by Kiri Komori
“Again…? I don’t mind, but…”
“Then I’ll be reading in the study! Tell me when it’s time for dinner, okay?!”
“Ah, just don’t touch the magic books, got it?!”
“I know!”
Had I been a typical four-year-old, I probably would’ve spent more time playing without a care in the world. I’d talk back to my parents and throw tantrums until I had my way. I’d get so absorbed in my playtime that I’d neglect my chores until my parents explicitly told me to do them. I’d probably be more…well, more of a kid.
But I still recalled my past life… And I clearly remembered this life since I’d been a newborn. And so, I couldn’t and wouldn’t act like a four-year-old.
I hopped up the steps to the second floor and opened the second door to the left. There I found a room full of piled-up books—my father’s study. I reached for a book I could reach at my height and pulled it out of the bookshelf.
I had to find out—I had to know what the “Mother” and “Father” who likely gave birth to me four years ago were trying to tell me.
Just what was the Stone of Daybreak?
The book I opened was full of names. Apparently, this wasn’t so much a book as it was a record of this inn’s history—of the many people who were patrons of this establishment.
Technically, this inn belonged to Dad’s parents. Last year, Grandma died… So while we were a family of four until then, we’re now a family of three.
Dad and Grandpa put their heads together to run this place, so I thought it’d be natural to repay that debt by doing my part around here! I couldn’t repay my mother from my past life for everything she had done for me, so now was my chance to fix that! The fact he wasn’t my biological father did bother me ever so slightly… But he still saved my life.
And that’s what I had to know. My real parents…and the Stone of Daybreak they mentioned. What did it all mean? What will become of me when it awakens?
I have to know…
If that power ended up being something bad, it could hurt Dad and Grandpa. And I hated the thought of that so much! I’d left my past life without repaying my mother for all she gave me, and that wasn’t the kind of person I wanted to be!
But even so, after another day spent in the study, I once again walked away with zero findings. Maybe I should ask Dad?
But it’s not normal for someone to remember things from when they were a baby, is it…?
In fact, the somewhat dubious statistic was that ten out of ten guests would raise their voice in surprise upon seeing me: “What, your four-year-old daughter is helping out with the inn? That’s amazing!” If I started acting even more suspiciously, it would end up hurting the inn’s reputation! I mean, if I saw a four-year-old help run an inn in my past life, my only reaction would be “Wow!” too.
But I was a grown woman on the inside, so I didn’t remember what being four was like. In fact, I couldn’t remember my name or how I looked before being reincarnated. Oddly enough, I could remember facts about my jobs and about Mom… I probably couldn’t forget due to those lingering regrets.
Out of my desire to repay Mom for everything, I decided to forgo college and instead looked for work. But I ended up overexerting myself and falling sick from exhaustion, only troubling her even more…
I then decided to change my attitude and moved out on my own, to not burden Mom anymore… But it ended the same way. I couldn’t handle multiple jobs, and the doctor ordered me to stop. So, I went back to Mom’s place, cut down my jobs to just two, and then…that bike crash happened.
It’s not fair! Who gave you permission to ride around with your lights off, you jerk?! I had a white coat on so I’d stand out at night, so how did you not notice that and crash into me?! What, were you on the phone or something?!
I was livid. Not only did that person ride around with their lights off, but they also weren’t watching where they were going! To hell with them! They got someone—namely me—killed!
I demand that bicycle licenses become mandatory from this day forward!
And, well, I got reincarnated with my memories intact, but… Why’d I have to end up in another world?!
“Ahh…” I sighed.
If I’m in another world… I…I can’t repay Mom for anything…
Mom…
“Tinaris,” a voice suddenly talked to me from behind.
“Ah!” I jolted and turned around.
Standing there was Grandpa. His hairline was clearly receding, but what was left of it was gray, as was his beard. He was, well, what you’d expect a grandpa to look like. Dad’s father…and the ex-proprietor of this inn. As of late, he’d always stayed on the second floor and hadn’t gone down to the inn. I think losing Grandma made him age that much faster and left him sad and spent.
