Chapter 6: Surviving in a Child’s Body (Part 3)

This situation was… overwhelming.

All I wanted was to sell some firewood, so I carried it down to the village.

But as soon as I reached the village outskirts, a group of muscular men came charging toward me, yelling about helping.

I thought they were bandits.

My mind spiraled, imagining them stealing my firewood, kidnapping me, and doing all sorts of horrible things.

Thankfully, amidst my panic, I caught a glimpse of Alex’s familiar face among them.

That helped me calm my swirling thoughts.

“Nooo~ I don’t want to~ It’s mine~~~!”

“Don’t copy me!”

“Don’t copy me~~~!”

“Ugh…!”

Apparently, my panicked shouting had triggered Alex’s playful side.

Ever since, he’d been mimicking my voice to an infuriating degree.

Why does he enjoy teasing me so much?

By the way, I noticed earlier that a lot of people had gathered near the village entrance.

Why were they all there?

Their expressions seemed serious—was something going on?

“…By the way, why were all those people gathered earlier?”

“Oh, that…”

“Yes?”

“Not gonna tell you.”

“…Ugh, seriously!”

This bald guy had no intention of answering my question.

Unfortunately, with Alex being the only person around, there was no one else I could ask.

Weird.

There were so many people here earlier… Where did they all disappear to?

It was a mystery.

“Now it’s my turn to ask you something,” Alex said with a mischievous grin.

“You won’t even answer my question, and now—”

“What are you planning to do with this log?”

Alex grabbed the firewood from me and spun it in the air a few times as if testing its weight.

That firewood I had carried with both hands, straining every muscle…

And here he was, twirling it casually with one hand.

What does that make me look like?

Is strength everything?

…Yeah, okay, maybe it is.

“Hm?”

“First of all, that’s not a log. It’s carefully chopped firewood that I made myself.”

“This? Firewood?”

“Yes! I’m going to sell it. And with the money, I’ll buy something delicious to eat.”

I wonder how much I could get for it.

Since I’d spent all morning chopping wood to make this firewood, surely it would fetch a good price, right?

It’d be great if I got something like… a silver coin.

Okay, maybe not that much, but even one copper coin would make me happy.

“I see… You’ve done a great job chopping it. You could sell it for a good price.”

“That’s nice of you to say, but why are you dragging out your words like that?”

“Ah… I think I swallowed wrong or something.”

“Getting old, huh?”

“Ha, kids these days have no filter. It feels like just yesterday you were staring up at me with wide eyes, asking innocent questions…”

He trailed off and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

Of course, he wasn’t actually crying.

“Tsk, unbelievable.”

“Hey now, kids shouldn’t click their tongues. You’ll lose all your luck that way.”

“…It’s all your fault, Alex.”

“What did I even do?”

“You keep teasing me, so of course I get snappy!”

“Is that so?”

“That’s exactly it.”

I tried my best to stay calm, but Alex kept poking at me, so how could I not snap back?

“At least I don’t talk to anyone else like this, so don’t worry.”

“…Should I feel relieved about that?”

“Of course.”

I meant it.

Sure, Alex annoyed me sometimes, but he was the first person I’d grown close to since coming to this village.

And let’s not forget, he’s the guy who gave me two skewers without asking for anything in return.

He’s only teasing because he sees me as someone he can trust and joke around with.

If it were someone I didn’t trust, I wouldn’t even bother responding—I’d just ignore them entirely.

“So, back to the main topic. You’re here to sell this firewood, right?”

“Yes. I was planning to go to Henson’s Firewood Shop.”

“You’re going to that grumpy old man’s shop? You’d be better off selling it to a merchant I know instead.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, if you go to Henson with this, he might… chase you off. Never mind that. For such a small batch of firewood, selling to a private merchant is much better than going to a professional shop.”

“Wow, really?”

I’d learned something new.

I almost made a mistake by heading to the shop and losing out on a better deal.

(Though I’m not entirely sure what that loss would’ve been, but still.)

“Wait here. I’ll go fetch that guy for you.”

“Okay.”

“If you get bored, feel free to snack on this while you wait.”

“…What’s this?”

“Chocolate chip cookies.”

Gasp.

Chocolate chip cookies?! My absolute favorite! How did Alex know?

“Wow, they look so good! Thank you! I’m going to enjoy these!”

“…Actually, they’re raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip ones.”

“Bleh!”

I could still taste the raisins lingering in my mouth.

“But you didn’t spit it out. Good job.”

“…Who are you calling a child?”

“Aren’t you literally a child?”

The betrayal hit me hard.

How could anyone be cruel enough to trick someone into eating a raisin cookie disguised as a chocolate chip cookie?

Truly, Alex was the worst of the worst.

Forget calling him the best—I’m taking it back!

“How about another one? There are plenty of cookies left.”

“No, thanks.”

“Oh, so you’re full already?”

“…So, when is this merchant you mentioned supposed to get here?”

“She’ll be here any minute.”

As I sat at the well in the village center, kicking my feet idly, I saw someone in the distance—a tall woman running toward us, looking like she was in a hurry.

