The Thousand Mask Warrior

Niaga City

In this age nothing can really be called the betrayal of an ordinary citizen. Traitors are intended only for family members and royal officials. Ordinary citizens only live to find survivors, obey the ruler or the reigning king. Rulers alternate with war and subjugation.

Every power uses whatever means it can use to achieve its goals. For example, immigrants from overseas Caucasian kingdoms could become enemies in the future, such as the Walanda company, the United Kingdom or Pranggi.

This can be seen from the relationship between Prince Jayakarta Wijayakrama, the leader of Betawi while still named Jayakarta, allied with the United Kingdom to fight Walanda as a trading rival before it was conquered by Walanda in 1619. Good relations with foreign countries can also be traced from the beginning of good relations with Walanda Mataram through the VOC in 1621 AD. The two sides sent ambassadors to each other. Even when Walanda managed to take Jayakarta from the hands of Banten and now named Betawi, Sultan Agung took advantage of their good relationship by asking Walanda for help to attack Surabaya and face business competition with Banten.

The request to attack Surabaya was rejected by Walanda to anger Sultan Agung. Likewise, Mataram's grand plan to conquer Banten was finally disrupted because its location on the western end of the island of Java was blocked by Walanda in Betawi. Mataram's attacks on Betawi in 1928 and 1929 were the result.

Badranaya, Abdul Gofur, is also a regular citizen. His face that has a Persian or Middle Eastern look can still be protected with his Japanese side so that he looks more or less like a native Javanese.

The blood of the businessman flowed profusely within his body. So, going to various places in Java to find the true identity includes efforts to become rich as well as successful or respected people. Badra doesn't care who she has to serve and work with, as long as it can make her reach her ultimate goal or the greatest achievement of her life. So, working in Betawi is also not a form of devotion to the Walanda Caucasian nation.

Arriving at Betawi a few years ago, the country has begun to show its strength. Especially when it was a few years since Betawi managed to defend itself against the attack of the strongest kingdom in Java, Islamic Mataram.

The country has a hard life for travelers and traders. This can be understood because when Betawi was still named Sunda Kalapa and became the most important city of Pakuan Pajajaran Kingdom, this port area has close relations with various countries such as Palembang, Tanjungpura, Maluku, Gowa, Indonesia, Madura, even foreign countries such as Hindustani and Keling, China and Ryuku in Japan.

Then when Betawi was still named Jayakarta, this area has a distinctive pattern of urban planning such as the center of Islamic kingdoms in Java. There are squares, mosques, markets, Angke village and Kampung Cina reinforced wooden fences as the defense line of the city.

There is already a difference in spatial layout of the area inside and outside the city fortress.

From the building of the body, for example, can be distinguished spatial building and

the building functions are located inside and outside the city fortress.

The Walanda Company then conquered Jayakarta and moved its seat of government from Maluku there and changed its name to Betawi. This was done because spices were no longer an all-too-important trade item in the world. Betawi was chosen to facilitate control of the rice and timber trade that is widely produced on the island of Java. This new merchandise is even a separate advantage for the Walanda company.

The city of Betawi became a bustling commercial area and Fish Market became a commercial city that was a combination of large trade with retail trade both foreign and in and around the area itself. Every morning until afternoon and continued until evening, the market is still open to the public in buying and selling merchandise.

In this Fish Market seems to have gathered thousands of people from all over the world, especially women who bring produce to be traded. In some places in the fish market was built a special place for shops that are usually made of bamboo that roofed with weeds and its function is only temporary. Sometimes this market is only held under a large tree that is spacious enough to gather.

The goods usually found for sale included wheat or grains, clothing, handicrafts, fish, brass craftsmen, iron, and copper goods, handicrafts from the Chinese, Hindustani, and others, european Caucasians and so on.

There are also sold types of cooked food with tastes of Java, Pasundan, China and the archipelago. There are various types of fruits and vegetables at various prices according to the quality of merchandise. So, trade in this port arises in the event of a meeting between supply and demand for the desired goods.

Local women sold pepper and groceries to foreign buyers, while each group of foreign merchants had a place to sell their goods. This is also a trading activity at the Fish Market that becomes busy every day to sell foodstuffs such as rice, vegetables, fruits, sugar, fish and meat, livestock, pepper or cloves. In addition to food and spices there is also a trade in weapons, tools and metal goods in the Fish Market.

Although many, this Fish Market is governed by a Syahbandar who held a court when there was a trade dispute from various people from all over the world who came to sell and do business in Betawi.

A Shahbandar served inside to monitor the trading activities of pepper, clove and cinnamon which were the most important trade goods outside the area.

Betawi slowly became the center of world trade, the commercial city, which traded spices and groceries, clothing, gold, and timber. Betawi sells out merchandise areas from the interior that are also supported from the Ciliwung River that flows from the interior to the commercial area.

From the Ciliwung River can support transportation to transport merchandise towards the commercial area so that, as the Walanda company wanted, Betawi became a developed trading city on the trade route between Malacca and Maluku, previous Walanda's place of power.

The state of business and trade that took place in Betawi created most of the country's business and finances dependent on the use of forced labor and slavery. Even half the population of Betawi is slaves imported from the market of slavery in the country of Hindustan, Mangkasar and the eastern islands of the archipelago. What can be done, Betawi relations with other regions in the archipelago and abroad have occurred since this area is called Sunda Kalapa.

