By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7, Episode 7: The Walk Home

Carme and I walked in silence for some time, until I eventually decided I had to break that silence with an apology.

“Sorry I told you to shut up back there, Carme. It was definitely rude of me.”

“I know you didn’t really mean it. But answer me this...why did you act the way you did?” Carme asked quietly. He seemed to be stifling quite a bit of anger; not that I could blame him.

“I just couldn’t have you interrupting me,” I explained. “I was afraid that my shop and everyone involved with it would end up being stigmatized. I dunno what kind of crap Wanz was planning to drum into them, but I figured that if we weren’t going to cooperate, that’d end up labeling our shop as being run by a selfish little punk who won’t help his community.”

Rejecting a business venture based on inadequate info or unfavorable terms was nothing that didn’t happen in business on a daily basis. The onus lay with the people who proposed the venture in the first place, after all. Since the vibe in that conference room basically amounted to “you’re either with us or against us,” refusal to cooperate would have gotten us ostracized pretty quickly.

“One could call it a refusal to cave to pressure, but back there, it would have basically been tantamount to being an agitator. I decided to stand up to Wanz, and I came out as the heel. I only did that because I had to be the heel, and I didn’t want to drag you into that too.”

“I suspected as much.” Carme sighed. “Honestly, I also had a hunch that Wanz was talking out the side of his neck. It seems that, for all his bluster about working together and staying secure, he may have an ulterior motive. It seems like a reach that our whole shop would be stigmatized, but I could definitely tell that they would’ve singled us out if we refused their offer. We don’t need our reputation in this city sullied; there’s nothing to gain from that. So when you shut me down, I was confused, but I complied. You wanted to show that it was your executive decision for us to walk away; you adopted that attitude as part of your character. They do say a bad first impression is more powerful, after all. Surely many grown-ups would have a bad taste in their mouth seeing a kid they don’t know talk to them like that. I mean, I thought you were a noble child trying to run a shop as a hobby myself at first, so I assume people there saw you in the same light. Ergo, by showing them how I listen to what you say, it gives off the impression that you’re holding something over my head, ensuring they know that leaving the meeting was entirely your call.”

“I’m just glad I have such a brilliant employee who can pick up whatever I put down.”

“Do you think this is a bloody game?!” Carme shouted at me, something he’d never done before as long as we’d known each other. I understood that it stemmed from his concern for me, and it pained me to see that I was responsible for the look on his face.

But I stayed firm.

“No, I don’t. I trust you, Carme; I know I could leave the shop to you if something were to happen. The shop can survive without me. All it needs is cleaner slimes, you, and our employees. I’m sure that Bamboo Forest will do just fine without me.”

“So it’s all right for you to fall on your sword, then? Why do you always do this to yourself?!”

“Sometimes I have to make that call. With great power comes great responsibility; a boss has to protect his employees. At least, that’s how I feel. But quitting is my absolute last resort.”

“Still...! Wait, last resort?”

“Of course. Is that so surprising? Just because I’m prepared for the worst doesn’t mean I’m gonna let everything I’ve worked for go to waste. I won’t go down without a fight.”

That conference was rather akin to a bear trap—once you put your foot in it, you weren’t getting out without a scratch. Although we were shrewd enough to see through the trap and got out while we could, we still refused to take part in their endeavor, which must have given the attendees who were agreeing with Wanz a bad impression. I’d experienced more than my fair share of the pushback that comes with going against the majority, as well as the risk and retaliation involved, so I wanted to be ready to fall on the metaphorical sword if need be. That was my duty as their boss, not to mention the right thing to do. That being said...

“The possibility of us being stigmatized is just that—a possibility. We don’t know what will happen, so I have no intention of giving myself up before it’s necessary. Besides, it’s not like I’ve done anything illegal. Even if it comes to that, you’ll be the manager in name, and I’ll give my take on the business and receive a portion of the profit as the financial backer; pretty much the same system we have now.”

