Chinua, Khunbish, Khenbish, and Zhi sat around the low, square table in what was once Reza's tent. Chinua sifted through the documents Reza had left behind, a faint frown creasing her brow. She found it astonishing that a captain of his stature would abandon so many crucial papers, even the blueprints of the Razaasia military camp currently guarded by Bijian. As she meticulously organized the scattered sheets, she concluded that they'd either been left in the haste of his unexpected retreat or, more cunningly, were a deliberate trap.
"How likely is it that a respected captain would leave behind such an important document?" Chinua mused, her gaze lifting to Khunbish.
Khunbish placed some charred bamboo sticks on the table, his expression grave. "The chances are slim."
"Chinua, these were probably left behind on purpose," Khenbish offered, his voice low. "The charred bamboo rolls we picked up from the stove were likely important documents that no one was allowed to see except Reza himself."
Chinua spread the Razaasia military camp outline map on the table, turning her attention to Zhi. "Zhi, you've trained with the Razaasia before. Have you ever seen a map like this?" She paused, her eyes softening. "If you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to answer the question if you don't want to."
Zhi swallowed, his gaze steady on Chinua's. "I have never trained with Bijian's men, and I don't know where their base camp is. The people who train with me are all the lower-level captains. I've trained more with Reza and his guys, so I can't answer your question." He held Chinua's gaze, waiting, a knot of apprehension tightening in his stomach. Everyone in the camp knew he had failed to catch Reza. The rumors swirling about his past relationship with Reza had surely reached Chinua's ears. But what Chinua said next stunned him.
"If their base camp is so secretive, then this map layout is probably fake," Chinua continued, her voice calm and measured. "Reza may have other plans to leave these documents, and he may have set this trap for the Musian soldiers." She rolled up the map and handed it to Khenbish. "Who are those two hundred and twenty-three souls, and from which unit are they from?"
"The soul number is being handed over to Captain Haitao," Khenbish replied promptly.
Chinua handed a written letter to Khenbish. "Captain Haitao should send someone to report our situation to the palace. This is my report back to His Majesty."
"I will take this to Captain Haitao," Khenbish affirmed, taking the letter and walking out of the tent.
Khunbish studied Zhi's expression. A quiet determination seemed to radiate from him, a desire for a private conversation with Chinua. Understanding, Khunbish turned to Chinua. "I'll see when dinner is ready." He nodded to Zhi and left the tent.
Chinua turned to Zhi, a soft questioning in her eyes. "What do you want to talk about?"
"How do you know?" Zhi asked, a hint of awe in his voice.
Chinua sighed, a faint smile playing on her lips, and returned her attention to the documents still on the table. "Normally Khunbish wouldn't leave my side unless I order him to. When he suddenly excused himself, he must have figured you have something to say." She poured a bowl of warm mare's milk and gently pushed it toward Zhi.
Zhi gratefully took the bowl and drank. "Why aren't you asking for an explanation of why Reza escaped?" he blurted out, the question heavy with his unspoken burden.
Chinua simply looked at him. "Is there anything you need to explain? If there is, you can explain it to me without me asking. But if you have done everything you can without bias, there is no point in protesting your innocence."
Zhi met her gaze, a profound relief washing over him. "I still want Chinua to know that I was surrounded by Razaasia soldiers, which gave Reza a chance to escape. I didn't realize Reza was hiding next to the horse."
"We can only predict the outcome of the battle. We have no way of knowing which enemy soldier we will kill," Chinua said, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "Hey, I heard you hurt Reza. I also heard the rumors, but that's all, rumors. I trust each and every one of you who has fought alongside me and will fight alongside me in the future, just as I trust Khunbish and Khenbish. Gossip doesn't make me trust you any less, so if your heart is heavy because of the gossip circulating around the camp, you can rest assured." Chinua picked up the bowl of mare's milk, drank it, and placed the empty bowl on the table. "Before I went to the Southeast, my father gave me a saying. He said: 'A wise leader does not heed the opinions of others regarding his soldiers; he forges the path alongside them.'"
Zhi sighed, a soft chuckle escaping him. "King Batukhan is indeed a very wise leader. No wonder Chinua herself has always been a wise leader."
"Chinua is only wise because Chinua learned from those who are wise," she replied humbly.
Zhi sighed again, a deeper, more relaxed sound. "I couldn't give Chinua such wise teachings because before I joined the army, I was just a farmer who only knew how to use strength."
"For a kingdom to live in peace, it must have both power and knowledge," Chinua stated, a light chuckle escaping her. "Father and Hye both taught me this." She looked at Zhi, her expression thoughtful. "The future is unpredictable. Maybe one day, you will teach me something I haven't learned before." She poured herself another bowl of mare's milk. "Khunbish has been gone long enough, I believe dinner is already ready."