These slaves were owned by private or agricultural entrepreneurs. The results of the efforts of these agricultural entrepreneurs in the form of sugar, rice, vegetables and fruits are traded outside the main city, or outside the Betawi fort.

Outside the city there are also other businesses such as the transportation of goods and food at the port, warehousing management and repair and maintenance of ships at the Walanda naval dockyard. In the city itself, business and financial activities occur in the form of trade through shops and markets and handicrafts.

Badra has tried almost all areas and types of work, including working in Chinese shops in the city. No wonder he is quite skilled in the world of shipping and shipping. He also knew well the situation in the inner and outer areas of the city of Betawi.

Hardness Betawi not only in terms of business and financial activities, but also the rigors of life in the real sense.

As a city as well as a new state, Betawi is hostile to many other countries and kingdoms in Java and the archipelago, as well as being loved by various residents from around the world. Many came to the country to gain fortune, either personally or to propose cooperation with the ruler through royal envoys or territories under other kingdoms.

As a result, crime is spreading in this area. Various crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, theft, poisoning, assault, or assault, even battles between units of soldiers imported from different regions and tribes and brawls between villages or areas inside and outside the fort almost always occur.

This situation made the Walanda company government to give terrible punishments that level competing with the punishment given by Mataram.

There are two main areas in Betawi that are used as places to carry out the death penalty and other types of punishments. Both places are in front of Betawi castle and City Hall. There, ordinary people can see firsthand almost every day people are punished. There were bodies of inmates stamped or stamped with smoldering iron, their ears and noses cut, hung, their bodies pulled and broken with tools or using horsepower, beheaded or other gruesome punishments.

As a result on the streets can be seen former convicts or punitive people who walk back and forth, begging or being homeless with disfigured bodies or faces without noses and ears.

The Walandas used executioners from native champions and warriors who were paid a fair price or people from the Japanese state.

Often officials and fighters or Walanda's own Caucasian champions take part, just for fun. One of them was Devisser de Jaager, an officer and a Walanda fighter.

The story of Devisser de Jaager is actually known to Badranaya directly because he had worked with this Caucasian for several months. From here he knows well the problems of interests between countries and regions and the role of Walanda in it.

The story about Devisser de Jaager that Jayaseta heard from Keling's grandfather was not the real story, it could even be said not to approach in the slightest. But that does not mean that the story of Devisser de Jaager defeating the mob is also excessive, even the actual events are much more horrendous.

It can be said that way for a number of reasons. First, the fact is that de Jaager is not one person, but two Walanda brothers who are both officers of the Walanda army. Indeed, the younger brother named Devisser de Jaager has a tall stature that makes it stand out. Perhaps he is known as the only swordsman from Walanda. But his older brother, Sebastian de Jaager is a Caucasian who has an ordinary stature.

The two are known as a pair of de Jaager, the Walanda soldiers who are tough because they have the ability of martial arts from a qualified bule country. In reality, they did not just paralyze five former Banten soldiers, but they managed to kill twenty of them.

Secondly, it was not only the de Jaager brothers who killed the twenty attackers with their hands. It was ridiculous to hear the story of a Walanda army officer walking around alone and stopping at a diner. Surely the Caucasians who have important positions must always be escorted by some other soldier.

That's what happened, though, two indigenous soldiers from Ternate armed with shotguns and kelewang hanging from their waists along with two ronin or Samurai without a master from Japan named Takizawa Hideyoshi and Mishima Koguro accompanied them.

The two Japanese were zamurai characters, ronin who sold their services as assassins, executioners or bouncers and bodyguards anyone who dares and can afford them at a reasonable price. While the two Ternate soldiers who accompanied them were two special soldiers who were trained to shoot precisely by Walanda. It was they who were in charge of protecting the two sword fighting officers.

In contrast to most Walanda soldiers and soldiers who focused their attention on the shrewdness of war planning including advanced weaponry and fortifications where they learned strategies to win the war and reach power, he said, the De Jaager brothers also deepened their science of kanuragan and self-treatment. They are not just soldiers who must have the ability to fight and conquer enemies.

They are also not just Walanda soldiers who now have more use of cutting-edge weapons such as firearms, cannons and advanced fortification science. They felt they themselves were warriors thirsty for battle and canuragan science. They forge themselves with swordsmanship and capable self-treatment.

During Badra's work under de Jaager, he noticed many things. According to him, Walanda will soon become strong and could conquer the archipelago someday. Not without reason, having successfully blocked the pace of Mataram, Walanda seems to have big plans centered under one goal, for the greatness of the Walanda state in the far West. While the kingdoms on the island of Java, from Mataram, Banten or Cerbon continue to attack each other and as a hostile. Not to mention the kingdoms throughout the archipelago.

Therefore, Badra knew where he was and the purpose of his life. While Mataram was still the strongest kingdom on the island of Java and even the archipelago, he had to prepare himself when Walanda took over the power.

His life should be safe when pretending to be a leader of a subordinate warrior horde, until he meets the niece. Unfortunately again, he had already loved his only family and now Jayaseta has become a target Walanda and especially the former master where he served, the brothers de Jaager.

Can't help but he has to do something. He must face his former master.