“Tidak apa-apa. Aku membawa pena.”
Yuder mengeluarkan pena dari sakunya. Saat itu, mata pejabat tersebut berkedut gugup.
‘…Apa itu?’
Pada saat bersamaan, sang penyihir, yang diam-diam melirik bros batu sihir kuning yang sedikit terlihat dari balik ujung mantel Yuder yang tersingkap, membelalak mengenalinya.
‘Bros dengan batu sihir dan ukiran itu… Jangan-jangan?’
Pedagang itu juga bukan sekadar penonton pasif. Ia meneliti sarung tangan di tangan Yuder yang memegang pena dengan curiga, lalu berkedip cepat.
‘Tadi aku tidak menyadarinya… tapi kalau diperhatikan, sarung tangan itu…?’
Keheningan menyelimuti ruangan.
‘Rasanya aku bisa mendengar pikiran mereka berputar di dalam kepala.’
Yuder pura-pura tidak menyadari ketiga orang yang mulai mengamati sekeliling dengan minat baru. Ia memusatkan perhatian untuk mencatat pernyataan mereka di atas kertas.
Menulis hanyalah alat baginya. Pertunjukan sesungguhnya adalah perhatian yang dicurahkan ketiga orang itu pada hal-hal lain di sekitarnya. Kalau mereka sampai membuat keributan di sini, berarti mereka pasti sangat serakah. Namun, itu juga menunjukkan bahwa kedudukan mereka di kelompok masing-masing tidak seberapa.
Untuk apa orang yang punya kuasa, kemampuan, dan koneksi repot-repot datang ke sini? Hanya mereka yang tak punya harapan untuk berhasil yang menempuh cara seperti ini.
Orang-orang semacam itu sering kali gagal melihat gambaran besar. Mereka terjebak mengejar keuntungan jangka pendek, mati-matian bergantung pada koneksi, lalu mengabaikan kesetiaan dan kehormatan.
Awalnya, saat mengikuti Yuder kemari, mereka nyaris kehilangan akal. Namun, setelah duduk tenang di tempat ini, siapa pun tentu akan kembali berpikir jernih.
Maka, mereka mulai menyadari hal-hal yang sebelumnya luput dari perhatian.
Sebelum meninggalkan ibu kota, Yuder sengaja membawa dua benda: pena sihir yang khusus digunakan Menteri Tinggi Hebreyina Reiflang, dan bros batu sihir kiriman Serikat Penyihir Barat.
Pena sihir milik Menteri Tinggi itu mampu mengubah air menjadi tinta. Pena tersebut dibuat khusus, dengan nama dan lambang keluarga sang Menteri Tinggi terukir jelas di permukaannya. Kedudukan Menteri Tinggi memang tidak terlalu berkuasa, tetapi Hebreyina Reiflang sendiri berasal dari keluarga bangsawan terkemuka.
Kurangnya kekuasaan itu hanya jika dibandingkan dengan empat kadipaten agung. Bagi seorang pejabat kelas tujuh rendahan dari selatan, ia tetap sosok berkuasa yang tak terjangkau.
Melihat Yuder Aile dengan begitu santai menggunakan pena yang menunjukkan kedekatan pribadinya dengan Menteri Tinggi, pejabat kelas tujuh itu pasti berpikir:
‘Aku belum pernah mendengar Menteri Tinggi punya hubungan pribadi dengan anggota Kavaleri… Apa perintah kerja sama itu lebih dari sekadar anjuran rutin? Jangan-jangan…’
‘Kalau aku membuat kesan buruk di sini, apakah namaku akan langsung sampai ke telinga Menteri Tinggi?’
Pikiran seperti itu tak mungkin terhindarkan.
‘Pejabat kelas tiga yang disebutnya tadi pasti pelindung langsungnya, mungkin dari faksi bangsawan. Tapi di sini ada Menteri Tinggi.’
Bagi para pejabat, Menteri Tinggi adalah penguasa tertinggi. Mereka tentu tak ingin membuat pejabat kelas tiga terkesan, tetapi malah membangkitkan murka Menteri Tinggi dan kehilangan pekerjaan dalam sekejap.
‘Sekalipun dia bertindak, aku tidak yakin pelindungnya akan bertanggung jawab atas akibatnya.’
Dalam keheningan itu, setetes keringat muncul di dahi pejabat kelas tujuh tersebut.
Pada saat yang sama, sang penyihir memikirkan sesuatu yang serupa, tetapi berbeda.
