Chapter 24

The attack came faster than I expected. They attacked without warning, without hesitation. The guards around me were busy protecting themselves from the blows and attacks of the Cheza tribesmen. I myself barely had time to think. In an instant, I was faced with a situation that was far more chaotic than I had imagined.

My sword rose reflexively, deflecting the first attack that came from a burly man with a face full of rage. The clang of metal echoed through the air as our blades met. I took a step back, maintaining my position, while my mind tried to make sense of the situation. They were actually attacking us, attacking me, a prince of Bordan, without the slightest fear.

What the hell are they doing? I thought, both shocked and confused. There wasn’t a hint of fear in their eyes, only deep-seated hatred.

I wondered more and more about the unreasonable hatred within them. Had they been hurt by the Jordan Kingdom? But I found no evidence that they had ever been oppressed by the Jordan Kingdom at all. Even this kingdom wants to require them as one of the new parts of this kingdom, but in fact their treatment is very unfavorable and really endangers people who want to interact with them.

I knew very well that their love for the Ciozord Kingdom was great, but this... this is beyond expectation. Even I never thought they would go this far. They are not trained soldiers, but the anger they have makes them so dangerous. Plus, their sheer numbers made it all the more threatening if their opponents were in a position like ours.

I continued to defend, fending off attack after attack that came without stopping. Every time my sword met their weapons, I felt how strong a push they gave, even without any obvious technique. Their attacks were haphazard, but their intensity kept me on my toes. I didn’t want to hurt them, not at all. They were the people, ordinary people who had been living under pressure and anger that never seemed to be channeled.

But, at the same time, if I didn’t do something, my soldiers and I could have been killed here. They were already starting to get overwhelmed, I could see out of the corner of my eye how some of the soldiers were getting injured, even though they continued to fight to protect me. One of the soldiers tried to withdraw from the battle, perhaps to send a message to King Domiano, but he was quickly attacked by some of the villagers who immediately knocked him to the ground.

I gritted my teeth, increasingly pressured by the situation. ‘What do they really want?’ I thought as I blocked another attack that almost hit my arm. ‘Do they really not care that I’m the crown prince? Are they so blinded by hatred that they don’t care about the consequences of their actions?’

I knew I couldn’t just rely on the soldiers. I had to fight. I couldn’t just parry the attacks and hope they stopped. But how to fight without actually killing them? These were ordinary people, not enemy soldiers.

Reluctantly, I began to launch some counterattacks, not to kill, but to make them retreat, or at least stop them in their tracks. Every slash I made was aimed at disarming, eliminating the opponent, without hurting them more than necessary.

But there were too many of them. Their anger, which had been pent up, exploded into an uncontrollable force. The more I resisted, the more came. They attacked with sticks, makeshift sharp weapons, even with their bare hands. And I could only hold my ground while trying to take them down one by one.

Some of my soldiers have started to fall. They were injured, some couldn’t even get up anymore. I felt the seconds passing by like blows hitting me relentlessly. The situation was getting out of hand.

‘What’s really going on here?’ I thought, trying to figure out the meaning behind this brutal attack. They were clearly not just angry that their territory was being taken over. There was something bigger behind all this. ‘Could this not just be anger towards Bordan? Could there be something more... a bigger plan?’

I kept thinking like that. Because if that wasn’t the case then it wouldn’t make sense for them to be angry just because they were exiled from the kingdom of Ciozord which hadn’t even attempted to take back the territory after losing the war between them and the Kingdom of Bordan.

The locals here should have realized that they were indirectly banished by their home kingdom but instead they desperately defended that kingdom and became hostile to the kingdom that wanted to receive them well now.

I kept moving, dodging attacks while parrying every punch that came my way. My body was getting tired, but I couldn’t stop. That’s when a thought came to my mind, a suspicion that I couldn’t ignore.

‘Is it possible that Ciozord is deliberately making an enemy in the blanket for Bordan?’ I wondered, becoming more convinced as time passed. ‘They were so quiet when this territory was taken. There was no attempt to take it back, no resistance. Just silence... as if they let everything happen. But why? Are they deliberately planting the seeds of chaos within the kingdom of Bordan, using these people as their tools?’

Little by little my assumptions began to grow but these were not just assumptions without logical thinking. Because I connected it with the fact that the Ciozord Kingdom made no attempt to take the territory and the local people here.

In fact, they are known to be very miserly people and people who will strongly defend what they have even if it means doing underhanded things. Moreover, if their territory is taken by others then they will definitely do everything to take back their territory.

And I’m sure my assumption will be correct. So if that’s true, there’s no mercy for the locals here. I will ask King Domiano to expel the Chezas from this region even though this is their homeland but I don’t care. Because they are like a thorn in the flesh if they continue to be here.

The attacks kept coming. I spun around to deflect the attack from behind, my sword moving quickly to cut off the stick aimed at my head. “Ciozord... they planned this,” I thought again, fighting back. “This must all be part of their plan to corrupt Bordan from within. And now, I and my soldiers are at the center of their trap.”

Although I was becoming more and more convinced of that, I still had to endure. My body was already starting to get tired, though I tried my best not to show it. Several of my soldiers were now lying on the ground, severely injured. I knew that if this continued, we would all be finished.

Suddenly, the sound of harsh laughter came from the center of the crowd. A large man, one of the leaders among them, came forward. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for!” he exclaimed in a loud voice that echoed through the air. “We’ve been here deliberately and predicted that the crown prince would come. And at that moment, we will finish you off so that King Domiano will have no successor!”

My blood rushed at his words. There it was, tangible proof of my suspicions. They were indeed planning this, and Ciozord was clearly behind it all. They wanted to wipe out Domiano’s bloodline, and I was their target.

“It’s true,” I thought bitterly. “This isn’t just the people’s anger. This is a grand scheme orchestrated by the Ciozord. They don’t care about these people. They only use them as tools to destroy Bordan from within. They are capitalizing on this people’s love for the Ciozord to create unrest and chaos.”

I must do something. If I don’t act now, it will all be over. Lately the contents of my head have been forced to keep thinking hard, it’s so painful for my head.

‘I must tell King Domiano about this,’ I thought as I continued to fend off attacks. ‘This is not just a small rebellion. This is a plan to destroy Bordan from within. And the only way to stop it is to get rid of them, or at least expel them from this land.’

But for now, I have to survive. I can’t let them win, not here, not now.

It’s not just a matter of pride but also of safety and the loss that comes with losing to them. This territory was taken with the result of a costly battle from the Kingdom of Jordan, there was no way it could be let go and the best solution was to immediately defeat the people here and drive them out.

With what strength I had left, I fought back, trying to fend off their attacks one by one. My remaining soldiers also fought with what was left of their strength. We were all desperately pressed, but I knew we had to survive.

“Let no one give up! We will not give up on those who are ungrateful to others!” I shouted to fire up the soldiers who were with me.

Although I myself was also discouraged, there was still a glimmer of hope and enthusiasm that I had. And I had to at least rekindle the spirit of the soldiers who accompanied me now.

I must survive. I must live. Because I’m the only one who can bring this message to King Domiano, and stop Ciozord’s foul plan before it’s too late.

This is indeed very hard for me but I can’t help but do it because in the end it’s all for my own good in the future.