The Empire of Reimia (3)

“We’re not a company competing in a free market, so there’s no need to think about winning or losing,” Shogo smirked. “Maybe it doesn’t seem that way, but I take these decisions seriously, though more out of selfishness than any noble intentions. You see, I don’t believe I owe anyone anything in this life. I’ve already ‘paid my dues,’ so to speak, while I was being dissected and pumped full of who knows what. Aside from a few minor indiscretions, I haven’t really harmed anyone, and I haven’t benefited from anyone else’s sweat or blood. And that awareness makes life easier. My conscience is clear, and I can move forward without a care. But this…” He picked up the vial and casually turned it over in his hands. “This changes everything. To be honest, I don’t harbor any hatred or animosity towards Her Majesty. She hasn’t personally done anything to harm me, and, setting aside the moral implications of this dilemma, her gift is actually quite useful and exactly what I need. Besides, I’ve always preferred a beautiful empress to any emperor.” Shogo chuckled and sat up, still holding the vial. “However, I don’t really harbor any ill will towards her father either. No one specifically targeted me, and, in essence, I was just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just like I ended up in that research center, someone was crushed by a tree that fell during a strong wind, someone was struck by lightning, someone died from diseases acquired at birth or during their life, and so on. But that doesn’t mean I approve of what happened to me or what’s happening to others. Therefore, accepting this gift means accepting the validity of these methods, and that’s the crux of my little dilemma.” Still sitting on the bed, the young man wiggled his feet, which were dangling over the edge. “I think that for people with a different mindset, all of this might seem rather silly, but I perceive it this way.”