Chapter 224.

PART 1.

Hatori arrives in the capital since this is where Avinash will be leaving for the Doichland. Speaking of which, he corners Raven for the details, because beyond his job as a bodyguard, he does not know anything else.

“Apparently,” Raven answers, “Albus and other European kings have called a meeting to stop the hostilities at the international level. Naturally, the prick is going to be there, along with Batya and other monarchs.”

“This sounds suspicious.” These are Hatori’s first words after listening to this explanation.

“Oy you two!” said Raven, calling out to Shin and Josh. “I win the bet.”

“Dammit!” they said together. “Can you not be paranoid?” asked Josh.

Shin gets serious. “I can’t blame him. That continent is cursed I tell you.”

“Finally! Someone gets it!” said Hatori.

Of course, given Shin was with him when they were sailing around in the sea to find a way back home, it is understandable that he will understand Hatori’s paranoia. “Let’s hope we won’t have a crazy bitch after us this time.”

“That is a false hope.” Said Shin.

“The hell man? you need to be upbeat to counter his cynicism!” said Josh.

“I leave that job to you. remember, I am not going with him. you are.” Said Shin, reminding Josh.

Josh acquires a face of horror after realizing this. While he is having his moment, Hatori asks who else is going. “Myself, Zeko, you, and Josh,” Raven answers.

‘Hmm. he has covered his side well. Me and master Zeko as his guards, and Josh and Raven representing the military and political sides.’ Thinks Hatori. ‘Still, the whole thing is feeling wrong to me. why do they suddenly care about stopping the hostilities?’

Getting over his thoughts, Hatori asks Shin. “And where are you going?”

“To Zhongguo with Suresh.” Said Shin.

Then Hatori learns about Meng Hao, and his faction, and how Avinash has decided to support him. “Are you certain he is not making a blunder with this?”

“Look, having an unstable neighbor is not in our interest. If we have someone on the throne who is soft towards us is only to our advantage.” Said Josh, having gotten over his horror.

“Whatever. It is your job to make sure we don’t end up in another war, given you are involved deep within the politics. Me and Shin are still outsiders.” Said Hatori.

“You don’t have to be so blunt about it,” said Josh.

“No, he is right,” said Shin. “We will help you guys’ in whatever way we can, but at the end of the day, handling the military or diplomacy is your job, not ours.”

“Anyway, let’s continue this discussion on the ship. The king is calling us,” said Raven.

“He dares to call me like a slave, I’ll put him in the camel clutch one of these days to remind him,” grumbled Hatori.

PART 2.

In the Academy, the last few hours of the Winter Festival are in full swing. The students and professors are partying, while the headmaster is watching all of this happening from the sidelines. Dhiraj never liked getting involved in the rowdy fun, but he also never stopped others from having it.

Corvus is also sitting with him, enjoying some alcohol. Dhiraj cannot drink, for he has to remain sober, but the old man has no such restrictions. His constant smiles sent his way show how he finds this to be amusing since he is not stuck with responsibility for a change.

But then, a conflict breaks out in the party. This is normal since teenagers lose their emotional control so easily. But the problem is that the conflict is between professors and researchers. The spells are lethal, and soon, it spreads everywhere.

Dhiraj’s eyes widened. “An attack.” he leaps into the action, while activating the wards to keep the larger force out, while he coordinates with other professors to send the students inside of their dorms, while the other members of the staff prepare to fight.

However, some professors reveal their colors, when they start to attack their own sides. Dhiraj also gets reports of violence in the dorms. He quickly realizes that the students have been turned. “Alert, treat any hostile student as an enemy. Disable them if you can, and if not, kill them,” he said the last part grimly.

He is fully aware that this will not reflect positively on him. but for now, he cannot worry about the future. He must save the people of this institute from this attack of the outsiders.

PART 3.

Suresh arrives with Shin and meets with Dong Tuna and Li Chen. They were not attacked, and the old man explains that the area belongs to them, that is why. if they were to come from a different direction, then it is likely that their airship would have been attacked.

Meng Hao also arrives with them. Suresh and Shin watch the welcome party for him, and the rousing speech which he gave to his people. Then, they get down to the business. “First, do you have any allies close to capital who won’t stab you in the back?” asked Suresh.

“Yes, there is a list of them,” said Liu Bao. “Here’s the map, so you can know about their area.”

“Good,” said Suresh. “I believe we should secure their cooperation, and until then, we should avoid any conflicts.”

“Why?” asked Tuna. “We can attack right now.”

“Because you need to take over certain choke points before you can capture the capital.” Said Suresh, pointing to some areas on the map. “True, you can attack your rivals, but this will not accomplish anything.”

“I agree with this young man,” said Chen. “So far, we have tried attacking, but we do end up losing our captured territories. I believe we should listen to him.”

“Whatever you say, elder.” Said Dong Tuna, and sat down without arguing any further.

