Lumian tidak merasa heran dengan permohonan bantuan dari sang Penguasa Laut saat ini.
Ia mengangkat tangan kiri dan menyentuh telinganya. Dengan menggunakan bahasa Intis, ia bertanya, "Apa yang kau katakan? Aku hanya mengerti kata 'bantuan'."
Penguasa Laut saat ini, yang menyamar sebagai seorang wanita, tampak terkejut, seolah hambatan bahasa ini di luar dugaannya.
Setelah memeras otak dan mempertaruhkan nyawanya untuk menemui Louis Berry, Penguasa Laut itu justru tidak bisa menyampaikan permintaannya karena kendala bahasa!
Tetap mempertahankan sandiwara seolah tidak mengerti bahasa Highlander, Lumian dengan tenang mengeluarkan sebuah pulpen merah tua dan setumpuk catatan tempel, lalu menyerahkannya.
"Tuliskan semua yang ingin kaukatakan. Aku akan meminta seseorang untuk menerjemahkannya."
Kali ini, ia kembali menggunakan bahasa Intis sambil memberi gestur dengan pulpen tersebut untuk menuntun pihak lain apa yang harus dilakukan.
Jika Penguasa Laut itu buta huruf dan tidak bisa menulis dalam bahasa Highlander, itu akan menjadi masalah... Aku harus terpaksa berkomunikasi dengan kata-kata lepas dan bahasa tubuh. Aku belum ingin membongkar kemampuanku berbahasa Highlander... pikir Lumian dengan cemas.
Di Intis dan Feynapotter, ada banyak sekali orang yang buta huruf.
Penguasa Laut itu, setelah sempat kebingungan sejenak, menangkap maksud Louis Berry. Ia mengambil pulpen dan catatan tersebut lalu mulai mencoret-coret.
Lumian mengamatinya dengan ekspresi tenang. Meskipun berada di hadapannya, dengan penglihatan dan imajinasi spasial seorang Pemburu, ia dengan mudah bisa menangkap isi dari pesan tertulis itu:
"Tolong bantu aku. Selamatkan aku keluar dari Port Santa! Aku bukan Penguasa Laut yang sebenarnya!"
Bukan Penguasa Laut yang sebenarnya... Lumian menahan dorongan untuk menaikkan alisnya dan menahan diri agar tidak langsung bertanya, tetap mempertahankan penampilan seolah sama sekali tidak mengerti kata-kata tersebut.
Ia ingin melihat informasi tambahan apa lagi yang akan diungkapkan oleh Penguasa Laut saat ini sebelum memikirkan rentetan pertanyaan berikutnya.
Pria yang mengenakan pakaian wanita itu terdiam selama dua detik sebelum melanjutkan,
"Penguasa Laut yang asli tewas dalam ritual doa laut tahun lalu."
Mati? Penguasa Laut yang asli tewas selama ritual doa laut? Lumian merasakan gelombang kegembiraan yang tiba-tiba muncul mendengar pengungkapan ini.
Aku akhirnya bisa melihat ujung ekor para anggota inti April Fool's!
Salah satu akibat dari keusilan mereka tahun lalu adalah kegagalan Penguasa Laut yang telah ditentukan untuk melaksanakan ritual doa laut dengan sukses. Ia menderita serangan balik dari kekuatan Beyonder dan kehilangan nyawanya!
Hal ini sejalan dengan pengungkapan dari Otta Guillaume, pemilik Motel Solow, dan putranya, seorang pegawai departemen pemerintah, mengenai peningkatan jumlah kapal karam, penurunan hasil tangkapan ikan, dan perdagangan yang terganggu.
Penguasa Laut palsu itu menulis dengan cepat, seolah takut seseorang akan menyusulnya kapan saja.
"Aku dipilih oleh Juan Oro dan Serikat Perikanan untuk menyamar sebagai Penguasa Laut selama setahun karena aku mirip dengan Penguasa Laut yang asli. Ini dilakukan agar para nelayan dan pedagang laut tidak tahu tentang kesalahan besar mereka dan kecerobohan yang menyebabkan ritual doa laut gagal. Kegagalan seperti itu belum pernah terjadi selama beberapa abad terakhir.
