The memories of a certain man resembled a stream.
If I allowed myself to drift along its tributaries, there was one scene I inevitably reached. It was one of the countless wounded days the man from the future had carried within his heart.
A moment of farewell.
Though inevitable, that day always came without warning. And now it arrived once again.
“The western front has been restless of late.”
“I suspect it is because word of the withdrawal plan has spread.”
The blind woman’s expression as she inhaled the fragrance of tea was utterly serene. At a glance, she looked no different from usual, yet my voice remained cautious as I answered her.
Was it because an important operation lay ahead?
Or because I could not possibly ignore the presence I sensed far away?
The woman’s clear voice settled over my faintly guarded answer.
“How are the soldiers responding?”
“Everyone seems exhausted. They are relieved by the prospect of leaving the front lines, but there are inevitably some who must remain here……”
“They must be anxious.”
She spoke after taking a sip of tea.
I felt that her words were…