By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter SS1

Bonus Short Stories

Orest’s Outlook

After seeing off the carriage, I returned to my office and slid into my favorite leather chair. I couldn’t contain an unsightly chuckle.

“Ryoma Takebayashi... He is even more interesting than I had expected. Nothing is more insightful than a face-to-face conversation.”

As I reminisced about making my acquaintance with the boy, my eyes fell on my father’s portrait hanging on the wall.

There are more people living in this world than any one individual can count.

Each and every one of them lives their own life, telling their own story.

Slave traders must treat fellow humans like products, and barter them for money.

At times, your emotions must defer to the business. But never forget that those slaves are human beings, just like us.

My father, the former president of the company, had told me those invaluable mantras numerous times; they also led me to realize what I found the most joy in.

As a child, I was more the type to stay in the house and read than to play outside. I was rather isolated, and quite far from outgoing; my reputation as the son of a slave trader hadn’t exactly helped find me any friends of similar age to me either.

One day, my father had recited his philosophy to me to mark the start of my training to eventually take over the family business. I was far too young to understand the true meanings of those words of wisdom. I took the ‘their own story’ part at face value, and my interest was piqued. The stories the slaves told me about themselves were more fascinating than any storybook I had ever read; every individual’s story, from a priest who lived a life free of worldly possessions to a ruthless criminal who never hesitated to satisfy his desires, seemed special to me. Perhaps it was because they were filled with details I was still too young to imagine, let alone understand.

As it turned out, those stories trained me better than my father could have hoped. My ability to discern an individual’s character, which I had developed naturally through satisfying my curiosity for people and their stories, had served me tremendously in my business endeavors.

“But once in a blue moon...”

There was not a single person alive who was immune to complex thoughts and emotions, but whenever a particularly intricate mind showed itself to me, it profoundly reminded me of why I loved my work.

“Foremost, he is just as hopeful a boy as his appearance suggests. Behind it, however, lies the shadow of a man who has lived a lifetime. I also caught a glimpse of a wild animal... An untamed beast. And there was so much more I couldn’t see... What life have you lived, Ryoma? How did you become who you are...? I simply must know.”

My imagination ran wild, and speculation washed over my synapses. I would have plenty of time to decipher fact from my mind’s fiction, but that could come later.

I hurried to my stationary and began to record my thoughts on the matter...