The journey to the eastern part of the Kingdom of Eses took almost three hours. At last, Rihisna arrived at a small village with no more than five houses. The day was nearing dusk, and she needed to find a place to stay for the night. Without wasting time, Rihisna approached one of the villagers and asked about a man named Irsuf.
According to the villager, Irsuf lived at the far end of the village, on top of a hill. To get there, Rihisna had to climb a rather steep hill. From a distance, the hill appeared to be covered in icy liquid. Without delay, Rihisna began climbing. He estimated that he would arrive after sunset.
"Oh, I can see his house now," Rihisna whispered excitedly.
The house was circular in shape, built from grey bricks, with a cone-shaped roof made from leaves gathered around the hill. It had only two windows and a wooden door carved with leaf patterns. Rihisna also noticed a man setting up a campfire for dinner. In his mind, that man must be Master Irsuf, as mentioned by Madam Rina.
Rihisna tried to approach the man and sat in front of him. He introduced himself, but there was no response. He then asked whether he was Master Irsuf whom the villagers had spoken of. Suddenly, the man stood up and ordered Rihisna to leave, saying that he was no longer interested in teaching anyone.
"Oh, playing rough, huh?" Rihisna said as he summoned his sword.
"Fine then… try this!" Rihisna drew his sword and slashed from a distance.
A powerful gust of wind formed and shot forward, aiming to slice the man in two. The man noticed and leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the wind blade.
"Again!" Rihisna shouted enthusiastically.
This time, he unleashed three consecutive wind slashes at him.
"Oh, so you want to play with me?" the man muttered excitedly.
"Wind barrier!" In an instant, the man created a shield-like form and rushed toward Rihisna at incredible speed.
"What?! A barrier!" Rihisna panicked and blocked with his sword.
"Hehehe… how's that?" the man mocked.
"Heh… not yet!" Rihisna lunged forward, then leapt backward.
He assumed a stabbing stance. The wind around his grew fiercer, gathering along the blade of his sword and forming a swirling vortex.
"Alright…" Rihisna dashed forward at high speed, thrusting the sword with a tornado-like strike.
"Oh… the Tornado Sword technique… not bad," the man praised.
"If that's the case…" Wind suddenly surged into the man's legs and…
In a flash, Rihisna's sword was sent flying into the air, instantly canceling his technique. He was shocked by what had happened. Rihisna felt a movement so fast it was like the wind itself was propelling it, as if someone were moving within the flow of air.
"Wow! Amazing! Please take me as your disciple!" Rihisna shouted excitedly.
"Hmph… better go home. I'm not taking any disciples anymore," the man replied sarcastically.
"Oh, wait… I have a letter from Madam Rina," Rihisna said, taking out a letter written by Rina in case Master Irsuf was still stubborn about accepting a disciple.
"What? Rina?" Irsuf took the letter from Rihisna and read it.
Isruf, how have you been? It's been a long time since we met. Are you still too arrogant to take a disciple? You'd better put that aside, because this kid is a companion of the Princess of the Kingdom of Ipa. Before I freeze you solid, you'd better accept him!
Sincerely,
Rina, your long-missing friend…
"Ugh… looks like I have no choice," Isruf sighed deeply.
"Hey, kid! Come inside, it's already night," Isruf called to Rihisna.
"Huh? So… Master Isruf, will you accept me as your disciple?" Rihisna asked.
"Yes… but don't think I'll go easy on you," Isruf replied seriously, releasing a terrifying aura of wind iktas.
"Gulp… alright!" Rihisna swallowed hard and followed Isruf into his home.
The house's distinctive feature was its circular interior divided into two sections. The front was the living area, with a large cloth separating it from the sleeping space. At the back was the kitchen, filled with grains and spices for cooking. Rihisna looked around, searching for the bathroom.
"Looking for the bathroom? It's outside," Isruf said, guessing correctly.
"Oh… it's outside?" Rihisna replied, surprised.
"You see that wooden door? Open it and walk a few meters," Isruf instructed while preparing dinner.
"Alright, thank you," Rihisna replied and hurried off.
"Hm… this kid's polite," Isruf thought to himself.
After eating, only then did they begin to talk. During the meal, they had eaten in silence, as Rihisna was extremely hungry he had not eaten anything since he started climbing the hill.
"Finished…?" Isruf asked.
"Yes," Rihisna replied, taking a sip of the drink provided.
"Alright. My name is Isruf Sufri. I was once a general and a master in the Kingdom of Eses," Isruf explained.
"Wow… Master Isruf was a general too, just like Madam Rina," Rihisna said in admiration.
"Yes, but I was a general of this kingdom, while Rina served the Kingdom of Ipa," Isruf clarified.
"As you know, I'll be taking you as my disciple, so—"
"My name is Rihisna Irsina, a traveler together with Noriala Irmina. My purpose in coming here is to learn iktas and master its use," Rihisna said eagerly, introducing himself before Isruf could finish.
"Wow… you're full of spirit. That's good," Isruf praised with a smile.
Rihisna smiled back enthusiastically, happy to have been chosen as Isruf's disciple.
"Don't get too happy. I only chose you because of this letter. Otherwise, I would've kicked you out long ago," Isruf sneered, holding up Rina's letter.
"Oh, really? So what did Madam Rina write?" Rihisna asked excitedly.
"Hmph… you don't need to know. This is adult business," Isruf replied with a sigh.
"So it's true what Madam Rina said—that you'd agree if I gave you the letter," Rihisna said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean by that?" Isruf asked.
"Well, Madam Rina said you'd follow her instructions if it was her who spoke to you," Rihisna replied, rubbing his chin.
"Tch… you think I'm doing this because of her words?"
"Well… maybe Madam Rina is stronger than you?"
"Hahaha… Rina stronger? Nonsense!"
"Is it wrong? If she wasn't strong, how could she become the teacher of the Empress of the Kingdom of Ipa?"
"Huh… you know that?"
"Yes. Noriala told me. Why?"
"It's nothing… go get some sleep," Isruf said, clearing the dishes.
"You can sleep in the resting area. I have something else to do," he added.
"Alright, thank you, Master!" Rihisna said, yawning as he lay down.
"Hm… you fell asleep so easily. Must be tired."
"I'm scared of Rina… tch."
"But he's right… if she gets angry, she could freeze me solid."
Isruf recalled their first meeting during a conference between the Kingdom of Ipa and the Kingdom of Eses. He had nearly been frozen entirely.
"Hmph… Rina, my friend, I miss you too," Isruf murmured while gazing at the stars through the window.
That night, the hill was beautifully draped under a sky full of stars. Rihisna had successfully persuaded Isruf. It seemed that from this day onward, he would begin a new chapter with his new master, after a long time since his first teacher had passed away.