Finding a job as a five years old!

After five minutes (I knew it only took five, because there's a clock under the mini-map), I rose up from the bed, feeling refreshed and ready to forget. FakePal, BakaStore? I have no idea what you're talking about!

Wait, it only took me five minutes to move on? Was the mental damage I suffered a status effect? Is the Rest skill another OP ability?! Thank you Rest! I'll write a note in my log that you're the best! There, that's done.

Well, I felt somewhat childish with that exchange, but since I'm inside a five-year old (I gave my mind another mental smack), I guess I'm allowed to be childish. It's not like when I was twenty years older I was mature, so the excuse wasn't really necessary.

Now that my Isekai Menu Adventure was mostly done, I could move on to stuff that normal people actually care about in Isekai Adventures. The actual world! Well, I'll start with my room and advance from there. From the room alone, it was obvious that Child was the child of poor Villager and Villager, and not of rich Villager and Villager. The little furniture in the room was all in poor repair. The fact that I had a room for myself was practically a miracle. A bed and a chest for personal belongings, which were the two sets of daily clothes and a stick. Because sticks are entertainment, apparently.

As Child wasn't old enough to help earn money for the family, he helped around the house and played with the kids. I didn't mind helping, but playing outside, with others, was already dreadful enough. But I was in my twenties! I can't be playing with little kids! People will call the cops!

If this body was going through puberty, I would have probably locked myself in the room and masturbated to pass time… That's not something I should think about right after thinking about the children. Perhaps I should call the cops...

I stopped the dangerous thoughts and opened the chest, which revealed another interesting mechanic. While I could see the items in the chest normally, there was also a menu hovering in front of me showing the contents of the chest, and I could hit a button saying Loot All. How useful! I could also open my inventory and drag items straight into the chest! There didn't seem to be an obvious limit for the items within the chest menu, similar to my inventory, but I didn't want to try putting my bed inside my chest just yet, so I ignored it. For now, I'll take the plain shirt and pants, and the stick… For self-defense, not entertainment!

The clothes appeared instantly in my inventory, so I unequipped my nightshirt and put on the shirt and pants. The exchange happened immediately on my body, which almost startled me. A bit more fanfare or sfx would have been welcome, you know? Then I dragged the nightshirt into the chest inventory, and it instantly appeared within my chest. I made a note to not place the bed inside the chest. Will the bed shrink? Will the chest enlarge? Will the chest be destroyed? Will the bed be destroyed? Only the first option was acceptable, but it wasn't the right time to test such a thing.

The stick, with 1 attack, remained in my inventory for now, though I placed it in my first quickslot and made sure it works well (it really does! Thinking 1 had it appear in my hand instantly! Also, equipping the stick unlocked the Physical Skill "Basic Attack (Melee)", which did nothing except allow me to attack) and I finally set out to explore the great Beyond. Beyond my room, that is.

It was quite unspectacular. Well, it's not like I didn't go through most of Child's daily memories to get a feel for his daily life, so it was unlikely for me to instantly encounter something unexpected. I knew that I was living in a somewhat poor medieval styled village named Hardkale, a name I really wanted to reject. The village wasn't known for any special export and was mostly self-sufficient, only relaying on the nearby city Highgate for protection against monsters and bandits.

Breakfast was the usual bland porridge and hard bread. I didn't feel hungry, but I already suspected why and didn't want to worry mother Villager, who Child called Mother instead of Villager for obvious reasons, so I obediently sat down after greeting her just as Child would. I somewhat pitied her, as she wasn't even aware that Child was basically dead, but I could do nothing about it.

Living in relative luxury in the modern world, I was used to more intense flavors, so eating the tasteless porridge was quite grueling. It was the first time in this world that the mental slap my mind received was due to a pun and not due to being perverted, so it did feel somewhat refreshing and helped me ignore the flavor. Since I wanted to test something, I broke my bread in half, which is an appropriate way to describe it, since the bread was practically like a piece of wood. While Vill- Mother wasn't watching, I stuffed half of the bread into my inventory, and finished my meal. I helped her wash the dishes before being released into the wild.

