บท 231: An obvious injury

Esper Blake took a few more moments to gather herself, and when she did, she was clearly embarrassed. Kellen was surprised by how many people he'd seen crying in the last few days, including himself. 

Well, he wasn't heartless. He knew why, but it felt strange. He wasn't normally at the center of so many people crying. It felt…uncomfortable having to face people who…cared enough about him to cry. 

Being on the front lines hadn't been like this. For seven years, people had stoically said goodbye to each other with laughter and smiles, never knowing if this was going to be their last gate or not. Plenty of times it was, and so you had a pleasant memory to carry with you as you continued your life. 

Kellen…Kellen had had very few people that he used to joke with like that. He'd been a loner by choice in the beginning, and after that? Well, people tended to avoid him. A C Class who gained notice from the other Guilds? Spelled money, but also spelled trouble.