You can read ahead up to 110 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
A light rain was falling from the sky. Dusk in London looked like an old painter had accidentally spilled his palette, dyeing the horizon in a misty blend of gray-blue and dark purple.
The fine drizzle quietly wove a translucent veil that covered the entire city. Though the rain wasn't heavy, it was enough to make the air damp and heavy, mixing with London's unique haze to form a nearly tangible layer of fog.
"This dreadful weather." Miss Helena opened an umbrella and handed a smaller one to the young lad. Raindrops slid down the old black canopy, making delicate and crisp sounds.
"Even summer has such heavy smog?" Ian was a bit surprised. The fog blurred the outlines of distant buildings and even made nearby pedestrians appear hazy, as if every person was a vague silhouette hurrying through the mist where history and reality intertwined.
Many films exaggerate London's weight and gloom for a reason, being here, one could truly feel two entirely different eras merging within this once-glorious city.
"It's all because of those damn capitalists," Miss Helena grumbled furiously, not noticing the guilty expression that flashed across the young boy's face.
"The economy is getting worse. You see poor homeless people on the streets all the time, but the capitalists' factories keep running 24/7. They tell people there are no jobs, no profits, while slashing incomes like mad and trying to get one person to do the work of two or even three."
"It's ridiculous. No profit? Yet they never shut down their factories for even fifteen minutes. Every day, tons of pollution are pumped into the air."
Miss Helena angrily condemned the British capitalists.
"I thought we had unions in our country, to protect workers' rights and enforce the eight-hour workday?" Ian really didn't know much about Britain's employment situation.
Before he crossed over, his understanding of Europe came mainly from some posts on the internet.
"Ha, unions only protect their own interests. Kid, you have to understand, those workers who can join the unions aren't even in the same class as the ones who actually do the labor."
"If your parents were union workers, then you can join. As for the real working class, dockhands and laborers, they're not even counted when the Prime Minister calculates workers' living standards." Miss Helena's face was filled with sorrow as she spoke about the modern-day British Empire, which now only maintained appearances with polished façades.
"This year's been especially hard. The gentry lost their usual channels for looting wealth from others, so now they're squeezing the common folk. Can you imagine? Even Sir Charlie's family is now eating leftover frozen roast meat!"
The "Sir Charlie" she mentioned lived just a few blocks away, a noble family fallen on hard times.
Still, despite their decline, they had maintained a fairly decent life. But now, even a baronet was cutting back on food expenses, a clear sign that the British economy was not what it used to be.
"Does this have to do with that region in the East returning?" Ian picked up on something from Miss Helena's words. Before that region returned to the embrace of the dragon, the British Empire used to plunder hundreds of billions from it every year. The people there had long suffered British exploitation and oppression.
"It's all because of those greedy lords! They're like a pack of insatiable beasts! Just wait, someday they'll all be strung up on lampposts!"
"A civilization built on plunder can never last. Their sins will end up dragging us all down!" Miss Helena really seemed to have a sharp eye.
It was as if she could already see the moment when the sun would finally set on the empire where it once never did.
"That's a rather heavy topic," Ian said. He agreed with her point of view, but felt like he was still too young to be discussing the rise and fall of the British Empire.
"Ah, there's just been too much frustrating news lately… You're right, we shouldn't talk about such things on the day you've come home." Miss Helena gently patted Ian's head.
"Actually, our orphanage life isn't too bad. There are still many kind people who donate to us, especially the gentleman who has been donating large sums of pounds to us these past few years."
"This year, he gave even more… perhaps because you got into that school. When I pressed him for details, he finally admitted, impatiently, that he's an alumnus of your school."
Miss Helena's voice was full of gratitude. "Although he's not an easy person to get along with, I'm sure he's a good man."
"Just like that professor who took you to the school, those two give me the exact same feeling." Her words made Ian's eyes flicker slightly.
"Sounds like that guy is quite the tsundere." Ian couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're absolutely right," Miss Helena immediately nodded in agreement.
"So, the Orphanage can still manage. You don't need to ask your professor to bring us your scholarship money. It's meant to help you complete your own studies."
After going in circles…
It turned out Ms. Helena just wanted to gently persuade Ian.
"Don't worry, I have enough money. My classmates at school are all great people. They really love buying my handmade crafts, and I've made quite a fortune from it."
As he spoke, Ian pulled out a wad of pound notes he had prepared in advance. To make the act more convincing, all the bills were of small denominations and appeared slightly worn, not fresh from the bank.
However…
This still aroused Ms. Helena's suspicion.
"How come I didn't know you knew how to make crafts?" She looked at the boy in front of her with a doubtful gaze, not taking the money Ian offered.
"Of course I only learned after getting into school. Turns out I'm pretty talented at it." Ian forced himself to look sincere, with not even a hint of guilt in his tone.
"Well, that makes sense. A noble school is bound to teach students all kinds of odd skills." Ms. Helena seemed to believe him, but still didn't take the money.
"Keep it for yourself. You'll have plenty of things to spend money on in the future."
She gently patted Ian on the back of his head, comforted.
She continued walking with Ian.
On the street, rainwater puddles reflected faint rays of sunlight like fragments of mirrors embedded in the cobblestone path, reflecting a city still filled with grime even after the cleansing rain.
"What's for dinner tonight?" Ian took the initiative to change the topic.
"Of course, your favorite, braised meat stew with radish and cabbage." Ms. Helena replied cheerfully.
The sunset poured molten gold across the winding paths.
The silhouettes of Head of House Helena and Ian were stretched long in the afterglow. The boy walked along the familiar streets, feeling a peace and serenity he hadn't experienced in a long time.
It was as if the months of anxiety from not being able to enter the Twilight Zone had all been relieved.
Home always had this kind of magical power.
It could smooth out all the negative emotions of a returning traveler.
"The kids have been talking about you constantly," Ms. Helena insisted on pulling Ian's suitcase, and even chose the largest one, partly out of her desire to care for the little one, and partly out of a stubborn refusal to admit aging.
Compared to how she looked when Ian was younger, the Head of House had aged considerably. Her once-beautiful golden hair had turned into a short, efficient gray-white style.
Years of toil and burden had aged this woman, barely in her early fifties, well beyond her actual years. Her hands especially looked like withered trees, full of wrinkles.
(To Be Continued…)
PS-"For every 200 power stones, I'll release one bonus chapter (Current-34)!"