"I will now assemble the candidates. Please wait a moment. Also, this book summarizes the fundamental knowledge regarding slave laws and contains several precautions for their handling. It is a complimentary service for first-time customers, so please, feel free to take it with you."
Once the selection of candidates was complete, Oresto placed a single book on the table and departed the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, the stifling tension in the room dissipated instantly.
"Good grief... That was exhausting."
Starting with Serge, everyone exchanged weary words of praise for a job well done.
"Still, he was an extraordinary individual," Ryoma noted.
"That’s Oresto for you... He isn't a bad person at heart, but..." Pioro trailed off.
"He is a truly difficult man," Reinhardt added.
"To have the sheer nerve to behave so freely in our presence... I can only describe it as impressive," Serge said.
"The Boss was his primary focus, but he was watching me the entire time too," Fei remarked.
Ryoma realized that was why Fei had been unusually quiet.
"I didn't expect him to have investigated me so thoroughly. Did he do the same to all of you?"
"He didn't exactly investigate us, but I think everyone here has had a similar experience," Reinhardt replied. "Take that talk about slaves who accepted sexual advances, for instance. He said that to me once before as well... and of all places, right in front of Elise."
"He said it in front of me when I had my wife and daughter there," Pioro grumbled. "Afterward, the looks they gave me—especially Miyabi, who apparently did some digging of her own—were cold enough to freeze my blood."
"That wretched habit of prying into people and baiting their reactions regardless of their status," Serge sighed. "I wonder if his eye for talent was polished because of that habit, or if he developed the habit precisely because he can read people so well. His father, the previous Chairman, often looked quite distressed by it; he was frequently moved to tears. As I mentioned before, Oresto is undeniably brilliant. What makes him so dangerous is that he uses those sharp eyes to find the exact limit before he truly enrages someone."
Apparently, Oresto calculated his audience carefully. Despite his behavior, his professional satisfaction rating remained high. If necessary, he followed up with impeccable politeness later, ensuring he never crossed a line that would fatally offend a client.
If I tried to do the same thing, Ryoma thought, I’d fail to maintain that incredible social balance and end up destroying my shop. I can’t even imagine pulling that off.
"Don't worry," Pioro said, as if reading his mind. "It’s impossible for me, too."
"His behavior is a complete waste of talent," Reinhardt said firmly. "There is no need to imitate him, nor should you ever try."
A genius and a madman are but a paper’s thickness apart, the phrase suddenly occurred to Ryoma.
"Well, we’re here, so we might as well take a short break," Reinhardt suggested.
"Indeed."
"In that case, shall we order some drinks?"
Pioro rang the service bell and placed an order with the female attendant.
Taking advantage of the lull, Ryoma decided to look through the book he had just received.
The first section covered the basics of the slave law and the handling of slaves. Contrary to the harsh connotations of the word, the slave laws in this world actually respected human rights to a significant degree. While slaves lost their freedom to choose their profession, they were permitted to set certain conditions for their buyers. They were guaranteed food, clothing, and shelter, as well as the right to medical treatment for illness or injury and regular rest. This aligned with what Ryoma had studied previously; in practice, treating them the same as regular employees would pose no legal issues.
However, his interest was piqued by the "Old Slave Law" mentioned in the text—a system born in a kingdom that no longer existed. The book detailed the history of how that old system transitioned into the current one.
The historical account was fascinating.
The general impression of the Old Slave Law—that it was a system of dehumanization and human rights violations—was entirely accurate. It had all begun in a defunct kingdom with the enactment of a new law. While slavery and related regulations had existed before then, the treatment of slaves had varied by region. What unified—and drastically worsened—that treatment was the introduction of the "Jobless Tax."
At the time, that kingdom defined a "Duty to Work" as a fundamental obligation of its citizens, much like the Constitution of Japan. Ryoma couldn't tell if this was the work of another transferer, but originally, this duty was never intended to mean forced labor. That changed entirely with the Jobless Tax.
Supposedly a policy to improve national productivity under the slogan of "Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military," the law claimed that being unemployed was not an evil, and no one would be arrested for it. However, since labor was a duty, those who did not work were neglecting that duty. If they wanted the state to permit such neglect, they were required to pay a higher tax.