Suresh and Shin were expecting some hostility, but the faction of Meng Hao turned out to be quite professional. They listen to the suggestions offered by Suresh, but they also do not hesitate to shoot some of them down. Given they understand this area better than him, Suresh does not mind.

While these discussions are taking place, Shin is entertaining the people outside with his music. He has struck a friendship with an Erhu player, and both of them are playing their respective instruments. Their performance is improvised, and both of them are looking to see who will slip his rhythm first.

PART 4.

After arriving in the Doichland, they experience one thing. “Cold, so fucking cold!” said Josh, trembling and shivering.

“What are you talking about? The weather is fine.” Said Zeko. “Kids these days, they are so weak.”

“I am not a weak kid master.” Said Hatori.

“Of course not. I trained you,” said Zeko in reply.

Of course, these two do not feel any cold, since they have modified their body to remain at the constant temperature no matter the environment. Raven and Avinash come out with enchanted clothes, and Josh has to go inside the airship and come back with changed clothes to protect himself from the winter.

They are staying in a hotel, where they meet Lewis. Hatori was the first one to call him out. “Oy. Are you here to surrender before us?”

“Damit! Why the hell are you here?” he roared, leaping at Hatori.

“Wow. You’ve changed.” Said Avinash.

“Of course, your majesty.” Said Lewis, saluting the king.

“Don’t salute him. his ego is out of control already.” Said Hatori.

“Shut up!” said Avinash while gritting his teeth. “I assume you have come here with Henry?”

“Yes. speaking of which, you guys should meet me later,” said Lewis. the sudden shift in his tone catches Hatori’s attention.

“Why?” asked Hatori, dropping his jovial manner.

“I can’t speak here. but it is very important.” Said Lewis, and then walked away.

“Great. Conspiracies already.” Grumbled Avinash. “Let’s have some rest before I go butt heads with other monarchs.”

“You mean morons?” asked Hatori.

“Shut up!” said Avinash, looking around in panic to make sure no one heard that. at this rate, Hatori is going to start a war, and everyone will gang upon them because of their hatred against him.

Seeing his behavior, Hatori scoffs. “You are a king, aren’t you? why are you unsettled so easily? How will you speak with those older kings who have more experience than you?”

“You are right. thanks for reminding me,” said Avinash.

“Any time,” said Hatori.

Later in the afternoon, the meeting of the kings has begun. And already, it has devolved into a fight they are arguing like rabid dogs. “I called this meeting to establish peace, and this king of grassland and frozen mountains is undoing my efforts!”

“Peace? Peace? The guy who assisted Malays against us is calling for peace? Maybe you should look in the mirror every now and then.” Said Avinash in the defense of Batya.

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The arguments continue on, while the Kaiser watches this happening, bored with the proceedings. He knows that none of them will come to an agreement, and whatever Albus is doing is for his secret puppet masters.

To pass his time, the emperor looks at the bodyguards. While some of them are looking like statues, standing behind their respective kings, the others are chatting among their group. That blind-looking boy is speaking with the older man, and the Kaiser can hear their conversation clearly since they are close to him, and they are not concealing their voice.

“Being a guard is so boring.” Said Hatori. “I thought it would be fun to look menacing in the background, but I was wrong.”

“Alas, we have to do things which are not amusing in life,” said Zeko, which is wise advice from the old man in the humble opinion of the emperor.

The young king from the Subcontinent is also interesting to observe. A lot of them thought that they would be able to bully him due to his inexperience, but he has proven all of them wrong. He has the same fire that the old Porus did. In contrast, the Pharoh of Kemet, having ascended the throne in the last five years or so is looking unsure. There is no confidence in him, even though he likely received training to handle such situations.

‘This reminds me. I should keep an eye on my potential successors. I wouldn’t want a weakling to ruin everything after me.’ thought the emperor.

PART 5.

Porus receives the news of what is going on in the Academy. while during the previous invasions, the Academy did not need help, the king was not in any position to provide any help, even if he wanted to.

But things are different now. Porus is not a king anymore, but he has been given the responsibility of looking after the country while Avinash is out in the Doichland. And while it does operate independently, the Academy is situated on the land of this country. Which makes it his responsibility to make sure it continues to operate without any hindrance.

So, he calls the Singh twins. “I am giving you two a small force from our elite mages from the military. Go to the Institute Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, and drive out the enemy present there. also, rescue anyone who requires your help.” orders Porus.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” said the twins, and then left.

‘Hopefully, they will not be too late by the time they arrive there.’ thinks Porus to himself.

PART 6.

Due to the violence in the dorms, the younger students are trapped outside and are becoming the victims of the conflict. These students are not equipped to handle a battle like this and the high-level magic being thrown around.

Seeing them in danger, Professor Bali and Krodhatma come to their aid. “Professor!” they said, glad to see them.

“Don’t worry children, your path will be clear soon.” Said Bali.

“Leave the fight to me.” said Krodhatma, “You take them to the dorms, and try to put out the fire there.”

“Are you sure?” asked Bali.

“Do not question me, boy!” said Krodhatma.

