"Hey, Feliza, do you want to come to the marketplace with me and Alise?" I looked up from my bowl of stew and looked at Amelie smiling down at me, with my older sister looking at me expectantly. I couldn't help but blink stupidly from the sudden question.

After all, there were no signs or reasons why we should head on to the market whatsoever. We had enough food to last until the next harvest which was three months away, and we didn't need any seeds at all. What could be the reason for going?

"Uh, why are we heading to the marketplace?" I asked, just to satiate my curiosity. After all, there had to be a reason for this twist in the supposed daily routine, especially since it had only been three days since that messy interaction with the guards occurred.

I hadn't seen them try to head on over to the marketplace in a long while, unless it was to go out and buy a new kitchen knife, or to get some spices to help flavor the food. We had a new knife, and we should have enough spices to last for the next four months. So, what was going on?

"We got a bit extra from the harvesting, and the plan is to go and get some ingredients to introduce something more to our daily meals." That's a really good reason. Stew was delicious, but you could only have so much before you started to get sick. And since I had been eating chicken and vegetable stew for two years now...

Right, I would definitely welcome a change to my diet. That chicken stuffed bun was great, but perhaps we could get some variety from the market. Maybe even beef, or garlic, or even something I haven't had the luxury to eat in a long while?

They could even have some kind of rice or vegetables that I could make Japanese food with! My mouth salivated at the thought. I was truly in need of the cuisine from my old home, as it would heal my aching heart.

"Okay! I will come!" I said excitedly. After all, there was the possibility to find something that reminds me of Japan. Something that can help me starve off this feeling of homesickness in my heart. Anything! I was desperate at this point.

I missed Japan with all my heart, and my beloved mother even more. While steeling my heart and remembering fond memories was effective, that tactic could only last for so long. I needed to find a way to comfort myself with some way to connect back to my past, rather than just stay in suffering.

That would probably be good for my mental health too, at least I hope.

"Alright! Tomorrow's going to be fun!" Alise said with a big wide smile, while Amelie had somewhat of a strained grin. Now that was unusual, and I definitely had my guard up now.

My stepmother was probably planning something or thinking of doing an awful deed. I'd better stay away from her for a bit tomorrow, and just hang around Alise for a while.

That's definitely the safe route, and I had no intentions of being screwed over by this lady. I'd have to be on my guard tomorrow, that's for sure.

--------

Today was a bright and warm day, with the sun up in the blue sky with clouds around to provide shade. I was dressed in an uncomfortable dress, which had fabric that was a bit itchy. Apparently, I had to dress a bit more formally for such an occasion, which wasn't right at all: If I was going to carry stuff, shouldn't I just be dressed in my normal, comfy clothes?

At least I wasn't the only one suffering. Alise was wearing a much more stuffier version of my dress, and carrying an empty basket with her. She was smiling, but I could notice that her expression was wavering; as she most likely wanted to go back to her casual clothes that she had hand-weaved herself out of wool.

In fact, I bet she'll probably try to persuade Amelie to buy a large amount of wool at the marketplace so she could make herself new comfortable formal wear. Hmmm, maybe if I asked her to make me a new dress, she'd do so happily and I could get out of wearing this outfit ever again?

No, I must stay strong. After all, I was only going to be wearing this just for today. When this was all over, I could go and get dressed in my comfy, relaxing shirt and pants again.

"So, mama, where are we going to first? The usual food stands, or are we going to go somewhere new today?" Alise asked as we walked towards the outskirts of the village. The marketplace wasn't inside the village, since the whole set-up for that place was shockingly large. Instead, the village had designated a location close by, just to accommodate for the marketplace.

This was a win-win situation for both the village and the shopkeepers. Merchants could easily sell to both villagers and travelers, while the villagers could sleep peacefully and not get disturbed in their sleep by the rambunctious noise.

The walk passed by quickly, due to the fact that I was busy being absorbed in my own thoughts, but we arrived at the location pretty quickly.

I was honestly shocked at how big this marketplace was. I truly underestimated the merchants of this civilization, especially since I hail from a technologically advanced place like Japan.

The marketplace was huge. No, that might be an understatement, it was gigantic. Then again, I was two years old, so the size might be influencing my thought process.

This could be equivalent to a large swap meet that you could go to back on Earth, with people lined up and miniature tents selling different products. This truly was a great place to be in; and it kind of reminded me of my old home in a sense.

After all, whenever there was an event like that available back at Earth, I went to it to see if there was anything interesting I could obtain. Having something that was similar to that here... kind of made me happy a bit.

I wanted to explore this place, let myself believe the idea that I was back at Japan. I'd have to try to get away from my guardians first, though...

