"Why did you agree?" Nicole asked him with worry pasted on her face. "If he brings his own men they will kick us out of the market."
Leon wiped his palms on his shirt, avoiding her eyes.
"I didn't have a choice," he said quietly. "If I refused, it would have been worse. At least this way we buy ourselves time."
"Do you have a plan?" Melina asked as she stared him in the eye.
"Of course, don't worry." he answered with a voice full of confidence.
"Okay," she did not continue to question, even her face which was full of worry before relaxed.
Melina knew Leon was different from the past so she had complete trust in him.
Nicole's brows pinched together, her fingers tightening around the edge of her apron. No matter how much Leon had changed—no matter how strong, calm, or capable he had become—she still saw the boy she had raised, the boy she had shielded from a world far crueler than he ever deserved. That fear didn't vanish in a day.
Melina, meanwhile, stepped closer and rested a gentle hand on Nicole's arm. "He knows what he's doing," she said softly.
Nicole exhaled, a shaky breath betraying the knot of worry she tried to hide. "I know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Leon finally lifted his head, caught off guard by the emotion in her voice. For a moment, the confident mask he wore slipped, replaced by something gentler.
"I'm not the same as before," he said, stepping closer. "You don't have to carry that fear anymore."
Nicole's lips trembled, torn between wanting to believe him and the instinct to protect him as she always had. "You'll always be my son," she murmured.
Sandra stepped forward with her arms crossed, foot tapping in that familiar rhythm that meant her patience had run out minutes ago. "What is your plan?" she demanded, eyes narrowing.
"We let them think they're getting exactly what they want," he said calmly. "Horace believes he's already won—actually this is going to benefit us."
Sandra lifted a brow. "How?"
Leon's eyes gleamed with quiet certainty, the kind that made everyone lean in despite themselves.
"Easy, what we lack most are funds, raw materials and transportation. Guess who has all those?"
Sandra's foot stopped tapping. Her expression sharpened.
"…The Chief," she muttered.
Leon nodded. "Exactly. All we need to do is increase the cost of materials and cost of production. Using his funds we built a large scale factory on a different location while we put a front here with a fake formula.
Melina's eyes widened first. "You want to build a second workshop… in secret?"
Leon nodded once. "Yes, bigger and faster."
Sandra let out a low whistle. "And this place becomes the bait."
"Right," Leon said. "Knowing the chief will try to act kind at first before double crossing us, we will use that short period window to find connection to somebody with more influence than him or he will be a problem.
Nicole's breath caught. "Someone with more influence…? Leon, that's dangerous. The Chief already throws his weight around like he owns the whole town."
"That's exactly the problem," Leon replied. "If we rely only on ourselves, he'll crush us the moment he realizes he can't steal our formula. But if someone above him is watching—someone he fears—he won't dare touch us."
Sandra tilted her head, intrigued. "And who exactly do you think we can reach?
"The mayor," Leon said firmly, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "He has more sway in the town than the Chief does, and his influence stretches beyond it. If we can secure even a small measure of his support, Horace won't dare make a move against us."
Melina's brow arched. "The mayor? He's… cautious, political. How do we get him to listen to us?"
Leon shrugged slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "All politicians are the same, offer him a share in the business he won't hesitate to take care of the chief for us."
Sandra blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of it. "A share? Just like that?"
Leon folded his arms, expression cooling into something sharp and strategic. "People in power only care about two things: influence and profit. If the mayor sees a chance to gain both, he'll take it. And once he has a stake in what we're building, he'll protect it—because protecting it means protecting his own pocket."
Nicole's hand clenched the edge of the table. "If this works… if we really can secure the mayor's favor… then we won't just be protected. We could turn the tables completely," she said, a mixture of awe and apprehension in her tone.
Leon's gaze swept over them, each glance measured and deliberate. "Exactly. But caution is key. Everything must appear normal here—orders, production, pricing. The Chief must never suspect that the real operation is elsewhere, or he'll move first."
