“Don’t ask me for forgiveness.”
It took a long while before I managed to force the words through my constricted throat.
“At least when it comes to that, please don’t ask me for forgiveness. I have neither the right nor any reason to give it.”
Ah.
You, brighter and kinder than anyone, I wish you wouldn’t be preserved here forever just because someone calls it the greater good.
The truth I could not bring myself to say would wander this place forever.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
[Right…….]
Meanwhile, after seeing my reaction, Gestas did not readily continue.
Something like regret seemed to cling to the hooflike hands fidgeting with his stole and the hem of his clothing.
[You’re right. This isn’t something I should ask you to forgive. In the first place, it isn’t something anyone has the right to forgive. Except those who were sacrificed for it.]
“…….”
[…We wandered pretty far from the subject, didn’t we? Still, now you know what my message represents. So let’s get to the real point.]
Why did he seem disappointed?
I both understood and failed to understand what he was feeling, but silently agreed to the change of subject.
In any case, I didn’t want to know any more about some enormous burden called the greater good.
I didn’t want to become any more involved with it either.
That remained true even after hearing that a kid I cared about was destined to sacrifice herself for it.
I had neither the right nor the confidence to stop her.
Especially when the reason I cared about that kid was precisely because she…