On a cool afternoon, in a place with a vast landscape, Gaizel was with a slave named Curtio. At that time, children of Gaizel's age needed basic education, and for that, aristocrats, officials, and nobles usually used slaves with high intelligence to teach their sons. They were called "Tetoria vici," which means "Basic Teacher."
It sounds ridiculous for a slave to be called a teacher, but it was true, and usually, slaves with high intelligence were once free men and perhaps former scholars.
"Curtio, I want to ask you something!"
"Ask whatever you want, Gaizel," said the old, shabby man with a white beard that reached his chin.
"How can a plant grow?"
"As usual, you're a very curious boy, aren't you?" said Curtio, standing up from his chair and pointing to the vast wheat field.
Curtio was truly respected and considered part of the large Maurius family, so his way of speaking was different from others when talking to Gaizel or other family members.
"Look, do you see water among the wheat?"
"Yes, I see it. You said it's irrigation!"
"Good, that's why life can continue to grow with water. Let me ask, do humans need water?"
"Yes, I think... umm, yes, we need it," said Gaizel, standing up and answering Curtio's question enthusiastically.
"You're right. So, Gaizel, everything in this world doesn't grow by itself... remember this! Humans also need water, food, clothes, money, and others to survive. But the most important thing is mindset and knowledge. Just like wheat, it can grow with soil and fertilizer, but without water, it will wither and die. Let your mindset flow like a river."
"Alright, I understand, but Curtio, there's something I want to ask about the people in the capital. They say he's a clever man, but some also say he's misleading. However, I forgot his name."
Curtio paused for a moment, thinking, and then said, "You mean the philosophers?"
"Ah, that's what I meant," said Gaizel.
The atmosphere, which was previously calm, suddenly became tense. A serious air emanated from Curtio, and he said loudly, "Try asking two people about yourself."
"What do you mean?" asked Gaizel.
"If one says you're clever but because of your wealth, and the other says you're rich but not because of your intelligence, how would you respond?"
"Hmm, it sounds the same," said Gaizel, furrowing his brow.
"That's it. It's the same with religion and philosophy, with ambiguous statements. You know why people often consider philosophy misleading? And why philosophers consider religion dogmatic? It's because they're not aligned. Just like etiquette and knowledge, which one is more important? The answer is both. If they can be aligned, why not?"
Gaizel looked confused. How could a child of only eight years old have to deal with such a heavy topic?
"And that's what's happening with religion and philosophy. The Ostianians often think philosophy is misguided because it has no rules, and philosophy considers religion dogmatic because it constrains. But the reality is, philosophy is a stream of knowledge that studies the basics of life to deepen and give meaning to it. With it, they can know the reason behind the reason. Meanwhile, religion is also the same, a belief that arises after gaining satisfaction. Religion may constrain, but on the other hand, it brings goodness and serves as the foundation of etiquette for those who believe in it."
A horse-drawn carriage suddenly arrived at the scene, and it turned out to be Justus. He slowly got down from the carriage.
"Hey, Gaizel, how's your learning going?" he asked.
"Father! When did you arrive?" Gaizel replied.
"I just got here, son," Justus said, glancing at Curtio. "Oh, it's been a while, Curtio!"
"All is well, my lord. I've been able to recover from my illness, thanks to your son's good learning," Curtio responded.
Justus laughed upon hearing this. "Haha, that's my boy!"
"Oh, of course. What brings you here, my lord?" Curtio asked.
"I just happened to be back from out of town and wanted to see my son," Justus said, stroking Gaizel's head.
"Father, I just learned something interesting but quite confusing earlier."
"Hmm, was it writing?" Justus asked.
"No," Gaizel replied.
"Reading or arithmetic, then?" Justus asked again.
"No, it wasn't that either," Gaizel said.
"Alright, we'll talk about it at home later. Right now, I want to speak with Curtio," Justus said.
In the end, Curtio and Justus conversed, while Gaizel was busy learning arithmetic.
"Curtio, I'm really troubled by a problem I'm facing right now," Justus said.
"Oh, yes? Is there a servant here?" Justus asked if there was a servant, as he wanted to ask for a bottle of wine. It had been a while since he arrived, and although the place wasn't far from their mansion, it was only opened when Gaizel was learning. Gaizel had been attending these learning sessions since he was six years old, exactly two years ago.
"What problem are you facing, Lord Justus?" Curtio asked.
"Stop calling me 'Lord', oh come on, let's be casual, we've known each other for a long time, haven't we?" Justus said.
"Oh, of course, but I must show respect to the person who saved my life," Curtio replied.
In fact, Curtio used to be a free man, but due to a certain incident, he was enslaved and sold. One day, he met a young Justus, and eventually, he was bought and became Justus' mentor. So, basically, he was a person who had been a slave for quite a long time, or more accurately, a mentor to the heir of the Maurius family.
Their conversation continued, and eventually, Curtio offered some advice.
"Alright, I understand that the problem you're facing might be related to that. You went out of town and got a reality check like that... Hmm... Maybe, or perhaps life just doesn't always go as we want it to. There are always obstacles and problems, but believe me, my lord, in every problem, there's a meaning we can learn from. Even if it's something like that, try to accept it. Problems shouldn't always be avoided; in fact, by facing them, we can learn a lot."
Curtio's words were wise and gentle, offering Justus a new perspective on his troubles.