The Fate of Adipura Kingdom

25. Ritualized

The journey felt so quiet because throughout the trip Minister Balda just silent, as well as the mysterious man. But the two now began to react after the king of Jaka opened his voice to ask the thing that was holding his heart at this time.

“Teacher, sorry if student sassy. Can the disciple ask about one thing?”, asked king Jaka breaking the silence.

The mysterious man turned his head towards the king of Jaka because the question was aimed at him, “What does Jaka's disciple want to ask?”, the mysterious man asked back.

“Actually what ritual did minister Balda say when in the tent earlier? It seems like the statement of the young woman was so imprint for the minister”, king Jaka explained the question he had been waiting for since.

The mysterious man's expression showed a sense of unease, as the question was immediately directed at Minister Balda who was sitting right in front of him. He felt awkward to answer the question, but he had not had time to react Balda minister finally opened his voice and answered the question.

“You are still too young, as the new king of your busy life just to quell the movement of your brothers who want to rebel. Are you sure you want to hear the answer?”, replied minister Balda.

“Murid sure minister”, king Jaka replied briefly after steadying his heart to hear the answer of his question.

“This story may be a little long, but let me be concise. I know very little about the ritual that the woman performed, and I think it was too wild and very inhumane” Balda said.

"What does the minister mean by inhumanity?", king Jaka cut off the explanation from minister Balda.

"We'd better listen first, give Minister Balda time to tell us all about it", the mysterious man mediates a question from the king of Jaka because he sees the displeased expression shown by the minister of Balda when the king of Jaka cuts his explanation.

Minister Balda let out a slow breath and afterwards minister Balda again told him what he knew about the young woman. He said that the ritual that became the debate between them was a ritual that is closely related to the famous black magic on the island of Sulagendi.

This ritual demands that its use be murderous and eat the hearts of its victims raw while covered with the blood of its victims. And even more astonishingly it is known that the victims must be many virgin women numbering 100 people.

If it has reached that number then the user of this ritual will have enormous mystical power and does not rule out the possibility he can be a threat in the martial world. That's why Balda's minister refused an offer from the young woman.

“While this ritual is so terrible there is also its weakness”, minister Balda's words stopped here.

The look on the face of the king of Jaka and the mysterious man who initially heard carefully now glanced at the minister of Balda. Minister Balda is now silent and looking out while looking at the sky that will soon be dim because it will be late at night.

“Sorry minister, what is the weakness of the ritual?”, king Jaka again asked out of curiosity. He wanted to explore this story more, although a little wild but in his heart there is an interest in the story.

“This ritual is hereditary and cannot be studied like silat as in everyday life. Each descendant of the person with this ritual must make one of their descendants again as a host so that this black magic continues”, replied Balda minister still looking at the sky.

“How can the minister know all that?”, asked the mysterious man in surprise for that reason.

King Jaka and the mysterious man fell silent again after hearing the last explanation from the Balda minister just now. They did not expect that the black magic of other islands also possessed this kind of absurd power. Seeing the seriousness in the expression on the face of Minister Balda, both believed that dealing with people who have black magic is not good.

King Jaka's army continued to walk towards the designated place, slowly but surely they walked with gusto. Until the evening before night, his troops stopped to rest and make camp. Meanwhile, at Patih Purno rebel headquarters came out of his room and asked a soldier to be delivered to Aryo's room.

***

The tookkk... The tookkk... The tookkk...

“Young master, can I enter?”, asked Patih Purno after knocking on Aryo's room door.

Aryo immediately who had been unable to close his eyes now rose from his sleep and immediately opened the door. After that he found Patih Purno who was standing at the door of his room with a face that seemed to want to ask him something.

Aryo immediately invited Patih Purno to come inside so that the two could talk comfortably. Now that the two of them were sitting on the chair, Aryo did not expect that he had a guest this late night.

“What do you think Patih came at this late time?”, Aryo asked to open the conversation.

“Sorry if interrupting the rest time young master”, reply Patih Purno while giving respect.

“It's okay Patih, maybe the arrival of Patih wants to discuss about important matters. Is that true?”, asked Aryo back.

“True young master, I want to ask about one thing I saw when I got here”, Patih Purno said.

Aryo now heard Patih Purno's question which was none other than about the room guarded by some soldiers very tightly. Because it seemed obstructed that the small room was guarded thus, Patih Purno asked if there was in the room so it should be maintained like that.

“If Patih is curious, I can bring Patih to see him”, replied Aryo.

“If young master does not mind Patih willing to follow young master”, reply Patih Purno again.

“Mari Patih”, take Aryo to Patih Purno.

Without waiting for long, the two of them left the room and walked into the room. When the two until they do not go directly in because they wait for the arrival of the old man first. Aryo asked one of the guard soldiers to call the old man, when the old man came no longer waiting for them to finally go inside simultaneously.