Quantum Leap Vol 8 Harris Treaty July 29, 1858

The last moment that I saw that etched on my mind forever was Hiko-sama, Saika, Miko and Nekoyasha, were talking in the garden right after they had left me in the living room. I was standing by the doorway looking at them and sort of putting my hand out to wave and bade them farewell as the blue light started to envelop me from my centre mass. The blue light had a warm and fuzzy feeling as it spreads out to my fingers and toes. I closed my eyes in anticipation as I would not know where I would end up after this. As the feeling died down, I slowly opened up my eyes and slowly adjusted to the light and blurry figures in front of me. When everything had focused, I was shocked...! Here I was... Back in the Edo period...! In the doorway of the house belonging to Hiko Seiko...! "Eeeehhh...?!? What happened right now...?!? I am supposed to Leap to another era, but why am I still here...?!?" I looked at my hands and feet and it still remained like a kid. I looked at my clothes and it was still fitting for a child. I subconsciously grope for my crotch and found that I still have my Odachi and nuggets...! "Why...?! Max...! Where the f**k are you...?! Why am I still here...?! I thought the leap would take me elsewhere... Where are you, Max...?! Goddammit...!!!" "Oi... Kid!! What the hell are you mumbling and talking to yourself about...? You are still here... So why are you asking 'Why am I still here?'... You didn't go anywhere and you were standing at the doorway like for a few minutes already... Come here and sit here and have a cup with me... " I was stupified and shocked. I really don't know how to explain these things, even to the readers out there. It never happened before and once I Leap, I would end up somewhere else in another body. But now... I'm back in Harune Yokoso's body... There was a leap but why did I come back here again? Is there a bug in the system? Normally Max would be here to explain or maybe in chapters to come. But right now there's no other explanation but I was already now on the first chapter of volume two of this novel again. Would there be another close to 100 chapters for this series alone before I make a successful Leap? I walked slowly and plopped down on the stool next to Hiko-sama. "Hey, kid... What were you mumbling about just now? You didn't go anywhere... You were just standing at the doorway looking at us and somehow said you were here again? What actually happened?" "Errr... I don't know Sensei...! I was supposed to Leap and leave this place and to go to another dimension, but yet I still ended up here in this era. Is there I need to do more in order to make a successful Leap?" I explained as I was virtually scratching the top of my head as well as my face as if I had sudden itchiness that needs to be scratched out viciously. "You were scratching like a monkey, right now. Leap? You mean you were supposed to leave this body and travel to another place, is that what you were trying to say to us?" "Yeah, Sensei... It is supposed to be like that but I ended back in this body again... Errr... Did anything changed in that few minutes when I'm 'gone'?" "Keh...this kiddo must be dreaming...! He just brought us to the Realm of Mind and then back here again and he ends up like a cuckoo...! Hey kid, are you alright up there?" Nekoyasha was pointing at his own head with one of his long fingernails and was gesturing and looking at me. I looked at him with a rather comical look as I was sitting there and not knowing what to explain. The whole Leap just now was unexplainable and unfathomable. Hiko-sama poured me a cup of yumeshu and I took a sip, hoping to clear my mind and plan ahead. If I am still stuck in this body, means there are things that I need to accomplish, right? Thinking back I think there are three issues that I need to address right now. One issue is the building of the warehouses and Deployment of new employees, the next is the drawings that I promised to Kaneko to make it as a gift, and the next is Izumi. Urrrghhh... My head is splitting right now thinking of all these things that just happened after my Leap. "Must be a bug in the system that causes this." I thought to myself as I reflect back on what I need to do in this fresh chapter. " Harune, you looked troubled. Is there you wanted to share? Your secrets are safe with us. The Sekai No Dairiseki is safe where it belonged there in the Realm of Mind." Saika asked as she looked at me quizzically and was wondering why I looked so glum after leaving the Realm of Mind. "Yes, Harune. You can share with us what's troubling you." Miko remarked as she looked worried at me, which was lively the moment before and now had turned glum all of a sudden. "It is this Leap. When the system or my guardian thinks that I had accomplished a certain set of tasks, I would immediately leave this body and jump to the next, God knows where and the era that I would be transmigrated." "But after I made the Leap, I ended up in the same body and era and as though its a continuity of a Leap, that I myself can't explain, at this moment. Whatever is the matter, I think I just continue what I am supposed to do right now." "Oh... I myself don't know what to say but the light on your forehead seems to be a bit diminished, not like the first time I saw it." Saika advised