Mai's innocent words left Logan speechless.
In the end, he had no choice but to go out and buy some candy.
The sun was shining brightly, so Logan donned his straw hat. Candy couldn't be found in this small, rundown village; he'd have to go to the town for that. As he was about to leave, Mai clung to his clothes, pleading to go with him.
However, Logan firmly refused to take a child along. Just thinking about it seemed troublesome, and he wasn't fooled by the innocent facade Mai put on to hide her true intentions.
"Alright, just stay home and play by yourself." Logan said, pushing Mai back into her house without looking back.
Mai's eyes blinked rapidly as she looked at him, wanting to say something but hesitated.
"No need to say more, I'll be back with candy soon!" Logan lifted his hand, cutting off any thought Mai might have.
Mai looked slumped and said dejectedly: "Uncle, please come back soon."
Logan nodded, then turned around and decisively walked away.
The gravel path was rough underfoot, and without looking back, Logan left the village. He glanced back at the distant two houses standing in a corner, one his and the other belonging to the siblings.
Under the dilapidated wooden house, there was no longer a little girl leaning on the wooden citron and looking at him cutely. The door was closed, and the faint sea breeze had tilted the fish drying outside.
'Mai must have gone back inside. I just said that she should just play at home. With not much to do for fun, she was probably busy weaving something.'
Walking along the dirt road, Logan adjusted his straw hat to block the sun. It was already midday, past the peak time for villagers to head to town, so there weren't many people around. He was not in a hurry, so he walked slowly on the road, making his way up hills and across streams. After thirty or forty minutes, the rough dirt road turned to stone, and he arrived at the nearest Bay Town.
'Going all the way to town just for some candy, what a hassle.' Logan sighed after paying the entrance fee and walking through the bustling streets.
Although the Land of the Moon is a small country, Bay Town is a port city built near the sea, so there's decent commercial activities here. Logan quickly went to the grocery store and bought several candies of different flavors. The smell of lunch and the calls of vendors filled the air as groups of shirtless sailors and dock workers headed to restaurants.
Seeing this, Logan thought of Mai's brother, Kazuya, 'He started working in the city two months ago, right?'
Thinking that since he was already here, he decided to visit. After grabbing a bite to eat, Logan bought a bento and headed toward the docks where he remembered Kazuya worked.
Without the air-conditioning produced by technology, the midday heat felt oppressive. The salty and humid sea breeze, once cool and fresh, had been squandered by the ships and buildings.
As Logan neared the crowded area, various smells and sounds overwhelmed him. People were everywhere, vendors, carts, and about a dozen sailing ships docked with figures moving among them. A group of samurai maintaining order hurried past Logan, heading toward some commotion. The docks were bustling with activity.
"Where exactly is Kazuya working?" Logan's outfit was completely inconspicuous among the crowds. The public health in the bustling place seemed to be poor. Many laborers wore little more than minimal shirts, their sweat mixing with the sea breeze and the smell of various goods heated by the sun, creating an unpleasant environment.
Finding someone in such a chaotic place was challenging, but Logan had sharp eyes. After wandering around for a bit, he spotted his target.
"Good afternoon."
When Logan slapped Kazuya, who was carrying something, on the back, the other party almost lost his grip in fright.
"Ah... it's you, Hattori-san..." When Kazuya saw Logan clearly, he breathed a sigh of relief, though he was clearly surprised.
"Yeah, I came to town to buy some things and thought I'd check on you." Logan said, glancing at Kazuya's sweat-soaked shirt, outlining his muscles. Although he was young, and a bit honest to the point of being dull, his body is very strong.
Of course, this was all forced out of necessity.
Kazuya took a breath, put down the goods he was carrying, wiped his sweat, and said with a smile: "There's nothing interesting about me. It's just the usual. By the way, how's my sister?"
Logan's eyelid twitched as he looked at the hard-working brother in front of him, who is trying to keep his words positive, "Well, your sister is being very good at home."
"That's good..." Kazuya looked relieved. Seeing the things Logan was carrying, he was about to ask when a stern voice interrupted.
"Kazuya, what are you slacking off for?! There are still ten more crates. The overseer is watching, or do you not want lunch?" A burly man in a vest, revealing two strong arms, walked past Logan and Kazuya, then throws two heavy crates at Kazuya's feet, " Hurry up and move these. I'll be back for another round."
"Yes, senpai, right away."
Dust flew up as the wooden crates hit the ground. The burly man gave Logan a cursory glance before sauntering away.
"Is he your colleague?" Logan ignored the burly man's arrogant look and asked Kazuya.
"Yeah, that's Yamada-senpai. He's been here six months longer than me." Kazuya said, looking a bit troubled by the extra crates. Nonetheless, he gritted his teeth and lifted them with all his strength, "He is the leader of my group..."
By this point, veins popped up in Kazuya's hands, and his face turned red from exertion.
The dock was a bustling place with ships coming and going, and there was a dedicated workforce for unloading and moving cargo. Kazuya just joined one of them, becoming one of the most ordinary members.
Logan nodded to show he understood. He had no interest in the lazy Yamada, who didn't seem to be as dedicated to his work as his words suggested. Seeing Kazuya struggling, Logan kindly offered: "Do you need help?"
Kazuya didn't say anything, and just shook his head with difficulty.
Logan didn't insist. He just followed Kazuya to move the crates onto the designated cart, his body getting soaked with sweat in the process. Then, Logan handed over the bento, "Here, for you. You probably haven't eaten, right?"
"Huff huff... There's lunch provided here." Kazuya tried to decline, but seeing Logan's calm gaze, he still accepted it humbly for some reason, "Thank you, Hattori-san."
"Then, I'll go first."
There wasn't much more to say. Kazuya seemed busy, so Logan patted him on the shoulder and Kazuya waved with a smile, tucking the bento into his pocket and jogging back to work.
After walking a bit further, the crowd thinned out, and Logan stopped and looked back at Kazuya.
Along the route, he saw that several times, Yamada would drop his half-moved cargo for Kazuya to handle. Not only that, but other men also followed the team leader's example, leaving the heavy work to the newcomer while they slacked off.
In the end, Kazuya was responsible for almost half of the ten boxes of goods.
Watching from a distance as Kazuya smiled and scratched his head while his so-called senpai took breaks, Logan shook his head and left.