— Stars of the kingdom, I’ve heard of your efforts. I express my condolences for the tragedy that occurred last night.
The king’s expression returned to its usual cold, detached look, devoid of any trace of concern. As if displeased, he turned his gaze away from Ressas and opened the meeting.
— So, the mid-grade Nir’a has already made an appearance?
“Yes, Father. About thirty small Nir’a and one medium-class Nir’a,” Aster replied softly.
It was a conversation unmistakably between father and son, bound by blood, yet Ressas alone felt excluded from it. Hidden from everyone’s view, he raised a hand to his forehead and subtly shielded his eyes—an old gesture that did not escape Seiyad’s notice.
‘…That habit hasn’t changed.’
The young Ressas had always hated his own eyes and hair. Though those who inherited the blood of Solias were always born with golden tones, his were nothing but dark. As a child, he had constantly searched for ways to dye his hair. A foolish endeavor. Ressas’ hair was so deeply black that the best he could manage was a dull brown—and even that left his scalp damaged from harsh chemicals.
A child who had proven from birth that he lacked the qualifications to belong was never loved by the king. Even his mother, the queen, eventually gave up on him in disappointment. After giving birth to the third prince, Lyley, Ressas was all but forgotten. Whenever he had to stand before the king and queen, the child with unchangeable colors would always try to hide himself as much as possible. He thought that maybe, just maybe, if he made himself smaller, they would hate him a little less.
Seiyad had hated seeing Ressas act like that. When the boy shrank into himself, the younger Seiyad would grab his wrist and tell him he didn’t need to.
He remembered the look Ressas gave him then.
That small head gently lifting, those pretty violet eyes peeking out from under the dark hair, shimmering as if about to cry as they met Seiyad’s. The boy had twitched like a frightened baby animal caught in Seiyad’s grasp, then slowly relaxed and offered a bashful smile, as if reassured. That smile had looked just like a frost flower blooming beneath the ice. Yes—the kind of violet frost flower that only bloomed near the rivers of the North.
It had looked just like that.
— Duke Axid?
The king’s voice snapped Seiyad out of the lingering memories. He flinched, lifted his head, and met eyes with Ressas, who was already watching him. The small boy he had once handled so carefully—as if he’d break from a mere touch—was now a fully grown man. Soon, Ressas would even surpass Seiyad in height. And yet, all he could see was that fragile child. Along with that, the painful memory of cutting him off so mercilessly came rushing back.
A strange mix of guilt and emotion—ever since the moment he died—hardened Seiyad’s expression. Breaking eye contact with a chill, he turned to the king and answered.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
— You’re slow to respond. Not like you, Duke. Is something wrong?
Everyone’s eyes were now on him. Even Duchess Vetria was wearing an expression of curiosity—it certainly wasn’t like him to act this way. Ignoring Aster’s gaze on the back of his neck, Seiyad responded calmly.
“My apologies.”
The king looked displeased but chose not to press further.
— Very well. A duke has many burdens. Now then, what’s the damage report?
“Four royal knights and ten civilians are dead. Most of the civilian casualties were killed by the sudden attack of the small Nir’a. All the knights died trying to hold off the mid-grade Nir’a. There are approximately fifteen injured.”
— Fewer casualties than expected. That’s thanks to your presence.
He wasn’t wrong. A mid-grade Nir’a was a monstrous being, capable of wiping out an entire knight squadron and slaughtering dozens of civilians on its own. In the past, dozens of retainers who accompanied the Ritual of Invocation had died at the same site.
But all Seiyad had been able to do was reduce the numbers. Though he had anticipated such an event, he couldn’t save everyone. Dozens of alternate plans flitted through his mind, each laced with regret. If only he had entered the forest earlier and killed the Nir’a beforehand—if only he had been certain sooner—then perhaps everyone could have lived.
— Still, we cannot simply move on just because the outcome was minor. The occurrence of such an unprecedented event likely signals a problem with the forest. Thus, I have reached a conclusion after much thought. I intend to begin reducing the size of the forest once more.
At the king’s declaration, Duke Bridehit responded. Raising his eyebrows, he wore a grave expression—far removed from his usual nonchalance.
“You mean to assemble another investigative force?”
