Nathan – POV

  It has been several months now, and I’m almost two years old. Mother no longer carries me around, which is fine by me. She says I’m getting too heavy, too big. Even Grandma Nia has remarked that I’m unusually large for my age, her tone hovering somewhere between pride and suspicion.

  Whatever the case, I’ve grown closer to my siblings, especially Serena. She dotes on me like a second mother, always hovering, always fussing. Sweet kid. She even looks like Mother...blond hair, green eyes, the whole package. I’ve already considered teaching her magic one day, though she still has five years before her advancement ceremony. I could probably show her how to sense mana now, but what if I ruined her natural development? No, better to wait.

  Jack, meanwhile, is a good kid but far too serious. I didn’t understand why until I overheard Father one day: “Jack, you have a responsibility to your family. Always put the needs of your mother and siblings ahead of your own.”

  So that’s why he acts like a miniature adult. Poor guy. He’s already carrying Father’s burdens. I should help ease that weight, maybe by slipping some of Krizek’s stolen gold into the family’s hands.

  Speaking of which, I thought Krizek’s little heist would be over in a week or two. But months later, he’s still “in the process.” When I asked why, his answer came not with words, but as a whisper in my mind.

  “Master, there is still so much left to take. The baron’s son hoards wealth beyond measure.”

  Slavery must be more lucrative than I imagined. Disgusting, yes, but profitable. And if the baron’s son is profiting, then I’ll happily redirect some of that wealth.

  That left me with a problem: how to share the gold with my family without raising suspicion. Too much sudden wealth would be impossible to explain. I needed a plan.

  So, I reached out to Krizek. “Where exactly are you stashing all this loot?”

  “In my pocket, Master.”

  I froze. Wait. What? He’d told me before the haul was nearly half a room full of treasure.

  “Your pocket? Like… the pocket on your pants?”

  “I do not know of these “pants,” Master. But my pocket is nearly half full of gold, silver, coins, and treasures.”

  It clicked. “You mean… a pocket dimension?”

  “Yes, Master. A personal storage space, about the size of your house. I keep all your loot there.”

  My heart skipped. A pocket dimension. Not just a magical pouch, but a full-blown extra-dimensional vault.

  “How do you access it?”

  “I create a portal and step through.”

  Holy hell.

  “Can I enter this space too?”

  “Of course, Master. What is mine is yours.”

  “And I can use it myself?”

  “Yes, Master. Would you like me to open it now? I can come to you immediately.”

  “Not yet. Too many eyes on me. But soon. And when the time comes, you’ll teach me how to use it.”

  “As you command.”

  “One more thing. How close can you get to our house before Father senses you?”

  “Ten meters, Master.”

  “Good. Then prepare a pouch with a hundred gold coins. I’ll find a spot near the house where you can leave it for me to collect.”

  “As you wish. But know this: you could simply enter our pocket yourself with a chant.”

  “Not right now. Too risky.”

  “Then I will await your instructions.”

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  The connection faded, leaving me grinning like an idiot. An extra-dimensional storage space, all mine to use. Weapons, supplies, books, even an arsenal; hidden away, untouchable. No more worrying about where to stash stolen goods or how to sneak gold into the family’s hands.

  Yeah, baby. I had an extra-dimensional vault. And with it, the game had just changed.

  Later on...

  I had to wait a couple of days before I could finally ask Krizek to leave the pouch of gold for me. Mother still insisted on bringing Serena and me along whenever she went to work at the tavern, and there was no way I could sneak away with her watchful eyes on me.

  The tavern itself was dull. There isn’t much a boy nearing two years old can do in a place like that. The smells of ale, sweat, and roasted meat clung to the air, and the constant chatter of drunken men grated on my nerves. So, I did what I usually do when boredom strikes: I retreated into my head.

  While sitting quietly in a corner, I brushed up on chemistry and engineering; specifically, soap and shampoo making. Yes, soap. The stuff they had here was atrocious. It smelled foul, crumbled easily, and left the skin dry as husk. I wanted to create something better, something that could actually clean without making you feel like you’d been rubbed with sandpaper. If I could pull it off, maybe I could even make money from it later.