Even if we could no longer do business in Gimul, we could just move the shop to another town, like Gaunago. Reinhart personally asked me to set up a branch in Gaunago when the right opportunity appeared, and fortunately for us, none of the employees in the Gimul branch, save for Dolce, the security guard, were from Gimul. They would have gotten into the routine by now after working here for a year, but I doubted any of them had any special attachment to the city. Both Gimul and Gaunago were in Jamil’s territory, and they were close enough for Dolce to come home to Gimul regularly. Of course, I would have to ask how everyone felt about it. This was just an example of a potential countermeasure we could take.

“So what I’m trying to say is...I understand you’re worried about me, but please don’t make such a face. Let’s focus on what we can do moving forward, so we can avoid the worst case scenario. We need to reassess our situation so we can make the correct move, especially after we’ve screwed up. And I need your help for that. Can you do this for me?” I asked.

Carme silently opened and closed his mouth a few times, his expression shifting at each attempt. He didn’t seem to know whether to be sad or angry. After a long exhale, Carme finally spoke.

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“I was the one who asked in the first place, and I now see that you might have been speaking of the ‘worst-case scenario’ the whole time.”

“Right.”

“I admit I jumped to conclusions on my end. But let me say this—you certainly didn’t help with my misunderstanding!”

“I’m sorry.” That’s all I could say.

Carme let out another sigh. “I’m just frustrated. Just the other day, I told you that I’m here to support you.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Today, I nearly allowed myself to be manipulated by that Wanz character, and almost made you consider sacrificing yourself for the shop. Furthermore, you said everything I should have come up with myself as your assistant. We may not have time to dwell on the past, but are you sure you want me in this role?” Carme gave a weak laugh. “This may sound strange coming from me, but you are still young, and it didn’t seem like many people at that conference would outsmart you... Do you believe you are on equal footing with Serge as a merchant?”

“Oh, no! Master Serge has a great deal more experience than me. I wouldn’t dare entertain the idea.”

“That’s what I figured. Serge has experienced many successes, and has overcome many failures. Compared to him, even the two of us together are quite inexperienced. But we can change that; we still have plenty of time to gain more experience and learn new things.”

“Yes... You’re right,” Carme said. “But it’s rather mysterious... It’s times like this I get the feeling that you’re older than me.”

I chuckled nervously in response, but Carme didn’t dwell on it.

“As callow as I am, when I say that I am here to support you, I mean every word of it. I would love to hear more about your philosophy on how a boss should be, perhaps at a later date. If you’ll keep me on, sir, I hope we can continue working together.”

“Likewise.”

“That said, I still need to discuss some things with you, including your choice to set up that self-sacrifice. You’ll need to set some time aside for that.”

“What?”

“I have also been instructed by Master Serge and the duke to inform them if anything happens, so I will be reporting what happened to them.”

“Report?! Don’t you work for me, Carme?!”

“I do, but I still have some acquaintances... It will merely be friendly gossip. After all, who doesn’t like to gossip about their boss’s bothersome habits?”

Okay, fair enough, it’s not like he’s gonna be telling them confidential info, but I can’t tell whether he’s actually upset or just trying to tease me in retaliation!

“Uh, I only said we’re preparing for a possible worst-case scenario... It’s not like that scenario is actually real right now, is it?”

“Then surely you wouldn’t mind me sharing that information.”

“Can’t we talk about this?”

“About our next move? Certainly. At the very least, we won’t be showing our faces in that conference again...”

Carme continued to prod me as we continued down the street. Guess I got what I deserved there...

“Huh? Are we expecting any guests today?” I asked as the shop came into view.

“Guests? Are you trying to change the topic again?”

“Nope. Look over there.”

Three unfamiliar carriages were parked in the empty lot next to the shop. I feared the worst, but I didn’t sense any immediate danger, and neither did the weed slimes I’d hidden in the bushes on the lot, evidently.

“That is strange... I don’t imagine three carriages would just park there at random.”

“Let’s see what’s going on inside the shop.”

When we made our way in...

“Welcome back, Master Ryoma.”

“Hey, Ryoma! You’re looking pretty good!”

I was greeted by Lulunese, the duke’s maid, and Hughes, as well as many other acquaintances waiting for me inside the shop.