Chapter 119.

PART 1.

Avinash arrives in the castle. though his family does have a house outside of the castle, since his father is stuck working here most of the time, he lives here as well. at the dinner, Amarnath asks the question that every parent asks after their kids return from school: “So, how was the year?”

“Quite simple, actually. Especially compared to the previous year,” explained Avinash, taking a small bite of Kaju Katli. He loves eating this sweet dish as a dessert. He is a very lucky kid in this narrator’s opinion.

“Ah yes, you caused a lot of uproar among the high families when you chose to support the protest of the lower-class students.” Said Amarnath.

“You never said anything to me.” said Avinash, “If you have any trouble because of me—”

“Parish the thought.” Said Amarnath. “Remember, I did not get the second most powerful position in this country, by listening to entitled people to complain, and submitting before their complaints.”

Avinash feels a fierce pride in his father. Not that there is anything new in this feeling, he has seen closely how he conducts himself, and Avinash has tried to follow in his footsteps. “I do hear that you are working under the Fernandes’s boy. this is actually surprising to me. I thought you hated being under someone else’s thumb?”

“He’s not that bad.” Said Avinash in the defense of his president. “I liked his cause, so I supported him. besides, this way I get to see how exactly the experience of working within the administration before becoming the almighty boss of everyone.” Avinash grinned widely.

“But honestly, as soon as you become part of some system, the attitude of the people changes so quickly. They complain and curse at you all the time!” Amarnath chuckled after hearing that.

‘Porus complains of the same thing all the time.’ he thought. He asked the next question in his mind to distract his son from the soul-crushing task of running a place. “So, I also hear that you’re going to be working at a farm?”

“Yeah?” asked Avinash, not sure where this is going.

“Look, I have never coddled you son. But I do think farming is going to be straining for you in mind and body.” Said Amarnath.

“Oh. Don’t worry, I’m willing to do the manual work no problem.” Said Avinash. “Especially if I get to learn the tactics of politics from an old player of the game. Josh has shown me the importance of those this year.”

‘This is surprising.’ Amarnath wipes a tear from his eye. ‘Kids grow up so fast these days.’ He thought after listening to how mature his son was regarding his future.

PART 2.

Hatori and Yaksha the water spirit (whose real name Hatori still doesn’t know), are listening to the excellent violin performance of Shin, clapping when the music is over. “Did you ever thought of picking up some other string-based instrument?”

“Not yet. I never have enough time to master all of them,” he said.

“You kids should get ready; we’ll leave in an hour.” Said Zeko.

As Zeko leaves to get ready himself, Shin is having second thoughts. “Maybe I shouldn’t go there. His entire family is rich, while I’m no one.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing.” Said Hatori. “No one will say anything to you.”

“But—” he tries to say.

“No one will say a damn thing to you there.” Said Hatori once again. “Now, let’s get ready before Master Zeko gets angry at us for wasting time.”

“Yeah, sure.” Said Shin. He might fear what may happen in Fernandes City, but he rather not face an angry Zeko, who is currently employing him. angering someone like that is a recipe for disaster.

PART 3.

Raven and James observe the Fernandes City. The city seems to be a major spot for farming and marketing, typical of the Sapta Sindhu region. “The fields are beautiful, aren’t they?” asked Raven.

“Indeed.” Agreed James. He feels a pang of jealousy since Flora's family was once a major supplier of fruits, but now their business is in tatters.

“Can you believe that Hatori might get to travel like this for whole two years?” he asked James.

“I doubt he’ll always get to visit nice cities like this one all the time though,” said James. “Speaking of traveling, you actually might get to do a lot of it as well, since you might need to go with the general.”

“I doubt he’ll take me on the field.” Said Raven. “What about you?”

“I’ll stay in the Academy, just like Josh.” Said James. “After all, I can learn from healer Slaughter all I want without going anywhere.”

“Best of both worlds, eh?” said Raven. “Learn what you like, and don’t need to go anywhere?”

“Exactly. I hate traveling.” Said James. “Learning about the human body, however, is fascinating. How to fix it, how to break it, it is all so interesting.”

“I’m sure it is,” said Raven, but offers no further comments, since they arrive at the home of Josh.

“Hey you guys, had a nice trip?” asked Josh as he welcomed them.

“Yeah, surprisingly, our first traveling alone went well,” said Raven. “Though my mother was freaked out I think.”

“Probably thinking how her baby boy will survive the harsh world,” said James blandly.

It took a moment for Raven to process the joke, he then gave James a sour look. “Ha, ha, so funny.” He couldn’t retaliate here. but he will look for a suitable revenge in the future.

PART 4.

“This city which you see now is just not a simple farming town or a market hub. It actually is the center point for the economy of this entire region.” Said Zeko. “This is the reason why people wish to capture it for themselves. Whoever has this city, always becomes rich.”

“I doubt that,” said Hatori. “Keeping military to protect this entire city must be expensive.” He said.

“Can we not discuss the military, please?” asked Shin, sick of listening to military and economic talks during the entire trip.

“Fine.” Said Hatori and Zeko grumpily.

When they arrive at Josh’s house, Shin is intimidated by its size. He has never seen such a large place just for a family. Having this large property for his own use is mindboggling for him. Hatori is not impressed by it much. true, it is larger than Zeko’s house, and it is probably more lavishly decorated, about which his magical sensing does not reveal anything. But it just lacks that homely feeling Zeko’s house has.

