Meeting the Great Commander

Just as Jagat Wengi and Arya Mandana stepped onto the ship's deck, a Mongol soldier hastily ran towards a small room.

His warrior instinct told him that the room was occupied by an important officer from the Mongol side. But what good would it do to look without understanding their conversation? It bothered Jagat Wengi.

"Lord Mandana, let's just search for their chests," Jagat Wengi whispered.

"Wait, Jagat. I want to know their conversation inside."

"Do you understand their language, my Lord?"

"Do you think that's why I was asked to join Senopati's forces?" Arya Mandana replied, hinting that he could understand Mongolian. He then walked with his head down and approached the wall of the room, above which there was a window. Behind him, Jagat Wengi continued to monitor the surroundings.

This warship, known as a "Jung," was 100 meters long and had a helm inside the room. Although there were smaller boats used for river navigation in some other ships.

It was rumored that the Mongols had brought 500 to 1000 ships, with each ship capable of carrying 30 to 100 soldiers.

Jagat Wengi briefly glanced through the window and saw someone wearing a metal chest protector called Kawaca. He must be someone of high rank. And in front of him was a face that wasn't entirely unfamiliar to Jagat Wengi.

"Ulagan..." Jagat spontaneously muttered the name of a Mongol commander.

The mention caught Arya Mandana's attention, but there was no opportunity to inquire further. It was time to find out the enemy's plans.

Briefly, Arya Mandana overheard the high-ranking Mongol officer speaking angrily. He was Shi Bi, one of the great commanders of the Mongols. One of the three military leaders was ordered by Kublai Khan to attack Java.

"We have been deceived by that bastard Wijaya! Look at the massive losses we have suffered!" General Shi Bi vented his anger while smashing the wooden table in front of him.

"Damn it! We must quickly gather our troops tonight to launch a counterattack on Majapahit tomorrow morning." One of his accompanying officers expressed his opinion, which was immediately agreed upon by Ulagan.

"I agree with you. Although our forces have been greatly reduced due to the complete destruction of Kediri and being tricked by Wijaya, our remaining troops are still enough to crush Majapahit to the ground," Ulagan said with fervor.

General Shi Bi did not immediately respond to his two officers' opinions. Meanwhile, the two officers waited for the decision of their highest commander. Commander Shi Bi was indeed slightly behind his two other counterparts.

"We are retreating back to our homeland!" General Shi Bi's command startled his subordinates. Both of them couldn't believe that their commander ordered a retreat instead of launching a counterattack against Majapahit, a mere small village.

It was hard to imagine that an empire as mighty as the Mongols would be defeated by a village. It was truly embarrassing. They had conquered dozens of kingdoms in Europe and Asia. But... just a village?

"Why should we retreat, sir? We should retaliate and punish this Wijaya who dared to deceive us," Ulagan expressed his objection to General Shi Bi's command.

"Do not underestimate Wijaya! We don't know what else he has planned. We have already lost 3,000 soldiers, and I don't want to incur greater losses," General Shi Bi explained the reasoning behind his order.

"Then what is our next move? Are we simply retreating? I can't imagine how angry our Emperor will be because of this failure," Ulagan's fellow officer asked, trying to understand General Shi Bi's decision.

"I have a plan to avenge Majapahit's actions against us. I will take responsibility before the Emperor," Shi Bi responded, disregarding his subordinates' reactions.

"This is my command to you, Ulagan!"

Ulagan, as the chief officer under General Shi Bi, immediately half-bowed as a sign of respect to listen to the orders from the highest commander.

"For the glory of the Mongols, I am ready to carry out your command, my Lord!" Ulagan declared firmly and courageously.

General Shi Bi stared sharply at Ulagan in front of him. "I have chosen you for a mission."

Arya Mandana, who listened to the entire conversation, suspected that the mission given by General Shi Bi to Ulagan was a plan for revenge against Majapahit.

General Shi Bi continued issuing his orders. He stood up from his table and faced Ulagan.

"I have decided to retreat back to the plains of China with our entire army. But you will remain on the island of Java to launch attacks against the Majapahit Kingdom. It means you will carry out a mission to destroy Majapahit from within. Choose four selected officers to accompany you!"

Ulagan, who had a scar from a sword slash on his right cheek, replied, "I am ready to carry out your orders, my Lord!"

General Shi Bi walked towards Ulagan. "Stand, oh brave Tartar Knight!" Ulagan immediately stood up as commanded by his superior.

