Bab 18: 18. Ethereal White Palace

Sovereign's Mainland – Crown Capital Special Region

Nusantara Kingdom is a vast archipelago, with green islands stretching from east to west, showcasing towering mountains, lush forests, and deep valleys. Sovereign's Mainland, the largest and most densely populated island, serves as the nation's seat of power.

At its heart lies the Crown Capital Special Region, where the majestic Ethereal White Palace stands, blending classical all-white architecture with ancient designs inspired by royal palaces of the past, filled with sacred stone temples, statues, and royal baths.

It was a serene morning in one of the palace gardens. By the lake filled with white lotus blossoms, a young man with shoulder-length black wavy hair played a violin. His eyes were closed, lost in the melody, when—

Bump!

"Ouch, my back!"

"Casildo?!"

The young man, Prince Arkana, jumped in shock. He turned to see his friend Casildo, who had fallen through a bright white portal that suddenly appeared mid-air, landing on a magnolia tree. The tree collapsed from the impact, sending Casildo crashing to the ground.

Cursing, Casildo spit out reeds and flower petals, "My life's cursed to have a friend as awful as you!" He glared up at the sky in frustration.

At that moment, several soldiers rushed in, surrounding Casildo with their weapons raised.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" one of the soldiers asked, pointing his rifle at Casildo.

"I'm fine! He's my friend. Go back to your posts!" Prince Arkana ordered.

Casildo crossed his arms, still annoyed. "I've been here so many times, and they still don't recognize me! How embarrassing—ambushed in my friend's garden!"

The soldiers exchanged hesitant glances, some seeming to recognize him but still unsure.

"Didn't you hear me?!" Prince Arkana snapped, irritated.

The soldiers bowed and quickly retreated, leaving the scene.

As the prince approached, the portal reappeared, revealing the nameless young man descending smoothly with an unconscious Kairav on his back.

"This bastard finally shows up!" Casildo huffed, glaring. "Prince Arkana, blame him for ruining your garden!"

The nameless young man, with his usual stoic expression, lowered Kairav to the ground. Without even glancing at Casildo, he remarked, "Why are you so angry? Don't bulls eat grass?"

Casildo, already on edge, sprang to his feet, rolling up his sleeves. "I'm sick of the Failed Product, and now you're testing me too?!"

"Stop fighting!" Prince Arkana snapped, exasperated by the bickering. He turned to the nameless young man. "Why is Kairav with you?"

"I'll explain later. Let's treat his wounds first," the young man replied, handing Kairav over before walking off.

***

All-white furniture filled the corners of a spacious bedroom, with the four walls adorned with intricate carvings of gold peacock ornaments and beautiful vine motifs.

At the center of the room, Kairav lay unconscious on a large bed, bandages wrapped around his wounds.

Silence fell between the three young men after their conversation paused for a moment.

Until finally, Casildo, sitting in a corner chair, broke the quiet. "If this Failed Product has been living in the palace all this time, how come I've never seen him?" he asked, wincing in pain as he blew on the freshly bandaged wounds on his hands.

The 18-year-old prince, Arkana Manyura, stood by the bed and responded. "Since he started university, he moved out of the palace to live in his own house while studying cryptozoology."

He crossed his arms, giving Casildo a sarcastic look. "Besides, you've only visited the palace a few times, so it's no surprise you never crossed paths with him."

Casildo shrugged, unconcerned. "I've got a lot of wandering to do, Bro. Staying in one place just makes my feet itch," he replied.

Prince Arkana shook his head, glancing away in exasperation. "Is everyone in your clan like that? No wonder you've been nomadic for generations," he muttered.

Casildo scratched his head, puzzled. "Still, I don't get it. How did this Failed Product end up living in the palace?"

"My father appointed his father as Grand Counselor when they arrived from the Bentala kingdom eleven years ago," Arkana explained.

"It was actually done at the request of the nameless young man, using it as an excuse for their family to stay safely in the palace under my father's protection and mine."

Casildo nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, Arkana turned his gaze to the nameless young man, who stood silently by the window. "No wonder I didn't see you this morning. You went to the island, didn't you?" he asked.

The young man's dark eyes shifted from the garden outside. His head nodded slightly. "I was in the garden when I saw the Cosmic Resonance Radiation from the unicorn constellation, so I went through the portal," he said flatly.

Casildo immediately chimed in, "Huh, this palace is so big, I only just found out there's a portal connected to that one on Enigma Island."

Prince Arkana frowned, turning back to Casildo. "How did you meet Kairav?" he asked.

Casildo pointed toward Kairav. "I ran into this Failed Product when I came out of the portal near the caldera of the seven mountain lakes. There was something strange about him, so I planned to bring him to the palace to ask you about him."

He crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance. "But who knew I'd end up stranded on an uninhabited island, fighting a liquid amphibious monster!" he said in frustration.

Prince Arkana furrowed his brow deeper. "And how did your plane crash yesterday?"

"Because it collided with a Dragon Serpent spirit and a Tiger spirit fighting!" Casildo snapped. "Didn't you see the energy explosion from their battle in the sky last night?"

A bewildered Arkana shook his head. "I was at the Myth Slayer Taskforce headquarters all night, checking on my new recruits." He still looked confused.

"But why are the Darkconians suddenly attacking the Silent Ghost tribe? It's strange, since their real enemy has always been the Midnight Melody tribe. Darkconians have never bothered the Silent Ghost tribe before."

The nameless young man, leaning against the wall, calmly replied, "We also ran into Nada Rhea on Enigma Island."

Casildo's eyes widened as he remembered the source of his rage. "Right! We saw Galen's bitch!" he shouted, standing from his chair.

But his expression quickly shifted to astonishment as he remembered his friend's unusual reaction. "How did the black magic music affect you so badly, Bro?" He asked, stepping toward the nameless young man.

The young man with jet-black hair shook his head calmly. "I don't know," he said simply.