"I..."
Seeing that Mr. Aleister neither mocked nor tempted him, but instead earnestly advised him, Knight could not help feeling a warmth in his heart.
But he opened his mouth, unable to say anything.
Because he truly had no plans at all.
Those words had indeed been spoken in a moment of hotheadedness.
Mr. Dark Cloud could say even more forbidden things on impulse—why couldn't he?
He was only in his teens. Under his family's protection, he had never considered such complicated matters.
"You're right, Mr. Aleister. I actually don't know what I want to do."
Barton was silent for a while before admitting, "...My father told me to obey orders, maintain my composure, and be willing to sacrifice myself. To be brave, to fight for honor, for Avalon, and for the Queen.
"And my mother told me to become a good person... to learn to protect the weak, to be honest and fair, and to hold life in awe."
Faced with this stranger—who neither knew his true identity nor recognized him in reality, yet could agree with him and even stood opposed to him while still caring about him—Barton could not help wanting to voice his troubles. "They said this was what a true knight ought to do. I've been working hard in that direction, too.
"But sometimes I wonder... why do these things contradict each other? Did the great figures of the Path of Authority really become exemplary knights like that? The story Mr. Dark Cloud told me was only an answer... The real question had already been in my heart for a long time.
"I just wanted an answer. And just now, I thought I'd found my answer. But now it seems I'm still on the road."
"You only want to run away."
Iver shook his head.