Magic Of Mana Book 1: The First Tragedy
Chapter 5: The Quartz and the Throttling Kingdom (Part 2)

Chapter 5 (Part 2)

The Quartz and the Throttling Kingdom

“... And you know? The kingdom that is now more precisely referred to as the country that expelled the quartz was the kingdom of bumi”, King Victor finished telling the story.

Shumi understood everything he heard. He felt there were some differences with what he read through books in the royal library that were meant to disguise the ugliness of his predecessors and look better. “Means, the story about the white magicians who betrayed humans is a lie?”, asked Shumi.

“Yes, it is so that nothing bad happens from within us, even there used to be a rebellion for the reason of this true story”, replied King Victor. “But, your mother since childhood has tried to fix this conflict with the quartz. He wants us to reunite or at least be allies again, but, all this didn't work out, like what your mother told you that night”.

Shumi's surprised. He began to suspect that his father misunderstood the story that his mother told at that time. He wanted to tell her, but her father cut her off.

“This is also related to the dream you have been having all this time, Shumi”, cut King Victor off just as Shumi wanted to talk. However, because he touched on the problem of Shumi's dream that had stopped, making Shumi undo his intentions and want to know more about his dream again.

“My dream?”, asked Shumi, “Means my dream is not just a regular nightmare?”.

“Your mother means that you have not revealed everything, yes?”, replied her father, “But, it is time, there is nothing I need to worry about anymore. I don't know what you're gonna be like after hearing this, Shumi. But, with the story and the contents of the parchment from your mother, I think he already wants to expose this”.

“What will Shumi be like, Dad?”, asked Shumi again. “If this is related to Mother's question that night, Shumi has promised to continue trying to be a capable successor to the throne like the woman in the story”. Shumi fished for his father to continue telling him without hesitation and told him that there was a misunderstanding related to his mother's story with his father's intentions.

“Daddy is a little relieved by that, son!”, replied his Father.

“So, what happened to my dream, Dad?”, Shumi asked again curiously.

“First, forgive me for telling Modena and the others to lie to you, precisely divert your thoughts about the reality”, explained King Victor, “That all happened too because we were worried that something would happen to you and I didn't expect your mother would leave so soon”.

“So what Shukoi explains about Esper and Indigo is the reality?”

“And it has actually happened since you were little, maybe you don't remember back then and we know it is a reality that has happened before. Again, the ring that seems to have managed to hold your ability all along because of the incident when it happened when your mother went a few days without you”. King Victor turned his eyes. “We were even surprised to return because the effect came back to you”.

This time Shumi was surprised. The mind that had all this time vanished, re-entered it slowly. He just fell silent without a word and did not expect also Father and Mother could hide it.

“Means Dad just let Daddy's best friend die? We can save his son and mother, Father!”, Shumi said in the end breaking the silence for a moment. His eyes began to glaze over.

“It was an incident 17 years ago, Shumi”, replied King Victor, “and the woman your mother intended was the wife of the person killed in the attacks. She is a quartz witch who has the same dream as your mother to reunite something that was once united. Your mother idolized the traits of that woman”.

Shumi remained silent. His mind turned out to be right, his father misunderstood the story that his mother actually told him that night. However, this is the latest information for him, especially about his dreams.

“Yes, you are an indigo, son!”, continued King Victor, “And now is the perfect time to open the permaken before I explain what happened exactly”.

Shumi was hit by a magic that made him unable to speak. His mind turned around for no purpose. He then simply moved his body to unbind the parchment and tried to figure out the contents inside.

Leo's 17th of the month 918 - Very Secret-Very

Along with this letter, the Queen ordered that she tell all over the country that the Queen has conceived a child and will give birth in nine months. The Queen's existence will be hidden until the child is born and three years old. The removal of news of that fact is a duty and a death sentence for anyone who tries to talk about and question it and a reward of 1000 gold pieces for proving the perpetrator who corrupted this secret.

