Interlude: Hoping for Growth

(Point of view: Ronir, the traveling merchant.)

For the past few days, I’ve been on pins and needles.

Normally, I’d sell my wares, restock with new goods, and head to the next town, but I’ve stayed in this place quite a long time.

Part of the reason was that the road to the next town was blockaded, leaving me unable to leave even if I wanted to, but my real worry was the girl I picked up on the highway.

When I first saw her in those tattered rags, I thought she had been attacked by bandits and fled for her life. But when I heard her story—abandoned by her parents, falling into a mana pool, and surviving there for over a year—it was a history so wild it was hard to believe.

Living in a mana pool for a year is beyond extraordinary. Between the headaches and nausea, a person shouldn’t even be able to move properly, and even if they could, the plants growing in such areas are far too saturated with mana for humans to eat. If it were me, I would have given up on survival within a week.

There was the possibility that the girl—Haku—was lying, but despite her lack of expression, she spoke with a sincerity that made it impossible to doubt her. Besides, even if she had been exaggerating, I couldn’t be cold-hearted enough to abandon a starving, tattered child, even if she wasn’t physically injured.

Ethically, helping her was the right thing to do, and I don’t think that choice was a mistake. However, from the perspective of a merchant who prioritizes profit, the “correct” answer would have been to look the other way.

What can a traveling merchant do with a homeless child abandoned by her parents? If I took her with me, she’d obviously be a burden, and placing her in an orphanage would require all sorts of procedures. If I had time for that, it would have been more productive to think about my ledgers.

Since I picked her up, I intended to take some responsibility. I couldn’t look after her for a lifetime, but I planned to do my best to give Haku the chance to stand on her own feet.

That’s why I kept a constant eye on her while we were in town, and I took the lead in helping her whenever I could.

However, once things got moving, Haku turned out to be far more talented than I ever expected.

You can register at the Adventurer’s Guild from the age of ten. Haku clearly didn’t meet that requirement, but there’s a tacit understanding not to pry too deeply; as long as you fake your age, you can get in.

Still, the tasks a ten-year-old adventurer can take are negligible. Permanent requests like herb gathering, hunting low-level monsters, or doing chores around town. None of them pay well.

I introduced her to a cheap but reliable inn, but I figured the money from the Orcs she traded in would run out almost immediately.

Yet, Haku performed those requests perfectly, racking up amounts that exceeded what average adventurers earn. And she did it day after day.

To top it off, she even started making potions. I don’t know where she learned the recipe, but that is a massive strength. With that skill, she could even make it as an apprentice to a town pharmacist.

I was amazed by how Haku built the foundation of her life one after another without needing me to look after her.

Her indifference to her clothing and the way she calmly enters the forest makes me feel a bit of a sense of danger for her, but knowing she can use magic, I have faith she’ll be alright for the most part.

That’s why my blood ran cold when I heard she was attacked by an Ogre. I never imagined she would participate in the defense just because I mentioned the road blockade, and I certainly never thought an Ogre would crash the party.

As a result, Haku was seriously injured and lost consciousness. While I didn’t issue the request myself, I was the one who encouraged her to get involved. Haku is very clever, and I know she feels indebted to me. She probably wanted to help because she heard I was in a bind. Otherwise, an F-rank adventurer like Haku would never have forced her way into a request meant for E-rank and above.

My restocking was long finished, and since I judged she would be okay, I had planned to leave as soon as the blockade was lifted. But thinking of Haku, who was injured because of me, I couldn’t bring myself to be that heartless.

Since I’m not associated with the Guild, I couldn’t even go to visit her, and I spent my days in a gloom. When I heard a few days later that she had recovered, I was truly relieved.

If the worst had happened and she could no longer work as an adventurer, I had considered taking her in. Surprisingly, however, she had healed completely without a single scar; I was once again made aware of Haku’s strength.

After returning to duty, she actually jumped to C-rank and has been steadily increasing her funds by actively participating in subjugation requests.

She’ll be fine now. It’s a bit sad to part, but I am a traveling merchant. I can’t stay in the same place forever. When I went to give my final greetings, she gave me some potions she’d made herself.

I thought I was the one doing all the favors, but she ended up repaying the debt in full. Truly, she is a child so brilliant it’s hard to believe her age.

“That girl will surely become someone great in the future.”

“No doubt about it. Wasn’t it the right move to make a connection with her now?”

The monsters are gone, and many carriages are now traveling the highway. Kalaba is already far behind, and I’m currently getting my body used to the road again while chatting with my guard, Ryuk.

I meant those words as a bit of a joke, but she really might rise in the world. She has competence, strength, and to top it off, good looks. If she didn’t succeed, I’d almost suspect some sort of extreme interference.

Though our acquaintance only lasted a few days, I have a feeling I’ll see her again.

“Maybe she’ll be a Court Mage the next time we meet.”

“That’s dreaming a bit too much. But well, she’ll certainly be a proper adventurer.”

After all, she’s already reached C-rank. Even though it’s only been a few days since she registered, it’s likely the youngest and fastest rank-up in history.

I wouldn’t even be surprised if she reached A-rank by the next time we meet. Though “Court Mage” feels like a bit too much of a leap.

Well, I understand the sentiment. At the Guild, they were already calling her the “Head-Hunting Princess.”

“By the way, Boss, which town are we heading to next?”

“First is Marine. From there, we’ll do a loop and head back to the Royal Capital. If possible, I’d like to stop by Gofen to stock up on magic items.”

“I don’t know how far we’ll be together, but I’ll tag along.”

Ryuk isn’t exactly my exclusive guard. We just got along well, so he’s coming with me. That being the case, I can’t go too far off-route or do anything reckless, but stopping by the neighboring country of Gofen shouldn’t be a problem.

The magic items there are of very high quality, so they should sell for a good price here.

I wonder when I’ll return to Kalaba. Half a year, or a year? It’ll be a sight to see just how much Haku has grown in that time.

As I rode my horse at a leisurely pace, remembering Haku brought a smile to my face.

It’s good to have something to look forward to. Otherwise, you couldn’t stay a traveling merchant. Diverse encounters are interesting, but not having a permanent home is a heavy burden.

While looking forward to Haku’s growth, I suppose I’ll start thinking of a sales pitch for the current cargo.

End of 34