Sadly, not being blood-related made it hard for me to innocently love him as my grandpa and happily play with him. I kept thinking to myself that had I been a normal four-year-old, maybe that wouldn’t be the case… Maybe I’d pay his sadness no mind and play with him blindly, pulling him out of his rut a little with my cheerfulness.
But I couldn’t act that way…or rather, I’d try doing it, but it just felt off! And Dad noticed I wasn’t being my usual self. “Don’t push yourself too hard,” he said, with concern in his eyes.
But it frustrated me. I wanted to repay Grandpa for everything, too, but I just couldn’t. What could I do to make him happy?
And as I grappled with that question and remained silent despite him calling for me, Grandpa simply squatted down to look at me at eye-level. My eyes locked with his kind gaze, leaving me confused.
He looked at me with affectionate eyes and patted me on the head. It felt awkward for me, and I didn’t know what to do, when…
“Tina! Dinner’s ready!” Dad called out to me from downstairs.
Grandpa turned his gaze downstairs and rose to his feet.
“Ah, G-Grandpa… Erm, do you want me to…bring you dinner?”
“Please do.”
He beamed at me, but I could only answer with an awkward, stiff smile. I headed in the direction of the stairs, but when I turned around to look at him again…
“G-Grandpa!”
I found him kneeling near the door, clutching his chest in pain!
“Grandpa! Hang on!”
“T-Tina… Kuh…”
“I’ll call Dad up! Daaaad! Come quick, Grandpa’s…!”
I could hear something falling downstairs, and Dad hurried up in a panic.
“Pops!”
Oh no… What do I do…?!
He’d been depressed ever since Grandma died, but… He was sick, too?! Why didn’t I notice when I’m living in the same house as him! How stupid could I be?!
“M-My chest…”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner, you stubborn oaf…?!” Dad complained, helping Grandpa to his room and leading me downstairs so Grandpa could rest. “I’ll call a doctor over. Tina, keep an eye on Pops, will you? And tell the customers we’re sorry, but we need them to check out as early as tomorrow.”
“All right!”
But even the closest country was days away by horse. De Marl was to the northeast, but the countries of Uru Ki and De Rurua were closer. Fei Lu was another big country to the west and was about the same distance from us as De Rurua. But on the other hand, Fei Lu was that much larger… Or so I’d heard…
“Dad, which country are you going to head for?”
“Fei Lu. A doctor there took care of me once. I’ll be back…in five days at the soonest. Can you manage on your own until then?”
I fell silent. After swiftly gearing up for the journey, Dad kneeled down to look at me. I’d probably look very cool and dependable if I could just say, “Sure, I’ll handle it just fine!” But…could a four-year-old like me really nurse an ailing old man? Cook for him, help him with the toilet…? I didn’t even know what his illness was.
It occurred to me that rather than waitin
g for the doctor to get here, maybe taking Grandpa to the doctor instead would be wiser… But we didn’t have a means of transporting Grandpa, did we…?
“…Right. Wait a minute,” Dad said.
“Hm?”
I wasn’t sure how Dad interpreted my pensive silence, but he got to his feet and went outside the house. After I stood there for a few moments in perplexed silence, I heard a few sets of footsteps climbing up the steps outside.
What? Guests at a time like this?!
“Tina,” Dad said.
“Um…”
“It’s fine. The guests said they’ll help.”
“H-Huh?!” I exclaimed in surprise.
“Hello,” a voice greeted behind Dad.
The adventurer party that was staying at the inn today walked inside. Two men, two women. Their leader was a young man. The other male was a wise-looking, middle-aged man. One of the women was a girl carrying a staff who looked adept at magic, while the other was a muscular, bulky lady who carried a large ax. Incidentally, the two of them had the same hair and eye color. Their facial features were different, but the air they gave off was similar. Maybe they were sisters?
They entered the inn’s reception room, which doubled as its dining room—and kindly smiled at us.
