"Old Garry, you better not involve yourself in this," Jacob warned.
The old man just shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't going to, but you gave me no choice. Using force against women and children? Really, how low can you go?" Old Garry sneered.
"It was just... just a small matter of firing a worker. How did things escalate like this?" Jacob said with a sigh.
"Okay, back off. Let's go. We have more work to do," Jacob muttered as he walked inside the building, his guards in tow.
Old Garry watched them go with calm before approaching Tracy and Leon.
"You there, lass. Getting into an argument against higher-ups takes guts. But what now? You'll have a really hard time finding another job," Old Garry said as he walked closer.
"I can handle myself," Tracy said through gritted teeth, her eyes fixed on the ground.
"And you there, kid. You're a smart one, aren't ya? What's your name?" Old Garry asked, squatting down to Leon's height.
"Leon," Leon said, looking into the grey eyes of the old man. Unlike others, Leon found Old Garry's eyes alive—not like the dull, dead eyes of other workers.
"So how old are you, Leon?" Garry asked.
"Six."Leon didn't really know his exact age. Mathew and the others didn't know either. To him, he was between five or six, so he decided to go with six.
"SIX!? Quite young. So Leon, where do you live? And who taught you these things?" Garry scratched his roughly shaved chin.
"Why do you ask, old man?" Leon replied, looking up at him.
"Nothing. If they have a child like you, they might be worth working together with."
"Beat it. I'm an orphan," Leon said with a shrug.
"But I can work with you. Mind telling me what you do?"Leon was gambling on this one. Judging from Manager Jacob's reaction, this old man must be a big shot among the workers—maybe even their leader.
"That's quite an offer. You're smart. You look reliable. But I have to decline—maybe when you're a little taller."Old Garry raised his hand to his shoulder. "At least this tall."
Leon crossed his arms, puffed out his chest, and looked up."I'm already tall where it matters," he said with a smirk.
Old Garry chuckled, a deep gravelly sound. "Heh… cocky too. I like that."He stood up straight, dusting off his knees. "You remind me of myself when I still had teeth."
Tracy folded her arms. "So what now? They're going to blacklist me from every laundry, kitchen, and factory."
"I know Jacob. He'll make an example out of you," Garry said, standing up.
"I can help you," Leon said, looking up at Tracy.
"Sure you can, my little lion. But no—I can manage on my own."Tracy smiled as she messed up Leon's hair with her hand. Pinching his cheek, she added,"You're quite a troublemaker, aren't you? Just stay out of this until you're old enough," and then she walked away.
"Wait, I'm serious! I can really help you. I may be an orphan, but I still have a family. They're a bunch of teens, but still a family. You can join us!" Leon said, staring at Tracy's retreating back.
She stopped and looked back with a smile."Good for you. But I never said I was alone, did I? I have a family too—a bunch of girls just like me."
"You there, lass and kid! Come by East Rail Yard tomorrow before dawn," Old Garry called out.
"What's that, old timer?" Tracy asked with irritation on her face.
"I won't force you to come. But let me tell you—it's something you'll like. Especially you, small stuff," and with that, Old Garry walked off into the distance with his men.
Tracy left right after, leaving Leon alone. The crowd had already dispersed, and he too headed back to Dormitory 6. He had done enough for today.
He also had to do something about the screen that popped in front of him half an hour ago.
Phase 2: MageAssignment 2.1.1 — Increase Proficiency
Cast Fireball 10 times/day
Cast Nature's Touch 10 times/day
Cast Swift 10 times/day
Leon made his way toward the edge of the river—the place where he had first tasted Fireball. It took him more than an hour to reach there.
He made sure no one was around before he began using his spells.
First: Fireball.Raising his palm toward the river, Leon cast one fireball after another. This time he aimed them at an angle.
Each fireball struck the river's surface and exploded underwater. Although the splashes were big, the water muffled most of the sound.
Next, he used Swift, then Nature's Touch.
By the end of his assignment, Leon felt exhausted. This was clearly his current limit.
Ding*
Assignment 2.1.1 Complete
Leon was so tired he didn't even feel disappointed at the system for not giving a reward.
Next Day
Leon woke earlier than usual. The moon was still up in the sky. He tiptoed through the room, washed himself up in the communal bathroom downstairs, and headed for East Rail Yard.
Apart from it being in the east, he didn't know the exact location. So it was going to take some time to find his way. That's why he woke up early.
Heading east, Leon saw a few workers leaving buildings nearby—even at this ungodly hour—mostly heading for work.
'That works for me,' he thought.
That was actually a good thing. Now he just needed to ask for directions.
Leon approached a woman standing near a small corner shop. Her apron was stained with flour—looked like she'd been baking all night.
"Excuse me, miss," Leon said politely. "Do you know where the East Rail Yard is?"
The woman gave him a quick glance—first surprised by his age, then softening at his expression."Rail Yard?"
Leon nodded. "Yes."
"Keep heading straight down this road. When you see a broken clock tower, turn left. From there, follow the tracks. You'll find it."
"Thank you."
"Be careful, kid. That area's full of hard folk. Don't go getting yourself in trouble."
Leon nodded again and walked off.
He soon spotted the broken clock tower and took the left turn from there. Eventually, he found the rail tracks.
Upon getting closer, Leon saw the problem up ahead—the tracks had split in two, going in different directions: northeast and southeast.
Looking around, Leon found no one nearby to ask.
Rather than choosing one randomly, he decided to wait for someone to pass by.
Soon, he saw a figure approaching in the distance—and even in the dim light, Leon recognized her clearly.
It was a woman in her late teens, long black hair tied in a high ponytail. Her green eyes scanned the surroundings cautiously.
It was Tracy.
Unlike before, she looked fresh and energetic. Though she still wore old clothes, they looked clean.
"Nice to see you again," Leon said as she got closer.
"Ohh, it's the small lion from yesterday. Heading to East Rail Yard, I presume?" Tracy replied with a smile.
"Same as you, I guess," Leon said with a shrug.
"You're quite a weird one, Leon." Tracy crouched down to his level and pinched his cheek.
"Ow! Stop that!" Leon struggled to free himself from her hands."I call it being smart—and thank you for the compliment," he said, swatting her hand away from his cheek.
"So why is this smart Leon standing in the middle of the road?"Tracy looked ahead, a small smile tugging at her lips."Don't tell me you're lost—haha!"
Leon stayed silent.
"Don't be like that. It's common for small kids to get lost," Tracy teased, her hand reaching for his cheek again.
"Yeah, I'm lost. Happy now?" Leon said as he stepped to the side, dodging her hand.