When the morning sun gleamed, his mother wrapped him snugly in a soft cloth sling, then pressed him against her chest. She stepped from their modest home and entered the bustling streets of Oakroot Village—a small tanuki settlement bordering Falsía's eastern forests.
Dolo blinked against the bright light. His tiny tanuki body swayed gently with every step his mother took.
It's humiliating: my brain races while they haul me around like a purse. I want to walk, talk, and gamble. Instead, here I am, drooling on my mother's fur.
The village buzzed with activity. Main square stalls burst with color as children of all races dashed between them. Around a tall wooden tower, groups of young tanuki and fox-kin were playing "Tower of Fate," a Jenga-like game: whoever toppled it handed over a carved toy. Nearby, goblin and werebeast kids clashed in a fast-paced card game—a magical twist on Blackjack. Aim? Hit twenty-one "luck points" without busting. Winners departed with small carved animals or candy bags.
Dolo narrowed his eyes with interest.
Even kids can't help themselves; every moment becomes a game. This world is a relentless casino, and I feel both envy and wonder.
Bets, not coins, powered bargaining. At every stall, wagers flew. A baker bet a customer on the number of passersby in the next minute. Nearby, a tailor challenged a farmer: " How many birds would soar overhead in thirty seconds? Losers paid more, winners earned discounts. Laughter echoed; play ruled all.
After securing the vegetables, his mother continued through the bustling market. Finally, she stopped at a vegetable stall run by a short, green-skinned goblin with a permanent scowl and beady eyes.
—Good morning, " the goblin said, forcing a smile. u today? The goblin said, forcing a smile.
—The usual carrots and turnips. And make sure they're fresh, please, his mother replied calmly.
The goblin began placing the vegetables in a basket, but before naming the price, he raised an eyebrow.
—Sam, the goblin asked. Do we play for the price? The goblin asked.
—Same as always, his mother agreed.
They started playing rock-paper-scissors. Three quick rounds. Tie. Another tie. The goblin smiled wider each time, growing more confident.
Dolo watched carefully from the sling. He analyzed every move the goblin made: the way he moved his fingers, how he looked at his mother, the slight tension in his shoulders.
High probability he'll play paper next… he's way too confident.
His mother lost the next round. The goblin chuckled.
—Looks like the price goes up 30% today, ma'am, the goblin said.
Dolo scrunched up his snout and began waving his tiny paws insistently toward the goblin and then toward his mother.
His mother looked at him, surprised.
—What's wrHis mother asked. Do you want to play? His mother asked.
Dolo nodded as best he could with his weak neck.
His mother let out a small laugh and turned back to the goblin.
—My baby wants to play. If my son beats you, you give me everything at 50% off. If I lose… You can raise the price by 50%.
The goblin burst out laughing and looked at Dolo with mockery.
—A baby? Seriously? I accept. There's no way a newborn is going to beat me at rock-paper-scissors, the goblin said, mocking.
A sly thrill curled through Dolo as he smiled inwardly, anticipation burning in his chest.
His mother leaned forward slightly so the goblin could see the little tanuki better and whispered in a playful but firm tone:
—Listen carefully, little raccoon. If you don't win, you're going to make Mommy do all the housework alone for an entire month. So please, win.
The goblin extended his green fist, still laughing.
—Come on, baby. You first.
Dolo's stare locked on the goblin. He studied posture, breathing, the subtle twitch of fingers—all signs he couldn't overlook. He felt almost certain.
He's going to play paper. He feels way too confident.
Dolo played scissors with his clumsy but precise little paws.
The goblin played paper.
Complete silence.
The goblin stood there with his mouth open, staring at the baby's paws.
—What…? Cheat! This is cheating! How can a baby play this well? The goblin exclaimed.
His mother raised an eyebrow.
—Cheating? It's a baby. How is he supposed to cheat? His mother said.
—A newborn can't win like that! The goblin shouted, turning redder. —This isn't normal! I'm calling a guard!
—Go ahead, call him. You're going to look like an idiot, you moron, his mother said calmly.
A short while later, the furious goblin ran off and soon returned with a tall werebeast wolf guard carrying a glowing crystal provided by the gods.
—Excuse me, ma'am —the guard said professionally. —The vendor claims your son cheated in the game. We need to check the child's stats and abilities to avoid any conflict.
His mother sighed but agreed.
—Fine. But with one condition: if my son didn't cheat, I want this goblin to give my baby a useful ability as compensation for his honor, his mother said.
The goblin let out a mocking laugh.
—I accept without problem. Because I'm sure you cheated using the baby, the goblin said.
The guard activated the crystal, projecting a translucent blue window visible to everyone.
[User: Dolo] [Race: Tanuki] [Age: 3 days] [Intelligence: 6] [Strength: 3] [Speed: 2] [Luck: 10] [Skills: None detected]
The guard blinked several times, surprised.
—There is no active skill or trace of magic or illusion. The baby played fairly, the guard announced.
The goblin's face drained of color, panic flickering behind his eyes.
—How…? That's impossible!
His mother smiled with satisfaction and looked at the goblin.
—Looks like you lost the bet twice. Now keep your word: grant my son the ability, his mother said.
The goblin swallowed hard, clearly nervous, but had no choice but to comply.
—Fine… I'll give him a minor skill I have saved. It's called "Swindler's Eye."
A soft light enveloped the baby. At that moment, a blue window appeared only in front of Dolo's eyes with the detailed description of the new skill:
[Skill Acquired: Swindler's Eye (Level 1)] Description: Allows the user to detect subtle patterns, read basic body language, and calculate simple probabilities in basic games. Effect: Increases the chance of detecting traps or opponent patterns by 3% for every 5 points of Luck the user has. Current Level: 1 Current Luck: 10 → Base detection chance in basic games: 6% Note: The skill's accuracy improves as it levels up, depending on the complexity of the game.
A rush of clarity surged in Dolo's mind, satisfaction blooming as he grinned inwardly, shivering with delight.
Only 6% for now… but with my Luck 10, it's a solid start. Little by little, I'm going to become impossible to read.
His mother gave him a gentle pat on the head.
—Good job, little raccoon.
A few moments later, as they walked away from the stall with the vegetables at 50% off, Dolo thought:
This world is even better than I imagined. Even babies can swindle if they play the probabilities right.
And I'm just getting started.