Five Broken Blades

“My instincts are always right, and the scars I bear are reminders of the times I’ve ignored my gut. The last time cost me everything. I’m not doing it again.”

This passage, spoken by Royo, showcases an ironic aspect of his character. Although his instincts repeatedly tell him to be suspicious of Aeri, he disregards the hard lesson that he learnt through Lora’s death and trusts Aeri anyway. His instinctual unease also foreshadows the fact that Aeri is far more than she appears to be.

“I was once a prized hunter—the best in Yusan, according to the king. And now here I am, in the badlands, in Fallow, and I am the prey.”

Despite feeling hunted for the past three years, Euyn still holds the same lack of accountability and guilt over his murders that he displayed during his time as a pampered prince. Thus, Corland emphasizes the fact that even though he has become “the prey,” he remains unchanged in his outlook and philosophy.

“I walk with a hood covering my black hair and dusty sand encrusting my tunic and trousers, just like everyone else, but there’s something about me that refuses to be common.”

While Euyn’s physical characteristics typically qualify him as a handsome man, his humble circumstances do not alter his innate air of superiority. Though Mikail will later qualify this trait as being derived from Qali Palace’s corruptive power, the introspective, first-person narration in this passage reveals that Euyn simply holds a fundamental belief in his superiority over others.