Re:START/If {Book 1.0}
Chapter 49: Mutual-Evit 9 of 10 “Has been taken” (Part 03)

At two o'clock in the morning, the air was still cold and everyone who had previously been waiting for the final result of the duel had mostly fallen asleep in their respective rooms in the Mylta city barracks complex. The windows that were still emitting light had been extinguished, seen from the outside of almost all the buildings in the barracks area was seen in the evening except for one window in the main building.

In the Warrior Chief's office room, the crystal light was still lit and light filled the room where the people who were still awake gathered. The room has a classic architectural design that is not too much decoration, but piles of documents and letters of agreement are placed neatly on the floor. Workbench with a hard pile of parchment, a living table with two sofas that can be occupied by up to six people in the middle of the room and a light pole with a light crystal covered with lacy brown cloth in the corner of the room.

The people gathered at the venue included his personal Vil, Arca and his two Butlers, Lisia, Iitla Lots, Odo, Aprilo and his personal Butler, Wicead Richard, Joe John, among others, and an old man with long gray hair single-tailed to the back. All of these people are in one room, making the usually quiet office full and look crowded.

One sofa was used for Odo who fell asleep like a corpse, while the sofa across the table was used for Arca to sit with Vil and Lisia next to him. Other than them, everyone in the room was standing in the room and leaning his back against the wall. At first glance the atmosphere in the office felt very heavy, to the point that no one opened their mouth and made a sound.

Putting the parchment on the table, Arca stated, “I lost the duel. This is my official agreement with Odo and I hereby declare under all my property will be his.”

Despite hearing this directly from the mouth of the Sculpture, the merchants of the Lorian Union looked disbelieving and stared dissatisfied. As the Aprilo executive stopped leaning by the door with his two colleagues and servants, he walked up to the table and picked up the letter of agreement. Reading it carefully, the letter of the contract was indeed made precisely and there was clearly a signature of both parties on it.

Putting the paper on the table and returning it, the short blonde-haired middle-aged man made sure, “What ... Mr Odo actually signed this letter?”

“Of course. That's proof, do you think I faked a letter that hurt me?” said Arca while smiling thinly. He stared flatly and briefly raised both his eyebrows.

“Lalu ...” Aprilo looked towards the black-haired youth who was sound asleep with bare chest and completely motionless from the other sofa, completely looking like a corpse yet still breathing very slowly. “Why is Mr Odo like that?” ask the executive.

“That's the side effect,” replied Vil entered into the conversation.

Aprilo looked at the blue-haired woman and asked back, “Side effect of magic? Or side effects due to fatigue?”

“Two ...”

Aprilo glimpsed, staring lightly at the blue-haired woman. This was not the first time the two of them met and talked to each other, while discussing about some plans and bargaining before using the Porzan inn as well they had exchanged sentences for quite a while. Aprilo understood that Vil was a Great Spirit, he also understood that the blue-haired woman was quite clever when discussing and bargaining.

“Nona ... Vil ..?”

“Iya.”

“If it is true Mr. Odo won the duel, what he ordered ... it ...”

Aprilo could not say it clearly, the gaze from the Mylta City Government Party made him depressed and had to keep the speech to not invite trouble. At first glance the executive turned his eyes, giving a body language signal to Vil without having to say it directly.

The Great Spirit understood that Aprilo wanted to ask whether Odo ordered the Sculptor to shut up or not. But as if not concerned with such things, Vil pretended to be insensitive to the body language and immediately stared at Iitla Lots who was standing behind the sofa where Odo was asleep.

The Chief Warrior stood with a gray-haired old man, they stared flatly at Aprilo and made the trade union executive undo his intention to get an explanation. The old man next to Iitla sighed, looking at the three people sitting on the sofa and accompanied by the two Butlers standing behind them.

“So, according to Miss Lisia herself how? Does Miss already know where this case is going?” ask the old man.

“Sorry, uncle Wiskel ...” Lisia simply lowered her head, not daring to answer brightly despite vaguely realizing what Odo was really after by gathering everyone in one place and using Arca as a mediator.

