Episode 5
He touched my hand carefully, as if handling the thinnest, most fragile glass that might shatter at the slightest tap, and began to speak slowly.
“How did such a good child like you end up with us?”
“……”
“Even when you were young, you never once threw a tantrum.”
Ah, that’s because this is my second life.
At this age, complaining about side dishes would be kind of shameful.
“It felt like I was raising a grown-up child.”
“…Ahaha.”
I thought I had acted the part well, but maybe I was lacking after all.
I gave an awkward laugh and rolled my eyes.
Father seemed to take it as the awkwardness of a blunt, reserved daughter.
“You’re still like that now. You’ve only just turned twelve.”
Only twelve.
He repeated those last words with a pained groan. At the same time, I could hear Tina’s soft sobbing from behind me.
Oh, great. This is not the mood I was going for.
If I’d known it would be like this, maybe I should have just whined and told him not to borrow money, instead of trying to play the role of the mature daughter.
“Father…”
First things first—I needed to fix this situation.
I was just about to say something random to lighten the mood when—
“Do you know this is the first time you’ve ever asked me for something?”
Before I could speak, Father’s voice—tinged with the faintest trace of a smile—cut in.
“Well, if you say that… how could I—how could this father ignore it?”
“……”
“Go where you want to go. See what you want to see. Like that… like that.”
Then, as if even speaking was painful, he hesitated several times…
“Let’s prepare happily.”
Right in front of me, he made the decision I had long been hoping for—to give up.
I swallowed the lump of emotions that surged up and forced a bright smile.
“Thank you, Father.”
Well, at least now I was a little less worried about him getting into moneylending again. Though I almost ended up crying and sniffling in the process.
I looked at Tina, then Father, both gazing at me with such tenderness.
…Really, they’re such good people.
I don’t know what world I’ll wake up in next, but I’ll pray every day that you two will be happy.
“So, Mia.”
Father, finally trying to lighten the atmosphere, forced a smile and asked me:
“Is there somewhere you want to go? I’ll take you there no matter what.”
Oh, now that’s a great question.
Before he even finished, I answered as if I’d been waiting for it.
“Thales Abandoned Mine.”
“Thales Abandoned Mine?”
“Thales Abandoned Mine.”
“…Why that place?”
His eyes, still moist moments ago, now wavered in confusion. The warm, touching air from earlier vanished completely.
I mean, who wouldn’t be baffled if a kid asked to go to some desolate, ugly mine?
Keeping my bright smile, I answered plainly.
“Just… because I want to.”
And honestly, there’s no other reason.
It’s just that my secret stash—uh, I mean, some unclaimed treasure—is hidden there.
…Huh? Why didn’t I use that stash earlier?
Because if Father knew about it, he’d definitely use it to try saving me again. And what’s the point of pouring water into a cracked jar?
But now, it’s different!
Now that he’s given up on treatment!
Even if I have to go, I should at least clear his debts and restore the fortune lost because of me.
There was once a merchant who dreamed of becoming a treasure hunter, but in the end had no choice but to inherit the family business.
Thanks to his extraordinary abilities, every venture he touched made him a fortune, but he could never forget his childhood dream. So he decided to become at least a “provider” for treasure hunters.
Oh, jackpot.
And I just happened to witness this while on a dream tour—what a coincidence.
[That Lorraine Johnson would die without even finding a place to hide the treasure!]
He muttered this over and over, pacing in circles, while the dream’s background changed five times—from what looked like an office, to a trading port, to a forest, and even the middle of the ocean.
[Where… where should I hide it…]
Now, in a mansion garden, completely unaware of my presence in his dream, Lorraine was still absorbed in deciding where to hide the treasure.
The moment I understood the situation, I transformed into a small pebble and started thinking quickly.
A place to hide treasure, huh? Well, I couldn’t just let this pass.
Wait, there is such a place, isn’t there?
Come to think of it, our family owns a property that almost no one visits—a perfect hiding spot for both Lorraine and me.
