[he chuckles, the sound mildly anxious- the sound of a man who realizes he's said precisely the wrong thing.] Th-that's not quite what I meant, Sonia-san.

[wasn't it?

what she's saying are the very beliefs that he defied, the ones that drove him into the forest that night against everyone's wishes, because he knew he was right, because he felt guilty about his hand in what Hiyori was going to face. but had he stayed at his post, they all would have died, and that blood would be on his hands.

he betrayed the wishes of an entire society, a society he swore to protect as a captain, for the lives of eight people. and it never occurred to him once that some might call that selfish.]

But it doesn't matter how I meant it. I didn't mean to offend you. I claim to be so forward-thinking about other people's beliefs and traditions, but I always stumble over this particular one.

[long-standing sore spot that it is.]