Seiyad unleashed his power, shaping form from darkness. Like something melting into shadow, his figure flickered in and out of sight, prompting Tiaki to laugh.
“I thought no one in Solias could keep up with me, but of course, the real Tither is on another level. If you’d turned those skills toward assassination, no one in the kingdom would’ve survived.”
“Cut the nonsense and get to the point.”
“I wouldn’t have shown up if there wasn’t news.”
Seiyad’s eyes lit up at the unexpected answer to his question. He strode toward Tiaki, prompting the other to raise his hands.
“Whoa, whoa, calm down. There’s nothing tangible just yet. But we did track the movements of some people who were at the plaza ‘that day.’ They’ve scattered all over, so it’ll take some time. Still, one of them matches the appearance of someone from the Royal Knights, and I figured you’d want to know.”
Tiaki was the leader of a group composed of those whose very existence was considered undesirable in the land of Solias. Seiyad had learned of him shortly before his death, while searching Nir’a by day after Ressas had appeared in Takhan. During his search for witnesses, Seiyad encountered Tiaki’s group, Desertus, and received their help.
Members of Desertus were born through illicit means. The Tithers were supposed to strictly manage their bloodline and report any anomalies to the kingdom, but not every person born with the power of a Tither was virtuous or honest.
Occasionally, illegitimate children would inherit fragments of that bloodline, wielding unstable, half-formed powers in secret. As they couldn’t be recorded in the official genealogy and were commoners by status, they lived quietly in the shadows, surviving off under-the-table dealings.
One of Tiaki’s subordinates had the ability to read the memories imprinted on objects. Having inherited Tither power in an unstable form, their abilities varied each time they were used. Sometimes, the backlash left them gravely ill, slowing down investigations. Thankfully, none had yet generated the kind of unstable energy that could trigger a Rampage.
Drawing from past memories, Seiyad located their base and approached first. They were mainly active around the capital, and in exchange for meeting Tiaki’s conditions, Seiyad secured his cooperation. What Tiaki wanted was for his people to live openly and without shame. Not to continue a hidden life under the name Desertus, but to reveal that beings like them existed in the world.
That wasn’t something they could achieve with their own strength. Exposing themselves would be seen as a stain on the Tithers’ prestige and inhuman perfection, making royal retaliation inevitable. But if a Tither like Seiyad were to intervene, the story changed.
In the past, Seiyad had placed great meaning in the fact that Aster believed in him and spoke on his behalf. He trusted Aster’s promise to restore his mother’s honor and clear her name, dedicating himself to whatever tasks were given.
Yet in the end, those tasks were not Aster’s to complete—they were burdens Seiyad himself had to bear. Back then, he was lost and didn’t know how. Looking back now, it was unbearably foolish. Even after learning firsthand not to trust people, he still sought to rely on others.
“Do you know which knight order it was?”
“It had some ridiculous name—‘Star’s something.’ Look for a redhead in their ranks.”
“The Grace of the Star has the most members of the Royal Guard. I need something more specific.”
“No praise for a major find like this? Just complaints?”
“What do you want?”
He had more than enough wealth. If it was money Tiaki wanted, Seiyad would give it. But anything beyond that would have to wait. What Tiaki truly sought would only gain weight once Seiyad cleared his mother’s name. If he could catch the Queen and the Shildras in a mistake, that would in turn empower the name Brosius—and increase Seiyad’s influence.
Even if it turned out that his mother had indeed gone on a Rampage, Seiyad was prepared to accept it. All he wanted now was to learn the truth from the eyes of a third party present at the time. Once he uncovered that truth, he would find a way to grant Tiaki’s wish. But first, he had to give him something—anything—right now to start with.
“We want to experience this Purification too.”
But Tiaki’s request was wholly unexpected. Seiyad raised a brow, and Tiaki responded with uncharacteristic seriousness.
“Even this cursed power of ours is technically a Tither ability, right? Every one of us lives with something—insomnia, anxiety, whatever—clinging to us for life. None of us knows what it feels like to be at peace. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Purification only works when there’s compatibility with a Guide. We don’t know if any of the royal bloodlines would even be compatible. You want me to drag someone out and try it anyway?”