me as she saw the five-pointed star that represents my Third Eye seems to be a bit dim after the leap. I guessed I worried too much though. "Let me wash up and return, be right back..." I excused myself and went to the kitchen area which was now bare without the rocket stove that I had it removed for the outdoor kitchen to use. I reached for the Karada Soap and washed my face at the sink. The invigorating and refreshed feelings came back after a while and I felt rejuvenated after I had rinsed my face I reached for a face towel and was handed to me and when I looked, it was Max. "Goddamit Max...! What happened back there? Why was I still here after making the leap?" "Well, Sam... This IS your current Leap. Seems you have to carry on what you were supposed to do and then make another Leap when everything is accomplished. I guessed the system needs you to be here to ensure everything is smooth." "Gawwwwdddd... Luckily I didn't Leap before the time and got stuck in the snow again. Sheeesh Max...! I could have a heart attack thinking that I have to restart all over again." "That's all to it now. I'd be catching up with you soon or you could come over to my trailer right after this and grab a Starbucks Frappuccino if you wished to. Toddles Doo my friend..." With that, Max disintegrated into particles before he totally vanished on the kitchen area. I replaced the towel and joined the rest. "You looked much better now, Harune. Your light seems brighter than just now." Miko mentioned to me as she saw a dramatic change from my gloomy appearance earlier. "Well, it seems so right? Hmm... Anyone hungry at this moment?" I looked at the one and it showed close to midday and I saw Kaneko and Enyo walking towards us with a huge sketchpad that the latter was carrying. " Harune, we're back...! Look at what we got from the stationery shop...! This is the biggest sketchpad that was sold there..." Enyo placed the sketchpad aside and the duo joined us at the garden. I glanced back and saw the 'aunties' preparing lunch and was bringing them over for us as we anticipated what's for lunch today.   =*= During lunch, I looked through my sketchpad and found everything that I had written down was still there. Thank God...! I thought that this series I would have to start from scratch again... So right now, I have to regard my Leap as successful and began to continue the life if Harune Yokoso. I looked at Kaneko and his oversized sketchpad the was almost 4 to 5 times his height. "Kaneko, you can manage to draw on that sketchpad soon? It's so big... How can you manage?" Kaneko looked me midway from his lunch and said that he would use a clean cloth to slide over as he draws. This is to prevent the sketchpad from being smeared. He would do a rough sketch first and then would be adding the shades et cetera. A single drawing like this would be completed in a week for his father's original form as a fox. I nodded as he explained how he would be drawing and since the sketchpad is large, it would normally take him about a week to complete the project. " Harune, what would you be doing here in this town while we're gone for expeditions? Won't you get bored or something while we're all gone?" Enyo asked as he missed the same age travelling buddy when on the last expedition. As he had his sister, the feelings were different as there's no one of the same age to talk and fool around. "I would be busy here for the next month or so. This little town needs me and Hiko-sama, the execom members as well as the Plant Managers. We would be having another 24 warehouses on top of the existing 12 this we have, we would be promoting a total of 216 employees to become the Plan Supervisors and Assistants." "Once the warehouses are in place, we would be relocating the production lines in a cluster of 3 per lot. Then the recruitment of a total of 3600 more people for the line production employees. A total of 24 female cooks and assistants. 240 male support personnel and security guards." "There will be a 2 storey dojo and 2 storey business conference buildings with spaces for dormitory and a 3 storey community building here. So we would be needing another 30 male support employees and 12 more female cooks." "That would sum up to be approximately 6000 employees per 24 hours shift that includes the Youkai Taijiya members, cavalrymen, and the guards at the outpost. This number of employees would have covered the entire outermost residents and the surge if new residents as well." "Wow...! 6000 employees? That's the whole number of working adults in the whole of the outermost residents! You really can manage all this alone?" "Nothing is achievable without the assistance of Hiko-sama, the 4 Execom Members, the 6 Plant Managers and also the 216 Plant Supervisors and Assistants." "A lion can stand in a mountaintop alone, but it would need an army to hold it in place. I can't be doing this alone, I need the assistance from all those around me to make it possible." "Just like you, Saika-Chan... You need to have some people backing you up in case you meet with a nemesis that you can't face alone, right? No one can achieve something alone and many hands make the work lighter." Saika and the rest nodded in comprehension and was so surprised earlier when I mentioned the total amount of residents that make up the total number of employees.