Chapter 33
The Complete Truth
The old man finished his words, his voice trembling and his hands shaking, as though fear had seized every fiber of his being. Lowering his head in supplication, he whispered:
"And this… this is the state of our city now. May I leave? Please, honorable sir…"
He bowed, his frail body quivering like a dry branch in a storm, while his dim eyes still shone with unending terror.
Einver remained silent for a few moments, his gaze fixed downward as storms of thought raged in his mind. Then he raised his eyes slightly, staring at the old man, and spoke in a cold voice laced with an irresistible authority:
"Tell me… how do you know all these things? Who are you, truly?"
The old man shuddered at the question, his chest tightening as though he could not draw breath. Reluctantly, he lifted his head and stammered:
"I… I was the former chief servant of the palace… my name is Mai Na…"
Einver was not surprised. He had already anticipated this answer. After all, how could a wretched man, living in a shabby tavern, know such intricate details unless he had once been at the very heart of the palace?
Einver's lips curved into a faint smile, and he spoke in a calm tone whose sharpness cut like a blade:
"So… my suspicion was correct. But there is still one thing that troubles me. If you truly knew all of this, why did you do nothing? Why didn't you tell the king? Or warn the princess? Or alert anyone at all? Why did you remain in the shadows, unmoving?"
Mai Na drew a deep breath, as though mountains of memories had weighed upon his chest, then answered in a broken voice:
"I wasn't certain… at first, I only had suspicions, and I didn't dare take the risk. If I had been wrong, I would've been the first to be punished. But… that day, when I learned of the prince's return, I prepared myself to tell him everything, to warn him, or at least to plant some doubt in his heart. But I was a little too late… By the time I reached the city gates, the prince had already passed me by at speed. I tried to call out to him, I shouted his name again and again, but he never turned back. When I ran after him, a thunderous crash shook the great hall… I rushed in. I saw the prince confronting his sister and uncle, fury erupting from his eyes like a volcano… And after that… you know what happened…"
He lowered his head, as though reliving the scene before his eyes, then continued in a voice heavy with regret:
"At that moment, I had no choice but to flee. I took my children and escaped that hell. I hoped that one day, someone, or some power, would shatter the curse that suffocates us. But three years passed… and nothing changed. In fact, things grew worse. The princess… she changed. She became cruel, merciless. She punished the poor without hesitation, fabricated charges against innocent people, and imprisoned them unjustly…"
His voice trembled, tears welling in his eyes until they overflowed, streaming down his wrinkled cheeks as he continued hoarsely:
"And my son… my son was among those poor souls. I warned him time and again not to get involved with the princess, but he wouldn't listen. He was a fool… deeply attached to her since childhood. When he learned of what had happened, he rushed to join the guards, even becoming one of her personal protectors. I screamed inside, but it was useless. And then, two or three months later, the news came… Nothing but a cold announcement: 'One of the foolish soldiers attempted to disrespect the princess, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.' That fool… my son would not listen to his old father. He chose to follow his heart over his mind. He followed the girl he loved, without thinking of his aged father… or his innocent sister… Ah, my Mai Tu…"
His voice broke, shattering completely, and he wept bitterly, his tears falling to the ground like drops of blood spilling from a broken heart.
Einver exhaled, watching him, his thoughts wavering between pity and doubt.
Did that young man's love for the princess truly outweigh his love for his father and sister? Or had his heart blinded him to the bitter truth?
Then he murmured inwardly:
But… that is love. It makes you sacrifice everything for it. You might even give up your very life… you might even beg for strength from the King of Hell himself if need be. Damn it… what a cruel, accursed feeling this is…
He raised his eyes toward the old man and asked coldly:
"There's something I still don't understand in your story, old man… What is the Trait?"
Mai Na wiped his tears, staring at Einver with astonishment tinged with suspicion:
"How can you not know what a Trait is? You look strong… as though you know everything…"
Einver's expression didn't change. His tone was commanding:
"Answer, old man."
Mai Na trembled slightly, then spoke hesitantly:
"Very well, sir… The Trait is a power awakened once a person opens his spiritual sea. It differs from one person to another. For example, the princess can tamper with people's thoughts and emotions, but she cannot take full control of their minds. She only plants notions within those she chooses. As for the prince… his Trait was the control of electricity. Yet in one moment of fury and madness, he surpassed his limits… and grasped the power of lightning itself…"
The old man went on explaining, his tired voice still brimming with knowledge, detailing the differences between Traits, their limits, and how their effects varied from person to person. Einver remained silent, drowning in thought:
Why have I not awakened a Trait of my own?