"Sekarang setelah aku mengetahui rahasia ini, mereka tidak akan membiarkanku pergi hidup-hidup. Setelah ritual penyerahan Penguasa Laut selesai dan masa berjaga dimulai, aku pasti akan dibunuh.
"Aku tidak pernah ingin memainkan peran sebagai Penguasa Laut. Itu adalah penghujatan terhadap laut, tetapi mereka mengarahkan pistol ke arahku, mengklaim bahwa mereka telah membunuh seseorang yang menolak untuk bekerja sama.
"Gereja dan pemerintah tidak akan ikut campur dalam urusan Serikat Perikanan. Kau adalah satu-satunya orang yang cukup berani menyusup ke kediaman Penguasa Laut dan menghadapi Juan Oro dengan membawa pistol. Aku hanya bisa mencari bantuanmu. Selama setahun terakhir, aku telah mengumpulkan cukup banyak uang. Aku bisa memberikan semuanya kepadamu—
100.000 risot emas!
"Aku telah mendengar tentang sepak terjangmu baru-baru ini. Aku percaya kau memiliki kekuatan itu. Aku mohon, bantu aku!"
Cukup terpelajar... Lumian, setelah mempelajari ketiga catatan tempel yang sudah ditulis itu, merasakan bahwa Penguasa Laut palsu ini berbeda dari nelayan, pedagang, atau pekerja biasa berdasarkan tata bahasa dan kosakata yang digunakannya.
Fiuh... Setelah menuliskan alasan dan permohonannya, Penguasa Laut palsu itu meletakkan pulpennya dan menyodorkan tiga catatan tempel yang penuh dengan tulisan bahasa Highlander kepada Lumian.
Dengan sekilas pandang, Lumian merenungkan untuk menggunakan kata-kata Highlander dan bahasa tubuh.
"Bantuan? Keluargamu?"
Penguasa Laut palsu itu buru-buru menuliskan tanggapan: "Orang tuaku sudah meninggal beberapa tahun yang lalu. Aku tidak punya kerabat lain. Aku awalnya adalah karyawan Perusahaan Perikanan."
Tidak heran Juan Oro dan rekan-rekannya berani "menculik" orang ini untuk dijadikan Penguasa Laut. Gereja Ibu Pertiwi menahan diri untuk tidak mencampuri urusan internal Serikat Perikanan. Jika itu memengaruhi warga lain, mereka baru akan menanganinya... Lumian pura-pura bertanya lebih dulu dan berencana mencari seseorang nanti untuk menerjemahkan tanggapan tersebut.
"Gadis pelayan. Hamil?"
Ia menanyakan tentang para pelayan di kediaman Penguasa Laut dan alasan kehamilan mereka.
Penguasa Laut palsu itu, yang tersembunyi di balik kerudung biru, tidak menunjukkan perubahan ekspresi. Tangan kanannya sedikit bergetar saat menulis: "Penguasa Laut akan mendapatkan perlakuan yang sama seperti penguasa Port Santa. Ia bisa menunjuk siapa saja dari Desa Milo, Serikat Perikanan, dan keluarga pedagang laut itu sebagai pelayan dan pengawalnya. Ia bisa melakukan apa saja yang diinginkannya dan langsung mendatangi mereka, menikmati perlakuan yang bisa diterima oleh seorang pemilik.
"Aku tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa."
Mengamati hal ini, Lumian nyaris tertawa terbahak-bahak.
Bahkan dalam kurungan, ia masih fokus pada hal-hal semacam itu? Apa dia percaya dirinya tidak bisa kabur dan pasrah menghadapi kematian yang sudah di ambang pintu? Apakah dia mencari kenikmatan selagi masih bisa?
Penguasa Laut palsu itu menambahkan: "Aku juga bisa menarik pajak dari orang-orang itu dan secara paksa mengalokasikan jatah pasar mereka, tetapi mereka akan mendengarkanku. Namun, aku tidak berani bertindak terlalu jauh. Kalau tidak, Juan Oro akan mencambukku secara diam-diam dengan tongkatnya dan mengancam akan membunuhku."