“Hi, I’m Gina,” the muscular woman said. “I hear you’re in trouble? We’ll stay with you for the time being, so don’t worry!”
“I’m Mina,” the other girl said. “A magician’s…apprentice, b-but I can handle magic. Erm, you know, stuff like starting fires. I can…manage that. I think…I hope…”
They did look like sisters, but…the younger one was apparently a magician? I honestly felt pretty anxious about her…
“A-Ahem!” The older sister, Gina, cleared her throat. “It’s fine. Mina’s just a bit awkward with her magic… Actually, her physical attacks are probably stronger, but she’ll learn how to do it properly soon…”
You’re not helping her case here!
“But all you need is someone to help you take care of the place, right?” the young leader ventured. “Don’t worry, we’ll do it! I’m Aaron, by the way!”
R-Right, but that’s a bit too easygoing, mister! Grandpa’s sick…
“We’ll handle the food, okay?” Gina offered.
“O-Oh, sure, you can use the kitchen. Take care of Pops and my little girl, all right? Y-You can cook, right?” Dad sounded as apprehensive as I felt.
“Yes!” Gina nodded resolutely.
“Y-Yeah… Gina can cook,” Mina said meekly.
“Bfwah!” As optimistic as he looked earlier, Aaron blanched at the sound of the (apprentice) magician’s words.
I guess that says it all, doesn’t it…!
The older sister, Gina, scratched her cheek with a bitter smirk.
“Well, my daughter’s got a good head on her shoulders, so I think you’ll be fine… But, uh, look after her. And if any customers show up, just explain the situation and refuse. I ought to be back in five days.”
“Got it! Leave it to us!” Aaron said on behalf of his party.
“By the way! Are you gonna pay us for this?” Mina asked.
“Pay you…? Oh, well, let’s make it so your lodging and meal fees are on me, all right? And you can borrow our fishing rods for free, so fish as much as you want at the lake out back.”
“Oooh!” Aaron and Mina’s eyes shined with excitement.
I guess this arrangement works? They shouldn’t have to take care of a child and an old man for free, so not making them pay for anything is the best solution for everyone.
I’ll have to be careful to not trouble them… After all, with Dad gone, I’m the only member of the household who can work!
Cleaning. Laundry. Taking care of Grandpa. Cooking…I decided I’d do anything I could. And also, washing dishes and collecting vegetables from the field… I couldn’t go hunt in the mountains for meat though.
Also, I’d need to clean the cottages and take care of the Ukokes (this world’s version of chickens) and Gigiyas (basically goats)!
“Everything will be all right, little lady,” the middle-aged man suddenly spoke up.
I jumped.
“Aaron and Mina are… Well, they’re as utterly useless as they look, but Gina and I can cook at least,” he finished.
“What the hell, Sirius?!” Mina and Aaron snapped at the middle-aged man.
Gina, meanwhile, cradled her head. Still, it was a festive party, if nothing else. After thinking things through for a moment, I looked up at them.
“All right, thank you,” I told the four and regarded Dad next. “I’ll be fine. Get a doctor to see Grandpa as quickly as you can… Please, be safe!”
“…Tina…” Dad frowned. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back before you know it!”
“Right!”
♣♣♣
AND so began my uneasy time watching over the house. Me, Tinaris, watching over the house by herself for the first time at four years old…! Granted, I wasn’t all alone.
It’s at this point that it’d probably be best to officially introduce the party members. Like I’ve said before, there were four of them—two men and two women.
Aaron was a swordsman. He had unkempt black hair and wasn’t incredibly handsome. My first impression of him was that he was something of a frivolous optimist. His housework skills were weaker than level 1. I couldn’t rely on him for anything.
Then there was the middle-aged man with grizzled, graying hair who carried a spear. His gestures were elegant and dignified, but in contrast, his gear was old and worn out from overuse. Honestly, he came across as a bit different from the other three…
His name was Sirius. He was very fit, and apparently, he was a former knight, just like Dad? But something struck me as oddly off about him…
Then there was the muscular woman, Gina. She carried a large ax on her back, had clearly defined abs and tanned skin. She gave off the distinct impression and feel of an older sister and puffed up her chest proudly when she said to leave the chores to her. I was relieved to know I could at least rely on her.
