NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5
One fortunate thing is that the map of this world looked exactly like the one in my head.
Of course, I didn’t have the entire map of the Imperial Capital in my head. The map of the Imperial Capital was merely decorative in the actual game, and only certain crucial parts had been implemented in the story.
However, those “crucial parts” were, naturally, also the important areas in the Imperial Capital. To put it another way, they were landmarks worth noting.
At the center of the Imperial Capital stood a massive castle—the Imperial Palace. It wasn’t so large that everyone in the Imperial Capital could look up at it, but if you were in the central area, you could see it from anywhere. Even in the game, in the areas set against the background of the Imperial Capital, that castle was almost always visible from certain angles.
Millennium, the company, wasn’t known for its game graphics, and it didn’t have the incredible technology and capital to create an open-world representation of the entire Imperial Capital, but they paid a lot of attention to the details for their fans, so each area was designed to allow for a specific view of the Imperial Palace.
In fact, if you looked at the map displayed in the game menu, each region was meticulously organized to make logical sense. Even if some areas were blocked off by transparent walls and inaccessible in reality, at least the visible parts were designed so that players could think, “If I go through that place, I’ll connect to that route.”
And I wandered around those regions several times. I was looking for bond events that could only be seen after multiple playthroughs, or for notes and NPCs hidden away by the developers. Besides, I was writing a series of guides and game-related stories on my blog, so I had to pay close attention.
Aside from the fact that the slums weren’t being properly managed, considering the times, the Imperial Capital was fairly well-maintained. You could walk down the main roads and find proper directions just by looking at the signs.
However, there was one problem—
“Hey, you there!”
—The Imperial Capital wasn’t particularly kind to the orphans and homeless on the streets.
This didn’t mean that passersby were unkind. Their gazes weren’t much different from how people in the world I came from looked at homeless individuals. Some looked on with pity, others held their noses and moved away, or frowned.
But one noteworthy difference was that the concept of human rights hadn’t really taken hold in this world.
The Imperial Capital was a place where many foreigners came. Thus, it was important to look clean, and so they tried to crack down as much as possible on the “unsightly things” on the streets.
And if that “unsightly thing” turned out to be a person walking around with legs, the ones responsible for that were the police.
“Hey, don’t run away! You there!”
Every time I saw a police officer, I grabbed the children’s hands and sprinted away like a madman.
Of course. If I got caught by the police, I’d just end up in an orphanage.
A few times, I tried to lie and say I had parents, but that didn’t work at all. If we got caught by the police, we’d be dragged by the neck to the police station, and a few days later, handed over to a shabby orphanage.
And every time, I turned back time.
The Baron’s estate wasn’t that far away, but getting there was the issue.
“Sis, I’m sleepy…”
We had snuck out onto the street at midnight. We emerged from the chaos of citizens running frantically to escape their burning homes, so no one really paid much attention to us. However, the children didn’t have the patience to walk around for several hours without sleeping.
And it was the same for me, even with my five-year-old body. After an hour of walking, my legs started to stiffen and exhaustion washed over me. The mental fatigue from just moments earlier, watching our home burn, was considerable, too.
With already narrow strides, needing frequent breaks only made it take longer.
Initially, the children were quiet, but as the time between breaks got longer, their whining escalated, and I too was growing tired.
“…Alright, let’s rest here.”
In the end, we stopped for a break about once or twice an hour, usually in dark alleys where we wouldn’t be noticed by anyone.
It was a stinky and damp place, but as long as we weren’t discovered—
“Hey, you kids. Who gave you permission to be here?”
—Right, as long as we weren’t discovered, we could still rest for about an hour.
Looking up at a grizzled man with a long scar on his face who was kicking me with his toes, I muttered in a tired voice.
“…Again.”
*
It seemed I still had no limit to my power. I could turn back time anytime I wanted and start again from the most advantageous moment.
When I turned around and saw I was missing some kids.
When I got caught by the police.
When I was reported by the residents.
Again and again, I turned back time and found the most ideal outcomes.
The actual time we spent walking was probably around half a day. We arrived in front of the Baron’s estate just as the sun was starting to rise and the citizens began to come out.
But it felt like it had been at least a few weeks to me.
Turning back time erased any physical fatigue. I felt refreshed even without sleeping. My legs regained their strength, and the pain in my soles disappeared.
But my mind couldn’t rest. No matter how comfortable my body felt, I just wanted to collapse and rest, wanting to give up on everything. Maybe I could afford to give up on one or two of the kids? If I got caught by the police, wouldn’t I at least end up in a somewhat normal orphanage? Wasn’t it possible that even a grumpy-looking person could actually be a good person?
…Every time I thought like that, I turned back time again.
It was better to sort out my thoughts again while my body was in a more comfortable state, anyway.
It felt like I was saving the game to go for a no-miss clear in an incredibly difficult action game. No, in some ways, it felt like I was trying a real-time TAS. Either way, it was an incredibly exhausting task.
But…
“…I did it.”
Yes, I did it.
Looking at the name hanging on the front gate of the manor in front of me, I muttered.
Baron Grace’s Estate.
In this world, the Empire of Aetherna boasted that barons had territories, but they weren’t that large. Moreover, a baron’s territory was often just a part of the grand noble’s territory above them. All lands in the empire fundamentally belonged to the Emperor, and thus, noble territories were also lands managed on the Emperor’s behalf in name.