Jadi, dari sinilah sumber tabunganmu? Yah, dia tidak bisa mengendalikan cuaca atau pasang surut. Bagaimanapun, dia hanyalah seorang Penguasa Laut palsu... Lumian mengambil catatan tempel baru dari Penguasa Laut palsu itu dan merenung sejenak sebelum bertanya dengan canggung, "Penguasa Laut asli. Di mana?"
Ia menanyakan keberadaan para mantan Penguasa Laut.
Noelia, biarawati tempur dari Ordo Kesuburan, tidak mengangkat masalah ini sebelumnya. Tidak jelas apakah ia menganggapnya tidak penting, memilih untuk tidak mengungkapkannya karena suatu alasan, atau kekurangan informasi yang sesuai.
Penguasa Laut palsu itu menulis: "Aku tidak tahu. Aku pernah mendengar seorang pelayan dari Desa Milo menyebutkannya sebelumnya. Dia adalah cucu perempuan Juan Oro. Dia bilang bahwa semua Penguasa Laut pada akhirnya akan kembali ke laut."
Kembali ke laut... Itu terdengar tidak menyenangkan... Heh heh, menjadikan cucu perempuan Juan Oro sebagai pelayanmu. Apakah kau mencari pembalasan atas penindasan dari kakeknya? Dan Juan Oro menyetujuinya, secara tidak langsung membalas dengan mencambukmu? Juan Oro dan anak-anaknya menikah dengan Perempuan-Perempuan Laut, dan ada kemungkinan cucu perempuannya adalah monster mirip kadal... Bagaimana perasaanmu jika tahu kau tidur dengan kadal berwujud manusia? Lumian mengkritik Penguasa Laut palsu itu dalam hati.
Ia tampak merenung sejenak, seolah tidak bisa memahami tulisan pihak lain, lalu mengubah pertanyaannya.
"Juan Oro. Kuat?"
Penguasa Laut palsu itu tiba-tiba bergidik.
Dengan cepat, ia menulis: "Dia sangat kuat. Dia adalah monster! Dia bisa membuat orang sesak napas dan mati kesakitan!"
Setelah menulis ini, Penguasa Laut palsu itu melirik ke arah matahari di luar jendela. Ia meletakkan pulpen, berdiri, dan membungkuk kepada Lumian.
Kemudian, dengan langkah bergoyang mengenakan gaun elegannya, ia berjalan menuju pintu belakang kafe dan pergi.
Ia tampak cemas
552 Fake and Reality
Lumian didn’t find the current Governor of the Sea’s plea for help surprising.
He raised his left hand and touched his ear. In Intisian, he asked, “What are you saying? I only understand the word ‘help.’”
The current Governor of the Sea, disguised as a woman, appeared dumbfounded, as if the language barrier was unexpected.
Having racked his brains and risked his life to reach Louis Berry, the Governor of the Sea found himself unable to convey his request due to the language barrier!
Maintaining his pretense of not understanding Highlander, Lumian calmly took out a dark-red fountain pen and a stack of post-it notes, handing them over.
“Write down everything you want to say. I’ll get someone to translate it.”
This time, he used Intisian again but gestured with the fountain pen to guide the other party on what to do.
If the Governor of the Sea is illiterate and unable to write Highlander, it would be troublesome… I would have to resort to communicating with individual words and body language. I don’t want to reveal my knowledge of Highlander yet… Lumian thought with concern.
In Intis and Feynapotter, there were numerous illiterate individuals.
The Governor of the Sea, after a brief moment of confusion, grasped Louis Berry’s intentions. He took the fountain pen and note and began scribbling.
Lumian observed with a composed expression. Despite being on the opposite side, with a Hunter’s vision and spatial imagination, he easily discerned the content of the written message:
“Please help me. Rescue me out of Port Santa! I’m not the true Governor of the Sea!”
Not the true Governor of the Sea… Lumian suppressed the urge to raise his eyebrows and refrained from directly asking, maintaining an appearance of complete ignorance of the words.
He desired to see what additional information the current Governor of the Sea would reveal before considering his next set of questions.
