The Legend of Senopati
The Propaganda of the Palace
“Sadeva! Quick out!”
The sound of the door knocking woke the sleeping Sadewa. When he opened his eyes, Sadewa felt nothing but a warm feeling that seemed to flow throughout the blood vessels.
The dream feels real!
The Kalachakra sword that Sadewa saw yesterday, was suddenly at the end of his bed. The shape is exactly the same as what happens in dreamland. In fact, as long as the Kingdom of Basundara stood, there was not a single swordsman named Ki Bratasena.
“Sadewa, are you dead? Hurry out because Commander Jalak Putih is looking for you! You're a fugitive of higher-ups!” the male voice from behind the door returned to disperse Sadewa's daydream.
Quickly Sadewa opened the door and saw Anang, his best friend, battered with several bruises on the face.
“A-Anang, why are you? Who could do this?” Sadewa hugged her best friend.
“Stana controlled by rebels. Mahapatih Janinda Waru was taken over by the Commander of Jalak Putih who was aiming for the second highest position in the kingdom. King Maheswara allied with Commander Jalak Putih. Ratih Maheswara's incitement was too strong. I can't do much when given the choice to kill me, or I get killed.”
“Quick in, Anang, you're safe here!”
Anang hid in Sadewa's room, while Sadewa took some wooden blocks at the right end of his room, then stuck the door with several wooden beams as keys.
Not long after, several soldiers came banging on the door of Sadewa's room.
“Come out, Sadewa, we know you're in there! Don't hide, we're all looking for you. Leave also Anang because Commander Jalak Putih wants his head beheaded, right now!?”
“Sadewa Pasha, don't expect you to escape from Basundara Palace. We've surrounded you. Quickly surrender before we take you forcibly to the gallows!”
Meanwhile, Bayu Dewandaru with Commander Jalak Putih sitting casually near the palace field. They waited for the arrival of Sadewa Pasha and Anang with triumphant smiles.
“Dare once Sadewa, he was wrong to challenge people!” Bayu whispered to his father. “If my relationship with Ratih is destroyed, I cannot rise to the post so mahapatih.”
“True, Bayu. Letting Sadewa live is like opening your disgrace to the people in the palace. We can't do this. My plans can fail if your good name is ruined in the eyes of the higher-ups.”
Since Sadewa caught Bayu having sex with Ratih, Bayu began to develop a propaganda strategy that was fully supported by his father.
Two days before Sadewa's execution, Commander Jalak Putih gathered three higher-ups who he said could be bribed with various heirlooms and wealth. All three were prepared to incite King Maheswara as long as they were given an equal wage, ten gold pieces for one person.
One piece of gold is equivalent to one hundred pieces of silver. A piece of silver is worth a hundred pieces of bronze. In the territory of the Kingdom of Basundara, people usually took out twenty pieces of bronze for the needs of one month.
Just imagine, the ten pieces of gold given by Commander Jalak Putih can support their families for decades to come.
“Trivalling offer,” Reply Prabu Yudhapati. “Indeed, the risk of failure of this plan is as great as the wages you give. Agreed. We accept this cooperation!”
Prabu Yudhapati began to incite platoon leaders, one by one, ranging from empty platoons containing the best soldiers, to twelve platoons serving in the outer parts of the kingdom.
Each platoon leader was given ten pieces of bronze whenever they managed to bring three witnesses from the soldier's side. When twelve soldiers testified, the platoon leader was given forty pieces of bronze.
More or less, there were sixties who were ready to testify before King Maheswara. They simultaneously said that Sadewa Pasha had impregnated three village girls and two maharaja concubines.
Suddenly, the news spread throughout the country. Those who know how kind and loyal Sadewa Pasha can only cry. However, those who from the beginning did not like the closeness of Sadewa Pasha and Ratih, spread the story so that people from outside the kingdom knew how bad Sadewa Pasha was.
Propaganda continues for up to two weeks.
Commander Jalak Putih and Bayu Dewandaru teamed up with the whole platoon leader to make fabrication of false evidence. They use every means. In fact, they did not hesitate to kidnap a pregnant girl and kill her husband in order to be an absolute witness that Sadewa Pasha had impregnated the girl.
Commander Jalak Putih threatened the families of the girls concerned. She always took out a sword she wore when dealing with the girl's father and mother.
People call it, Jalak Coup, because of the rotten face of the commander in front of the common people.
Ratih who told Bayu who this provocateur of rottenness, can only smile. He thanked Bayu for getting rid of Sadewa Pasha, even participating in instigating King Maheswara to impose a hanging sentence for Sadewa and those who wanted to protect him.
King Maheswara could not bear to see his only princess crying every night. Moreover, he was given the mandate of his late wife, Ratu Rara Resapati, to take care of Ratih until he found a living dream that was in accordance with the criteria that had been outlined by generations.
“Today, he must be put to death! Prepare a hanging pole for two people. Sadewa Pasha and Anang must have conspired to hide this heinous thing.” King Maheswara makes an ultimatum so that all the soldiers move in search of the whereabouts of Anang and Sadewa Pasha.
Mahapatih Mayapada can only silently watch the coup process of Commander Jalak Putih. He realized that his current position was threatened. Giving advice to King Maheswara was also impossible. His opponent of propaganda was the son of his son.
Before the hanging began, Mahapatih Mayapada opened the illusionary niche. He actually possessed a mighty power equivalent to a dragon warrior, the strongest swordsman level in the world. However, mahapatih never showed it to the crowd.
...
“Anang, how is this? We're surrounded. We have no way out.”
Sadewa Pasha stood in front of the door that continued to be pounded by soldiers.
“Sadewa Pasha, come out! We give you one minute. Until you don't get out of the room, we don't hesitate to break into your room, then drag you in the position of hands and feet in chains. Your face we flattened with the ground so that people know how bad you are, inside and out!”
The spring!
A black circle appeared from behind the door.
Sadewa Pasha jumped to pick up the Kalachakra Sword she had hidden under the white blanket. Seeing that it was Mahapatih Mayapada, Sadewa Pasha directly dragged Anang's body into the illusionary recess.
The transfer of dimensions from one place to another takes a long time, while the purpose of Mahapatih Mayapada is to bring them both to a college located at the top of Mount Kabut.
Mahapatih Mayapada energy is drastically drained. He's vomiting blood. But he won't give up. Sadewa Pasha is the only person he hopes can save Basundara Palace from devious people like Commander Jalak Putih.
The soldiers standing outside were impatiently torturing Sadewa Pasha and Anang. They broke down the door to Sadewa's room. Three sword slashes were directly directed into the room, with no idea what was inside.
