Truth. Everyone clutching their pearls and refusing to read the second season because of their misguided shipping wars is missing out on such tremendous world building, character development, and honestly a really fantastic character in Brian. He is the beating heart of the story, and his presence is felt even now. The author did a fantastic job of showing how Brian's influence irrevocably changed Sol and gave him his love for humanity.
Brian is literally why Sol's kingdom is a near-utopia and why Sol is such a fantastic king.
On the flipside, you only see the depths of Heron's darkness by seeing the lengths he went to break Sol and Brian apart, and then to groom and isolate Ian to ensure that he could have him for himself.
Anyone who skips the backstory is missing peak, just saying.