beta
it might be a bit early to judge since i'm only on chapter 40s, but i feel like one of the key concept is the main characters learning about empathy and sympathy as they entangled with each other.
one is a mushroom - who is obviously not a human, therefore he might not know about such emotions that only human and animals have. the other is a heartless arbiter - who has executed countless infected people on the spot.
as the story progress, mc learns how to think, feel and speak like a human, even experiencing grief for the first time (completely different from when the poet prisoner once commented that he looked like he was an outlooker who seemed to not care about anything).
ml is just aloof and stern to mc, but he showed his sincerity by his acts of service and kindness (he patted softly on the pillow, not mc's head to wake him up; he picked mc up and gave him a piggyback ride; he sensed mc's discomfort and offered him to stay in his room; he gave his coat to mc everytime, regardless if the weather is cold or not).
i'd love if you guys can confirm this for me if you have read the novel or the spoilers