Chapter 28

I stood up straight, looking at them with confidence. “It’s up to you,” I said finally, giving them a difficult choice. “But I’m still not going home. Do you want to follow me or go home according to King Domiano’s orders?”

The soldiers looked at each other. I could tell there was obvious worry in their eyes, but they didn’t want to leave me either. After a few seconds of silence, one of them finally came forward and spoke.

“We will remain with you, Your Majesty,” he said firmly. “There is nothing we can do but ensure your safety, and looking after you is also one of King Domiano’s orders to us. That’s why we’re considering choosing to guard you instead of returning to the palace. We are also certain that you will not obey King Domiano’s orders, so we are worried about your condition.”

I smiled slightly, relieved that they chose to come with me. I didn’t want to force them, but it would be difficult to continue this journey alone. At least, with them by my side, there was an added strength that made me feel a little more confident facing whatever lay ahead.

“Thank you, for choosing me and helping me to continue this journey to the next destination,” I replied softly. “We will continue our journey. Stay alert, and don’t let your guard down. We don’t know where we’ll go next, although we do know that there will be a war between the soldiers of our kingdom and the soldiers of the Fiodori Kingdom.”

They nodded, and we started moving again. The road to the southeast of Bordan Kingdom was getting quieter and heavier, as if there was a weight hanging in the air. The trees around us began to look sparse and more and more dried up, their branches like gnarled hands struggling from the ground. The once green grassy ground slowly turned barren, full of dust and charred remains that left an unpleasant odor in the air.

I couldn’t help the anxiety that crept up on me. Although I was determined to continue this journey, I knew that we were getting closer to the war zone. And the closer we got, the more visible the signs of destruction became.

After several hours of traveling, we finally arrived at the area that surprised me the most. I held my breath for a moment as my gaze fell on the scene ahead. The trees that once lived here were all dead, leaving only dry broken branches and scorched earth. Around us, there were remnants of battles that made me shudder in horror.

“Oh my God...” I muttered softly. Before us, lay several pieces of shattered soldier armor. Among the debris, there were skulls and bones scattered without masters. The air of death felt so close, haunting every step we took.

I paused, looking around with a growing sense of unease. All this time, I had only heard about warfare from textbooks or stories told in the palace. But now, I saw it all with my own eyes.

“Is this what real life is like in war?” I thought, feeling a cold lump in my stomach. “I can’t imagine what the situation was like when this destruction happened. It all seems so... brutal. Am I brave enough to face this?”

For a while, I was silent where I stood. Fear and horror clouded my mind, but at the same time, there was a sense of responsibility that kept forcing myself to move forward. I knew that I couldn’t stop here. If I dared to come this far, I must also be prepared to face all the consequences.

I let out a long breath and finally spoke to my soldiers, trying to overcome the fear within me. “We’re going to circle this area,” I said, my voice sounding more firm than I felt. “We need to find out where the battle is actually taking place. Stay alert, and don’t let your guard down. This place is too dangerous.”

My soldiers nodded, all of them looking tense but still following my orders. We began to move, carefully circling the dead forest. Every step we took was cautious, because we knew that we were not in a safe place.

While walking, I asked one of the soldiers walking beside me. “Why is this war happening?” I asked, hoping to get more information about what we were really up against.

The soldier thought for a moment before answering, “This war has been going on for a long time, Your Majesty. There is a never-ending struggle for land in this Southeast region. However, King Domiano believes that the land struggle is just an alibi for King Fiodori’s intention to continue the attack.”

“Why is that?” I asked curiously. “What do they want from the Kingdom of Bordan?”

The soldier nodded slowly. “The Fiodori believe that the Bordan Kingdom has great potential in the future. They want control over this kingdom before Bordan becomes too powerful. That’s why they keep invading, even though the only reason they cite is land.”

I nodded, understanding what he meant. So, it’s not just about land, but about power. The Fiodori are afraid of Bordan’s potential, and they want to control it before it’s too late. It seemed clearer now why this war had never ended. It’s not just an ordinary conflict, but a struggle for greater power.

Things like this really do damage not only to the humans in the kingdom but also to nature which is innocent in this regard.

I really hate warfare. I favor diplomacy because only with diplomacy can a problem be solved without the blood and pain that goes into solving the problem. There is pain and injury and that’s why I really hate wars.

I often feel scared when I read stories in history lessons, because I am a typical person who always imagines things that are told or heard, so the bad images in the description of history lessons make me shiver and fear.

We continued walking, circling the area with increasingly cautious steps. I realized that in a place like this, every move could be fatal. We didn’t know where the enemy was, and no one could be sure if we were being watched or not.

“I want us to remain cautious,” I said to my soldiers. “We’re in very dangerous territory. Don’t make too much noise and always look around.”

They nodded again, following my orders warily. We continued on our way, slower and more cautious this time. Every crackle of twigs under our feet felt like a threat, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was stalking us in the distance.

My mind began to think of various possibilities. Did the enemy already know where we were? Were they watching us from a distance, waiting for the right moment to strike? I tried to remain calm, but the feeling grew stronger as time passed.

As we walked deeper into the dead forest, I began to feel something strange. The atmosphere around us turned increasingly quiet, even quieter than before. The wind stopped blowing, and the sounds of birds that were usually heard in the distance now disappeared completely. There was a feeling as if we were being watched, but I couldn’t be sure who or what was stalking us.

I turned to the soldier beside me. “Do you feel anything strange?” I asked quietly, trying to disguise my unease.

The soldier glanced around, then nodded slowly. “Yes, Your Majesty. There’s something... I don’t know, I feel like we’re being watched.”

I felt my heart beating faster. The feeling was even more real now. Something, or someone, was watching us. But from where? And what do they want?

My opponent couldn’t predict whether it was someone or something. Because it doesn’t mean that only humans can spy on us, there could be other creatures that do this, plus here is the wilderness far from settlements. It could be more likely that what was stalking us was a beast or monster that could endanger our situation.

“We have to stay alert,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “Don’t let our guard down.”

In the midst of a situation like this I was their axis of calm and hope because as a leader I must have been looked up to by them. If I showed anxiety and fear then the soldiers following me would also feel the same way because I was their leader even though they were following me to protect me.

The other soldiers are also starting to feel anxious, I can see it from the way they are looking around in all directions. They probably felt the same as me that something was wrong here. But whatever it is, I can’t be sure yet.

We continued walking, scanning the area warily. However, the feeling that we were being watched never went away. The further we went, the stronger the feeling became.

At the end of that day’s journey, I still couldn’t be sure who or what was watching us. But one thing was for sure, we were not alone here. I didn’t know what awaited us ahead, but I knew that we had to be prepared for something bigger.

I kept expanding my field of vision so that I could instantly spot anything odd if it started to appear around me or around the soldiers.