General Shi Bi took out a cleaver tucked by his left waist and handed it to Ulagan. The handle of the cleaver was black, and the end of the handle was shaped like a silver dragon's head. Ulagan could feel the intense energy emanating from the cleaver as he received it from General Shi Bi.

Ulagan knew that this cleaver was no ordinary weapon.

"You know, Ulagan! This cleaver was bestowed upon me by our mighty Emperor Khan. This cleaver is the Cleaver of a Thousand Dragons. Now, I pass this cleaver onto you. With you holding this cleaver, the mission to destroy the Majapahit Kingdom is officially entrusted to you. Avenge this disgraceful insult!"

With fiery eyes, Ulagan focused his unwavering determination on the newly acquired cleaver. Carrying out the final command of a General was an honor.

"Quick, get out of here!" Shi Bi shouted. "And you! Order our entire army to retreat! Blow up the unused ships so they can't use them."

"Trouble!"

"What is it, sir?"

"We need to get out of here before this ship is blown up."

"But what about the treasure chests?"

Arya Mandana was taken aback by Jagat Wengi's question. However, he had promised this young man, and he certainly didn't know where the treasure was located.

Meanwhile, Shi Bi and his officers had already left the steering room, separating from Ulagan, who took a different route. Unbeknownst to him, the path led to their current hiding place.

"You..." Ulagan was momentarily stunned when he saw Jagat Wengi before Arya Mandana pushed him aside, allowing him to confront his opponent freely, while saying, "Quick, find those chests!"

Arya Mandana swiftly pushed Jagat Wengi backward, ensuring that he stayed out of the fight. The cleaver wielded by Ulagan was the main reason for keeping Jagat Wengi away from this battle.

Ulagan's cleaver swung, slicing through the wooden walls as Arya Mandana rolled to the side. Several chests also fell victim to the wrath of this Mongol commander.

His towering stature, strong jaw, and round cheeks depicted a formidable figure. His narrow eyes held a grim smile as he observed his agile opponent.

Jagat Wengi was busy with his own task, finding solace in the chaos of war. There was no need to infiltrate schools or steal books when they could enter a large ship with numerous small rooms below deck.

A small square door on the ship's floor caught Jagat Wengi's attention. He immediately opened it and caught a glimpse of the skirmish between Arya Mandana and Ulagan.

Ulagan's long curved cleaver clashed against Arya Mandana's bare hands. Certainly, in a battle like this, the code of chivalry was irrelevant unless they agreed to fight fair.

After opening it, the room was pitch-black, with rats scurrying in the corners. A faint light seeped in from the stern of the ship, facing the sea. It was the light from the cannon port used to fire cannons.

Jagat Wengi resumed his search for the treasure chest. However, all he found were rows of small barrels emitting a strange odor—the same smell they had encountered during the land explosion earlier.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy breathing and quick footsteps approached from behind. Jagat Wengi's instincts and experience prompted him to roll to the side, and his eyes caught sight of an axe swinging towards him.

He thrust his right leg into the assailant's knee, causing them to fall. It turned out they not only held an axe but also a torch.

The opponent retreated slowly, sporting a grin that Jagat Wengi disliked. His eyes continued to focus on the small and large barrels nearby.

This was bad!

The assailant taunted Jagat Wengi, swinging the torch towards the barrels repeatedly, goading him to catch on.

One of the barrels was struck with the axe and immediately retrieved. Soon, black powder spilled out as the barrel was tilted.

Jagat remained silent, observing the path of the powder leading to the cannon port at the back of the ship. But when the torch was directed towards the last path, and a small flame crept toward the row of barrels, Jagat Wengi swiftly ran up to the deck.

The ship was about to explode, and he had experienced the consequences of the previous explosion. Earlier, he was only grazed by a single flame, but now there were dozens of barrels containing the ingredients for those flames.

"Lord Mandana!"

Jagat Wengi's cry was so loud that it halted Arya Mandana's battle with Ulagan.

Ulagan, being quick-witted, leaped to the side of the ship and plunged into the water. Without paying heed to the wealth and riches in front of them, Jagat Wengi grabbed Arya Mandana's hand and ran towards the front of the ship's deck to make a leap.

And then, the sound of the explosion resounded loudly.

*Boom!

The explosion echoed throughout Tuban, abruptly ending the war between Majapahit and the Mongols.