Chapter 324 - Opportunity and Ability

The next day, Mil and I ask Aaron.

Aaron is thinner than before and his skin is no longer shiny.

He is over 70 years old now, after all…

In this day and age, that’s quite a long life.

I wonder if we will be saying goodbye to him soon.

Aaron looked at us and smiled.

“My lord and lady, it has been a long time.”

“It’s been a while. I am glad to see you are well.”

Aaron smiled benignly.

“It’s been a long time, too. First of all, congratulations on the victory of Ravenna.”

“Thank you very much. We’re not in a situation where we can feel safe yet, though.”

Aaron looked at me and nodded quietly.

“I believe you’re nineteen years old now. I am surprised that you are so cautious at that age. Old people discourage young people from becoming popular. I guess you’ve been deprived of that kind of fun. In three years, you not only leveled the country but also created a new society. Thank God I have a good story to tell my late wife.”

I honestly don’t know how to respond to this.

Should I laugh it off as a joke or take it seriously?

Aaron saw that I was having a hard time and started laughing.

“In times like this, you just have to make appropriate responses.”

“I tend to overthink things.”

“But still … we were all uneducated people, and now we are all involved in some kind of complicated politics. It is a strange thing. Was Ravenna hiding so many brilliant people?”

Actually, that’s not the case.

I give Aaron a small smile.

“A lot of people could do it if they had the opportunity. They just haven’t had the opportunity until now.”

I don’t believe there are that many differences in people’s abilities.

There are singular geniuses, it’s true.

Of course…there are those who are not good at what they do.

But the difference in total ability is basically due to the environment.

Were you born in an environment where you could learn, gain experience, and grow?

Some people struggle to rise above a bad environment and succeed, while others do not.

If you crave success but are not in an environment where you can work hard, you will not succeed.

As a politician, I only want to provide a basic starting point.

I do not want to create an environment where people cannot even make an effort.

The rest is up to the people to decide for themselves.

If we try to decide the path, we will absolutely fail.

I don’t want my life to be decided by strangers.

Mil looked astonished at my words.

“Al always says so, but he’s unbelievable… Don’t you think so too, Mr. Aaron?”

“My Lady is right.”

Aaron turned to Mil’s side without hesitation.

The situation was getting worse, so I decided to change the mood by making a coughing sound.

“Anyone can run. Almost anyone can run at a certain speed. Beyond a certain point, though, it takes talent and a certain amount of effort. For some people, it’s impossible.”

Aaron looked amused at my words.

“Certainly, that’s true. Is what everyone is doing what everyone’s doing what you call to some extent?”

“Yes, even seemingly large tasks can be made simple and easy by dividing them up. I did that first to give everyone confidence that they could do it. And now they’re taking on something bigger and more complex than the first job they did.”

“I see, but… I don’t think people think anyone can do it.”

I gave a wry smile at Aaron’s words.

“You can’t just bring in lords from other lands and have them do the work they’re doing now. There are things that have been built up, after all. How about from the same start? Maybe we could do it…don’t you think? Isn’t it the same with hunting? You start with the easy ones first. It’s the same thing.”

Aaron gave a small nod at my words.

“You’re absolutely right. You are very good at getting people on board, my lord. So they have confidence in themselves, which makes them work harder.”

“It’s not that I’m lifting them up. I present them with what they can do and let them accomplish it. As a result, they gain confidence. Then they will be able to walk the rest of the way on their own. It is important to have confidence at the beginning. That’s the only thing I paid attention to.

“If I were to show everyone from three years ago what they see now, they wouldn’t all believe it. It must have been the first time for the Lady used anyone.”

Mil looked at me sideways and shrugged.

“Yes, in the past, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine it at all…or think I could do it. When I realized I could do it, I was able to do it. Since I met Al, it’s like I’ve come to a whole new world.”

Aaron nodded happily at those words.

“Me too. And I’m sure you feel the same way, that this different world is much better than the old one.”

Mil smiled faintly at Aaron’s words.

“Yes, I have no doubt.”

It’s nice to be told it’s better than before, but it’s hard to feel comfortable when it’s said to your face.

After such pleasantries, I left Aaron’s place.

This would probably be the last time I would have a pleasant chat with him.

Lately, it seems as if people close to me are passing away.

Each time this happens, I am confronted with the fact that I am somewhat broken.

It’s not pleasant, but I can’t help it.

Even if I get angry, there are no way tears will come out.

No amount of digging will bring water to a dry well.

While I was feeling sentimental like this, Mil crossed her arms around mine.

“Al, you’re thinking of something strange again, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not thinking anything strange, though.”

Mill seemed to have realized that I thought that my last pleasant chat with Aaron was over.

“Well, I think Mr. Aaron is happy. Isn’t that fine?”

I nodded silently.

On our next stop… we turned around and toured the construction of the canal.

It was like an inspection.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like