Is that the merchant Alex was talking about?

She looked like someone who’d be great at running a business.

“Hey, over here!” Alex called out, waving.

“Alex! How many times have I told you not to call me when I’m busy at my shop?”

“Haha, sorry, sorry.”

The two of them bickered as they greeted each other, showing an easy familiarity.

It was clear they were close.

One was a lanky, tall woman, and the other was a buff, bald muscleman.

The contrast between them was so striking that they looked like a mismatched pair.

“So, what’s this about?”

“Hang on a sec. I wanted you to buy something for me.”

“Buy what?”

“This firewood right here…”

The moment Alex held out the firewood, the woman’s eyes sharpened in an instant.

She raised an eyebrow before swiftly snatching the wood from Alex’s hands.

She turned the log over, inspecting it from every angle with a critical eye, her expression growing more and more doubtful.

Her movements were so professional that I couldn’t help but gulp nervously.

“What’s this? It doesn’t even seem…”

“Stop, stop, stop! Hold on a second.”

“What now?”

“Let me introduce you first. This here is Ellie, an old friend of mine.”

“What’s with the sudden random introduction?”

Apparently, the woman hadn’t noticed me until now.

She tilted her head in confusion, her expression screaming that she didn’t understand what Alex was getting at.

Sure, I’m short, but I’m sitting here out in the open! How could she not see me?

…Okay, maybe it’s because Alex’s huge muscles are blocking her view.

Yeah, that must be it.

It has to be.

“H-hello…” I said softly.

“Huh? Where’s that soft little voice coming from—whoa.”

Ellie finally spotted me, and her surprise was written all over her face.

When I carefully straightened up and spoke, the woman finally seemed to notice me. Her breathing grew noticeably heavier.

“Ellie?”

“Haah… haaaah…”

“What’s with her?”

Before I could make sense of it, Alex suddenly grabbed the gasping Ellie and rushed off with her to the far end of the area.

What was that about?

I tilted my head, puzzled.

Did I do something wrong?

Or maybe they had something private to discuss?

Swinging my legs, which still couldn’t reach the ground, I turned my gaze to the two suns shining high above.

After spacing out for a while, the two of them eventually came back.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Alex said.

“I wasn’t waiting that long. By the way, what were you two doing?”

“Oh, nothing. Just some business talk,” Alex replied casually.

“Uh-huh.”

It didn’t seem like “just business” to me.

“Hmmm…”

“…Is there something on my face?” Alex asked.

“No, never mind.”

I was curious about what they talked about, but I decided not to ask.

Everyone has their private matters, and even if I asked, Alex probably wouldn’t tell me anyway.

“So, kiddo, you’re here to sell this firewood, right?” Ellie asked, changing the subject.

“Technically, I called you here for her,” Alex interjected.

“And technically, I’d like you to stop butting in while I’m in the middle of business,” Ellie snapped, shooting Alex a pointed look.

“Yeah, yeah. Still as sharp-tongued as ever,” Alex muttered as Ellie shot him a brief glare before continuing.

“Alright, about this firewood…”

“Yes?”

“Well, the grain of the wood is intact, and… it’s been cut with a wild, rustic style. Plus, the surface is nicely dried, making it excellent for firewood.”

“Wow, so it’s good firewood?”

“Absolutely.”

I’d been worried that my amateur chopping skills would earn me harsh criticism, but it seemed I had underestimated myself.

My woodcutting skills were apparently better than I thought.

“To think I’d get such a positive review on my first attempt at selling something!”

“This kind of firewood…” Ellie paused for dramatic effect.

“…Is that good?”

Alex snickered. “Oh, it’s definitely that good.”

“Alex.”

“Ah, yes, I’ll keep quiet now.”

Seriously? It’s that good?

To think it was impressive enough to surprise someone—I might’ve just discovered a hidden talent I didn’t even know I had!

“Anyway, I’ll take this firewood off your hands. How about three copper coins for it?”

“…That much?!”

I’d only expected about one copper coin at most.

But three copper coins for a single piece of firewood?

Let’s see… one copper coin could buy a loaf of bread, which means… this one log is worth three loaves of bread?!

“Wow, amazing! Thank you so much!”

“The thanks should be coming from me,” Ellie replied, flashing a sly smile. “I’m glad I could get such high-quality firewood… and from such a cute—uh, capable seller!”

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Alex teased.

“Me? Of course! Feel free to call me again if it’s for something like this. I’d be thrilled.”

“Oh, then…”

“…Only call me when you’re with this kid, not when you’re on your own,” Ellie quipped.

“That’s harsh.”

“Life’s bitter like that.”

While Ellie and Alex exchanged their playful banter, I extended my hand, watching as Ellie placed the shiny copper coins one by one into my palm.

“Wow…”

Money.

It was actual money.

For the first time in my life, I had earned money with my own hands—through my own effort and hard work.

What should I do with it?

I could buy bread, or maybe a blanket to ward off the cold.

The possibilities were endless.

“Hehe.”

Just imagining what I could buy made me giddy.

A smile naturally spread across my face.

Today was definitely going to be one of the best days of my life!