The weather in the north was cooler and windier than the weather in Nta-tshua. Chinua and her two guards rode slowly down the faint path. Along the way, Chinua also looked out over the miles of wilderness, wondering why the land, despite being suitable, was left uninhabited.
"The two of you trained here for two years. Do you know why this land is uninhabited?" Chinua asked.
"People don't usually live here," Khunbish said. "They call it the badland."
"Badland? What do you mean?" Chinua pressed.
"People call it badland because the soil isn't suitable for farming," Khenbish explained. "That's why people either migrate north or south, below those mountains." He pointed to the mountains behind them.
Chinua saw a group of people approaching not far ahead. "Are there any bandits here?" she asked.
"I don't know now," Khunbish replied, "but when we were training, we didn't have any bandits. The reason is, it's hard to find water here."
Chinua took out her journal and began to write down what she had observed. She looked at the mountain and asked, "What's on the other side of that mountain?"
"I don't know," Khenbish admitted. "I've never been there."
"How long do you think it will take us to get from here to the other side of the mountain?" Chinua asked.
"It could take four to seven days," Khunbish estimated.
"Khenbish, remind me that we need to go and see what's on the other side of that mountain," Chinua said decisively. "I want to see it before we go back to Nta-tshua."
Khenbish nodded. "Yes, Chinua."
On the side of the road, they met a group of six young men who were having lunch. Chinua and her two bodyguards dismounted and walked their horses towards the group of young men. Sitting not far from the six, they also started taking out food. Chinua and her guards began to eat.
Not long after, another group of six young men arrived at the roadside to rest. It was clear that three of them were servants to the other three.
One of the first group sneered at the second group and muttered, "Hmph... If you're still a young master, or a noble with servants, it's better to stay at home." The group laughed.
One of the young masters in the second group lifted his teacup and looked at one of his servants. He quoted loudly, "Lightning is faster than thunder. That's why some people's true nature doesn't appear until they speak." He took a sip of tea. "This cup of tea is the same." He handed the cup to the servant.
Another young man in the first group shouted, "Hey, don't think that if you speak in metaphors, I don't understand what you mean!"
The young master stood up and sneered mockingly, "Oh... I'm sorry, my stupid comment offended you." He smiled at the other group of young men. "I was just commenting on the tea to my servant."
Not far from Chinua and her guards, a group of young soldiers approached them. A soldier asked, "What's going on?"
The young master greeted the lead soldier. "Nothing wrong... just some misunderstanding," he said with a dismissive wave.
The lead soldier said, "Let's resolve those misunderstandings now. Once you enter through the main gate, the training camp is no place for such disputes." He looked at the young master. "No servants are allowed to enter the training ground."
The young master smiled. "Oh, the servants will wait for me outside the barracks. If I pass the test, they'll return home. If I fail, I'll return home with them."
The leading soldier asked, "What's your name?"
The young master smiled. "Altan..." He looked at the leading soldier. "Altan Sed..."
"Sed."
Whispers spread among the onlookers.
"Sed... he must be related to Prince Dzhambul."
"I bet he is."
Timicin, who had been observing quietly, stepped forward. "So what?" he scoffed. "The soldiers of the Northern Army don't rely on titles; they rely on combat skills. Even if you're a distant cousin of King Batukhan, you won't receive special treatment."
Altan looked coldly at Timicin. "Speaking of special treatment, I believe you get more special treatment than any of us." He smirked at Timicin. "Son of King Batukhan's most trusted court official, and a distant nephew of General Batzorig."
"No matter what you say, I'm not ashamed of what I've got," Timicin said, raising his fists. "I won them with my fists."
Altan smirked. "I hope this is always true." He turned to his servants. "You camp here; you are not allowed to enter the camp."
The servants bowed. "Yes, Master."
Timicin looked at Altan's group and asked, "Are you also here to sign up?"
The man replied, "Yes."
Timicin looked at Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish and asked, "What about the three of you?"
"We're here to sign up for training too," Khenbish said.
Timicin approached, his gaze fixed on Chinua. He openly appraised her, looking her up and down. "You're too vulnerable," he scoffed. "I don't believe you'll make it past the first selection."
Chinua met Timicin's gaze calmly. "Even the softest river can drown a person," she said, her voice even. "What makes you think that this vulnerable person cannot out-best you?"
Timicin laughed, a harsh, dismissive sound. "Ha ha ha! You sound so girlish, no wonder you look so vulnerable. You're in the wrong place. A girly man like you should be holding a brush, not a sword or a bow." The men standing with Timicin chuckled, a few outright guffawing. "You might as well go home and save your mother's tears," Timicin added, twisting the knife.
Chinua looked at Timicin and the men surrounding him. "You haven't seen me with a sword or a bow with your own eyes," she stated, her voice quiet but firm. "How can you be sure that I don't know how to hold them?"