The man dressed in feminine attire paused for two seconds before continuing,
“The true Governor of the Sea died during last year’s sea prayer ritual.”
Dead? The genuine Governor of the Sea perished during the sea prayer ritual? Lumian felt a sudden surge of joy at this revelation.
I can finally see the tail of the key members of April Fool’s!
One consequence of their prank last year was the predetermined Governor of the Sea’s failure to successfully perform the sea prayer ritual. He suffered a backlash from Beyonder powers and lost his life!
This aligned with the revelations from Otta Guillaume, the Solow Motel owner, and his son, a government department clerk, regarding an increase in shipwrecks, a decline in fish harvests, and disrupted trade.
The imposter Governor of the Sea wrote swiftly, as if fearing someone might catch up to him at any moment.
“I was chosen by Juan Oro and the Fisheries Guild to impersonate the Governor of the Sea for a year because I resemble the true Governor of the Sea. This was to prevent fishermen and sea merchants from knowing about their grave mistake and the slip-up that caused the sea prayer ritual to fail. Such a failure has not occurred in recent centuries.
“Now that I know this secret, they won’t let me leave alive. After the Governor of the Sea handover ritual is completed and the vigil begins, I’ll undoubtedly be killed.
“I never wanted to play the role of Governor of the Sea. It was a blasphemy against the sea, but they pointed a gun at me, claiming they had already killed someone who refused to cooperate.
“The Church and the government won’t intervene in the Fisheries Guild’s affairs. You’re the only one daring enough to infiltrate the Governor of the Sea’s residence and confront Juan Oro with a gun. I can only seek your help. Over the past year, I’ve saved up quite a bit of money. I can give it all to you—
100,000 gold risot!
“I’ve heard about your recent exploits. I believe you have the strength. I implore you to help me!”
Quite educated… Lumian, after studying the three completed post-it notes, sensed that the imposter Governor of the Sea differed from ordinary fishermen, vendors, or workers based on his grammar and vocabulary.
Phew… After jotting down his reasons and request, the fake Governor of the Sea set aside the fountain pen and slid three post-it notes filled with Highlander words to Lumian.
With a quick glance, Lumian contemplated using Highlander words and body language.
“Help? Your. Family?”
The fake Governor of the Sea hastily wrote down a response: “My parents passed away a few years ago. I don’t have any other relatives. I was originally an employee of the Fisheries Company.”
It’s no surprise Juan Oro and his associates dared to “kidnap” this person to be the Governor of the Sea. The Earth Mother Church refrains from meddling in the Fisheries Guild’s internal affairs. If it affects other citizens, they will still handle it… Lumian pretended to ask first and planned to find someone later to translate the response.
“Servant girls. Pregnant?”
He inquired about the maids in the Governor of the Sea’s residence and the reason for their pregnancies.
The fake Governor of the Sea, concealed behind a blue veil, displayed no change in expression. His right hand trembled slightly as he wrote: “The Governor of the Sea will receive the same treatment as the ruler of Port Santa. He can appoint anyone from Milo Village, the Fisheries Guild, and those sea merchant families as his maids and guards. He can do whatever he wants and directly visit them, enjoying the treatment an owner can receive.
“I couldn’t help it.”
Observing this, Lumian nearly laughed aloud.
Even in captivity, he’s focused on such matters? Does he believe he can’t escape and is resigned to his imminent demise? Is he seeking enjoyment while he still can?
The fake Governor of the Sea added: “I can also tax those people and forcefully allocate their market share, but they will listen to me. However, I dare not go too far. Otherwise, Juan Oro will privately whip me with his cane and threaten to kill me.”
So, this is the source of your savings? Well, he can’t control the weather or the tides. After all, he’s merely a false Governor… Lumian took the fake Governor of the Sea’s new post-it note and pondered for a moment before asking in a clumsy manner, “Original. Governor. Where?”
He inquired about the whereabouts of the former Governors of the Sea.
Noelia, the combat nun of the Fertility Order, hadn’t raised this issue before. It was unclear if she deemed it unimportant, chose not to disclose it for some reason, or lacked the corresponding information.
