svrash

Such as?

Enya.

Enya is doing superbly right now. Better than I could have imagined.

We did reach a mutual understanding, in a sense, but that is precisely the reason we were able to clearly see each others' choices.

All I can say is she would be a very suitable partner, but not a friend.

Ensia.

I realize that Ensia is no longer a child. She has keen insight into a variety of matters.

I will give her everything she wants, and respect her opinions.

But there are far more things I cannot tell her than things I can.

Gnosis.

Gnosis seems to have already made quite a name for himself in your lab, thanks to his talent and personality. He may be knowledgeable about many things, but that is a product of the years we spent together.

He is not someone I can share anything with, and he understands that better than I do.

Degenbrecher.

Degenbrecher and I are on sublime terms, and it is true that she has great insight in many areas.

The thing is, she doesn't care. She deliberately keeps herself uninvolved in most affairs. From her perspective, much of what I do is merely inviting trouble for myself.

And I can't deny that.

Matterhorn and Courier.

Matterhorn and Weiss... I trust them implicitly, and feel comfortable handing them many responsibilities.

While I won't say that our relationship as superior and subordinate creates a distance between us, realistically speaking we will always have a hard time reaching a mutual understanding. As the giver and recipient of trust.

So, as you can see...

I can share bits and pieces of myself with each of the people you mentioned.

But for various reasons, I cannot share everything with them, just as they cannot share everything with me.

You've drawn too many lines.;Because they all have ties to Kjerag...

I never wanted to.

Just as nobody asked me if I wanted to become head of the clan that year.

I've grown accustomed to weighing the value of each and every person I encounter, and designating a role for them on my path to progress.

Within the spheres I have designated for them, I am completely genuine.

But nobody can claim it all.

Correct.

At the core of my enterprise is the land of Kjerag, to the point that all the people I find around me are intimately connected to the land itself.

Most of the time, this isn't a bad thing.

However, I have realized that I am lacking an objective viewpoint who can criticize or discuss matters concerning myself.

Enya and Ensia were still very young when our parents suddenly passed away.

The family's heavy responsibilities fell completely onto my shoulders. For both my sisters and the clan, I could only grit my teeth and pick up the mantle as a Silverash.

After a few years of this, I realized that nothing would ever change from simply remaining the head of a clan in Kjerag.

So I left to study in Victoria, following in my father's footsteps.

What happened during my time abroad would make a fascinating topic for another time, should you be interested.

But judging from the results, I made the correct decision. If I hadn't left, I would never have understood what Kjerag needed, nor what challenges it would face.

A few years later, I voluntarily ended my studies and returned with my capital and connections to form Karlan Trade.

I'll admit the whole process was originally meant to take much longer. While abroad, most of my time was dedicated to studying and networking, though it is not as if I didn't have moments of leisure as well.

Unfortunately though, the alarm bells ringing in my heart pushed me to make my decision early.

What comes after is the history of Karlan Trade's development.

I cannot claim full credit for our achievements, but I have indeed put everything I have into it, and into the land.

I know. It hasn't been easy for you.;You want someone to talk to.

It seems that we share a propensity to tease others.

I won't say I've grown weary, but I've never been one to fail to understand the importance of relaxation.

If I were only here because I needed someone to talk to... then I would lack the qualifications to be your friend.

Correct.

People like us would never say that hard work alone makes efforts worth acknowledging, nor would we use it as an excuse.

Quite the contrary. I want to share what I've experienced in my life with someone worthy of my recognition.

But what does this have with you joining Rhodes Island?

I originally thought that our cooperation would remain on a business level, but you seemed to insist that your business is inseparably connected to all of us.

And you've managed to convince me.

Kjerag has experienced hardly any Catastrophes in the past, and as such, the people of Kjerag have little innate prejudice against the Infected.

That said, the role they play in society, what they've experienced, what they will experience...

I must admit, I had failed to adequately consider these things.

When I issued articles of incorporation modeled after Victoria's statutes, all I had in mind were some commonplace management tricks.

That's already more than enough.;I'm not trying to force you.

But not enough to become your friend, now is it?

But if were to become friends, you would have that privilege.

I need to gain a deeper understand of the Infected, and of Rhodes Island's business.

You've helped me realize that this isn't important just for Karlan Trade, but for the way I view this world.

And after getting to know you, the simplest way to achieve this seems to be to work with you and Rhodes Island.

Which is why I became SilverAsh.

Or, put more simply, friends need to see each other every once in a while, don't they?

I've grown accustomed to dealing with others as a transaction, where one party provides something of value and the other reciprocates with equal value, neither side owing anything to the other.

But friendship, family, and love cannot be assigned a value.

As such, I must choose my partners carefully.

I'd love to hear about your time abroad.;Do I have the option to refuse?;You're a terrible judge of character.

I'll be staying here for a few days, so we'll have plenty of time for that.

Perhaps you will be able to glean some of the secrets of the Victorian nobility from the vignettes I share with you.

Obviously. If a third party were present for this conversation, they would quickly discover—

That I did not come here to 'establish' a friendship at all, but simply to have a chat with a friend.

If that's the case, then the same must be true for you.

Alright, Doctor, you're still responsible for showing me around the landship.

We can talk more along the way.

No objections.;Okay.;*Sigh*...

One more thing.

I'll admit that doing things this way may have come as a surprise. Perhaps even caused you some trouble.

But the next time you see me, you should be glad.

After all, nobody is better suited to solve your problems than me. Isn't that right?