happy moment

In one of the carriages that went off from the palace, the first one was seated by three middle-aged men yet still retain their good physical who were the top people of authority in the empire, the carriage moved along the road passing through the inner city toward the outer ring of the city where many restaurants located

Inside the passenger seat, the atmosphere could only describe with the word awkward. They were best friends, each would not afraid of the other stabbing in the back. However, just when everything seemed to reach a happy ending, their relationship began to sour. It was only about half a years that all of them were happy with how they could unite the continent and brought peace to the land, It was a happy ending but the happy ending moments was so short.

Even when they rode the carriage together everyone did not talk like they were before.

Thiw just pointed his sword at his best friends and threatened to kill him, he never did that before but somehow with the tension and atmosphere in the hall, he really did it. But he did not want to apologize to Woden, he did what he believed was right. In fact, he did not understand why Woden would defy the word of David, after knowing David for 30 years, Thiw wholeheartedly trusted in David's decision and judgment. If David told him that those people deserved to die, didn't that mean killing those people were justified act?

Woden looked into the outside without saying anything, he accepted Solo invitation and joined but it was not like he wanted to talk. He was the courteous and polite type that would not outright refuse his friends invitation, though he knew what Solo goal was either to persuade him or fix his relation with Thiw.

Actually, Woden did not feel resentful toward Thiw, he did not like Thiw blind loyalty but he liked Thiw as a person. Woden believed that exercising any bad behavior in the name of protecting allegiance to another was not the good thing, it seemed honorable at first but it was just how people turned a blind eye to the truth, ignored the actual fact just to keeping a positive image of the person or cause he held dear. Woden was not a fool that would ignore the greater good but he also believed that right was right and wrong was wrong, a real man would not turn the blind eye to the truth of right or wrong due to blind loyalty. If Solo would try to convince him, he would accept the argument that convincing and plausible enough but he was not a docile and submissive person who would easily bend his own principle.

"Since today meeting was over fairly quickly, why don't we have lunch together?" Solo tried breaking the awkward in the carriage.

"….." But both Thiw and Woden did not say anything.

"Let's go to the new restaurant that lady Khadija had her family open." Solo desperately tried to bring the others two to somewhere they could relaxing.

"Umm…" Another soulless responded from both Thiw and Woden, even Solo did not want to continue with his futile attempt any more and just looked outside of the window like them. This awkward continued until the coachman came to report that they had arrived. Solo then ordered his man to prepare everything with the restaurant. When everything readied Solo asked both of them to follow him into the restaurant. At least Thiw and Woden did not depart by their own and still followed Solo into the VIP room, however, the situation did not change much.

The VIP room now just became the repeat event of what took place in the carriage, the dandy Solo tried to mend his friends, the macho militaristic Thiw just gulped down all his drinks while the well-groomed pious man Woden just sat there silently. After almost an hour passed, Thiw sighed and he apologized to Woden after the alcohol started to lessen his mood, it was not like he really hates Woden anyway. After listening to Thiw apology Woden then apologized to Thiw in return.

Although Solo wanted more than this he decided to deal with what he got. "These guys, they are already on their forties yet still acted so stubborn." Solo though, in fact, he already knew that the more you became older the more you became more stubborn. They just looked younger than normal but he knew that all of them already reach middle-aged.

After both of them apologized the fun really started with the talked of the old days when they fought together, Thiw always loved to boasted about his unbeatable record and how fun it was to fight with David in pure martial art while Solo and Woden talked about how reckless David was.

The lunch became continued in a good mood until Solo who wanted to mend the two relations accidentally wrecked it himself by carelessly mentioning the magician bureau. It was not returned to the bad one it was, but all of them suddenly became sober and with just a little spell they were completely sober.

They later went back on their own way, Thiw had the restaurant man to go and bring some horse for him since he would go back straight to the garrison outside the capital. While Woden and Solo went on the carriage together as they lived quite close in the inner ring.

After the carriage gets past the inner wall gate for some time, Woden started talking with Solo.

"The matter with today meeting, you know about it beforehand in full details right?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you told me anything."

"A man like you surely don't want to do anything with this. Am I right?"

"Isn't it too cruel?"

"…"

"They were powerless, they cannot do anything. Isn't now the time for mercy?"

"The number was not as high as it was estimated by those clueless nobles, someone like you should know it. The acted was just to demonstrate his authority as an emperor."

"It's not the number of people that important! What I can't accept was how it was wrong. Someone as smart as you should know it. What's the benefit of killing those people!!" Woden shouted, his force gushed out uncontrollable but he quickly regained control of his force.

"The decree is out, why don't you just look at the bigger picture and try to understand?" Solo too did not back down from this.

They continued in an argument so they did not aware that the carriage already reached Woden's manor. The carriage's door was opened by the servant of Woden's manor, standing not far from carriage was a beautiful lady who seems to be in her late 20 but in fact on her early 40. Woden stopped his argument with Solo and talked to his wife as he got out of the carriage.

"You don't have to wait for me at the front of our house, you should wait in the inside." Woden gently told his wife the same things he always told her before knowing she would do the same again and again.

"Big brother Solo, long time no see, why don't you come in?" The lovely lady smiled to her husband and went near the carriage door to greet with Solo who still in the carriage.

Solo did not go and just smiled before asking to leave. However, before his carriage started to go out of Woden's manor, Woden opened the door and told Solo.

" Tomorrow, I will write a petition to him."