First, I examined the half-bread in my inventory, which seemed to heal 1 HP once consumed. I was confused at that, since when I examined the entire piece of bread during breakfast, it said the same thing. Since my health was full, I didn't know if the half-bread I ate at breakfast healed me, but I didn't think it was possible that if I split the bread, I'll need two eat two halves before getting the benefit. Did I encounter my first bug? Splitting bread effectively doubles the healing factor! This is a great discovery!

Well, maybe not for bread, but with other items that will have actual benefits, it could be pretty good.

Then, let's try the other thing. Clicking Use on the half-bread, it suddenly appeared in my hand. I quickly looked around, making sure that nobody saw that. I was relieved at that, but also annoyed at myself for not going to a private place before testing such a thing. Shrugging, I took a small bite, and the entire bread disappeared! So using a consumable from my inventory didn't completely negate required action, but shortened it considerably. I probably received the full benefits, though I would need to get injured if I want to test it fully.

But there was something else that I need to do, something way more important than playing with my inventory!

As soon as I decided on that, a new window appeared in view.

Quest: Your First Job!

You wish to Awaken, but the ritual is not cheap! You have to be at least 10 years old in order to undergo the ritual, but a bigger hurdle for you is the five gold price! Five years for five gold coins doesn't seem a lot at first, but a child like you has few ways of earning money, but you know there's no way your parents will allow you to undergo the ritual unless you earn the money yourself! Find a job that will set you on the path of becoming a legend!

Reward: 1 Skill Point, 5 Crystals

Accept/Reject

Huh?

I could get quests based on my will alone? I tried wishing for easy quests, like getting bread, but it didn't work. It might depend on how much I desire or need the thing itself, or perhaps how challenging my goal is? Or perhaps it is the hand of fate trying to push me on the right path, encourage me when I'm making the right decision? Maybe the being that's behind the reason I came to this world… Seeing that part of the reward is premium currency both annoyed me, since it reminded me of that time, and also encouraged me. Five crystals wouldn't allow me to buy anything at all, much less anything useful, but it's a start. I easily accepted the quest, as I had nothing to lose.

But if I got the quest, did it mean getting work will be such a challenge? That in itself was somewhat disheartening.

Shaking my head to banish the negative thoughts seemed to work a bit, though did make me feel a bit foolish when I noticed others were staring at me. Well, I'm Child! Who cares what others think! Ha! Two negative thoughts banished with the price of one head shake! I wouldn't be surprised if I'll get a new skill out of that!

Oh, a positive thought was shaken away as well. I should stop shaking my head before I get back to square one, or worse!

The easiest place to find random work at is the notice board by the tavern. Literacy rate was low, but to run a successful business some people bothered learning, and those looking for work would often request such people to read the board for them, which gave a little additional income. I doubted someone would trust Child with reading notices for them, but there might be work that I could do.

The notice board usually had requests regarding monsters or materials, in case passing adventurers or merchants see them and are interested in fulfilling the requests, but those were out of my league. I couldn't leave the village, not with my abilities. Wild animals weren't an issue while you were close to the village, but get a bit further away, and you're just a piece of meat waiting to be devoured. I shouldn't describe kids that way, but I'll accept the mental slap.

What I hoped to find on the notice board was a missing pet or missing item type of work. I doubted that it would qualify to complete the quest, but with my mini-map it was an easy way for me to get some coin, so it would have to do for now.

I approached the notice board, which was double my height, and started looking at the notes stuck to it. The paper was low quality compared to modern paper, but it was somewhat surprising that paper was still rather cheap in this world. Oh, inspecting it revealed that it's parchment made from calf skin. Cool, I guess.

I was also intrigued about the language, so I disabled translation for a moment, saw that I couldn't read any of it, and enabled it back again. I didn't know if I couldn't read the language because Child was illiterate or because it's a different language, but it didn't matter. Since the requests returned to being written in English, I went on to read them. Some villagers giggled when they saw me, thinking that I'm pretending that I can read and finding that amusing, but I ignored them.

The requests were basically what I expected. I frowned as I went over them, but felt relieved after finding a request that asked to find a missing locket, and the reward was a whole silver coin, which was practically a treasure for Child!

The practice for notice boards was that if you simply want to attempt the task, you write your name on it. You didn't have to write your name in order to try a request, but it was frowned upon as others may waste their time because of you. You are allowed to take down the request, so that there are no other challengers, only if you are certain that you can complete it, and if it's found out that you took down a request and were unable to finish it, you'll be punished.

