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Chapter 03
In the end, Aunt Cecile let me into the house.
That wasn’t all. She even allowed me to sleep on the rug in front of the fireplace and served me stew.
Compared to this same time in the previous timeline, it was a luxury I never could have imagined.
With a broad smile on her lips, Aunt Cecile spoke in a sing-song voice.
“Within a few days, a merchant caravan that regularly visits this village will arrive. Let’s follow them to a big town.”
“Yes.”
Outside the village, monsters were swarming. Because of that, one usually had to hire mercenaries to travel safely…
People who couldn’t afford such costs had no choice but to trail behind merchant caravans as the safest way to leave.
In the previous timeline, I’d barely managed to escape the village with Uncle Aiden’s help.
It was a shame I couldn’t recreate my first meeting with him here.
But he wouldn’t save me for at least another six months.
So, if I wanted to leave this place quickly, I had no choice but to choose a different method.
I half-listened to her words while sipping the stew, which was so thin it was closer to rice porridge than a proper meal.
She probably made something like this because she thought real food would be a waste on me.
Still, for someone like me whose digestion had weakened after long starvation, it was actually appropriate.
Of course, the fact that it tasted awful was a separate issue.
The food police… no, even the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office wouldn’t let this slide.
Just a few hours ago, I’d eaten breakfast made by a top-tier chef. It felt like a lie now.
This was exactly why I’d hated coming back to this point in time.
Even so, I quietly sighed and scraped the bowl clean.
To survive.
Just as Aunt Cecile said, only a few days later a fairly large merchant caravan visited the village.
Perhaps because they’d come through a forest crawling with monsters, everyone looked relieved to have made it safely.
Amid the bustle, I approached a man who looked like the leader and pointed at the mountain of goods piled nearby.
“Mister, where are you taking all these goods?”
He paused while tying his shoelaces, glanced at me, and answered indifferently.
“We’re going to sell goods bought in other regions in the capital.”
“The capital… Catalea?”
“That’s right.”
Fortunately, that was the same place I was headed, so it didn’t look like I’d have to take a long detour.
Well, any caravan passing through this village on the way to a major city was likely headed for Catalea anyway.
Having decided to follow this caravan, I finished my calculations and asked the man another question.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you the head of this caravan?”
His gaze lingered on me, clearly surprised.
“Is it because I’m dressed shabbily? Even the adults didn’t recognize me, but you figured it out.”
“Then, Master Merchant, would you like to make a deal with me?”
The caravan master snorted in amusement and ruffled my hair.
“Sorry, kid. A merchant doesn’t do business that doesn’t make money.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t like one-sided deals either. If it’s not a win-win, it’s not a deal—it’s just extortion.”
“What? Hahaha!”
He stood up, looking down at me with interest.
It seemed he thought he’d found a good story to share over drinks with his companions.
“A win-win deal, huh? Now I’m curious. What could a child like you possibly give me?”
“Information so tempting it’s downright sweet.”
“Good heavens—tempting, you say!”
He burst out laughing again. Wiping away a tear, he looked at me with newfound fondness.
“You’re bold, and I like that. All right, let’s hear what kind of deal you have in mind.”
“What I want from you isn’t much.”
With a bold expression, just as he’d said, I folded my fingers one by one.
“First, let me ride in one of your wagons on the way to the capital. Second, once we arrive, help send the woman who traveled with me to prison.”
“…What did you just say?”
Hearing words he never imagined coming from a child, the caravan master’s expression quickly stiffened.
Only then did his gaze drop to my emaciated body.
Noticing his look, I calmly rolled up my sleeve and showed him the scars and bruises covering me.
“Do you see? This is how an orphan like me is treated here.”
“……”
The caravan master squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face, clearly troubled.
“Child, I understand your pitiful situation, but you can’t just throw someone into prison so easily.”
“I know.”
This wasn’t Earth, where children’s rights were paramount.
I’d never expected anyone to take action based solely on the words of a guardianless street child.
“A few days ago, I overheard them saying they’d take me to the capital and sell me. I awakened my ability.”
“……”
“They said I’d fetch a high price. Is that true?”
It’s easy to make someone a criminal, but hard to prove innocence.
If there was no evidence that Aunt Cecile had committed a crime, then all one had to do was create some.
Slave trading was considered a serious crime in the Empire, so even flimsy evidence would be enough to prevent her from slipping away easily.
After staring at me in silence for a long time, he let out a heavy sigh and asked,
“Let’s say I put the person who tried to sell you in prison. Then what will you do in the capital, without a guardian?”
“There are plenty of orphanages that take in ability users.”
“Ah.”
At my perfectly reasonable answer, the caravan master blinked and let out a short sigh.
He must not have expected such a normal response after hearing so many abnormal things.
With a look of resolve, he placed his large hand firmly on top of my head.
“Fine. I’ll take responsibility and bring you to the capital.”
“You won’t even hear what information I prepared?”
“This isn’t a deal. I have no intention of squeezing anything out of a child. I don’t know what information you have, but keep it.”
I rolled my eyes.
Trying to get out of paying, are we? You should pay the proper price, you know.
“…Hmm. I’m in a good mood! I usually don’t give things upfront, but this time I’ll make an exception.”
With an exaggerated air of generosity, I clasped my hands behind my back and cleared my throat.
“There are two pieces of information in total. I’ll tell you the other one after you grant my request.”
“Hah, it feels like I’m dealing with a seasoned old fox. Are you sure you’re really a child?”
It was a question I’d fully expected.
I had no intention of acting like a child.
Of course, I’d gladly use my age when it was advantageous.
After gazing at him quietly, I answered calmly.
“I have precognitive abilities. Being able to see the future is like living in the present and future at the same time.”
“What?”
“Since I’ve lived several times more than others, I can’t help but be mentally mature.”
“I see. Now it makes sense. I thought it was strange how mature you sounded…!”
“Hahaha, I’m kidding!”
“What?”
When I stuck out my tongue with a playful grin, he stared at me blankly.
“W-what kind of kid are you?”
“Well, being a child prodigy or something… Let’s just say I had to grow up fast because I had no one to rely on.”
At that, the man pressed his lips together, seemingly unable to find a response.
I smiled innocently and whispered softly.
“There’ll be a major famine next year. So buy as much grain as you can this year.”
His face twisted sharply at my words.
“And how can you possibly be so sure…?”
“Didn’t I just say? My ability is precognition.”
He rubbed his temples, looking as though his head hurt.
“Right. So you can see the distant future too.”
“That’s right.”
“Of course, that’s assuming you really do have this ‘precognitive’ ability.”
“Proof… would this be enough?”
I held out a crumpled piece of paper I’d kept folded in my pocket.
On it was a record of the entire conversation he and I had just had, written out in advance.
Yes—this wasn’t actually the first time I’d spoken with the caravan master.
It only looked that way because the timeline had been rewound.