  Of course, what I really wanted to build was a proper toilet. A working one, with water flow and everything. But that would raise far too many questions. For now, I had to settle for small improvements. I practiced basic hygiene protocols, like covering the latrine with planks of wood to block the stench. Not perfect, but better than leaving it open to fester.

  Finally, on one of our “off-work” days, I seized my chance. I slipped out to the back of our house when Serena wasn’t looking. Once I judged I was far enough away, I marked a tree trunk with a crude X. That would be the drop point. Just as I finished, Serena came barreling after me, tugging me back toward the house.

  Geez. This girl was relentless.

  Still, the mark was made. Later, I sent a mental instruction to Krizek: Leave the pouch at the foot of the tree.

  Hours passed before his voice brushed against my mind. "It is done, Master. The pouch is waiting.”

  So, I returned to the tree, Serena trailing behind me as usual. And there it was: a bulging pouch resting against the roots. My heart skipped. I bent down and picked it up.

  “What’s that?” Serena asked immediately, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.

  “Gold, I guess,” I said with a shrug, trying to sound casual.

  “Gold?” She gasped, leaning closer as I loosened the strings. The pouch was heavy, and the glint of coins inside made her eyes widen.

  “How?” She demanded.

  “I just saw it there and picked it up. I’m going to bring this to Mother and Father,” I said smoothly.

  “Yeah, let’s show it to them!” She chirped, already dragging me back toward the house.

  There was no other way. I couldn’t hide it from her, and I didn’t want to outright lie to my parents. A partial lie would have to do.

  “Mama, Papa! Nathan found gold!” Serena beamed as we entered the house.

  I held up the pouch, and both my parents gasped.

  “Where did you get this, Nathan?” Jakob asked, his voice sharp.

  “We found it lying on the ground beside a tree,” I said evenly.

  “That’s right, Papa. We did find it there, just lying there,” Serena confirmed.

  Dianne frowned. “We should return it to whoever owns it.”

  What the hell, woman! Take the damn gold. We need it!

  “Mama, Papa, there was no one there. No one comes to that part of the forest, especially near our house. It was probably there long before we were born,” I said, layering on the innocence.

  “Probably…” I could see the wheels turning in their heads. Time to push.

  “We need it, Mama. Maybe it’s a gift from the gods,” I added, flashing my most adorable eyes.

  Father leaned forward. “How much is in there?”

  Mother emptied the pouch onto the table. Coins spilled out in a glittering cascade. She counted with trembling fingers.

  “One… hundred gold,” she whispered, stammering.

  “That’s a lot of money, right, Father?” Jack asked, his eyes wide.

  “Yes… it’s a lot,” Jakob admitted. “We could live comfortably for five years with this. I could even pay to enroll you in the knight school at the baron’s estate.”

  “Really, Papa?” Jack’s eyes glittered with joy.

  Mother smiled faintly, though her brow remained furrowed. “Still… is it right to take it? What if someone comes looking for it?”

  Come on! These people were too honest for their own good.

  “Mama, who would leave that much gold in the woods?” I asked, tilting my head innocently.

  Father nodded slowly. “You’re right, son. No one in their right mind would abandon this much money.”

  Finally, some sense.

  “Yes, that’s right. We can send Jack to the baron’s estate for training now and keep the rest,” Dianne said at last, her resistance crumbling.

  “We’ll save the rest and keep this a secret,” Jakob added firmly. “I don’t want our neighbors nosing around. If anyone asks, we’ll say I’ve had a string of successful hunts. As much as I want you to stop working, Dianne, hang in there for a few more weeks. Then I’d like you to quit the tavern.”

  “I don’t mind working, honey,” she said softly.

  “Still, I’d rather you didn’t. Standing all day in that heat isn’t good for you. We can find other ways to make money now. We can certainly afford it.”

  “Alright. I understand,” she said, finally allowing herself a smile.

  I smirked inwardly. Mother, Father… with me around, you’ll never have to work again.