Sitting on a small stool, Suss pinched his beard and crossed his short little legs.
"You know, I originally thought you would be very difficult to get along with."
"All I know is that people outside have some profound misunderstandings about me."
"Mostly because of the things you've done. It's hard not to draw those sorts of connections."
"That's the most frustrating part. In many things, I had no choice."
"Yes, I can understand that. Everyone runs into similar situations. It's just that you're a little unusual. Do you know how?"
"Because, judging by the results, I seem never to have lost."
"You're being modest. It's not that you've never lost, but that you've always won.
"As long as you keep winning, people can easily feel that those things you had no choice but to do were actually all planned by you. That's human nature. Even without any real evidence, most people will self-righteously believe that their first impression is absolutely correct."
"That's true."
"On top of that, you're still very young. Youth itself carries a fixed impression. Do you understand?"
"I do."
"So, whenever I thought about becoming your superior and working with you, I felt a great deal of pressure."
"You can relax a little."
"I'm relaxed now. From our interactions since you walked through the door, I've confirmed that the impression people have of you really is a misunderstanding. You'll be very easy to get along with."
"Though I'm glad to see that, I'm still curious. Isn't your change of heart a little hasty?"
"Hasty? No, not at all. I just think that if I were in your position, knowing I would probably never be promoted in my lifetime and would be stuck here forever, I wouldn't remain so courteous and careful. Yes, I wouldn't be this