Re:START/If {Book 1.0}
Chapter 53: Ordoxi Nigrum (Part 03)
The Main Gate of the Coastal City. Not much different as a few days ago since the trade route has been completely open, the transit center and the city's entry visa data collection looks crowded with migrants consisting mostly of traders. Among them are also seen some travelers from neighboring cities and countries, but they come not for a vacation but more like a survey of the city that experienced the rapid progress.
Odo queued in a separate row with traders, in a section for people of Felixia national origin who want to enter the city without having to use expensive visas. Every city does use such a system, the tax into an autonomous region requires a special fee for the payment of public infrastructure in it.
The young man in black hair certainly did a little disguise as what Mavis did, it was himself done because considering the duel previously done with Arca and watched by many people. He uses Mimik magic, magic used to manipulate light and visually change the appearance of the user. Now Odo looks like a black-haired middle-aged man, with a thin beard and lethargic eyes.
In the ranks, Odo and Mavis briefly observed a group of merchants from the empire who were watching the unloading of cargo from the cart onto the horse-drawn carriage. Seeing this, Odo felt that the existing sea products were really exploited by outsiders and the Mylta government still had not dealt with it. Trying not to care about it for now, the young man in black robes tightly held the woman who accompanied him and at a glance wore a flat expression.
“Odo ..?”
“According to Mother, what is fair? What by giving equality is already considered fair?”
“Not it equal is fair?”
Hearing that Odo glanced at a glance, with blank eyes and looks so dark. While looking back at the merchants who came from the empire, the young man in black hair asked, “Then, do the nobles want to live on par with the commoners? Even though they had worked hard with something that only they could work with? Are merchants willing to live in a shack house like a farmer? Even though they have thought hard to accumulate wealth?”
“It ...”
Mavis was at a glance speechless, unable to answer this because indeed equality was not a fair thing. Made equally is a crime, it is the same as making the effort done by someone is not appreciated because what is obtained will be equal to those who do not try. Staring at the young man holding her, the woman with the look of a teenager asked, “Then what do you consider fair?”
“Compensation according to contribution, that's fair.”
The answer was not understood by Mavis. Before he asked back, it was their turn to show the letter of the resident sign coming. Soon Odo releases Mavis' hand and walks towards the guard at the post. The young man reached into the dimensional robe to pick up the parchment. With a natural gesture without making any suspicions of taking it from the storage dimension, the young man handed the letter over for inspection.
Guards in front of the gate guard post immediately sat down to take down a list of in and out of the city, create an archive for visas and a few other things. While waiting, Odo glanced at the little lady standing next to him. But when Mavis was about to ask the young man, he turned his eyes away and it made the woman stunned.
The guard finished entering the initial archive. Waking up and gazing kindly, the brunette returned the letter saying, “This is your letter that we have checked. Although you were born in the city of Mylta, you now live in a village outside the city. According to the updated rules, you are exposed to entry fees. The woman behind ..., she's your family, isn't she?”
“Iya ..”
At first glance the guard looks hesitant and like knowing the young man and woman who are in front of him, want to wonder more about it. But when looking at the long queue, the guard focused on the job and asked, “How many days do you want to be in town?”
“For now one week first, for two people.”
“It costs two small silver coins ...”
Odo reached into the pocket of his trousers and took a small silver coin, then handed it to the guard. After noting the name and the visa validity time, the guard gave a small domino-sized wooden board with a number engraving on it. It was a visa mark, while data on the duration of the visit was on the officer's file.
When someone passes the deadline, usually a guard or officer will come to him to charge for an extension. When someone cannot do an extension, the city usually immediately expels the person out of the city and blacklists him. In leniency, the penalty given is only in the form of coercion to work as government manual labor in a few days to months depending on the arrears made.
Finished administering the new entrance the first time Odo had done normally without a special letter from the Shieal, the young man stuffed his letter and visa mark into the robe. He took Mavis back and walked through the entrance of the city. For Mavis herself it was the first time she had passed through the coastal city gates on foot, a new experience that at first glance made her mind feel strange.
Realizing there was something to ask, the woman pulled Odo's arm and made the young man face towards her. In the middle of the pedestrian traffic and the existing wagon, the woman firmly asked, “Surat was yours? My son, why don't you who haven't done the baptism ceremony have it?”
“ Baptism?” Odo looks confused. He knew about it, but put on a confused expression and pretended not to know it. “Oh ..” He remembered something, pointed his finger forward and said, “The sacrament of initiation for that maturity, yes?”
“Iya!” Mavis brought her face closer, stared intently and again said, “The sign of the inhabitants for the royal people of Felixia in can at that time. Also, it is necessary to note that parents or guardians must already have a sign of Felixia population. Don't-don't ... You took a letter belonging to Mother or Father and faked it—?”
“No, kok.”
“Eh?” Mavis was at a glance puzzled to get such an immediate answer. Away and slightly tilting her head, the blonde-haired woman frowned.
