Arya and the old physician exchanged a quick, measured look before answering King Buduralaksa’s question.“We are here to treat Your Majesty,” Arya replied.The king stared at the chamber ceiling for a long moment. The last thing he could recall was an overwhelming weakness that had suddenly swept over his body, then a blur in his vision. “What exactly is wrong with me?” he asked, voice thin with uncertainty.“You are not afflicted with any ordinary illness, Sire,” the old physician said carefully. “Someone attempted to poison Your Majesty.”“What?!” the king cried, turning to Arya with disbelief flashing across his face.Arya held up the piece of cloth that had been used to wipe the poison from the king’s soles, showing the dark stain to the ruler of Dahanapura.“This is the residue of the toxin that has been drawn from Your Majesty’s body,” he said.King Buduralaksa stared, eyes clouded with anxiety, at the black-stained cloth cradled in Arya’s hand. He could not fathom who would be

QuestionsSeeing hundreds of people clogging the roadway and blocking those who wished to enter the capital, Suwita’s temper flared.“Allow me to introduce myself—my name is Suwita. I am a Commander of the Pamenang Kingdom,” Suwita announced, his voice carrying authority. “So you are the ones who wish to become soldiers of Pamenang?”The noisy clamor fell immediately silent the moment Suwita declared his rank. That title carried weight; it was enough to quiet the hundreds of former dark-arts followers gathered before him.“My name is Adisura, Sir. I speak for all of them,” said the man who had been chosen as spokesman by his peers. “To answer your question, yes—indeed we wish to become soldiers of the Pamenang Kingdom.”“I’ve been told that a young warrior recommended you,” Suwita said, studying the sect emblems sewn to the left chests of each man. “If I may ask, what does he look like?”From what he could see, the men belonged to three different schools—each of them a dark-arts sect.

After receiving the small jar, Arya brought it closer to his nose. From the scent alone, it was clear that the contents of the small brass jar were poison.“It’s true, Your Majesty. This is the poison that was used to poison you. From the smell, it’s clearly the same one.”Arya’s answer only deepened the confusion and fear within the great hall. Everyone began to worry that the two objects might have been found in their own rooms. The real culprit might try to pin the blame on someone else.Commander Chandrakala felt the same unease. He glanced at Prince Surendralaksa, who sat two meters to the right of King Buduralaksa, looking visibly anxious.He had already realized that the prince intended to frame him when he visited the crown prince’s chamber the previous afternoon. The prince’s expression had been uneasy—clearly afraid of being caught.Anticipating trouble, Chandrakala had ordered one of his men to stand guard—not directly in front of his room, but far enough to stay out of sig

The mistake that Prince Surendralaksa made by attempting to seize control of the Pamenang Kingdom must be rectified.“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty… In truth, Prince Surendralaksa’s intention was not only—”“Do not call him ‘prince,’ and never add ‘Laksa’ to his name again!” King Buduralaksa interrupted sharply.“My apologies, Your Majesty. Surendra’s true intention was not only to kill and overthrow Your Majesty from the throne, but also to conquer the Pamenang Kingdom and take Princess Rani as his wife. His plan had nearly succeeded with the help of three sects of the dark arts, one of which was established atop the mountain that marks the border between our two kingdoms. But it seems the Gods had other plans and did not allow his evil scheme to come to fruition.” Commander Chandrakala took a deep breath to fill his lungs with air.“Last night, someone attacked the sect on that mountain and destroyed it completely, but I do not know who was behind the assault,” he continued bri

Arya smiled faintly and nodded slowly. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I’m only stopping by the palace for a short while. I’ll return to the royal city of Sastrajingga soon. I’m just waiting for the one who will come to fetch me.”“He’s the one who saved my life, Syailendra. If not for him, I would have been dead,” whispered King Buduralaksa to King Syailendra.“I already know. He told me everything,” replied King Syailendra with a thin smile.King Buduralaksa furrowed his brows upon hearing his friend’s response. Driven by curiosity, he invited King Syailendra to walk closer to Arya.“Who is it that’s coming to fetch you?” asked King Buduralaksa.Arya scratched his head, unsure how to respond. He couldn’t possibly reveal the truth about how he would return to the capital of Sastrajingga.“Let’s not talk here, Budura. Let’s speak inside, in my private chamber,” King Syailendra suggested. He knew Arya wouldn’t want to reveal his true identity in public. Speaking in private would allow for m