As Jonghyun finished his daily practice, he heard the sound of hooves approaching him. Looking up from cleaning his sword, Jonghyun smiled at the Herald who dismounted and ran towards him, with a grim expression on his usually pleasant face.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I have some bad news"

"You may speak"

"My Liege, the mystery bandit has struck again, and as per the pattern of his previous attacks, it seems as though he will attack your kingdom soon"

Jonghyun felt his heart sink as he heard those words. It had been a secret fear of his, ever since he heard reports of that thief. His so-called kingdom had hardly any money, and his coffers were almost empty. It would become a national shame if any other kingdoms found out about his pitiful state. If the Herald was right, and the bandit would strike him soon then Jonghyun really had to protect his people. Instead of just leaving this job to his army, Jonghyun decided to stay awake every night and guard the borders of his land. Based on what Jonghyun had heard about this bandit, he seemed to be a good fighter, who planned his heist very meticulously. It was crystal clear to Jonghyun that stopping this man wouldn't be easy, and he would surely have to be in multiple places at the same time if he even wished to try his hand at opposing him. Jonghyun would have to increase his own training and probably train the lad, Taemin to act as a lookout for him. It would not be of any use right now to teach the lad how to wield a sword, as it was much too soon. 

Jonghyun almost drove the people around him crazy due to his paranoia, but his vassals and subjects obeyed all of the new rules he had enforced, due to their love for him. He'd ordered the fields to be devoid of people before dusk and ensured that there would be nightly patrol till dawn. Jonghyun spent his time thinking hard about how the strong, able vassals could be informed when they were required to help out. As he racked his brains, Jonghyun was soon struck by the perfect idea. If he got a large brass bell installed to the top of the tower, it would be loud enough for everyone on his estate to hear. Taemin could be in charge of striking the bell to warn the others of danger. As planned, Jonghyun got the bell installed and set up a small room for Taemin. All the able-bodied men of the area had also assembled and informed their prince of their need to be involved. 

Shortly after, Jonghyun personally spent his nights keeping watch, dressed as a farmer. Dressed in sheepskin stockings with his upper body left bare, his muscled torso and strong triceps elicited a lot of stares from the womenfolk. After a week, Jonghyun felt ready to face the bandit, if he dared to attack his lands. 

Meanwhile. Jinki had invested all of the booty from his previous raid into strengthening the defenses of his castle and found himself in need of more funds. Assembling his men, Jinki planned his next attack as per his ragged map and they set off for their mission. This time, as Jinki entered the royal chambers, he had the strangest feeling that he was being watched by someone. Spinning around wildly, Jinki saw a child dressed as a scullery maid. Knowing that she would be considered missing, he bade the child keep silent as he carried her to the kitchen, along with his sack of precious booty. A shrill scream let Jinki know that he had been spotted, and he hastened to get away from the castle before the other servants and guards were roused. Running as fast as he could, Jinki whistled for his Arabian and mounted him as he ran, followed by the rest of his men. Knowing they could not risk being seen together, Jinki and his men went their separate ways. A weary Jinki rearranged his clothing to resemble a gypsy but kept the cloth that covered his face in order to not be recognized. Coaxing his Arabian into a slow trot, Jinki passed by the targeted kingdom easily and soon found himself in unfamiliar territory. Knowing that it would be safer, Jinki dismounted and held the reins as he walked across the land, towards his kingdom. He found it extremely strange to see a group of men patrolling the area, holding stout sticks. Hiding a smile, Jinki made a mental note to find out the name of his kingdom that had already started to prepare for his visit. He laughed loudly as he imagined the foolish expression on the face of it's King, once he discovered all his jewels gone. However, Jinki felt that it wouldn't be enough just to take their jewels and busts. In order to teach their ruler a lesson, Jinki was going to take everything he could from the castle.

Trying to find out the points of entry, Jinki deliberately strayed a little closer to the castle, away from the main road where he was previously walking. Almost instantly, he felt the tip of a sharp sword at his throat and looked up with disgust at a man wearing the clothes of a guard. 

"Take your wares elsewhere, merchant. If you take one more step towards our kingdom, I will find pleasure in slicing your throat from ear to ear"

Never had anyone ever dared to speak to him that way. Furious, Jinki glared at the man, who could see nothing except the anger and fire in his eyes. If he had the slightest doubt before, Jinki had definitely made up his mind to find out who this person was, and rob him of everything he owned, before proceeding to the castle. Pulling his Arabian back with him on the way to the main road, Jinki traveled to the stable and changes horses before traveling back to his castle. Unable to sleep, Jinki started to pace up and down the corridor, replaying the events of the night in his mind. Try as he might, he was unable to remove the feeling of utter humiliation from his mind. It was essential for that guard to learn his lesson, and so Jinki made up his mind to strike that kingdom on the next full moon night.