Marked,

Shumi read it twice as he felt confused by the thoughts filling his head at this moment. “What does he mean, Father?”, he asked, “Why has my birth been kept secret like this? It's about 17 years ago, right?”.

“Yes, in the same month of your birth”, replied King Victor. “Daddy hope there are no feelings or at least no changes to you, son. Your father and mother promised, but indeed your mother realized that one day you should know everything”

“What does that mean, Dad?”

“Should, your age is 18 years old, Shumi!”.

Shumi was surprised. “That means I was there when Mom confessed that she was pregnant. Why?”, ask in the heart.

“Yes, all those orders are intended for the general public to think that you are really our son”, replied King Victor reading Shumi's heart.

Instantly, Shumi felt like he had been struck by a powerful bolt of lightning. He glared and was surprised not to play. His mind seemed to clutch his brain and his heart felt squeezed to the point of being crushed. It was like boiling until he finally felt very weak. His hands were trembling like a person with a fever.

“Ma..mean..meaning Father...I am bu..buk.not...”, Shumi tried her hardest to speak, “not child....ka..kalian?”.

King Victor is seen holding back tears that he himself did not realize had filled his eye bags. “Your father and mother love you very much, son! Even like our own children! Not only because of the promise to be kept, but indeed we love you so much, Shumi!”. Finally the King cried.

This scene made Shumi even more confused. He had never seen his father cry, but now, he even saw him sobbing, the cry he could feel really coming from his deepest heart. But, on the other hand, he was also hit about the reality that he had to know this, even the frustration also arose because he only knew when he was this big. He thought that it would be better if he had been told since he was a child, just like the woman his mother had told him the night before his death.

“Then, Shumi... Who is Shumi's birth parents?”, Shumi asked a distance away from the words of the King earlier. Tears also wet his cheeks.

“The woman your mother told you about, she is named Scarlet and she is your biological mother, while the man, our best friend who is also in your dreams, is your father, Shumi”

Shumi once again felt his body like it was struck by lightning, even this time his head felt extremely ill. He recalled what he had seen in his dream. The man who tried to resist, but the person he faced had a higher killing appetite. The man she was worried about at the time.

“A..is the baby that the woman brought me?”, Shumi asked almost indistinctly.

“Yes, maybe you saw it too in that dream”, replied King Victor who began to be able to control his tears. “I'm sorry for me and my wife, Shumi! Maybe it's no longer appropriate that we're called your parents again”.

Shumi remained silent. He still remembered the dream that seemed so real again now. How he was born, he was run away by his mother. He also vividly remembers the face of the woman he was supposed to call Mom and how his biological father protected her until she was killed. In fact, the rain that he felt at that time was so real that he felt his cold sensation that pierced into his bones.

“Your biological mother said that this is the only way to save you from the purity of the quartz that does not allow a human being to be their offspring! He only trusts us to take care of you and keep you safe!”, explained King Victor. “Their hatred of humans is so great, even if it is their own blood”.

A moment of silence filled the room again until King Victor wiped away his tears. “I hope you will still accept this reality and remember my wife's message!”.

“I'm not forcing you to answer now, Shumi. But, as a king today, and the husband of the man who raised you, he said, I ask that you continue to be our son and one day will continue to the throne of this kingdom according to the expectations of the late Ratu”, said King Victor as he rose from his seat. “And I need to tell you that the one who asked for all this to be kept secret is the Queen. Emm.. Maybe next time I will tell you why I will always follow his orders and the history of the ring, but this time may not be important to you”.

Then the King walked slowly to open the door to Shumi's room. He slightly turned towards Shumi for a moment while in the doorway. “I love you like my own son, Shumi”, he said softly. He saw Shumi's gaze still blankly staring at the silver ring in his trembling hand on the table grappling with each other. And the king left his adopted son and shut the door of his room tightly.

* * *

(Connected to part 3)