A Tale of One Deviant (Book One)

Chapter 179: Old Streets of Leonera

Never again did I think I would be back on the streets, at my old stomping grounds, like in the old days. Walking, slowly, down the same roads that had somehow changed since I'd last seen them: suddenly, street lamps with mana stones burning in them hung high up on corners; formerly naked plots of land were clothed with buildings meant for local benefit; some stores were open specifically at night for emergency use; buildings left decrepit for years were torn down as hazards and replaced with opportunities; streets with broken cobblestones were fixed, or being completely redone.

     Kiki, I thought to myself, not directing it at her in particular as she was still busy doing something or another. You've really worked the king ragged to the bone this year, haven't you?

     Rather than reply, I got her feelings in return. Exhaustion and pride hit me in uneven swirls.

     Leonera was changing. I'd only been to see my grandparents' estate the entire time, and clocked into the castle that one time, but other than that, I never had time to check the streets and see all that happened on them. Clearly, they were progressively beginning to look better, restoring public productivity to levels likely only seen before the Demon War started up again only thirty-something years ago. While flying over the city as a whole and [Scanning Income Levels], I was particularly impressed to see that the number of homeless veterans had significantly decreased when looking at the west side where they all tended to congregate in the slums and generally poorer areas. In fact, it seemed that, in congregation with some nobles who had made the mistake...well...they probably thought it was a mistake, in the beginning...taken River's proposal to save themselves from going out of business as their livelihoods began to taper off, workers from said poorer areas were building towards modernity and their futures in factories dotting the central areas of the west side.

     How daring.

     Putting it in a place like that meant that it was bound to be robbed of materials while building, but it seemed some cooperation from other aspects of society desperate to hop on the River train...see what I did there, River...River train...never mind...had pitched in to see what the curious purpose of those buildings were. They hoped to make a profit off of it too, someday.

     Little did they know how grateful their descendants would be for hopping in that "river" and swimming as she wanted them to.

     I really - the more I walked, the longer I went on - felt the need to truly praise and award my familiar for her very hard work. I wouldn't have had the patience to do as she was doing, taking it step by step with the city, going to meetings, battling through legislation, ensuring every aspect was sound before taking off to the next phase where it was gambling with whether the citizens would or wouldn't get behind it.

     What would I do without you...

     I felt guilty, suddenly, for taking off and abandoning all of my work to my familiar, who could've been doing anything she wanted then if only I hadn't taken her in after her summoner died-

     Say those words again, and I will make you regret it.

     I swallowed while stopping in front of the building of the special task force Kiki had a particular hand in, along with a certain Vice Captain de Maroth who was no doubt roped into contributing using his name and workers for it. Looking inside, I could see the few workers inside on standby, waiting for something to go bump in the night.

     "Policemen," was what they would've been called on a certain other world. "Constables," was what they were being called there.

     "Good evening," I greeted while walking straight through the door. My arms crossed as I nodded, impressed by their reaction speed. I didn't know where they'd been gotten from, but a good bunch had been put together in that place. "Good, good. I like that speed of yours, but you may want to at least check on who you're reacting to first, before pointing a sword at their throat."