Four years faded like a breath for Ramdan's adult soul, yet etched eternally within his toddler body, now a full seven years old. Beneath Nuswantara's perpetually orange sky, the Segara Residence found a new pulse, a strange yet robust rhythm. The house, once ravaged by the utter failure of Ramdan's romantic ambitions, now stood towering, rebuilt through magical gotong royong and largely funded by royal gulden cleverly negotiated by Sinta.
Mornings crawled across the backyard, no longer merely a playground, but a private dojo for two budding warriors. On one side, Rian, the eleven-year-old, moved with the lithe grace of a shadow. His slender yet tough body flickered through the air, parrying the sharp wind blades unleashed by Ranjana. Every movement from his uncle was a precisely deadly lesson.
"Focus, Rian! The wind won't wait for its enemy to be ready!" Ranjana shouted, his robes billowing as he leaped back. "Feel its flow, don't just fight it! Become the storm itself!"
"Right, Uncle!" Rian gasped, his breath ragged. A short sword materialized from the agate gem on his wrist, barely parrying the next wind attack. Training as Sang Hyang Widi Maruta's successor was far more brutal than he'd imagined.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the yard, the atmosphere was calmer, yet no less intense. Ramdan sat cross-legged before Sinta, his mother. Between them, a drop of water the size of a fist hovered.
"Don't force it, Ramdan. Feel the mana within you flow gently," Sinta advised, her voice patient.
Sinta was a great teacher, but her water attribute clashed with her son's fire.
"You can already control fire for small things, but the basis of all magic is control. Now, try to turn this water into steam, slowly."
Ramdan furrowed his brow, concentrating. He directed his warm fire mana toward the water droplet. But instead of slowly evaporating, the water boiled wildly, then burst, drenching his face.
PLAK! A loving pinch landed on his cheek.
"Ouch, sorry Mom!" Ramdan immediately apologized.
"I told you, don't rush!" Sinta scolded, though a thin smile played on her lips.
She sighed. "Ranjana, it seems we can't delay it anymore. Fire and water are hard to combine. He needs a true teacher."
Ranjana stopped his training and approached.
"You're right. I'll try to find information about a reliable fire mage willing to teach a genius kid."
Ramdan could only resign himself. Deep down, he knew who the teacher he needed was, according to the original novel's plot. The problem was, meeting them was a destiny he might not be able to repeat.
Amidst this unique family dynamic, Rian and Ramdan forged an odd friendship. They often exchanged taunts—Rian would call Ramdan a 'crybaby,' and Ramdan would retort with incomprehensible babble that somehow always managed to annoy Rian. But beneath it, a genuine bond lay hidden. Rian often secretly left the sweetest fruits from the forest for Ramdan, and Ramdan, with his [Audit Eye], sometimes gave him vague hints to overcome Ranjana's tough training.
"You need to rely more on agility than strength, Rian," Ramdan mumbled one afternoon, as if talking to himself, but loud enough for Rian to hear.
Rian just snorted haughtily, but the next day, he managed to avoid Ranjana's attacks better.
Their relative peace was also observed from afar. Two 'new neighbors'—elite royal guards in disguise—had built a house next to Ranjana's residence, purposely close to easily monitor Prince Rian. They were a man and woman named Banyu and Arumi, who always acted stiff and formal. However, Ramdan's keen QC eye caught an 'abnormality'.
One dusk, while Ramdan was training alone, he caught sight of them through a bedroom window they'd forgotten to lock. There was no vigilant gaze or alert posture. Instead, Banyu, usually grim-faced, looked awkward as he pinned a wild flower into Arumi's hair, her cheeks flushed. Arumi responded with an intimate kiss. Manly, Banyu returned the kiss, holding Arumi's chin and guiding her towards the bed.
"Wow, live 18+!" Ramdan's adult soul surged.
Dingg!![Congratulations! You have discovered a hidden romance side quest. Title: Guards Are Human Too. [Help them get married!] Warning! Do not peek and watch adult scenes, there will be consequences!]
"Adult? I'm already 30, huh!?" Ramdan grumbled, grinning.
He immediately turned around, running towards Rian and Melati who were watering plants.
"Rian! Big Sis Melati!" he chirped, pointing towards the open neighbor's window.
