Missus Cecil finally let me into the house.
And not just that—she even let me sleep on the rug in front of the fireplace and gave me some stew.
Compared to how things played around this time in my last go, this was unimaginable luxury.
With a warm smile spreading across her lips, Missus Cecil spoke up in a sing-song tone.
“In a few days, a merchant guild that stops by our village regularly will be coming through. Let’s head to a bigger town with them.”
“Alright.”
Beyond the village, demonic beasts were everywhere. That’s why people usually had to hire mercenaries or something…
But for those who couldn’t afford to pay, the safest option was to follow behind a merchant guild.
Back in my previous timeline, I barely managed to escape this village with Unc Aiden’s help.
It was a bit of a shame that I wouldn’t get to recreate my first meeting with Unc here.
Still, Unc wouldn’t be saving me until at least another half year down the line.
So if I wanted to get out of here quickly, I had no choice but to come up with another plan.
I half-listened to her as I sipped the stew, which was so watery it was more like thin porridge with hardly any chunks.
She probably made it this way because it felt like a waste to give me real food.
But after starving for so long, my digestion was wrecked, so it actually suited me just fine.
Of course, the fact that it was completely tasteless was a whole other problem.
‘If there were foodie police… no, even the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office wouldn’t be enough for this.’
It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago, I’d eaten breakfast made by a top-class chef.
This was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to come back to this point in time.
I let out a small sigh, but still scraped the bowl clean.
Because I had to survive.
✦ ✦ ✦
Just like Missus Cecil had said, it wasn’t long before a pretty large merchant guild arrived in the village.
Maybe it was because they’d just come through forests teeming with demonic beasts, but everyone looked visibly relieved.
In the middle of the bustling commotion, I walked over to a man who seemed to be the leader and pointed at the mountain of cargo piled up behind him.
“Hey Mister, where are you taking all this stuff?”
He paused tying his shoelaces, shot me a sideways glance, and answered in a flat voice.
“We’re taking goods we bought from other regions and selling them in the capital.”
“If you mean the capital… is that Catalea?”
“That’s right.”
Lucky for me, it meant we wouldn’t be taking some long, roundabout route.
Well, odds were high that any merchant guild passing through a small village like this was headed to a big city, so it was probably going to be Catalea anyway.
Once I’d decided to tag along with this merchant guild, I ran through my mental calculations and then posed another question to the man in front of me.
“Excuse me, but are you the Merchant Guild Master here?”
His gaze settled on me, and he seemed a little surprised.
“Most grown-ups can’t even tell, probably because I’m dressed so plainly, but you managed to figure it out, huh?”
“In that case, Merchant Guild Master, how about making a deal with me?”
The Merchant Guild Master gave a short, amused laugh and messed up my hair.
“Sorry, kid, but merchants don’t do things that won’t turn a profit.”
“No need to worry. I’m not a fan of one-sided deals either. If it’s not win-win, it’s just outright extortion.”
“What? Puhaha!”
He stood up and looked down at me with an intrigued expression. Judging by the way he lit up, he’d probably found something fun to talk about over drinks with his buddies later.
“A win-win deal, huh? Now I’m curious. What could a little thing like you possibly offer me?”
“Information that’s so tempting, it’s downright dangerously sweet.”
“Good grief, tempting, you say!”
He burst out laughing again at my reply, even tearing up a bit, and looked at me with newfound fondness.
“You’re pretty cheeky, and I like that a lot. Alright, tell me—what exactly do you want to trade?”
“There’s not much I need you to do.”
Putting on the same bold look he’d just described, I curled my fingers one by one.
“One, let me ride on a wagon with you on your way to the capital. Two, once we’re there, help get the woman traveling with me thrown into prison.”
“…What did you just say?”
Hearing something so unexpected from a child’s mouth, the Merchant Guild Master’s face went rigid fast.
Only then did his eyes drift to my scrawny frame.