— You remember, don’t you? Yes. It’s time to fulfill the aspiration long held by the late king. Before the northern winter spreads to other territories, we shall form an expedition to investigate the forest for a month and find the core of the boundary.
Duke Bridehit protested strongly.
“Your Majesty, time is short. It would take at least a year to gather the necessary personnel. We cannot proceed unprepared.”
— No need to overreach. But we do need to uncover the anomaly and prepare for it, do we not? Consider this the beginning. With the monsters running amok, the time has come.
The king’s tone left no room for argument—his eyes were firm with resolve.
— Before the end of this life, I wish to see every forest that cages us destroyed.
Those words stirred up a flood of memories in Seiyad’s mind. Ever since the events of the Ritual of Invocation, the king had accelerated his plans to exterminate the Nir’a. The forest reduction effort, which had begun under the previous king, had temporarily halted but was now set to resume. The task involved investigating the forests in each territory and destroying the “core” present within each region.
Just as the Nir’a could only be killed by destroying their core, each forest had a life source—deep within, there existed a massive red nucleus surrounded by hundreds of Nir’a.
It was a monumental shift for the kingdom, but for Seiyad back then, it hadn’t seemed so important. His purpose was to kill as many Nir’a as possible—to prove himself and his family. All that mattered to him was that there were now more things to kill.
But to everyone else, it was different. It was an event that would rewrite their very fates.
Seiyad glanced between Duke Bridehit and Duchess Vetria. Those two—whom he had long since erased from his mind—would die because of what was set in motion here. It was around this time that Bridehit’s daughter, still not yet of age, suddenly became the next Tither.
…To think he hadn’t even realized while standing before the soon-to-be dead.
A sudden chill crept up the back of his neck. The fact that he had lived so indifferently, so numb to the deaths of others, struck Seiyad with a jarring awareness. They had never truly been comrades to him, but the realization that he had been this careless about the well-being of those around him sent a shiver through his chest.
— Will we remain forever trapped by the Nir’a, severed from the other continents? I have made up my mind.
At that, the previously silent Vetria finally sided with Bridehit.
“It’s far too dangerous. While reinforcing the boundary is indeed necessary, we are not prepared to carry this out in the middle of winter.”
The king frowned at the strong opposition from the two dukes, then turned to Bridehit.
— Bridehit, you’ve often told me yourself—you don’t want your only daughter to bear the burden of being a Tither. You’re no longer young. Isn’t it better for your child if we act swiftly to erase the forest, even a year sooner?
Bridehit faltered at the mention of his dearly beloved only daughter. Just as Vetria began to speak in protest, Aster interjected.
“It might be better for Lady Vetria as well. The royal family still hasn’t found a suitable Guide for her. Consider what it would mean if she were forced to guard the forest as a Tither and pay the price alone.”
Stella, Vetria’s eldest daughter, had indeed been unable to find a Guide with a compatible resonance, just as the crown prince said. As a result, she had lived almost completely secluded until much later—when Ressas awakened and was finally able to purify her.
— Aster is right. Imagine what it would be like for that child to wield her power, knowing there isn’t a single Guide in the royal family who can shoulder her burden.
At the mention of their children, the two dukes fell silent. Not missing the pause, the king drove the wedge deeper.
— The support both of you desire will not be spared, so be assured. This is only the first step in our investigation. What say you to completing it within the month—so that all territories may face winter without strain?
The moment he offered a palatable compromise, neither duke could continue to resist. With their silent agreement acknowledged, the king smiled faintly and addressed the room.
— My proud son will lead this investigation in my stead. As always, he will do well.
Having maneuvered the situation to his advantage, the king swept his gaze across the chamber—and landed it on Ressas. His mouth hardened into a rigid line as he snapped in irritation.
— Ressas, you are to return to the capital immediately as of today. Useless as you are.
The king voiced his contempt without concern for how it might be perceived.
— Your absence would be more beneficial to the kingdom. Pack your things at once.
Ressas appeared to be listening quietly with his head bowed. But just as the king opened his mouth to close the meeting, a completely unexpected response emerged.
Staring directly into the mirror, Ressas addressed the king.
“Still, better to be here than not at all.”
