'Just point me in the right direction?' Kyran asked with raised brows.
'You don't strike me as a businessman type. Why are you trying to haggle for more compensation?'
'I don't even know what you want me to do,' Kyran replied with a shrug. He then turned his attention to the crowd and continued, 'But based on what is happening here now, it requires putting my life on the line.'
'Ahahaha! Hardly,' the old man laughed out loud again.
Although the beast-like around them found the old man's outburst strange this time, they chose to ignore him.
'I saw what you've been through each time you survived without a scratch.'
Kyran did not react to the old man's words, but he noted how he used 'saw' rather than 'know.'
'In any case, though I will only point you in the right direction, I assure you that you will find what you seek.'
'You know what,' Kyran suddenly thought of something. 'With your position, you can tell me directly where I can find what I am here for. How about you tell me that? Then I will resolve this situation?'
'Tempting,' the old man replied with a nod. 'But there are things that cannot be touched. In this case, I cannot tell you where to find what you are searching for. If I did, I would be challenging the Fates.'
Hearing the old man speak of the Fates, Kyran was once more reminded of those times he heard others speak of them. He was intrigued about their existence. At the same time, annoyed at how they seemed to weave threads according to their acceptable scenario.
'Let us say I do not mind challenging those ladies,' the old man suddenly said. 'And told you where to search, what will you do then? Are you going to barge in, take what you are here for, and leave?'
He then looked at Kyran solemnly, 'I may have seen things about you, but not everything. But I do know that our planes have a time difference. That which you seek may have only been lost for a year, but what about here?
'Young man, do you know how long that which you seek has stayed in the Somuli plane? And have you any idea of the things that transpired then?'
Kyran did not answer, but he frowned after realizing the Abbot knew he was in search of a person, and that person was not a native of their plane.
The old man was practically confirming that Cyneah was in Somuli.
But there was something about the way the old man spoke of 'the things that transpired' while she was here that did not sit well with Kyran. It made him remember how scared and helpless Cyneah sounded when she called him almost a year ago.
'They do not consider a person who fell ill as someone with an Anathema. Still, to ensure an illness would not threaten their 'complete' state, they normally purge that person.'
Wing's words flashed through Kyran's head, and he belatedly thought, what if they initially believed Cyneah's no-sight state was not an Anathema but an illness? What if, at that time, they planned to purge her?
Just the thought made Kyran's blood run cold.
Obviously, Cyneah survived. If not, the old man would not use her— assuming he was talking about her whenever he said 'that-which-you-are-here-for'— as a bargaining chip to coax Kyran into helping.
But the question was, how did Cyneah survive? What about the things she had to go through afterward? The things she had to endure? Was there anyone who helped her? Was she the Saint?
It should be noted that the old man never mentioned the Saint throughout their conversation. To be precise, he never hinted she was.
'If you agree to help, you will receive an identification to move around. You can plan how to approach that which you seek without raising suspicions.'
The old man's reasoning was sound. As he said, Kyran did not know how long since Cyneah had stayed in Somuli. She had adjusted to this plane and might have formed a bond with some people, especially those who helped during her times of need. That was something Kyran had to consider.
Another thing that Kyran had been wondering about was why Cyneah never called again after that first time.
He wanted to believe she had lost the token and could no longer call.
But what if she did not? What if she threw it away?
The truth, Kyran could use the token to locate her. But he needed to be close to it at a certain distance.
''Plan how to approach,' huh,' Kyran could not help but repeat what the old man had said.
It was as if he was telling him approaching Cyneah was no easy feat.
Not that Kyran thought otherwise. He knew it would not be easy. But somehow, the old man was implying that Cyneah was the one who would not want to see him— or something along that line.
The old man nodded, 'Yes. It has been seven years. Do you think that what you are here for will be that accepting after all these years?'
Kyran choked inwardly.
'Seven years?' He could not help but blurt at the old man telepathically.
'Did that convince you?'
Kyran let out an exasperated sigh.
The old man was right. Seven years was indeed too long. A lot of things happened that could change Cyneah.
Could she have truly thrown the token he gave her? The possibility had increased.
'I'll hear you out first,' Kyran replied after a long pause. 'I'll decide whether to help after that.'
The old man chortled good-naturedly, 'Such a tough nut to crack. But it is a good start. Shall we change location?'
'I don't mind talking here.'
'Aren't you exhausted 'talking' like this?'
'No.'
Kyran had been talking with his Sigils the same way. He was used to it.
'Alright,' the old man nodded and leaned back on the wall. 'Let me first ask you, what do you understand of the current situation?'
'Someone is after you.'
'A straightforward answer from a straightforward young man. Yes, indeed. Those people plan to infiltrate town because of me. But do you know their reason? Apart from my identity, of course.'
Kyran shrugged, 'I've only been here for a few hours. I don't have such an in-depth knowledge of the plane's situation.'
'A sound reason.'
'Let's not waste time, old man. Just tell me, alright?'
The old man chuckled and shook his head, 'You're absolutely right. Let us not waste time. I will briefly explain, but let me warn you that some terms might draw a blank because only a local would understand them.'
'I am listening.'
'Then, let me start by telling you that a discord is happening secretly between the Eidums and the Nobles.'
'I already know that much.'
'Oh? And you still do not know why the perpetrators are after me?'
'It could not be as simple as because you are the Eidum's leader, right?'
'What is wrong if that is the reason?'
'If it is, their reason is too obvious. Not to mention, the only ones that could be behind them are the Nobles.'
'That is right,' the old man nodded. 'They are truly after me. Because they believed my existence was the only reason the Eidums had not succumbed to the Sovereign's rule.
'But that is not the case because half of the Eidums already agree with the Nobles. It would only be a matter of time before 80 to 90 percent would join them.'
Kyran could not help but frown. Every plane had political struggles, but he did not expect to be thrown right in the middle upon his arrival.
He thought this because he met the Eidum's Abbot on his first day, and now he wanted to employ his services to 'resolve' the problem. Now that he thought of it, the old man did not expect him to resolve that problem, was he? That was considered a plane-level issue; if he acted, he would challenge the plane's Sovereign himself!
'You do not have to worry about that,' the old man assured him as if reading his thoughts. 'I will only ask you to resolve the situation on the border of the Eidum's territory.'
The old man's expression turned serious, and he continued, 'You see, my subjects have been forced to go there to keep the border from falling. And if any of my subjects fall...'
'You will have fewer people you can trust.'
'Yes, and more. They are not only my subjects but my family. You could say that they are being held captive by being in that place.'
'Who forced them to go there?'
'The 'Sovereign,' of course,' the old man answered with a wry smile. 'You might think my position enables me to have absolute authority over the Eidum community, but that is not true. I am merely looking after them and trying my best to keep the Nobles from killing them indiscriminately.'
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