If it were a duke’s territory, that land belonged to both the Emperor and the duke. The same applied to marquis’ or count’s territories. Though titles were inherited, it could be far more complicated if an individual held multiple titles.
And beneath that were the barons. If a baron’s position was granted directly by the Emperor, then the baron’s land was both the Emperor’s and the baron’s territory. If granted by a duke or count, it became the Emperor’s land, the duke’s or count’s territory, and also the baron’s land.
Thus, a baron appointed directly by the Emperor, who was the central authority, could wield considerable power depending on circumstances. Still, that didn’t mean they could always measure up to dukes or counts.
In the case of Baron Grace, he was a baron ‘appointed directly by the Emperor.’
Naturally, they were squarely on the Emperor’s side in the noble factions.
Though this situation would gradually shift as the game’s story progressed, eventually flipping in the later stages, it was content I didn’t need to worry about right now, so early in the main plot.
For reference, the territory of Baron Grace’s estate was everything beyond that fence. While it was enormous for a personal mansion, it was still considered quite small when thought of as a territory. Given that the Emperor owned this land, it was to be expected, especially since it was part of the Imperial Capital.
“…”
So, how do I get in here?
There were no guards stationed in front of the estate. However, the door was tightly shut regardless.
Of course, that was to be expected. No matter how much they didn’t station guards here, they couldn’t just let anyone enter a place that was nominally a noble’s estate.
However, it wasn’t impossible to find a way in.
The Baron and Baroness were characters who couldn’t just pass by a poor person. They were often ridiculed by players outside of the game as “good-natured fools.”
So if we could catch their attention when they came outside, then afterwards… they would likely take us to their orphanage or, failing that, to an orphanage run by someone with confirmed credentials.
The problem was that the Baron’s estate was right in the middle of the Imperial Capital.
Standing out here, I’d definitely get caught by the passing police.
“…”
Looks like I have no choice but to use my powers again.
As I sighed, the kids around me tilted their heads in confusion.
Well… now that we’re nearly done with this…
*
Although I remembered the experience of hiding while reaching this point, hiding wasn’t that difficult.
The most important thing was to not get caught by the police. And to not get reported by the citizens.
It didn’t matter if I didn’t sneak through the back alleys. I just needed to avoid getting caught by the one I needed to stay away from.
“Oh, there they come.”
Seeing the Baron and Baroness come out, I muttered to myself.
I was at the very back of my party. I couldn’t lose even one of the kids, so it was more efficient to lead from the back rather than from the front.
“Alright, let’s go. We just need to get past those people. Then it’ll really be over.”
“Really? Are we really allowed to do that?”
Claire questioned, looking at the two people who looked like a super rich couple. However, I nodded.
I remembered their faces perfectly. Even though they were based on 2D illustrations and modeled from them, their appearances matched what I knew perfectly.
Blue hair that couldn’t exist in reality. Neatly groomed facial hair and sideburns. They looked more like they were on the young side than middle-aged. The woman beside him had blue, wavy hair and impeccably clean skin as well.
Seeing them walk out with their arms crossed, I quickly followed behind the children and said.
“Come on, hurry up.”
The two didn’t have any escorts.
In fact, they were people who didn’t need escorts. They could casually swing their swords and split a carriage in half. It wouldn’t surprise or scare them if we approached.
That was why they didn’t need to place knights in the estate.
I urged the kids earnestly. Initially nervous, they finally began to move towards that couple. These kids had faced various dangers thanks to me up until this point. A half day of trust had built up.
Grrr… It looked like I was hungry since I had skipped breakfast. The kids probably felt the same…
—Just when I was letting my guard down.
Suddenly, my mouth clamped shut. I was so startled that I couldn’t even scream.
The kids who heard me continued to walk ahead. But I couldn’t move. My legs had been lifted into the air without me realizing it.
Someone was hugging me from behind.
What was going on? Did some creep jump out from the back alleys? If I thought about it rationally, considering my appearance right now, I looked quite cute. It wouldn’t be surprising if I caught the eye of a pedophile.
Again—
“W-wait! Calm down. I won’t do anything bad.”
—Just as I was about to turn back time, that voice immediately made me stop moving.
It was a fairly young voice, sounding like someone who had just barely passed puberty. Was it a teenager in their mid-teens?
…I knew that voice.
As I halted my struggling legs, the grip over my mouth softened a little. Though it didn’t drop completely.
“Smart. That baron will surely take all those kids in. They’ve been saying they want to expand the orphanage lately.”
The kids, now almost at the Baron and Baroness, generated a sound that made the couple turn around.
“Oh dear, they’ll get caught if we stay here.”
My vision started to spin. The man suddenly lifted me and turned his body.
And quickly dashed away from the scene.
…Ah.
Looks like I might not make it to the orphanage. If this man had been following us from the very beginning, even if I turned back time, there’d be no escaping him.
Well… at least the kids made it safely. They would surely grow up properly, being taken care of in the right place.
And Claire was the same. She wouldn’t have to endure that terrible past.
And I too would probably be safe if I followed this man. At the very least, he wasn’t a crazy killer out to abduct street orphans.
…It was a pity that I wouldn’t get to see how Claire would grow up.