The locket request had no name on it, I managed to find it on my minimap already, and there didn't seem to be anyone moving nearby in a way that made me suspect they are searching for it. Confirming all that, I reached up to take down the request.

"Hold it right there, Child!" I heard a voice from behind.

He knows my name! Retreat is fut- Wait, that's a generic name.

I was momentarily startled by the aggressive voice, but I calmed myself and turned to the voice. It was a fairly young man, rather well built, with black hear and short beard. Above his head, "Traveling Peddler" was hovering. His black eyes were looking at me harshly.

"Did something happen, Peddler?" I asked, keeping my voice steady even though I was quite concerned.

Calling him Peddler felt too direct and aggressive, but that's what how it was done in this world. I could refer to him with a generic Sir, but using his "name" was more appropriate. The naming instinct was something that developed over the years, so calling someone by their name gave a more mature and experienced impression, and was unexpected when it came from a child.

The peddler's eyes widened. "Oh, you recognized me? No, that's not the issue here. Child, you were about to tear down a notice! Didn't your parents teach you that's bad?" He asked. His voice was somewhat softer, so I knew calling him by his "name" was a good choice.

"They did, I was taught well! They said that taking down a request is only allowed if you know you'll do it!" I said quickly, also protecting the dignity of Villager and Villager. I mean, Mother and Father. As the peddler frowned and was about to say something, I decided to quickly add more. "But I can do this one, so it's fine!"

The peddler's frown deepened, uniting his eyebrows. "I was watching you, Child. You didn't ask anyone to read the requests for you."

Well, it was obvious now why he was suspicious. If he wasn't watching me, he might have thought that someone else read out the notices for me, but with this…

"Peddler, I think it's wrong to watch little kids that aren't yours for a long time. People will start talking." "Now you-" "But I'm serious, I can do this one!"

My sudden attack left the man flustered and red-faced. He took a breath before continuing. "Then what is the request you want to take down? I won't allow you to take it unless you tell me." He said, looking to where my hand reached out moments earlier. He was surprised, as it was obviously the only request a child might be able to do, but his expression quickly turned blank.

Not all peddlers could read. The minimum requirement was for them to be able to do simple math, but anything beyond that was just a bonus, so many decided to work instead of learning more. But this one knew how to read, and was testing me.

"Peddler, having something read to you is work, you know that, right? If you want me to work, you have to pay, right? What if I read it to you and you decide to hurry and complete the job before I do? Then I lose on the reading work and the request!" I replied with a bright smile. If he was testing me, then I ought to get something out of it.

The peddler's eyes widened for a moment before he smiled wryly. "You think you're a clever lad, aren't you? Sure, I'll pay you 10 copper coins, but if I suspect you're trying to fool me and find out, you'll be punished doubly so!"

It was my turn to frown, though it was an act. "10 coppers, Peddler? Are you trying to cheat me out of honest pay just because I'm little? The pay for a reading is a silver coin, all know that. Since Peddler seems like he can be a good customer, and to show no hard feelings, I'll give you a discount, 80 coppers for a reading."

The peddler coughed. "80 coppers, but that's nearly-" "Hmm?" "No, nothing!" He stopped himself, realizing he's about to reveal information that he wanted to test me about. "Fine, fine. Driving a hard bargain, aren't you? I'll punish you triple if you disappoint me!" He said, drawing coins from his pouch and handing them out to me, confident that I won't run away. Or perhaps he was just unable to think clearly, as he didn't expect getting cornered by a five-year old.

I looked at the coins and looked up at him. "Peddler, I don't want to accuse you of anything, it must have been a mistake, but you're 5 copper coins short."

"Oh, uhm… Looks like you're right. Sorry, my bad." He said, handing me the final coin. I didn't think it was much for him, so I believed that it's probably another test, to see if I can count, but he was still embarrassed that he was caught in such an act.

"Alright, I received the payment!" I declared cheerfully and turned to the notice board before reading the request to the peddler.

The peddler's eyes were wide when I turned back to look at him, and I was certain a smug smile was decorating my face. He couldn't expect me to not only read the request, but also do it so well. The common folk that learn to read usually don't do it enough to train their ability, so they have to take it slow and even then they make mistakes.

