Chapter 55 Shall We Make a River?
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We landed in a mountain gorge that served as the midpoint of the Rock Valley Mountains¹.
”Well then, time to get serious,” I said, rolling up my sleeves as I produced a monstrous, oversized pickaxe.
Erina’s eyes went wide at the sight of the colossal tool. “Wh-what are you planning to make with that, Lord Ibuki desuno?”
”A river,” I replied simply.
”Ah… you did mention that desuwa…” She looked away with a hollow expression, as if trying to wrap her mind around the scale of it.
First things first. I carved out a corner of a mountain that pierced the sky, stowed it in my Storage², and began creating a path for the water using stone blocks. I laid down a series of hundred-meter-long blocks, each fitted with side enclosures.
If I simply placed them as they were, they would snap under their own weight, so the foundation had to follow the natural contours of the earth perfectly. Naturally, water requires an incline to flow, so I crafted a massive spirit level and began the groundwork so no re-dos would be needed.
My skill allows me to dig through natural materials only. While I could easily fill land by moving materials in and out of Storage, I knew it would be a massive time-sink without an efficient plan. I carefully studied the topography, mapping out the most logical path.
As I worked, I was relieved to see the project progressing faster than I’d hoped. Since I could simply tunnel through any mountain in my way, it was just a matter of choosing a route that didn’t drop in altitude too steeply. Before long, I had brought the channel right to the edge of the mansion’s grounds.
However, I hadn’t let the water through yet. If the incline was off, I’d have to redo everything. To test it, I diverted a mountain stream into the new path. I flew my human-powered plane low and slow along the route to check for leaks. Not a single drop escaped.
I hadn’t used any adhesive, but the blocks were designed to snap together perfectly when pulled from Storage. Thanks to my SkillProcessing³, the fit was down to the micrometer. The precision alone was enough to keep it watertight.
There were still exposed sections that would eventually need reinforcement, but for now, it was flawless.
Once I confirmed the flow, I shut off the water and extended the channel toward the Wing-kin village. The route passed near the Cat-kin village, so I figured I’d make a detour. I called for Senior, Kuria, and little Lara-chan to act as ambassadors. They spoke with the village chief, and we officially looped the Cat-kin into the new water network.
Senior mentioned he wanted to stay behind to “report on his relationship status” to the village, so I left him there. He’ll likely build a great rapport with the Cat-kin, acting as a perfect bridge between our people. They were already so grateful for the water that he didn’t really need to be there, but it couldn’t hurt.
In total, it took two days to bring the river all the way to the Wing-kin village. That was the easy part; the problem was where to let the water escape. The ocean was far too distant, and the original riverbed was at an elevation that made a return loop impossible.
’Maybe I should just let it drain into the Uncharted lands and let nature take its course? Or send it underground?’
Then again, the Elves would likely kill for a water source like this. Even the Dwarves, though they have water nearby, would probably prefer a closer tap. Dumping it into the Uncharted lands felt like a waste. Since I was bringing it from the mountains, the ground naturally sloped downward, making extensions easy, but I wanted to keep the layout efficient.
”I’ll just limit the flow and create a large reservoir for now,” I decided. “That’ll buy me some time to think.”
A massive lake would be a great bargaining chip for future negotiations. I found a natural hollow in a patch of dead land and decided to use that as the terminus. It wasn’t like anyone was using that blighted soil anyway.
As I brought the river past the village, I began swapping out the surrounding ground, turning the sand into rich, fertile soil. I planned to do the whole area eventually anyway, so I got fired up and replaced everything within five kilometers of the banks while I was at it. I didn’t want to have to come back and redo this later.
From the sky, it looked bizarre – a lush, brown stripe of life cutting through a pale, dead world. But it felt much better than the wasteland. I even took some seeds and saplings I’d been hoarding – edible crops and utility plants – and scattered them along the banks. I wondered if they’d take root on their own. Agriculture usually isn’t that forgiving, and most would probably wither, but I figured I’d be testing it properly soon enough.
Finally, the water reached the hollow. It was time to flip the switch.
When I returned to the village, the entire population was waiting for me.
”Lord Ibuki!” Shuri shouted as she and the others came sprinting toward me.
”Just finished the first big phase,” I said.
Shuri spread her arms wide, gesturing at the horizon. “Is it this? All of this?”
She was looking at the vast stretch of new soil.
”No, no, the hard part was that,” I said, pointing at the stone aqueduct.
Charlotte tilted her head. “Really? But for someone like you, Lord Ibuki, making a stone path is easy, isn’t it?”
”Yes,” Olivia added, looking exhausted. “But the distance… Charlotte, look at the mountains. It comes from all the way back there.”
Rosanna’s eyes darted between me and the peaks. “Wait… you did that in three days? Even for you, that’s impossible…”
”Alright, everyone! As proof, let’s all go for a flight!” I said.
”Yes! Finally, we get to see the end of it!” the girls cheered.
I’d told them they could stay behind so they wouldn’t be bored, but they’d insisted on following me. Apparently, three days of watching me move rocks was more boring than I realized.
I called Chief Isaac over, and we all piled into the plane. We flew back to the mountain source, and I finally opened the floodgates. We circled back, flying slowly so I could explain the route and maintenance needs. Even though I’m the leader, Isaac is the one who keeps things running ssu, so he needed to know the layout. Plus, the former prisoner girls and Isaac are strong flyers; they’d be the ones doing the aerial inspections.
We touched down back at the village and waited. After a few minutes, the first trickle appeared. Because I was keeping the intake low, it was only about three centimeters deep, but the water was definitely flowing.
’Whoa!’ The Wing-kin women let out a collective gasp.
