beta
While I love thinking about what happened before the collapse, I am so much more curious about the future - and by extension so worried too. The MC has become very important to ML, but because the town citizens will do anything to ensure the ML is not angered/bothered, this does not bode well for MC. This is how their dependence on the MC will start, with small things that they hope the MC may influence - but it may extend to other things. The town's people may even force the MC to stay in the village or may even lock him up, to ensure that ML does not become upset/do something reckless if MC is gone.
But interestingly, I think MC may not be able to convince ML. That'll begin MC's second spiral, maybe we'll learn about his past. But man, the consequences are going to be interesting to see.