"Alise, go and get some kind of herbs, alright? Here, take ten copper coins, and make sure that you can haggle for a good amount." I watched as my older sister took the cash with wide eyes, almost as if she had never carried that amount of cash before. She looked up to my mother, and gave her a determined look.

"Don't worry mom, I'll do my best!" She shouted as she put a fist up into the air, before lightly taking one of my hands and leading me on. "Come on Feliza, mother's counting on us! Let's make her proud!"

I was forced to follow Alise, but I turned and looked back. My stepmother was waving goodbye, before heading off to another location. Seems like she trusted Alise to do what she was meant to do.

I couldn't help but furrow my eyebrows at the sight. That was definitely suspicious, since she was just leaving a kid and her even younger sister to go out and get groceries in this decently large place.

What was her intent? Was she trying to meet up with a side-lover and cheat on my current father? Or even worse?

Maybe Alise had an idea of what's going on. It would be better to try to get some more info from her as well.

"Hey Alise, doesn't Amelie usually shop with you?" We stopped right then and there, and my dear older sister took the time to just turn around in a twirl and look right me, blinking, before smiling and carrying on.

"Yeah, mom usually leads me around and buys the stuff, but I guess she's starting to look at me more like an adult now! I can't let her down!" I see. So, this event was in fact, suspicious. Looks like I might have to do some exploring into this situation. After all, I refuse to let something like in my previous life happen all over again.

Nevertheless, Alise was leading me further and further into the marketplace at a decent speed. Despite the movement, I did my best to look around and get an idea of the sights that were around me.

Lot of stands were selling food items, like beef skewers, fried bread, and several other snacks. I couldn't help but salivate inside my mouth when each smell hit my nose. I was feeling hungrier and hungrier by the minute, and I could only thank Alise for moving us so quickly.

If we had been walking at a casual pace, I probably would've tried to pester her to buy some food for me to eat.

Finally, after a decent amount of speed-walking, we arrived at an aisle of stands that were selling herbs and spices. We started to slow down, with Alise looking through each and every booth, looking for the ingredients that she wanted to add to the daily stew.

Me? I was just looking at all the food items, trying to figure out which ones I could correlate or recognize that were similar to my previous life. I could only spot garlic, ginger, and green onions from a cursory glance, but there were probably much more I could find later.

"Hey, Arnie!" She shouted as she headed towards one of the stall, which happened to be manned by a big man and another kid, both of them wearing straw hats. The big man had a large mustache and a huge figure, while the kid looked like he was worried and racked with anxiety.

At least, until he heard Alise's voice. He turned towards her, and suddenly, his nervous stature morphed into something that looked embarrassed and happy. I could only lift an eyebrow at the sight.

"Ah.... Hey Alise! Ano... what would you like?" Arnie asked, while looking at her with a bright smile. Alise grinned right back as she put her elbows on the table, and looked right at his face.

"Hey, is it possible that I could get a bundle of garlic and a small bunch of ackwas?" She asked politely, as she stared right ins his eyes. The poor kid couldn't even bring up a single word correctly: he was stuck stammering and blinking, with his cheeks turning to a bright red. Clearly, a kid that was truly ensnared by the cruel grasp of love.

"Ha ha!" The man laughed as he slapped Arnie on the back. "Arnie my boy, cat got your tongue? Don't worry little missie, I'll go get the goods for you. Go and sweet talk her a bit more, alright? Ain't every day your big man could see you having a meltdown!"

The big guy went and started to go through his stocks, collecting what was requested in an efficient manner, while the boy started to stammer as he turned from his father back to Alise. He seemed to be utterly flustered and confused on what else he could do.

Alise, to her credit, was busy looking right in the boy's eyes with a big smile. That was when she gave the final blow: she giggled softly as she closed her eyes and gave him the biggest heartwarming grin, one I've been the victim of before.

The poor child never stood a chance. He squawked embarrassingly, his heart being turned into a mushy mess. He immediately looked away and started to stammer random words, unable to even act normally at this point.

That was when his father came back and slapped down a decent bundle of garlic, and a collection of stalks that were a vibrant red, tipped with white leaves.

"Alright girl, that will all come out to be eight copper pieces!" That was decently expensive, considering the fact that the price was almost all of our budget. Still, good thing we could afford it. Now all I had to do was wait for Alise to pay up, and we could be on our w-

"Ahh.... I don't have eight copper pieces. Momma only gave me six coins." The words coming out of my sister confused me, and I looked at her with an odd look. What? She was given ten coins, wasn't she?

Alise then turned to me, and gave me a wink, before turning back to resume the conversation. I blinked, and I fully realized what she was doing. My sister was smarter than I gave her credit for, after all. Clever girl.

