"It wasn't strange. When you... um... I... or rather, we, somehow ended up in this world, hadn't we already subconsciously assumed that anything could happen?" Richard said as he looked at his childlike self.
"That's true." His childlike self nodded and murmured, "If logic itself started becoming chaotic, then in a sense, it would be no different from being insane. Or if one had already accepted agnosticism, what else could one not accept? But... come to think of it, neither of us has given up struggling, right? We're both trying to figure out what exactly this world is all about."
After a pause, his childlike self looked over and asked seriously, "I'm a little curious now. How far have you gotten?"
"If the truth of the world is a mountain range, then I've probably climbed to the summit of one mountain. There are still many, many mountains ahead. I'm certain that if I keep going, I'll reach the end someday. But I don't know when that end will come, or what it will be." Richard said.
"It still sounds very difficult." His childlike self spread his hands. "But no matter how hard it is, there's always hope, right? That's better than staying at the foot of the mountain and living a life of self-deception forever, isn't it?"
"Indeed."
"Then I wish you success." His childlike self smiled.
"Wish me success." Richard said, preparing to leave the house.
"Oh, right!" His childlike self suddenly called out, as if he had just remembered something. Pointing outside, he asked, "After leaving here, you plan to keep walking toward that Black Tower, right? You want to see what awaits you in the farthest place, right?"
Richard nodded.
"All right, then. I want to know what's there too. Good luck."
"Thanks." Richard turned around, then