Free Web NovelChapter 6: First Returns!
"Luci!"
Lucien began to laugh.
"Okay, okay."
And then, amid his laughter, he paused and held the young boy, raising him up to his shoulder. He let Mikky sit on his shoulder.
"As an apology, I’ll give you a free ride to old man Darrell’s place!"
"Yay– ahem, I mean, since you want to, I’ll let you carry me. And I forgive you because I’m cool!"
Lucien suppressed laughter.
"Yes, yes."
They began to walk.
"But Luci?"
"Yeah?"
"Was what you said true?"
"About what?"
"About kids my age. Would they really think I’m cool? Would they want to play with me?"
Hearing Mikky’s tender questions, Lucien’s heart melted. The boy had never mingled with any child his age ever since they left the orphanage together. He’d always only had Lucien to accompany him. And Lucien wasn’t always available.
Sometimes Michael stayed at home. All alone in his room, until Lucien came back. And on some days, when he came back late, the young man was too tired to play with the boy.
Michael was probably lonely.
It pained Lucien. And the original Lucien had always known. It pained that guy too, but he had to keep working. It was the only way for them both to survive.
It was...
’I’m going to quit all those part-time jobs. That’s enough slaving for one life.’
How he wished he could send Michael to school, for the boy to intermingle with his agemates. But alas, no child in any Zerozone could go to school. In the first place, there were no schools in the Zerozones. Only in the big cities.
Another reason to find a way to leave here, it was.
"Yes, of course, Michael," Lucien said softly. "And you’re not just cool. You’re a really good boy. Kind, caring... they’d be dumb not to play with you. And I know kids are dumb, but– you know what?"
"What?"
"You’re going to have company soon. Really, really soon. Other kids your age. Four of them," Lucien smiled. "You’ll all play to your heart’s content."
"Whoa! Seriously?" Mikky, still on Lucien’s shoulder, asked. "You’re not joking?"
Lucien smiled.
"I’m serious."
It was silent again. And then, Mikky wrapped an arm around Lucien’s head, resting his small head on Lucien’s.
It was warm.
"Thank you, Luci."
Tap. Tap.
Lucien felt droplets on his hair.
So the boy really was lonely.
"Are you crying, Mikky?"
"Mn."
"Are you sad?"
"No, I’m happy."
Lucien smiled.
Mikky was the reserved type, but this would be enough of an answer for Lucien.
They were close to the shop now. And, unexpectedly, a loud, ringing sound echoed. Like a phone notification.
But, judging from how Michael was unalarmed, and from his deep otaku knowledge of how these things worked in webnovels, Lucien was certain no one else had heard the sound. Not even Mikky.
[Ding–!]
[Nurturing Action Has Been Detected!]
Seeing the blue notification hovering above his field of vision, Lucien’s footsteps slowed. He became less hurried and urgent, and more observant, narrowing his eyes.
The system notification took on a different color. A golden, iridescent hue.
[Nurturing Target: Michael Johansefort (6yo)]
[Analyzing Nurturing Action...]
[Nurturing Action: You have successfully melted one of the only troubles in the heart of a young, innocent soul. You have relieved him of a burden that he felt was too minimal to share.]
[Considering Target Response...]
[Target’s fear of loneliness has been eased. Going further, this will raise a healthier mind. And a healthy mind springs a healthy child.]
As Lucien read this, his heart did something funny.
’A burden. So it was a burden to Mikky.’
Lucien didn’t even know that it was that much of a burden to the kid. He just always thought that, because the boy didn’t complain much like other kids, he was mature, and he...
[Evaluating the Grade of Nurturing Action.]
"Mikky?"
[Evaluating...%]
"Mn?"
"If you ever have any worries or problems, don’t keep them to yourself, okay? Let me know. I don’t want you to keep things to yourself. We’re a team, you and me. I’ll always listen."
The young child nodded, tapping Lucien’s hair.
Lucien smiled.
"But will you tell me your worries and problems too, Luci?"
The young silver-haired man paused on the streets.
’No, lad.’
"Sure, I will," he lied. "We’re a team, after all!"
If only Michael knew.
"You promise?"
"Promise!"
The system loaded.
And Lucien continued walking as he gazed at the golden screen.
’Is this what it feels like to be a father?’
[Evaluation Complete.]
[Nurturing Action Grade: Medium (B)]
[Calculating Nurturing Returns...]
Lucien blinked as he stared at the loading golden screen while walking, a bit dazed.
[Calculation complete!]
[Returns Granted in Sufficiency:]
As he stared at the screen, the golden glow intensified. But then it blurred, and the shape of the screen changed, turning into a long, golden scroll.
A list.
[1. Mental Fortitude]
[2. Nurturing Gaze]
[3. Mana Blessed]
[4. Steel Body]
[5. Cooking Mastery]
And that was the end of the list.
But down below, at the bottom of the list, Lucien saw:
[Integrate Returns? Y/N]
He frowned, brows knitting.
’You mean right now?’ He asked inwardly.
No reply.
’No.’
[Returns Integration Successfully Withheld. To Be Integrated at Your Desired Time.]
And with that, the system dissolved into nothing.
The withholding made perfect sense. Lucien was in the middle of the streets.
And, according to his otaku knowledge, these types of things were never easy, he was sure.
The integration might hurt, with the integration of multiple — what were these returns? — into his body.
Speaking of the returns, they weren’t bad at all.
Mental Fortitude, he could see how that would be useful in his situation.
And then there was Steel Body. And Mana Blessed.
Oh, even Cooking Mas–
’That’s enough,’ he sighed. ’I’ll leave the fawning for when we get home.’
After all, they were just a couple of feet away from old man Darrell’s place. And Lucien could already see his building.
"Are we there yet?" Mikky asked once more, stomach rumbling.
Lucien grinned. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Yes," he said. "Yes, we are."
"Yayy!"
"Yay indeed."
"I wonder if they have fried rice."