‘Aku tidak salah lihat. Itu jelas lambang Serikat Penyihir Barat, yang belakangan ramai dibicarakan. Dan batu sihir kuning yang tertanam di sana… kualitasnya luar biasa, belum pernah kulihat yang seperti ini. Mungkinkah berasal dari tambang di Hutan Besar Sarain yang sangat berharga? Apalagi kalau batu itu sudah diberi ukiran sihir…!’
Serikat Penyihir Safir Selatan, tempat ia berasal, sangat berbeda dari Serikat Penyihir Barat yang berfokus pada penelitian. Bisa dibilang tempat itu menjunjung tradisi kuno; atau, lebih tepatnya, sudah lama sibuk melayani kaum bangsawan dengan membuat peralatan sihir alih-alih meneliti sihir.
Sebagian besar penyihirnya telah lama menyerah untuk mencapai kemajuan di Menara Mutiara dan kembali ke asal mereka karena bakat sihir yang kurang. Padahal, meski tak berbakat dalam sihir, mereka bisa saja mendedikasikan diri pada penelitian. Namun, Serikat Penyihir Safir juga tidak begitu tertarik pada hal itu.
Pada dasarnya, mereka lebih mirip pedagang yang gemar membuat peralatan sihir demi keuntungan daripada penyihir sejati. Karena itulah, mereka cepat mengenali peralatan sihir terbaru dan terbaik, selalu iri kepada para penyihir lain yang memperoleh kehormatan melalui penelitian sungguhan.
Serikat Penyihir Safir mungkin berpengaruh di daerahnya, tetapi tak banyak yang bisa mereka banggakan di kalangan penyihir. Sebaliknya, Serikat Penyihir Barat baru-baru ini mengukir nama di seluruh benua setelah berhasil mengembangkan mantra sihir agung—pencapaian yang tak pernah diraih selama berabad-abad. Penelitian bertahun-tahun di Hutan Besar Sarain yang berujung pada penemuan tambang batu sihir terbesar di benua itu juga menjadi bukti lain keberhasilan mereka.
Bagi para penyihir pada masa itu, mereka adalah petualang yang menemukan tambang emas tersembunyi.
Sang penyihir teringat pada bros dengan lambang Serikat Penyihir Barat yang mencolok.
Biasanya, seorang penyihir tak akan memberikan benda semahal dan serumit itu kepada seorang Pembangkit. Namun, kalau pria itu benar-benar ‘Yuder Aile’, masuk akal jika Serikat Penyihir Barat menghadiahkannya bros tersebut.
‘Kalau dia Yuder Aile yang namanya tercantum dalam mantra sihir agung “Yuder No. 1” yang diumumkan Serikat Penyihir Barat, wajar saja mereka tak segan-segan mengeluarkan biaya besar…!’
Itu adalah mantra sihir luar biasa yang bahkan tak sanggup ia ciptakan seumur hidup. Jika orang yang mengetahui segala hal tentang sihir yang membuat semua penyihir penasaran itu benar-benar ada di sini, sungguh mengejutkan.
Untuk pertama kalinya setelah sekian lama, ia merasakan darah penyihir dalam dirinya kembali bergejolak. Ia tak kuasa menahan diri untuk bertanya kepada Yuder tentang bros itu, batu sihirnya, dan apa pun mengenai ‘Yuder No. 1’ milik Serikat Penyihir Barat.
Namun, Yuder tak terpengaruh oleh tatapan penuh hasrat ingin tahu itu. Ia terus mencatat perkataannya tadi di atas kertas tanpa bersuara. Saat itulah sang penyihir kembali menyadari bahwa tuntutan yang ia ajukan sebagai wakil Serikat Penyihir Safir mungkin tidak disukai Yuder Aile maupun Kavaleri.
‘Ah, benar juga. Sial! Kalau tahu orang seperti dia akan ada di sini, tadi aku tak akan bicara sekasar itu… Sekarang citra serikat kami pasti sudah tercoreng. Bagaimana ini?’
Sementara sang penyihir gelisah sambil menggoyang-goyangkan lutut, orang ketiga, satu-satunya pemrotes dari rumah dagang, mengelupas kulit bibirnya yang kering karena alasan yang sedikit berbeda dari dua orang sebelumnya.
‘Mereka itu… siapa sebenarnya? Bagaimana mungkin mereka mengenakan barang-barang sehebat itu dengan santai, seolah-olah tak ada artinya, padahal semuanya tertutup debu!’
Semua berawal dari sarung tangan yang dikenakan Yuder. Pedagang itu awalnya terkejut melihat pena sihir canggih yang tak memerlukan tinta. Namun, setelah memperhatikannya lebih saksama, ia menyadari bahwa sarung tangan hitam di tangan Yuder yang memegang pena bahkan lebih mewah.
