LMHS 05

Chapter 05

As I chuckled to myself, the soldiers exchanged glances, signaling to one another.

Aunt Cecil glared at them, shrieking in rage.

“Let go of me! What have I done wrong?! You’re arresting an innocent person right now!”

“Whether you’re guilty or not will be determined in due time.”

The soldiers firmly restrained both of Aunt Cecil’s arms and forcibly hauled her to her feet.

Even as she was being dragged away, Aunt Cecil didn’t give up hope and put on a fake mother–daughter act.

“T-Tania! Why are you doing this to your mother? Are you upset because I didn’t buy you candy earlier? If that’s it, Mommy’s sorry. Hurry and say it’s not true—people are misunderstanding!”

At that, the soldiers looked at me and the merchant leader as if to ask whether it was true.

“This child is an orphan who grew up on the streets. Our trading company occasionally gives her errands and food as payment, so I know her well.”

“Y-Yes, what mister says is right.”

I pretended to tremble and nodded along, and the soldiers clicked their tongues while looking at Aunt Cecil.

“Honestly, what a blatantly obvious lie. No need to hear any more—take her away!”

One soldier tried to take me along as well, but the sharp-eyed merchant leader stepped in.

“The child seems badly shaken. I’ll calm her down and bring her to the guard station myself.”

“Ah, would you do that?”

Seeing me still trembling pitifully, the soldiers put on sympathetic expressions and left.

I lightly waved my hand at Aunt Cecil as she was dragged away and murmured as if to myself,

“Sorry we met—and let’s never see each other again.”

Feeling refreshed after sending her off, I looked at the merchant leader and gave him a thumbs-up.

“You’re more capable than I expected, sir. I didn’t think you’d come this fast.”

“Luckily, I ran into the soldiers on my way to call the guards. I acted like it was a serious situation.”

He tugged up one corner of his mouth and ruffled my hair roughly.

“You’re the impressive one. When you mentioned the area near the central clock tower, it sounded so convincing I almost believed it myself.”

“Huh? But that is where illegal ability-user trading happens, isn’t it?”

“……”

“Hehe. That way they can lock her up as an accomplice.”

The merchant leader asked in a more cautious tone,

“…Can you know things like that with foresight too?”

“No way. I just picked it up naturally from living at the bottom.”

Hit once again by my tragic backstory, he patted my back with eyes full of pity.

“To have gone through so much at such a young age…”

As he continued patting my back, he realized it was time to part and made his offer once more.

“Tania, are you sure you don’t want to join our trading company?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“Tch. I see.”

Though he couldn’t hide his disappointment, he still showed consideration.

“Then I’ll at least take you to the orphanage entrance. That’s fine, right?”

“Oh. In that case, there’s somewhere I’d like to stop by briefly before going to the orphanage. Would you mind taking me there?”

The business of dealing with the small fry was done—now it was time for the most important thing.

Reuniting with Uncle Aiden, who had died, after five years.

✦ ✦ ✦

It didn’t take long to arrive near the house where Uncle Aiden and I had lived together in the previous timeline.

I bowed my head in thanks to the merchant leader who brought me this far.

“Thank you for everything.”

“No need. I got something out of it too. As you said, it was a fair deal.”

“Oh, speaking of deals—remember how I said I had two pieces of information? I’ll tell you the other one now.”

“It’s fine. I’ve already been more than sufficiently paid.”

“You still need to hear it.”

I pulled up one corner of my mouth mischievously.

“The first piece of information was that there’ll be a major crop failure next year, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“But the year after that, a new farming method introduced by the Mage Tower will drastically increase grain yields. So sell everything you bought this year, next year.”

“Hah.”

He sighed and stroked his beard.

“So that’s why you said you’d tell me the second piece later.”

“Yes.”

When a major crop failure occurs, its effects aren’t limited to just that year.

Recovery usually takes several years—but this time was an extremely rare exception.

If he had a lot of grain, it would’ve been only natural to wait for prices to rise further.

If he hadn’t helped me properly, and I hadn’t told him the second piece of information…

Then when the abundant harvest flooded the market with cheap grain the year after next, he would’ve had no choice but to sell everything he’d bought at a huge loss.

“The more I think about it, the more it feels like a waste that I couldn’t recruit you.”

“Haha, who knows? We might meet again sooner than you think.”

I smiled brightly and said goodbye.

“It was a good deal. I wish your trading company success.”

✦ ✦ ✦

[Overlaying the current timeline onto Point 2.]

After saving the current timeline, I stood in front of the door to the house where Uncle Aiden lived and took a small, deep breath.

I knew for certain that he was alive at this point.

But maybe because it had been so long, I felt strangely nervous.

I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my clothes and carefully knocked.

After some time passed, the sound of a rusty door opening rang out.

Creeeak—

I etched the man who opened the door into my memory.

Bronze-toned skin that suited his profession as a mercenary. Black hair that looked as if it had been casually swept back.

Sharp golden eyes reminiscent of a beast, and a long vertical scar running through his left eye.

He looked slightly younger than the last face I remembered.

The moment I saw his face, I burst into tears and threw myself into his arms.

“I missed you.”

I felt his startled body stiffen, but I didn’t care and continued.

“I really tried my hardest to live well with you. So this time, don’t leave before me.”

I can’t do this twice.

Not because going back to the past is difficult—but because I don’t have the confidence to experience his death again.

So—

“This time, let’s get rid of everyone who threatens our peace, and live together for a long, long time.”

I smiled faintly and hugged him tightly one last time.

As the warmth I’d missed so much spread through my skin, a sense of relief bloomed.

“Dad.”

Though he cherished me like a daughter, Uncle Aiden absolutely hated being called “Dad.”

So whenever I felt like calling him that just once, I’d blurt it out and rewind time before his furious scolding could fly my way.

Curious about his reaction this time, I lifted my head.

He was staring at me blankly, as if time had stopped.

A strange child had suddenly hugged him and called him Dad—of course he’d be confused.

Smiling through tears, I used my ability without hesitation.

I’d already said everything I wanted to say.

[Loading Point 2.]

Creeeak.

Looking at Uncle Aiden as he opened the door, I forced my lips into a smile—

So that our first meeting would be remembered with a smile, not a distorted expression.

“Hello, sir. Could I possibly have a piece of bread?”

✦ ✦ ✦

After staring down at me silently for a long while, he told me to wait a moment and went back inside.

How much time passed?

Just when I started to wonder if he’d forgotten I was outside, the door suddenly flew open.

“Come in.”

He seated me at the table and set down a steaming stew and white bread.

The ingredients were of far better quality than anything Aunt Cecil had ever given me.

Happy at the thought of eating his cooking again after so long, I smiled softly and picked up my spoon.

Uncle Aiden sat across from me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

“…Your name?”

“I’m Tania. And you, sir?”

“Aiden.”

Yes. Aiden.

It was a name I had missed dearly.