Small signs of worship.

With an idea in mind, Leonardo walked out of the house and into the backyard. His objective was the shed there, the place Mrs. Wisler had told him she stored all sorts of things she didn’t need or were not for the season. She had been adamant in telling him to use whatever he needed from there, as he had been taking better care of the house than she had. Leo had looked around a bit, and now remembered that there were a couple of things that would help him do what he had planned.

Leonardo rummaged through the shed and found the items he needed. There was some unused lumber, rope, tools (a hammer, nails, measuring tape, a saw and a shovel), an old wooden box… and nothing more. Yeah, this would have to be a very temporary fix before he had the materials to make something suitable.

He went back inside the house and into the kitchen. He quickly cooked some rice, vegetables and fish as simply and as well as he could, packing it all into a lunch box and grabbing from the cupboard a bottle of sake. He put those items in his backpack along with the Book of Eros, grabbed the box with tools and threw the single beam and two planks of lumber over his shoulder and made his way out of the Tensai Residence. His destination? Anywhere up in the mountains that seemed like an okay place. He walked all the way there, his stiff body actually welcoming the exercise. The sun was starting to come out, and it only got clearer the higher he followed the roads. Eventually, that road ended, and Leo had to look of a spot in the middle of the vegetation filled mountain until he found a small clearing some ways away.

It would do, he supposed, and got to work immediately.

Of course, he wouldn’t be doing this if he had zero experience in carpentry. Leo had helped his father build and fix many things over the years. Though he had never taken a project of his own, Leo still had some skill at sawing lumber and hammering nails. And thanks to the knowledge, he knew full well he’d need more than what he had to build something proper, but at that very moment, the intention was more important than the result.

He took measures, sawed the lumber, dug holes and hammered the wood together, all with the intent of making an impromptu shrine to the forgotten Aizen-Myo, yet sadly it ended up looking more like a flimsy dog house. He had laugh at himself.

“Well, what was I expecting?” he muttered with a shake of his head.

He brought out the food he had prepared and the whole bottle of sake. He set the empty wooden box under the shrine and the other items right in front of it, then sat down on the dirt, taking out the Book of Eros from his backpack.

‘It’s not much, but I hope it serves as an apology for now,' he wrote in a blank page. 'I promise to build a better one. Just let me study a little more and get what I need, okay? I’m far from an expert.’

The book shone, letters writing themselves just below his own words. Leo smiled, amused by her answer.

‘You shouldn’t make excuses, Leonardo, especially not when apologizing.’

‘You’re right. Sorry. Still, I’ll build a better one.’

‘Good! I’m happy to see you can take the initiative. This is a nice gesture, I’ll admit. Very well, you are forgiven for forgetting my warnings!’

‘Thank you. Is the offering alright?’

‘I’m not picky, so don’t worry. Are you feeling well?’

Leo blinked, surprised that she’d ask. ‘Yes, I’m okay. I’m actually surprised at how well I’m feeling considering how much it hurt before.’

‘Thank your Gift for it. I know the worship of gods isn’t as big a deal as it used to be, but even now my brother gets more attention than I do. Do you know why?’

‘No, but I admit I’m curious.’

‘I might hate his guts, but Ragaraja and I are still siblings. At our core, we stand for the same thing, and that is human growth. For a long time, we used to be revered together as one single entity, but as different schools of thought began to emerge, our ideologies changed. Raga wants humans to struggle and give up their worldly lust, to change their nature through meditation and sacrifice. In return, he offers them enlightenment and growth beyond human limits.’

‘So that’s where the Gifts we have come from.’

‘Yes, but not quite. The Gifts of the Tensai clan were not obtained through long years of meditation and sacrifice, but through a single ritual that **** the ability to feel pleasure out of their spirits and granted power in return. Raga accepts the ritual because, though drastic, it aligns with his views. People give something ‘impure’ in return for growth.’

‘And the reason you’re not as worshiped, then, is…?’

‘Guessed it, didn’t you? I offer no such thing. I believe in a different kind of human growth. Humans are flawed by nature, in that Raga and I agree, but I would not have them change that flawed nature. Tell me, Leonardo. Do you think that, if you had led a life full of sex until now, you’d value your time with women as much as you do at present?’

‘I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t.’

‘It’s because of flaws that virtues shine, Leonardo. It’s through experiencing sadness that happiness is such a bliss. My desire is for humans live with their flaws, making the moments where they can overcome them ever sweeter. To forgive despite one’s rage, to share despite one’s greed, to abstain despite one’s lust and to love despite one’s jealousy. These are the moments where humanity truly shines. But if humans could always do this, could forgive, share and love at will, the acts themselves would lose meaning. Do you understand?’

‘A little bit. Though I admit it’s a little too much for me right now.’

‘That’s alright. I’m not trying to convert you into my beliefs. I’m not a preacher, but simply the embodiment of the ideas I speak of.’

‘I believe it. For the first time since we’ve talked, I finally felt like I was really talking to some superior being.’

‘Very funny. That’s enough from me. Now leave me alone. Let me enjoy this offering in peace.’

Leo didn’t write back. He simply stood up and turned around, grabbing his backpack and his tools as he left the makeshift shrine. He certainly didn’t expect to leave with so many things to think about. Ainzen-Myo was more interesting than he first thought.

