Flarka retreated to his room, thinking about his conversation with Sakha. He dined alone that night with great composure. Afterwards, he stood in front of the large map of his country that adorned his room's wall. While the servants cleared the remnants of the meal, he simply stared at the map. His silence had also unsettled the servants. Apart from the sounds of plates, there was no other noise in the room. As the last of the servants left, he called out to the guards at the door, ordering them to allow no one inside. The guards, confirming his command, closed the doors, enveloping the room in absolute silence. Flarka gazed at his country's map for a long time, reflecting on the events that had unfolded during his many years on the throne. The paths his country had traversed, the successes achieved, the failures experienced...

Flarka had no male siblings. Therefore, the throne rightfully belonged to him. This fact had always raised questions both within and outside the palace. People frequently criticized him, saying things like, "Does he truly deserve the throne?" or "If he had a brother, he would have undoubtedly lost the struggle for the throne." Despite the fact that his critics didn't dare raise their voices too loudly, he had managed to maintain his presence throughout the years he spent on the throne. Flarka, however, continued to forge ahead, disregarding these criticisms. Yet, from time to time, he couldn't help but ponder whether the criticisms held any validity. He had relinquished control of the seas to Sargan. Famine had plagued the country for a long time, and now a pandemic had begun. The thought of the dragon gave him a headache. "My trial grows increasingly burdensome," he sighed deeply and moved away from the wall.

He had built a small wine cellar in his room. When he wanted to drink alone, he would use this cellar. It was filled with wines from all around the world. He glanced at the wines, and stood in front of the barrel of wine sent by Sargan. Ironically, he loved the wine of the Northerners. He remembered how Kiera and Flavia had objected when he first accepted this wine. He filled his glass with a bitter smile and stepped out onto the balcony.

The darkness of the night had already descended. The snow accumulated on the peaks of the mountains lining the southern border of the Dawnwood Forest, visible in the darkness. Since the greatest threat to the country came from the southern borders, he often found himself unintentionally gazing at the southern slopes whenever he stepped onto the balcony. Recently, a new trouble had begun to emerge: a pandemic. The pandemic was weakening his army. It was killing their provisions. It was dampening the morale of the people. All of these provided a perfect opportunity for the Skarts to launch another attack. Tonight, he decided he didn't want to dwell on these matters any longer and lay in his hammock. Sipping his wine, he began to gaze at the unique vista of the night sky.

When Flarka opened his eyes again, he realized he had dozed off. Judging by the position of the moon, he had been asleep for about two hours, and it was still past midnight. As he got out of his hammock, he noticed that he had spilled the wine while asleep. His foot slipped, causing him to fall, and the remaining wine spilled on him as well.

He cursed and stood up, throwing the bottle. After changing his clothes, he went outside, where the guards had changed shifts. Ordering the guards to wait, he began to walk alone.

Flarka first walked towards his sister's room. He hadn't had pleasant experiences in recent days. When he learned from the servants at the door that she was asleep, he decided not to disturb her and went downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a large balcony. He stepped out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing, observing his surroundings for a while. The garden was very quiet. Not even a breeze was blowing that night. He decided to go down to the garden and take a walk.

When he reached the garden, two soldiers began to accompany him. Ignoring the soldiers, he walked absentmindedly for a while and then wanted to check the apartment where Sakha was staying. As he quickened his pace, the guards behind him also started walking quickly with curiosity. When he arrived at the house where he was staying, he saw that it was tightly guarded by the mansion guards. Feeling a little relieved, he continued walking towards the house. There were no curtains in the room where he stayed. Therefore, Sakha was under observation every hour of the day. When Flarka looked through the window and saw that Sakha was still awake, he was surprised and ordered his soldiers to step back, standing in front of the door closed with wooden bars. Sakha, however, remained composed without changing his posture.

"What is it that pulls you away from your warm bed at this hour, Your Majesty?"
It was clear that the last remark was meant to be condescending. He didn't make any effort to hide it. Although this disrespect angered Flarka, he managed to stay calm and started speaking:

"It wasn't a coincidence that you encountered us, was it? How did you know that we would follow that path and pass by there on that day?"
"I didn't know, I followed your tracks. After catching up with your tracks, I continued to observe from a safe distance, waiting for the right moment."
"Were you sent by Sargan to kill me?" In the face of this question, Sakha quietly chuckled and raised her head.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago and returned to my home."
As much as Flarka was getting angrier, he didn't even have a chance to speak before Sakha stood up and continued speaking, looking at Flarka with threatening eyes:

"Something is happening, you know that," he said, hitting the bars. "I didn't come here by anyone's order. I didn't come here by chance either," he hit the bars again. "And I didn't fight with your men just because I was bored. Your men are skilled but inadequate. You understood that the moment you encountered me. When the time comes, you will understand why I came here."
Sakha hit the bars once again, then sat back without waiting for a response and didn't say anything else. Flarka didn't attempt to reply either and angrily left the room, resuming his walk.

This nocturnal visit had disturbed his peace enough. The real disturbance, however, was the fact that the man was right. His kingdom's strongest soldiers had failed against a single person. The real harbinger of disaster was the existence of an army composed of such warriors where that man came from, and engaging in war with that army was just a matter of time.
Lost in thought, Flarka noticed that the lights of the training ground were on and he headed towards it. Seeing Kierra training alone, Flarka smiled and silently watched him for a while before entering slowly. Kierra paused his training and started talking when he saw Flarka.

