Ryusui followed behind Tsukasa. Faced with the overwhelming pressure this man gave off, he did not dare say a word.
"Have you ever thought about what life was like for the people at the bottom working for your company?" Tsukasa asked, gazing out at the sea.
"Huh?" Ryusui responded reflexively, not quite catching his meaning.
Then, once it sank in, he thought for a moment and said, "I've experienced that life myself. When I was little, I saw an exquisite wooden ship, and when I learned it was the craftsman's first work, I was absolutely thrilled.
"I immediately placed an order to buy it, but he refused. So I tried another approach, gathering the master craftsman's address and contact details. But every time I got a lead and rushed over, he was already gone. Eventually, I lost all trace of him.
"Along the way, I saw my bodyguards running themselves ragged for me, their Young Master. Even the butler I valued most was working hard on my behalf.
"That was when I started thinking that perhaps they obeyed me because I was their Young Master, not because of my abilities. After all, before that, everyone had seen me as a rich young layabout.
"In the end, I asked my family for a job and learned the ropes myself, including how to manage a company. Three years later, I took out a loan and started a small company of my own. I brought my old bodyguards and my butler with me, and we worked there together, staying busy until dark every day.
"Year after year went by, and my company finally began to pick up. It still couldn't compare to the family business, but from then on, everything I ate, wore, and used was paid for with my little company's profits.