Selection

After much consideration, Yuga decided to follow Steven's suggestion and recruit two incense maker apprentices from the orphanage.

There was an orphanage in the Verdanturf Town, founded and supported by the League. It wasn't very large, but it had been in existence for a long time.

Yuga didn't know much about this orphanage. He only knew it was located on the other side of the town, far from the YoYo Day Care, and he had never been there.

However, after Windy's investigation, Yuga now had some understanding of this orphanage.

The orphanage was called Forest Home, and it had even extended an invitation to Akihito's younger siblings, but they had declined.

Forest Home was founded sixty years ago, and over the years, most of the orphans from Verdanturf Town had been taken in there, nurturing many homeless children.

The town's economic situation wasn't great, so the orphanage was relatively modest and financially tight.

It was only after Mayor Ishida took office that the situation improved.

Mayor Ishida had been in office for nearly twenty years, and during that time, he had allocated funds to Forest Home. However, Verdanturf Town's finances were still tight, and no matter how much funding they received, the situation at Forest Home didn't improve much.

But this year, things had gotten better, thanks to Yuga. Verdanturf Town's economic situation had improved significantly due to Yuga's efforts, and Forest Home had also benefited from increased attention and support from the League.

On this day, Yuga contacted the director of Forest Home and went there with Lain.

Lain was quite concerned about recruiting incense maker apprentices and was interested in the idea of mentoring them.

Having a capable assistant when making incense was essential for an incense maker, especially when apprentices were still learning the craft. Lain had previously relied on her Whimsicott and Lilligant as assistants.

Forest Home's director was delighted by Yuga's visit. If the children here could be selected by Yuga, their future would be secure.

Yuga had become a legendary figure in Verdanturf Town, and not only the director but even the children were eager to be chosen by him.

When Yuga arrived at the entrance of Forest Home, Director Kawahara was already waiting there.

Director Kawahara was a middle-aged woman in her fifties with long, thick hair piled on top of her head. She wore glasses and appeared gentle and approachable.

Before Yuga's visit, he had contacted Mayor Ishida. According to Mayor Ishida's introduction, Director Kawahara had taken over Forest Home when she was under thirty and had been serving as the director for over twenty years, longer than Mayor Ishida's tenure in Verdanturf Town.

She had tirelessly dedicated herself to the well-being of the children at the orphanage. She was a highly admirable person.

"Sorry for the wait, Director Kawahara," Yuga said politely, greeting her. He held deep respect for someone like her, who selflessly dedicated her youth to Forest Home.

Due to her position as the director of an orphanage, Director Kawahara had never married and had devoted almost all her youth to Forest Home.

She was originally an orphan herself but not from Verdanturf Town. She had settled in Verdanturf Town only after taking over Forest Home.

Perhaps due to her similar background, Director Kawahara could empathize with the homeless and parentless children, and that's why she had dedicated so many years of her youth to Forest Home.

"It's no problem at all, I'm delighted that you could come," Director Kawahara said with a smile, her voice somewhat colder and sharper than her appearance would suggest. Yet, it carried an inexplicable sense of security.

In addition to Director Kawahara, Yuga noticed a girl of about eighteen or nineteen standing beside her.

Seeing Yuga's gaze on the girl, Director Kawahara introduced her with a smile, "This is Ichigo, another former resident of Forest Home. She works in town now and occasionally helps me when she's free. She happened to be free today and came over to see."

Ichigo had left Forest Home to make her own way in the world. She hadn't been chosen for individual training by any company or organization.

"Hello," Yuga greeted Ichigo with a smile. The girl nodded slightly in response but didn't say much. She seemed somewhat reserved.

"Let's go inside first, and we can chat more inside," Director Kawahara suggested.

Yuga agreed, "Sure, let's go."

Director Kawahara led Yuga and Lain into Forest Home. Lain followed Yuga silently, her heart likely filled with emotions as she revisited an orphanage, even though her own upbringing had been relatively comfortable.

As they entered the courtyard of Forest Home, Yuga began to assess the environment. The orphanage was not small in terms of land area, which was expected given that it was founded with the League's support, and Verdanturf Town had plenty of land.

However, the buildings and facilities here were quite old.

