"What do you mean?!" exclaimed Dimas in a high tone.
"Read this by yourself!" I replied as I handed him the letter I had just read.
My mind was so messed up. My hands were shaking, but actually not at all. I leaned my head back on the sofa and closed my eyes as if to forget what had just entered my head. Trying to cool my mind.
The letter came from Kak Indra, who was now in the royal capital, Lurivia. After going there to become a soldier, he often sent Kak Shella letters to exchange news. Usually, the content was about life in the capital and how Kak Indra and other friends trained hard. But the letter this time was not something I could read enthusiastically about.
It said that an elite cavalry troop was headed to Glafelden Town, and Kak Indra was one of them. Their mission was to bring a 'certain person' from this town. Kak Indra said most likely the target of this mission was me. Because his commander once accidentally said something about a mid-race being.
Of course, I was very surprised. How the earth they could smell about my me?
Though I was pretty sure I blended in with the other humans in this town perfectly, plus interacting normally with the townspeople. As much as possible, I behaved appropriately to not be suspected of being a suspicious person. The only one who could detect my true identity was Elvian, like Almira, who could read Esze's presence.
Was it possible an ordinary human could read Esze's presence and report it to the capital?
Or maybe the capital has Elvian's subordinates stationed in this town as spies?
Or it could be...
"This must be that Prince Elvian's doing!" Dimas shouted angrily, his hand squeezing the letter.
"How can you draw quick conclusions without clear evidence?" I protested.
"That's not too hard to think about."
Grussel's voice suddenly echoed from the doorway. It seemed the wooden walls could not make this room soundproof. This news reached that old bastard's ears who was on the front porch. He took the letter from Dimas's hand, then stretched it back to be read after being squeezed by Dimas. Then the old man cleared his throat once and walked over to the sofa.
"That's the story," he said after reading the contents of the letter. "If I have to draw conclusions, I agree with Dimas' words."
"Can you explain to me why?" I squeezed my hand. Felt a little annoyed and angry that these two people had accused my life savior with vague accusations.
"Think about it, Anggi! Your prince may not be the crown prince, but he is still a king's son. Why do you think that person seems to be nice to you when all Elvians look down on other than their own race?"
"Of course, because he is good and doesn't discriminate against others."
"Are you sure about that?" replied Grussel, one eyebrow raised and shaped like a coiled green caterpillar. "Don't be so naive, kid! Of course, he's being nice to earn the trust of you, who's a Haier-Elvian. This is just speculation, but I suspect that the one who leaked the secret about your whereabouts to this country was your dear prince.
"That way, the Lurivia Kingdom will hunt you down, which makes you inevitably have to rely on that Elvian prince to escape their pursuit. It seems that the prince intends to play a trick on you by showing that the only one who can protect you is him. You need to remember, Haier-Elvian has the potential to control Esze stronger than anyone. If you are by his side, the prince will have a strong position. You may be used as a tool to usurp the position of crown prince from his brother."
"It is a blatant lie!!" I shouted loudly, taking everyone in the room by surprise. "Prince Keylan can't do something like that!"
Grussel was silent for a moment. Watching me with his sharp gaze. The longer I stared at him, I felt be the one at fault. Also felt guilty for shouting in front of him and thought he was bragging.
But what he said was really just nonsense without any evidence. It seemed almost impossible if Prince Keylan was two-faced. The kindness and sincerity he showed me felt so real. During my dark days in middle school, I could tell who was two-faced or truly sincere. At that time, a lot of people pretended to be nice by defending me when bullied. But in fact, they enjoyed the bullying that happened to me as much as watching a circus show. I even memorized the gesture and character of a sycophant.
With that experience, I didn't see the slightest bit of attitude that a sycophant from Prince Keylan had.
Grussel got up from the sofa and approached me. His large palm gently tapped my right shoulder. "Whether you want to believe it or not is up to you. Just keep my words in your mind. What is clear, you can't be in this town anymore. An army of elite soldiers is chasing you, which means they won't just pick you up nicely. You must leave immediately."
"But… where should I go?" I asked confusedly. "If I can no longer live in this town, I have nowhere else to live."
"Ah, I remember! You told me that you wanted to take a long journey someday. That's why you and Dimas practice a lot lately? Looks like you should start that journey right now!"
"Impossible. I'm not strong enough to start that journey yet."
Grussel gripped my shoulders and said straightforwardly. "Listen, I think this is a good time! There's an army chasing you. But because of the agreement made between the two countries, they wouldn't be able to enter Elvian territory because it would be considered an invasion.
"You just follow the little game of your beloved prince, but don't let your guard down. Because he could trick you at every little opportunity. I know you're still green to start the journey, but you have to do it anyway. I don't know what kind of obstacles you will encounter in the future, but I'm sure you can overcome them."
I was stunned for a moment. My body trembled as I tried to stay away from Grussel. My mind was very confused, and I couldn't think straight. There was an army that wanted to capture me, while ahead was a journey full of dangers. This was a serious situation as if I was being confronted by two revolvers from different directions.
Sweat started to roll down my back. Energy seemed to disappear from my body that almost fell backward. Luckily, there was Dimas, who was ready to catch my body. I really wanted to rest and, if possible, forget all this stuff.
"You have to make a choice, Kid! Now or never!" exclaimed Grussel.
"Are you okay, Anggi?" asked Dimas, his face filled with anxiety. "Your face looks so pale."
But I ignored it and looked at Grussel with a sad look. "I … will try to do it." Then tried to get up from the floor with Dimas's help.
"Hey, you are clearly not okay!"
"Don't mind me! Grussel is right. I have to start this journey," I said quietly.
"If you let me protect you. I will no longer let you be in danger alone."
I immediately looked at Dimas, surprised by what he had just said. We were so close that I could feel his every breath. His eyes were so firm, there was no hint of doubt in them. It was as if his mouth said firmly and calmly.
Indeed, I already knew Dimas would come with me. But I didn't expect him to say such a thing. A little embarrassing, but it also made me happy. A warm feeling suddenly melted in my heart. Getting rid of all the worries and fears that surrounded you. Somehow in my eyes, it shined like a candle in the dark. I couldn't hold this happiness. My hands squeezed his fingers tightly. If it were just the two of us in this room, I would have hugged him.
"Yes, thank you."
The words that came out of my mouth felt so sincere from the deepest recesses of my heart. Never before have I felt so grateful to someone other than Dimas. He was really a partner who accompanied me at all times. I was grateful that God had given me such a great blessing.
Definitely, I would keep this relationship forever.