The next morning, we prepared ourselves, and our supplies were already packed in our bags. Atmaja helped me load the supplies onto our horse-drawn caravan. Romanova and Kuti were already waiting outside.
From a distance, I saw King Majagada approaching our horse caravan, holding the reins of our horses in both hands. "Ah, I see you're all ready to depart."
"What brings you here, Your Majesty?" I asked after loading the supplies onto the caravan.
"Your special horses are ready," replied King Majagada. "I wish you a pleasant journey. The regions are safe now. The Majagada Patrol Soldiers have raided all the bandit hideouts and encouraged them to return to worshiping God 999."
"No need to fear bandit attacks," he added.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for these fine and healthy horses," said Kuti.
"How long will the journey take?" I asked.
"Three months by land through the highlands. Two months if you take the southern route," King Majagada replied.
"Will you be safe here, Your Majesty?" Atmaja asked.
"In what sense?" asked King Majagada.
"With consolidating your power. What if, after we leave, the Knights' Order unites and attacks Ludanes? Especially since your troops are currently exhausted," I said.
"Hmmm... You make a good point. Perhaps you shouldn't leave just yet. I'll discuss this with my advisors and generals," said King Majagada, then left.
Once the old man was out of sight, we finally expressed our frustrations. Atmaja, who had been eager to embark on our journey, suggested, "How about we spend the morning training? Especially for Thomas."
"Sure," I replied. "I want to master many weapons."
Atmaja seemed excited. Kuti patted my shoulder and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck. Romanova and I will stay here. I'll let you know when King Majagada returns."
"Alright," I said. "Where will we train, Atmaja?"
"For a warm-up, we'll run to the Knights' Order training grounds," Atmaja said, taking a running stance. "Last one there has to do 100 push-ups!"
Atmaja immediately took off, leaving me behind. I quickly ran to catch up. When we arrived, we found that the place had been turned into a POW camp. Atmaja glanced at his former comrades and ex-Grandmaster.
"Atmaja, you traitor!" shouted a knight.
"No, I chose the right path and became a guard for the holy man," Atmaja retorted.
"Atmaja! You were my deputy, and you betrayed us!" Indarto yelled. "And you, holy man, have sided with the enemy!"
A Majagada soldier guarding the prisoners approached Indarto and kicked him in the head. "Hey, you can't insult the holy man. Know your place!"
"Hey, can I hit him?" Atmaja asked. "I've wanted to do this for a long time."
"Go ahead," replied the soldier.
Atmaja and I approached Indarto. What followed was Atmaja unleashing his long-held frustrations. He punched and slapped his former superior repeatedly, recounting Indarto's misdeeds.
"Personal, huh?" I remarked.
"Of course," Atmaja replied.
Indarto looked weakened after being beaten several times. He was taken away by the soldiers. Then we bid farewell to the guards. A royal messenger approached me, summoning me to meet the king.
Atmaja parted ways with me as he wasn't called. After walking for about fifteen minutes, I finally arrived at the king's temporary residence. Outside, many knights' horses were parked.
I opened the guild door and found Kuti arguing with the king. "What's going on? Why are you so upset?"
"Watch out, Thomas!" Kuti shouted.
A knight grabbed me from behind, still wearing his armor. His arm wrapped around my neck. "So this is the one who will marry me?"
"Sorry, but I'm taking him back to the old capital."
Kuti threw a knife at the knight holding me. King Majagada intervened, and the knife missed. "Arrest Lady Kuti for attempting to harm my daughter."
King Majagada smiled. "We only need the holy man. If you don't release Thomas, I'll exile you, or I'll imprison your parents."
"That won't work," Kuti said, disappearing into her camouflage.
"Stop! What's going on here?" I asked.
"Stay quiet. The will of the gods demands that I take you and merge you into the royal bloodline," King Majagada approached me.
I heard Maria's voice. "Just go along with it, Thomas. That way, I can obtain something that will make things easier for you in the divine tournament. You can negotiate for Kuti's fate."
"Let me go," I pleaded.
The knight released me and removed her helmet. Her long white hair cascaded down. Her pale face and blue eyes were striking. "I am Iris Wardhana Majagada, Crown Princess of Majagada and a formidable knight."
Kuti appeared behind Iris and tried to trip her, but Iris didn't budge. "You may be a skilled archer with excellent camouflage magic, but unfortunately, you lack experience and status."
Iris kicked Kuti, sending her flying. The Majagada soldiers inside surrounded her. Iris wrapped her arm around me and brought me closer to Kuti. "Be grateful that I'm sparing you and allowing you to stay in Majagada."
"Do something, Thomas," Kuti urged.
"I don't have any weapons. Besides, in this situation, it's better to stay quiet," I replied.
"Smart," Iris said. "Are you angry because you'll be separated from your lover?"
"Now that everything's settled, let's have a talk," said King Majagada. "Thomas, this is my daughter, Iris. She came here with reinforcements after returning from a border patrol. She also saw the united forces of the Knights' Order heading towards Ludanes."
"This is your daughter's fault for provoking me, Your Majesty," said Kuti. "How could I stay silent when she openly discussed what she intended to do to Thomas?"
"Oh, you mean this?" asked Iris. She turned my head and kissed me forcibly. I couldn't resist and had to accept her kiss. "Fwah. Isn't it normal since he'll be my husband?"
"Arrgh." Kuti got angry again. "Fine. I'm leaving; I won't join today's meeting."
Kuti pushed through the soldiers and left the guild building. I wanted to chase after her, but Iris held my arm. "You're not going anywhere, dear. Come with me; we'll join the strategy meeting and then have our special meeting."
"Don't treat him like that. A holy man is equal to a king," I said firmly.
"Yes, that's true. Forgive me, but I was too excited to meet my future husband, which led to this situation," Iris said, embracing me and gazing into my eyes. Her handsome face left me slightly captivated.
I felt my cheeks flush and couldn't do anything. Iris released me and invited King Majagada to start their important meeting.