"Great Master, with just a few fleeting words, the Prime Minister destroyed everything we had, and we didn’t even need to face him! From that moment on, I regarded him as an enemy to the death! Tell me, what’s wrong with killing him?"
Chiwaco stared with tear-filled eyes, bloodshot with desperation. Xiulote slightly lowered his gaze, avoiding the old Militia’s eyes, at a loss for words.
Beside him, Puap’s expression changed rapidly as memories of the past flashed through his mind. After a moment, he looked at the old Militia with shock, as if seeing him for the first time.
"Old Chi...you...you!..."
"Haha, that’s right. The Hummingbird Samurai, still wouldn’t let us go. A few old brothers and I were dragged into the city like stray dogs, following Great Master Huitu, tasked with guarding the city walls. Then, night and day, I searched until I found my own daughter. She... had been sent to the logistics camp... Oh... I failed her. I swore an oath to find every opportunity to avenge my wife and children!"
"The Alliance’s army soon marched south, facing off against that damned King. We emerged from the city to aid them, and watched as the King’s banners fell. The Kingdom’s cocoa fell, and the monkeys scattered from the trees! I finally found my chance and made contact with the Alliance nobility."
"So that’s how it was! On the plains of the Lake Region, the Royal Army decided to fight. Not only did you flee, but you also passed on a message."
Xiulote let out a deep sigh. Here was a tenacious old Militia, impossible to crush down.
"Great Master, we guided the Alliance into the city. Not only for your reward but also for the civilians of the Capital City! What does the outcome of the nobles’ wars have to do with us humble weeds? The longer the city is besieged, the more people inside die; the fiercer the attack, the more people die on its walls. Aren’t those who die in front of us just common folk to be trampled upon?"
"Great Master, the Prime Minister of the Royal Palace is the enemy of the people! He conscripts us, takes our food, sends our women to barbarians like beasts, forcing so many to their deaths! I stood tall and killed him with a clear conscience, with no guilt in my heart, only full of satisfaction and joy! And for the Alliance, with so many merits to our name, have we done anything wrong?"
Chiwaco finally knelt up straight, candidly meeting Xiulote’s gaze. His face was so plain, his wrinkles so aged, with old tears twinkling in his eyes. Yet upon closer look, Xiulote found the old Militia’s gaze exceptionally bright, like a profound morning star.
"Alas...the living barely scrape by...for miles no chickens crow...when the Kingdom falls, it’s the common folk who suffer the most, yet no one hears their voice!"
Xiulote turned his back, his hands clasped behind him, gazing up at the night sky of the grand Capital City, watching the subsiding glow of fires, muttering to himself. The King’s turbulent emotions gradually calmed. Then, he looked at Chiwaco again, his eyes mild with appreciation, his tone becoming gentle.
"Well said! Neither you nor Puap are wrong, you are both heroes of the Alliance! He led the opening of the south gate, and I promised him a hereditary noble title. You offered the gemstone and the head, what else do you want?... Speak boldly, I will try to grant it!"
Chiwaco’s expression froze. He thought of his daughter, of the future life, and his straight back slowly curved again. The old Militia thought carefully for a long time before responding with sincere and cautious words.
"Great Master, I was born a farmer, at most a Militia, not cut out to be a master. I don’t fancy ordering others around or being waited upon. If you ask me what I want, I only wish for a promise from you for a peaceful life! I just want to live quietly with my daughter and son-in-law, my whole family safe and secure, no longer conscripted by the Alliance or oppressed by the Samurai."
"Oh? A modest life, free from taxes and labor, peaceful for a lifetime?"
Xiulote paused, pondering for a moment, his smile growing even warmer as he continued to ask.
"Just that simple, anything else?"
"There is more, I wish for a few brothers who followed me to have a chance at life. So they won’t be like wild turkeys, running wild with no peaceful home to return to. Lastly, I’d like to ask you to help look for my son. Although he’s likely dead, my heart can’t stop worrying..."
"Hmm, I will grant your brothers the title of nobility for their military merits. I will also dispatch people to search for your son. But..."
The young King showed a kindly smile, touching Chiwaco’s hair with his hand. A long-held plan resurfaced in his mind, and this time, he had finally met the perfect candidate.
"Chiwaco, how is your swimming?"
"Swimming? You mean swimming? I grew up by the lake; my swimming is just a notch below the fish."
The old Militia felt the palm on his head, confusion on his face, but a new sense of crisis began to grow.
"Good, very good! Chiwaco, you managed to escape all the way from the northern borders and survived the great war. It seems the God of Destiny favors you! No matter the adversity, you always have a chance to survive!"
"Ah? This!... Great Master, I’m just a common Militia, and I don’t fight battles..."
The old Militia hurriedly explained, only to be interrupted by the Prince’s ruthless words.
"Don’t worry! I’m not sending you to battle, nor right away."
Xiulote withdrew his hand, stroking the smooth Emerald. His face lit up with the smile of destiny, as if glimpsing a distant country.
"I’m just asking you, to take a long journey in the near future!"
The vast winds swept through the gradually calming Capital City, billowing black smoke into the wide sky. Carried by the wind, the smoke, like spirits riding the clouds, flew towards the distant horizon. And the King’s gaze settled on the boundless south!