A few steps behind, Decain, who had been following me, suddenly approached.

He was noticeably taller than he was ten years ago. Now, I had to lift my head to meet his face.

“Tanashia.”

At the sound of my name, I glanced at Decain, whose appearance could easily be mistaken for a beauty.

As our eyes met, Decain grinned and spoke again.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, about a year?”

“Have you been well?”

“Of course.”

In response to my blunt answer, Decain furrowed his brow, as if unable to stop himself, and spoke with a smirk.

“Isn’t it difficult to answer ‘I’ve been well’ without hesitation when someone asks? Somehow, it feels like you went through something tough.”

“We’re not on terms to share our well-being.”

I deliberately drew a line between Decain and me.

I knew that the events involving Ascan ten years ago were not entirely Decain’s fault. However, it wasn’t easy to treat him indifferently.

The moment I treated Decain comfortably, it felt like committing a sin against the past Ascan.

I spoke in a subdued voice.

“Then take your time as much as you want. If there’s any business matter later, I’ll send it in writing.”

Decain, who had left the Igtheon Upper Level long ago and established the Decain Upper Level using his own name, was currently thriving more than the Igtheon Upper Level from the past.

Although I had the experience of dealing with Decain once, I hadn’t entered into a distribution contract with the Decain Upper Level. However, I was in the process of mutually benefiting with people who wanted to trade through Decain for magical engineering weapons.

At some point, Decain’s gaze turned cold. With a voice that was a bit lower than before and with a smile erased from his face, he spoke.

“It’s been 10 years already. How long are we going to keep doing this?”

“I didn’t know we had to set a deadline.”

“Tanashia, if you seem too burdened and feel the need for a scapegoat, I thought I wouldn’t mind being that. But isn’t it time to stop now?”

I knew. It wasn’t solely Decain’s fault.

The biggest responsibility for Ascan’s disappearance ten years ago lay with me. Therefore, the thing I couldn’t forgive the most was myself.

“…Even if you don’t say it, I know that my mistake is the biggest.”

In response to my words, Decain swept his hair aside as if frustrated. Then, he looked at me with a serious expression and spoke in a subdued voice.

“I’ll make one thing clear. I don’t regret this. Even if I could turn back time, I’d do the same thing on that day.”

“Decain!”

I looked at him as if it was absurd, but Decain didn’t stop.

“If I have to play the villain to keep you safe, I’d do it a thousand, no, ten thousand times. Tanashia, even if you hate me, I’ll do anything to keep you alive.”

I understood that Decain’s actions that day were for my sake. But if I accepted it as unavoidable, what would happen to Ascan?
I didn’t want to justify Ascan’s sacrifice for any reason.

I couldn’t think that Ascan sacrificing himself for me was natural, unavoidable in that situation, or anything like that.

Even if the chance of surviving at that time was slim, I should have taken the opportunity to escape when I was captured by the Ragent Empire. Otherwise, we should all have died together right there.

It wasn’t my intention, but the result was Ascan sacrificed, and I survived in his place.

There were not just one or two times when I wanted to express resentment not only to Decain but also to Ascan for the decision that day, where my opinion was not considered at all.

I hadn’t forgotten the events of ten years ago just because I pretended everything was fine. I was still tied to that time.

There was a lot to say, but since I knew Decain’s feelings, I turned my head.

“Let’s stop.”

Decain also agreed, seemingly accepting it as inevitable.

“Yeah. Meeting after so long and having this kind of conversation again, it’s getting tiresome.”

Decain patted my head with a large hand and spoke in a subdued voice.

“I’ve neatly sorted out the business with Viscount Penil, so you won’t be bothered. Take care of your meals, and see you again.”

I nodded silently in response.

That’s how Decain left the laboratory, and I continued my steps to create the magical engineering weapon that I hadn’t fully assembled yet.

It wasn’t pleasant to treat Decain coldly. However, whenever I saw him, the day of ten years ago kept coming to my mind.

If I had been a little stronger…

I wouldn’t have needed to sacrifice Ascan like that.

Such thoughts lingered in my mind, leaving behind endless regrets.

“Sigh.”

It was when I unintentionally let out a deep sigh.

Thinking that I was alone after parting with Decain, Zen, who had approached unnoticed, reported in a businesslike voice from behind.

“As you ordered, everyone has been sent out.”

“Ah, good job.”

In response to my words, Zen bowed his head in acknowledgment.

Normally, the conversation would have ended here, but today, for some reason, Zen didn’t immediately disappear. Instead, he looked at me and added a few more words.