Recovery

"You don't need to defend him, Mandana. All the witnesses and evidence point to that young man. What else do you have to refute?"

Senopati Ranggalawe had taken Arya Mandana to his tent to receive his report on the current situation, including the report about his intention to take the loot on the Mongol ship.

Of course, Arya Mandana denied it all, and Ranggalawe finally asked for further explanation. However, Arya Mandana insisted on freeing Jagat Wengi.

Earlier, Arya Mandana had obtained a lot of information from Jagat Wengi.

"He repeatedly saved my life, Senopati. What should I say to my ancestors if I can't repay this debt of gratitude?"

"Don't go overboard. What about the eldest disciple of Ki Rapala? Have you also considered him, Mandana?"

"But that's a matter of school rivalry, Senopati. Jagat told me that it's all the doing of Posion Kala."

"Posion Kala?"

Ranggalawe didn't respond immediately. After all, Arya Mandana was his most trusted officer. Ideally, he should have the same trust in Jagat Wengi.

Especially since Arya Mandana had successfully infiltrated the ship and overheard Shi Bi's orders to the commanding officer for their next move.

A move to disrupt security with the aim of causing distress to the public. And Jagat Wengi, along with Arya Mandana at the time, even saved him from the bomb explosion. Without that, Ranggalawe wouldn't have received this valuable information.

"The person named Ulagan, does Jagat know him?" Ranggalawe asked.

"It seems so. Jagat knew him before I eavesdropped on the Mongols' conversation."

"Alright. I will speak directly with Ki Rapala. Prove Jagat's innocence. And track down that Mongol commander in the forests throughout Tuban."

"Not in Tuban, Senopati."

"What do you mean?"

"He is in Kediri with Wirahasa and one of the Panewu, named Panggito."

"Panggito? Sabrang Panuluh's trusted man?"

"Yes, Senopati."

Once again, Arya Mandana informed Ranggalawe that this information came from Jagat. Ranggalawe felt overwhelmed by Jagat's services compared to a single crime accused against him.

"This is my command to you, Mandana. Track down Ulagan in the forests of Kediri immediately. Look for him in the surrounding villages. I doubt he will return to the palace since we have taken control of it. Choose your best men. This is Operation Telik Sandi. I want Ulagan captured alive."

"Understood, Senopati."

"I will return to Trowulan. In seven days, Raden Wijaya will be inaugurated as the king of Majapahit. The new kingdom has already been established in this land of Java. I don't want any unrest."

Without waiting for a response from Arya Mandana, Ranggalawe exited his tent, followed by his aide who promptly followed him from behind.

Shortly after, Gagak Tantara, Arya Mandana's trusted Bekel, entered the tent and was immediately given orders.

"Gather your best soldiers and release Jagat Wengi."

"Understood, I will carry it out!"

As a subordinate soldier, Tantra couldn't refuse, but he was hindered by something as his foot was halfway out of the tent.

"But Sir, Jagat is being held by them. There is..."

Tantra hesitated to mention that there was a fellow Bekel present. He certainly didn't want any conflict after this battle. Perhaps as a superior, Arya Mandana could directly give orders to his fellow Bekel.

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Jagat Wengi was tied to a tree with a large, sturdy rope. His condition was truly pitiful, with disheveled hair and flies buzzing around his body.

"Soldiers! Release him!"

Arya Mandana gave the order to the two guarding soldiers. The food on their plates spilled and scattered as they were startled by the arrival of their leader accompanied by shouts.

"Lord Arya! By whose orders do you speak like that?" Tantra fellow Bekel asked in an unpleasant tone.

Arya Mandana himself didn't care about that question, although he saw that the two soldiers became uncertain about the orders given to them.

Tantra then took the initiative to carry out the orders of his own leader without paying attention to the sharp gaze of his approaching companion.

*Thud!

A small pebble was thrown and hit the knee of the Bekel, causing his leg to immediately limp. Enduring unimaginable pain, the result of Arya Mandana's attack on him.

"You are audacious to question my orders. Who do you think you are?"

*Slap!

The two soldiers who witnessed the incident immediately rushed to assist Tantra in removing the ropes that bound Jagat Wengi. After being freed from the restraints, the two soldiers escorted him and paused briefly beside Arya Mandana, who still seethed with anger towards the disrespectful Bekel.

The Bekel couldn't do much to fight back. In terms of combat ability and fighting, he was completely inferior. All he could do was sit and watch the back of Arya Mandana, who had turned away from him.

Arya Mandana took Jagat Wengi to the field medic who was still inside his tent. His plan was to return to Trowulan this afternoon with Ranggalawe's entourage.

"This requires immediate treatment. But I don't have much time, Lord Mandana. However, you can take this young man to my acquaintance in Tuban."

"Very well, Physician."

