wing-kin. He holds Ibuki in high regard for restoring their land.
• Maria – A 16-year-old swordswoman. Has long, lustrous red hair and a sharp, dignified facial structure. One of the new recruit.
• Luna – A 15-year-old girl with rose-pink hair, roughly 155cm tall. A Priest who suffered trauma and physical abuse (welts on her arms) due to her inability to use recovery magic during previous forced training. A companion who recently received armor and weapons from the protagonist.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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