Chapter 341: No Medicine For Regret (1/2)

Arthur Silvera had a few hair strands that fell from the rest, which he tied using a hair tie. His face was calmer, calmer than she would have liked.

Earlier with the witch, Dia lost control of her powers when she thought about him dying after she leaves. Yet, here he was: asking her to stay here in the middle of people who hated her, leaving her alone.

”Fine,” Her reply was curt as she bit on her lower lip. She wasn't a weakling, and she was no longer a child left in the snow. ”Is that all?”

”Yes.” Arthur looked at her silently before nodding. He didn't say anything more and simply walked past her toward the door.

'Is it that okay for you?' Dia tightened her fist, but she didn't say it. She turned to see him close the door behind him without looking back.

They met in unusual circumstances. Both of them acted with a mask on their face, trying to deceive each other. Arthur won at the end, and she became his prisoner.

They went through a lot: from resentment, to fear, to awe, to frustration, to companionship, to abandonment. The door closed, and Dia wished she was the one closing it this time instead of him.

***

”Are you sure about this?” Gala asked him when he walked out of Dia's room. She was standing outside, listening to them, while her spirit hid her.

”That's the best method to achieve our goals,” Arthur replied before walking past her. ”It's rude to spy on others.”

”It's ruder to decide for them. You know that this isn't what Dia wants.” Gala walked beside him.

”She's confused. I need to decide for her, as her friend.” Arthur didn't slow down for her and walked toward his room. As he grabbed the knob, Gala placed her arms to block him.

”That's not what is happening.” Gala looked at him with squinted eyes. ”You're just running away.”

”Running away?”

”You know that she's growing attached to you. That's why you came up with this plan to leave her here. Why would you do that, Seika? I know that you don't dislike her.”

”As I said, this is for the...” Arthur tried to explain.

”You are leaving.” Gala's eyes sharpened as she interrupted. ”Dia needs to work on her future separately because you won't be in it.”

Arthur looked at her violet eyes with discomfort. He hoped she was less sharp about people, but that's what made her so valuable. Seeing his lack of answer, she knew the answer.

”When?”

”I don't know,” Arthur replied quietly. ”I just know that it's inevitable.”

”We can come along,” Gala said. ”We did, until now.”

”I'm not selfish to ask you to keep following me. Dia's goal is to rule Alva, to serve it. Yours is to die, at least temporarily. You're leaving. I'm leaving. We can't always stick together.”

Gala looked at him silently before retracting her hand from the door. Arthur opened it and walked into the room. Even as he was closing it, the witch was looking at him silently.

”There's no medicine for regret, Seika.”

She said as he closed the door, letting the words resound in the empty room. Arthur, however, had no plans of changing his mind.

He won't be going to a place where they can accompany him. If that happens, they would have to leave everything they have behind.

He took off his shoes and robe before retreating to his bed. The fatigue seeped out of his body as he rested in be. A single thought overtook his mind as he did.

'We've spent a lot of time together.' He was thinking about Gala and Dia. 'Even then, I can never ask them to abandon their dreams just because I want them to stay.'

***

”Be careful. Those are precious items!” Gruen shouted with a frown as the servants loaded the crates to the carriages. He turned to face Arthur, who was walking toward him. ”Good morning, Seika!”

”You're excited.” Arthur lightly smiled as he looked at the carriage. ”Are these the items?”

”Yessir!” Gruen said with a grin. ”I used the gold coins to stock for our trip. There are many precious items and more useful ones.”

”Why are you putting them in crates?” Arthur asked with surprise. ”Wouldn't putting them in a storage artifact be better?”