Being cared for was a feeling that was hard to describe. He was just a young man, a teenager boy that only had little experience to teach him a lesson or two. This was one of those moments, where a seemingly stranger tried to console him when he was at his low point. How could he not be touched by this small gesture that in his eyes were valued higher than gold?

The boy was trembling from the sheer emotion brewed on his heart, but flows of cries could not be seen from Timan’s cheeks. In fact, his eyes did not let out a single drop of tears to drip onto his face. Even though they seemed like they were about to burst out in just a single gentle push, the boy was able to manage to contain the dams inside of his two eyes. 

He closed his eyes while gritting his teeth, dropping his head around his folded arms and knees so that he would manage to do that just fine. Or it was just that he was afraid the dams would finally burst out, but he did not want the man beside him to notice it. He was a young boy who had his own pride, what kind of a boy that would not be made fun of if he was crying like a baby?

Enjar kept on rubbing his back for a while, until the boy finally managed to calm down. He looked toward the sky, with a mesmerizing gaze while opening his mouth.

“Life is a trial and a series of struggles. There would be many hurdles that would come in front of you, be it small or big. And what you can do is to strive forward, and do the best of what you can do. And let the rest be up to the god above, cause you have done your part.” Enjar said with a reassuring tone. His voice was gentle and soft, there was not any weird smile plastered on his mouth. He looked like a wise man that had been through life in low and high, even though his age was not that old.

In a classic world, belief toward a higher being, a god, or a creator that created the whole universe was a thing that could be found basically anywhere. Either it was plural or singular, the people believed in such cases. They believed in such things, and atheism was not even a popular term because they feared the unknown. They feared being punished by the god because of being a heathen that dared to show the atrocity of not acknowledging such being. 

Timan nodded slowly to what Enjar had said. He raised his face after he wiped his eyes with 2 or a few more strokes. Enjar nodded his head, and continued with what he was saying.

“Sometimes, life hits you so hard that it feels like you cannot take this anymore. Sometimes it feels so unbearable that you just wanted to end it all. But you know that you could not give up. You know that the best way was to move forward with life and traverse the obstacles. You are strong not because of power or anything. You are strong because of your heart. You are strong because you did not give up and end your life here and there.” Enjar said with a smile still attached on his face. But suddenly, his eyes frowned and formed a solemn expression. 

“So don’t be a weakling! Man up and put up a good fight against what is in front of you!”

The boy was startled when Enjar suddenly raised his voice without any notice. He did not expect that Enjar would get fired up after he was relaxing and such. He could not help but become tense hearing Enjar got so serious. Enjar’s arms were still behind his back, leaning against the ground to support his body from falling. His body gestures looked relaxed and laid back, but his facial expression and voice were the opposite. 

But that was only for a moment. Enjar stood up and walked a few steps ahead from the place where Timan had been sitting on the ground. He looked in front of him with the still solemn looking expression drawn on his face. 

“Use a fierce looking face in every problem that you have, that could even make the problem have apprehension toward you.

Be brave, because bravery is not fearless but daring to face the fear.

Be confident, because embarrassment was a guard to control your chastity, not your capability.

Be strong enough so that today was the last time you shed off your tears!”

Enjar said with a firm tone and a pretty loud voice. Timan naturally heard every single word that Enjar had said clearly without even missing a single syllable. Timan looked as if he got enlightenment, looking like he was in a trance after hearing the words that Enjar had spoken. Every point that Enjar said made a jab point toward his heart. 

Timan's heart somehow beat a little bit faster than before. Was it from the momentum? Was it adrenaline? Or was it because he could not wait anymore to face the hurdles in front of him? He subconsciously clenched his hands, forming into two fists. His eyes seemed like they had more light than before.

“If your heart, determination, and mind is strong, then you can be the strongest person in this world. Do you believe it?

Timan could not believe that what Enjar said was true. Enjar said that you could become the strongest person just by having a strong heart, determination, and mind? Wasn’t it basically free? He could not believe that, because Timan dared not to think like that! 

Having a strong heart would make you the strongest person? Did not it mean that he had a chance to have a capability like Enjar? Did it mean that he could stand together with Enjar in the same standing? If Enjar said that it was possible, did not it mean that he truly had the chance to be like that too? Did not it mean that he too should believe what Enjar had said?

“I…I do!” The boy answered. His eyes looked firm, though there was still some hesitation inside of his voice.

“I said, do you believe it!?” Enjar said with a louder voice. He looked back toward Timan with his narrowed eyes, a serious looking expression that was still plastered on his face.

“I do!” The boy answered again, and now the hesitation was greatly reduced. Vigor and spirit could be felt from his gestures and appearance. He seemed like he could not wait to be in a war so that he could vent his bottled up feeling that he had inside of his heart. The sad looking boy was no longer here, there was only a young man who seemed like he had found a new leaf of life to follow. 

Enjar grinned after he heard the answer from Timan. His smile was like a man that had found a treasure that was rarely seen in the world, a smile that made the onlookers who saw it mesmerized for a bit because of its uniqueness.  He turned his body back, toward the boy behind him and he offered his right hand to him. 

“Then prove it to me! Follow me on my journey to conquer this kingdom, and I will see whether you were just talking crap or not.” Enjar said confidently. His bearing was like a straight tower that would not be swayed by any winds that it would face. The foundations were strong, and the body was sturdy. 

Timan opened his mouth as if he did not know what to say when he heard what Enjar had just said. Conquering this kingdom? What kind of notion was that, he did not even dare to think about fighting a mere baron, let alone the whole kingdom! This was just a vision that was too big for him to handle. 

But he knew that he had said that he believed he could become strong only by using a strong heart. If he took back his words from the same man that he had been admiring for a while and attest to, then where should he put his face on? Where should he put his dignity as a man then?

He took Enjar’s hand and shook it firmly as he inhaled a mouthful of breath, and exhaled it with a strong determination.

Enjar nodded his head approvingly. “Don’t disappoint me, young man.”