Sensing his stare, I calmly pulled up my sleeve to show him the cuts and bruises all over my body.
“See this? This is the kind of treatment an orphan like me gets around here.”
“…”
The Merchant Guild Master squeezed his eyes shut and ran a troubled hand over his face.
“Kid, I get that your situation is awful, but you can’t just toss someone into prison that easily.”
“I know.”
It’s not like this was Earth, where children’s rights were taken seriously.
I never once thought anyone would take the word of a street kid with no guardian and actually do something.
“A few days ago, I overheard them talking about taking me to the capital and selling me off. Turns out, I awakened an ability.”
“…”
“They said I’d fetch a high price. Isn’t that right?”
It’s easy to brand someone a criminal. Proving they’re innocent, though—that’s the hard part.
And if there wasn’t already proof that Missus Cecil had committed a crime, well, I’d just have to create some.
Since slave trafficking was treated as a major felony in the Empire, a charge like that would be more than enough. Even flimsy evidence wouldn’t let her off easily.
He stared at me for a long while without saying a word, then let out a heavy sigh.
“Alright, let’s say we do get the person who’s trying to sell you locked up once we’re in the capital. Then what? How do you plan to live without a guardian?”
“There are plenty of orphanages willing to take in an Abiliter.”
“Ah.”
Faced with such a perfectly ordinary answer, the Merchant Guild Master blinked and let out a short sigh. Guess he didn’t expect something so normal after all the outrageous things I’d been saying.
Then, with a look like he’d finally made up his mind, he placed his big hand squarely on top of my head.
“Alright. I’ll take responsibility for getting you safely to the capital.”
“You’re not even going to hear what information I’ve prepared?”
“This isn’t a trade. I have no intention of wringing anything out of a kid. Whatever information you’ve got, keep it.”
I rolled my eyes.
Oh, come on. Trying to slip away without taking payment?
“…Hm. Fine! Just this once—I usually don’t like paying up front, but I’ll give you something now.”
Putting on a smug face, I clasped my hands behind my back and went, ‘Ahem,’ before opening my mouth.
“But there are two pieces of information. The other one you’ll get only if you help me out.”
“Heh, talking to you feels like dealing with an old snake who’s seen it all. Are you sure you’re really a kid?”
It was the exact question I’d expected.
Not that I had any plans to act like a typical child anyway.
Of course, if my age gave me an advantage, I’d happily use it.
I gazed at him for a moment before answering in a matter-of-fact tone.
“I have foresight. Being able to see the future is kind of like living in both the present and future at the same time.”
“What?”
“So naturally, I’m more mature. It’s like I’ve lived several times longer than most people.”
“Ah, now it all makes sense. No wonder the way you talk seemed way too grown-up…!”
“Puhaha, just kidding.”
“What?”
When I stuck out my tongue with a playful grin, he looked at me completely dumbfounded.
“W-what kind of kid even are you?”
“Call it being an old soul, I guess… or just say I had to grow up fast because there was no one for me to lean on.”
At that, he couldn’t seem to come up with anything to say and shut his mouth tight.
I simply smiled like nothing and leaned in to whisper.
“There’s going to be a huge famine next year. So buy up as much grain as you can this year.”
At my words, the man’s face crumpled at once.
“How can you be so sure about that…”
“Didn’t I just tell you? My ability is foresight.”
He rubbed at his temple, looking like his head was starting to hurt.
“Right, you did say that. So you can see far into the future too.”
“That’s right.”
“Of course, that’s assuming you really do have this ‘foresight’ ability.”
“As for proof… will this be enough?”
I pulled out a scrap of paper I’d folded up and tucked into my pocket.
It was a note where I’d written out the entire conversation he and I had just had, word for word, before we’d even spoken.
Yeah, technically this was my first time talking to the Merchant Guild Master.
But it only seemed that way because I’d turned back the clock.
☕Like this translation? Would love your support ☕
💕💗 https://ko-fi.com/stanrofanscans💗💕