"Huh? Girl, these herbs cost eight copper coins, you can't buy them if you've only got six." The man said, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at her, with his arms crossed. His arms were truly well-toned and bulging with muscles, which made me worry about my sister should she get hit from this guy. I'd have to be on guard.

"But Mr. Avadol, couldn't you make an exception?" My reliable older sister asked, as she looked at the man with tears in her eyes and a small pout. "My siblings are relying on me to do this for them, and if I don't manage to bring the herbs promised to them, they'll be really disappointed. In fact, they might even be depressed, and I'd cry from their sad faces."

"Dad... can't we make an exception just this once? It's only two copper coins less, right? We could make the difference later." Arnie asked as he tugged his father's pants. The man in question took a pondering pose, staring right at Alise with a glaring stink eye. I could see Arnie shiver from the look, and let go willingly.

My sister, to my amazement, did not falter. She stayed there, glaring right back with all her strength. All of her emotional power was probably being used right now to show that she could stand up to this man's intense glare.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" The man gave out a bellowing hearty laughter, while his son could only look on in utter confusion. "You've got guts kid. Alright, I'll take your six copper coins just for today. Go on, scurry off, I've got other customers to deal with!"

"Thank you so much, Mr. Avadol, I wish you good day!" With that, Alise quickly put the herbs into the basket, and started to lead me onwards to another destination.

I couldn't help but be utterly impressed by her skills. I hope I could be as smooth as her, and possibly be able to talk my way to get bonuses like her. That would be incredibly helpful in Japan, and in this life as well.

Ah, who am I kidding, that's never going to happen. I'm probably too ugly for anyone to take notice of me, and I know that my look would probably freeze anyone and scare them away.

"Eh, what do you want to eat Feliza?" I blinked my eyes and swiftly turned to Alise, as she slyly took out the four copper coins and grinned. "You want to get something delicious?"

"Yes please!" I nearly shouted, but could you blame me? I was starving, and if I could get something that wasn't stew...

My stomach growled in delight at all the possibilities. Grilled beef kebabs with veggies and spicy sauce! Sugary fried bread that was drizzled with milk syrup! Refreshing fruit juice that would cool me down on this hot day!

The possibilities were endless, and I felt myself drool a little. Alise looked at me for a brief moment, before nodding to herself.

"Yosh! Let's go and get some spiraled potatoes! I'm sure you'll like them, and the best part is, they're really cheap!" Wait, spiraled potatoes? What about the succulent meats? The mouth-watering sweets?

Spiraled potatoes doesn't sound that good at all! But... might as well give it a try. At least it would be a change in taste, something that wasn't freaking chicken and veggie stew.

We took a short walk, before we arrived at the stand. There was some smoke due to the fire that they had in a small pit, and I could smell fried potatoes.

The scent of those potatoes gave me some memories of french fries, which was quite a shock. Alise didn't waste any time at all when it came to ordering the food; she gave the stand owner three copper coins and got a total of six sticks of the spiral potatoes.

Like the name suggested, the potatoes were cut into a spiral form so that the whole stick was covered in potato. However, I could notice with my keen eye that not only did they put salt and pepper on the potatoes, they also included some kind of orange spice.

Now, I was intrigued and curious. We walked over to a free space and sat down, with Alise casually handing me one stick with a free hand, while she kept the other five in her spare hand.

I took the twig in question, and took a bite out of one of the protruding points of this swirl.

My mouth exploded into flavor heaven. The potato were cooked just right, and each bite had a crisp feeling to it. The seasonings of salt and pepper enhanced the flavor, but the big kicker was the fact that the orange spice added a special kind of taste to the mix.

It was equivalent to the BBQ seasonings one would find in the aforementioned flavored potato chips you could find in the convenience stores. This... this...

This was too much. I couldn't help but tear up a little as I started to ravage through the spiral chip. To think that I would find some kind of attachment of my home... it truly made me feel better. BBQ chips weren't my favorite, but this moment may make them a solid pillar in my heart.

I ate the whole stick in an instant, and Alise handed me another one from her hand. In a moment of indulgence, I realized I had done something horrible. I found myself chewing on the last stick. I paled as I realized with dread that this was the final potato I could eat.

I had essentially doomed myself while I was reminiscing about my old world. Damn it... I would pay anything, anything to get this flavor again! I would even be willing to steal for this!

"You like that? I heard that they use some kind of dried herb powder to season their potatoes. They call it 'Shikon Berry', which supposedly grows up in the mountains, but I've never seen them." Alise said, giving me a bit of information that I would keep to heart. There was a possibility to recreate this dish!

No... not just this dish, but possibly other kinds of snacks I had back in Japan! I marked down the name of the herb mentally. If I could get it, then I was in the clear!

"You finished all of that quickly, Feliza." What? I looked back at my last spiral potato... only to remember that it was gone.