“As if. You are nothing but a crippled old man. we don’t have to fear you.” said one of the traitors.

“And that is your biggest mistake.” Said Krodhatma. The symbols start to spin on his body, and some of them appear in the air as well.

Symbols for water and fire burn and drown his enemies, while symbols of earth react in unpredictable ways when they are stepped on. Sometimes, spikes come from the ground and impale the person who stepped on a particular symbol, and other times they start to sink in the ground until they are buried alive.

But the professor of runes has to stay in one place to control these runes. Couple with his weak body, he cannot move around in the battle. Therefore, he took the damage from the spells coming his way, while the runes on his body worked overtime to heal the damage he was taking.

Once Bali takes all the students inside, Krodhatma falls to the ground. Wary after fighting him, the enemy professors come close to him to see whether he is truly dying or not. once they confirm, one of them kicks his head. “I always wanted your position, but you took it away from me. you mad dog.”

“I am angry, not mad.” Declared Krodhatma, and then self-destructed, taking out all the enemy professors.

Despite his best try, Krodhatma could not cover Bali completely. However, Bali is enough to handle these small flies by himself. But the professor of combat went berserk when he felt the magic of Krodhatma disappear from his senses. It could mean only one thing, that his colleague has died. Letting his death fuel his rage, he cleared the path to the dorms and brought the students there safely. Afterward, he also dealt harshly with the students who were fighting with other students in the dorms, breaking their limbs, crippling them, and then tying them with chains for the remainder of the battle.

PART 7.

After the meeting concludes, Hatori, Josh, and Raven go out to meet with Lewis at a café. Avinash is with Zeko. They had to explain to him that if he came around in open so casually, then it would make the job of guarding him much harder. So, they left him with Zeko at their hotel.

While the three are busy ordering the food and drinks of their liking, Hatori is working on the privacy array. Once done, he activates it. anyone who tries to listen or spy upon them will get meaningless babble.

“Alright.” Said Hatori, leaning back in his chair, and sipping his sweet coffee. “Now tell us why you’ve called us here.”

“Really? No more jokes?” glared Lewis.

“Not the time,” said Hatori in reply.

Lewis sighed. “Unfortunately, you are correct.” He said while taking out an envelope. “Here, read this.”

The envelope contains some reading material along with pictures of three people. Two men, and one woman. The reading material describes how these three meet, and their connection. There are some possible reasons for their meeting, but one reason is confirmed. They wish to replace all the strong mages by either killing them or bringing them under their heel and ruling the world with an iron fist.

“This seems suspicious. Are you certain this is genuine?” asked Raven.

“Given that Peter died in the process of acquiring this information, it better be.” Said Lewis. “As you have probably guessed, their plans are just like the Incubi and Succubi, just on a larger scale.”

“This does explain certain things,” said Josh. “For example, the sudden rebellion in the Zhongguo.”

“You’re right. some discontent is normal, but what happened there, and how quickly it happened, it certainly reeks of conspiracy.” Said Raven.

“Same goes for the rebellion in the Subcontinent.” Said Hatori. “There is no way those nobles would have moved against Porus otherwise.”

“This brings another question,” said Raven. “Does Batya know? Given Peter was the citizen of his land?”

“He does. Apart from him, Henry also knows. And Now you guys. The list has been kept small, to make sure that this is kept private.” said Lewis.

“The meeting will resume the next day,” said Raven. “We will have to be careful. If Albus is their piece, and he called this meeting, then there has to be some purpose for it.”

“Correct.” Said Hatori. “Probably attack, and remove all the strong monarchs at once.”

“But the emperor?” asked Josh.

“Is one of their targets.” Said Lewis. “He cannot be controlled. Unlike Albus, he has a very strong will.”

“Dammit. We will be feeling Hatori-level paranoia tomorrow.” Grumbled Josh. “That is the only way to get out of here in one piece.”

Hatori smiled after hearing that quantity. An entire quantity named after him sounds nice, and amusing at the same time.

PART 8.

The meeting restarted the next day, and after keeping calm for almost half an hour, which was surprising to Hatori, they began to fight once again. Albus was trying to get some concessions out of others, using the threat of his powerful navy. But others are not budging, and they are reminding him that they can cripple his navy if he dares to act too lofty with their Airforce.

Hatori always used to think that politicians never talk in straight words. But it appears that is only true with the common public. When they are alone, and cannot be observed, they show a remarkable level of straightforwardness.

Or maybe these are a degenerate bunch, who are unable to play those games with each other.

A spike of magic causes Hatori to react. Other guards also reacted with him, having sensed the threat. Guarding their monarchs, they prepare to escape this area. However, all the routes of escape are blocked, and these masked mages then begin to attack them.

Leaping out of his chair, Raven grabs his chair, and bashes the head of one masked enemy, while pushing Avinash to Zeko and Hatori. he saw the general dying under his watch. He will not let that happen to the king. he observes Hatori and Zeko leading Avinash away and breathes a sigh of relief.

With Josh, he follows behind them.