LENIN

I did not expect this when I came back.

How long has it been? It had only been a month or two, and I kept myself updated on what was happening while I was gone, but I did not expect this.

Seriously, it was good to be back at the Village of Vaia.

Everything came rushing into me, reeling my mind with memories of nostalgia and happiness. All I could do now was smile and bask in its warmth and glory.

"To the left!"

I hear that voice from afar.

That voice. . . I knew that voice from anywhere, and I could feel a slight tug of smile form. Things were about to get slightly more exciting today, weren't they?

"Not my left! You're left!" He grumbled to himself.

I chuckled as I moved closer to him.

He didn't even realise I was walking up to him because of all the stress on his shoulders.

Before he knew it, I touched his shoulder, ready to warmly greet him.

"Lenin! You're back." He chuckled, patting me on the back. It took you long enough."

It was good to see his face again, and I felt a warm welcome.

"How has it been," I asked curiously.

He opened his arms, "Have you seen this place?" I felt the joy and happiness beaming from his face.

I smiled, looking around the place.

The farms had improved significantly since I last visited; even footpaths had been installed in the Village.

Not only that, Rickston, too, seemed to be a lot happier than in the mansion he was initially living in.

"You were right about this place, you know?" He gave me a soft smile.

I titled my head, "Right about what?"

He chuckled, punching me on the shoulder. "About this helping with my creativity, it worked like a charm."

I smiled, feeling a sense of happiness wash over my shoulder, "It seems you have a lot of workers now, huh?"

Rickston said excitedly, "Whatever you did out there, it seemed to work out damn well."

"So what's on the to-do list now?"

He tapped his chin, thinking carefully about that question of mine: "Well, I've been having a couple of blueprints for schools we should create here. But we still do need to go to the Village of Vaia."

I nodded, knowing that he was right.

It was the only village around us that we had not fully interacted with, but it was much better at being more of an educational ground than us.

Schools were the most fundamental thing that children needed. Their brains need to be cherished and nurtured into something that would help them and the community.

The children here would be fine if they weren't taught with such strictness and intensity as I was.

If we hadn't educated our children, we would have already failed in our mission to make the Village of Facia a better place.

"Also, I forgot to mention that Kassie and Rachel decided that they were going to run a little daycare while you were gone."

In amusement, I raised my eyebrow, " That sounds like them."

It was pleasing to hear that Kassie was taking the initiative and doing things she wanted to do for herself while I was gone.

I would visit her as soon as possible, but first, I would have to deal with all this business I missed.

"Solum! Solum!"

A voice called out as we all looked in that direction.

A carriage had arrived at the village's entrance. Inside was a boy holding some bags of Solum, which I must admit was funny.

It weighed much more than he was, and he struggled to drag it across the floor.

The kid did look quite familiar, though I just couldn't put my finger on it yet.

"Say," I told Rickston beside me, "That kid, he lo-"

"Familiar?" He smirked. "He's Lylia's lackey, the one you saved."

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My eyes widened ever so slightly as I looked closer at him.

He looked fresher and cleaner than the last time I met him. He was now vibrant with colour and pump to his steps.

"Good morning, sirs!" He chirped happily over to us as he managed to drag the bags of Solum all the way here. "5 bags of Solum from Lylia."

Rickston and I both looked at each other in amusement.

"Say, does Lylia pay you anything for this?"

The kid raised his eyebrow, "Pay me? I don't get paid anything."

Rickston chuckled, "So you're doing all this for free?"

Once more, the kid ecstatically nodded, "Of course!"

I titled my head in slight confusion, "I'm sorry, but why would you still want to work for Lylia. . . I mean, she did you know. . ."

He tilted his head, confused at what I was trying to say.

How old was this kid?

He must have been around 13 or 14.

He shouldn't have been clueless about everything, would he?

"He's talking about slavery, kid," Rickston commented.

If I could kill myself out of embarrassment, the time would certainly be now.

"Oh, that! Yeah, slavey, what about it?"

I rubbed my temple in disappointment, but maybe more so embarrassment.

This kid was either stupid or innocent of the world around him.

"Damn," Rickston muttered to himself, "I could see why you were in the arena fighting."

I nudged him on the ribs; that was enough for him to retract his words.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about, but I came here on my own accord!" He pointed at himself proudly.

Rickston and I exchanged blank stares.

"You're saying that you came here without Lylia forcing you to do so?" Rickston asked curiously.

I could instantly tell that he was getting interested in the kid.

"Geez, what's with the questions, old man." The kid rolled his eyes at Rickston.

"Old man? Who are you ca-"

"Lady Lylia didn't force me to come here; I asked her if I could do this job."

Rickston was at a loss for words; hell, I was even at a loss for words.

He needed to learn what he was getting into because working with Lylia meant being asked to do many things.

