Chapter 25: Logi(The doggo's) Training!

Three shadows emerged on Logi, one with curly hair, one with short hair and one with pigtails. Their expressions were all grim as if they were in deep thoughts. "Is it really gonna work?" Randi crossed her arms.

"I don't know...He's still acting like a puppy roll." said Erland, rubbing his chin.

"We can't give up though. Logi! bring me that stick!" said Tove and threw a stick.

The three of them were at a park with Erland's dog Logi. Logi has turned into a distinguish and bold dog who is cheerful all the time. Yet, because of the over-pampering, he has lost his natural ability to hunt.

After Tove threw the stick at him, he dodged it and woofed casually as if he knows that he has done a good job.

"The hell's with that casual woof?...*sigh* At least he's cute." said Erland.

"This really isn't working...We've been trying for an hour." Tove sat on the ground as if her legs are too tired to keep her standing up.

Erland kept his hands on his hips and looked at Randi. "Well, Randi. We were supposed to talk to Hilda about something." 

"Huh? Yeah. She said no because she hates going out these days." said Randi.

"That's bad. It's gonna turn real bad. You need to touch some grass everyday no matter what!" Tove yelled out.

Suddenly, someone went towards them and asked,

"What's the ruckus about?"

It was no one but Halfdan. His black hair wasn't greasy that day and he wore simple tunic. Still, his gigantic figure was enough to tell that he was still in sports.

Erland smiled faintly. "Oh hey Halfdan. We are trying to train my doggo Logi but...it isn't really working out. I tried to take him to my employer and ask but we can't really find a time to train him after all the work. She's a mother so it's hard for her." 

Halfdan rubbed his chin. "That's troublesome. What's wrong with having a cute doggo who doesn't know how to hunt though? I mean Arise likes it-"

Erland interrupted. "Just because your fiancee likes cute pups doesn't mean that I have to as well. I LOVE cute pups but I can't just let Logi forget what he is. HE IS A BREED WHO CAN HUNT DOWN BEARS!!!"

"Also, having a dog who cannot do much is troublesome. We don't want to pamper him much. Even though he's a dog he has to prove himself useful...somehow.(If he doesn't its still okay but it will be troublesome for us...)" said Randi. What he said in her mind was unknown to the people around so they all had the same thought. "(Randi's ruthless.)"

"It's helpless then." Tove frowned but in a second, her face lit up with a wide smile. "Hey, how about we take him to the director? Yeah, she's cool and can do loads of things, so she might be able to help." 

"Um...she is cool yes but it doesn't mean that she might be able to help. Does she have any experience?" said Erland.

"Nope! But anyway, let's go." Tove got up from the ground and run away. Logi being as cheerful as Tove, ran away expressing his cheer with a woof as well. And along with the two, Erland and Randi walked away as well.

"Hey, why are you guys leaving me?" said Halfdan. 

Erland waved. "Bye! Let's talk some other time!" 

Rather confused about whether to follow them or stay, Halfdan accepted the sudden abandonment and waved as well. "Bye..."

After quiet a long time, the trio and the dog reached the orphanage. Erland has become familiar with the place and everyone now views him and his family as their own.

In the director's office, the director was rubbing her chin and wondering.

"I see. So you want to train your dog." said the director.

"Hm." Erland nodded.

Liv nodded. "Let me spend some time with him first. I can't train him if he doesn't know me well."

"Let's play then!" Tove smiled and right at the moment, Randi disagreed, seeming cold and indifferent as usual.

"I can't. I have work to do." said Randi and walked out of the office.

"Understandable...Have a great day." said Liv with a genuine smile.

"You were supposed to stop her." said Erland.

They went in the middle of the field. Everyone was pleased to see a charming dog in their place. Because of such intense cuddling and playing, they didn't have any chance to train him. 

On the next day:

"So this is what happened." said Erland, looking down, propping his head with both of his hands, hiding his face filled with embarrassment while standing beside Hilda.

"Mhm..." Hilda kept washing the clothes.

Erland showed his face and yelled. "Oy, say something!"

Hilda sighed. "What am I supposed to say?" 

"Let's go outside. Please..." Erland gave her sister puppy eyes.

"No-"

"Pretty please..." His puppy eyes were sparkling.

"Seriously? That again?" Hilda frowned, trying to resist the puppy eyes.

"Pweaaaaaaaaaaaaasseeeeeeeeee."

"Ugh. Okay, just for today when I finish my work. Aren't you gonna go to work today?"

Erland got back to his usual self. "Oh, yeah. Oh Lords- I forgot...Goodbye!" Erland ran out of the bathroom.

Hilda sighed and spoke the words in a whispering tone. "Bye..."

The day passed without any incident. Hilda didn't go with him and did her works like everyday. And Erland being Erland, forgot about it as well.

"Oy, Randi." said Erland while lying on the floor, staring at the celling like a tired homeless man, except he has a celling to look at.

"What?" Randi lied down on the floor as well, looking tired as well.

"Let's start a business of our own. Hilda will join later when we slowly make her do some work."

Randi widened her eyes and turned her head towards Erland with slight shock. "It almost scared me because it came from you."

"I'm not dumb!" Erland frowned.

Randi sat up. "Let's think of a business plan then. I'll think of it quietly and you will gather thoughts of others. Deal?"

Erland got up from the ground as well and nodded boldly with a proud smile. "Deal."

Erland rushed out of the house with his notebook just to look professional. He has gotten familiar with the place so his family now lets him out sometimes.

He asked the shopkeepers he knows. The ones who sell stationaries told him to make a paper business. The ones who sell fruits and vegetables told him to sell pesticides or something similar to that which will help the plants to grow well. In the end, he didn't get any useful idea. So he now started to gather thoughts on what the people of Gaion lacks.

