Silence.
An unbearable, unwelcome silence permeated the vast auditorium.
Conflicted emotions arose, and the multifarious expressions on the faces of the people present displayed the intensity of the current situation.
Anger. Disappointment. Shock. Indifference. Several reactions leaked from the faces of the listeners of Jared's confession—thus causing an uncomfortable decorum. Sounds of inhalation and exhalation interrupted this silence for some time, but ultimately someone had to speak.
And that person had to hurry.
"S-so, you're actually…"
"I don't understand any of this. It's too shocking."
Different people spoke. Their voices overlapped with one another, but out of everyone who spoke up, there was one who didn't utter a word—of course, other than the young girl who instigated all of this and the couple who weren't surprised by the news.
"I just have one question…" The silent one finally spoke up.
Her black and white hair fluttered behind her as she approached Jared's motionless figure, and a cold gaze was evident on her face. It was difficult to understand how exactly she felt, but it certainly didn't seem positive.
"... Were you really ever going to tell us? Tell me?"
Silence suddenly rang among the plentiful voices, and everyone ceased their comments to listen to Jared's response to the one thing they must have all thought of at least once.
Jared Leonard, now revealed to be Lewis Griffith… had he ever planned on confessing this truth to his friends if Ana hadn't put him in such an awkward position? Would he have denied any familial connection to his own daughter? Would he have kept such a fundamental secret from everyone?
Everyone stared at him for a response to that.
"I…" The young boy uttered.
So far, he had maintained his stance of truth. He was walking on a slippery slope, and any error on his part could be irreparable. With this on his mind, Jared wondered what he could say.
'The truth? Or should I tell them what they want to hear?' He sighed.
In the end, he had to keep treading the path of honesty—considering he had already begun.
"... I'm not sure. I don't know if I would have ever told you recently, but…" Jared remembered how Maria had confirmed the truth due to the Pope's game in The Cathedral.
If it hadn't been for the conditions, he wouldn't have said anything. However, after Maria told him about Ana and Lemi being suspicious of his identity, with both of them being nearly certain of it, he knew he would have to say something soon.
Thus, he changed his mind at that point and decided to reveal everything once the time was right. In essence, his initial position of keeping his secret changed due to the very reason that they were already figuring out the truth.
'How can I, in good conscience, say I would have told them otherwise?'
The previously uncomfortable atmosphere turned heavy as Jared's allies felt just how distant their supposed friend had been this whole time. A man about a century old, who was meant to be dead for over half a millennium, was who they thought was their friend.
Once the reality dawned on them, even the surprised ones slowly moved to the point of disappointment. It was at this point that they all realized one truth that they had been too ignorant to see all along.
Jared Leonard was completely different from them.
It all made sense now. He lived in a completely different world—heck, he even had a completely different life. Was there any hope of him ever seeing them as equals?
As these difficult thoughts ate through their trust for the boy whom they had all unanimously agreed to be their leader, Neron finally stepped forward.
"Okay, that's enough." His voice roused everyone, bringing them out of the mental slump they were experiencing.
"I know what you all must be thinking or feeling. I won't even try to justify Jared's actions or give you reasons to. That's something he must do by himself."
Neron possessed a particular charm that made him unavoidably attractive. Even though everyone was wallowing in their shock or distrust, they could not resist his voice, as well as his modest appearance.
The black-haired man moved to stand beside Jared, making a tired sigh as his face still contained a certain blankness that was akin to boredom—or perhaps even lethargy.
"Let's not forget the reality, alright? I know your egos have been bruised, and your bonds of friendship have been injured, but that changes nothing." Neron's calm voice soothed the tension with ease.
"Changes nothing? You're kidding, ri—?"
"Jared, no matter how much information he has compartmentalized, still possesses the means of leading this team into victory. He has somehow successfully gained the upper hand against the enemy due to his strategy, and despite how you might feel, his interests are for humanity and the allied races."
Ana felt a flush of embarrassment as Neron silenced her. The sharp look he gave Lemi also discouraged her from any further efforts of resistance.
"Whether he didn't tell you about his past life or not is immaterial to our relationship as a team. Besides—and I don't mean to offer this as a defence, but Jared's past identity is a private matter that has no bearing on this mission."
Whether or not his audience accepted his words, Neron managed to make everyone silently consider the meaning behind them.
"If you feel your egos and personal entitlement are far more valuable than the current mission, or the goal of stopping the Nether Cult—whose member did this to Kuzon, who have done worse, and who will do even more terrible things if they get the Arcanas—then you're free to allow your emotions to take control of your dispositions."
Neron's words caused cognitive dissonance within his listeners. On one end, they realized what an unreliable and secretive friend Jared was, however, they also understood what a great and indispensable leader he was.
As things stood, they needed him.
"Jared Leonard or Lewis Griffith… whoever he really is, his knowledge and contribution have made him relevant for our survival."
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[A/N]
As always, Neron remains the GOAT.
