The Musafir
The Situation in Kotaraja Slum Settlement
INDEED Mantingan does not know what to reply, and even if he knows, he will not respond to the question if it is inappropriate.
So Chitra Anggini again asked the question, “Where are we aiming now?”
“Kotaraja Slum Settlement,” Reply Short manting.
“What else to do there?” Chitra Anggini's face instantly deteriorated. The Kotaraja Slum is a disgusting and dangerous place for him.
“Sharing food,” replied the young man. “I still have enough stealth meat to share. At least, it will be enough to support them for the next few months.”
“Do not act at will without mature calculation.” Back Chitra Anggini looked at him. “They have warned us not to act miscellaneous in that place.”
Of course, what Chitra Anggini means as “they” is the underground warriors who control the Kotaraja Slum completely. The mantan still has not forgotten the events of the night when he was almost killed by the magic of an opponent who was too strong.
However, now Mantingan has a little confidence to be able to face them. Has he not mastered the same magic, and has even reached the highest level of mastery of the science? Wouldn't he be able to take out thousands of flying knives made from that stone in the blink of an eye?
“They just warned us not to look for trouble. Do you think what we're doing there is looking for trouble?” Manting.
“We don't really know what is meant by them as ‘problem’. Your actions can indeed be considered as a solution to the displaced people in the Kotaraja Slum, but what if it is considered a threat to the rulers who inhabit the place?”
“If it happens, then we have to deal with it.” Mantin smiled widely behind the shadow of his caping, making Chitra Anggini completely unable to understand with his behavior.
“Great you, looking for other problems when past problems are still unresolved.”
“No. I do this can actually help solve our problem.”
“How to?”
Mantingan then issued a badge given to all guests of the Love Event, including himself. But his badge had been tied to a rope to resemble a necklace. Chitra Anggini still shook his head slowly, a sign that he did not understand what Mantingan meant.
“This badge bears the royal banner. Anyone who sees it at a glance will think of us as people from the palace.”
Chitra Anggini was stuck for a moment before finally understanding also with the spell!
“Licik!” chitra Anggini exclaimed half, but even so he still whispered small.
Mantingan only smiled without responding to the remark further, because however Kiai Guru Kedai had indeed said to him:
Not long after, they arrived at the gate of Kotaraja Slum Settlement, which now seems a little better than before.
No longer looks like a corpse that is scattered without anyone taking care of it. The rubbish has also been cleaned up. Unpleasant smells no longer emit air. However, the buildings inside did not change at all.
“I have given a little lesson about civilization to them.” Chitra Anggini half sneered, “when given food, they just listened to everything I said! But if there is no food, then nothing enters their ears.”
The two then walked through the gate. There were some people walking on the streets that were now clean from all distractions. They glanced at Mantingan and Chitra Anggini, but the men did not seem to recognize the two, although actually in the minds of all residents in that place has carved the face of Chitra Anggini when distributing food clearly.
However, who could recognize him in the existence of a shadow magic spell?
Quickly, Mantingan and Chitra Anggini arrived at Permata Malam Inn, an inn they always visited when visiting Kotaraja Slum Settlement. There, a thin young man they recognized was standing guard at the inn. When he saw the two, the young man could instantly recognize them.
“Two generous heroes, you guys are coming back!” With a faint smile, the young man rushed over to the two.
A quick mantle beckoned the innkeeper to calm down, translated by raising one hand. It would be troublesome if the people in the Kotaraja Slum knew of his presence before he was ready to welcome them.
“How are you and the people here?” Mantingan directly asked the question without pleasantries, although the question seemed pleasantries.
“Everything improved thanks to Heroes. None of us were hungry. Bodies are no longer a meal.” The young man recounted as if the situation in the place had changed to its best, even though his body still looked so thin that anyone who saw it would always think about squalor.
“I hear that is how it is, but I see your chest still accentuates the bones.” The mantle shook slowly. “Is there less food?”
With a slight sense of unease, the frail young man explained, “Forcuse the peril that said presumptuous, Hero Generosity, please, but it must be a danger to admit that the food available today is not enough for all people in this settlement. Although we do not feel hungry as usual, we still have to save money so that food does not run out quickly.”
Continuing his explanation uninterruptedly, the young man recounted that the average resident in Kotaraja Slum only ate once every two days with the Mantan-giving stealth meat. Even so, food supplies are expected to last only until one full moon ahead.
“The residents have tried their best so that the meat given by the Hero can be more filling. Including by cooking it into soup then sprinkled with wood powder or grass. If lucky, some families can get younger pieces of wood or fresher grass. But if unlucky, they will only get winged wood or dried grass.” The frail young man finished his explanation with a headband.
“Duhai! Are you human or goat?” Just drop Chitra Anggini snatched with a striking sentence. “If there is no food, then work to find money, instead of just resigned to the circumstances without any will to change it.”
The mantra stared at Chitra Anggini so sharply, so sharply, that even the magic spell of the shadow was not much power to hold its sharpness. When he wanted to send a loud rebuke to her, unexpectedly the frail young man retaliated.
“It's not like it's our will, Mum. Indeed, when we have the energy to just walk, we go across this city to find work. We will accept anything, even cleaning human feces is not a matter at all. But once the people of Kotaraja found out that we were from the slums, people considered inferior to Astacandala, then they just drove us away without wanting to see or just hear our abilities. It is sad for all of us, when one of our friends is dying on the brink of death from expulsion.”