"But... he used to be a physician under Jayakatwang, Lord Mandana. If this young man could walk a longer distance, I could direct him to another physician. But Ki Wardiman is the closest from here."

"It's worth a try, Ki," replied Arya Mandana.

As Tantra was about to assist Jagat Wengi in standing up, Arya Mandana waved his hand and said, "Just do your task. We'll meet at the physician's house."

As the physician mentioned earlier, Jagat Wengi had suffered significant internal injuries. It seemed that he had been involved in many battles before coming to the battlefield in Tuban.

The temporary energy boost provided by Ranggalawe earlier was only temporary. Moreover, his spirit was shaken. It was something that the physician couldn't cure unless Jagat Wengi himself sought treatment.

Arya Mandana remembered all the information provided by the physician and immediately took Jagat Wengi to the physician's friend's house. It was located quite far from Tuban Harbor, and it was only when the sun was leaning towards the west that Arya Mandana found the house, which was situated on top of a hill with a very spacious yard.

Armed with the directions given by the physician, Arya Mandana supported Jagat Wengi, who had been silent all this time.

"Why are you staying silent, Jagat? Your eyes are open, but your mouth is sealed. What's wrong?"

They had passed through the unfenced yard when a young girl appeared from the side of the house, carrying a tray of rice. She quickly brushed her hair aside, which fell on her shoulder, to cover the front of her chest.

"Excuse me, young girl, is this Physician Wardiman's house?"

"Yes, sir, but my grandfather hasn't been a physician for a long time."

"I see. But is Ki Wardiman here?"

The young girl shook her head softly and answered that her grandfather was in the neighboring village.

She then continued her work of sifting rice in the tray, occasionally glancing towards the two guests.

Arya Mandana was intrigued by the long wooden pavilion next to the house and asked for permission from the girl to wait there.

Jagat Wengi immediately lay down as soon as they arrived at the wooden pavilion. Arya Mandana approached the girl again and requested a basin filled with water and a cloth.

The physician had previously cleaned the wounds scattered across Jagat Wengi's body. Arya Mandana just wanted to make sure that everything was in order.

"Everyone has a past, Jagat. And I don't care about your past. What matters to me is what you're doing now. Strengthen yourself. Heal. We still need to find evidence that proves your innocence."

Jagat Wengi responded to the words by turning his face slowly towards Arya Mandana. He then took the cloth from Arya Mandana's hand and began to wash himself.

He slowly rose and observed the serene surroundings of the house, shaded by a large tree.

The sky in the west had turned reddish, mixed with a golden-yellow hue. Darkness was setting in again, and it felt like just yesterday he had narrowly escaped death multiple times.

He pondered over everything he had heard during his temporary silence. The Poison Kala school was close to the rulers of Kediri. They must have relocated their headquarters after learning that the Kediri palace had been taken over by Majapahit.

There was still time to find them and capture the disciple who had killed Sangkih, the eldest disciple of the Poison Kala school.

He was reluctant to speak now because he himself had many questions. His life and future seemed bleak after the Mongols were expelled from the land of Java.

Now the power dynamics had changed. All the schools would determine their stance, whether they were from the white or black faction. The tasks previously undertaken by the rulers would come to a halt.

Child kidnappings? Book thefts? The plans of Wirahasa, Panggito? Where were they after Majapahit took over?

If Raden Wijaya was a son-in-law of Kertanegara, the king of Singosari who was killed by Jayakatwang of Kediri, then Majapahit could be considered the successor of Singosari.

Different names, but the same goals.

Moreover, Raden Wijaya immediately married four daughters of Kertanegara. And all the ministers were former ministers of Singosari as well.

And...

This physician's house? It was uncertain whether they supported Majapahit. They might be expelled when the soldiers arrived.

The barrage of questions in his mind continued as a horse and its rider arrived in the front yard.

Arya Mandana stood up to greet them, and from his appearance with the whitish-black beard, it was clear that this person was Ki Wardiman. A young girl who called him grandfather immediately came and took the bundle of cloth from his hand.

His face seemed friendly, but his gaze was slightly suspicious towards the imposing man approaching him.

Jagat Wengi wasn't yet strong enough to stand. His ribs and knee joints throbbed with pain.

"Who are you?" Ki Wardiman asked sharply, glancing towards Jagat Wengi.

"We're from Majapahit, just arrived from Tuban. My friend is unwell, Ki. Please help him recover."

"So, you're the ones who attacked the Kediri palace. Leave now. I won't harbor enemies of my king."

"But Ki..."

Ki Wardiman turned away immediately and tightly locked the doors of his house. A difficult choice once again stormed through Arya Mandana's mind.

He had to fulfill Ranggalawe's orders now before the Mongol fugitives became even more untraceable. But Jagat Wengi also needed to recover quickly to search for evidence in the Poison Kala school.

What should they do?