Under this predatory logic, heavy taxes were unilaterally imposed, crushing the lives of the citizenry. As long as a person worked, they could escape the tax, but if a family member was unable to find employment, the burden became unbearable. For those who could not pay, the final destination was forced labor as a slave.
The introduction of this tax also granted immense power to employers. People sought work not just for a livelihood, but to escape ruinous taxation and enslavement, causing the demand for jobs to skyrocket. Employees lived in constant terror of being fired. Gradually, employers realized they could worsen working conditions with impunity, further squeezing their laborers.
The book noted that the privileged classes—nobles and clergy who authored the laws—as well as the wealthy who bribed them, were almost entirely unaffected. Since the laws were written by the elite, the situation never improved. Power became concentrated, self-correction vanished, and a series of laws were enacted that disadvantaged laborers and widened the gap between the rich and poor.
Then came the turning point.
Naturally, such a system eventually bred insurrection. A Rebel Army formed, opposing the state's methods with military force. Ultimately, the rebels crushed the National Army and the revolution succeeded. Their leader was described as a man of superhuman strength and a strategic genius who dominated every battlefield—a black-haired, black-eyed man.
Ryoma felt the distinct presence of an otherworlder in the text. While black hair and eyes weren't necessarily unique, the combination of that appearance with such overwhelming combat prowess and tactical brilliance was telling. After the war, this man became the Prime Minister and dedicated his life to pacifying the country and establishing the modern slave laws to improve human rights.
Strangely, while few documents remained regarding the man himself, his origins were clearly recorded: he was born to slaves.
“However, given the records of the era, it is highly improbable that a child born into slavery could have acquired such mastery of martial arts or military strategy. In the modern era, scholars view this as a fabrication intended to boost morale, believing him to have been a member of the privileged class who aided the rebels out of a sense of justice...”
If the man in the story was an otherworlder, Ryoma thought, his abilities and slave origin made perfect sense.
"You're reading quite intently. Is it that interesting?"
Ryoma looked up at Reinhardt’s voice to see that the female attendant had returned to the room.
"Would you like a refill on your tea?" she asked.
"Ah, yes, thank you. The history in this book is quite fascinating."
"Ah, the history of the slave laws," Reinhardt said. "Parts of it have been romanticized into a heroic epic, haven't they? Sorry for interrupting."
"No, thank you for the book."
Ryoma realized he had been so absorbed that he hadn't even noticed the woman enter. He accepted the tea and, after discussing his interest in history briefly, returned to his reading.
After the revolution succeeded, the leader focused on improving slave treatment. At the time, there were loud calls to abolish slavery entirely, but since the kingdom's economy had been built on a foundation of exploitation and slave production, an immediate abolition would have been disastrous. It would have robbed countless people of their livelihoods. Not everyone who had utilized the old system was a villain; many had simply followed the law to provide for their families.
Furthermore, there was the question of the slaves themselves. Possessing nothing, they would lose their only source of food and shelter the moment they were freed. To be cast out with nothing but the clothes on their backs would have been its own kind of death sentence.
The leader had argued that abolishing the system without a safety net would only lead to chaos and further war—that it was an irresponsible way to discard a problem the system itself had created. Thus, he and his comrades spent their lives dedicated to radical reform rather than outright abolition.
The kingdom eventually perished after the man's death, but the "New Slave Law" he had poured his soul into—a system centered on human rights—spread to neighboring countries along with the grim history of the old laws. It remained the fundamental philosophy of the slave system to this day.
"..."
The book was merely a summary of the major points. If he looked deeper, he would likely find more detailed accounts. He might even be able to learn more by asking Gain and the other gods.
But more than facts, Ryoma thought of the sheer weight of such a life. To achieve all of this must have required a journey of staggering tragedy and internal conflict.
It was a burden beyond the comprehension of someone like Ryoma, who now lived a peaceful, leisurely life.
He quietly raised the book to hide his face and offered a moment of silent prayer for his predecessor.