(Still Royce’s POV)

"Okay... all right..." the fat guard's voice was low.

I lifted my chin slightly while crossing my arms across my chest, then looked at him intently—waiting for the answer I should have gotten a long time ago.

“He… he… is… the son of the village chief.” He looked down at his feet after saying the answer I wanted.

"The village chief's son? Who's he?" I asked then.

“He… he is Janshen Wijaya. The only child of the village chief with his third wife.” added the center guard. His tone of voice was very different from before. If when speaking to me a while ago he used a very rude tone and was always angry, now he lowered his voice, and it made me suspicious of the person they were referring to.

"What's wrong with this person? What did he do to you guys?” when I asked about my suspicions, they looked at me worriedly.

"Hey! I already guessed!" I snorted, a lopsided smile as if contemptuous emerging from my handsome face.

“S-sir… I beg you… don't tell me you've beaten us…” whined the left guard.

"Yes sir. We beg you…” added the right guard.

“This application risked our life and death,” explained the center guard.

"Tell me the reason, and I will accept your request." I replied casually, remembering that I should not be careless with my words and actions.

After that, a few seconds later, an unpleasant air ran through my body. At that time I also looked in all directions. But there is nothing that I think is the source of this strange air.

However, when I turned around and looked down the road leading to the house, I could see a faint green glow that caused my thoughts to wander all over the place.

"Father! Mother!" I exclaimed that suddenly came out of my mouth.

Now in my dreamy mind, my parents' life is fighting between them, it must be okay or not.

“I have to get those materials and tools right away!” I muttered then while looking at the clenched right hand.

Then without looking at the three guards again, my feet moved to the large gate that was still tightly closed. Then the right guard said, “Don't forget us! And… good luck to you!”

His voice made me stop moving, then I looked back and nodded once.

"I'm sorry, I will definitely release you guys later!" I muttered again after successfully opening the gate. Although there is only a small amount of space that I can pass because it is difficult to open this giant gate, I still go forward and don't just back away.

When I managed to enter the northern village that I knew some time ago was hit by a big disaster, but I didn't find any remains or anything that would be a sign that this place had just been passed by the roar of a big storm.

The first step in this village, at that moment a gentle breeze swept the road that I passed.

My eyes do not escape from paying attention to all directions. I kept trying to find a place where the leaves unravel and the wood that could be used to become a magician's wand.

"There's no one here. Why do these houses feel so quiet and lonely…?”

Strangeness after strangeness I felt one by one since the first step.

Namely: there are no remnants of the disaster, people do not feel their presence here, houses large and small feel lonely and scary.

"Where exactly are they?"

When my mouth asked like that, suddenly my hairs stood up in unison. My whole body shuddered violently.

“Huuhh… where is this cold wind coming from?”

I put my hands on my body which was getting cold.

Then ....

"Who are you?!" a deep, slightly hoarse voice sounded clear behind my ear.

I answered without turning my head, so I could give a different impression from other people.

“My name is Royce, Royce Putra Harfian. I'm a knight." Both arms are bent so that they hang freely on my right and left.

"Harfi? CHI!" his reply made me bleed.

"Why? Is there a problem with the Harfi family?”

He snorted, “no… it's just, I hate that name.”

"There must be a good reason for the hate." I replied calmly. Even though in my heart I really wanted to stuff her mouth with thousands of stones that I threw, I had to hold it in.

"There is no." The short answer is disgusting. So my tantrum resistance collapsed.

At that instant, without thinking twice, I drew the sword that was on my waist in front of his face. Turning around while taking out the weapon I brought from its place, I aimed the sharp blade at him.

That person didn't show any fear at all.

"Jansen?" I asked, suddenly the name that popped into my mind.

The young man who looked the same age as me didn't show any expression. He just stared straight at me, returning my gaze which I aimed directly at his round black eyes.

"How do you know?" he finally made a sound, too, because after a few seconds of pointing the sharp tip of my gun in front of his eyes he didn't say a word either.

"It doesn't matter where I come from. It's just, what do you mean by hating my father's surname?”

"I told you. There is no."

"LIE! Even people go crazy for a reason!” jolt after jolt I threw at this young man who was calm with a look on his face showing his disapproval of me.

"If you still insist on wanting to know, then just ask your sister."

"My brother?!"

Suddenly he moved his feet, stepping back away from me.

"Hey! Where are you going?!"

He didn't care about me. After a few steps, he turned and ran very fast toward nine o'clock, into the narrow alleys between the simple houses that stood firmly.

"Who are you?" Suddenly a soft voice came from behind me. Instantly I turned to look at the owner of the voice.

“I am Royce, Son of Harfian. Who are you?" I asked the beautiful brown-skinned girl who owned the soft voice.

"My name is Maira, I am the sister of the young man you just pointed the sword at."

"What?!" Mai's answer made my feet step back once. My eyes widened in disbelief at his words.

“I am 25 years old, and I am the only child of the wives of the four village chiefs.” Mai explained calmly. He talked about it all not showing any concern at all.

“Why did you suddenly…?” my eyebrows furrowed in the middle.

"I just want to be close to the family of someone special to my sister."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you later. You better not be here now, not the time. What is your need to come all the way to our ruined village?”

"Destroyed? What do you mean? Are you blind? Or is something covering your eyes? Look! There is no trace of this place being destroyed!” My emotions came out one by one because I heard his words that didn't make sense.

"This is just a cover. Only shells are shown us to strangers. If you see the original, you definitely don't want to linger here. Just tell me, what is your purpose in coming to our place?”

"Tch! OK! I just want to buy ten unripe leaves and some wood I can use as a stick.”

"What for?" he asked innocently.

The more long-winded my intentions and goals even though I told him everything.

"None of your business! Quickly tell me where those things are!”

"Follow me now." He said as he turned around.

Then I took a step to approach him, but suddenly he said again with a slight glance behind him.

"Don't forget to say sorry before the second step."

"What else now? Sorry for what?”

“For those you just stepped on their corpses since entering through the gate.”