"What is it, Ramdan?" Melati asked softly.
Rian, curious, followed Ramdan's pointing finger. With the stealth skills Ranjana had taught him, the three of them crawled behind the bushes. The scene before them made Rian and Melati gape. Banyu and Arumi, two of the fiercest guards they had ever seen, were exchanging tender affection.
"I... I love you," Banyu whispered, stroking Arumi's slightly disheveled hair.
"I love you too," Arumi replied, her voice softening. "Tonight, I'll cook your favorite food."
Melati's cheeks flushed seeing the scene, while Rian gawked. Ramdan, the instigator, felt immensely satisfied.
However…
"Crack!!"
Ramdan accidentally stepped on a wooden twig. The couple jolted, realizing three pairs of eyes were peeking. They were shocked, especially embarrassed to be caught by the prince. And the peepers immediately scattered.
"No! Oh my god what did I just see, Ramdan you went too far!" Melati was deeply embarrassed, running with her eyes covered and face red.
"Hosh... hoshh I can't believe it... all this time they've had a relationship... should I report to Father at the palace?" Rian panted, exhausted.
"Hey... hey stop Rian, haven't you ever fallen in love? Just bless them, help them get together, trust this Romeo's instinct," Ramdan boasted about his experience.
"You're only 7, what experience!?" Rian and Melati spoke in unison, looking at him incredulously.
Banyu and Arumi quickly followed them. But Ranjana and Sinta came out of the house, bewildered by Melati's scream. Rian explained what happened. Sinta was furious about Ramdan and his fellow peepers' behavior. Everyone got their ears pinched, including the prince.
"Enough, enough, Mom. They probably saw it by accident. And you two, Banyu and Arumi, don't hang your heads in shame. It's natural for love to grow when you're often together and alone. I've known about this for a while..." Ranjana defended.
"Oh, really. The children might have seen it accidentally. But you did it on purpose?? Huh?! Mantra! Seruni Ice!" Sinta raged at her husband and unleashed ice magic.
"Arghh help... Kids!" Ranjana instantly froze solid from a small blast of ice light that shot from Sinta's magic book.
Dingg!![Level reduction because you watched an adult scene, you have dropped to level 5 from level 6!!]
"No, why am I the only one you punish, system?!" Ramdan grumbled.
[Please reflect, ask yourself who caused this problem, you anomalous being!]
The incident ended with an impromptu deliberation on the terrace, with Ranjana, still half-frozen, acting as mediator. At his suggestion, Banyu and Arumi agreed to formalize their relationship. Ranjana promised to arrange permission with the King, who turned out to be his old colleague from a warrior guild.
A few days later, after Ranjana's ice statue finally melted completely, he gathered the two boys one morning.
"The time has come," Ranjana said one morning with a serious tone, interrupting their breakfast. "You two will embark on your first hunt. Your mission: bring back three Siluman Kelinci from Taruma Forest."
Rian immediately straightened up, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Ready, Uncle!"
Ramdan sighed inwardly.
"Finally, the first hunting quest. Hope the EXP is worth the effort."
Ranjana equipped them with a simple map and some provisions.
"This isn't just about strength, but teamwork. Rian, you are the sword. Ramdan, you are the eye. Protect each other."
Entering Taruma Forest, the atmosphere immediately changed. The orange light from the sky dimmed, filtered by the canopy of giant trees. The air felt damp and filled with strange sounds.
"Stay alert," Rian whispered, his sword already in hand.
Ramdan activated his passive skill.
"[Audit Eye]!"
His vision filled with data. Faint footprints and mana flows were clearly visible.
Analysis: Siluman Kelinci. Weaknesses: sensitive hearing, dislikes sudden bright light.
"That way," Ramdan chirped, pointing to a hidden path.
They found three red-eyed rabbits in a small clearing. Based on Ramdan's data, they formulated a plan. Ramdan used his fire magic to create a blinding circle of bright light and a hissing sound that tormented the siluman's hearing. As they panicked, Rian darted in and incapacitated all three with precise strikes to their napes.
However, just as they were about to celebrate, the ground trembled. A giant Raja Kelinci appeared, roaring in anger. Rian deftly dodged, but the creature's force sent him flying.
"Big Bro Rian!" Ramdan shouted.
(To be continued…)