Karena penasaran, ia mengintip ke bawah meja. Sepatu yang tertata rapi di bawah kursi Yuder ternyata terbuat dari kulit yang lebih mahal dan tak mencolok daripada sarung tangannya. Namun, yang benar-benar membuat pedagang itu terkejut adalah hal lain.
Awalnya nyaris tak terlihat karena tampilannya sederhana, sepatu pria yang duduk di sebelah Yuder ternyata lebih mewah daripada sepatu Yuder sendiri. Pedagang itu mengira dirinya keliru, tetapi ternyata tidak. Saat mengangkat kepala untuk meneliti pakaian pria itu, ia mulai menyadari keberadaan barang-barang luar biasa lainnya.
Kulit yang diolah dengan obat dan cairan khusus yang sulit ditemukan. Kain khusus yang tampak tua, tetapi tetap bersih dan tidak terurai. Hiasan-hiasan kecil yang jelas dibuat dari banyak bahan berharga dan batu sihir yang dipotong serta dipoles dengan cermat.
Bagi mata yang tak terlatih, semua barang itu mungkin terlihat seperti pakaian biasa yang bisa dikenakan tentara bayaran atau pengelana mana pun. Namun, pedagang itu telah menghabiskan hidupnya di Charloin, tempat barang-barang langka dari seluruh benua diperdagangkan. Ia tak mungkin luput melihat nilai sebenarnya.
Saat menaksir harga tiap barang yang dikenakan pria itu, tak lama kemudian ia menyadari bahwa menghitung nilai semuanya sekaligus adalah usaha sia-sia. Kesadaran itu membuatnya diliputi kekaguman yang memusingkan.
‘Bagaimana mungkin satu orang mengenakan semua barang ini? Dan kenapa aku baru menyadarinya sekarang?’
Chapter 650
"That's alright. I have my pen here."
Yuder produced a pen from his pocket. At that moment, the official's eyes twitched nervously.
'…What's that?'
Simultaneously, the mage who sneakily glanced at the yellow magic stone brooch, which had subtly revealed itself from the flipped edge of Yuder's coat, widened his eyes slightly in recognition.
'That brooch, adorned with a magic stone and inscriptions... Could it be?'
The merchant, too, was not merely a passive observer. He scrutinized the gloves on Yuder's pen-holding hand with a suspicious gaze, blinking rapidly.
'I didn't notice before... but those gloves, now that I see them...?'
Silence fell.
'It's as if I can hear their thoughts rolling in their eyes.'
Yuder pretended not to notice the three onlookers who had begun to scrutinize their surroundings with renewed interest, focusing instead on documenting their statements on paper.
Writing was merely a tool for him. The true spectacle lay in the attention these three rascals directed towards other aspects of the scene. If they were causing a stir here, they must be quite greedy. Yet, this also implied their insignificance within their respective groups.
Why would those with power, skill, and connections bother coming here? It's the ones without prospects of success who resort to such measures.
Such individuals often fail to see the bigger picture, getting buried in short-term gains and obsessively clinging to connections, all the while forsaking any semblance of loyalty or honor.
Initially, when they followed him here, they were almost out of their minds. But sitting quietly in this space, anyone would regain their composure.
And so, they began to notice things previously overlooked.
Yuder had brought two items with him, deliberately selected before leaving the capital: a magic pen exclusively used by High Minister Hebreyina Reiflang, and a magic stone brooch sent from the Western Mage Union.
The High Minister's magic pen, which could turn water into ink, was custom-made, with the High Minister's name and family crest prominently engraved. Though the High Minister's position wasn't remarkably powerful, Hebreyina Reiflang herself hailed from a prestigious noble family.
Her lack of immense power was only relative to the four great dukedoms; to a lowly 7th-rank official from the south, she was an unreachable figure of authority.
The 7th-rank official, upon seeing Yuder Aile effortlessly using a pen signifying deep personal ties with the High Minister, must have thought:
'I've never heard of the High Minister having a personal connection with a Cavalry member... Was the cooperation directive more than just a routine recommendation? Could it be...'
'If I make a bad impression here, will my name reach the High Minister directly?'
Such thoughts were inevitable.
'The 3rd-rank official he mentioned earlier must be his direct backers, probably from the noble faction. But here, we have the High Minister.'
To the officials, the high minister was the highest authority. Desiring to impress a 3rd-rank official and inadvertently inciting the high minister's wrath, leading to a sudden loss of livelihood, was not an experience they would welcome.