I immediately began reshaping Lorraine’s dream into the view of the Thales Abandoned Mine, back before my illness and before the mine had closed, when Father had taken me there.
Hmm, it’s missing something.
I added a little fog, a rainbow or two, for that mystical vibe. Oh, and I’d better put the words “Thales Mine” somewhere, just in case.
[What is this all of a sudden…?]
While Lorraine blinked in confusion at the sudden change of scenery, I began writing in the sky—using the heavens as a board and the clouds as markers.
<Strongly → Thales Abandoned Mine ← Recommended>
Perfect for hiding treasure no people around!
Nobody would expect treasure to be buried here, so it’s twice as safe!
Beautiful cloud letters over a rainbow, sunlight pouring down, and a completely empty landscape.
[…The sky.]
Lorraine stared blankly upward and then spoke with conviction.
[The sky is helping me fulfill my old dream.]
And just like that, the hiding place for his treasure was decided.
“I brought you here like you wanted, but…”
Honestly, I still don’t get it.
While recalling the memory, Father’s uneasy voice reached my ears.
I gave him an extra-bright smile.
“Thank you for bringing me all the way here, Father.”
“Mia, even now, what about finding somewhere else instead?”
The chilling air where not even an ant seemed to pass, and the cold wind blowing from inside the cave—
To most people, it would seem like the perfect spot for a courage test.
“I like it better here. Isn’t it just so beautiful?”
Ah, that deep, rich smell of money!
If you think of this place in terms of cash, Father, it’s stunning.
Saying it with all sincerity, I noticed Father’s expression shift—probably wondering if my eyesight had started failing, though he didn’t say it aloud.
“Well, if you like it, then I like it too.”
He smiled kindly and patted my head.
I leaned my cheek into his hand, grinning.
Just trust me a little longer, Father. Soon, you’ll see a truly beautiful sight.
Of course… that’ll require just a tiny bit of effort first.
“Hmm…”
Is this the spot? Spring rain had left a lot of puddles—kind of confusing.
“Ah, found it.”
Where the source and the end of life meet, a new story shall bloom. Behold—everything begins there.
The source of life is water. The end of life is earth, where the dead are buried.
And the border where water and earth meet—the mine’s spring—that was the starting point of the final trial the merchant had designed.
By the way, all of this was written in a code made by the merchant himself, so anyone else would have a hard time just deciphering it.
But since I’d seen the whole process, all I had to do was find the spring.
Standing at the edge of it, I turned to Father and Tina with a smile.
“Father, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
Putting on my most innocent expression, I made my eyes sparkle.
Immediately, both of them leaned toward me, nodding quickly as if ready to do anything.
“Just say it, Mia. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Yes, Miss, please tell us.”
“Really? You’ll do anything I ask?”
“Of course! Trust me!”
“Yay! You’re the best, Father! Then… could you step into this spring?”
The moment I said it, their footsteps froze.
Their eyes darted back and forth between me and the spring.
“Me?”
“Yes, Father.”
“You want the Master to step into that dirty… uh, I mean, murky spring whose depth can’t even be measured?”
“It’s not that deep—maybe up to your thighs at most. Only your legs and arms will get wet. Your face will be fine.”
Sure, the water was black, pink, and white—but that’s just a minor detail.
It’s not like I was asking them to dig with their bare hands. Surely this wasn’t too much?
Still smiling, I heard Father sigh and ask,
“I just don’t get it, Mia. You bring me here, and your first request is for me to step into the spring? Are you trying to find something inside?”
“Exactly, Father.”
See? Father is the best.
I gave him a thumbs-up, but he only pursed his lips, still looking baffled.
“You’ve never been here since you were a baby, so what reason could you possibly have…?”
“It’s related to my ability. But before I explain, I have a proposal.”
Both of them blinked. They didn’t understand, but their faces said they’d at least hear me out.
I took a deep breath and began to speak slowly.
