Misleading Story

The two soldiers who rode on horses earlier regrouped with their comrades. They inspected each resident's hut, the soldiers' treatment of the residents was quite harsh, prompting and even kicking them to immediately gather in front of their respective huts.

The leader of the soldiers on his white horse stood at the end of a low cliff that jutted into the sea. His gaze was so sharp watching every part of the coral that was quite wide in front of him, stretching along the coast.

The appearance of twenty soldiers of the Artapurana Kingdom in the easternmost region made the residents noisy, most of whom were fishermen. One by one they were forced out, kneeling in front of their respective huts with their children and wives.

The women, especially children, trembled in muffled cries. They were afraid that the appearance of the royal soldiers was meant to take their treasure, even though their treasure was only in the form of food that they had worked so hard to collect.

"Search every hut!" a soldier shouted at his friends.

"Forgive me, sir," said a man in his forties who seemed braver than the others. "What exactly are you looking for, sir?"

A soldier glared at the man, he got off his horse, then approached the man who was kneeling near his wife and children.

"Listen to all of you!" said the soldier, as if he were the ruler of the area. "His Majesty the King sent us to this eastern village to find someone!"

The residents looked at each other.

"Looking for someone?" said the 40-year-old man with a frown. "I beg your pardon, sir," he said. "What kind of person are you referring to?"

"We have a report," said the soldier, still in a loud voice for all the residents there to hear. "A young man who lives here saw the appearance of a suspicious person a few days ago!"

The forty-year-old man glanced to the right, his gaze narrowed at one family, likewise, with other residents. And it has become proof for the soldiers, that the residents know about the appearance of a suspicious person.

"Say it quickly!" said the soldier. "Where is that suspicious person?!"

"This is your son's fault!" the 40-year-old man shouting at one family is the concern of other residents now. "Want to be rich in a bad way!"

"Right!" said some residents.

"Your son is really outrageous!"

"Hey, hey!" the soldier shouted at the residents.

This was heard by the leader of the soldiers who were a dozen steps ahead. He looked back, then pointed his horse towards it.

"Can you guys do this more calmly?" he said.

"Sorry, sir," said the soldier with a slight bow. "It seems that the residents also know about the appearance of that suspicious figure."

The leader's gaze was fixed on the residents, then stopped at the 40-year-old man in front of his subordinates.

"Say!" said the leader of the soldiers.

"Forgive us, sir," the 40-year-old bowed. "Actually, it was just an imaginary story of the young man who reported this to the Palace."

"What did you say?" rebuked the soldier with wide eyes.

The leader took a deep breath. "Tell me!"

The forty-year-old man pointed towards a family that many people were paying attention to.

"Their son," said the man. "Two days ago, he came back from fishing in a cluster of coral to the south. Then he told us excitedly that in the sky, a blue light appeared, and someone emerged from that light, and fell into the sea."

The leader of the soldiers looked at the other residents. "Is that really how it happened?"

The residents nodded, confirming what the 40-year-old man had said just now.

The leader brought his horse closer to the family of the young man who had reported the story to the royal palace.

An old man with his wife and two teenage daughters dropped their foreheads to the ground.

"Forgive us, sir," said the old man. "Forgive us."

"Raise your face, hey old man!" another soldier who was near the old man snapped at him. "Our leader wants to ask you a question!"

With a pale face and a trembling body, the old man lifted his face, his ten fingers pressed together in front of his chest, as did his family members.

"Sir…" he said in a trembling voice.

"Tell me, old man," said the leader in an even voice. "Is what your neighbor told me true?"

The old man bowed again, "About our son telling a story like that, it's true, sir. However, we do not know the truth of the story, sir. Please, forgive us."

"Excuse me, sir," said the 40-year-old man. "The area on the south side of our village is known to be quite haunted, sir. Perhaps, what his son saw was a mystical figure. Forgive me," he bowed again.

The leader of the soldiers took a deep breath. He raised one hand high. This gesture made all the soldiers around him rush over to him, lined up neatly with their horses behind him.

"Sir?" said a soldier to the left of the leader.

"This seems to be the same as what the Left Counselor predicted," said the leader. Again he took a deep breath, his concern was more with the king himself. "We're going back!"

"Sir!" the soldier nodded. He moved his hand, inviting his friends to leave the small village.

"Listen," said the leader to the residents. "Even though you doubt the truth of the story, however, if you see a suspicious person appearing in this area, someone unfamiliar to you, report it to the royal. And if you manage to catch that person, take him straight to the palace."

The residents bowed again to hear the command of the leader of the soldiers.

After that, the leader kicked his white horse, the white horse neighed, and ran to catch up with the soldiers who had left the area first.

"You see the consequence of what your son's done?" said the 40-year-old man when the soldiers were no longer with them.

"Right!" said the other.

The old man could only bow his head, cuddling with his wife and two daughters.

"We are still lucky because the soldiers are not after our food," he said. "But, I'm not sure if we'll still be okay if those soldiers come here again. Especially, to find your son!"

That's what the old man thought. With the information that the leader of the soldiers had obtained earlier, it was certain that his son would receive a severe punishment for being deemed to have deceived the kingdom.

This fact made the old man burst into tears, his tears mingled with the cries of his wife and two daughters.

***