Aketo and Janko had no wealth in the form of cows or horses, which put their small family in a very vulnerable position. The husband and wife were too weak to cultivate a huge plot of land and lacked the means to rent horses or oxen for plowing.
Last season's poor harvest forced them to turn to the elder and fall into debt bondage at exorbitant interest. For every sack of grain taken for sowing, Aketo had to return three, plus compensate for renting a valuable horse with labor, which catastrophically delayed work on his own land.
When it came time to repay the debt, the elder's loyal men beat him and insistently hinted that he and his wife could forfeit their property and freedom to settle the debt, falling completely under the elder's family's control for five years.
Such an arrangement was utterly unacceptable to the man, for he knew well what awaited his wife and children. Examples of unfortunate debtors were right before his eyes. Husbands became rightless "slaves," wives suffered sexual violence, and children were treated according to their value and talents.
Hearing Aketo's short tale, Kenshin fell into thoughtful contemplation of the situation. On one hand, he wanted to chase these peasants away without sentiment, but on the other, he knew refusal meant death for these honest folk.
""Very well. I will allow you to settle on my territory, but on one condition. You won't need to forage for food anymore; I'll provide work and won't tolerate betrayal."
""Th-thank you, lord! But what will be required of us?" Aketo asked with slight wariness. He wasn't a warrior and really didn't want to become part of the mercenaries. But he worried even more about his wife and children's safety, knowing a band of feral mercenaries wouldn't care who they vented on.
""Afraid? Good. But don't think monsters live here. No one will bother you if you follow a few simple rules. From you personally, I require complete loyalty, willingness to work with your hands, and most importantly—to learn," Kenshin stated authoritatively.
This family's arrival became the "straw that broke the camel's back" for him. Kenshin had repeatedly dismissed the idea of close interaction with this world's inhabitants, prioritizing his family, but the thought kept returning, for he understood time was fleeting, and one person's life too short to postpone it.
Once hunger, shelter, worldly pleasures, and protection were no longer acute issues, Kenshin increasingly pondered not just his family's fate, but the world's. He knew his family alone wasn't enough for grand projects and now fully resolved to engage with ordinary people.
"Hope I don't regret this..." he thought with a heavy sigh, stroking his beloved daughter's tender leg and using telekinesis to carry Aketo and his family several kilometers from his fortress walls.
Seeing the empty forest clearing, Aketo was a bit disappointed, having hoped for at least a shed. But he didn't dare ask for more, terrified the lord might change his mind. The only comfort was the promise of food.
After a brief tour and explanation of basic rules, Kenshin produced four cans of barley porridge, quickly heated them with pyrokinesis, and dumped the contents into four clay bowls.
Aketo and Janko humbly thanked the lord, while the two children pounced on the food without shame, showing absolute incompetence with spoons. As soon as the boy and girl tasted the porridge enriched with plenty of meat and fat, they nearly went mad with joy.
Noticing how eagerly the two children devoured the not-so-tasty barley porridge, Karin tilted her head and wanted to try, assuming Kenshin had given them something far tastier.
""Father, I want some of that porridge too. Can I?" Karin asked, looking at him with sparkling crimson eyes.
""Of course, sweetie. But eat every last bit, okay?" Kenshin said tenderly, and Karin nodded resolutely.
As soon as the spoonful of barley porridge hit her mouth, Karin noticeably saddened, having expected something much tastier. But remembering their deal, she began eating carefully.
Omugi and Midori watched the relaxed Karin enviously, desperately wishing their father could give them such delicious porridge anytime. Aketo and Janko, meanwhile, noted the father and daughter's ages and couldn't believe such a young man had such a grown daughter.
While everyone ate, Kenshin finally finished structuring all his knowledge of construction and concrete use. Thus, with Aketo's final consent, he unhesitatingly touched his head and slowly infused structured knowledge over a minute.
Receiving invaluable information on modern construction, Aketo was utterly stunned. The knowledge wasn't perfect but included images of multi-story buildings, making the not-so-young peasant think he was hallucinating.
Kenshin had no time for explanations, and within an hour, Aketo was trained to operate the latest cargo cart and began hauling new building materials to his plot.
Noting how slowly one chakra-less man worked, Kenshin considered recruiting others but decided not to rush and let Aketo's family settle first.
To speed things up, Kenshin assigned two idle sons to help load and unload building materials onto the cart, and two more to dig the foundation pit.
On the evening of the 447th day, Aiya and Hitomi gave Kenshin two sons, the Forty Third and Forty Fourth. Both mothers were overjoyed at the newborns and immersed themselves in motherhood.
That same evening, Kenshin impregnated Mayumi again, giving the young blonde unforgettable pleasure. To his regret, Noriko flatly refused to do it with anyone else and flew into a rage, declaring she'd never let him touch her again.
The 448th day brought far more good news than many before it. Ichiro finally gained deeper mastery of his space manipulation ability, stunning everyone present.
He had finally learned not only to move objects but himself. In another grueling spar with the Fifteenth, he nearly got crushed under a multi-ton wall of water and involuntarily shifted five meters sideways.