Naturally, Ryan had already conjured up the image of a passionate young man who had gradually lost hope in a rotten bureaucracy, ultimately turning to the darkness in despair...
"Sigh..."
"Sigh..." ×12
Ryan froze. Since when did my sigh come with an echo?
He turned around and found every member of the escort he had brought looking on with reverence and sympathy.
We never knew an unsung hero had endured so much humiliation and hardship, quietly doing so much for our civilization!
There was no such thing as a peaceful life. It was simply that someone else was shouldering the burden for you...
Ryan: "..."
For fuck's sake! Was this guy's speech really that infectious?
No, no! If this kept up, how the hell was I supposed to write my investigation report?
Was I supposed to say that the utterly irredeemable enemy of civilization they saw was actually working behind enemy lines with his heart still loyal to us? That he only beat and insulted us for our own good?
That despite spending all day with his face hidden under a black robe, he was actually a harmless, lovable, and charming villain?
He could guarantee that submitting a report like that would cost him far more than his year-end bonus. They might well brand him an accomplice of the All Things Unity Society!
Sympathy was one thing, admiration another, but he still had to remember whose side he was on!
"Ahem! Mr. Black Steward, although I don't know what happened in the past, I still believe everything can be negotiated. Given your current standing, I'm sure Congress would take you very seriously!"
In other words, perhaps he had once been insignificant, his words carrying little weight, or perhaps he had suffered unfair treatment. But things were different now. He had