Timicin stepped closer to Chinua, his voice dropping to a sneering murmur, "Because you're weak..." He took a step back, his gaze lingering on her frame. "Because even if you have the height of a man, you will never be stronger than a man."
Khenbish snarled, taking a step forward. "Be careful with your mouth!"
Chinua, her voice cutting through Khenbish's anger, said, "Go and tell Batzorig that Chinua is here to see him."
Timicin's smile was thin, edged with malice. "Just call General Batzorig by name? And who do you think you are?"
"Tell him and he'll rush out to meet me," Chinua confidently replied.
Timicin's mockery deepened. "Did General Batzorig impregnate you?"
The men around him guffawed at Timicin's crude joke.
Chinua's gaze remained steady on Timicin. "A soldier who doesn't respect the commander-in-chief is not worthy of being a soldier," she stated, her voice quiet but carrying undeniable authority.
Timicin sneered, "You think you know me well..."
Chinua still stared at Timicin. "Don't underestimate me," she said, her voice chillingly calm. "I know more than I speak, I think more than I speak, and I pay more attention than you realize."
A sudden, blinding burst of anger seized Timicin. No one had ever talked to him this way. His fists clenched tightly, and he lunged, aiming a punch directly at Chinua's face. "You!"
Timicin's fist was caught mid-air by Khunbish, who, with lightning speed, had already delivered a powerful punch directly to Timicin's stomach. Khunbish pulled Timicin forward and slapped his forehead hard. The impact sent Timicin staggering back, stumbling into the five soldiers standing nearby. Timicin fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and grunting in pain.
Chinua walked over to Timicin, who was still on the ground, dazed and struggling to process what had just happened. "I open my mouth for many reasons... being disrespected by you is not one of them. Your rudeness only shows people how weak you are as a person." She looked at Altan, then back at Timicin, who managed to get to his feet with the help of his comrades. "Just because you're from high society doesn't mean you deserve respect. Respect is earned; not given."
Chinua started walking away from Timicin and the others, leading Khunbish and Khenbish toward the main training camp.
Altan looked at Timicin and mocked, "Well, at least my servant didn't knock you to the ground like his did." He smiled and walked towards the main training camp.
Timicin muttered angrily, "I will make this girly man's life a living hell!"
As soon as Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish arrived at the camp gate, General Batzorig was already waiting for them. General Batzorig walked up to Chinua. "I'm sorry, I couldn't meet you in the badlands. I'm not allowed to leave the base camp."
"It's alright," Chinua said.
"Come in, please," Batzorig invited.
Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish followed Batzorig into his private tent. Only once inside the tent, Batzorig knelt before Chinua. "I, Batzorig Buqu, greet Princess Chinua," he said, his voice respectful.
Chinua looked at Batzorig. "General Batzorig, please get up."
"Thank you, Princess Chinua." Batzorig stood. "I've received news that Princess Chinua would be bringing me a letter from King Batukhan."
Khunbish reached into his robe and handed Batzorig the letter written by King Batukhan. Batzorig read the letter, his eyes briefly meeting Chinua's. He folded the letter and carefully placed it back into the envelope. "Princess Chinua," he said, a note of skepticism in his voice, "although the content of this letter is accurate, I'm afraid Princess Chinua will not be able to withstand rigorous training."
"You haven't seen me train. Why do you think I can't withstand rigorous training?" Chinua challenged.
"Princess Chinua, once you enlist your name, I will treat you no differently from the soldiers you train with," Batzorig stated.
"I see, my Father said the same thing," Chinua said, meeting Batzorig's gaze. "I don't want to be treated any differently than you treat any soldier."
"Princess Chinua, you are the first woman in this camp full of men. I fear..." Batzorig began.
"General Batzorig," Chinua interrupted, "if orders are clear and soldiers disobey, then it is the fault of the soldiers. Political order can be sabotaged, but to disobey a military command is treason to the country they serve."
Batzorig listened intently to Chinua's words, and in them, he understood why King Batukhan had sent this princess to be a soldier. He sighed, his gaze softening as he looked at Chinua. "I no longer doubt why King Batukhan decided to send you here."
"It was I who asked Father for permission to send me here," Chinua clarified.
Batzorig looked at Khunbish and Khenbish. "You two know where to go. Take Chinua to register her name." He looked back at Chinua. "From now on, I'll call you Chinua. Once you write your name, you're no longer royal until training is complete. Do you have any questions?"
Chinua: "No..." She looked at Khunbish and Khenbish. "Take me to register my name."
Batzorig watched as Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish left his tent. He sighed, a faint smile on his lips. "Princess Chinua, King Batukhan would be so proud of you, if you were a prince."