By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 8.1

Chapter 10, Episode 8: Introductions, Part 1

“Here we are. This is your home-slash-office from today,” I said. This street was one of the areas I was directly involved in rezoning, lined with rows of Georgian-inspired architecture. These buildings might have lacked the ornate elegance of the real thing due to my lack of artistic talent, but they were perfectly serviceable living quarters.

“I prefer this sort of understated aesthetics,” Eleonora said. “I noticed that this building, and the ones on either side of it, are slightly larger than the others.”

“The original building here was rather expansive, so it made sense for the zoning to split it into three buildings. And when we were building this place—”

Just as I was about to tell the story while we stood before her office, the door of the house to the right of it opened to let out a string of familiar faces that belonged to the delinquents-turned-adventurers I’d been looking after.

They noticed me before I could call to them, and their hunched shoulders snapped straight. “Good morning, Ryoma!” they all said, practically saluting me.

“Hmm... Good morning,” I replied at their usual display of obedience. My wiping the floor with them when we first met really whipped them into shape. “Oh, Eleonora. These are...some adventurers I’m mentoring. Kind of.” Then, I briefly introduced her to the adventurers. “So, if you need something when I’m not around, you can speak to her...but don’t bother her unless it’s necessary.”

“Yessir! It’s nice to meet you!” they said to Eleonora.

“I-It’s nice to meet you too,” Eleonora said, faltering for once. I didn’t blame her—these guys almost genuflecting before her still looked like street thugs. “Do you all live here?” Eleonora asked.

“Oh, I need to—” explain that, I almost said, when the door opened again.

“What is it, young men?! Did you forget something?! Or do you have a question?!” A voice boomed so loudly that I couldn’t hear the door as it banged open. Birds flew off in fright from a tree across the street. The thundering voice belonged to an elderly man with a muscular frame and impressive mustache. “Hm?! Ryoma, my boy! Why are you here?!”

“Hello, Mister Sanchez. My new secretary, who I told you about, arrived today. I’m showing her to her house,” I explained.

“Here already?!” Garcia huffed.

“Eleonora, this is the former law officer I told you about. Mister Garcia Sanchez.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Eleonora Ransor.”

“Mm! I’m retired from practicing law, but you can come see me with any questions about law or taming! Even if you only know you want to learn more about law, I’ll make the time!” Garcia said.

“He gives private lectures about law to those who are interested,” I supplied. “I’ve asked him to drill into those adventurers, at the bare minimum, what kind of actions would break the law and what the consequences would be for those actions.”

“All are equal before the law! Every citizen benefits from the protections they afford them, and must face any punishments for breaking them! Then why shouldn’t every citizen be educated on the law?! I have plenty of time on my hands in my old age! Do not hesitate to ask me anything!” Garcia assured Eleonora. “Now! I imagine you’ve much to do to acclimate yourself! I shall take my leave!”

“Oh, we’ll get going too,” the adventurers said, going their own ways as Garcia retreated into his house. Suddenly, it seemed so quiet on this residential street.

“Quite the first impression,” I said.

“He is like a tempest,” Eleonora commented.

“Don’t worry. He’s naturally loud, but he’s not angry or anything. Actually, he’s a very nice person,” I said.

The phrase “all are equal before the law” was Garcia’s motto. From what I’d heard, he lived by his motto when he practiced law, never bending once to the pressure of the powerful or the rich. That reputation had earned him the duke’s seal of approval, and I tried to imagine how difficult it must have been for him to stay true to his beliefs. I wasn’t idealistic enough to believe that everyone in his position would have done the same. Even on Earth, lawyers and judges were only human.

“Now, let’s—” I was cut off once again when another door—to the neighboring house on the opposite side of Garcia’s—opened, letting out a well-dressed elder with a cane, who walked over to the property line as he waved us over.

“Hello, Mister Stoia,” I greeted him.

“I could hear him from inside my house. He would be perfectly agreeable if it were not for that blaring voice... Oh, pardon me, Miss Eleonora Ransor. I am Mueller Stoia. Just as you have, I’ve been appointed by the duke to aid Ryoma with my expertise as a former tax collector. It is very nice to meet you. I expect us to see each other often,” Mueller said.

“Oh, yes. I look forward to it,” Eleonora said.

“Forgive me for not lingering longer. The sun these days is too oppressive for an old fart like me.” Using his cane and dragging one of his legs, Mueller returned to his estate.

“He’s...” Eleonora started.

“Mister Stoia can come across a little harsh in his manner, but he is kind,” I said. Despite his rough demeanor, he enjoyed talking to other people. According to his grandson, who accompanied him one day, Mueller thought that long conversations were rude and time-wasting, so he tried his best to be concise.

“If he came out of his house just to meet me despite his leg, that seems like a warm welcome to me,” Eleonora said.

“You’re right. So if you have any questions about taxes or accounting, you can always knock on his door,” I said.

Mueller, too, was a man with integrity. As a tax collector, he accepted no bribery or even so much as a paid lunch. His eye for finding evasion was unparalleled to the point where he had been the nightmare of tax dodgers everywhere. While his age hadn’t helped with his leg, he first started using a cane when someone whose tax evasions were brought to light attacked Mueller in revenge. Tax collectors were often depicted as scummy villains in fiction, but even the honest and good collectors were putting their lives on the line.

“Now that you’ve met the neighbors... To get back on track, these buildings are larger than the others for the benefit of the two people you just met...and I thought it was about time I got a house in the city,” I said.

“This is your house?”

“Oh, we won’t be sharing a roof or anything. Don’t worry.” I’d built it in part for tax purposes, but I’d never ended up moving in since my commute time was close to none thanks to my Space magic. Eleonora would actually get full use of the place.

“A live-in position is very generous as it is, so I won’t pretend to decline it... Thank you,” Eleonora said.

“It wasn’t quite a waste, but I always wanted to utilize it better, which I hope you can. The interior is clean; I’ve been generally keeping up the place regularly. It’s also pretty sparse inside.” I unlocked the front door and gave Eleonora a tour, if I could call it that.

The house had five rather spacious rooms and an open kitchen-living-room. Assuming she’d use the first floor as her office, there were three rooms she could use for work, plus a bathroom, and ascending stairs. The second floor, which would most likely be her living space, contained two bedrooms and the kitchen-living-room, as well as a master bath. This was hardly a tour because only the second floor was furnished, and only with the bare minimum. Eleonora didn’t seem picky about her living space either, so we only took quick glances at each room.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“It’s even better than I hoped. Forgive me for the comparison, but when I was with my ex-husband, I lived in a detached barn that was barely kept up,” Eleonora said, sharing a light on how tough her life might have been. “We need to at least spruce up the rooms downstairs where we will be meeting clients.”

“Then once we’re back from giving introductions, that will be your first official task. Use the business account to dress the rooms however you see fit,” I said.

“Understood.”

Now that the house tour was over, I wasn’t sure where to go next. There were plenty of places I wanted to show her. For instance, the market would be somewhere she’d go to a lot... I decided to ask for her input rather than picking randomly.

“In that case, I would like to prioritize places that pertain to my duties. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I can’t do much in the kitchen beyond basic grilling or boiling. Most of the time, I eat out or just eat bread, cured meat...things I don’t have to cook, but that last a long time. I packed clothes and necessities in my luggage.”

“So work-related places are more important...” I repeated. “Got it. Then let’s do a loop.”

I decided to introduce Eleonora to people I knew and worked with. There were several businesses around here that I owned, including restaurants, so I could kill two birds with one stone by getting lunch while I caught up with the head chefs.

When I pitched this idea to Eleonora, she accepted. After setting her luggage down, we set out into town again.