Chapter 6

Closing my eyes, I try to recall the memories.

I can remember up to the point where I realized that Fyos had emotions and I could feel them too.

After that, I went home, feeling exhausted, and should have gone to sleep, but somehow I found myself back in my childhood.

Should I consider the present as the past, or should I consider my childhood as the past before I returned to it?

Since I don’t understand what this phenomenon is, I don’t know what to do.

For now, I decided to consider my first life before I returned to my childhood as the past.

Indeed, I had thought that if I could, I would want to redo things, but who could have predicted that I would be sent back to such a time without any preparation?

If the flow of events from my past memories remains unchanged, the thought of what is to come sends shivers down my spine.

War, calamity, disaster. The times ahead will be so harsh that even commoners will struggle to survive.

Living day to day, I won’t be able to prepare, and if the dark age comes, I will be discarded and die.

I don’t think major events will change easily.

I need to think about what is necessary to survive using my past memories effectively.

First, I need some financial leeway to do any activities. Fortunately, I have lived once, so I have knowledge.

I have no intention of being discarded.

Although the situation hasn’t changed, I have confidence that I can earn money through what I do.

I know about technologies that haven’t spread in the world yet but will in the future.

“You might have been in trouble if it wasn’t for me.”

The idea for making money to take the first step came to me without much thought.

Without Fyos, it would have been tough to take even the first step.

Zike poked Fyos with his finger and laughed.

“Hey! You seem to be in a much better mood now.”

While enjoying the sensation of Fyos, Rau and Eni returned.

Rau had a large number of skewers between his fingers, and Eni was holding a big paper bag.

“Welcome back.”

“Just got back~”

Zike got up and lit the candle, and a gentle light softly illuminated the surroundings.

The light wasn’t sufficient, but the moonlight was bright enough, so it wasn’t a problem.

“Rau and Eni, that’s...”

“Hehe, we were invited to join the army as soldiers. We got some money as an advance, so we went all out. ...And Eni said she wanted to cheer you up.”

“Haa!? You were the one who suggested it! Why is it that I’m the one who suggested it? Ah, no, I also wanted to cheer you up, but...”

Since both of them now have powerful magical beasts, it’s natural that they would be scouted by the kingdom.

Thinking about it, it seemed they might have been preparing for the events to come from this point on.

“I see... Thank you both.”

Watching the two of them argue, a smile naturally spread across my face.

How long has it been since I smiled like this?

“Hehe, of course.”

“Since I suggested it, you should be grateful to me.”

“What are you talking about? I was the one who suggested it!”

“You said I suggested it, so I cheered Zike up.”

“Ngh...”

“Haha...haha...”

The three of us laughed together.

In the past, it was a friendship I had let go of due to jealousy, but this time I wouldn’t let it go.

“I’ll get some plates. There should be some that are still in good condition.”

It must be uncomfortable to hold the skewers in your fingers for too long.

I took out some plates from an old cupboard. Since we don’t usually use plates, I blew on them, and dust flew up.

“Clean up.”

Zike doesn’t have much innate magic power, and the magic power he gets from Fyos is minimal.

Still, it’s a world of difference from having none, and he can clean the plates.

Water gathered at his fingertips and dripped onto the plates. The water spread like ripples on the surface, sweeping up the dust and expanding until it reached the edge of the plate, where it gathered again at his fingertips.

Unlike the first time, the plates were now clean, and the water was murky with dust.

Zike handed the dirty water to Fyos, who absorbed it into his body.

The water absorbed by Fyos gradually became part of him, and his body returned to its pristine, translucent beauty.

“Here, it must be a hassle to hold them in your hands, so put them on these plates.”

“Thanks.”

Rau had a lot of meat skewers.

Even as an advance for recruitment, it’s hard to believe that an official would give a large sum of money to children. They must have spent most of the money they received.

The paper bag Eni brought contained bread.

Unlike the hard, cheap bread we usually eat, this was soft and fluffy.

“Show me your magical beasts, both of you.”

“...Is it okay?”

Rau and Eni looked at each other. I understand why they might feel hesitant after crying so much, but it’s best to keep the magical beasts out and with them.

“Come out, Senthos.”

“Come here, Shellfina.”

When Zike nodded, the two summoned their magical beasts.

Magical beasts come in all sizes, from small to large, and can often be inconvenient.

So, they can temporarily be turned into stones called magic stones or reduced in size from their original form.

The Thunderlight Tiger and Phoenix appeared in the size of slimes.

Rau named the Thunderlight Tiger Senthos, and Eni named the Phoenix Shellfina.

When they gave some skewers to Senthos and Shellfina, both happily started eating.

Seeing this, Fyos modestly rubbed against Zike’s waist to get attention.

Zike understood the purpose.

He gave a whole skewer to Fyos.

The skewer slowly melted away.

The melting process was slow.

This might be the slime’s way of savoring the food.

“What are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Of course, about the invitation to join the kingdom’s army.”

From past experience, I know what they will do.

Both will become soldiers in the kingdom as they were invited.

However, there are other options besides serving the kingdom.

With their magical beasts, they could become adventurers or serve a large merchant guild or a noble family.

Especially for Eni, with her powerful healing and fire abilities, there would be many opportunities.

A Phoenix, being a divine beast, could even receive a high-ranking position from a religious organization.

“I think I’ll become a soldier. I’m not particularly interested in serving the country, but I want to protect people like you and the ones I know here... and Eni too. Well, if this place gives me a chance, I should repay them a bit.”

“I... I do admire the idea of being an adventurer. But since I have healing abilities, I want to learn more about them.”

Eni’s roundabout way of speaking ultimately means she will choose to join the kingdom.

Learning proper magic as an adventurer is not easy.

To learn proper magic, one must join the kingdom, a magic tower, or a school.

Schools are not an option for the poor, and the magic tower is a closed, research-oriented group, and Zike has no connections there.

It’s very difficult to enter the magic tower without exceptional luck and skill.

So, the most accessible and best choice is to join the kingdom.

Eni could probably be accepted into the magic tower without a recommendation, but...

“I see, I think that’s a good choice.”

Zike smiled gently.

I can’t tell them to stop working for the kingdom because it will lead to unhappiness in the distant future.

On the contrary, if they follow the path I remember, I can deal with the known problems.

“Aren’t you going to tell us about your plans?”

I said it jokingly, but they are still just children.

They just look awkward and don’t know what to do.

“Don’t make that face. I have a job in mind.”

I’m not sure if it will go as well as I imagine.

But at least I think I can work.

“Next time, I’ll treat you both, so wait for it.”

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