Up until now, they’d been drawing water from incredibly deep wells. Seeing this much surface water without a cloud in the sky was a miracle to them. They can fly, but not far enough to fetch water in bulk.
It was just an artificial stone channel, but to them, it was a playground. They splashed into it barefoot, laughing and running through the stream. I worried they’d slip, but every time they lost their footing, they’d just give their wings a quick flutter to stay upright.
”Lord Ibuki! Can we start using this soil too?” Saria shouted over the sound of the rushing water.
”Go for it! But just so you know, I’m replacing the dirt inside the village next.”
”Whaaaat?!” the group cried in unison.
”But before that,” I laughed, “let’s have a BBQ to celebrate the new river!”
I started pulling out the grills and supplies. Charlotte and the other wives immediately took charge of the prep. Yui stood there for a second, looking back and forth, clearly wondering where she fit in.
”Yui, don’t worry about it. I want you focused on your magic development anyway. Look, there are plenty of people here who can’t cook to save their lives. Even I’m useless without my skills.”
I pointed toward the village square, where Shuri was already setting out a massive table. Yui nodded and ran off to help with the silverware.
I reached the point where my people won’t let me lift a finger once the “big work” is done. The Elves were gone, and I felt like a bit of an odd man out. I beckoned Isaac over.
”Something wrong, Lord Ibuki ssu?” Isaac asked.
”Nah. It’s just awkward sitting here while everyone else is working. Want to chat?”
He laughed as he sat down. “You just moved a mountain and built a river, and you feel guilty for sitting down ssu?”
A group of Wing-kin women hovered nearby. They wanted to help, but the kitchen crew had already shooed them away. I told them to take a load off and join us, but they felt weird sitting while the “wives” were working.
”Fine, we’ll just talk standing up then. Let’s hammer out the future plans while we wait for the food.”
Isaac’s face immediately went serious.
”Relax, Isaac. I just want to know if you want me to rebuild the current village, or if you’d rather leave the old houses as they are and build a new town next door.”
”I… I don’t understand ssu,” he stammered. “The current houses are fine. We don’t have the wealth to pay for a total reconstruction…”
”Isaac, stop. Do you really think I’d charge my own people for this? Listen: I’m going to make you all prosperous. Once you’re all ‘fat and happy,’ you’re going to make my life easy. Until then, I’m the support. We get your food, clothes, and housing sorted first. You gain the skills and the tech, and then you pay me back with that growth.”
”Is… is that really okay?” one of the women asked.
”Think about it. If I hoard everything and keep you poor, I get nothing in return. If I’m the leader, your success is my success. It’s an investment. Think ten years down the line.”
They looked at me, totally lost.
”Okay, let’s simplify. Saria, come here.”
”Me?!” she squeaked.
”Yeah. Suppose I teach you a technique to kill monsters easily. You spend ten years mastering it. By then, you’re a legendary warrior. Then, when I need help, you’ve got my back. Win-win, right?”
”I… think so?” she said, tilting her head.
”Exactly. If I keep the secrets to myself, nobody grows. As long as you don’t stab me in the back, giving you everything I have is the smartest move I can make. You live well, and I get to take it easy.”
That finally clicked. “Oh!” Saria chirped, a lightbulb finally going off.
”There we go. It’s a two-way street. As long as you remember to give back later, you don’t need to feel guilty now. Just keep working as hard as you always have and accept the help.”
Isaac stood up straight, his eyes burning with resolve. “I will not fail your expectations, Lord Ibuki ssu!”
”Whoa, easy there. Just keep it casual. I’ll set things up so that even if you’re just ‘casual,’ we’ll still hit our goals. If you start only working once a week, then we’ll have a talk, but for now? Let’s just have some fun. That’s why I came to this world in the first place.”
The tension finally melted away. Isaac smiled, and the girls started chatting and laughing again. I sat back, watching the preparations, finally feeling at peace.
”Yeah. That’s the vibe. We’re alive – we might as well enjoy it.”
One of the Wing-kin girls nearby caught my eye and gave me a soft, radiant smile.
—
Summary:
Ibuki completes a massive irrigation project by carving a river channel from the mountains to the Wing-kin village. He also replaces the barren sand with fertile soil, creating a lush corridor in the wasteland. The chapter concludes with a communal BBQ and a philosophical discussion with Chief Isaac about the value of mutual prosperity.
—
Trivia:
- The river passes by the Cat-kin village, effectively connecting them to Ibuki’s infrastructure.
- Ibuki uses a human-powered plane for aerial leak inspections.
- The stone blocks are 100 meters long each and held together by precision ‘Processing’ rather than mortar.
- Senior stays behind at the Cat-kin village specifically to report on his new relationship status.
- Ibuki views his generosity as a long-term investment rather than charity
—
Character Insight:
Ibuki demonstrates his role as a ‘benevolent leader’ who prioritizes the growth of his subordinates to ensure his own future leisure. Isaac shows deep humility and a struggle to grasp Ibuki’s ‘modern’ economic theories of mutual gain.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘dead land’ mentions suggest a post-apocalyptic or magically drained setting that Ibuki’s Crafter class is uniquely suited to repair.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• Kuria – Demi-human beast-girl servant in Ibuki’s house—close to Senpai, handles cleaning/wiping down the crew, loyal helper keeping things tidy for the protagonist’s senior.
• 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.
• Shuri – 15yo tomboy lancer at 170cm, messy blonde hair, lean athletic build—worries about the Dole Kingdom beef heating up. Blacksmithing savvy, she’s the tough chick with a spear who’s all about that hands-on grind.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Yui – Female student from Earth—one of the summoned companions, upperclassman designated as the Sage. She expresses deep romantic feelings for Ibuki despite the polygamous culture.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply