Chapter 163: Takeoff, Farewell
"Ria, did you notice?"
"—Ah, I noticed."
As Artoria spoke, tears streamed down her face.
Her pursed lips seemed to say that it would have been better if she hadn't noticed.
Such words—if only this happy time, this day when no one gets hurt, could last forever.
"Ah, I can't hide it from you all... I was thinking that if I could hold on and lift my spirits at the end, it would ease your worries. But in the end, I still couldn't do it."
"—Hmm, it did ease our worries a lot, but you seem much more spirited than before, which scares me. I'm more afraid of you leaving. Although it sounds a bit ridiculous, if it's such happiness, I should have just chosen to ignore those places..."
"Sorry, I'm not a good actor."
Moran's gaze was filled with regret.
The reason he appeared so spirited in the final moments stemmed from his deep-seated reluctance.
Not just for Artoria and the others.