"As Quietus Above, So Below", and Shisu Tree is the Key

It's now January 1st, around 5 am, and I have boarded the high-end ride-hailing provided by my hotel. It's similar to purchasing a luxury watch or bag. The function of the watch or bag is still the same, but there is a different price and prestige. Likewise, with ride-hailing services, both regular and luxury can take us, but there are different experiences that they offer.

One of the signs of a luxury ride-hailing service is that the service provides a human chauffeur to control their delivery car. Now, as I was being driven to the airport, I struck up a conversation with the driver.

“Yes, Mr. Schonewolken. Even if I had the day off, I wouldn’t be interested in the New Year’s fireworks. I’m more excited about the Quietus Tourney Gladiator tomorrow night. That fight is definitely not one I’ll miss. I can’t afford the expensive tickets, but watching it on streaming services is enough for me,” said Rahul, the driver.

“Is that so?” The match was scheduled for the evening of January 2nd, right? You weren’t working at that time?” I asked.

“Yes. That’s what made me happy. A coworker of mine asked me to switch shifts, but of course I didn't want to,” Raul explained.

“You really look forward to it,” I commented.

“Yes. I won’t take my eyes off the screen for a second. Especially when the Berandal Ritter fights. He’s a hero from your country who has many fans all over the world,” Raul said.

Even though I’m not interested in Gladiator matches, I know who the Berandal Ritter is. The media has covered him many times, which, of course, made me read information about the man. As Raul said, the Berandal Ritter is a citizen of the same country as me.

Brandao Landall Rotschwert comes from a wealthy Rotschwert family. Since he was a teenager, he has been interested in martial arts and sword fighting. He has traveled the world to learn and improve his fighting techniques.

The nickname “BLR The Berandal Ritter” is a combination of initials and a term from two languages. Ritter is a word in my country’s language that means ‘knight’. While 'Berandal' is a word in a language in a Southeast Asian country that means ‘rogue’.

According to the information I read, Rotschwert got the nickname Berandal from one of his teachers. The teacher who gave him the nickname was a martial arts expert in a Southeast Asian country. The teacher himself was nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’.

I mentioned Mad Dog in my conversation with Rahul at this time: “According to the news, the BLR teacher named Mad Dog will be coming to the match, right?”

Raul confirmed, “Yes, yes. That’s right, Mr. Schonewolken.”

Raul then made his guess, “I think Mr. Schonewolken will also watch the match even though you’ve returned to your country, right?”

I answered briefly, “No.”

Rahul asked, “If I may ask, why, Mr. Schonewolken? Were you busy or on business at that time?”

I did tell the driver that I had a job in ‘some business’. I didn’t tell him that I was a member of The Five. But when it came to why I wasn’t going to watch the Quietus Tourney, I was as honest as I could be.

I said, “I’m not interested in the match.”

Rahul just nodded his head, and I continued, “I prefer classic sports, like football, basketball, badminton, or cricket. I think that kind of sport is a well-matched example of the phrase aging like fine wine. Especially football, which still has many fans, is the sport I like the most."

Rahul expressed his opinion, “Perhaps that phrase is right, Mr. Schonewolken. As for the Quietus match itself, I once read an article. The article stated that a good phrase for the Gladiator sport is ‘As Quietus Above, So Below’. The article was written by a high-ranking member of The Five—you must know which institution that is. I remember, the author of the article was Mr. Wernherluft.”

I did not respond to Rahul with words. But in my brain, I commented, "Ah, that writing. I know what Rahul means. Of course, it is a writing that is not strange to appear from a Braun Bertram Wernherluft’s hand."

Braun Bertram Wernherluft is one of the five members of the High of Five. The High of Five, or sometimes called the Big Five, is the nickname for the five members of The Five who have the highest ranks. The High of Five or Big Five can be called the 'crème de la crème' of our institution.

The gist of the article that Rahul meant was more or less to justify the increasing popularity of gladiator sports in this era. The article said, If there is the Quietus cloud above, then it would be logical if there is a 'derivative' of it on this earth. The article says, "Peace" that occurs due to the appearance of the Quietus cloud will make humans look for alternatives to show their true face.

Rahul's words about the article made me stop talking. Rahul himself also seemed not to want to continue our dialogue. I chose to turn my head to look at the street view.

At that moment, our car passed a large truck with an open back. The large truck was carrying shisu tree trunks on its back, while at the end of the truck's back was a large box. From the truck carrying them, I knew the trunks would be sent to my country.

In my brain, I commented, "Not only writings like As Quietus Above So Below, the sending of the Shisu trees is another work of the thoughts of The Five."

Enrico Smarta Stargeist, another member of the Big Five besides Wernherluft, was the main actor behind the sending of the Shisu tree trunks. He had conducted various studies and succeeded in convincing the public that the Shisu tree was the key to breaking through the Quietus Cloud.

Stargeist himself had a very good reputation. Previously, he had recorded great achievements with a former Big Five member named Fermi Isai Herzwarm. They both created an energy reactor that could make humans use electricity with renewable energy that is much more efficient and at a cheaper cost. The reactor, named the IJK reactor, has become the standard used throughout the world today.

Because of this achievement, of course, Stargeist's opinion and estimates are more easily accepted. The Five, along with my country and many other countries, have agreed that the Shisu tree is the key to conquering the Quietus cloud. The tree will later be processed into various materials for testing to penetrate the thick clouds.

The shisu tree has many other nicknames, such as shishu, sissoo, sisu, sitral, sisau, sisham, and shewa. It can grow up to 30 meters (m) in height and 3 to 5 m in diameter. Its main habitat is along riverbanks above 200 m elevation, but it can also live up to 1,400 m.

The shisu tree has pink or whitish flowers and leathery leaves. It wasn't just the Shisu tree trunk that was the object of The Five's research. The flowers and leaves of the tree were also the objects we were trying to find out the efficacy of to perforate the Quietus Cloud. That's why the truck I saw earlier also carried the flowers and leaves of the tree, which were stored in a large box at the end of the bed.

The tree grows the most in the Bharat country. Fortunately, The Five, with their great influence, have managed to ensure that the supply of this tree for research will continue to be maintained. The military of my country and the military of the country of Bharat also submit to The Five and, with all their might, ensure that the supply of this tree is guaranteed.