Last was the girl dressed in a cute robe—Mina. She held a staff, but I concluded she wasn’t actually any good with magic based on their conversation. Gina mentioned something about her physical attacks actually being stronger than her magic. Maybe she just took after her older sister, Gina, in that regard. Like Aaron, she was no good with chores…
Either way, I decided I’d be a good girl and make sure I didn’t trouble anyone while Dad was out. I wasn’t old enough to live independently quite yet, and if I was kicked out of this house, I’d have nowhere left to go. To that end, I figured I’d be better off learning some magic, if only for my future’s sake.
That was why I’d dug through Dad’s study for a book that taught magic, but…Dad had hidden them away, saying, “Ahaha, magic? No, that’s too dangerous, you can’t do that…!”
“Alrighty! So, where do we start?” Aaron asked.
“W-Well…Grandpa hasn’t had dinner yet…” I answered anxiously.
“Hmm. So those dishes over there are for us?”
“Yes, Dad said he made you food since you paid for the meal plan. Mine and Grandpa’s dishes are in the kitchen…”
“Then we just gotta carry those, right?! Leave it to me!” Mina exclaimed and briskly walked off.
“Ah! Wait, Mina, don’t just open it…!” Gina tried to stop her.
Mina crossed behind the counter without permission and went into the door on the left.
Ah, wait, over there is…!
“…Um, that’s not the kitchen… It’s the toilet and bathroom…” I pointed out wearily.
“O-Oh, whoops!” Mina apologized with a smile. “Then, it’s over here!”
It so happened that each of our cottages had its own private bathrooms. In other words, the bathroom behind the counter was for me, Dad, and Grandpa. There was a half bath on the second floor too, but the bathroom down here was the only full bath.
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“So, where’s your Grandpa’s room?” Mina asked.
“Up the stairs, first door on the right,” I replied. “Ah, I’ll show you.”
“…You’re one dependable little girl.” She smiled at me. “How old are you again?”
“I’m four years old this year,” I answered.
“Four years old?!” Mina’s eyes widened. “Wow, you’ve really got a good head on your shoulders!”
“Aaron could take a page out of your book,” Sirius remarked, crossing his arms.
“Definitely!” Gina nodded.
“Wow, mean!” Aaron raised his voice in protest.
Apparently, that was this party’s power balance.
“Then let’s start by getting your grandpa some dinner. We’ll ask him if he can eat on his own. Is he still in pain?”
“I’ll go check!”
“Healing magic can’t cure diseases…” Mina said pensively. “Healing items do no good for it, either.”
“…It’s not like you can cast any healing magic anyway, Mina,” Aaron pointed out.
“Zip it or I’ll wring your neck like a ukoke’s.”
“ULP…!”
M-Mina!? That creepy, evil voice just now was her?!
“Mm, little lady, can you bring Mina and me to your grandfather?” Sirius asked.
“Y-Yes.” I nodded.
“Anything we can do for the time being, Sirius?” Aaron asked.
“I don’t think so, but for now, we’ll check on him.” Sirius shook his head. “Hopefully, it was only a momentary seizure.”
“Then, Gina and I will have dinner before you’re back! Wouldn’t want it to go cold, right?”
“…I guess eating sooner means you’ll be ready to work sooner…” Gina said, eyeing Aaron like he was some kind of pathetic creature.
…Having another pair of hands on deck is important. I can’t be picky right now! Anyway, let’s get Grandpa his dinner!
“Sirius, can you diagnose his disease?”
“Not at all. I’m an archaeologist, you know? How would I know anything about diseases! Ahaha!”
“Cut that out, you geezer… A-Ahem.”
After we entered Grandpa’s room, Sirius kneeled down and checked his pulse. He took off his gloves and did it so naturally, even I started expecting he might know what he was doing… He just looked the part of a doctor.