Let’s Make Saving a Habit - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 3
Cecilia ultimately let me inside her home.
And that wasn’t all—she even allowed me to sleep on the rug before the fireplace and gave me stew.
Compared to where I stood at this same point in time before, it was an unimaginable luxury.
Cecilia opened her mouth in song, her lips brimming with a smile.
“A Trading Caravan that regularly passes through the Village will arrive within a few days. Let’s leave for a larger town by following them.”
“Yes.”
Beyond the Village, monsters swarmed in abundance. Because of this, one had to hire mercenaries, but….
For those without the means to pay, following in the Trading Caravan’s wake was the safest way to depart.
In my previous timeline, I barely managed to escape the Village with Aiden’s help.
It was unfortunate that I couldn’t recreate my first meeting with him here.
But Aiden wouldn’t save me until at least half a year later.
Because of this, if I wanted to leave quickly, I had no choice but to take a different path.
I half-listened to her words while sipping the stew, which was so sparse in solids it was practically rice porridge.
She’d clearly begrudged giving me proper food and made this instead.
Yet for someone whose digestive capacity had weakened from prolonged hunger, it was actually appropriate fare.
Of course, the complete lack of flavor was another matter entirely.
‘Even the Food Police—no, the entire Prosecutor General’s Office wouldn’t be enough.’
It felt like a lie that I’d eaten breakfast prepared by a first-class chef mere hours ago.
This was precisely why I’d dreaded returning to this point in time.
I exhaled softly while scraping the bowl clean.
To survive.

✦ ✦ ✦
Just as Cecilia had said, within a few days a considerably large Trading Caravan arrived at the Village.
Having traversed the Forest teeming with monsters, they all appeared to be catching their breath.
Amid the commotion, I approached a man who seemed to be the leader and pointed to the mountain of cargo stacked before us.
“Sir, where are you headed with so many goods?”
He paused mid-tying his shoelaces and cast a glance in my direction before answering indifferently.
“We’re taking goods purchased from other regions to sell in the Capital.”
“The Capital… you mean Catalea?”
“That’s right.”
Fortunately, it seemed my destination aligned with theirs, so there would be no need for detours.
Well, if this Village was on the route to the Major City, Catalea being the Capital made it a likely destination anyway.
Having decided to follow this Trading Caravan, I finished my calculations and posed another question to the man before me.
“Forgive my presumption, but are you the Merchant Leader of this caravan?”
His gaze settled upon me, and I could see the surprise in his eyes.
“Dressed as shabby as I am, most adults don’t even notice, yet you managed to figure it out.”
“Then, Merchant Leader, would you be willing to make a deal with me?”
At that, the Merchant Leader chuckled with amusement and ruffled my hair.
“Sorry, little one, but merchants don’t engage in ventures that don’t turn a profit.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not fond of deals where only one side benefits either. If it’s not mutually beneficial, it’s not a deal—it’s extortion.”
“What? Ha ha ha!”
He rose from his seat and looked down at me with an intrigued expression.
It seemed he thought he’d found an amusing anecdote to share with his companions over drinks.
“A mutually beneficial deal, you say? Now I’m curious. What could a child like you possibly offer me?”
“Information so deliciously tantalizing it borders on addictive.”
“My goodness, ‘tantalizing’!”
At my response, he burst into laughter again, even shedding a few tears. With newfound warmth in his eyes, he replied.
“I quite like your boldness. Very well, let’s hear what you wish to trade for.”
“What I need from you isn’t much, sir.”
With the boldness he’d mentioned, I folded my fingers as I spoke.
“First, allow me to ride in a cargo wagon on your journey to the Capital. Second, once we reach the Capital, help me send a certain woman who travels with me to prison.”
“…What did you just say?”
The Merchant Leader’s expression hardened rapidly—words he could never have imagined coming from a child’s lips.
Only then did his gaze shift to my gaunt frame.
Feeling his scrutiny, I calmly rolled up my sleeves to reveal the scars and bruises scattered across my body.
“Do you see? This is how I’m treated here as an orphan.”
“…”
The Merchant Leader squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face as though troubled.
“Child, I understand your difficult circumstances, but I cannot simply throw someone into prison so easily.”
“I know.”
After all, this wasn’t a world that prioritized children’s rights.
I never expected anyone to take action based solely on the word of a street child without a guardian.
“A few days ago, I overheard them saying they’d take me to the Capital and sell me. You see, I’ve awakened an ability.”
“….”
“They said I’d fetch a high price. Is that right?”
It’s easy to make someone a criminal. But proving innocence is difficult.
If there’s no evidence that Cecilia committed a crime, I can simply fabricate it.
Since slave trafficking was treated as a serious felony in the Empire, even with insufficient evidence, she wouldn’t easily escape such charges.
He stared at me in silence for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh and asking.
“Let’s say I throw the person who tried to sell you in the Capital into prison. Then how do you plan to live without a guardian?”
“There are many Orphanages that accept Abiliter, so it should be fine.”
“Ah.”
At such a sensible answer, the Merchant Leader blinked and let out a short sigh.
Perhaps he hadn’t expected it because he’d been hearing such unreasonable things until now.
With a determined expression, he placed a large hand on top of my head with a soft pat.
“Alright. I’ll take responsibility for you and bring you to the Capital.”
“Without even hearing what information I’ve prepared?”
“This isn’t a transaction. I have no intention of squeezing anything out of a child like you. Whatever information you’ve prepared, keep it for now.”
I rolled my eyes.
What was I thinking? I should get proper compensation.
“…Well, it’s a feeling! Normally I’m not one to give advance payments, but this time I’ll go first.”
With an expression of benevolence, I clasped my hands behind my back and cleared my throat with an “ahem.”
“However, there are two pieces of information in total, and I’ll tell you the remaining one when you’ve granted my request.”
“Ha, dealing with a cunning fox who’s seen it all. Are you really just a child?”
It was a question I’d fully anticipated.
I had no intention of acting like a child.
Of course, I would actively use my age whenever it was advantageous.
Gazing at him steadily, I replied matter-of-factly.
“I possess the ability of foresight. Being able to see the future is similar to living the present and future simultaneously.”
“What?”
“Since I’m living several times over compared to others, I can’t help but be mentally mature.”
“I see, now I understand. I was wondering why everything you say sounds so mature…!”
“Haha, I was just joking!”
“What?”
As I stuck my tongue out playfully, he stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.
“What kind of brat is this?”
“An old soul, you could say… Let’s just say I matured early because I had no one to rely on.”
Unable to find a response, the man clamped his mouth shut.
I laughed softly without concern and whispered quietly.
“There will be a great famine next year. So buy as much grain as you can this year.”
At my words, the man’s face crumpled.
“How can you possibly guarantee that….”
“Didn’t I just tell you? My ability is foresight.”
He rubbed his temples. It was clear his head was aching.
“That’s right. So you can see even the distant future, it seems.”
“Exactly.”
“Of course, that’s assuming you truly possess the ‘foresight’ ability.”
“Is this proof… sufficient?”
I produced a crumpled slip of paper from my pocket that I had folded away.
It contained our entire conversation from beginning to end, written down in advance.
Yes, in truth, this was not my first conversation with the Merchant Leader.
I had simply manipulated the timeline to make it appear that way.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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