Chapter 118.

PART 1.

Unlike the previous year, when Hatori had to come back to the home by himself, Zeko is there to pick him up this year, ready to take him home as soon as the airship lands. When they do come back, Hatori was expecting some attack at the entrance, but that did not happen. He is happy to not fight as soon as he gets back from the Academy because it is very tiring to travel and then fight at the end of it.

However, Hatori senses a familiar signature in the house. “Shin, how did you get here before me?” he asked, taking the seat in front of him.

“My airship left before yours.” He answered, working on some sheets. “There aren’t any openings in the bands this year, so I’m working for Zeko as his helper during this vacation.”

“I don’t think you need it anyway,” said Hatori, getting up. he still has to get changed into his more relaxing clothes. “After all, you will be going on a tour with Professor Sangita.”

“True.” He spoke. “Master Zeko, there are some errors in the records, I have marked them with red colors, but I don’t know how to solve them.”

“Leave it for the accountant.” Answered Zeko from the other side of the house.

PART 2.

James meets with his father in the City of Throne, where they are living with temporary arrangements because they cannot go back to their home. James has heard how Shakuntala has tried to obtain the home legally. But when that failed, she thought of some other means, for example, threatening Jimmy, James’s father, to put the house in her name.

But Jimmy declared that he was not safe, and demanded protection for himself through legal channels, and as a result, he got a temporary apartment for himself in the city, which came with protective wards installed, and some mages from the police keeping an eye on the apartment.

James has this place to call his home for now, but he does wish to return to his real home one day, without the fear of someone attacking or threatening him.

“How was the year my boy?” he asked, once James changed his clothes, and ate something.

“Mostly normal, surprisingly.” Said James.

“Indeed? From what you told me, you and your friends always end up facing some danger or another.” Jimmy remembers how James told him the story of his life, as he worked to get regain his sobriety.

“My friend became the president of the council,” said James. “Apart from that, nothing like the previous years.”

“Well, that is good,” said Jimmy.

He regrets how he has missed most of his son’s life, by living in a haze. He still shutters after remembering the events of fifteen years ago. “I wanted to come to you in the Academy, but apparently, I am not recovered enough to go outside for prolonged periods.”

“Not a problem father.” Said James. “I do have some questions though.”

“And they are?” asked Jimmy, looking like the mirror image of his son as he started to frown, knowing what was coming his way.

“What happened to mother?” asked James. “I talked to healer Slaughter. He said your food was tampered with. Why?”

The man sighed, leaning back in his chair. He runs his hands through his hair, already thinning despite him being in his forties, which is way too young for a mage to go through hair loss. “I won’t tell you everything completely. Not because you are not ready or other such tripe. But because I can’t deal with those memories.”

James nods, and his father continues. “Your mother did some research on teleportation. She had a breakthrough, where she found a way to send not just humans, but other objects, larger in size, or greater in volume to any location. Your aunt found out about this, and she demanded that we put the research in her name, because her sister was the one who found this breakthrough.” Jimmy controls himself. He cannot end up like a blubbering moron in front of his son.

“When your mother refused, your aunt smeared our name, but when that failed to make us bend to her whims, she attacked us on the very night of your birth. She killed her after tormenting her savagely for hours, and I hid the research.” Jimmy didn’t want to tell everything to James, but the dam was now broken. He cannot stop himself from telling everything.

“I hid the research while you cried in my arms, and secured it by blood magic. all the while your mother was tormented in the very same house. I wanted to save her so badly, but not only was I outnumbered, but I have you to think about. She then took over the house, as I slowly sank into depression, and started to drink heavily. Taking advantage of this, they put sedating potions in my food. Whenever I had some lucid moments, I tried to escape this haze, but nothing ever worked, and I was back to where I started, lost in the haze of alcohol, watching everything go by me disinterested.” Drained of his energy after recounting these events, Jimmy sags in his chair.

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“Your aunt kept me alive, trying to find the research, but I never revealed anything to her.” Said Jimmy after James gave him a glass of water. “And here we are today, trapped outside of our own home.”

