Chapter 26

We traveled even though the fatigue in our bodies continued to make us feel reluctant to continue the journey. But the longer it took, the longer we were on the road. At least for now we had to find a resting place first before continuing the journey again.

The sky had already begun to darken when we arrived at the vast plains. All around us, there were only grasslands that stretched as far as the eye could see, seemingly endless. The night air was getting colder, and I could feel fatigue creeping up on me. My soldiers looked just as tired, though they were trying to look strong.

“This is where we set up our tents,” I finally said, breaking the silence that hung between us. My voice was a little hoarse, but I still tried to sound firm. “We need rest, there’s still a long way to go.”

My soldiers were soon in a hurry, busy setting up tents in the middle of this vast field. They worked quickly, putting up poles and cloth, creating a temporary shelter from the piercing night wind. I watched them in silence, feeling a little guilty for letting them do the work while I just stood here. But I knew they were doing it willingly, with no intention of complaining.

Once the tents were up, we all sat around the newly lit campfire. The firelight cast moving shadows on our faces, and for a moment, everything felt calm. My soldiers began to open their food packs, handing them out to the others. The smell of dry bread and roasted meat wafted through the night air, enough to make my empty stomach churn.

“Let’s eat,” one of the soldiers approached me, handing me a simple plate of food. “We need energy for tomorrow, Your Majesty.”

I smiled slightly, accepting the plate with a small nod. Although the food we had was very simple, it still tasted better than anything I could imagine. Maybe it was because I was too tired, or maybe it was because the battle we went through made everything feel more meaningful.

Occasionally, my eyes would glance at the soldiers who were busy treating their wounds. Some of them were injured quite badly while fighting with the Cheza tribesmen. But they never complained. They just sat by the fire, bandaged their wounds with clean cloths, or helped each other to treat wounds they couldn’t reach themselves.

I watched everyone carefully, trying to make sure that everyone in my squad got the care they needed. However, it didn’t take long before some of them started to notice me.

Even at times like this, I still thought of others rather than myself. But I couldn’t shake the habit. I think that before I pay attention to myself, I should pay attention to others first because it will also help me in the future.

“Your Majesty,” a soldier called out to me in a worried tone. He approached, his face full of concern. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

I looked at him and smiled, trying to calm his worries. “I’m fine,” I replied, shaking my head lightly. “Nothing to worry about. Just a little tired.”

The soldier looked doubtful, but eventually he nodded. “Then, please take care of yourself, Your Highness. You are very valuable to us.”

His words touched me, but I only nodded in reply. I knew my soldiers cared for me, just as much as I cared for them. We’ve been through so much together, and the bond between us is much deeper than just a relationship between a leader and a soldier.

Although I realized that the words they said were probably just a formality between the Prince and the royal soldiers, but at least I could hear such words from the mouths of others to me.

Living in the midst of people who always bullied me and also never had anyone who cared about me made my life really feel lonely and lacked warmth.

My memories of the painful events when I was still in my home universe made me a little touched by comparing the situation I was experiencing now where everything was very different like heaven and earth were so far apart.

Some of the other soldiers then started asking about our future plans. “What are we going to do after this, Your Majesty?” asked one of them, his voice sounding curious. “Do you already have a plan?”

I thought for a moment before answering. “For now, we just need to prepare our weapons. The broken swords don’t need to be used anymore. We brought spare weapons, didn’t we?”

Weapons are the most important thing when traveling like this. Plus the place we were going to wasn’t any safer than where we’d been before. Even during the journey before getting there, no one could guarantee that there were no criminals hiding in places we couldn’t expect.

Therefore, the first thing I prioritized was weaponry since the events we had faced before made me realize that weaponry was the most important thing next to food supplies.

My soldiers nodded in unison. “Yes, Your Majesty. We still have spare weapons.”

“Good,” I continued. “While we haven’t delved into the problems of the place we’re going to next, it’s better to prepare what we can. We don’t know what we’ll face, so it’s better to be on guard.”

Although there were many obstacles and problems encountered, I was quite grateful that I was accompanied by soldiers who were very cooperative and very alert in various ways.

I didn’t have to worry too much about them because they also had their own initiatives and I just needed to check and make sure that they had prepared it well.

My soldiers seemed to agree with my words. They understood that we had to stay alert, even though we had just survived a difficult battle. I knew we still had a long way to go, and there were many things yet to be revealed. As such, preparation was key.

“Alright,” I said finally. “You can take turns resting. We have to keep watch, but make sure you all get enough rest.”

They nodded, then began to divide the tasks. Some of them kept watch around the campsite area, while others started going into the tents to sleep. I observed everything carefully, making sure that everything was going smoothly before I took a deep breath.

However, just as I was about to step into my tent, several other soldiers approached. “Your Majesty,” one of them called out to me again. “Why don’t you go into the tent? You need some rest.”

I smiled faintly. “I just wanted to reflect for a while,” I replied. “You guys don’t need to worry. I’ll be fine.”

They looked doubtful, but eventually they nodded and left me alone. I walked a little away from the tents, looking for a quiet spot at the edge of the campsite. There, I sat on a large rock, looking up at the vast night sky.

The sky here was so different. The stars shone brightly, glittering overhead as if I could reach them with my hands. They seemed so close, bigger and brighter than any stars I had ever seen in my world. Where I come from, the night sky is often dark and empty, with hardly any stars to be seen. But here, the stars seemed to be alive, dancing among the slow-moving clouds.

“It’s beautiful tonight,” I muttered softly to myself. “Not like the sky in my world, which isn’t decorated with stars anymore.”

I gazed at the stars in awe. Somehow, they felt closer to the earth here. Maybe it was because they were bigger, or maybe it was because their colors were brighter. I don’t know for sure, but the beauty of the night sky really mesmerized me.

However, even though I was mesmerized by the beauty of this night, my mind couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened. The strange mist that saved us from Cheza’s tribesmen, the battle we went through, and how we were twice saved in unexpected ways.

“What exactly happened?” I thought to myself, trying to find an answer. Twice I almost died, and twice I was saved by something I couldn’t explain. The first time by the angels and demons fighting over me, and now by a mist that came from nowhere. It felt like there was an invisible force protecting me, but I didn’t know what it was.

I gripped my sword tighter, trying to calm my mind. There were many unanswered questions, and I knew I still had a long way to go. But for now, all I could do was continue this journey and find out what was really going on.

Tonight, I can only hope that the stars above will continue to guide my steps. Even though it’s like a fairy tale for elementary school children before going to bed, but in fact such a fairy tale is enough to give me a sense of calm in the midst of the anxiety that always surrounds my heart.

I have nowhere to pour out what happened to me. I don’t mind the phone having to tell it all now, but the fact is that there must be a lot of people who won’t believe me. Even before this, I tried to talk to Jade and Junigo in a silly conversation but they still didn’t believe me about it.

All I can do is solve the problems first so that I can pave the way for me to solve the main problem I’m facing.