Chapter 37.

PART 1.

The professors set a brutal pace of trekking in the wilderness. While most children are flagging, Hatori is easily managing to keep up with them, due to training under Zeko. Raven and Josh were also managing to keep up with their pace, but since they didn’t have the same regime as Hatori, they started to flag as well.

As for Shin and James, let’s not even talk about that. That is just too embarrassing. If I ever encounter these boys in the future, I’ll totally blackmail them with this event… ahem.

“What do you think professor, should we give them a rest?” asked Dhiraj, barely hiding his glee after hearing the groans of exhaustion behind him.

“Hmm. It is getting dark. I doubt they would manage in the night with us. Very well, professor, make them prepare the camp.” They halted.

The children were dismayed that after the walking (which was more like jogging) through the difficult terrain all day long, now they must prepare their own camp. Once more, Hatori didn’t have a problem. While setting up his tent (generously provided by the professors) he stopped to ask them a question.

“Sir, must we prepare our own fire as well?”

Bali looked at Hatori in amusement. “No. You probably don’t know any spells to do that yet.” At Hatori’s nod, the professor dismisses them.

“What do you think about adding the requirement of knowing spells to light the campfire before coming here?” asked Bali to his colleague.

“Hmm. Now that is an idea.” Said Dhiraj. “Did that blind boy give you the idea?”

“Yeah. He asked about that just a few moments ago.”

“Isn’t he trained by Zeko? No wonder he doesn’t have any trouble.” Said Dhiraj.

“Yeah. Though I doubt he’ll be good enough in combat to survive alone here. That old fox probably didn’t have enough time to prepare him for that.” said Bali in admiration.

He admires Zeko’s training methods, and his unbroken streak of turning every student he gets into a monster, without a fail. Though this boy is the youngest among them. He probably hasn’t experienced his full teaching style. It’ll change once he gets back after this year, assuming he survives.

PART 2.

Away from the professors, Hatori and his friends are enjoying their jamuns given to them by the professors. Nearby, a river flows gently. “Raven, will you help me plant this here?” He asks after spitting the seed of the final jamun in his palm.

“Ewww. Isn’t that dirty?” said Josh in response.

“Yeah, but it is just the seed. I wanted to plant a seed forever.” Said Hatori.

“Yeah, sure.” Finding a nice clear spot, Raven helps Hatori in burying the seed.

“Don’t put it too deep. It’ll need the sunlight.” Said Raven.

“You’ll also need to adjust how you’re putting it.” said James. That surprises them, given his silence most of the time. But Hatori follows his instructions, and finishes up burying the seed, hoping it’ll bloom into a tree one day.

Washing hands in the nearby river, Hatori and his friends are ambushed by five other boys of their own age. Before his friends could respond, Hatori is making the ambushers run, yelping in pain from his Stinging spell. His friends watched him in awe. He didn’t even use his foci.

“Wow, that was great.” Complimented Raven, while Josh and Shin clapped. James smirked after watching the fleeing boys.

“They were too slow.” Complained Hatori. Compared to Nandan or Reshma, these boys don’t even come anywhere close.

“Can you teach me how to fight like that?” asked Shin. “Also, move like you without the use of my eyes.”

“Sure. I’ll need a sparring partner to keep my skills sharp.” While Hatori agreed, Raven and Josh gave Shin sympathetic looks. They just know that Hatori will inflict the horrifying methods of Zeko on Shin.

“We’ll start on that when we reach the Academy. Is that fine with you?” Shin nods in response, but realizes that Hatori probably didn’t get that. So he gives a verbal response.

Josh wanted to stop this horror from starting, because he just knew that it'd spread within their whole group later. But Hatori hears something, and he quiets them. “Raven, let me lean on your shoulder.” He said.

“O…kay?” He lets Hatori put an arm around his shoulder, and leans on him as if he’s injured.

A few moments later, Ramya comes into the same clearing. She keeps a stoic face while looking at Hatori’s friends, but turns a smile on Hatori. “What happened here?” She asked.

Before anyone could speak, Raven begins to explain. “Few boys attacked us while we were washing our hands in that river. Hatori got injured.” Josh looks at Raven with an astonished expression at this lie, while Shin gives an approving nod from behind Ramya. None of them realized when he got there.

“Too bad.” She tried to sound sad, but it didn’t come off right. “Here, use this potion.” She tosses a small vial. Raven catches it. “It should help him.” She walks away, still trying to look sad.

“You heard the footsteps, didn’t you?” asked Josh.

“Yeah. But I also recognized the feel of her magic. I knew who was coming our way.” Explains Hatori, getting away from Raven.

“Can any of you judge that potion?” asked Hatori.

“Why? She could have given you an honest healing potion.” Asked Shin.

“She and I have a history.” Said Hatori. “I’ll explain that at some other time.”

“Sure. But count me out. I don’t know how to judge that potion.” Said Shin.

“Neither do we.” said Raven and Josh together.

“I can. Give it here.” Said James, taking the potion from Raven.