James wanted to do a lot of things after hearing all of that from his father. Raging would be quite obvious, plotting to kill Shakuntala would be the next best thing. But for now, he decides to do nothing of the sort. He has just returned from the Academy; he needs to rest. Besides, he doubts some quick plotting will end his aunt easily.

‘I can’t help but notice how both of us are tormented by mind-altering potions by women.’ Thinks James.

PART 3.

Magpie is in shock. He could not believe what he had just heard. “Could you repeat that son?”

“I applied for the internship with General Sundar,” Raven repeated.

“Are you certain about that son?” asked Magpie.

“Look, I have some other options as well,” said Raven. “Besides, the general himself wanted some new interns from the Academy, and he specifically requested sixth years to apply.”

“Well, let’s just hope he will select you. how many people applied?” asked Magpie.

“Not many, surprisingly.” Said Raven. “I talked to other students about it, and they said that none of them are interested in military life.”

“Figures.” Said Magpie. “The general would snap them up like a twig. What about you? do you think you are up to the task?”

“I wouldn’t have applied otherwise.” Said Raven.

PART 4.

As Josh arrives, his older brother blows a horn. “Welcome the president!” he whooped in delight.

Josh straightens up and starts to march like an important person. “Thank you. Thank you for this wonderful welcome.” He nodded like a dignified statesman.

“I hear you got the overwhelming success.” Said George. “Good job you did there. I didn’t get to go to the Academy, so I have decided to invite your friends here. thought you should know that.”

“Hmm. maybe I’ll duel that Hatori fellow. He looks strong.” Said George Junior.

Josh is not thinking about any duels though. ‘This is a disaster! Father will insult Shin, and Hatori will get mad, and it’ll turn into a brawl!’ he thought, panicking inside.

‘Maybe Zeko will refuse?’ he thinks hopefully.

PART 5.

Zeko picks up the letter of Fernandes, checking the seal for its authenticity. Once that is confirmed, he opens the letter. He puts it down after reading it.

‘Interesting.’ He thinks. ‘What kind of security might be present there?’ he considers the answer to this question. ‘It is Fernandes we’re talking about here. I should remain nearby, that man can be so lacking sometimes.’

“Boy! Get ready, we’re leaving for a trip.” Said Zeko, using the old-fashioned method of communicating, screaming at the top of his lungs so he could be heard anywhere in the house.

“Fine!” replies Hatori. ‘Let’s hope it is not another formal occasion.’ He thinks. he doubts anything could be so pleasant as the dinner he had at Daphne’s house all those years ago.

But there is still time for that trip. Hatori decides to do his packing later and goes out of the house. He has been wanting to test this for months now. He calls the crows to himself and starts to fly with them. the younger crows who are recently born, all exclaim in excitement, as they have never seen a human fly before.

‘The experiment was a success.’ He notices how the wind does not bother him, and how he can change his direction effortlessly just by thinking about it. despite getting the cold air, his body has remained warm. ‘That feature is working just as expected.’

He lands near the house after his flight, waving goodbye to the departing crows. Nearby, Shin is fighting a smoky-looking piece of suit, using musical notes to attack and defend.

Hatori does not interfere, since he wants to see how Shin handles himself in the battle. Once the suit was surrounded by a vine and got soaked with water, it fell to the ground limply. “Did you make a mistake in its enchantment?” asked Hatori.

“Yeah, enchanting with music can be so finicky sometimes.” Says Shin. “One wrong note and disaster happens. Where will I get a suit now? That was the only one I had.”

“You can borrow some of mine.” Said Hatori. “Master Zeko bought a lot of those for me, but I never had to wear most of them.”

“Thanks. I do want to be in good clothes when we visit Josh.” Said Shin.

PART 7.

Porus reads the letter from his son. The boy has gone out with another woman. ‘When will he settle down?’ also, the city-states of Yunan are about to fight each other again. ‘Tell me something new.’

Honestly, they fight so much that he is surprised that they have any time to develop their people. His son speculates that this war has started to cover up the massive debts the cities are in. ‘I’m glad that there’s no foolishness like this going on here.’

“Your majesty, it is time to resume the court.” Said Amarnath, entering the room.

‘Then again, we have our brand of stupidity.’ He thinks while leaving with his prime minister.