He coughed after a moment. "Uhm, well, it seems like you weren't lying, you know your stuff, huh?" He said, somewhat flustered.

"Peddler, you're coughing a lot suddenly, are you okay?" I said, teasing the man. "Are you sure you believe me? You won't go saying that I'm making it up, just because I read it quickly? Or maybe you know I'm not lying because you read it yourself?"

The man was frozen for a moment. "So you noticed that I've read it, huh? Quite an eye you have there… But then why did you charge me?!"

"You wanted to test me. If you want something from someone else, isn't it right to pay them?" I asked, tilting my head innocently.

The man suddenly barked, laughing. "Haha! Right you are, young man. Quite a mind for business you have there. You got me there real good… Hmmm, you got quite a head on your shoulders, I know a place where you can use it to get some coin. What do you say?" He said after thinking for a moment.

"Peddler, offering money to kids so they follow you, what will people think?" "H-Hey you-" "I'm kidding, relax. You've good eyes, I trust you well enough. You tried stopping me from causing trouble and getting into trouble myself. You could have caught me after I took down the request and gotten a bit of a reward yourself, but you didn't…" I calmed him down, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"You have quite a way with words. I don't like your humor, child, but you know how to speak… Then, my offer?"

"Umm, it sounds like a great opportunity, but you didn't say anything certain. This request here is for a silver, and I'm sure you know how much that is for someone like me, right? If you don't mind waiting here for a bit, ummm, 15 minutes should be enough, then I'll come back and go with you, how about that?"

"15 minutes? Child, this request is to find a locket. If it could be found in such a short time, it wouldn't have been pinned on this board."

"Peddler, my search instincts are top notch. The time is to get to the locket, bring it to the lady and come back. I might come back faster, too. Don't believe me? Want to bet? I've recently acquired 80 coppers. Double or nothing, come on!" I provoked him, though I didn't really think he'll bite.

"Oh, you're quite sure of yourself, aren't you? Seeing you this fired up reminds me of my youth, and I was quite a fool back then. But you've just made me a fool again, and you're confident you can make me a fool once more. You know, I'm actually certain that I'll lose, but I can't help. For reminding me of my old days, I'll take it on. Get here in 15 minutes and 80 more coppers are yours." The Peddler surprised me as he laughed.

"Old days? Peddler is still young. An elder wouldn't have such passion burning in him." I said, though the goal behind such an obvious compliment must have been clear.

"Such a silver tongue will get you far, young man!" The peddler said with a laugh. In my old world I've had few interactions with other people, but I was really bold here for some reason. The things I've read in novels also came in handy, oddly enough. One of things was how sensitive women were about their age. I never confirmed it in my previous life, but it was so common and made some sense, so I felt it had some truth in it. And it seemed that at least some men liked such complements as well, no matter how obvious they were. "I'll double your bet! Triple it if you can tell me quickly how much you'll earn!" He challenged me.

"Peddler, you must be itching to lose your coins, did you strike it rich? Double will be 160 copper, or one silver and 60 copper, and triple will be 240 coppers, or 2 silver and 40 coppers." I answered him. "So, 15 minutes and I took 320 coppers from you, didn't I?" I asked with a laugh.

"You sure did, child, you sure did!" He answered me with a laugh of his own. It seemed like no matter how much I'll manage to milk him, he'll be satisfied. Even if that offer of his will lead to nothing, for my first day of job hunting, this is way beyond my expectations. In a day, I'll get more than my parents in a month!

I turned towards the location marked on my map, activated Dash and hurried away, only hearing another cough behind me. That cough isn't really going to do good for a traveling peddler… I also used the chance to put the coins in my inventory.

Dash wasn't a common skill, so nobody expected a tiny kid running at four times the normal speed to come rushing through the street, and many hurried to clear the way, or were startled and shouted as I ran by.

The locket was easily found in a bush away from the road. I didn't really care how it got there, so I quickly took it, marked the Villager lady that placed the request, and hurried off. She was very grateful, and besides the silver coin she also gave me a couple of freshly baked cookies. I thanked her and rushed away, surprising yet another Villager.