He looked at Mai Na calmly, intending to ask further, but before he could, the tavern door suddenly burst open. Out stepped a little girl, no older than eleven. She was lovely, with gentle features, but her innocent face was soaked in tears that cascaded down like a waterfall.
She rushed to Einver, dropped to her knees at his feet, and pleaded through sobs that broke her voice:
"Please… don't kill my father… I'll do anything you want… I beg you…"
The old man gasped, trying to stop her, but Einver silenced him with a gesture, then asked with chilling calm:
"You'll do anything I want?… Truly?"
A cold smile crept onto his lips, while his eyes ignited with a dreadful crimson glow, half-lidded, staring into the child's soul like the gaze of a demon. The little girl froze, trembling as though she had stared into death itself. She turned toward her father, her eyes heavy with farewell.
"Y-Yes… I'll do anything you want…"
The old man's heart screamed in agony. He clawed at the floor until his fingers bled, veins bulging on his face with powerless rage. But he could not move. He had seen Einver's strength with his own eyes, and knew resistance was futile.
Slowly, Einver approached, each step echoing in the old man's ears like funeral bells. To Mai Na, every step felt like days passing—like entire months. At last, Einver sat cross-legged before the girl on the filthy tavern floor, indifferent to the dirt that stained his clothes.
"Lift your head, little one."
But she did not move, trembling even harder. Einver turned to the old man and said firmly:
"Raise your head, old man."
Mai Na obeyed, still shaking. When he finally looked up, he was startled to see Einver seated humbly before them, on the tavern's dirty floor. No false pride, no feigned arrogance—just a young man, sitting quietly across from an old servant and his daughter.
"Let your daughter lift her head…"
The old man embraced his child tenderly, but she buried herself deeper in his chest, refusing to face Einver. Then, unexpectedly, Einver smiled gently and said:
"Do not worry… I won't harm either of you. I am not some deranged killer. You can let go of these needless fears."
He turned to the little girl and spoke softly:
"Rest easy, child… I will not hurt you, nor your father. In fact… I owe your father my thanks for what he has given me."
He reached into his pouch, placed two silver coins before Mai Na, and said:
"This is compensation for the damage to your tavern… and for troubling you both. Forgive me."
Shock froze the old man's features as he stared at the silver, scarcely believing his eyes. He had lived long, seen countless nobles, but none had ever spoken with such humility. Meeting Einver's gaze, he realized instantly—he was not lying.
"Thank you… sir… This old man will never forget your kindness…"
Einver smiled, then asked:
"But… could you give me a sack or a large cloth? I need to take this fool with me."
Mai Na blinked in surprise.
"Don't you own a Spatial Item, sir?"
Einver raised a brow.
"A… Spatial Item? What is that?"
The old man was even more astonished.
"You don't know?! It's an artifact that holds anything you wish—your weapon, your food, even corpses of the dead… It comes in many forms; rings, necklaces, weapons… Here, sir, take this."
From his pocket, Mai Na produced a small ring. Emptying its contents, he removed his imprint and handed it to Einver.
He explained how to activate it with a drop of blood. The moment Einver did so, he felt his consciousness drawn into a dark void like endless space. Amazed, he quickly smiled in gratitude.
"Even if its capacity is small, it's a priceless treasure to me… Thank you, old man."
With that, he pulled Mo Ba's corpse into the ring in an instant, tidied up the place until it looked as it had before, then turned to Mai Na and his daughter.
"I'll be leaving now… Forgive me again for the trouble."
He stepped out of the tavern with steady strides, but had not gone far before the little girl chased after him. Bowing shyly, her eyes sparkling with innocence, she asked:
"C-could I… could I know your name, brother?"
Her father hurried after her, apologizing as he tried to pull her back inside, but Einver smiled, knelt to her level, and gently placed his hand atop her head.
"Your brother's name is Einver… And what's yours, little one?"
She quickly wiped her tears, her lips curling into a radiant smile as she replied joyfully:
"My name is Mai Ko!"
Einver chuckled softly, ruffling her hair:
"Then… farewell, Mai Ko."
She waved her tiny hand as she and her father returned to the tavern, happiness glowing across both their faces.
But what they did not know… was that eyes from afar had been watching, burning with wrath. Hatred seethed in someone's chest, aimed at Einver… and then, slowly, those eyes turned toward the tavern itself, seething in a deadly silence.
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