He opens the vial, and smells it, keeping it at a suitable distance from his nose. “You were right to suspect her. The leaves of a Frangipani are used in this potion. Instead of healing you, this would have caused intense itching, and potential worsening of any open and bleeding wound.” He gives his verdict.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Man, you’re a closet genius, aren’t you?” praised Josh.

“Yeah. With a sniff, he recognized what plant is used in that potion, and he even knows the possible effects it can cause.” Said Shin.

James shrugged his shoulders. “I just have an interest in how things work, including potions. Since plants are used there, I’ve learned a lot about them.”

“That explains how you knew about planting seeds.” James nodded at this comment from Raven.

“Those boys. They were with her in this plan most likely.” Realizes Hatori. “After all, we haven’t interacted with anyone much; they didn’t have any reason to come after us.”

“Yeah. In the heed of the fight, you ignored it. But we saw how they mostly targeted you.” agreed Josh.

“Hmm. let some boys beat you up, and then come up with a healing potion with understanding, and what’s the word? Ah yes. Empathy.” Said Shin.

“I won’t let her get away with this.” Said Hatori. “The thing in the library was an accident. But this is malicious.”

“But what could you do?” asked Josh. “Those professors will stop you before you could even start a thing.”

“Though Josh has a point, I am in favor of nipping this in the bud right here.” James agreed with Hatori. “Ignoring spats like these is a bad idea.”

“I also think that retaliation is the best idea.” Said Shin. “If we ignore her now, she’ll get even more ideas in the Academy. And I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a feeling that place is going to be much more dangerous than this forest, especially since it would be coming from other students.”

“Okay, then how’re we going to pull this off?” asked Raven.

“Scout her tent. Spread this potion there.” Hatori formulated the plan.

“Yeah, but what about the people with her?” asked Raven.

“I don’t think she is the sharing type. She might have to share in the Academy, but I doubt that the professors would bother to deal with her tantrum here.” Said Hatori.

“Yeah, they’re more likely to bury her somewhere here.”

“Let’s scout her tent.” said Shin. “You hold on to that vial, while you guys stay out of this.”

“But—” Hatori tried to protest.

“But nothing. This is a dangerous operation. And for all your talent in fighting, you’re going to fail hard in stealth.” Said Shin, brooking no argument from Hatori.

What could he say? Shin is right.

An hour or so later, James and Shin come back to them in their shared tent. “It’s done.” Announced Shin.

“What about the vial?” asked Josh.

“We threw it in the river.” Said James. “I don’t think the professors would bother searching for something like this. But just in case, it is best if that vial disappears into the river.”

PART 3.

The next day, they start extremely early in the morning. Among the grumblings and complains of other kids, they hear that a group of kids have to be carried on a levitating carriage, because they are unable to walk. Hatori is surprised that some other kids got caught up in his revenge. ‘Oh well, I’m sure they would have bothered me somehow in the future. Consider this some advance payback.’

Meanwhile, Bali is disappointed that they survived whatever they got themselves into. It would have been better if they eliminated themselves from the gene pool, but no. They have to be carried on the carriage.

At least they didn’t need to trek for a long time. Three hours of trekking later, they arrive at the Academy. Judging by the heat of the sun, it must be eight in the morning, though Hatori has no way of confirming that. ‘I must find some clock spells. There are bound to be some.’

There’s a massive crowd of the first-year students moving inside the massive building, getting herded through the halls into the mess hall, judging by the smells. Hatori decides to contain his questions, like how do they manage to sit so many students in here for now.

After getting served breakfast, they all dig in with gusto. After the wild trekking they’ve gone through, this fresh hot breakfast is appreciated. After they were all done eating, someone enters the mess hall. The students go silent one by one, and Hatori gets the feeling of absolute power from this person, much like Zeko.

“Good morning students. I hope you had a wonderful breakfast. After your run for the last day and a half, I’m sure you needed it.” He said. Hatori curses not for the first time, the lack of his sight. Judging people is so hard without sight, magic or not.

“I am Corvus Black, the headmaster of this fine institute of learning, serving for the last 90 years. And today, I welcome you all. And I offer my condolences to those who will soon depart, unable to handle the dangers of the magical world. May they leave us early, before we waste any resources on them.” Hatori is disturbed by this attitude.

He thought that the professors were joking. But apparently, the staff is like that, especially the man in charge. What is more disturbing is that older students agree with him, giving the same condolences.

“Though it should be noted that attacking students below their third year, meaning students ten years old, who have just arrived, and eleven, who are going through their second years, is forbidden. That is it for today’s announcement. The classes for the first-year will begin tomorrow. Good luck, you’re going to need it if you wish to survive.” Corvus then leaves.

getting over that disturbing speech, Hatori whispers to Josh. “We should leave before the teachers can separate us, and take over a room.” By this point, Hatori is fairly confident that these four will stay with him.

“Good idea.” They all leave, just when the professors begin the announcement of dormitory arrangements.

Arriving to an empty room, they enlarge their small trunks, dump them in the middle of the room, decide to take a shower, and take a nap. They will sort out other details later. Meanwhile, the other students have just reached their own room, and the professors are bemused about that one room which they never assigned.

(End.)