“There’s someone who can do it regardless of compatibility, isn’t there? The prince from the rumors.”
Seiyad slowly closed his eyes. The headache that had vanished after meeting Ressas started creeping back in.
“They say he’s incredible, right? Just being near him makes people feel better. We’re not even real Tithers, so that much is enough for us, isn’t it?”
It was true—but to make that happen, Seiyad would have to expose what he was doing to Ressas. Even revealing Desertus’ existence to anyone else was already a major risk. Bringing in Ressas meant the Shildras would inevitably follow.
No, from the beginning, this was something Seiyad could never share with anyone. In the past, he had ruined everything by leaning on Aster like a fool. Now, he had to carry it all alone.
“It’s not as easy as you think. I’ll consider a way. For now, it’s on hold.”
“So that’s a promise?”
“I never promised anything. I said I’d think about it.”
“Maybe take a moment to consider our side, too. We’ve given you everything and gotten nothing in return. If we get Purification, our work efficiency goes up. Who knows? It could be good for both of us.”
Seiyad knew well that proper rewards and punishments were necessary to manage people. But if he had a tendency, it was to drive them mercilessly. In the end, that only ever brought about fear—and left Seiyad with no one by his side.
Tiaki had a point. For now, it was worth considering.
“I’ll think about it.”
“That’s a promise.”
Just then, multiple footsteps echoed from down the corridor. Judging by their direction, they were headed toward his quarters. Tiaki seemed to notice too, clicking his tongue before turning toward the open window.
“Next time, I’ll expect something in return.”
Taking Seiyad’s silence as a signal, he leapt out the window. As soon as he disappeared from view, the footsteps drew nearer, and a knock rang out at the door.
“Your Grace, may we enter? We’ve brought a gift sent from the Central Palace.”
“Enter.”
With his permission, the door opened. Two attendants, each carrying a large rectangular box in their arms, hesitated upon seeing the dark room. Seiyad had forgotten—he was used to this kind of darkness.
“The wind blew out the lamp. The oil must’ve run out. Go check and bring a new one. Leave the gifts.”
“Yes, understood.”
Seiyad decided to send them away quickly. Perhaps anticipating this response, the attendants opened the door wide, letting the light from the hallway spill into the room. They hastily set the boxes down on the large table and retreated. While they left to fetch a new lamp, Seiyad listlessly unwrapped the gifts. The golden boxes, tied with hand-knotted ribbons, were surprisingly light for their size—not treasure or gold, then.
Opening the first box revealed clothing wrapped in silk. With a slight frown, he glanced at it and moved on. The second box also contained clothes. Checking the enclosed cards, he saw that the senders were different. Coincidentally, both were princes who had sent him garments.
Hah…
It was a longstanding tradition for members of the royal family to gift their Tither an outfit for upcoming banquets. But Seiyad hadn’t received such a gift in years. The last time had been six years ago, at a coming-of-age celebration he attended before reaching adulthood, when Aster had given him an outfit. Since then, he’d nearly forgotten about the tiresome custom. The problem now was that Ressas had also sent him one.
Seiyad lifted the garments with his fingertips. Ressas’s gift was a white uniform trimmed in gold—utterly unsuited to Seiyad’s style. In contrast, Aster’s gift was a black-and-gold ensemble, much like what Seiyad typically wore.
Without hesitation, Seiyad chose Aster’s attire. Though he refused Aster’s Purification, he couldn’t afford to antagonize him openly—not yet. Aster’s actions had grown suspicious, and Seiyad needed to stay close to observe him. Matching Aster’s rhythm, at least for now, was necessary.
Besides, Ressas’s outfit was a white that might suit him—but not Seiyad. As he moved to close the box, his eyes caught the card inside, and he read it from the side.
“You were meant to be seen—meant to be loved.”
Just reading the word loved felt awkward. Seiyad stared at the card for a long moment before letting out a sigh and closing the box. Beautiful as the sentiment was, it wasn’t a word meant for a sinner like him.
I love YEARNING MEN
Fictional men
Knowingly unknowingly Eid broke Ressas heart numerous time.