Fuck! Shit! Why did I have to eat so fast? I'm such an idiot! A retard! A loser without any redeeming qualities!

"Calm down Feliza, don't worry! I'm sure mom will get us some food at the inn later!" Alise said frantically, in an attempt to calm me down. I noticed her efforts, and just started to breathe in and out.

Before long, I had restored myself back to a harmonious state, and I was ready to keep on going. I really wanted to explore this marketplace, which meant that I would probably have to find a way to lose Alise...

"Mou... Mom's not back yet. I'm getting worried..." My older sister said as she looked around worriedly. "Hey, Feliza, stay right there, alright? I'll be back in a jiffy."

With that, Alise left to go and find mother, leaving me by myself. Could this be good fortune for me? Was my luck changing for the better?

Right, there's no reason to just sit here and act like a useless doll. I could go out and explore, look around and possibly find something for me to learn off of or even steal!

One problem... my storage was currently being used up by the kitchen knife. I should have hidden it way earlier, but now I was getting bit in the back for not thinking about this.

Damn, where could I hide the knife without being spotted? It would be disconcerting and downright suspicious if a two-year-old was caught carrying a kitchen knife, wouldn't it? I needed to hide the weapon so I could make room for something else, in case I spotted something that would be useful in the future.

... Could I actually hide this? I paused in my thoughts, as I started to think.

First off, there was no way that I could get back to the marketplace at night and retrieve the knife. Having a kid enter the night marketplace was suspicious on itself, so if I did that, then the guards would probably find me. And if that happened, then I could say goodbye to the night training.

Even if I hid the knife perfectly, what was the point? I wouldn't be able to put it back into my storage, because I would probably be stealing something today. No, if I wanted to do this right, I would need to dispose of the weapon in some way, and make sure that someone else found it.

After all, if someone would find a knife, then I'd get a lot of suspicion thrown off of me. Not only that, but who bothers trying to return a blade, especially when even finding the owner is such a hassle? They'd probably just keep it and use it, or probably sell it for some money.

But how would I be able to do such an act? There was nowhere I could dump the weapon inconspicuously, and there just wasn't a good place I could sneak it into... or was there?

I took a look around my surroundings, searching for somewhere that I could possibly dump this weapon. Sure enough, I did find a location I could dispose of this knife safely. The problem was that I would have to be smooth about it.

There was a pile of rocks that were just laying right in the open, possibly done by some bored kid waiting for their parents. If I could slip the blade into the pile without being spotted, then this would all blow over quickly.

I silently walked over to the rock pile, and started to inspect it, searching for a hole or some kind of opening that I could use to 'retrieve' the knife in.

There wasn't any, so I silently made a small hole for me to stick my hand into. I started to look around, watching out for people who would possibly be able to spot me and alert the authorities of what I was doing. I wriggled around with my hands, making sure there was just enough space for the knife to manifest itself.

People were walking by, taking a quick glance at the random kid searching through the pile of rocks, before going on their business. I started to sweat as I waited for the right moment to retrieve the object in my storage. I had to do this with quick timing and nonchalant acting, without getting spotted whatsoever.

I started to think about not doing this, and just going and exploring without stealing anything. Heck, the thought of just going back to my previous spot and waiting for Alise crossed my mind... but I couldn't do that.

I just couldn't keep this status quo as it was. At this point, I felt like I wouldn't get anywhere, and I needed every opportunity, every advantage I could possibly grab to make it further up the rankings in terms of power. Staying where I was right now wouldn't bring fruit to anything, so this was the best option to take.

I needed to do this. I had to. There wasn't any other paths that gave any large benefits that would assist me in my journey.

Now! No one was looking at me anymore, and they were busy doing whatever the hell people did in a stupid marketplace. Instantly, I started to think about bringing the knife to my grasp, and bringing out the blade in my storage.

"Retrieve." I managed to whisper from my tense and stiffened body. Immediately, the knife appeared in my hand, which was covered by all the rocks. I quickly let go of the weapon, and I started to back off and move away.

I moved a decent distance away, speed-walking, before I looked back to the pile of rocks. I could only sigh in relief as no one came up to me.

The pile of rocks was normal enough... except for the fact that there was a kitchen knife stuck inside. The handle was sticking out somewhat, and there was a strange glint that the pile was giving off. Nevertheless, as long as it wasn't tracked back to me, then I was safe.

I made a move, and started to head back inside the marketplace. It was time to explore to my heart's content, and try to find something that would assist me in the future.

I had no doubts about this plan. I had to succeed in this, otherwise I would be stuck in my current position.

I couldn't afford that. I had to prevail. There was no other way to go at this point. This was the choice I made, and this will be the path I will take today.

Now, time to find something to give me an advantage...