'Even if he does, there's no belief that his backer will take responsibility for the aftermath.'
In the silence, a bead of sweat formed on the forehead of the 7th-rank official.
At the same moment, the mage harbored a thought similar yet distinct from the official's.
'I'm not mistaken. That's undoubtedly the insignia of the Western Mage Union, the talk of recent times. And that embedded yellow magic stone, an unseen top-quality product... Could it possibly be from the highly-valued Great Sarain Forest Mine? And if they've even engraved magic onto it...!'
The Southern Sapphire Mage Union, where he hailed from, differed greatly from the research-focused Western Mage Union. To put it kindly, it was a place of ancient tradition; alternatively, it had long been engrossed in serving nobility with magic tools rather than pursuing magic research.
The majority of its mages had long given up on advancing in the Pearl Tower, returning to their roots due to their lack of magic talents. Even though they could have dedicated themselves to research despite lacking magic aptitude, the Sapphire Mage Union did not take much pleasure in that either.
Effectively, they were more akin to merchants who enjoyed crafting magic tools for profit than true mages. Hence, they were quick to recognize the latest and finest magic tools, always envying other mages who gained honor through proper research.
The Sapphire Mage Union might have had influence locally, but among mages, they had little to boast about. In contrast, the Western Mage Union had recently made a name across the continent by successfully developing a grand magic spell, a feat not attempted for centuries. Their years of arduous research in the Great Sarain Forest, leading to the discovery of the continent's largest magic stone mine, was another testament to their accomplishments.
To the mages of that time, they were adventurers who had struck a hidden gold mine.
The mage recalled the brooch adorned with the bold emblem of the Western Mage Union.
Typically, a mage wouldn't bestow such a precious and painstakingly crafted item on an Awakener. However, if that man was indeed 'Yuder Aile', then it made sense that the Western Mage Union would gift it to him.
'If he's the Yuder Aile of the great 'Yuder No. 1' magic spell announced by the Western Mage Union, then it's only natural they'd spare no expense...!'
It was a monumental magic spell that he couldn't dream of creating even in a lifetime. If the person who knew all about that magic, which every mage wondered about, was truly here, it was an astounding revelation.
For the first time in a long while, the mage felt the blood of a mage boiling within him. He was irresistibly eager to ask Yuder about the brooch, the magic stone, and anything regarding the 'Yuder No. 1' of the Western Mage Union.
Yet, Yuder, unmoved by the mage's eager gaze, continued to silently jot down his earlier words on paper. It was then that the mage realized anew the demands he had made as a representative of the Sapphire Mage Union were likely unwelcome from Yuder Aile and the Cavalry's standpoint.
'Ah, that's right. Damn! If I had known someone like him would be here, I wouldn't have spoken so harshly earlier... Now, our union's image must be tarnished. How do I handle this?'
While the mage jittered his knee nervously, the third and last protester from the trading house was peeling the skin off his dry lips for a slightly different reason than the previous two.
'Those guys... what are they? How can they nonchalantly wear such incredible items, covered in dirt as if they're nothing!'
It all began with the gloves Yuder was wearing. The merchant was initially astonished by the sophisticated magic pen that required no ink, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the black gloves adorning Yuder's pen-holding hand were an even more luxurious product.
Curious, they peered under the table, only to find that the neatly placed shoes under Yuder's chair were crafted from a more expensive and inconspicuous leather than the gloves. However, what truly shocked the merchant was something else.
At first barely noticeable due to their unassuming appearance, the shoes of the man seated next to Yuder were even more luxurious than Yuder's own. The merchant thought he was mistaken, but he wasn't. Raising his head to scrutinize the man's clothing, he started noticing incredible items.
Leather treated with hard-to-find special drugs and liquids. An old-looking but remarkably clean and unraveled special fabric. Small decorations clearly crafted from numerous painstakingly cut and polished precious materials and magic stones.
To the untrained eye, these items might appear as mere ordinary garb that any mercenary or traveler could wear. However, the merchant, who had spent his life in Charloin, a place where rare items from across the continent passed through, could not overlook their true worth.
As the merchant assessed the value of each item the man wore, he soon realized that attempting to calculate their collective worth was futile, a realization that brought with it a dizzying sense of awe.
'How can one person possibly wear all these items? And why am I only realizing this now?'
[BL] Bermuda
Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.
Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.
"Since when have you been watching me?"
Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.
"From the very beginning."
[BL] Cloudless Sky
Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.
"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."
In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.
"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."
And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.
"For now, until then, let's sleep..."
As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.
'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'
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