Chapter 9

Hearing a loud knock on the door, my mother, who was working in the kitchen, immediately rushed to me. She opened the closet nearby and pushed me inside.

"Reni, stay here. No matter what happens, don't come out."

"Mom."

"Don't come out, okay?"

With a serious face, my mother reiterated her instructions and quickly closed the closet door. Instantly, darkness enveloped me.

The faint smell of clothes. This is the scent of soap grass, a B-grade material from the field. My mother always uses it for laundry, and I improved the field so we could harvest a lot of it.

As I sniffed the familiar scent, a loud thud and multiple footsteps were heard. It seemed that my mother had opened the door, and the debt collectors had entered.

"Hey, this house really has nothing at all."

"Terrible."

"Ah, this won't even cover the interest."

Rude laughter and the loud, unreserved footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. It felt like there were about three or four adult men. I hope my mother is okay.

"I have already paid back the full amount of the borrowed money. I told you not to come to the house. Now, please leave."

Despite the terrifying situation of dealing with multiple adult men who seemed to look down on her, my mother remained calm and resolute.

She might have wanted to handle them at the doorstep without letting them in, but if they insisted on entering, my mother couldn't stop them.

As my mother tried to get them to leave quickly, the debt collectors laughed again.

"Hey, is that the attitude of someone who borrowed money?"

"Did we ask you to borrow money? You came to us asking for a loan!!"

Crash!

Something broke.

...It was probably the plate with bread on the table.

Our family receives leftover bread from the village bakery. We can harvest vegetables, but we can't get bread from the field.

The bread my mother brings home early in the morning, out of kindness. It's very important.

The debt collectors must have knocked the plate off the table.

"Listen, we have the promissory note. It has your name on it. It's an official document."

"...But I have already paid the amount written there."

"Ah!? What you've been paying monthly is the interest!!"

Thud!

After the debt collector's angry voice, something hit the closet, making a loud noise.

It must have been the debt collector kicking the table, which then accidentally hit the closet. At that moment, my mother screamed.

"Stop it! Stop destroying the house! I'll... I'll pay the money..."

"Ah? How? You've been saying you don't have enough, right?"

The debt collectors laughed at my mother's words.

"You don't have enough. Not at all! And there's nothing in this house that's worth anything. ...Ah, there is one thing."

"Such a beauty, she's worth something!"

"You've been saying no all this time, which is why it's come to this."

"You're so stubborn. If you sell yourself, we'll forgive the debt."

From the debt collectors' words, I could sense that things were taking a dangerous turn.

This is it. They're not asking for money, but for my mother herself.

Indeed, my mother is beautiful. Honestly, she's as beautiful as a goddess. Wanting to possess her isn't strange—...

"Still, it's a shame. When you had a child, if it was a girl, you could have sold both of you."

"Really, it's a shame the child died. Poverty is tough, isn't it?"

"Even the chairs are ready. Three of them, for the dead child, right?"

...What? I'm dead...?

No, this must mean that my parents declared me dead...?

As I was confused by this sudden news, the footsteps echoed again. It seemed that the debt collectors, who had stopped, started moving roughly again.

At the same time, I heard my mother gasp.

"Hey!"

"...!?"

"If you don't want to be any more miserable, come with us."

"Stop it, let go...!"

My mother's voice, mixed with screams. She must have been grabbed and was being taken away.

I've reached my limit. My mother hid me in the closet, but I can't stay here any longer.

I need to think about the fact that I'm declared dead, but right now, that's not the priority.

—Trick the debt collectors.

I made up my mind and pushed the closet door. Then...

"What are you doing in someone's house!!"

The hurried footsteps and a low, calm but angry voice. It was my father!

"Let go!!"

With that voice, the footsteps became entangled. Angry shouts and sounds of objects being thrown echoed, and then—

"Never come back."

My father's voice was low and growling, very different from his usual gentle tone. After his voice, I heard something rolling on the ground. The debt collectors must have been chased out of the house. My father is strong!

So, I paused my plan to leave the closet. I whispered quietly:

"Item box"

Item Box!

I chose the [Hermit's Robe]. This equipment has the ability to conceal one's presence. In the game, equipping it allows you to move through the map without encountering enemies.

My three-year-old body is small, so the robe covered me from head to toe.

In this state, I quietly left the closet and left a note for my parents saying, "Leave it to me."

When I passed by the entrance, my father was hugging my mother, but he didn't notice me passing by.

I felt like he was looking at me, but he didn't call out, so I think this robe not only conceals my presence but also makes me invisible.

In this state, what I need to do is—

—Let's follow the debt collectors.