He returned home even before anyone else was awake. By 7:30 am on a normal Sunday morning, he was the only one who would be awake. Leonardo returned to his room to see that Seina was still fast asleep on his futon.

He groaned. She must have been so tired. He caused so much trouble for everyone. They had to wash him, feed him and watch over him every day and night. As if he wasn’t imposing on them all enough already.

Well, it was Sunday and he had plenty of time before everyone was up. Might as well say hello in the way he knew best. He went back to the kitchen and got to work. Before, he had prepared a simple meal as an offering to Aizen-Myo, but now that he paid more attention to the fridge and the pantry he noticed something… odd. Both were nearly the same as he’d left them last Sunday. Or rather, the same things were still in the same places. Some vegetables were starting to look a little old, the cans of preserved food hadn’t been moved, there was the exact amount of rice he remembered keeping a mental record of, and the frozen fish and meat he had bought were still in the freezer, too.

…

Leo went all out. He cooked the rice with bamboo shoots, added tofu to the miso soup, made a lot of tamagoyaki, cooked the classic octopus-shaped sausages, brought out the salmon and grilled the several small portions with salt and pepper, and finally made a simple cucumber salad. Considering it was breakfast for seven people, it was a lot of food.

By 9:00 am, breakfast was ready. He looked down at the table full of food, suddenly realizing he’d fallen into the usual routine for Sundays. Who was to say everyone would get up for breakfast at that hour like always? He crossed his arms and groaned, considering whether or not he should go wake everyone up. It didn’t seem fair, but he didn’t want the food to go to waste.

But then the door to the dining room slid open. Angela was there, dressed in shorts and a yellow tank top. She blinked as she looked at Leo, then down to the table and back to him again. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

“This is just like you, I guess,” she said with a small smile. She walked up to him and placed a soft kiss on his lips, making him shiver for a moment. “Good morning, Leo.”

“Morning,” he answered, returning the smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Haven’t for a whole week. Whose fault do you think that is?”

“Mine?” he asked innocently.

Angela’s answer was to smirk and punch his shoulder. “You’re looking healthy.”

“I’m feeling better by the moment.”

Angela looked down at the table again, then as she reached for her phone in her pocket, she told him, “Get another serving ready.” She then took her cell to her ear and spoke. “Reiko? Yeah, he’s awake. You’re coming, right? Yeah, I told him. Don’t worry, there’s breakfast for you. Smells great, so hurry up.”

Leo chuckled, and his chest warmed up at hearing Reiko would be coming as well. He only needed to grill an extra piece of salmon, since there was enough of every other dish already.

Mrs. Wisler was the second one to enter the dining room. She saw him on his feet and with breakfast ready, and her reaction was to quietly chuckle. “Good morning, Leonardo.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Wisler. Seina told me you got in touch with the school and the fishery for me. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry, dear. A couple of phone calls are hardly worth mentioning.”

Lucia was next, and watching the scene, she chuckled just like her mother and sat down at the table. “No rest of the weary? You look fresh as a lettuce, though. That’s good.”

“Following a routine is more relaxing to me than staying in bed.”

“Bah. You’re your father’s son, alright,” Mrs. Wisler laughed.

“What’s with all the noise today…?” Leo heard Valerie mumble as he approached. “Wait. Woah! You’re awake!” she exclaimed with eyes wide.

“That’s the first normal reaction I’ve gotten,” Leo laughed. “Good morning, Valerie. Did you get your hair dyed again?” Leo asked, noticing that her red-dyed hair looked fresh and new. It was only natural that it wasn’t permanent and had to be reapplied every so often. “It looks good.”

“Oh. Thanks. Turns out there’s a really good hairdresser in town,” she said, smiling and playing with one of her locks. “It’s a relief. I was worried I’d have to wash it out and keep it black if there wasn’t one”

Mmm. Leo imagined her with short black hair and thought she’d still look great, but had to admit that the dyed hair gave her a pretty unique look.

Quick steps could be heard from the western side of the house. Kaede showed up with a bright smile on her face. “Leonardo! You’re awake!”

“Yo,” he greeted. “You’re looking lively.”

“Ahaha…” Kaede laughed awkwardly before she reached for her phone.

“Ah, don’t worry. I called Reiko already,” Angela told her. “She’s coming over.”

“Oh. That’s great! She’s been worried sick about you,” Kaede told him. “Are you feeling well?”

“Yes, no issues here,” Leo nodded. “If Reiko’s coming over, she should be here any moment now. Let’s wait for her before we eat, okay?”

“And where is our dear Seina?” Lucia asked with a faint but knowing smile. “She was supposed to be watching over you last night.”

“O-Oh. Well, she’s, umm… sleeping in my room.”

Lucia chuckled and turned to Angela. “She won the bet,” she told her.

“And got her prize immediately, too,” Angela shrugged. “You don’t waste time, do you?”

Leo fully expected things to become tense, at least somewhat. But to his surprise, neither Angela nor Lucia looked bothered in the slightest. And they spoke of a bet, too.

…What happened while he was ****?

Author's Note: Chapters 122 to 125 available at my Patreon.