"I think I'll just go to sleep," Zhi said, a shadow crossing his face. "I'm not used to the smell of cremation."
Chinua stood up, her gaze steady. "If you decide to be with me, you'd better get used to the smell of cremation." She offered Zhi a small, knowing smile and walked out of the tent.
When Chinua stepped out of Reza's tent, she found Hye standing near the half-collapsed city wall, his gaze fixed on it, charcoal in hand, sketching furiously in his book. Chinua gently put her arm around Hye's shoulders, leaning in to look at his drawing.
"It's a beautiful wall," Chinua observed softly.
Hye looked from his sketch to the actual wall. "Before I came, I wanted to know why your father would make friends with a small kingdom that no one wants to be friends with," he said, his voice calmer now, but still holding a hint of the previous day's frustration.
Chinua smiled, a wave of relief washing over her. He was talking to her again. That meant his anger must have finally begun to subside. She removed her arm from his shoulders and asked, "Have you figured out that question lingering in your mind?"
"Anyone who understands war can understand this, even the king of Umusa Kingdom," Hye replied, his tone serious. He placed the small piece of fine charcoal next to the drawn city wall. "If this is Hmagol's first line of defense, it needs to be better."
"How much better?" Chinua prompted, intrigued.
"Iron strong, better," Hye stated unequivocally. "Not just iron strong, it should also be equipped with hidden traps to defeat intruders using ladders."
Chinua looked at Hye, her eyes widening slightly. "Like the city wall of Nue-Li City?" She turned to face Hosha City wall, envisioning his words.
Hye closed his sketchbook with a snap. "Similar stuff, but better." He put the sketchbook back in his cross bag. "But Umusa can't afford such expensive things. Their economy is not good." He looked at Chinua. "But if your father decides not to let other kingdoms knock on his southern east door, I think building this wall here would be a good investment."
"What materials are needed for this project?" Chinua asked, her mind already racing with possibilities.
Hye flashed a mischievous smile. "Did you not pay attention at all? Of course, iron, if you want an iron strong wall."
"But, Hmagol has no iron," Chinua said, her enthusiasm deflating slightly.
Hye's smile widened. "Upper north of Hmagol has beautiful and strong iron."
"Upper North... Alohul?" Chinua murmured, a sudden understanding dawning.
Hye nodded. "If I remember correctly, isn't the wife of the fourth prince of Hmagol the most beloved princess of King Sulien?"
"Even so, my father cannot ask them for iron for no reason," Chinua countered, still processing the implications.
Hye leaned in slightly, his voice conspiratorial. "Alohul had an abundance that Hmagol lacked, and Hmagol had an abundance that Alohul needed."
Chinua thought for a moment, a slow smile spreading across her face as the full picture clicked into place. "I understand now. I will send a letter to father." She turned to look at Hye, her expression one of genuine awe and a touch of trepidation. "You are indeed a very scary person. I would not want to stand opposite you."
Hye took two steps away from Chinua, scoffing lightly. "If you keep the promise you made with me, even if I stand opposite you, I will not oppose you." His gaze was steady, a clear challenge.
Chinua chuckled, a soft, warm sound, and raised the corner of her mouth in a knowing smile at Hye. She turned back to face the half-standing city wall, her eyes distant with reflection. "You know, I have always questioned the relationship between the royal father and the royal mother. They have been married since they were teenagers, but the royal father would choose the advice of Eunuch Tong instead of the advice of the royal mother or other people in the palace. Therefore, I have always envied the special relationship between the royal father and Eunuch Tong."
"Oh, how so?" Hye prompted, a rare curiosity in his voice.
Chinua's face glowed with a warm smile; her eyes fixed on the horizon. "I chose Khunbish and Khenbish as my personal escorts mainly because I wanted to have the same special relationship, but I knew early on that Khunbish and Khenbish would never be someone who would openly question my decision, even if they knew it was the wrong decision. Therefore, for a long time, I envied the royal father and Eunuch Tong, but from today on, I will no longer envy them, because I now understand that a soulmate is not necessarily a lover, but a person who makes you question things. Someone, who changes your perception of reality. Someone, who believes in your abilities when others don't. Someone, who is willing to accompany you through hard and sunny days." She sighed, a deep, contented breath. "Someone, who will openly challenge you to bring out the best in you, and will not give you answers to your questions, but will walk with you to seek your answers. Someone, who grooms you to be a better person not for them but for yourself. Someone, whose soul will groove with yours."
Hye looked at Chinua, a genuine, proud smile touching his lips. "You have grown, kid."
This was the first time she had shared her deepest feelings with anyone. She knew in her heart that if there was one person who could fully understand her, it would be Hye. She smiled warmly at Hye, her heart full, and said, "Hye, thank you for being that someone." She turned back to face the battlefield, looking at the orange sun setting on the horizon, her journey of self-discovery just beginning.