So, the days passed quickly, with my mornings always starting with a nutritious breakfast, followed by a long run to another resort managed by the Ryushin.
Where each new destination represented an opportunity for growth and improvement for me.
Once I arrived at the resort, instead of going to places like the Colosseum or where many bets were generally made to scam for money, I decided to dedicate my time to training and honing my skills.
The nanny had reminded me of the importance of discipline and not falling victim to addictions, and I was determined to become stronger and smarter.
And, during one of these stays, the nanny told me about a manipulation technique called "Reciprocity."
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For those who don't know it, this technique is based on the psychological principle that people feel obligated to return favors received.
In practice, if you offer something of value to someone, even just a small gesture, that person will feel compelled to reciprocate in some way.
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Once fully understood, and knowing where it could be applied, I decided to put the reciprocity technique into practice to gain access to better equipment and rooms within the resort.
So, I identified one of the maids, Akiko, who worked hard but seemed often overlooked by her colleagues.
One day, seeing her struggling with a heavy cart, I offered to help her carry it to the guest rooms.
Akiko greatly appreciated my gesture and thanked me warmly.
And, besides that, I continued to do small favors for Akiko: like bringing her a bottle of water when she seemed tired, helping her gather heavy sheets, and even just listening to her stories about the difficulties of the job.
And every act of kindness I did for her strengthened the bond between us and made her feel more and more indebted to me.
Until I decided to ask her for a favor in return.
"Akiko," I said with a friendly smile, "I was wondering if you could help me get access to the resort's private gym. I've heard it's much better than the common one, and I really want to train there to improve my performance."
Akiko, feeling obliged to repay all the favors I had done for her, immediately agreed.
"Certainly, I'll see what I can do," she replied enthusiastically.
So, thanks to her intervention, I soon gained exclusive access to the private gym, complete with state-of-the-art equipment that allowed me to intensify my training.
Moreover, the reciprocity technique worked well with other staff members too.
I offered small helps and acts of kindness to anyone I had the chance to meet, creating a network of people willing to return the favors.
Thus, I managed to get not only better equipment but also access to more luxurious rooms and exclusive services within the resort.
And, seeing that it worked, I continued to do this for every resort we encountered.
Even if we stopped at more than we had to, where we stayed even more days within the same resort.
Which made me very suspicious of this situation.
This was because the nanny had told me that it would take another four days to reach our destination, but we were already at the fifth resort, and we had been there for 2 days.
However, I decided not to think too much about it.
This was because I knew that if I asked the nanny for explanations, she wouldn't tell me the complete truth.
Her protection and instinct to hide certain information from me were motivated by the fact that she probably took orders from someone high up in the family hierarchy, but I also had my plans.
I decided to use this extra time to reuse the "Reciprocity" technique and train intensely.
Every day, after breakfast and the morning run, I looked for new ways to be helpful to the resort staff.
Small gestures, like helping to tidy up the dining room or bringing clean towels to guests, allowed me to build a network of people willing to return the favors.
Every act of kindness strengthened my bond with the staff members.
I asked for access to private training rooms, and it wasn't difficult to get it thanks to my reputation as a helpful and generous person.
The private gym became the place where I spent most of my time, where I trained intensely, improving my strength and physical endurance along with gathering mana, which had a higher concentration here compared to the common gym and other places in the same resort.
However, my training was not limited to the gym.
I used reciprocity to gain access to resources that would help me improve my mental and strategic skills.
I asked the staff for help in getting strategy books and logic games, and I spent hours studying and practicing them.
These strategy books were valuable for several reasons.
They taught me to think more critically and analytically, to anticipate my opponents' moves, and to plan my actions with greater precision.
The military and political strategies contained in those texts could be adapted to many real-life situations, allowing me to become more cunning and prepared.
The logic games, on the other hand, helped me improve my problem-solving ability and develop my lateral thinking.
These mental exercises were essential for sharpening my mind, making me quicker and more effective in finding innovative solutions to challenges that might arise along the way.
Moreover, I carefully observed the behavior of the resort guests, learning from their successes and failures.
Observing the guests allowed me to better understand the social and psychological dynamics that govern human behavior.
I noticed how some were able to gain favors and preferential treatment thanks to their ability to manipulate situations to their advantage.
I learned to distinguish the various types of personalities and to recognize signs of vulnerability or strength that could be exploited.
And, this situation continued until we spent an entire week in those resorts.
At that point, the nanny in a calm tone said:
"Well, it's time."