Chapter 13 : A Kingdom's Hidden Ruler
Fenlor lunged forward with full force, his speed so sudden that a few soldiers gasped in shock.
But Rudravaan simply tilted his body to the side—barely a movement—effortlessly dodging the attack.
"Hey," Rudravaan said casually, "didn't you say you wanted a spar? Why are you charging blindly?"
Fenlor clenched his teeth, irritation flashing in his eyes.
But he quickly forced himself to calm down.
He stepped back, exhaled slowly, and took a proper stance.
His breathing steadied.
His eyes sharpened as he reopened them—focused, determined, ready.
Rudravaan took a sip from the bottle, eyes on Fenlor's stance.
"Now you're actually fighting," he said with a small grin.
Fenlor moved in slowly this time—measured, focused—and then the battle began.
For Fenlor, it was furious. Every strike he threw carried strength and intent…
But Rudravaan?
He stayed completely calm, dodging each attack with effortless, almost lazy movements.
Not a single drop of sweat touched his forehead.
Then, finally, Rudravaan lifted his wooden sword.
Fenlor saw it clearly and braced himself.
He raised his own blade, preparing for the impact.
But what happened next—
No one could understand it.
They all saw Rudravaan raising the wooden sword…
But in the blink of an eye, the sword was already down.
A pin-drop silence spread across the training ground.
Fenlor froze, confusion written all over his face.
The soldiers stared, speechless.
Then—
CRACK.
Fenlor's sword fell apart in pieces.
A clean line appeared across his shirt, sliced open from the strike he never even saw.
Fenlor's eyes widened, sweat dripping down his face as realization hit him.
The soldiers were equally stunned.
None of them had expected this.
None of them had even seen the attack.
Rudravaan rested the wooden sword on his shoulder and smirked.
"Now tell me—who's regretting it?"
Fenlor sat on the ground in shock, unable to process what had just happened.
At that moment, Morvyn arrived. The moment he saw Rudravaan holding a sword, he exploded.
"HEY! Didn't you say you were looking for alcohol?! Why are you holding a sword now?!"
Rudravaan shrugged casually.
"Hey, it's just sparring."
"Sparring?!" Morvyn shouted. "Who in their right mind would spar with you? Don't lie!"
Rudravaan pointed lazily at Fenlor.
"Fenlor's the one who started it."
Only then did Morvyn actually see Fenlor on the ground.
He rushed over immediately.
"Hey! What happened?! Why are you on the ground—hey!"
Rudravaan answered before Fenlor could speak.
"Nothing. He's just in shock."
Morvyn turned to the soldiers.
"Carry him to the medical room. Right now!"
The soldiers quickly lifted Fenlor and took him away.
Morvyn rounded on Rudravaan again.
"Can't you just refuse someone once?"
Rudravaan raised an eyebrow.
"He asked for a spar. What should I do?"
Morvyn held his head in frustration.
"Ahh… what am I going to do with you idiots…"
A few hours later…
Fenlor slowly opened his eyes.
He found himself in the medical room, Morvyn standing beside him.
Morvyn sighed deeply.
"Why did you fight him?"
Fenlor shifted awkwardly, clearly unsettled.
"No… I just thought I might improve if I sparred with him."
Morvyn shook his head.
"I don't know about you, but remember this— never fight him. Ever.
If you want to improve, just ask him to teach you. Don't challenge him."
Fenlor nodded his head, and he and Morvyn stepped out of the medical room together. Rudravaan noticed them approaching and walked toward them. His eyes settled on Morvyn.
"Hey, Morvyn," he said. "I know I just returned to our people… but Fenlor and I are planning to leave for a while."
Morvyn frowned. "Where are you going?"
Rudravaan replied calmly, "It's nothing dramatic. I'm planning to reclaim our kingdom."
Morvyn's temper flared. "Are you completely insane?"
Rudravaan met his glare without flinching. "I know what you're worried about. But this time, I'll tell our people exactly what I intend to do."
He gestured around them, frustration slipping into his voice. "Look at them, Morvyn. They have nowhere to go. They don't even have enough food. Are you really satisfied letting things stay like this?"
His tone hardened, a sharper edge cutting through his words. "And besides… it looks like the enemy didn't leave anyone strong to guard the kingdom. They're all terrified that if I survived and returned to take back what's ours, not a single kingdom could stop me."
Morvyn opened his mouth, wanting to tell Rudravaan to stay—but he stopped himself. He knew Rudravaan too well. If Rudravaan had decided to act, it meant he already had a plan. Nothing Morvyn said would change that.
With a defeated sigh, Morvyn said, "No matter what I say, you're not going to listen. So… do whatever you want."
Rudravaan gave him a small, confident smile, then turned to Fenlor. "Get some rest. Prepare yourself—we leave tomorrow."
After that, Rudravaan gathered his people. Standing before them, he explained his intention to reclaim their lost kingdom. Some were overjoyed, their faces lighting up with hope. Others remembered the horrors of the past war and looked at him with silent worry. Many prayed for their emperor's safety, and some stepped forward to give their advice.
In the middle of the crowd, a small child ran up to him, smiling brightly.
"Emperor! Everyone was worried because you kept drinking!"
Rudravaan chuckled and gently ruffled the child's hair. "Hey, kids shouldn't talk about things like that. Go on—run back."
The child laughed and ran off, leaving the crowd a little lighter than before.
As the sun slowly faded behind the horizon, the camp grew quiet. One by one, everyone drifted into sleep—everyone except Rudravaan.
He lay on the ground, eyes fixed on the darkening sky, lost in thought.
Morvyn approached quietly and sat beside him. "So," he said softly, "what are you really planning this time?"
Rudravaan didn't look away from the stars. "Morvyn… I already know who's sitting on our throne."
Morvyn's eyes widened. "What? Are you serious? Who is it?"
Rudravaan finally turned his head slightly, his voice low and steady. "When they took our land, the news spread fast. But after a few months… nothing. No new emperor's name. No victories. No announcements. Nothing."
He looked back at the sky. "And when I said someone weak is ruling, I meant exactly that. If a strong ruler had taken our kingdom, he would've boasted about defeating 'the powerful one.' There would be rumors, messengers, something. But right now? Silence."
Rudravaan's eyes narrowed. "It leaves only two possibilities. Either the ruler is weak… or very cunning. And with what we know, I can already guess who it is."