"Is he dead?" asks a soft high-pitched voice.
"Let me check… Hand me that stick," says another child-like voice.
"Uggg…" I groan. Are goblins poking me with a stick again?
A hard and pointed object prods my back and shoulder, accompanied by a dull pain assaulting my head from the slave collar. I lift my head from the damp muddy ground.
Gasp!
After they inhale in surprise, two small children dash behind the trunk of a willow tree and peek out at me. One is a small girl with long blonde hair. I'd estimate her to be eight years old. On the other side of the trunk is a boy with short brown hair. He appears two or three years older than the girl is.
"What are you children doing here?"
"You're a child too. Why don't you tell us what you're doing here first?"
The boy has a point. For a moment, I forgot I am in a child's body. In fact, my body appears slightly younger and shorter than this boy's body does.
"Hey, do you live around here?" I ask, still lying on the ground.
The boy takes a small step out from behind the tree. "Tell us where you came from first."
"I'm from upriver. I went for a swim, but the current caught me by surprise. It brought me all the way here. Now I'm lost. What town is nearby?"
The boy raises and parts his freckled arms. "This is Shrewsberry."
Shrewsberry? This town was due south of my hometown, specializing in food production and the cultivation of a few unusual medicinal plants. The calamity that destroyed my hometown also affected Shrewsberry. Despite this, at least half the town survived untouched, and the townsfolk rebuilt the town to be stronger than ever.
Taking advantage of my contemplation, the timid girl steps out from behind the tree. "Why is your neck glowing? Are you a magician?"
The water of the river had completely exposed the collar again.
By reflex, I push myself into a sitting position, and my hand shot to my neck. "I…"
"Hey! Hey! Cover yourself up in front of my sister, yeah?" The boy stepped in front of the girl, shielding her eyes with his hand. "It's a man's job to protect women and keep them pure."
"Err…" I glanced down at my exposed skin. The front of my leaf clothes must have ripped when I crawled out of the river earlier. I lie prone on my stomach again as the mischievous little girl tries to sneak a peek around her brother's hand.
At least they don't recognize the collar of servitude.
"My apologies, I didn't realize… Could I borrow some clothes? It appears I lost mine in the river."
"Really?" the boy asked skeptically.
"You're the one that wants me to cover up. I can't go around half-naked, can I?"
The boy hesitates, eyes swaying from side to side as he thinks. "Fine, I'll find you a pair of old clothes to borrow. Wait here."
As the boy drags his curious sister away, I call from my prone position, "Also please keep the glowing on my neck a secret for now, or you'll get me in trouble. In return, I'll show you a magic trick when you get back."
* * * * *
Luckily, the boy returned after only about three minutes. I was anxious about pursuers from upriver, and I would've left if not for their prompt return.
"Magic Trick! Magic Trick!" the little girl chants now that I'm dressed in gray and brown peasants' garb.
"Okay, I'll show you as we walk, here goes…" I take inspiration from the obnoxious farmer and place my fingers on my mouth to whistle— or at least I try to whistle.
Puff! It's only a forceful breathing sound. I am unaccustomed to my body and don't want a loud whistle alerting everyone nearby. Eventually, I find the right pitch and concentrate on what I want to say.
"Fwooooooo. [I can talk through whistles]"
"Amazing!" exclaims the little girl jumping up and down.
"It really is magic!" The boy steps back for a moment, but his face lights up with excitement. "Next week is the tenth year's assessment. After I ace it, I'll learn magic too."
Excellent, the whistle-speech works! More importantly, the tenth year's assessment is only a few days away? Am I finally receiving a stroke of good fortune?
The tenth year's assessment is a yearly examination of the ten-year-old children's martial and intellectual potential. The administrators of the tenth year's assessment are impartial representatives of the kingdom. Even if the empire has collapsed, the Shingo Kingdom should keep this tradition. If I show potential in the assessment, they will recruit me and remove this abominable collar.
We arrive at the edge of the grove.
The boy proudly stretches his arms wide and tilts back his head. "This is our house."
The house, to which the boy is referring, is a tidy three-story house with a sweeping veranda. The exterior is a pristine white with dark, stained wood frames— clearly, the boy's family is well off for countryside peasants. A young maid takes in the laundry from a clothesline extending out from the house.
"Boy, you best not let your father catch you playing with a stranger. Go on— get before you're caught," says the maid after a glance.
"Yes, Auntie." He motions for me to follow him away from the house, down a pine forest-lined driveway.
When we are out of earshot, the boy clenches his fist and asks, "Before you go, why don't you play a game with us a little?"
"Play?" I ask.
"Hide and seek!" The excited little girl jumps with her arms raised above her head.
Hmm, a game of hide and seek is actually useful in my situation.
The game should teach me a few effective hiding places to escape my pursuers and use as my base as I scout the town. This knowledge will also prove useful when my pain peaks and I am in danger of fainting.
"Alright, let's play hide and seek! But I don't know any good hiding places, so I'll need one of you to help me find the best hiding places ever."
* * * * *
As I hid in a small cave beneath a giant boulder, I replay today's events in my mind, trying my best to ignore my pulsing headache.
Would those who plotted against this body realize I didn't die and come for me? Are the farmers searching for me along the river? Would the girl in the carriage report me to the guards?
Now that I have time to think, I realize the girl in the carriage's eyes apear familiar… In my past life, they belonged to the Platinum Saintess.
Could that girl be her relative?
If I could convince her to send for the Saintess, I should be able to recruit the Saintess's help by using my reincarnated memories. However, how would I even meet this girl again? She was clearly traveling south. Based on my knowledge of geography, she is traveling to Kaspura city— several days' travel from here by carriage. Further, would she, as a young relative, be capable of calling the Saintess? Assuming she could, how could I convince her to accept my request to invite the Saintess?
There are too many problems! For now, I need to focus on arriving at the tenth year's assessment without anyone capturing me. I'll need to obtain food and information too.
...