Chapter 2: The Cheat Ability Is a Harem
...
Gensokyo, a mysterious land where countless youkai reside, isolated from the outside world.
Geographically, it is still connected to reality.
But due to the existence of the Hakurei Barrier, it cannot be entered through normal means.
Likewise, the youkai living inside Gensokyo cannot leave or rather, they don't want to.
The outside world's ever-advancing technology and thinning sense of mystery make it unbearable for them.
Just breathing there would feel suffocating, As if the very air rejected their existence.
However, even this paradise for youkai had begun to show signs of trouble.
One of Gensokyo's sages, the boundary youkai Yakumo Yukari, discovered abnormalities in the Hakurei Barrier, which maintained the separation between Gensokyo and the outside world.
Even the core of Gensokyo, something that should only exist as a concept, had begun to undergo incomprehensible changes.
After careful investigation, she arrived at a rather unbelievable conclusion:
Gensokyo's population structure was declining.
There wasn't enough "presence" to maintain the barrier's stability.
If left unchecked, the Hakurei Barrier would eventually collapse due to instability.
This put Yukari in a difficult position.
Gensokyo was meant to be a paradise for youkai.
Even the Human Village existed only to maintain the foundation of Gensokyo.
Human fear of youkai.
The humans there lived in a deliberately limited state.
Their technology and lifestyle restricted to a simple, agrarian level so as not to disrupt the balance of mystery.
Naturally, they couldn't serve as stabilizers for the barrier.
Fortunately, there was still a way out.
Yukari traced part of the disturbance in the Gensokyo core, To the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.
More specifically, to Eientei, the mansion where rabbits were raised, And even more precisely.
To the room of a certain shut-in princess:
Kaguya Houraisan.
The source of the anomaly… was connected to a person on her computer.
Although the computer could access the outside world's network, it was still affected by the Hakurei Barrier.
Meaning real communication with outsiders should have been impossible.
Because of this, Kaguya had long become a full-fledged shut-in, limited to single-player games and offline anime.
Until one day—
Someone spoke to her first.
Using her ability to manipulate time, "Eternity and the Instant."
Kaguya spent what felt like a long period gaming with this mysterious player.
In reality, only a single moment had passed in Gensokyo.
And at that exact moment—
Yukari arrived, following the trace of the anomaly.
Kaguya wanted to bring this online friend into Gensokyo to game with her.
Yukari, on the other hand, realized that this human had been tainted by the aura of Gensokyo's core.
The two immediately reached an agreement.
A plan was set into motion.
Under the pretense of an "offline meetup"…
But in reality, it was a scheme to lure him into Gensokyo and save the unstable Hakurei Barrier.
That was how Kihara ended up in Gensokyo.
However, even the two masterminds hadn't expected what happened next.
Normally, anyone who settled in Gensokyo had to rely on their own strength to claim territory.
But Kihara?
He directly caused Gensokyo itself to generate an entirely new region just for him.
Such a massive disturbance naturally caught the attention of other youkai.
While Kihara was off playing with Cirno at Misty Lake, Yukari held a banquet to explain the situation.
Of course, the idea that all factions in Gensokyo would unite to solve a crisis?
That was pure fantasy.
Most youkai simply assumed this was just another one of Yukari's "games."
...
"Reimu! Reimu! Did you hear? Another incident has started!"
A blonde girl in black-and-white magician attire excitedly nudged the shrine maiden beside her.
"Yeah, I heard. Stop yelling in my ear, it's annoying."
"What are you talking about? Let's go resolve the incident!"
Hearing this, Hakurei Reimu practically had "disdain" written all over her face.
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Didn't Yukari say she'd handle it? If I can slack off, why should I bother?"
"Oh… right."
The excitement in Kirisame Marisa's golden eyes instantly faded.
Then her gaze shifted.
And her hand, not exactly innocent, reached toward an expensive-looking teacup on the table.
Reimu calmly sipped her tea, making no move to stop her.
Even if Marisa got caught, she'd just grin and say:
"How can a magician's business be called stealing? I'll just put it back later, no harm done!"
Meanwhile, Kihara had no idea.That while he was happily playing with Cirno, he had almost been treated as the source of an incident and "exterminated" by the red-white shrine maiden and the black-white thief.
Right now, he had just finished exploring the area around his wooden house.
According to Yukari, this place had transformed into something resembling Pelican Town from Stardew Valley.
And indeed, it had.
But unlike the game—
There was no one else here.
The entire town was empty.
Only his small wooden house stood intact.
All key locations.
The carpenter, blacksmith, mayor's house, seed shop, ranch.
Were nothing but ruins.
It was obvious.
If he wanted to rebuild Pelican Town.
He would have to bring heroines from other worlds and have them settle here.
This entire town…
Was the "cheat ability" Gensokyo had given him.
"My harem is my cheat ability."
With a thought, a familiar status panel appeared before him.
Just like in Stardew Valley.
[Kihara: [Beginner Farmer]
Combat: 0
Magic: 0
Cooking: 0
Gathering: 0
Farming: 0
Ability: Language Comprehension]
There were slight differences from the game.
Mining and fishing had been replaced with Magic and Cooking.
Not a bad trade.
At least it meant he had the potential to learn magic.
Once I build a connection with the Scarlet Devil Mansion…
I'll go learn magic from Patchouli.
Kihara quickly set his first life goal in Gensokyo:
Step 1: Get on good terms with the Scarlet Devil Mansion!
After all—
They were rich.
And more importantly.
They had two perfectly legal blonde vampire lolis.
Dignified vampire lady… I don't want to work anymore!
After shouting that in his heart, Kihara grabbed his farming tools.
Hoe, pickaxe, and axe, And headed outside.
He cleared a patch of land and planted the parsnip seeds.
He planned to wait until they matured and place them into the shipping box.
To see what kind of "reward" he'd get.
At the same time, he needed to start becoming self-sufficient.
After all, relying on Cirno for food had nearly destroyed his stomach.
Everything she brought him was frozen solid.
And carried a chill that even fire couldn't dispel.
Exhausted, Kihara quickly washed up, ate some wild fruit, and collapsed onto his bed.
Resting his head on a strangely, unbelievably soft pillow
.
"NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, GET UP AND ISEKAI!"
In his sleep—
A bare foot suddenly extended from a gap and kicked him straight into another one.
Both gaps vanished instantly.
The next moment—
A silver-haired maid appeared silently inside the room.
She glanced around the empty house, frowning slightly, before putting away the throwing knives in her hand.
"…Where did he go?"
She paused.
"…Forget it. Retrieving the mistress's underwear is more important."
She walked to the bed and removed the pillowcase.
Embroidered in gold thread along the edge was a name:
Remilia.
"…You actually stole the young mistress and her sister's underwear to make a pillowcase…"
Her eyes narrowed coldly.
"I'll remember you."
.....
Thank you for reading.