Utravsky glanced at Hobart beside him. "That's because after you grow stronger, more people come to rely on you.
"If something happens to you, the fates of many people will be implicated and harmed.
"For the sake of those who support you and are close to you, you would no longer let yourself take risks.
"You are not truly confused. You simply cannot make a choice with a clear conscience!"
Hobart froze slightly, suddenly feeling enlightened. Understanding swiftly dawned on him. I'm suffering and wavering like this entirely because of the pressure I put on myself! Precisely because I know about the high-level struggle behind the Great Smog, because I know that getting involved would put me in danger—and if I'm in danger, or Adam writes me to death, what will happen to Jeffrey Territory? The people there have already become an inseparable part of me. I truly cannot take risks.
But if I do nothing, then when I wake from dreams in the middle of the night, when my mind goes blank, I will definitely hate myself for having done nothing! This is the root of my anxiety!
Hobart suddenly laughed twice. "How stupid! How did I become more and more stupid?"
I could not change the Great Smog Incident, nor did I possess the power to change it. But I could change some of the minor details, such as saving Old Kohler or killing that Despair Witch to vent my anger.
Hobart shook his head. "What was I so anxious about before? Did I really think I could change this world by myself?"
Utravsky said, "When a person feels foolish, that is when he gains wisdom.
"When a person realizes that his abilities are limited, that is when he truly matures."
Hobart froze again. He stood and bowed