It had been three days since he started living with them. Mint was already becoming a household name as he went around explaining his situation to everyone. Many of them were shocked but bought his story and gave him reassuring pats on the shoulder. The children loved him too, often dragging him around to play with them.
The village had always been a place of harmony but his presence seemed to make the place more lively. It was as if he emitted a glow and now the entire village was flooded with the rejuvenating power that he brought with him. Welt laughed as such thoughts went through his mind. His mother hadn't said anything against him but he could tell that she was still keeping a close watch on him. She also hardly ever referred to him by his name, instead calling him 'Mr. Paint Remover'. Welt would have asked her to stop but Mint seemed not to mind and even pulled Welt and Fiona aside to tell them that he was fond of nicknames.
'Is this really a nickname though?' Was a question that passed through both their minds but as long as everyone was happy, what did it matter? A plus point was that his mother's behaviour towards him was changing a bit more everyday and she started treating him with less suspicion and more like he was a freeloader.
"I told you to go do some work!" Right on cue, he could hear her yelling at Mint from inside. He saw Mint walk out of the house sheepishly. "I was just taking a break." He offered as an excuse but to no avail.
"You've been sitting her all day. At least go entertain the children if you have nothing better to do." The door shut with a bang and Mint sighed as if resigned to his fate. "Am I just a kid caretaker now?" He asked to no one. Welt walked up to him and patted his back. "That's also an important job."
It was strange though. Mint didn't seem to react at all when Welt did that. Most people would instinctively jerk or startle if someone came up from behind them and touched them. If not then they'd at least look surprised when they saw who it was that did it. Instead, Mint looked at him as if he had expected it all along- not just the action but the fact that it was Welt.
"You're right. Everything in the world has its place, doesn't it?"
"Uh yes it does." Welt answered, coming back to his senses. So what if Mint didn't react? Was he also going to start suspecting him like his mother now? "You seem like a very empathetic person." Welt said, not even fully sure of what he was saying.
"Not really. I just want to protect it."
"It?"
"The balance of this world, the many connections that tie it together and the hopes carried by it. There's nothing in this world that isn't valuable." Mint paused and then started laughing, "But that's a pretty grand thing to say. It's not like I'd ever have a role in protecting it."
"No, I think that's very sincere..." Welt found himself saying. It had been for a very short duration but Mint's walls had gone down. Everything he said felt like it came not just from wishful thinking or imagining but from real experience and memory.
"You're absolutely right! With my ability to remove the paint from wood, I will protect the world."
Welt couldn't tell if Mint was mocking him or not by how serious his expression was. It was only when Mint smiled that Welt understood that he was just joking. Welt laughed too. What was he thinking? In a village that nobody can ever leave, did it make sense for someone with such an ability to protect the world? Yet he had listened as if what Mint said was true.
"Anyway what were you doing here?" Mint asked, looking at the jar on the ground beside the house.
"I was collecting some samples." Welt explained, glad to take his mind off the weird thoughts he was having. "Magic can make things easier but only when it's used efficiently and when we have the resources we need. The soil here is very rich. Looking into the different types helps us in determining if we can use magic and how we should use it."
"That's a really interesting job. Do you think I can also find a use for my abilities then?"
"Of course!" Welt nodded. "I don't think we'd need it very often but there are people around here who could benefit from it. If you don't mind helping out for free then you could take a look around."
"That sounds like a great idea. Then I'll go do that." With those words, Mint waved goodbye and headed for the village square. Welt considered stopping him to give him a few more tips about which houses were in dire need of re-painting but he was already walking in that direction so Welt was sure he'd figure it out.
"What are you doing, dear?" Welt turned to see Fiona calling to him from the window. "You've been standing out for some time now."
"I was just talking to Mint." Welt explained, "He has really good intuition, doesn't he?"
Fiona nodded. "He does! It must be for living by himself in the forest for so long. Survival skills like that would definitely mean having a good intuition."
"That's right!" Welt called out a little too excited. "It must have been rough living by himself for so long. He's so cheerful though...it really is amazing."
"If you're so impressed then why don't you help make dinner." Fiona continued cleverly, "I'm sure he'd appreciate a grand gesture like that from us. Shena's also been complaining about the quantity for a while now."
Welt imagined Mint coming back after a long day of hardships to a feast presented by the entire family and he found himself feeling very touched. Mint didn't have his own family anymore but at least for the time being, Welt wouldn't mind if he joined theirs. Shena was already treating him like an older brother and Fiona would be fully on board with the idea. Even his mother seemed to be coming around.
"Okay! Give me a second to get these jars inside." As Welt collected the jars to put inside, he found himself looking up at the quickly darkening sky. It looked like it was going to rain soon and judging by the rumbling sounds- quite heavily too.
"I hope he'll be okay in that weather..." Welt mumbled to himself as he carried the jars inside, unaware that he was one jar short.