Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 76

Chapter 76

Anyway, after finishing Hall 2, we moved to Hall 12 on the second floor.

There, another eye-catching painting hung. It depicted a woman with two shadows before her. The title was straightforward—Two Shadows.

"This painting is nice. What do you think it means?"

"This work is an experimental piece from just before symbolism took hold. The premise of a single figure having two shadows was quite groundbreaking at the time. Generally, one shadow is interpreted as the social self, and the other as the personal self. The fainter shadow is often seen as the fading original self. Critics at the time harshly judged it, saying it was impossible for one person to live two lives, but ironically, it's now evaluated as one of the most realistic paintings."

The explanation flowed smoothly, but one part caught my attention.

"Cedric, do you think a person can live two lives?"

"......!"

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

"It might be possible. As you know, these days, people's work selves and outside selves are so different..."

"Really? Do you feel that way about yourself? You seem similar on weekends and at the guild."

"......"

Though I'd asked Cedric, the question was closer to one I was asking myself.

I had accepted my life as Odrette Lavendel. That's how I'd become Guild Master and was living this way.

At the same time, I couldn't shake the question of what had happened to the original Odrette.

"Even if it looks like two lives, it's still one in the end, isn't it?"

Sigh, suddenly possessing someone else's body always left me with an uneasy feeling...

"Ms. Odrette, is something troubling you?"

"Everyone has troubles, I suppose..."

Cedric was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"You're right. Even if it looks like two lives, I think it's still one life. Even if they seem divided, they'll eventually meet in one place."

"Meet, you say..."

"But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. What you thought was just a part of you could become your whole life."

Hmm, so he meant my life and Odrette's life could become one? Well, it probably wasn't good to overthink this.

Coming back to my senses, I nodded.

"You're right, Cedric."

"Guild Master, shall we go see the souvenirs?"

"Ah, yes!"

Susanna had said there were lots of cute souvenirs here—they'd surely lift my spirits. We went down to the souvenir shop on the first floor.

"Oh, this is so cute!"

Spotting a small camel plushie, I immediately pointed at it.

"Wow, this cat keychain is adorable too!"

There were many souvenirs made from animals featured in the artworks. As I brightened up and browsed the souvenirs, Cedric stopped at one spot.

"Cedric, what are you looking at? ...Oh?"

What he was looking at was a small hand mirror with a reproduction of Two Shadows. Since it was a popular painting in the museum, they seemed to have merchandise of it.

"This is nice. I like it."

The painting had impressed me too, so I checked the price.

And put it back down.

"You're not buying it?"

"...It's more expensive than I thought. I'll just get a postcard."

After picking out some souvenirs, we decided to browse the artworks on the first floor as well.

Ah, I'd meant to investigate Cedric's past, but I'd been so absorbed in the art that I forgot.

As I glanced at him and entered a room, I saw an object sitting alone in the center. That was...

"A chair?"

Beside the chair, the following text was written:

<This is a desk>

"Oh, is this an artwork about the meaning of objects?"

"It seems so. That artist is an active contemporary artist..."

"But Cedric."

I quickly cut him off before he could explain.

"Were you an office worker at your previous company?"

"Huh? Y-yes."

"Ah, so do you enjoy exercising?"

I'd been curious since seeing his muscular arms earlier.

"Yes, I do..."

"I see. Do you exercise alone at home?"

"I used to take lessons, but now I do it alone... That is, my parents made me learn."

The more I thought about it, the more suspicious Cedric was. From his incomprehensible previous company to the fact that he was overqualified despite having worked at such a strange place.

"May I ask about your previous company, Cedric?"

As soon as I said that, Cedric's pupils began to shake. It was clearly the face of someone who'd been asked a question they'd been avoiding.

"Ah, if it's uncomfortable, you don't have to answer. I'm just curious."

If he didn't answer, I'd just find out on my own.

Just then, Cedric pulled out his wallet. From it, he produced a small card that appeared to be an employee ID.

"This is... my employee ID from that company."

I took the ID without thinking, then was shocked when I saw the company name.

"Ah!"

-Highwork-Social Branch 1

Highwork was a famous black company among black companies. They'd violated 16 labor laws, leading the Emperor to shut them down personally, and they were still in litigation.

Highwork-Social, I knew, was a subcontractor of Highwork.

"Such a black company! Are you okay, Cedric?"

Even knowing he'd already left, I couldn't help but feel sympathy—it was truly a toxic company.

"They violated 16 labor laws there. I even remember some of the violations from reading the newspaper! Massive overtime and wage theft were just the basics—they forced voluntary physical training and reflected it in performance reviews, made weekend self-improvement activities mandatory, and if you couldn't identify a visiting VIP immediately, you'd be fired..."

As I spoke, things started to make sense.

"So that's how you know so much about nobles and are so good at exercise...!"

"......"

"Goodness, being a subcontractor must have been even worse! A subcontractor that was also a family-like company! That must have been so hard!"

"Y-yes..."

I understood why Cedric hadn't wanted to talk about his previous company.

Of course, that company was the perpetrator and the toxic one, but some people would blame the employees who worked there and treat the victims as fools.

But how desperate must a social newcomer have been to have no choice but to go to such a place?

When I looked at Cedric with pity, he looked somewhat embarrassed.

"It's okay, Cedric! It was all that company's fault!"

"Yes, it was..."

"From now on, I withdraw my support for Cedric's self-blame. I consider us as one..."

Even the people around us looked at Cedric with pity when I said the name Highwork.

After the truth about Cedric came out and we left the museum, Cedric handed me something.

"I, I wanted to give this to you, Guild Master."

"This is..."

It was the hand mirror with the reproduction of Two Shadows we'd seen earlier. I accepted it, touched.

First of all, it was always nice when someone bought you a gift out of consideration. However...

"Cedric, you don't have to force yourself to give gifts at our guild, so don't worry."

"...Yes."

According to the newspaper, at Highwork, the youngest employees had to buy birthday gifts worth over 50,000 pesos for each of their 16 bosses. Truly unjust.

"Until all unjust companies disappear!"

Quoting Cedric's catchphrase, I said that. He nodded with a bittersweet smile.

"Yes, thank you..."

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