Based on Yuga's observation, the building directly in front of the entrance should be the teaching building where the children attended classes. He even heard the cheerful laughter of children from inside.

Forest Home had teachers from several schools in Verdanturf Town who volunteered to teach the children every week. This practice had started during Mayor Ishida's tenure.

Mayor Ishida had indeed accomplished many practical things during his time in Verdanturf Town, but due to his limited personal abilities and the challenging conditions of Verdanturf Town, he hadn't achieved significant results.

The teaching building had two floors, but it appeared a bit worn-out. The paint and colors were fading.

To the right of the teaching building was the Forest Home cafeteria, a one-story building that was slightly newer but still not in great condition.

To the left of the teaching building was a two-story structure, and Yuga could see white bedsheets fluttering in the wind on its rooftop. This should be where the children slept.

In front of the dormitory building, there was an open area that seemed to serve as the children's play area. There were some old slides, seesaws, and other toys.

Overall, Forest Home had a large land area, few buildings, and a spacious, dilapidated environment. The conditions were not great.

"The place is a bit simple. I hope Mr. Shimizu doesn't mind," Director Kawahara said apologetically.

Yuga shook his head and replied, "It's not a problem at all. Let's first meet the children."

"Great, follow me."

Director Kawahara nodded and led Yuga and Lain into the teaching building. Since the children didn't have classes today, they were gathered in a classroom, playing games. When they saw Director Kawahara enter with guests, they happily surrounded her, calling her "Mom Director."

These children had good spirits, and it was evident they were well taken care of. However, their clothes were quite old. According to Director Kawahara, the children wore donated secondhand clothes.

After chatting with the children for a while, Director Kawahara instructed some of the older ones to take the children under ten years old out of the classroom. Yuga wouldn't be selecting apprentices younger than ten,

unless their circumstances were exceptional, as children under ten couldn't leave the orphanage.

"I wonder if Mr. Shimizu has any specific requirements for selecting apprentices?" Director Kawahara asked, now that the children had been taken care of.

The children had just been informed of Yuga's identity, and they were all looking curiously at Yuga and Lain. Even the children who had been taken out of the classroom were peering through the windows, eager to see what was happening.

Yuga observed these children, and those who met his gaze straightened their backs, hoping to be chosen. However, some of them remained timid.

The remaining children were mostly between the ages of ten and thirteen, with a few older ones who seemed to be around fourteen or fifteen.

"As long as they are diligent and honest, I think they should be fine. It's best if they have an interest in making incense. I don't know the children well, so Director Kawahara, could you recommend two suitable candidates?" Yuga asked.

He was confident that Director Kawahara knew the children at Forest Home better than he did. If she could recommend two suitable candidates, it would save Yuga a lot of trouble.

Yuga listened as Director Kawahara introduced two children, a boy named Sean, twelve years old, and a girl named Kano, fifteen years old. Both children were described as hardworking and honest. Their interest in incense-making was uncertain, but Sean was noted to have talent in nurturing plants.

When Sean heard Director Kawahara call his name, his eyes lit up with enthusiasm, indicating his sharpness. He seemed genuinely happy at the prospect of being selected.

However, Yuga couldn't help but notice something odd when he looked at the girl named Kano. At fifteen, she was considered quite old for an orphanage, as children typically couldn't stay beyond sixteen. Her face didn't show much joy; in fact, she seemed reluctant to be chosen.

Sensing Yuga's gaze, Kano hesitated and then, turning to Director Kawahara, asked in a stammering voice, "Dean, can I not go?"

Director Kawahara became very agitated upon hearing what Kano had to say.

"You're not going? Do you want to wait until you're forced to leave later? How stubborn can you be?" she exclaimed.

"But... but..." Kano's voice quivered as she responded to the Director Kawahara's scolding.

"There's no 'but.' As long as Kiko is staying here, what do you have to worry about? Do you think I would mistreat him? If you keep procrastinating like this, you're not just ruining your own future. When Kiko finds out it's because of him that his sister achieved nothing, what do you think he'll feel?" the headmistress sternly replied.

Director Kawahara's conversation with Kano left Yuga and Lain bewildered, but judging by the expressions of the headmistress and the other children, it seemed like they were all aware of Kano's situation.