“I got the letter directly from the government of this city. Well, even though the residents' mark is listed from a remote village and only the birthmarks are from this city.”
“Why ... can?”
Holding his own chin and smiling lightly, the young man looked away and replied, “Power of insiders.”
“Ah?” Mavis was astonished.
“I used insider power to take care of it.”
Their conversation stopped for a moment. Mavis turned to the right and left, looking, sighing with relief because the talk was done not at the entrance gate and the people passing by around them no one cared because they were busy with their respective activities. If not, maybe the young man has been arrested for admitting his own crimes by practicing bribery.
Staring flat at Odo, Mavis held onto the young man's shoulders and brought the face closer together as she said, “My son .., you are more cunning than you think.”
Odo glimpsed flatly and turned back his gaze, then he nonchalantly said, “Not really, what I did was just a process.” Stepping back and making Mavis raise her hand, the young man turned around as he said, “Come, don't stay here for long. I'd like to take an order in the craftsman district.”
“What did you order?” ask Mavis curiously.
“Tools ...” Odo turned his head towards the blonde woman, then with a faint smile replied, “There are also some raw materials and people I want to work with. Well, maybe some of the members are not in town because Miss Lisia went to take care of the Klista settlement, anyway.”
“Hmm?” Mavis grew curious, he walked next to Odo and they began to set foot together on the outskirts of the main road. Turning his head small, the woman asked, “What does this have to do with the Klista tribe? Was their move to the Mylta region also part of your plan?”
“Yes, more or less I will probably use that later.” Odo turned his head, put on a light smile and said, “Most importantly, I have to finish the shop in order to operate on my own without me before this week ends.”
“Why rush once?” Mavis looked forward, folded her hands back and took wide steps as she walked. With a slightly pouting voice he said, “Isn't it still a long time? Moloia's attack said spring next year, didn't it?”
“That I should do is also a lot.” Odo looked ahead and took a deep breath. With a lazy expression the young man said, “Again, next week it looks like dad will also be home bringing unexpected guests.”
“Apredictable guests?” Mavis turned her head in curiosity, then enthusiastically asked, “Who is that? Ah, is Lady Calista coming? His son if not wrong is still in this city, ‘kan?”
“She may also come ...” Odo sighed again after hearing the guess. Scratching the back of the head and showing the look of a flat eye, he slightly growled and said, “Already, let's speed up the path. Do I need to carry it again?”
“Not necessary!” Mavis stared flat, turned away quickly and a little annoyedly said, “So Mommy has cleaned her feet in the river and is now wearing shoes! The road is not steep, for what is the carrying again ...”
At first glance Odo glanced at the small nature of his mother like a child. Observing from the tip of the hair to the tip of the woman walking next to him, the young man felt that Mavis was indeed like that. Homunculus tends to be difficult to experience mental changes unless directly stimulated, their nature does tend to remain since they were created. Understanding this, Odo felt that the mature and motherly nature that Mavis had shown so far even felt like a lie.
Trying not to think about it, Odo snapped a finger and took off Mimik's magic. The appearance of the young man's face changed back to its original shape, a typical looking teenage face with its calm effect. Mavis did not take issue with it and smiled faintly. But when a glimpse of Odo wiping the blood from his life, the blonde woman had worried for her son.
“Then ...” Odo tightly held the blonde woman next to him, then took her slowly running while saying, “Come speed up her steps.”
“Eh? Don't hurry .... Mother's legs are still sore, mother is not used to the road for long. Tu-Wait, Odo .... Odo ..”
“Come, all sports.”
After that they finally walked briskly down the main road, going to the place they were headed to in the craftsman district. What Odo wants to go to there are several places, one of which is a wooden craft shop and submitted to the workshop Osel. There the young man picked up some tools that he had ordered a few days ago, then put them into the storage dimension of the robe.
After picking up his instrument, the young man took Mavis for a visit to a workshop at the end of the artisan district. They stopped there not long because the original owner of the store was getting a job from the government and would not return for the next few days.
There's only Canna guarding the place. While there, Mavis felt like the air for being completely ignored while visiting the workshop. Indeed, that is the purpose of changing the appearance so that no one is aware, but still as a woman ignored is an unpleasant thing.
After having some conversation with the magician guarding the place, they went to the town hall to stop by the Guild office and exchange some magic crystals there for cash. Because what Odo gave was not through the quests provided by the Guild, Rupl's coffers were not much and indeed only a few magic crystals that he exchanged.
Getting cash as a shopping fee, the two of them immediately went to the market to buy the materials needed. Until noon they both walked down the main street of the business district and several times bargained with existing merchants. What Odo bought were mostly foodstuffs such as lamb, fish, chicken, and shrimp, some types of flour in considerable quantities, fruits, kitchen spices, spices, herbs, etc, and a variety of other foods. All of that was inserted into the storage dimension on the robe until all the runes that signified the space turned black because they were full.