Sancaka and his friends moved away from Bima and Arjuna. Earlier, they had been asked to show the location of the Haunted Cave in Wanasura Village. After being guided there, Arjuna and Bima went inside, only to come out feeling frustrated. Arjuna had even scolded Abas, accusing him of lying about the Bloodstone—until Karna stepped in, separated them, and knocked Arjuna down with a punch. Karna had also taken the pouch of coffee beans that Bima had given to Sancaka.
Sancaka hadn't even seen what kind of coffee beans they were. They were still in Karna's possession.
"Uncle Karna, where were those coffee beans from Uncle Bima picked?" Sancaka asked.
"You don't need to know, Sancaka," Karna replied. "Those beans are poisonous, so don't ever consume them." He patted the pouch.
Poisonous? This was the first time Sancaka had ever heard of poisonous coffee beans. He had picked coffee beans from farms before and had never encountered anything like that.
Sancaka glanced at Abas, who still looked shaken after being yelled at by Arjuna.
Karna continued walking, leading the four children away. He intended to escort them home and keep them far from Bima. As they walked, Karna occasionally looked back. From a distance, he could see Bima and Arjuna talking, though he didn't care what they were discussing.
"Listen carefully, kids," Karna said while walking. Sancaka and his friends paid close attention.
"I want you to forget this meeting. Pretend that I, Uncle Bima, and Uncle Arjuna never met you today. And when you get home, don't tell your parents that you guided us to the Haunted Cave to search for Bloodstone."
"Yes, Uncle Karna," they answered in unison.
Eventually, Sancaka reached home. He was the last one Karna escorted. His friends had already gone home earlier. Karna had even watched from a distance as Gatot, Abas, and Tara returned home—making sure they gave believable excuses.
When Gatot arrived, for example, Karna stood under a tree not far from his house. From afar, he overheard Gatot telling his mother that he had been playing hide-and-seek with his friends.
"Good. These kids are good at making excuses," Karna thought to himself.
As they approached Sancaka's house, Karna asked, "Sancaka, your father's name is Tono, right?"
"Yes, that's correct," Sancaka replied. "Do you know my father, Uncle Karna?"
"Yes, I do. We're friends," Karna said.
Less than fifteen steps from the house, Karna stopped.
"I'll wait here. Please call your father for me. I'd like to speak with him."
"Okay, Uncle," Sancaka said.
"Tell him that 'Uncle Karna, the Archer Dharma' is looking for him. And don't forget—tell your parents you were just playing hide-and-seek."
"Alright, Uncle."
Sancaka nodded and ran toward the house. Karna moved to stand under a nearby tree.
Just as Sancaka reached the door, it opened, and his father stepped out.
"Sancaka, you're home."
"Hi, Father!" Sancaka said, hugging him. After letting go, he noticed his father wearing armor and carrying a sword at his waist—it looked like he was about to go on patrol.
"Father, I was just playing hide-and-seek with my friends."
"That sounds fun…" Tono replied.
But Sancaka quickly cut in, "While we were playing, a Dharma passed by and said he wanted to talk to you."
"A Dharma? What's his name? And where is he?"
Sancaka turned around, searching for Karna. From a distance, he pointed toward a figure standing under the shadow of a tree.
"There, Father. His name is Karna, the Archer Dharma."
"Karna the Dharma… what did you just say?" Tono squinted at the figure and recognized him. Karna stood beneath the tree, his face partly visible in the shade. Noticing he had been seen, Karna waved.
"Oh, it's Karna," Tono said, scratching his head. "Why did you have to say 'Archer Dharma' and all that?"
"Because Uncle Karna told me to say it like that," Sancaka replied.
Their conversation was brief. Karna and Tono shook hands, and Tono patted him on the shoulder. After that, Karna took his leave and walked away. Sancaka could hear his father telling him to be careful on the way.
Then Tono walked in the opposite direction—likely heading out for patrol.
After seeing both of them leave, Sancaka stepped away from the window and approached the dining area. Only his younger sibling was there, while his mother was outside counting the harvest.
Sancaka joined his sibling and finished the remaining roasted sweet potatoes.
"'Because Karna told you to,' huh?" Tono had said earlier with a laugh. "That Dharma really is quite mischievous."
Before leaving, Tono had told Sancaka to go inside, then went out to meet Karna.
Inside the house, Sancaka could smell something roasting. He found his mother and sibling eating roasted sweet potatoes and joined them, sitting on a mat. He told them about playing hide-and-seek and other activities—stories that were actually lies, just as Karna had instructed.
Every now and then, Sancaka stood up and walked to the window, chewing on a piece of sweet potato in his hand.
"Sancaka, if you're eating, you should sit down," Sari said.
"Yes, Mother."
"What are you looking at outside?"
"Father is talking with Karna, the Archer Dharma."
"That's quite a long title," Sari laughed. "Next time you meet him, just call him Karna."
"Yes, Mother."
Sancaka looked out the window again. He saw his father talking calmly with Karna under the tree. Karna stood with his arms folded, speaking, while Tono occasionally scratched his forehead.
Sancaka couldn't hear what they were discussing, but he could see from his father's expression that he seemed annoyed—while Karna remained completely composed.