A Spark of Hope in Jyala

The morning atmosphere felt peaceful, as if something good was on the horizon, promising change after a long period of stagnation.

Hrakas pulled out a wooden wheelbarrow, a bit worn but sturdy, which he had crafted himself. He secured a leather pouch filled with SAGA around his waist.

"Do you want to come with me to the main route? I need to buy some raw ingredients for my satay dishes."

"Really? Sure, I'd love to!" Suria replied eagerly.

Just as they were about to head out, Purnama appeared and smiled at them, now looking fresh and clean.

"Purnama, we're heading out to buy ingredients for satay. Do you want to come along?" Suria asked.

"Oh, it's alright. You two go ahead. I need to figure out another way to get into Renok." 

Purnama was determined to find a safer way to sneak into Renok, avoiding detection by Erabis' soldiers who could recognize a Celestrias.

Understanding her brother's concerns, Suria wore her scarf and followed Hrakas.

"Let's go, Hrakas. Purnama probably feels it's too risky to cross Yurok Fort as your assistant," Suria explained as if reading her brother's mind.

"Ah, I see..."

"It might be troublesome for all of us if the soldiers find out we're not locals, Hrakas," Suria added.

"I get what you mean."

As Hrakas pushed his wooden wheelbarrow, he began telling Suria the history of Jyala village.

"Once upon a time, Jyala was much more beautiful than it is now. We used to set aside part of our earnings for village development. But now, with constant hard labor, we barely have the energy for anything else," Hrakas explained with a heavy heart.

"Perhaps I could talk to Erabis and see if he might lighten the villagers' burden," Suria suggested confidently.

"Ah! Would you do that? Thank you!" Hrakas said, his face brightening with hope.

Hrakas then pointed toward the stall selling raw meat on its left.

"Suria, let's go to the market over there. The meat is fresh and perfect for making delicious satay," he explained.

They moved closer to the stall, and Suria saw several pieces of fresh beef hanging, neatly arranged on a cloth-lined table.

"How are you, Joskah?!" Hrakas called out to the butcher, who was cutting the meat.

"Good day, Hrakas! Huh...? Who is this with you?" Joskah asked, surprised to see Hrakas, who usually came alone.

"This is my guest, Joskah! She traveled from the west to negotiate with Erabis for our land development! Please, give me the best slice of meat you have today!" Hrakas eagerly requested, looking forward to the twins' meeting with Erabis.

"Great to see you full of energy, Hrakas! Hold on a moment; let me get this ready for you," Joskah said as he sliced the fresh meat for his regular customer and neatly placed it into the wheelbarrow.

"Hrakas, let me help you with the wheelbarrow," Suria offered.

"It's heavy, Suria. It's not good for a man to let a woman carry all the heavy stuff," Hrakas explained.

"Are you looking down on me, Hrakas?" Suria asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no... It's just that you're my guest. I don't think it's appropriate for me to ask..." Hrakas stammered.

"This is getting us nowhere. Just give me the wheelbarrow, old man! I'm a trained merchant; this is nothing for me!" Suria insisted, grabbing the wooden wheelbarrow from Hrakas.

"Oh my, you're strong, Suria!" Hrakas exclaimed, noticing how easily she handled the wheelbarrow filled with sliced meat.

They then bought onions, beans, dried chilies, cucumbers, cumin, lemongrass, coriander, turmeric, salt, and sugar to prepare the sauce and marinade.

After finishing their purchases, they returned to the shop, only to find that Purnama was not inside. Suria parked the wheelbarrow beside the counter and examined the ingredients they had bought.

"Hrakas, are all of these just to compensate Erabis?"

"Oh yes. In addition to the sales income, I must prepare hundreds of special satays for Erabis' dining," Hrakas replied.

Furious and unable to accept the answer she had just heard, Suria felt her patience wane.

"Argh! Erabis is too much!! Who does he think he is?! Let me teach him a lesson later!" Suria slammed her hand down on the wooden counter, causing it to crack in two.

Hrakas, who was mid-preparation with the ingredients, stumbled back, startled by her outburst.

"Wh... who exactly... are you...?" Hrakas's voice trembled with fear, his eyes wide as he glanced at the broken counter.

Suria, realizing the intensity of her outburst, softened immediately. Her fierce expression faded as she approached him, taking his trembling hand gently into hers.

"Haha... I mean, teach Erabis the proper way to build his empire," she said, flashing a playful smile as if trying to lighten the mood.

"It's okay, Suria," Purnama's calm voice cut in as he stepped into the shop and locked the door.

He helped Hrakas settle onto a wooden chair.

"Hrakas, we're Celestrias," Purnama began, meeting the older man's eyes. "Our purpose is to investigate the Darkseed, the ones threatening humanity—specifically the Puaka. Erabis is one of them."

Suria raised an eyebrow, glancing at her brother.

"So, we're telling the truth now, huh?"

"There's no other way, Suria," Purnama said, keeping his voice steady.

"We need his help, and coming in as Hrakas's assistants will alert the lesser Puaka at Yurok. We need to approach this differently."

"Well," Suria said, turning back to Hrakas, "everything Purnama said is true. We're sorry for deceiving you, but we can't risk exposing ourselves. Keeping our movements secret is crucial, or else our surveillance mission could be compromised by the Puaka."

Hrakas's eyes flicked between them as he processed their words.

"You... need my help?"

Purnama nodded, his expression sincere.

"We need your help to sneak into Renok undetected to eliminate Erabis. Our mission was originally to investigate, but with how things stand here in Jyala... we have no choice but to end this misery."

Hrakas couldn't find the words to express the deep gratitude and hope he felt listening to what Purnama had said. It was as if his prayers had been answered. Tears welled in his eyes and silently trickled down his weathered face as he bowed his head. Purnama's words echoed like a promise of salvation.

"We'll do everything we can, Hrakas. For now, though, we need to prepare."

Hrakas nodded, wiping his eyes.

"Whatever you need," he whispered.

The three gathered around the small square table as Purnama explained his plan.

While outside, Purnama had noticed a collection of woodworking items stored near the water reservoir and realized Hrakas had carpentry skills.

Purnama asked if they could use the two large water barrels, suggesting a modification involving two layers of round wooden panels with thick surfaces.

After listening to the plan, Hrakas finally broke the silence.

"I can do that," he said, his voice regaining strength. "I'll make those layers using the counter you broke, Suria."

Suria flashed him a sheepish grin.

"Sorry about that."

"No worries," Hrakas said with a chuckle. "We'll make it happen."

The twins helped with other preparations, including grilling the satay, while Hrakas got his hand on the woodworking.

"Don't worry too much about how you cook the satay; it doesn't need to be perfect—you'll win against that bastard anyway! My granny used to tell me stories about the great Celestrias, but I never thought the day would come when one would be in my shop! HARHARHAR!!" Hrakas laughed heartily, his voice filled with renewed hope.

Purnama and Suria exchanged glances, smiling at Hrakas's infectious laughter. It was the first time they had heard it, and it warmed their hearts to see the old man smiling again despite everything.

They spent the rest of the day planning and preparing for the operation. Time flew by, and the moon hung high in the midnight sky by the time they finished.

Purnama carefully inspected the modified barrel, ensuring it was sturdy, while Hrakas and Suria arranged the neatly grilled satay.

Their mission to invade Renok was ready to begin.