Chapter 178: Goodbye

Rex waved a hand to interrupt the chatter.

"Okay, you can chat with them later," he said. "Let me introduce you to the other people. I have important things to do, and I don’t have that much free time."

Leo gave him a puzzled look. "Oh? I thought you took the job of introducing everyone to me because you wanted to goof around."

Rex gasped, pressing a hand to his chest in mock offense. "Hey, hey! Don’t slander me like that." He tilted his head toward the sky and let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Oh, God... when will you send someone who can appreciate my good intentions?"

Ben piped up without missing a beat. "Everyone in the convoy knows that Uncle Rex is the laziest person."

Rex’s face stiffened. "Hey, hey, kid. Who has been spreading these rumors about me? Tell me the name."

"Big Sis Valentine," Ben answered without hesitation.

The words died in Rex’s throat. He knew better than to badmouth Valentine in front of the children. Doing that would probably cost him a layer of skin. Deciding it was safer to move on, he pivoted to a new topic.

"Hey, wait a minute," Rex said, narrowing his eyes. "Why is he Big Brother and Valentine Big Sis, but I’m Uncle? I’m confident I look younger and more dashing than both of them."

Becca stared right at him. "Uncle, you should look in the mirror."

The group burst out laughing. Even Jenny couldn’t hold back a quiet giggle, though she covered her mouth with a polite cough to hide her smile.

"Children, be respectful to your elders," she chided gently. "Otherwise, Uncle Rex might feel sad."

Rex’s face fell into a deep scowl. He turned his back on the group and motioned for Leo to follow. "Let’s go. Everyone here is ungrateful."

Leo just shook his head in amusement. He offered a warm wave to the kids as he fell into step behind his guide. "See you guys later."

The children waved back with bright smiles as the two men walked away.

As they continued walking through the camp, Rex turned to his companion. "I’ve introduced almost everyone to you. Now, the only ones left are the people you’ve already met. That old geezer’s name is Takami ZuroJiro, but we all call him Grandpa Jiro."

Rex halted in his tracks. He pointed toward a masked woman standing in the distance. "The girl with the blue hair is Aldina. You don’t have to take everything I say seriously, but take what I’m about to say very seriously. No matter what, don’t approach her or flirt with her. She has an extreme hatred of men."

Leo nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I’ve already seen a glimpse of that."

"You know Tony?" Rex asked.

Leo shook his head.

"There’s a water superpower user in the military," Rex explained. "He was once attracted to her and simply went over to ask for her name. She nearly killed the guy. So it’s in your best interest to stay away from that woman."

A crisp voice broke through the air from behind them. "Who are you telling to stay away from?"

Rex went rigid. He turned to face the newcomer with a forced, awkward laugh. "Hahaha... nothing, nothing. Lady Valentine, I was just introducing Leo to the people of the convoy."

Valentine stood a few paces back, her expression unamused. "Oh? I thought I told you to help load the supplies. But you found another way to escape work."

Rex clutched his chest, putting on a look of deep offense. "Wah, Big Sis Valentine, your words break my heart. I am the hardest-working person in the entire convoy."

Valentine waved a dismissive hand, shutting down his act. "Okay, okay. Don’t start your drama now." She shifted her attention to Leo. "Welcome once again to the convoy. We’re almost finished loading the supplies. We can start moving toward our next destination in an hour or two."

"Okay, that works," Leo replied with a nod. "I also have one last thing to finish. I’ll go take care of it and meet you guys here."

"Alright," Valentine agreed.

With his plan set, Leo pivoted and walked away from the gathering.

Leo paced through the camp, his eyes scanning the crowd. Before long, a small family approached him. It was Danny, Linda, and little Lily, her hands wrapped tight around her mother’s arm.

Leo studied Danny’s face for a moment before speaking.

"It seems you’ve made your decision."

Danny nodded, lowering his head in a deep bow.

"Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family," he said. "Sir Leo, I’ve made a decision. I think I’ll accept the military’s offer and join them."

When Danny finished speaking, Leo stepped closer and patted his shoulder.

"Smart decision."

Danny lifted his head, meeting the Leo’s gaze.

"In fact, I was searching for you guys too," Leo continued. "I’ll be moving out of here in a few hours. I wanted to come and say goodbye."

A look of surprise crossed Danny’s face.

"You mean you already knew what I was going to choose?"

Leo offered a quiet smile.

"Well, I was just hoping you’d make the smartest decision. Now that you’ve made your choice, listen to this last piece of advice. From what I’ve learned through my interactions with the military and the information I’ve gathered... The military of today isn’t a single, cohesive entity. It’s made up of forces from various countries and clans. So there are bound to be many factions within it. Some of them will probably try to recruit you into their faction. It’s extremely important that you choose carefully. Your ability is unique and has a lot of practical value. Once you reach the military’s shelter, you’ll probably be swarmed with offers."

Danny nodded, absorbing the warning.

"Sir Leo, please advise me. How should I choose which side to join?"

Leo took a moment to think.

"There’s a girl named Rose in the military camp right now. I have a feeling you guys will be traveling together. From what I’ve gathered, she’s from a prominent and powerful clan. She’s young and seems eager to prove herself."

Leo let the words settle before going on.

"If you get the chance, make contact with her. If she’s willing to protect your family and invest resources into helping you grow, you could consider joining her as her personal soldier. You’re likely to be the first superhuman under her command. She’ll probably be thrilled to have someone like you and treat you well."

Leo’s expression grew serious.

"But remember... If someone treats you well, you should repay them. Don’t take advantage of their kindness."

Danny did not hesitate to reply.

"Sir, rest assured. I’m not that kind of person."

Leo shook his head.

"I don’t know about that. Maybe you’re not. But when a person gains power, the arrogance that comes with it can change them. I hope you’ll be able to stay true to yourself."

Danny gave a silent nod.

Leo turned his attention to Lily. He crouched down, bringing himself to her eye level, and tapped her little nose.

"Hey, little one. I’m going to miss you. Be good and obedient, okay? We’ll meet again."

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Leo pulled out a small package stuffed with sweets, chocolates, and candy. He pressed it into Lily’s hands.

"Goodbye."

Leo stood up, giving Linda a polite nod. He turned his back to the family and took a few steps toward the exit.

A light tug on the hem of his jacket made him stop. He turned back around.

Lily’s tiny fingers gripped the dark fabric of his coat. Her eyes swam with unshed tears. Even at her young age, the little girl seemed to understand that she wouldn’t be seeing him again for a long time.

Leo offered a warm smile and rested a hand on her hair.

"Isn’t Lily a brave girl who fought lots of monsters on the battlefield?"

Lily nodded.

"Then brave girls don’t cry."

Lily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Leo nodded in approval. "That’s right. Don’t worry, little one. We’ll meet again. And when we do, I’ll give you lots of candy."

A bright spark returned to Lily’s eyes.

"But for that to happen, I have to go." Leo smoothed her hair one last time. "Be good and go to your mom."

Lily nodded again. Reluctant to let go, her fingers loosened their grip on his jacket, and she shuffled back to Linda’s side.

Leo gave Danny and Linda one final nod. With his goodbyes said, he turned and headed across the camp toward his parked truck.