CESAGA

Hrakas glanced at Suria.

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

Suria's face lit up.

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

Hrakas nodded, then 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.

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

"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 replied.

Hrakas sensed that perhaps the suggestion he had given wasn't entirely suitable.

Little did he know, Purnama was determined to find a safer way to sneak into Renok, avoiding detection by Erabis' soldiers who can recognize a Celestrias.

Suria, understanding her brother's concerns, put on her scarf and followed Hrakas.

"Let's go, Hrakas. Purnama probably feels it's too risky to cross Yurok fort as your assistants," 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 tent selling raw meat on their left.

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

They moved closer to the shop, 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 seller, 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 kind of 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 gravy and marinade.

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

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

"Oh yes. In addition to the sales income, I also need to 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 beginning to 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 him 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. He helped Hrakas settle onto a wooden chair, offering a reassuring look before turning to the task at hand.

"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 the two of them as he processed their words.

"You... need my help?"

Purnama nodded, his expression sincere.

"We need your help to sneak into Renok undetected so we can eliminate Erabis. Our mission was originally just 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 up in his eyes and silently trickled down his weathered face as he bowed his head, Purnama's words echoing like a promise of salvation.

Feeling the old man's pain, Purnama placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"We'll do everything we can, Hrakas. For now, though, we need to prepare. I've come up with a plan to sneak past Erabis's guards in Yurok."

Hrakas nodded, wiping his eyes.

"Whatever you need," he whispered.

After locking the shop, the three of them gathered around the small square table as Purnama explained his plan.

Earlier, 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 trio got to work, Hrakas guiding them as they crafted the necessary modifications.

The twins helped with other preparations, including grilling the satay that Hrakas had started earlier.

"Don't worry too much about how you cook the satay," Hrakas laughed heartily, his voice filled with renewed hope.

"It doesn't need to be perfect—you'll win against that bastard Erabis 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!!"

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 meticulously planning and preparing for the operation. Time flew by, and by the time they finished, the moon hung high in the midnight sky.

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

The mission to Renok was ready to begin.