“Nona knows, I have been serving as Deputy Mayor since Miss's father was young. Miss's achievement was indeed very extraordinary when replacing Mr. Argo even though it is still temporary, I honestly salute. But ..., I cannot praise Miss's actions for corruption and accepting bribes from traders.”

Lisia lowered her face in embarrassment upon hearing that, slightly afraid that her ailing father would know about it. The old man wearing a blue robe and an official suit with a black accent was Wiskel Porka, a Baronet and a low-class noble.

Although from a suburban aristocratic family, the man could be said to be very skilled in terms of maintaining the system as well as the condition of the city. He also trusted the Head of the Mylta Family to be the Deputy Mayor until this moment. Wiskel Porka himself is the Head of the Porka Family, he looks aged with wrinkled skin of men aged almost 60 years, has bright red eyes and long graying hair on his back tied pigtails to the back.

“You don't have to press it like that, Wiskel Porka!” Arca stared a little annoyed, feeling that the old man was just saying unnecessary things and could only talk. With a haughty look Arca pointed at Wiskel, then firmly said, “What can you do while serving as Vice Mayor of this place?”

Wiskel was astonished to hear this coming out of the mouth of Arca, it should be the young man from the Rein family who made the situation present. The old man sighed heavily, looked at Arca and asked, “Why did you suddenly defend them, Mr Arca? Didn't you corner them?”

“I don't defend them!” Arca Stopped pointing and leaned her back against the sofa, stared with a haughty look and said, “What I said is a fact ..” The brunette youth slightly turned his gaze away guiltily, feeling like a fool and withholding his arrogant nature he again said, “Honestly, I also just understood there is such a system in regulating a troubled region. Corruption has become part of the political system. It looks detrimental, but it is important for the stability of many aspects.”

Everyone was confused and astonished at the remark, even the two Butler Personal Sculptures looked in disbelief as their Master who had always prided himself could say such lowly.

Ignoring everyone's gaze or opinion of him, Arca stopped leaning and firmly said, “We started the conversation .... Just so you know, what I'm doing is Odo.”'s orders With an annoyed expression until his forehead shriveled, Arca pointed at the bare-chested young man lying soundly on the sofa before him and said, “When it was in the crack of the world, that person actually broke me. I ... don't even know what's underlying to do all this .... But the agreement is an agreement, I have to fulfill it.”

“What did Mr Odo say?” ask Iitla.

Glancing at the Head Warrior, Arca sighed and said, “Vil will explain it.”

Everyone immediately saw the blue-haired woman sitting between Lisia and the statue. Not minding their enthusiasm, especially the merchants, Vil held the surface of the Dimensional Bracelet and negated one of the storage rooms available to take out a stack of parchment paper. It was quite surprising to people who had just seen it but no one had discussed it because there were still more important things.

Putting the stack of documents on the table, Vil took the top sheet and began to say, “First, for the matter of corruption Mr. Arca will be kept silent and this case should not be disclosed. All evidence must be destroyed and the case must be buried deeply. This is not to be contested.”

“Hmm?!” Lisia instantly raised her face, stared happily and quickly asked, “Sunggu—?”

“However,” by Vil. Gazing towards the merchants of the Lorian Union, the blue-haired female added, “Evidence about the merchants making transactions and hiding the facts about the bandits should be kept.”

“““A!!”””

The four people from the Lorian Trade Union side were instantly shocked. Aprilo immediately approached and anxiously asked, “Why is only our side left?! Does Mr Odo want to break his cooperation with us? Without us Mr Odo cannot freely make transactions with other cities! Doesn't he want to build a company?!”

“Surprising.” Arca opened her eyes wide, grinning thinly and with a tone of sarcasm saying, “I don't think this Baboon Rat is really threatening like that.”

“Me-Whatever why?” Aprilo understood what the rat meant by being slightly offended by the remark, he frowned and felt a little embarrassed to be called that way. With an anxious face he said, “This is the appropriate action to maintain the existence of the union in this city ...”

