Quest of Automata King

The street is filled with the cheer of people and music. Clowns, marching bands, and street performers are filling the spots around the town, entertaining people, with their tricks. Today is supposed to be a happy day, the farmers are going to town instead of their land. While the housemaid and the weaver-ladies are allowed to skip their work and go out with their boyfriends to join in the parade of the street. Since the first day of the week, decorations and banners have been put all around the city. Two kinds of banners, red and white. The white banner has the emblem of two unicorns facing each other, while the red, has the emblem of a dragon that spread its wing pridefully. Along with the banner, both the decoration around the city is also filled with a combination of white and red, and so does the food that the street vendors sell. The people are also trying their best to fit in the red and white trend, by wearing clothes that resemble those combinations. “What a beautiful color!” said the young girl that enjoying the festival. Beside her, a young male is smiling at the girl’s behavior. “Yeah, and it’s a perfect day for marriage too. Apparently, His Highness Challender did have luck when it comes to his romance life!” replied the boy as he followed his girlfriend through the happy mood that enveloped the city. “The marriage!” said the girl, her smile is getting even wider, and her eyes closes in dreamy imagination. “I can’t wait to see Princess Emmellie on her wedding dress! No matter what color she wanted to wear, her white hair and blue sapphire eyes will always make her look pretty!” said the girl. The boy laughed. “Hahaha! I also wanted to see the princess too!” said the boy, but his girlfriend replied to him annoyed. “You can’t! You already have me, how come you wanted to see other women!” she pinched him playfully, and he just answered by rubbing her head, making a mess of hair that she tend since this morning. “As an apology, I'll buy you a spider cookie, let’s go!” the boy grabbed the girl, and they gleefully walked to one of the street vendors in that plaza. “Excuse me, two chocolate spider cookies please.” He said to the adult man who cooking and selling the cookies. The snack is simply a cookie batter that is toasted on the pan. Because of the way that the batter is poured, the cookie will take a shape of a spider’s web, hence where the name comes. “Two cookies, will come right up!” said the vendor, but when picking the batter bottle, he realize that it have no content left. The vendor turns his gaze behind, under the counter where his buyer can’t see, a younger man is preparing several jugs of cookie batter. “Hey! Horn-head! Didn’t I tell you to prepare another filled bottle? I can’t cook like this!” said the vendor angrily to the young man that look like his worker. “Uh? Oh! Right away Mr. Silge!” said the man that called horn-head. Just like what he is called, a pair of small horns are grown around his head. Complete with a black tail that coming out of his pant, clearly shows that this person is a Devil. Sadly, today is not a good day for him. When he is going to pour the batter into the bottle, the jug’s cap that holding the batter inside suddenly popped out. All of sudden, yellow-ish thick liquid suddenly poured out of the jug and overwhelmed the bottle that he grabbed, the rest of it also spilled on the ground. “Whoa!” said the Devil, surprised at what had just happened. “You stupid dog!” screamed the owner as he slap his worker’s head. “Look at this! You waste the precious ingredient! How do I will sell food like this!” shout him. “I’m... I’m sorry, sir...” said the Devil weakly. All of sudden, the attention of the people is gazing toward the vendor. The old man didn’t care, he keeps insulting and throwing dirty words toward the Devil. In the end, even the couples are feeling disturbed by the gaze of the people. They choose to step away slowly, leaving the street vendor that still shouting toward the poor Devil. *** Not far from that sight, a man that wears a dark cloak observes the scene. Racism and discrimination are very normal in the kingdom, especially for the Devils. Even after the war ended ten years ago, people always give Devils a disgusted look. But not for long... Everything will be changed. The man decides that he can’t do anything for the poor worker. He started to walk, but not to the main street that was crowded by the people. Instead, he turned to the dark alley, where people most likely getting mugged. He is cautious of his surrounding, but not like he is worried about his belonging. Instead, the man in the cloak is waiting for the meeting that will be held at that place. Not long after he is waiting on that quiet alley, he can hear a flapping sound, coming from pair of wings. When he looked in the direction, a pigeon flew down toward him. It is not just a wild bird, instead, it is a trained one. The pigeon has some kind of necklace tied to