After the discussion everyone was assigned with a duty, Leon's family went back to their home and started the preparation for the second workshop. Leon and Kara went to the market to pay the blacksmith a visit while Melina stayed behind to oversee the workers as they prepared the place.
"Mom before you go there is something I want to talk to you about," Leon said as he pulled Nicole's hand towards the shade under the tree.
Leon took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. " I know you have noticed the changes, I am no longer weak and shy like I was in the past." He posed as he watched her reaction.
"After I woke up from the fight with Harold, I noticed memories in my mind that shouldn't have been there. As I tested a few of them, I realized they weren't mine at all—I had somehow inherited fragments from a god. I don't fully understand them yet, but the things I can do now… they're extraordinary."
Nicole stared at him, stunned. It was one thing to see someone's personality shift under pressure, but inheriting the memories of a god was something else entirely.
Nicole blinked, her hand tightening slightly around his. "Memories… from a god?" she whispered, struggling to find words. "Leon… that's… that's impossible. How could someone… inherit a god's mind?"
Leon's gaze was steady, calm, though there was a hint of excitement behind his eyes. "I don't fully understand it myself," he admitted. It was better this way, what if she knew her son was dead and he was a new soul, she would be freaked out.
"Do you… know my origin, Mom?" he asked cautiously.
Nicole's breath hitched. "What do you mean? You are my son," she said quickly, trying to mask the panic creeping into her voice.
"Don't worry," Leon replied, his tone steady but warm. "You will always be my mother, and I am grateful for everything you've done for me. Now… it's my turn to return the favor." He pulled her into a tight, reassuring hug, letting the words sink between them.
"I'm sorry… I should have told you, but I was afraid you would leave us," Nicole murmured, resting her head on his broad shoulders.
"I will never leave you," Leon replied gently, brushing her long hair from her face. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "You are my family, always."
Nicole sighed, her voice tinged with sadness. "I don't know who your parents were. I found you by the river, alone and naked, and I took you in. But when I insisted on keeping you, he… he didn't agree. He left us."
Leon embraced her tightly once more. "His loss… I love you, Mom." Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks as she clung to him, the warmth of his hug grounding them both.
"Mom… that wasn't the only change," Leon said slowly, bracing himself to reveal more of his cooked up story.
How do I explain I have a system? He thought making himself feel better for the lies .
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"I… I need to sleep with women to survive," he admitted slowly, his gaze dropping. "If too much time passes, I lose the strength to even walk."
"Is that why you've been… messing around with Melina and Sandra?" she asked, her tone calm but edged with sharp curiosity.
Leon froze, shock flickering across his face. "You… you knew?"
"Of course," Nicole replied, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Everyone knows you're not as discreet as you think. I think I even know the god whose memories you inherited."
"Who?" Leon asked, his voice tight with anticipation.
"The god of fertility, it is said He is a blessing to women but a curse to men." Nicole revealed.
Leon blinked, stunned, trying to process her words. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "You… you mean… all of this… it isn't just me being… odd?"
Why did I not think of this before… a believable lie Leon thought as he scratched his head in regret.
Nicole shook her head gently, her eyes soft but firm. "No, Leon. This… this is extraordinary. That god's power isn't something anyone can inherit. It explains a lot — especially your strength."
"But you must be careful, don't bite more than you can chew." she warned him, as she observed his face which excluded a certain charm especially when he smiled.
Leon's lips twitched into a faint, self-aware smile. "I know, Mom," he said, though the glint in his eyes betrayed a mixture of mischief and determination.
"If you feel the urge, come and find me." Nicole said in a low voice.
Leon froze as the meaning of her words finally hit him like a hammer.
For a long moment he just stood there beneath the elm, staring at Nicole's retreating figure as she walked away, her cheeks flushed and her steps quick with embarrassment.
His pulse lurched.
She couldn't have meant… that. Right?
THANK YOU