"Do you really think that man is wandering aimlessly? No, my old friend," he said, shaking his head. "That man is definitely not wandering without purpose. I'm sure there is a deep meaning behind every move he makes, I just haven't been able to grasp it yet," he said, sounding gloomy.

They continued to sit in silence for a while. Flarka gazed at the sky while Kierra absentmindedly looked at his sword. This time, it was Flarka who broke the silence.

"Despite all the wounds he sustained during the fight the other day, he kept on fighting. I've seen many warriors who lost their lives with half the injuries he had."

"That's the part that scares me. At least his consciousness should have faded. When he came to us yesterday, there was no sign of someone on the verge of death in his eyes. There wasn't even the slightest hint of fear or helplessness."

"I guess when he said he was born on the battlefield, he meant it. He must have survived by being like this. Come on, let's see if you can get up and rest for a while," he said, slowly getting up and starting to walk.

When morning came, Flarka summoned everyone before him and announced his decision. A force of 1,000 soldiers would be directed to increase the security of the southern cities, and a headquarters would be established. Kierra would be assigned as the leader of the deployed troops. In this mission, Sakha would assist Kierra and train the soldiers whenever an opportunity arose. Everyone in the room was stunned. Even Sakha couldn't hide his astonishment. After a brief silence, Kierra responded sharply.

"I have no doubt about his fighting abilities, but there are certain trust issues that need to be overcome, my king. Please reconsider your decision," Keraika said, bowing his head.

"Even though my home and homeland are in ruins, I am still a Northerner. Am I supposed to train soldiers to kill my own people?"

These words were almost lost amidst the murmurs and whispers in the hall. Flarka drew his sword from the side of the throne and struck the ground forcefully. The sound was enough to silence the entire hall.

"If everyone has received their orders, let them get to work immediately! Additionally, these soldiers will go directly to the city of Jaiha, where they will establish a headquarters. You may leave!"

Kierra gave an angry look first to Sakha, then to Flarka, and locked eyes with Flavia. Then he stormed out. He was not pleased with the final orders either. Amidst suspicious gazes, Sakha silently and thoughtfully walked to his assigned room.

Sakha wasn't expecting such an offer. All she wanted was to kill as many of those creatures as she could. He was a warrior burning with the desire to fight. Being a palace official was not for him. Not anymore. However, he had no choice but to accept the offer. When he retreated to his room, there were still two hours until sunset.

The soldiers followed Sakha to his room and waited outside the door. After entering his room and closing the door, he stood still for a while, scanning his surroundings. He cautiously began to walk around the room. Once he was sure that no one else was present, he relaxed and threw himself onto the bed. "How many years has it been since I laid down on a bed like this?" he wondered. He thought about the many years he spent in the wilderness. Ten years in the wilderness. It was enough to drive a person insane. But he had somehow managed to survive and never once abandoned him purpose. He was now very close to achieving his goal. He could feel it. He had managed to arrive at the right place at the right time. Now, all that was left was to wait. Just one step. And then he would have his revenge. Lost in these thoughts, he fell asleep without even realizing it.

When everyone had left, Flavia and Flarka were left alone, and Flavia started speaking:
"I am aware of the seriousness of the situation. I have also heard what the oracles said about Sakha, but giving his a room in the palace and sending him on a major mission as a leader, isn't that a bit too much?" she shouted, asking.

"That man annihilated half of our guards. Our soldiers need to reach his level. And we have no choice but to trust him. If his intentions were malicious, he would have already taken action by now."

However, Flavia was still not convinced. In fact, Flarka himself was not convinced by his own words. Flarka's helplessness suppressed his worries. When Flavia noticed this, she became greatly saddened but started suggesting new ideas in order to find another way out. The two siblings would sometimes talk and sometimes argue, but when Kierra entered the throne room, they paused their conversation, and Flarka gestured to the chair next to him. Kierra silently sat in the designated spot and began to wait without saying anything. His dissatisfaction with the decisions was evident. As Flarka poured water for himself from the pitcher on the table, he began to speak.

"I'm sorry for putting you in this situation. I should have at least informed you beforehand. However, we are threatened from all sides. You are the only person I can trust in this mission," he said and looked at Kierra, waiting for a response. But it was Flavia who interjected:

Flavia decided that further insistence would be meaningless. Her brother wouldn't retract an order he gave in front of everyone. Moreover, objecting to him at a time when criticisms were already reignited would only hurt him more. Flavia stood up, sat next to Kierra, placed her hand on her shoulder, and tried to comfort her. While Kierra played with the glass in her hand, she turned towards Flarka with irritation and after watching him for a while, she let out a deep sigh and said:

"I swore to protect you at all costs. And now you're sending me to the other end of the country," he said, starting to accept the situation.

Upon hearing this question, Flarka bowed his head in gratitude. If Kierra continued to oppose, he would have to reluctantly retract this order he had given.

"First of all, we need to eliminate Pauly. It's too dangerous to harbor such a traitor near the capital during wartime. While we deal with that problem, you focus on preparing the soldiers for battle. Flavia, relay the message to Keraika to prepare a letter ordering Pauly to come here. Kierra, inform Rhadam that the soldiers need to be ready for training tomorrow," he said and thanked both of them before withdrawing to his room.

Kierra nodded to indicate that he had received the orders, but he had not yet moved; he continued playing with his glass. Flavia turned to him and said, "Perhaps this will be our last day spent together, sister," and continued hugging Kierra.