“Nothing, just—Ugh!”

Vil elbowed the brunette youth next to him for talking too much. Staring straight at the executive of the Lorian Trade Union, the Great Spirit said, “Quiet, this is just a guarantee.”

Aprilo and his colleagues were amazed to hear this. The executive's personal butler approached, then whispered something and a face of understanding immediately appeared to the executive. Looking back at Vil, Aprilo said, “What ... Mr Odo really wants to break his relationship with us?”

Vil little understood Butler's personal executive role as what and the reason always follow it for what. Squinting, at a glance Vil felt the activation of magic in the room and estimated that Butler who served Aprilo did have the power or magic of a kind of mind reader.

Trying not to care about it now, Vil just looked straight at his interlocutor and said, “Master Aprilo, Odo ordered Arca to hoard the case deeply. That is ..., the problem of bribery or the matter of hiding the fact about the bandits will not be dismantled. The United States will not be sued, but the evidence will continue to be kept. You definitely know what it means, ‘kan?”

“So apparently ...” Aprilo stared flatly, sighed and made sure, “That's for guarantee, huh? If we interfere with the company that Mr. Odo will establish, it's the same as digging our own graves.”

Vil just stared flatly without changing his calm expression. Turning his gaze a little reluctantly, the blue-haired woman said, “You are free to translate what it looks like. But as long as Mr. Aprilo knows, I don't think Odo is someone like you who always thinks about profit and profit.”

The trade union executive slightly raised his chin, stared with pride and replied, “We are traders, where maybe we can live without thinking about that.”

“Hmm, I know.” Vil looked at the Government with a bit of fret, then clearly said, “Then, let's move on to the next conversation. No one is protesting, right?”

“There's more?” ask Wiskel. He looks weak because he has not slept from noon and his age is past the heyday makes the old man does not have the stamina equivalent to the people in the room.

“Ya ..” Vil is a little anxious because he doesn't really know how to deal with the elderly. Turning his gaze slightly fretfully, the woman softly said. “Sorry if you are tired, Mr. Wiskel. But indeed everyone must remain in this room until it is finished, I want to reduce the percentage of failure.”

Lisia heard that clearly because Vil turned his face towards her. With enthusiasm and without burden the redhead woman asked, “What does Mr Odo want to do?”

“Preventing war,” said Arca very clearly.

Everyone was surprised to hear that. The atmosphere instantly turned tense, no one bibiara for a moment because all of them who had just heard it for the first time were completely shocked by it. A word of war is still a scary scourge, especially for those veterans who have lost many colleagues on the battlefield.

“Pe-War?” Iitla looks panicked, thinks of some possibilities and makes sure, “What does that mean? What about Moloia breaking the treaty and starting the war that would actually happen?”

Aprilo stared hard and said, “That's right! Why are you suddenly talking about war?! Instead of now—” The executive's words came to a halt because of remembering something, he immediately held his chin and thought. Realizing the thing he missed, he said, “Wait, don't say ...”

“Yes, the Great War that is likely to break out again in the near future.” Vil glanced at the executive, tidied his bangs a little and said, “Trade's information network is great, meaning Mr Aprilo has heard it, huh?”

“Ya ..” The executive put on a displeased face, scratched his head with fret and replied, “My colleagues in other regions have done food and weapons transactions. Rumors about it later circulated  .... And also, I had heard he said fate befall Klista settlement in the territorial highlands of Rockfield ..”.

“Clist?!” Wiskel Porka was surprised to hear that, anxiously he asked, “A-What happened really?”

“You just found out, old man?” Arca stared arrogantly, a little annoyed at the feeling the old man was so incompetent. Re-appointing him, Arca explained, “The Klista tribe was attacked by Moloia people who infiltrated Luke's territory, they were destroyed and there were only a few survivors ..”

“A—! Akh ...” The old man looked dizzy and staggered. He was arrested Iitla, then drove her to sit in the front seat of the work desk in the room. With a pale face he asked, “Why can it happen? Will such a war repeat itself? Did all that really happen, Miss Lisia?”

