Chapter 8

Berikut terjemahan Bab 8 ke dalam b

"Wow… this tastes amazing!"

"I honestly can't remember the last time we had cake."

Right now, Aslan, Amanda, and Ishak were strolling through the village market. They had just bought some pastries after picking out new clothes.

"Really? I'm glad you like them," Aslan said with a warm smile, watching Amanda and Ishak devour the treats with pure joy.

"Thank you," Amanda said softly, a bit shy.

It was hard to believe she was the same girl who, just ten minutes earlier, had protested when Aslan wanted to buy her a dress—telling him they should save money instead.

"Are you sure this is okay? We've already spent so much… It'd be better to use the money for rice," Amanda said as she tugged at Aslan's sleeve.

"I told you not to worry. I want today to be the best day you've ever had," Aslan replied with a bright grin. Amanda fell silent. She didn't really know how to respond.

They walked around the market some more, and Aslan bought everything Ishak pointed at. Even when Amanda tried to stop him, Aslan insisted. They bought fruit, toys, sandals, candy, and all sorts of snacks.

"Hey! Can we get to know each other? I've never seen you around here," said a girl out of nowhere.

Moments later, more girls showed up and gathered around them. Amanda, noticing this, instantly looked annoyed. Without thinking, she grabbed Aslan's arm and pulled him away.

Once they'd walked far enough, Aslan spoke up.

"Amanda, you're squeezing my arm a little too hard."

"Oh—sorry! I didn't mean to," Amanda said, her face turning red.

"Brother! Look at that wooden statue! It's so cool!" Ishak shouted excitedly. It was a carving of a knight holding a long sword in front of him.

"Haha, you're right. That's actually a statue of one of the ten strongest people in the world—Alam, the magic sword knight," said the shopkeeper nearby.

"Alam?" Ishak asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, Alam. He's my hero."

Alam was the first—and only—commoner to ever rise to the ranks of the world's strongest.

When he was a kid, his parents were killed for failing to pay their debts, and he was sold into slavery. A merchant, who was a low-ranking noble, bought him.

His life was pure misery. He was treated worse than an animal. Sometimes he wasn't even fed, but still forced to work nonstop. He was punished often, even when he did nothing wrong.

Every day was filled with suffering. Maybe death would've been kinder. But secretly, Alam taught himself how to use Tors energy. As he grew stronger, he eventually destroyed the noble family that enslaved him and took all their wealth.

With that, he built his own trading company. He often helped the poor, and many people joined him in his business out of gratitude.

Using a few low-grade spells he had stolen, Alam created a technique of his own: the Magic Sword. At first, everyone laughed at it, saying it was inefficient. But with that very technique, he rose to become one of the strongest warriors in the world.

One of his closest friends, a king, even gave his own sister to Alam in marriage.

But like many legends before him, Alam eventually vanished. No one knows where he went. Only his story lives on.

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Ishak exclaimed, wide-eyed after hearing the tale.

But unlike Ishak, Aslan looked somber. It was a popular story, well-known among the people. Beyond the inspiring message of a weak slave becoming a great man, it always hit close to home for Aslan—because it reminded him of someone.

It was a story his uncle used to tell him when he was little. And as the shopkeeper spoke, memories of his uncle—the one person who was always there for him—flooded his mind.

"Aslan… are you okay?" Amanda asked, noticing his gloomy expression.

"Huh? Oh… it's nothing. We should head back. It's getting late," Aslan replied.

---

"Dinner's ready! Come eat," Amanda called out, carrying a bowl of rice. Ishak followed behind with the plates and side dishes.

"You guys go ahead. I'll join you soon," Aslan said, sitting against a tree, eyes fixed on the stars above.

"You've been out of it since we came back from the market," Amanda said, sitting beside him.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about me," Aslan muttered.

"Come on, talk to me. If something's bothering you, maybe I can help. You know… to us, you're already like family," Amanda said gently.

Aslan let out a long sigh. "I miss my family."

"Then… why don't you go back to them?" Amanda asked.

"That's the problem. I don't know where they are. We got separated when I was just a kid. I don't even know where to start looking. I'm confused. And to be honest… just like you said, I already see you two as family. I don't want to leave… but I also can't stop thinking about finding them."

Amanda leaned her head on Aslan's shoulder. Her heart ached for him. She imagined how long he had been wandering on his own, how much pain and loneliness he must've endured.

"Why are you so torn? Even if you don't know where your real family is… you do know the way back here. We'll always be here for you. No matter when or why you come back, we'll welcome you home. Anytime," Amanda said softly.

Then she paused… and looked into his eyes.

"To be honest… I think I like you," Amanda whispered.

Aslan froze. Slowly, he turned to look at her.

Under the starlit sky and the gentle glow of the moon, their eyes met. Their faces drew closer. Just as their lips were about to touch, a voice suddenly shouted from inside the hut.

"Sis! What's taking so long?! I'm starving!"

Startled, they quickly pulled away from each other.

"Sorry… I got carried away," Aslan said, his face flushed.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I started it," Amanda replied, cheeks just as red.

"What were you guys talking about? Why are you taking so long?" Ishak asked as he stepped outside, confused.

"Oh—nothing! Let's go in. The wind's getting cold," Aslan said, walking back toward the hut. Amanda and Ishak followed behind.

To be continued…