Fortunately, Director Kawahara promptly explained the circumstances to Yuga and Lain.

It turned out that Kano had a younger brother named Kiko, who also resided at Forest Home. Kano was fifteen, and Kiko was eight. When their parents had passed away, Kano was still young, and Kiko had just been born.

Although they did have relatives, the closest ones were their uncles. When their parents passed away, the uncle wasn't initially willing to adopt both Kano and Kiko. After negotiations, he agreed to take in one of them, and Kano sacrificed her chance to stay behind to care for her younger brother, who was still a baby at the time.

However, Kano later visited her uncle's home and discovered that he mistreated Kiko, both physically and verbally. This led to a falling out, and her uncle declared that he would no longer take care of Kiko and intended to cast him out.

Not willing to see her brother mistreated, Kano returned to Forest Home with Kiko in tow. At the time, she was already eleven years old, and the prospect of leaving the orphanage was approaching. Her exemplary qualities caught the attention of various companies looking to recruit, but she gave up those opportunities to take care of Kiko.

As the years passed, she missed many opportunities, and now, at fifteen, she had already surpassed the ideal age for recruitment by most companies. Companies typically recruited and trained individuals from a very young age to ensure loyalty and confidentiality, such as with the secret recipe for YoYo's Pokéblocks.

Yuga understood that Kano's life had been significantly affected due to her devotion to her brother. She had sacrificed her own opportunities and was now at a disadvantageous age for recruitment.

While Yuga pondered this, he noticed a young boy outside the classroom who bore a striking resemblance to Kano, and he appeared anxious.

"Kano, you must understand that Kiko will grow up eventually. You can't protect him forever. Moreover, this job is located in Verdanturf Town, so you can come back to visit him anytime,"

Director Kawahara earnestly advised Kano, but Kano remained tight-lipped, tears welling up in her eyes.

Just then, Kiko suddenly pushed open the classroom door and rushed in, shouting at Kano:

"Sister, please agree! I can take care of myself; I've grown up."

Kiko looked anxious, fearing that his sister might miss this rare opportunity.

"Big brother, please accept my sister. She's really talented."

Seeing Kano's silence, Kiko turned to Yuga with a pleading expression.

Yuga was about to say something, but before he could, Kano spoke up.

"Do you just want to watch your little brother worry and plead for you? Do you really think this is for his own good?"

When Lain looked at Kano, there was a hint of frustration in her tone.

In truth, according to Yuga's thinking, if Kano didn't want to go, he didn't want to force her. He didn't like Kano's style of doing things either. But since Lain had spoken, he didn't feel the need to say more.

"Have you ever thought that if you continue like this, you'll become a burden to your little brother in the future? Do you want him to carry the guilt of the burden of his sister for the rest of his life?"

Seeing Kano's silence, Lain's words became sharper, cutting into Kano's heart like a knife.

"I didn't... I didn't..."

Kano clenched her lips, looking stubborn.

Seeing Lain act this way, Yuga found it quite strange, thinking it shouldn't be like this. If someone doesn't want to, forcing them won't lead to anything good.

Anyway, Yuga didn't consider himself a particularly kind person, nor did he have a strong inclination to save others. Life just didn't interest him.

Director Kawahara said, "Don't worry, Kano. I'll take good care of Kiko. He's almost ten now, and you can take him back whenever you want. We're all in the same town, after all."

Under Lain' encouragement and Kawahara's persuasion, Kano finally agreed to become an apprentice at the YoYo Day Care.

The decision was made by Lain herself, and although Yuga wasn't entirely satisfied with Kano, he didn't say much since it was Lain taking on an apprentice.

For the other apprentice, Yuga took the lead in choosing a boy named Sean, who had been recommended by Director Kawahara.

Yuga was quite pleased with this child, as he was clever, lively, and seemed genuinely straightforward.

After selecting the apprentices, Yuga didn't immediately take them with him. Instead, he allowed them to stay at the Forest House to attend to their personal matters, bid farewell to their families, pack their belongings, and then return in a few days to join him.

On the way back, Yuga sensed that Lain' mood was off. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he saw her furrow her brow and hold back her words.