After school, Sancaka and his friends gathered near the large tree not far from the school. Under the tree, Gatot and Tara sat cross-legged, playing with their metal "Angkasa" figurines, each having brought theirs from home. Meanwhile, Sancaka and Abas stood outside the tree's shade, practicing sword techniques using fallen tree branches since they didn't have real swords. In the middle of their activities, Sancaka began to speak.
"By the way, who was your father talking to last night?" Gatot asked, glancing at his metal figurine.
"He was talking to some fellow village knights," Sancaka replied, looking down as he adjusted his stance with the branch sword. "From what I overheard, they were discussing the bloodstone."
"I overheard my dad say that Uncle Karna told him that Uncle Bima tried to poison our parents with those coffee beans. Luckily, Uncle Karna took the beans before they could be given to us," Sancaka explained.
"So Uncle Bima is really evil," Tara said, holding Gatot's figurine. "How could he do that? A dharma should protect the people."
"Yes, that's true. Uncle Bima is evil," Gatot said, taking his figurine back from Tara.
"I'm starting to doubt being a dharma," Abas said. "Even if you earn the title, a dharma can still be bad. I remember getting scolded by Uncle Karna even though I tried to help by revealing the bloodstone's location."
"Not all dharmas are evil. For example, Uncle Karna. He saved us from the trick. A dharma like him can be an idol for us," Sancaka said, giving a thumbs-up.
"You're right, Sancaka. Alright, Uncle Karna is my idol," Abas said.
"Hey, Uncle Karna is my idol too," added Sancaka, swinging his branch sword towards the sky.
"Uncle can be your idol. As for me, I'm not interested in becoming a dharma. I'm a girl, so dangerous jobs aren't for me," Tara said.
Abas wiped the sweat from his forehead and stepped into the shade of the tree, sitting cross-legged near Gatot and Tara.
"Why are you sitting, Abas? You said you wanted to practice sword fighting," Sancaka asked.
"I suddenly feel lazy after hearing you guys talk about your father and the bloodstone. Let's just sit under the tree instead of training in the hot sun," Abas replied.
Sancaka agreed and sat cross-legged next to Gatot.
"I still don't understand the bloodstone," Abas said, scratching his head. "How valuable is it anyway? It seems like dharmas really need it."
"My dad, a farmer, has never found a bloodstone in the fields," Abas added.
"My dad, a merchant, has also never found a bloodstone while collecting trade goods in the village," Gatot said.
"So, what should we do now?" Sancaka asked.
"Do what?" Abas asked.
"What actions should we take next? We could try searching for bloodstones or spy on dharmas passing through the village… or we could…"
"It's better not to get close to dharmas for now. I'm afraid we'll get tricked again like yesterday," Tara interrupted.
"Unless we meet dharmas like Uncle Bima or Uncle Arjuna, maybe we could approach them and ask for signatures," Sancaka said.
"Hey Sancaka, how do we know if the next dharma we meet is good or bad?" Abas said. "Tara's right, it's better not to approach dharmas for now."
Among the three, Gatot remained quiet, only listening and focused on playing with his figurine.
"Hey Gatot, why are you so quiet? You should join the conversation," Abas said.
"I'm not really interested in dharma matters, so I'm not sure how to respond," Gatot said.
"We're not discussing dharma politics. We're talking about Sancaka overhearing your father's conversation about the bloodstone and the poisoned coffee," Abas said.
Sancaka then looked more closely at Gatot's figurine. The metal "Angkasa" figurine depicted a knight riding a horse, made of gold, gleaming as it reflected sunlight.
"Your Angkasa figurine is amazing! Where did you get it?" Sancaka asked.
"Oh, I bought this one in the Capital. This kind of figurine isn't available in Wanasura Village, so if you want one, you'd have to leave the village," Gatot replied.
"No wonder I never saw a figurine like that," Tara said.
"Your figurine is amazing! I want one too. That must be expensive. How much gold did it take to buy it?" Abas asked.
"I don't know the price because it was a gift from my father. He knew I liked action figurines, so he took the time to buy it while in the Capital," Gatot explained.
"Wow, your family is lucky. You can go out of the village freely. We, ordinary people, have to get security permission just to leave," Abas said. The three friends laughed.
"Friends, I think I'm not interested in becoming a dharma," Gatot said.
"Why not? We promised we'd all become dharmas together when we grow up," Sancaka asked.
"After thinking about it, I don't think I'm suitable to be a dharma. I'm too cowardly, and my physical abilities aren't as good as yours," Gatot said.
"You give up too easily," Abas said.
"And also, my dad plans to move our family to the Capital," Gatot added.
"What! Moving to the city!" Sancaka and Abas exclaimed in unison. They exchanged glances with Tara, surprised by the news.
Gatot nodded. "The plan is for my family to move to Jayakarsa City after I finish my studies here."
"So after graduation, we won't see Gatot anymore," Tara said.
"Sorry, friends," Gatot said, scratching his head. "It's my dad's plan, so I can't refuse."