Chapter 21

After spending a lot of time pondering in the library, I decided that I had to do something. The problems facing the Kingdom of Bordan could not be solved by meetings in the palace alone. I had to see for myself what was really going on out there. Determined, I made my way to King Domiano’s study to convey my intentions.

King Domiano was sitting behind his desk, poring over some reports when I entered. He raised his head and looked at me with some concern. “Dean, what’s wrong?” he asked softly.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before speaking. “Your Majesty, I want to travel to other areas of the Land of Jordan. I want to observe the conditions there myself.”

I was quite curious about this man’s response after I expressed my desire to travel to observe the conditions outside the royal palace of Bordan. I was already mentally preparing to talk more with King Domiano so that he could melt with my words. Since I’m basically the only son he has, he will certainly pay close attention to the requests that come out of his son’s mouth.

King Domiano furrowed his brows, his expression turning from gentle to serious. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You’ve been exhausted lately. I don’t want you to ill again.”

This time I didn’t immediately direct my annoyance at him. For some reason I saw the man’s praying eyes look different than usual. From his eyes he implied worry and anxiety when I said my request just now.

I knew his concern was sincere, but I felt I couldn’t just stay in the palace while the people were suffering out there. “Father,” I began, with a slightly urgent yet pleading tone, “I will be careful. I just want to see with my own eyes what’s happening in the troubled areas. Maybe I can provide input for a better strategy.”

I’m sure he’ll melt down considering how much he loves his only son. But on the one hand, I was also worried that it would also be a double-edged sword that would lead to contradictory things, namely King Domiano not even allowing me to go outside the palace at all because he was worried that there would be dangers coming my way out there.

Oh my, it turns out that the strict parent tradition has been going on in different universes. I thought that only humans in the earth part of my universe experienced such things, it turns out that the humans here also experience the same thing towards parents who have excessive concern for their children.

He paused for a moment, seemingly considering my words. I could see from his eyes that he was still worried, but I didn’t just give up. “I’m better, I can do it. And I’ll bring some soldiers with me. You don’t have to worry.”

King Domiano gave me a loving look, then let out a long sigh. “Very well,” he said at last. “But promise me that you will not exert yourself. If you feel tired, you must return immediately.”

I smiled, relieved that he agreed. “Thank you, Father. I promise I’ll be careful.”

This time I was very happy that King Domiano allowed me to go to the places I wanted to visit. I hoped that my trip would be enjoyable even if it wasn’t for recreation.

The next day, I started traveling to the northwestern region of the Kingdom of Bordan, an area bordering a large river. Along the way, my mind was filled with questions. Why were the people there still suffering even though the area was supposed to be rich in fish catches? What is really happening on this border?

The trip to the area took several days, during which I realized more and more how important this border region is. The great river was supposed to be a source of livelihood for the people here, but the reports I heard indicated that they were still living in deprivation.

Upon arrival, I soon saw that the reports were true. The villages around the river looked deserted and bleak. Many of the houses looked worn out, and the faces of the people I met were filled with worry and fatigue. I felt that something was very wrong here.

With a few soldiers accompanying me, I approached a group of fishermen who were resting near a small pier. They looked lethargic, their catch was meager. I approached them cautiously.

“What’s going on here?” I asked, trying to speak in a friendly tone. “Why are you still lacking in livelihood, even though this river is supposed to be rich in fish? Is the kingdom not giving you enough rights?”

An old fisherman looked at me with gloomy eyes. “The kingdom does not oppress us, sir. But they don’t protect us enough. Our problems come from outside,” he said quietly.

“People from other lands often attack us from behind,” he continued, his tone sharper now. “They fish in our waters in large numbers, and use their power to frighten us. We have no choice but to accept this situation.”

A young fisherman sitting nearby added, “They even use weapons and magical powers that are much stronger than us. There’s nothing we can do.”

I felt angry hearing that. The people of the Kingdom of Jordan should be protected, not oppressed by another, stronger nation. But at the same time, I realized that this wasn’t just an economic problem, it was also a military problem. The stronger neighboring kingdoms were taking advantage of our weakness at the border for their own benefit.

Quickly, I wrote a message to King Domiano, explaining the situation I saw here and urging that help be sent immediately. I used a pigeon brought by one of the soldiers to deliver the message directly to the palace.

After sending the message, I went back to look around the village. The people here looked very frightened, and they clearly didn’t believe that help would be coming anytime soon. I wanted so badly to reassure them, but I knew that it would be difficult without concrete evidence. So, I could only hope that King Domiano would act soon.

However, as it was getting late in the afternoon and we were getting ready to head back to where we were staying, something unexpected happened. From a distance, I saw a group of men walking closer. They were dressed in shabby clothes, but their steps were full of confidence. One of my soldiers approached me and whispered, “Sir, they are not our people.”

I could feel something was wrong. The fishermen who had been sitting near us immediately stood up and backed away, their faces filled with fear. The group of men got closer, and I saw a flash in the hand of one of them, it was a long knife hidden under a cloak.

Before I could react, one of them shouted, “That’s a noble from the Kingdom of Jordan! Arrest him!”

I felt my body tense up. They were coming for me. But before I could think further, one of my soldiers moved quickly, drew his sword and stood in front of me. “Protect Your Majesty!” he shouted.

The battle began. The men turned out to be more than just ordinary criminals. They were well-armed and seemed to be used to fighting. I felt panicked, but I knew I had to stay calm. The soldiers I was with were trying their best to protect me, but there were too many enemies.

As things got more chaotic, I saw a young man emerge from the shadows. He moved with incredible speed and strength, slamming into the attackers with precision. Every strike he made was deadly, and in no time at all, the enemies who had attacked me lay helpless on the ground.

“Ack!”

“Who is he!”

“What are you waiting for! Hurry up and attack that guy! He’s alone!”

“No! Ack! He’s so strong!”

One by one, we heard the screams of the enemies who had fallen due to the attack of the mysterious man who had suddenly come to our aid. That man was so strong that he could defeat all of them so easily without any trouble.

I stared at the man in shock. Who is he? He’s definitely not one of my soldiers, but his fighting ability is amazing. The man looked at me for a moment, then without saying anything, he nodded at me as if to make sure I was okay. I couldn’t see his face because it was covered by a mask that covered his entire face. My friend could see the prayer of his eyes sharp eyes with eyes that were red in color and so strong.

My heart was immediately stunned, in a split second I was petrified when I came face to face with him.

I wanted to say thank you, but the words didn’t come out of my mouth. I was still shocked by what had just happened. The attackers were defeated, but there was something about this mysterious man that intrigued me.

“Where is that person? Did you see that person who tried to help us? I want to at least say thank you and give a reward for the help that was neglected. Please find that person so I can talk to him.”

The soldiers then searched for that person but they had circled all the surrounding areas and did not find the mysterious man who helped me earlier. I was so surprised how he could have left here so quickly. But considering that this world has people with magical powers, maybe he could have used his magical powers to leave here.

Even though I really want to thank him directly, it’s a shame that he just left.

Who is he really? And why did he help me? Those questions kept swirling in my mind as I tried to calm myself down after the brief battle. Why did he suddenly appear here and did he intentionally protect me or was he just passing by and saw the fight that took place between me and the people who attacked us earlier?