“Hmm ...” Lisia simply nodded, completely feeling guilty for hiding many things from the old man who served as the Deputy Mayor.

Iitla returned to the back of the sofa, then anxiously asked, “What does Mr Odo want to do about the possible war?”

“Building this city into a fortress,” replied Arca directly. The eldest son of the Rein family stared intently at the Head Warrior and put on a sly grin as if he were the supreme ruler.

“Temple ...?”

While pointing at the Chief Warrior, Arca grinned and in a high tone he began to explain, “Geographically Mylta is our kingdom's frontline if Moloia really wants to target Luke.”

Arca lowered her hand, slightly raised her face and haughtily went back to explaining, “At this time the free trade agreement is still in effect, <TAG1>, Moloia on the grounds of wanting to trade can freely sail to the sea of this region without having to be blocked by the fleet of other countries in the middle sea. For a sure opening attack they would not be outright blatant breaking and the impact of that opening attack could be fatal. The first one to step would get a superior situation! Because it ..., this city must be built in preparation for that war potential.”

“Why Mylta?” ask Iitla. He felt there was something strange about the pattern of thought, then refuted, “Isn't the city of Lignum the most potentially attacked? The city was on the border and was near the strait, becoming a trading center as well. If they really want to attack, they should attack it first and shut down the trade supply and weaken the economy.”

“Approval of war veterans is indeed different.” Arca smiled, got up from the seat and looked straight at the Soldier Head. In a confident tone he said, “But .. it only happens if indeed Moloia really wants to fight, unfortunately they just want to take resources.”

“Source .. power?”

“Ya!” Arca immediately pointed at his interlocutor, grinned widely and said, “They understand that dropping Lignum will definitely make the economy of this country come down, he said, but it will end in a long time and will likely give Felixia time to do a coalition with the empire.”

Putting his index finger in front of his mouth, Arca put on a thin smile and again said, “Therefore Moloia will carry out a patterned attack, pressing all the countries constantly, and then saying, <TAG1>Therefore, with the aim of not letting the coalition happen directly .... Even if a coalition happens, it is certainly not strong because conditions are not equal. You should also know why Moloia did so much sabotage on this town, right? Precisely ... Luke's territory, sih.”

“So, yes ...” Iitla slightly turned her gaze around and began to understand what Arca meant. While glancing at the young man, he said, “They want to target the military core of the kingdom of Felixia, huh? If Luke's territory falls, it lowers the imperial intention to form cooperation and instead they will most likely attack Felixia as it is considered weak .... To expand the territory and add their own strength.”

Iitla started to look restless, put her right hand in front of her face and with an anxious expression said, “Even though now in the empire are having internal conflicts, Iitla said, but they can be said to be more stable in power because the leader of the country is respected by the majority of its people. Our country is at a time like this ..”

“Y! That's why we must defend the city closest to Luke's residence.” Returning to his seat and gazing towards Vil next to him, Arca confidently said, “Then, explain to these people, Vil!”

“Do not rule me ...” The Great Spirit stared in annoyance, then in a harsh tone said, “And also, you better stop imitating the way Odo spoke. Disgusting.”

“Eh?” The statue was wide-eyed, the merchants who heard it tried to hold back the laughter and it was the maker of the eldest son of the Rien family that looked annoyed.

After that, Vil also explained the details of the plan arranged in the collision of documents on the table that had been written by Odo Luke. The details are still rough, it has not been able to close all the shortcomings in a very limited time. Hearing what Vil explained in the plan to be done, those who heard him protested and gave some advice.

Discussions also occurred in the early hours of the day, all parties expressed their suggestions and deliberated to reach a consensus decision. Because all parties are indirectly demoted selfishness thanks to the threat of evidence that is still held by the Arca, Lorian Trade Union Parties can further reduce the nature of those who tend to want to always look for profit. The discussion continued until the sharing and discussion of a stack of documents really took longer than Arca and Vil predicted.