"Erland. Why at this hour? Come in." said Svend as he looked at Erland entering his chamber.

"Why is the hospital so empty?" said Erland as he closed the door.

"It's because most of the employees have taken a break for the summer and the patients....Well, it's summertime so not many of them are getting sick. The patients you see now are the ones with serious illnesses."

"I see. Can I bother you for a moment then? I need some thoughts of people."

Svend frowned slightly. "Thoughts of people..." Svend laughed faintly. "Why don't you ask others while I'm working. I will leave after an hour or two."

"Okay." Erland left without any pleasantries. 

Svend sighed and began to fill in some papers. "I gave my boy post traumatic disorder...he still thinks that I hate pleasantries..." 

Erland sat beside the nurse who gives him candies last time. She was on her day off but she came to visit the hospital because of the short of people working there.

An hour and half has passed.

"(Good grief...So the people in Gaion has literally everything. They has clothes, fancy mall, enough foods, water...But they don't have any school and most of them are homeschooled. Someone told this to me years ago. She or he also told me that many people can't acquire knowledge or get their dream job because their family thinks that it's troublesome...)"

Erland's eyes widened as he came at a realization. "(Right...)"

Erland got up from the chair. His eyes were full of hope. He ran to his house, opened the door and yelled out to Randi making a dramatic entrance,

"Gaion doesn't have a place to learn!!!"

"What?" said Randi who was peeling an apple at that time. She seemed confused and rather annoyed to be interrupted suddenly by something she didn't think would be coming.

Erland calmed himself down and closed the door. "You know...a place where they can learn stuffs. Most parents don't let their kids find their interests because they think that it's troublesome or whatever."

Randi looked away and started to peel the apples again. "Huh? What does it have to do with business..." She too had a sudden realization in her mind. "(Oh wait. I'm gonna teach them freely. Then they will get interested in several districts such as singing, playing or stuffs. They has to give me enough fees for that. When it grabs attention, we might even gets funds from others and as well as the government. Oh yes, if we do it along with the government then it's a win win. No one will be on our way.) Erland! My precious little brother. My little smart cookie." Randi smiled with endearment in her words as if she is incredibly pleased.

Erland backed away looking frightened. "That sounds so creepy coming from you."

Randi's face became grim in a second. "Say it again."

"N-no ma'am. I didn't say anything, definitely not." said Erland shaking his head.

Randi got back to her usual self. "Well then. I'll organize my thoughts about this. Erland, it's your day off today. No studying for today. If you wish to then you can, no one will stop you."

"Ah, yes.(Wait a minute...I totally forgot the matter to train Logi.)

He stood in the middle of the house, expressionlessly. He went back to normal and rushed to the backyard, since it is where Logi's house is. The moment Logi saw him, he ran towards him and started licking him as Erland kneeled.

"*sigh* Logi!" said Erland.

"Woof?" Logi tilted his head.

"Let's go to dad with me." Erland stood up. 

"Wrrwoof!"

They both went to Erik's workplace and stood at a safe distance from him as he was working.

"Dad, can you spare some time for us?" said Erland.

"Bjorne, handle it for a moment, will you?" said Erik and kept his work at halt for a moment. "What is it?" Erik asked.

"Can you please hold this piece of meat like this. You are pretty tall so kneeling this much will be enough." said Erland and handed him a piece of meat also showing him how much to kneel.

"Alright. What now?" said Erik and took the meat as he followed Erland's instruction.

"Logi. Look here, jump and catch it!"

Logi jumped towards Erik and tried to catch it. He failed and somehow wounded Erik.

"S-sorry." Erland became worried as he saw his decision fail miserably.

"It's fine. One more time." said Erik and held the piece of meat up again.

He placed his hand lower this time. But still, Logi did the same thing with no remorse, as if it was a game to him. One has doubt that he even understood that his owner was getting hurt by him.

"Logi! You aren't even trying...you're hurting dad this way. If you hurt dad again then no tasty foods for you." Erland frowned and crossed his arms with a bold frown.

Logi looked down as if he has been hurt. Erik once again tried it. This time, he succeeded. After a moment of brief silence, they cheered for their success whilst Erik's employees were standing at a distance talking about them.

"What's up with boss today?"

"I don't know. Seeing a big ass man like him cheering on a small matter is...scary..."

Another employee came from behind and said,

"That's our boss for ya. He's like this all the time. You two are new so its weird for you two."

"O-oh..." They both smiled awkwardly.

It was time for everyone to sleep as dusk has settled on mother earth. Erland as always, lied down on his bed and started pondering like every night as he visualized his thoughts.

"(At least we could make some progress. I wonder when I'm gonna hear from Randi. I don't see that shadow very often these days. Is he plotting something?...I could also be wrong. There has been a great misunderstanding after all...)"

Erland turned around in bed. "(If I try getting involved with the government or stuff, I'm gonna stand out too much. And the result?...My peaceful life will be ruined...I still don't find a peace of mind though. At first it was something unknown but now I feel like there's another one...I can't brush off the matter about Arne no matter how much I try. I can just forget someone easily knowing that he's my brother. He's been going too far with all these spying and all but...he just wanted a place to call home right?...)"

Erland grabbed onto his own pillow. "(I don't know...How about...I try to tell him something like, 'Hey, even though they will never know that we are family, we can still be good friends. We can still be close...right?'...Should I try?...But...What if I drag something else in my life?)"

Gunhild stared at her son from the door holding a candle, waiting to tell him that Erland has lied down on a sheet that was covered in Logi's urine. Good grief, Erland couldn't notice it because of his carelessness and because of the lack of light. He fell sound asleep on it.

"E-Erland! Wake up!" Gunhild yelled out.