I placed the cookies in my inventory while keeping the silver in my pocket for the time being, and while moving back to the peddler I inspected the cookies. Freshly Baked Plain Cookies seemed to heal 2 HP and increase speed by 5% for 5 minutes. A nice effect, but I was curious to test two things. Whether the half-bread bug would work with them, and whether time is frozen within the inventory or not.

I found out another thing, and that was that autowalk isn't going to be used… If I pick a spot on the map, a pathfinding option is available and my body moves there automatically. I wasn't sure how the path was selected, but picking the notice board as the return location had me move in a fairly straightforward fashion, not taking odd paths or colliding with buildings or anything of the sort, and I could even keep Dash active. It was fairly easy to inspect the cookies while not being worried that I'll smash into a person on accident.

When I returned, only five minutes passed. I overestimated the distance and underestimated Dash. Dash deserved to be respected, much like Rest.

The peddler was surprised by my speed, but still decided to ask. "So you came back early, huh? Did you give up on finding the locket?"

"Nuh-uh! Request complete, money obtained!" I said, proudly showing off my silver coin. The request was so easy, that I didn't even think about why it didn't trigger a quest. It wasn't a quest, it was a task, and these were on an inherently different scale.

"You know, with the way you took off, it will be a lie if I said I'm surprised that you finished it so quickly…" He said as he handed me the promised coin with no hesitation. "Are you ready?"

"Yup!" I said as I took his coins and placed it in my pocket, but while I did that, I managed to move the money into my inventory. Seems like sight isn't required, and it was purely touch and thought based.

The peddler turned and started walking away, and I followed him. It didn't seem like he was going to talk until we reach our destination, but it felt somewhat pointless. "Is this opportunity you mentioned some secret that you can't talk about while we walk?" I decided to enquire.

He looked at me, somewhat amused, before shaking his head. "No, it's nothing like that. Fine, I guess it's alright being impatient at your age…" He said, as if reminding himself that I'm a child.

"You see, my younger brother didn't have the same chance I had, to learn letters and numbers. When I went off to study, he stayed behind to help our parents take care of the store. They passed away soon after, and he insisted that I followed my dream while he stayed behind. I learned well enough for my own dealings, but teaching is different…"

"He is usually fine, though somewhat struggling, but some traveling merchants and adventurers take advantage of him when they notice his weakness. I want you to help him in the store, as an assistant. You're right that a reading would earn you a silver, but the chance to be hired for such a job are rare. A steady job pays less, sure, but it always pays, right? We can offer you a silver a week…" He paused. The rate was low, and he knew it. He looked at me once more and probably realized that I know it as well, but I wasn't saying anything so he continued.

"I'm proud of my numbers, but you outdo me both in that and the letters. If it's within your ability, we would also pay you to teach my brother. If you can teach him basic numbers, we'll pay you a gold coin. If you can teach him to my level, two more. And if you can teach him letters well enough, four gold coins. You probably know-"

Perhaps he didn't think about talking of such topic on the street wasn't because we were talking about money, especially such large sums, but because for the request he made, the sum was little. Teaching in this world was quite lucrative, and few could afford it. He seemed somewhat successful as a traveling peddler, and when I tried concentrating on him, I was able to inspect him and see his stats. He had 3 charisma, as well as level 2 trading, level 2 arithmetics, and level 2 Brighthilt Language. He would've been able to pay the normal rate a teacher demands, but he gave in to his brother, who wanted to earn the right to learn on his own.

"I understand, you don't have to say more." I cut him off. "You are showing honesty, even at the cost of revealing uncomfortable information and placing yourself at a weaker position for negotiations, trying to earn sympathy and build favorable relations for future dealings, right?" I waved my hand to stop him from cutting me off. "I'm fine with the rates, they are enough for me to do what I need to do at the moment, so it's okay even if it's a bit low. Actually, it fits me better, as you'll probably be willing to exchange the money with favors, which I intended to ask you for anyway, so now we both don't need to feel bad about it!" I declared with a smile.

"Are you really five?" The peddler asked before shaking his head. "No, I guess it doesn't matter at this point. If it's a trap, I'll walk into it. What's the terms then?"