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‘Or maybe I’ve just grown used to the constant attacks.’ thinks Hatori. True, he was not attacked when he got back from the Academy. but the shadows and spirits resumed their usual mischief with him. The author did not bother to show that here to save page count. It is important to save trees, after all.

“Hey guys,” welcomed Josh. He is subdued while welcoming this pair.

“Ah, Hatori, about whom I have heard so much.” said a large man with a baritone.

“Hatori, meet my father, George Fernandes, the most powerful man in this region.” Said Josh.

“Nice to meet you,” said Hatori, extending his hand, after sensing the older man is doing the same.

Once the handshake is over though, Hatori is hit by George’s magical pressure. “Nice to meet you too.” He chuckled, trying to make Hatori kneel on the ground.

However, Hatori refuses to bend to the pressure and even uses his own pressure to counter the attack of the older mage. ‘What’s this? Have I already reached my limits? Pathetic!’ he berated himself. He releases his pressure on Hatori, and a smile crosses over his face.

“I’m glad that my son has such strong friends,” said George. “I always believe that if you have strong people supporting you, you can achieve anything.”

“Of course.” Said Hatori. “However, these people must have the spine for that to happen.”

“Naturally,” George observes this boy. though his empty eye sockets might look scary, his overall looks are quite handsome. Coupled with the body which is sculpted by the hard training of Zeko, the boy is quite appealing to the eye. ‘Just look at that thick neck, and those broad shoulders!’ he thinks to himself. ‘He is not just strong in body, but strong in magic as well.’

While his father is busy thinking, Josh introduces his friends to his mother and brother. “He’s George Junior.” Said Josh.

“Interesting. I can imagine the name conflicts.” Said James.

“Nah, I’m just called Junior in the family.” Said George Junior.

while the rest of them move on, George Junior comes to Shin, who is trying to do his best to disappear into the background. “You were ready to attack, weren’t you?” he asked him. “When my father put Hatori under his magical pressure.”

“If he didn’t relent, then yes.” Said Shin.

“It wasn’t just you,” said Junior. “Even my brother was ready to lunge at him. I’m glad you are so protective of each other. It is rare to have friends like you among the mages.”

While Junior is talking with Shin, and Josh is introducing his friends to his mother, George remembers someone after looking at Shin. ‘He looks familiar, but I can’t remember why. the boy is a nameless one, isn’t he? Then why does he remind me of someone nasty?’

Hatori is happy to meet Maria Fernandes, Josh’s mother. “Do you know that we have a Maria in our year as well?” he said to her.

“Indeed? What is she like?” she asked.

“Firey.” Said Hatori, the best word he could think of to describe the girl.

The woman chuckles at his one-word description. Hatori also sees that, unlike George Senior, she is a gentlewoman, but the man does not dare act brashly before her. ‘She must be strong enough to put him in his place then.’ He thought with a smirk.

“I think I should excuse myself.” Said Zeko, and tried to walk out. he has dropped Shin and Hatori, and he will come back to get them. but staying over to observe the familial atmosphere is asking too much in his opinion.

“Where are you going so fast?” asked George. “Let’s have a drink. I’ve opened a vintage bottle, just for you.”

Zeko wanted to leave, but he could not after such an open offer to stay. “Come, let’s leave the kids to their devices, and talk in my study.” George takes Zeko to his office room, while the older mage feels so strange being treated this way by the younger man.

PART 5.

Josh and his older brother are showing them around the city, where the topic of dueling has come up. while walking in the park, they discuss the dueling. “Okay, I can believe that you guys are good duelists. But I refuse to believe that this lazy guy is that good.”

“Remember who sent you outside of the garden last year, soaking wet?” asked Josh.

“Ah yes.” George’s face hardens. “You then abandoned me on the tender mercy of mother.” Josh starts to run, and his older brother starts to chase him. “Get back here, you traitor, you deserve all the punishments I can think of!”

“There goes the plan of seeing the city any further.” Mutters Shin.

“Nah, this is actually a better show,” said James.

“Help me, for love of magic, help me!” asked Josh, trying to escape the grip of his brothers, while cursing his friends for just watching standing around, and not helping him.

PART 7.

Surendra Sharma opens the meeting. “Okay. the meeting officially starts. Now, any new ideas?”

He has gotten sick of these meetings. The topic is the same old same old, how to bring Hatori around their way of thinking. However, nothing has resulted in all these years, especially when Yograj went and destroyed any chance they may had with the young child. No matter how much he appealed to them that they should cajole the boy to their side, and not threaten him, his pleas went unheard. Sure enough, another brute-force approach is suggested.

“I think we should send our paid… retrievers, after the boy,” suggests Shakuntala.

‘You must be fucking mad, you damn cunt!’ he thought, unable to stop cursing the woman. It isn’t enough that she is dealing with problems with her own family, now she wishes to invite more trouble for herself and them as well.

“I do not support this.” Said Rao.

“Me neither.” Said George. “It is quite obvious by this point that the situation is out of our hands. It is foolish to think that we can change the boy. it would be much better to just befriend him.”

“Befriend him? Are you mad? He’s just a young boy!” the meeting devolves, and after getting enough of it, Surendra ends the meeting.

Both of his sons watched that circus. “Father, I don’t think that is a good idea.” Said Surendra Junior.

“I agree with brother here,” said Samudra. “Zeko is a well-known strong mage, but Munshi, that necromancer is not so easily crossed either. There is a reason why he is the best necromancer in this country.”

“I know,” said their father, grabbing his head. “I know. But I doubt they are going to listen. I can’t believe that those brutes George and Praduman Rao are the most reasonable ones in this case.”