"Since we accomplished the same goal, there's no need to draw such a clear line between us~?"
Having spent so much time together, Alicia had noticed that Gwen seemed particularly fixated on this, always making such clear distinctions.
Alicia disliked those people who constantly preached morality and habitually used it to manipulate others as well, but Gwen's clear-cut—even somewhat self-deprecating—distinction still left her confused and, inevitably, pained.
"Ha..."
Just as Alicia had guessed, Gwen had been about to clarify things. Hearing her words, he froze for a moment, then gave a soft laugh and slowly said:
"It's different...
Alicia, a person can deceive the whole world, but they can't deceive themselves.
I know better than anyone what I truly think in my heart.
Doing it for the world and all that... that's too heavy a burden for me...
When dealing with others, there are things I can't explain too clearly if I want to achieve certain goals.
But when it comes to myself—to you—I don't want to deceive us together, until in the end even I become unclear about who I am."
"But aren't you, standing on the front lines against Honkai right now, working for the future of the world?"
Alicia was somewhat confused, and also worried that probing too deeply might upset Gwen. Only after confirming that his mental state was very stable did she slowly ask.
"It's different..."
Slowly shaking his head, Gwen felt the melody flowing from the pendant at his fingertips, and his voice could not help carrying a trace of melancholy:
"I'm not a child. Reality had long since shattered the heroic dreams of my youth...
Being on the front lines against Honkai means saving this world's future?
Heh... perhaps?
But aside from Honkai, that external factor, how much darkness and filth exists within