"Uh? I'm not a trap… Do I look that feminine?" I asked, confused for a moment, before receiving a mental slap and waving my hands at his confused look. "No no, don't worry about that. It wasn't something you should mind, really… My terms, I guess you could put it that way. My situation is unfavorable as well, so I'll ask you and your brother to cover for me. My parents don't know of my intentions, and they'll be troubled if they find out."

I sighed. "I'm being selfish… The money you'll be paying me is quite a lot compared to how much they earn, and I'll be hiding that from them because it's something I personally need. I'm going to teach your brother, but you'll both need to acknowledge me only as a shop assistant, doing only manual labor. If my name becomes Teacher, it would be troublesome. If I'm merely Shop Assistant, I'll be able to say that I'm earning 10 coppers a week, and my parents will accept that as my allowance and leave it at that."

"That much is fine, though your circumstances sound quite peculiar…" The peddler noted with a frown.

"I'm getting there, since this isn't the only thing I want to ask for. I'm looking to work for five years. If you can hire me for that long, and I'm able to teach your brother to the level where I'm no longer needed, I want to be paid as if I worked for those five years."

The days were split differently in this world. A week was ten days, and there were four weeks in a month, and ten months in a year. Forty silver a year, after five years I'll earn 2 gold coins. It meant that I'll need to teach him arithmetic skill up to level 2, or reading, in order to earn enough for an Awakening. If I can't teach him reading, then I'll need the full five years in order to have enough.

"Five years? Hmm…" The peddler mused for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I can agree to that."

"Another thing… In five years, I'll be able to request an Awakening Ritual." The man's eyes widened as I revealed my intentions, but I continued before he could say anything. "My parents will probably find out about my scheme by then, and they might try to stop me. That's why it has to be my money, you see? But also, I need you to support me. Stop them from stopping me. They might try to drag me away by force, so I'll need someone who can prevent that."

"Kid, that's why you're saving? To throw it all away?" The peddler asked, disappointed.

"I'm not throwing it away. I'll get it back, because I've got the potential. I know it. Wanna bet?" I asked, grinning smugly.

"You know what? Yes. If you are able to awaken in five years, I'll give you five gold coins." He answered my taunt with no hesitation, surprising me. Where is the doubt he displayed a moment ago?

"You're on!" I said almost instantly.

"Aren't you going to ask what'll happen if you lose? You won't have much coin if that happens."

"Nah, I don't care. You can decide it on your own. I told you, I have the potential, so I won't lose."

The peddler shook his head, amazed by my confidence.

We reached his brother's shop, a general goods store, one that would interact fairly often with passing adventurers willing to drop off loot or resupply, and traveling merchants that would pick up that loot.

His brother, Shop Owner, sounded doubtful, but it was easy to show proof and convince him that I'm capable. With that, my name was no longer Child, but Shop Assistant. And one of the hidden menus appeared, allowing me to select a name to display. I could keep Child while I wasn't in the shop, but it would be hard to explain where I am all day, so I kept Shop Assistant on.

Once I started teaching the younger brother, who I referred to as Owner for short (even though it made me really uncomfortable, as it sounded as if he was my owner and not the shop's), I also got the name Teacher, but I kept it hidden.

But the most important thing was, that once I obtained the name Shop Assistant…

Quest Complete!

I quickly claimed my reward, though I had nothing to do with the crystals. I could invest the skill point in Dash or Rest, but I decided to keep it for now.

My parents were proud of my sense of responsibility when they found out that I found work, and didn't suspect that I'm earning so much.

I've also obtained another quest, to earn five gold coins. Since that was my intention in the first place, there was no reason to reject it. The reward was another skill point, and 10 crystals!

Oh, and the cookies? First of all, they were still warm and freshly baked, so I knew that time was frozen within the inventory. Unfortunately, the half-bread bug didn't seem to work on them, and the effects were halved. My theory is that it worked for the bread because HP was stored as an integer, and bonuses were rounded up before applying. Any item that gave an odd amount of HP recovery (and likely SP and MP as well) would slightly benefit from being split, but temporary bonuses got halved as well while not stacking, so eating two halves of the cookie would probably heal the full 2 HP, but it didn't give the same speed benefit as a whole cookie.

In terms of immersion, it made as little sense as the half-bread bug, but I could understand the game logic, so I noted it within my LogLog and moved on.