"Besides, " the kid said, taking a deep breath before looking at us, "I wanted to visit you guys."

"Visit us?" I chuckled lightly; who in the right kind of mind would have wanted to travel here?

Sure, I was excellent, and while Rickston was above average, I was still cool.

I could think of many ways this could turn wrong for the kid.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're not special." Rickston chuckled, patting him on the shoulder.

But the kid shook his head. "You guys are special!" He looked at the ground for a moment. "After all, you were the one who saved me, " he muttered lowly, looking over at me.

"I was lost, I was scared. But when you were in that arena, it was the first time I felt as though I was safe." He paused momentarily, "If anything, I see you guys as my idols."

So that was the reason, huh? Pretty reasonable and fair, if I say to myself.

Soon enough, I could hear Rickston sniffling.

"Hey. . . You're seriously not crying, are you?" I chuckled, punching him on the shoulder.

"No!" He wiped his eyes, composing himself. "It was just a fairly good reason to hear, that's all."

How did Rickston, the person I know to be grumpy and angry since we were young, become an emotional wreck?

"What's your name, kid?" I asked him as his eyes lightened up, saluting at the both of us.

"My name is Jeremiah." He puffed his chest, almost as if trying to impress us.

"Man, this kid is great!" Rickston put Jeremiah in a headlock, ruffling his hair.

After a couple of seconds, he let him go.

"Well, whatever you need, I'm always here to help! Look, I can fight!" He began throwing the worst punches I had ever seen someone throw in my life.

"Maybe we should keep our hands to ourselves." I lightly chuckled.

"So, what talents do you have."

"Well. . . I don't have many. . ." But his eyes widened in excitement, "I have one talent that might be something cool."

"Do tell us." Rickston grinned, wanting to see whatever Jeremiah had in store.

"Do you have those blueprints?"

"Blueprints?" Rickston smiled proudly, "Let me just get it for you." He reached for his pockets, and to our surprise, he looked at me. "It's gone."

It made me think that there was only one possible reason as to why he managed to lose his blueprints.

"You mean these?" Jerimiah chuckled, raising the blueprints in the air

I couldn't help but chuckle in amusement, "Not bad kid, not bad at all."

"Thanks." He smiled, handing over the blueprint to Rickston.

"How did you learn to do that," Rickston added.

Jerimiah jokingly began tapping his chin. " The only way I could survive was by learning to steal properly."

We both nodded, but I knew there was more to that than the surface answer he gave us.

"Well, thanks for the Solum," I added, looking at the bags before us, "Keep a bag for yourself."

He looked at me blankly. "Are you sure? You don't have to?"

I waved my hand in dismissal, "Don't mention it. You deserve it for travelling this far."

"Thanks!" He smiled, putting the bag over his shoulder; I was surprised that the weight didn't crush him.

"I'll be sure to return with more Solum that Lady Lylia gives you."

We nodded as he began to walk back to the carriage, leaving us alone.

"That kid is something else." Rickston smiled proudly like a father would do for his son.

I nodded, "Yeah, he does have some potential."

"How did he steal my blueprint in the first place?"

"When you headlocked him," I answered his question as the realisation struck him.

"Clever kid."

He wasn't the only one who was clever; Lylia was pretty smart.

The fact that she was using Jeremiah to do her dirty work was enough to know she was serious and willing to help us out here.

No one had ever expected a kid on a carriage to be trafficking bags of Solum to some unknown village.

I had to give her praise for that.

"Well." I cleared my throat, "I should get going and check how Felix is doing."

"Right." Rickston nodded, patting my shoulder, "See you in a bit."

It was as if he, too, had left to return with his business.

The lab was near here, and I could see people going in and out.

I ventured my way to the lab to see two familiar guards outside.

"Lenin!"

They both cheerfully said.

"Lusan and Tara." I smiled warmly at them as they gave me a big hug. "How's it been?"

"It's been perfect." Lusan said, "There's been great improvement here while you were gone. It seems like everything is aligning with each other."

"That's great news." I nodded, "See you guys in a bit."

As I entered the lab, they both returned the nod, and I was amazed to see how much had changed.

It began to look like one of those labs they would have at the Kingdom of Juvo, but of course, we were still a long, long way from something like that.

But as I walked deeper and deeper into the lab, I noticed that it became foggier.

Only then could I see Felix; he worked with every minute detail of his work.

I could see from afar that he was developing something with the Purpura Solum, and it was an honour to bask in.

Someone who had such innovation was honestly a sight to see.

I leaned against the wall, watching him as I cleared my throat.

He took off his goggles and looked over in my direction.

"Well, if it isn't the traveller himself!"

I shrugged sheepishly as we both chuckled in unison.

A traveller, huh?

That was one way to describe me, and I certainly wasn't complaining.

But I wonder, where was I going to travel next?