Gawain paused for a moment, then slowly sat down behind the desk with a serious expression. He raised his head to look into Veronica Moen's eyes, noticing that this ancient Defier's expression was more solemn than ever before... even to the point of being somewhat oppressive.
The gentle smile, almost like a "mask," had disappeared from her face at some unknown time. In this setting devoid of outsiders, the true Ophelia Norton stood before Gawain.
"There are some things you are unwilling to say, so I have never asked," Gawain said slowly as he watched Veronica, "As an ancient soul of the Gondor Empire who has survived to this day, you've never explained in detail how you survived the great explosion of the imperial capital back then, nor have you explained your current existence. As a defier wandering the human world, you also haven't explained where your information about the wasteland comes from."