his body. That necklace has some kind of thicker device that is filled with small holes. “All of us are ready in position.” said the voice that coming from that pigeon. “I understand,” replied the man. As the bird fly away, the man’s attention once again shifted. At the end of the alley, he can hear people’s excitement over the next stage of that festival. Over the big street that connects the north gate of the city and the main entrance of the academy, people are crowding the sideways, leaving the road empty for the grand entrance of the couples. At first, there is only murmuring of the people, but they are surprised when the loud sound of trumpet suddenly blasted out of nowhere. “Princess Emmellia Novreyi and Sir Challender Heinrich, the future happy couple of Foumoda Kingdom is entering the city!” Shout the officer with the magic that enhances his voice. Everyone in that premise can hear what he has just said. The group of a marching band that previously performed at the city plaza is now lining themselves in front of the closed gate. They have been directed that when the gate is opened, they will play happy music to escort the couple to the spot where the ceremony will be held. North gate opened, and the band started to march. Behind them, troops that consist of ten horse knights, and dozens of foot soldiers are also escorting a grand carriage decorated glamorously by gold all over it. The carriage doesn’t have a canopy on it so people could see their future king and queen. Boarding the carriage is a young man and woman. The man has brilliant wavy blonde hair, with green eyes. His face is handsome and has always become a talking point among the girls throughout the kingdom. Challender is indeed the ideal portrayal of nobles and royalty. He looked to the side of the carriage where people are waving their hands and congratulating their marriage. He waves his hand in return, and the cheers grow louder. Beside him, is the bride. Just like everyone expected, she wears a white gown, that matches her short white hair and blue eyes.  Princess Emmellia put up a small smile and also waved at the people over the sideway. She does not show it, but deep down, she tries to suppress something from coming out of the surface. “This is my duty, I have to see through it.” The Princess whispers to herself, coping with the ceremony she honestly did not agree to. Her attention is focused on the crowds and her feeling until she did not realize what is happening with the march that suddenly stopped. “You over there! What are you doing!?” shouted the head office to the marching band that also stopped their music. All of them started to look at each other confusedly, they can’t proceed because there is someone that blocking the parade. The Head officer that notices the problem quickly gallops his horse forward. Riding on his horse, he feels dominating the rude person that dares to block the special ceremony of these nobles. “Standing in front of your future king and queen. Moreover, you disturb the most important ceremony of the kingdom. Do you have a death wish, kid!?” shout him angrily. But that mysterious cloaked person did not give any answer. “Person like didn’t need a trial. Your sentence is death!” shouts the head office, as he swings his sword toward him. Everyone expected his head will be rolled on the ground soon after, but that does not happen at all. Instead, the sword that the high officer grab, is stuck at his neck. “What the!?” the officer didn’t even finish his words when out of nowhere, something hit him hard enough, that he fell off his horse. When the officer tries to get up, he is surprised by an eyeball that staring at his face. “What the hell!?” shout him trying to flee, but that mechanical thing suddenly zap him with its tail and sends an electronic current that makes him unconscious. The festival turns to chaos as similar mechanical-creature are flooding the street. They are ransacking the vendor, zapping everyone with their electric tail, and mainly aimed at the soldiers. Challender sees it all happening before his very eyes. He grits his teeth angrily and takes off his sword despite not wearing any battle-ready armor. “Protect the princess! Argh!!!” screamed one of the guards, the zap that comes from one of them end up making him unconscious. *** The person in a cloak looking straight at Challender and Emmellia. After that, he decides to show who he is. Take off his clothes, and let them be swept away by the wind. A dark-skinned person, with black hair and a red-colored pupil. Pair of sheep horns are sticking out from his head, and he has a black slender tail. That man is a Devil, but not just an ordinary Devil. Both Challender and Emmellia stare at him surprised. Sweat is coming down their forehead. They know that face very well because that person, Mui-ken-ikhu, is one of their classmates during the time they learn in that academy. “I, Mui-ken ikhu, declare the independence of the kingdom of Devil!!!”