The Musafir
Chitra Anggini's Explanation of Koying
They then sat face to face. Bleeding several times because of feeling awkwardness. There were actually many things that both of them wanted to discuss, but they did not know how to start. Moreover, with the atmosphere that had become so rigid as it was now!
“Maybe, we can start with small discussions first, before entering into larger discussions. Think of me as a true friend. Don't let an awkward atmosphere like this last much longer.” Mantingan revealed everything blatantly. Hoping to provoke the confidence of Chitra Anggini to talk casually with him.
“I've been to kotaraja five times as many,” said Chitra Anggini later. “Every time go there, I always bring interest. So that can be said, I pretty much understand the intricacies of kotaraja. So ask me anything you want to ask.”
***
MANTINGAN starts with the question, “How wide is the city?”
Chitra Anggini was silent for a while, before finally answering, “I never know the exact size, but if it has a size of eleven-twelve from Sundapura in Tarumanagara.”
The mantel smiled awkwardly. Scratching his head that does not itch. Then say, “I have never been to Sundapura.”
Chitra Anggini shook his head softly while clucking in slices. “I'm starting to doubt whether you're really a wanderer or not. Moreover, you are the Sky Stakeholder from Tarumanagara, people will never believe when word of you who has never visited Sundapura is spread. Geez, is not Sundapura the city of Tarumanagara which is also the only largest and most advanced city in Javadvipa?”
The mantle fluttered his arms. “That's not something to be concerned about. After all, I don't think the size of the city will have too much of an effect on our duties. Later after getting there, I will be able to see it for myself.”
Chitra Anggini nodded his head. Understood. Stop giving a look that seems to make fun of Mantingan because he has never visited Sundapura.
“Then, what else do you want to ask about kotaraja?”
“Party people.” The mantle pulls his back from the back of the bench. Started real. “What is their job? What language are they using? How is life there, prosperous or deficient?”
“You asked as if you were going to take over the king's reign.” Chitra Anggini laughed softly. Unlike the Mantingan who looked solemn, the woman tried to be more relaxed. “But however, I will explain it to you ...”
Kotaraja Koying is the largest capital city in Dwipantara. Only slightly compared to Chang’an, the capital of the House of Jin in the Roofing Sky Country there.
Mantingan asked, is it not excessive to mention Kotaraja Koying only compared to a little from Kotaraja Chang’an— which is the center of world civilization today?
But for that, Chitra Anggini shook his head and explained that the civilization of Dwipantara is actually more advanced than the civilization of the Land of the Roof of Heaven in some fields. Including magic, which is very thick in Koying Kotaraja.
“When you arrive in Kotaraja later, you will find many children who play magic on the streets. Laughing merrily, like the energy they were playing it was not never to kill thousands of warriors in the martial well. Form a wide variety of animals with glowing spells. Anyway, very amazing.”
If the children are like that, what about the adults in Koying?
For this reason Chitra Anggini again gave an answer, “The Koying people have long considered magic as a trivial. Just toys as a child. However, not a few adults who remain struggling with magic and become experts in it. This is the same as the world of storytelling, where a fairy tale is considered to be a cheap story for children alone, but adults can still choose a job to be a storyteller or even a story maker, because the whole fairy tale is actually written by adults.”
Mantingan nodded his head before asking Chitra Anggini to continue his explanation of people's lives in Kotaraja.
There are many wise men in Kotaraja. They are precious government treasures. Their job in Kotaraja is to be an advisor or researcher. Essentially, scholar. It was these wise men who had traveled all the way to their country the blondes only to learn science, and all the necessities of their journey had been borne by the Koying government.
Wise people are highly respected by the people of Kotaraja, even the king respect them.
“They often talk about something very complicated,” Chitra Anggini said as she furrowed her brows. “That's philosophy.”
The king considered that in government, religion, trade, culture, and community life, philosophy became something very important.
“They learned a lot of philosophy from the Land of the Roof of the Sky, and Greece—negeri blond people.”
“Koying controls the Silk Road, its capital is also not located far from the coast, so indeed many foreign traders who stop there before returning to sail east and west.”
It is impossible if the power that guards the Silk Road lags behind its progress. Kotaraja Koying is magnificent and sophisticated, almost matching Kotaraja Chang’an in the Land of Roofing Sky.
“There are many tall buildings with conical roofs. Also built high towers in a number of places, called pagodas, as a reminder of time.”
“Time reminder?” This time, the Mantingan had to cut. Fear Chitra Anggini explained something else that was no less surprising.
“Yes. Because Kotaraja is very busy with various kinds of affairs, then the awareness of time is very much needed. The pagodas were filled by a number of watchdogs and sages, to account for time by paying attention to the location of the sun, the behavior of animals, and even the hourglass. The pagodas would emit different colors at all times, and the sound of canang would accompany it at every turn of time.
“When the ground is bright, the light will be orange and the canang will be hit three times. During the day, the light will be red and the canang will be hit six times. When the night in which all the activities of the city will be reduced and the surveillance doubled, the light will be blue and the canang hit nine times. And when it is midnight where all activities will be closely watched, the light will be green and the canang will be struck twelve times. All of them are called Kala Bangun, Kala Terang, Kala Dark, and Kala Gulita.”
While listening to that, Mantingan was really flabbergasted. Did not expect such sophistication to exist in one of the Dwipantara civilizations. How grand and sophisticated is Koying really?
“You're so tacky, Mantingan. Such timers also exist in Sundapura, even with a sophistication that surpasses Kotaraja Koying. Too bad, you haven't seen it.”
Mantingan was not offended at all, let alone to the point of anger. Just ask Chitra Anggini to continue his elaboration.
There were also many expert physicians who settled in Koying. They were valuable treasures that the government had other than the scholars. Health in Koying is something that is quite important too, because newcomers from other countries are not impossible to bring disease outbreaks.
“Every immigrant from a foreign country, no matter if it is just an ordinary merchant or state official, must undergo quarantine for two days. During that time, healers will continue to check and monitor their health.”
And for the sake of maintaining health, then cleanliness in the city is tightened as well. Let not the plague come from within the city itself.
“In the markets, vegetables that have been rotten or just want to be thrown away should not be left alone on the ground. Everything has to go in the trash. Can't be lazy. The fine is big enough for those who break it.
“While houses should not dispose of bathroom waste carelessly. There is an underground channel that connects with every bathroom in the city. Those wastes will be flowed into the ocean.”
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