The village was farther than it seemed.
To be precise, the distance itself wasn't too bad. But with these short legs of mine, the walk ended up taking far longer than I expected.
"Huff, huff…"
Having walked all this way on an empty stomach, my small body was completely exhausted and kept threatening to collapse.
If it were an ordinary child in this situation instead of me, they probably would've just plopped down on the spot by now.
…People always say kids have boundless energy, but clearly, that's a lie.
Still, with sheer determination and steady steps, I managed to reach the entrance of the village.
As I approached, I saw small houses made of brick and wooden planks, and thin trails of smoke puffing out from chimneys—likely from people preparing late lunches.
In the center of the village stood a quaint little well, like something straight out of a textbook.
…No matter how I looked at it, this place was worlds apart from the modern cityscape I once knew, full of high-rise buildings and bustling streets.
"This is so rural."
Would a village like this even have a restaurant?
Looking at the modest homes and old-fashioned atmosphere, unease crept into me. I found myself nervously tapping my feet.
Every time my foot hit the ground, the coins in my pocket jingled softly.
And as if in response, my stomach grumbled in rhythm, announcing its presence.
"So hungry…"
I was starving. Desperately.
"...Buy now! …Special deal…!"
"Today only… best prices…!"
That was when I heard it.
While clutching my empty belly and scanning the area, a commotion reached my ears from deeper inside the village.
Though the words were faint, it sounded like the shouts of merchants hawking their goods.
"Wait… could it be?"
This was a rural village.
There was only one reason merchants would be shouting like that here.
"Today must be market day!"
The village market was open!
* * * *
My guess was spot on.
Deeper inside the village, people—likely the residents—had set up tents and were enthusiastically shouting to advertise their goods.
No wonder I hadn't seen anyone walking around earlier. They were all gathered here.
It was a stroke of luck in an otherwise dire situation.
Now, all I had to do was use the three coins in my pocket to buy food and some materials to fix the broken door at the orphanage.
But time was short. I'd already spent so much of it just getting here, so I needed to move fast to find good deals.
I had to hurry.
…I had to hurry.
But my feet wouldn't move.
I'd encountered an unexpected obstacle right at the market's entrance.
"Step right up, step right up! Try our grilled lizardman skewers—today only!"
...Gulp.
It was one of those street food stalls that always targeted kids.
Normally, I'd have ignored it and walked on by. But now…
"Looks so good…"
My eyes were glued to the grill, where the meat was sizzling and browning to perfection.
Honestly, how could anyone resist?
It wasn't just a regular skewer—it was a lizardman skewer.
A fantastical delicacy I'd never seen before, one that made me burn with curiosity about its taste.
And I'd been starving for hours. There was no way I could resist this.
"H-However…"
I had to resist.
This was only the market's entrance, and I didn't know the value of the currency in this world yet. I couldn't waste my money on something so frivolous.
If I wasn't careful, I could end up penniless and unable to afford either food for tomorrow or the materials to fix the door.
So, no. I couldn't—
"Hey there, little one."
"Huh? M-me?"
Lost in my inner conflict, I suddenly heard a voice that interrupted my thoughts.
It came from the bald man working at the skewer stall.
Wait… was he talking to me?
I glanced around in confusion. But there was no one else here who could be called a "little one."
No one except me.
"Are you standing there because you want a skewer?"
"No, no! I-I'm not hungry!"
I shook my head furiously.
This had to be one of those infamous sales tactics where vendors trick kids into taking food and then charge their parents for it later.
"…You've been standing there for a long time though."
"T-That's because, uh…"
Growl…
"…"
"Ah!"
Silence fell between us.
My stomach had betrayed me, its loud and undeniable rumble echoing like thunder.
Ugh…
I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"You must be really hungry."
"...Yes."
"Here, take this one. It's the best-cooked skewer I've got."
"W-Wait, I can't! I don't have any money!"
"It's fine. It's on me."
"Really? I don't have to pay?"
Was this… actually free?
I looked up at the vendor suspiciously, but his face was warm and kind, a soft smile on his lips.
He certainly looked like a generous rural uncle, but still…
"You really mean it?"
"Yes, really. Go ahead."
"...Then, thank you! I'll eat it well!"
"Careful, it's hot—"
"Huff, huff, h-hot, hot!"
"…You're a bit impatient, aren't you?"
Hot! It's so hot!
But there was no way I could spit it out—it was delicious.
It was the best thing I'd ever tasted.
"Ah, ahhh!"
"…You really don't have to rush. No one's chasing you, you know. Here, have some water to cool your mouth."
"Th-thank you…"
Gulp.
"Ahhh…"
For the first time in hours, I felt alive.
"…You sure eat noisily."
"Ah."
As the heat faded from my mouth, a flood of embarrassment washed over me.
I recalled the sounds I'd just made and the ridiculous words I'd blurted out while eating.
"I-I… uh…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it. My friend's kid is crazy about skewers too."
"…!"
Hearing him brush it off so casually, I decided it was best to stay quiet.
Explaining myself would only make things worse.
I took another bite of the skewer, trying to act nonchalant.
The meat was still delicious. The flavor was somewhere between chicken and liver, with a unique texture that felt like steak.
"So, where are you from? I don't think I've seen you around here before."
"Oh, uh, over there! See that hill? I live in that building up there!"
"…You mean the abandoned orphanage?"
"Yes! I'm the director!"
"Hmm…"
The vendor's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he didn't quite believe me.
Honestly, I wouldn't have believed me either. A tiny kid like me claiming to be the director of a run-down orphanage? It sounded ridiculous.
But what could I say?
I couldn't exactly tell him I used to be a tall, adult man who woke up as a child after finishing military service, could I?
They'd haul me off to a psychiatric ward—if this place even had one.
"It's true!"
I wasn't sure why I even bothered to clarify.
Maybe it was because the building seemed abandoned, and I wanted to act like its rightful owner.
"Well, it must be tough."
"So you believe me?"
"Sure. I don't see why you'd lie about it."
…Huh. That actually worked.
"Anyway, how long have you been there?"
"Since yesterday! The building's old, but it's livable!"
"Haha, you're a tough one. Want another skewer?"
"Uh, no thanks! I'm full!"
I quickly shook my head.
It wasn't because I was worried about being pressured into buying more.
I really was full.
It might sound ridiculous, but that single skewer had filled me up.
"Just that wouldn't make you grow taller? You should eat more while you're young if you want to grow taller."
"…Why'd you have to say that twice?"
For some reason, I didn't like the look in his eyes as he said that.
It was the smug, patronizing gaze of someone looking down on me—literally.
"I am full, okay?"
"…Well, if you say so. But eating more might help you outgrow being such a shorty."
"…"