The fake Governor of the Sea wrote: “I don’t know. I heard a maid from Milo Village mention it before. She’s Juan Oro’s granddaughter. She said that all the Governors of the Sea will eventually return to the sea.”
Return to the sea… That doesn’t sound promising… Heh heh, designating Juan Oro’s granddaughter as your maid. Are you seeking revenge for the oppression from her grandfather? And Juan Oro agreed to it, indirectly retaliating by lashing you? Juan Oro and his sons are married to Maidens of the Sea, and there’s a chance his granddaughter is a lizard-like monster… How would you feel if you knew you were sleeping with a humanoid lizard? Lumian criticized the fake Governor of the Sea internally.
He seemed to ponder for a moment, as if unable to comprehend the other party’s writing, and changed the question.
“Juan Oro. Powerful?”
The fake Governor of the Sea suddenly shuddered.
Swiftly, he wrote: “He’s very powerful. He’s a monster! He can suffocate people and cause them to die in pain!”
After writing this, the fake Governor of the Sea glanced at the sun outside the window. He set down the fountain pen, stood up, and bowed to Lumian.
Then, swaying in his elegant dress, he made his way toward the café’s back door and departed.
He appeared anxious about his “disappearance” during the shopping trip potentially raising suspicions from the bodyguards.
Lumian observed his departure, crumpling the post-it notes into a ball in his palm.
Crimson flames trickled from between his fingers before swiftly dissipating.
After sprinkling the ashes into the bottle with flowers, Lumian picked up the partially finished Torres coffee and took a sip.
Lumian’s mind raced as he analyzed the information that concerned him the most.
Is what the imposter said true? Could an ordinary person find an opportunity to escape their bodyguards and approach me? Is it possible that Juan Oro and the others secretly prompted him to set a trap for me, waiting for me to fall into it?
During the April Fool’s prank, the specially crafted golden ring, lacking Beyonder powers, was concealed within the lamb’s body. The lamb was taken as a sacrifice on the Governor of the Sea’s ship…
Is April Fool’s meant to substitute something with this ring? Is there another sacrificial ring similar to it?
Did the Governor of the Sea’s appointment fail last year because the crucial sacrificial ring turned out to be a fake and couldn’t be utilized?
This implies that key members of April Fool’s or their subordinates are on the special ship. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to deceive the committee members of the Fisheries Guild and surreptitiously replace important items…
Based on the information I’ve gathered, there aren’t many sailors on that ship. The only passengers are the Governor of the Sea, four Maidens of the Sea, and a few individuals guiding them through the ritual. Who among them is connected to April Fool’s?
The Fisheries Guild must have conducted an investigation afterward. I wonder if they’ve drawn any conclusions…
I can’t dismiss the possibility that the deceased Governor of the Sea is linked to April Fool’s. Maybe he was completely deceived, thinking that by changing the ring and causing the ritual to fail, he could avoid returning to the sea like the previous Governors of the Sea. However, Bard, Mad Lady, and Ultraman may not have cared about his life at all…
What’s the purpose of April Fool’s? Is it merely a prank for their own amusement, or does it harbor a deeper motive?
Ordinary April Fool’s members might engage purely for entertainment. As for the key members, truth and lies are invariably intertwined…
Sitting in the café until the sun neared the horizon, Lumian donned the straw hat and leisurely made his way back to the Solow Motel.
Late at night, Lugano returned from the bar, emanating the scent of alcohol. He approached Lumian and said,
“I’ve inquired with adventurers and bounty hunters about Batna and his lover. They all claim not to have seen them in the past few days. As soon as they arrived at Port Santa, it was as if they vanished.”
Vanished? Nolfi, being the child of a Maiden of the Sea, wouldn’t be so clandestine if she were merely returning to Port Santa and the Fisheries Guild… Could she be involved in something related to the sea prayer ritual and convinced Batna to join her? Yet, they were targeted upon their return? Perhaps she possesses significant knowledge… I can’t personally search for them right now. I need to be more visible as an adventurer… Lugano isn’t the most reliable source… What about Noelia, the nun? A flurry of speculations raced through Lumian’s mind.
As his thoughts raced, he suddenly realized the kind of assistance he should seek from the Knight of Swords.
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