The Musafir

World Affairs in Contact with World Affairs

MANTINGAN also asked them to remain in his room until the port state was safe again.

Kina might indeed be able to directly obey without wondering about it, but it was different from Kana who was unable to hold herself in ignorance.

“What really happened, Kakanda? My brother just asked us to stay here without telling him why. Even Kaka Sasmita's questions were not answered by Kakanda.”

Thanks to Kana's question, his sister also looked at Mantingan with a full face of questions.

The mantel rubs his face. He felt annoyed at Kana despite not being able to blame her at all!

“I only get a hunch that is not too good, so I ask you to stay here.”

“Must be!” Kana strongly denied. “I heard clearly the clanging of reeds and gongs sounded many times. It was clearly a sign of great danger. It was impossible if they also felt the bad premonition that you felt anyway, and it was extremely unlikely that they sounded the warning based only on a premonition!”

Mantingan looked at Kana with a lazy look. He must admit that the child is using his thinking skills well, but not in a timely manner. The mantingan wants to blame the child, because his sensitivity in thinking is really needed in the future.

So Mantingan was forced to send a whisper of wind to Cana and explain his situation and hope that the child was not frightened. His actions that of course resulted in Kina looking at him suspiciously.

However, when using the Science of Whispering the Wind, one would keep his mouth open and as if he were speaking. However, his voice was completely unheard. That was what made Kina suspicious, because Mantingan moved her lips without any sound coming out at all.

Kina's suspicion grew when Kana no longer made a sound and nodded her head many times as if she had understood something. This time, it was Kina who was unable to hold back her question.

“Kak Maman must have known something, and Kakanda Kana knew it too. But why hasn't Kina?”

At that instant, Mantingan's head felt very dizzy. Like being stabbed by a thousand diamond-edged swords. However Mantingan heaved a sigh of relief after the Northern River Angel answered Kina's question.

“Kina, we still do not know very well what kind of danger is threatening. Maybe that is the reason why Kak Maman still can not answer it. Isn't there only a lie?”

Kina was silent for a while to think, before finally nodding slowly. He also understood that it was best not to know about the danger despite being curious though, because the child understands that the fear of knowing what is happening is far worse than the curiosity.

The mantan nodded his head as if agreeing to what the Northern River Angel said. Maybe this cannot be said to be a fraud, because none of them in the room saw what dangers the enemy brought.

There are so many tactics in an attack, which can only be guessed and predicted by the party attacked.

In circumstances like those that happened back then, it might just happen—where the enemy has a tactic behind the attack, or even a ploy behind the stratagem hiding behind the attack.

No matter what happens later, Mantingan must remain in a state of alertness to all possibilities.

Mantingan again sat on his bench which shifted to the back of the window. From behind the fluttering window curtains, he could still see warriors dressed in all white passing by in a flashing manner.

Under him, the civilians moved to evacuate. Either walking or running; everything is done quickly.

From the attitude of the bastards, Mantingan can guess that things like this have happened often. It is not surprising that a port owned by a silat college always faces attacks from time to time.

Mantingan then remembered the speech of Kiai Guru Kedai which was related to the question:

“In many times, the martial world is so far apart from the world of laymen. So that all events that occur in the martial world, including murder that always happens, do not enter into the realm of royal law.”

That is if the government has given flexibility for people in the martial world to take care of their own affairs. But of course, the government will not stand idly by if the affairs of the martial world are very detrimental to the lives of ordinary people.

However, in many cases, the government always meddles in affairs in the underground network of the martial world. The reason was already very clear, the network was extremely dangerous for them.

However, the underground network always moves full of secrecy, prudence, and hiddenness. Thus, the network cannot be completely destroyed let alone eliminated even by the kingdom.

All they could do was meddle in the affairs of the network, so that everything was still in royal control.

Even the kingdom put some of its spies into underground networks, which were often spies that sent it into a double-edged blade.

Mantingan also understood that the underground network was sprinkled with a thick fog that was difficult to see. If someone has made it through the thick fog, it is because the fog itself cannot find a way back.

The teacher once said:

“If one day you join the underground network, then I cannot help you at all. But if it really happens, then always remember the teachings of goodness that I have given you.

“For humans are diverse in nature, not all humans are evil and not all humans are good. Similarly, the underground network, not all groups in it are good and not all groups in it are evil.”

Manten exhaled a long breath when he again remembered the advice of Kiai Guru Kedai which he next said:

“Then from that, I advise you not to be late in finding a woman to be your wife. Don't get married too late. Because your partner is the one who can take care of you the most.”

Mantingan's view then turned to the North River Angel who was telling a fairy tale to Cana and Kina. Comfortable bobble under a thick blanket. Smiling displays a row of white teeth.

But that look was only a moment. In the end, the Mantingan could only shake slowly. The reality is bitter.

Suppose Kiai Guru Kedai is here now, Mantingan will immediately find it with a thousand questions about the essence of love.

How does true love feel? What is the perfect form of love? Why is love considered so taboo in the martial world? And why would a warrior like himself be able to feel the unworthy love a warrior feels?

But that is the destiny of a human being. Each question is not always answered immediately. And that's how every human being's life journey is actually just to find the answer to a question that demands to be dismantled.