16.
After rounding up the children and leading them out, I quickly tidied the area.
The outside was as chaotic as the auction house’s interior. It could hardly have been otherwise; I had brought a monster into the village, and the local residents’ shock was entirely predictable. I had been careful not to damage any homes, but from their perspective, the event must have felt like a bolt from the blue.
The silence that followed was heavy, as if everyone nearby had already fled to safety.
“Raspi, let’s send the monsters back first. Ours, Keureung, too.”
“Understood.”
Fortunately, monster outbreaks are common enough in the Empire that no one would suspect human intervention. Once Raspi recalled the beasts to the forest, the twins finally embraced, their faces wet with the overwhelming relief of reunion.
“Waaaaah! I thought I’d never see you again, Oppa.”
“I’m just glad you’re not hurt, Mari.”
“I… I was so scared I thought I was going to die…”
“I’m sorry I was late, Oppa.”
“No. Why would you be sorry, Oppa?”
Watching them sob like small children, a strange ache settled in my chest. I could use my Abilitator right now and jump to a future point, but in that reality, Raspi had already been executed as an enemy of the Empire. It was a future, yes—but not the one I wanted.
I saw a glimmer of hope. The hope that I, too, could protect Mr. Aiden and weave a path entirely different from the last timeline.
“Hiccup. Oppa, thank you for coming to save me, even if it was dangerous.”
“You should thank Tania-nim instead. If not for her, I wouldn’t have even known where you were taken.”
The twins’ gazes locked onto me simultaneously. Lost in thought, I offered a playful smirk.
“All done crying?”
“Yes!”
“…I didn’t cry.”
Liar.
“Your eyes are puffy and red. One touch and you’ll start leaking again.”
As I teased him, he scrubbed his eyes with his sleeve, feigning composure. Despite his attempt to act like an adult, he was still just a child. Raspi pressed down on Rosemary’s head, and they bowed in unison.
“Thank you. We will never forget this kindness.”
“Good. Grow up to be someone great and pay me back tenfold.”
My conscience pricked at the thought of shaking down orphans, but it would be a crime to let talent like theirs go to waste. Taking my words for a joke, Raspi smiled faintly.
“May I ask one thing? What is your relationship with the old man who helped me earlier?”
“…I don’t know him.”
“Ah, if you’re uncomfortable sharing, I apologize.”
“I’m serious. I just met him in the dungeon and exchanged a few words.”
“But it felt as if Tania-nim knew him very well.”
“I don’t know him well, but I have a theory about who he is.”
“I see. I understand.”
Raspi nodded, ending the inquiry. Capable, discreet, and aware of boundaries—he was far too valuable to lose. Besides, I was concerned about their survival.
“Do you two have a home to return to?”
“There are a few abandoned shacks in the slums.”
Living on the streets without a roof. I had expected as much; these two had lived wretched lives.
“Kids, instead of going back to the shantytown, how about you enroll in the training facility?”
The siblings hung their heads, looking dejected.
“If we could pass the entry requirements, we would have done so years ago.”
“…Besides, Oppa might have a chance, but I’m not an Abilitator.”
I knew how brutal the criteria for the Papiope Training Facility were. But I wouldn’t have brought it up if it were impossible.
“Who said you have to pass using only your current skills? In any case, you want in, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Then do exactly as I say. I’m going to help you.”
The facility evaluates three elements: Ability, crisis management, and a written exam. Raspi’s power is undeniable—in the future, he becomes a force capable of standing against the entire Empire alone—so that was a non-issue. Rosemary, however, hadn’t awakened yet.
But the facility didn’t only recruit Abilitators. If I could bridge the gap in the other sectors, she would make it. There was one hurdle, however.
“Do you two know how to read?”
“…We don’t.”
“N-no.”
They looked at their feet, ears flushing a deep, embarrassed red. It was hardly their fault; children who had lost their parents and fought to survive on the streets had no time for lessons. Even I had barely managed to learn after meeting Mr. Aiden in the previous timeline.
“Then, do you know how to read numbers?”
“…We know numbers.”
“M-me too!”
I flashed a confident smile.
“Then that’s enough. That’s plenty.”
As your guide, I’ll make sure this ride is smooth.
✦ ✦ ✦
We arrived at the Papiope Training Facility soon after. The threshold for admission was impossibly high, but the gates remained perpetually open—a perfect sanctuary for two children with nowhere to sleep. I looked up at the building with a grimace. To place such a facility in the heart of the capital where land prices were astronomical… typical for a wealthy family.
“Well then, shall we go in?”
Rosemary looked excited, but Raspi’s expression remained rigid.
“…I don’t see how we can pass the exams if we can’t even read the questions.”
“Hmm.”
I didn’t bother telling him that even if he *could* read them, he wouldn’t be able to solve them. This was where the Empire’s geniuses congregated; the tests were designed to be impossible.
“Kids, wait for me until I finish the exam.”
“…Are you planning to enroll as well, Tania-nim?”
“I was planning to enter eventually, so I might as well get my certificate today. My ultimate goal is to be adopted into the Papiope family, after all.”
I would secure my acceptance first; once Mr. Aiden returned, I would show him the certificate to gain his approval.
“…Is it not possible for us to go with you?”
Raspi looked at me like a lost puppy fearing abandonment. I rolled my eyes—separation anxiety was a nuisance.
“If we enter together, I can’t be your guide. I need to scout the information first.”
I didn’t have time to coddle him. I decided to finish this quickly and activated my ability.
[Overwriting the current timeline with Timeline 1.]
“I’ll be back.”
Turning away from their anxious gazes, I stepped inside. The grueling process of trial and error began.
[Overwriting the current timeline with Timeline 2.]
[Loading Timeline 2.]
[Loading Timeline 2.]
[Loading Timeline 2…]
[Timeline 2…]
[…]
“Wow, this is damn hard!”