The journey was smooth. The sun shone warmly as their cart rolled along the dirt road, the steady rhythm of hooves mixing with the creak of wooden wheels. Arya held the reins, guiding the horse with a practiced hand. His posture was relaxed but alert—just like Ra Kuti had drilled into him.
Beside Arya on the driver's bench sat Nala, while Jaka lounged comfortably in the back, clearly in a playful mood. Their two spare horses trotted beside the cart, reins loosely tied to the side.
"So," Jaka began with a mischievous grin, "you guys really think your training was bad?"
Arya glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow. "What do you mean? Master's training was brutal. We ran through forests dodging real arrows, swam rivers with weights tied to us, climbed mountains under a scorching sun—"
Jaka cut him off, stretching his legs along the cart's floorboards. "Sounds like a vacation to me."
Nala gave him a side-eye. "Vacation? We were hunted like wild game for three days while Master tracked us. Tracked us, Jaka! I nearly got caught a couple of times."
Jaka scoffed. "Please. That's nothing. You've never seen Master's true methods. I spent three days blindfolded in the wilderness, living off a single rock to eat and a string to catch it. Mess up once, and boom—start over." He leaned back, clearly enjoying their reactions.
Arya turned to face him slightly, reins still steady in his hand. "Wait... did you just say you ate a rock?"
"Of course not," Jaka said proudly. "I learned make food in the forest. Master just stood there, arms crossed, watching to make sure I didn't die with unconventional poison herbs."
"Blindfolded?" Nala exclaimed. "That's worse than being hunted!"
Jaka nodded solemnly. "You really learn to appreciate sight after that. But I survived. I've survived it all."
Arya shook his head, adjusting his grip on the reins. "Okay, that's messed up. But have you ever run around with ankle weights while Master poked you with a stick every time you slowed down?"
Jaka chuckled. "A stick? That's cute. Master threw boulders at me. And he's scarily accurate."
Nala nearly doubled over in laughter. "Seriously? He's a walking nightmare."
"Yeah, he is," Jaka agreed with a wink.
Arya, getting riled up, clicked his tongue and flicked the reins lightly as they passed a bend. "Alright, alright. You win. But I had to swim across a lake carrying a solid iron spear. Not wood. Iron."
Jaka raised both hands in mock surrender. "Okay, that's impressive. But how long did it take you to recover?"
Before Arya could answer, Nala leaned in with a devilish grin. "Oh, don't worry. It took me days to recover, but it was worth it."
Laughter died down as they rode in silence for a moment, the cart rattling along the road. Then Jaka spoke again, voice smug.
"You know, I still think Master was harder on me than either of you."
Arya and Nala exchanged glances. Nala broke first, bursting into laughter. "I think we all had it bad, Jaka. But none of us had it as bad as the princess."
Jaka blinked. "Princess? What do you mean?"
Until now, Dyah Netarja had been quietly sitting near the back of the cart, a book on her lap. She looked up sharply. "You think your training was bad? Try being me."
The others turned toward her, surprised by the edge in her voice.
"Ra Kuti won't train me at all. He says I'm not 'ready.' Says I'm too fragile." Her tone brimmed with frustration. "I've asked him. Begged him. But no—he just keeps saying the same thing. Meanwhile, you three get all his attention."
Arya cleared his throat, glancing briefly at her while still keeping the horse on course. "It's not favoritism, Your Highness. Master pushes everyone—just in different ways."
Nala nodded. "Yeah. We all had to prove ourselves."
Jaka grinned, though there was a flicker of sympathy in his eyes. "Don't worry, Netarja. When Ra Kuti finally starts training you, you'll wish he hadn't."
Dyah Netarja glared at him—but the smallest smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "We'll see about that, Jaka."
As they continued down the road, Jaka, Arya, Nala and Dyah Netarja exchanged playful glances.
The cart rattled onward toward their final destination—the last villages to secure trade agreements for Kalentang Village, thanks to Dyah Netarja's intellect and negotiation skills.
She had been instrumental in securing agreements with four villages, and now they just had to reach the last one.
The trio hoped that her sharp mind might be able to negotiate one more thing—maybe, just maybe, she could convince Ra Kuti to make his training a little more humane.
Meanwhile, back in Kalentang Village, Ra Kuti was overseeing the management of the local economy and resources, ensuring everything ran smoothly in Dyah Netarja's absence.
He was alone, sitting comfortably in a chair while inspecting some trade documents, but something felt… off.
Suddenly, he sneezed loudly.
ACHOO!
Ra Kuti blinked and looked around the empty room. "Hmm. Someone's talking about me... behind my back. I can feel it." He scratched his head, then chuckled to himself. "I don't know why, but I'm happy. I must be doing something right. People must be calling me 'Master' way too much."
He shook his head, clearly pleased with himself as he got back to his work, his thoughts lingering on his sneezes and the mystery of who could be admiring his greatness.