I was on my way to City Hall, and apparently, Lord Galreid wanted to introduce me to someone.
It could be a number of people, but if I had to bet my money on it, which I don't really do. I would say it would be the special friend from Earth.
That lit something in my heart as I increased my pace, and soon the City Hall came in view.
Surrounded by hundreds of wagons, all of them surrounded by soldiers themselves.
"I hate these court sessions, and you guys just had to round up so many of them."
Ori spoke as he patted me on the back.
Chuckle
It just escaped me, honestly, Ori was one of the people I did not mind hearing it.
"Just wait, we are not done yet. I have a feeling things will get wilder."
A wheeze escaped Ori's mouth as he walked past me.
"I hope not. I already have enough paperwork to deal with today."
Following him, I walked into City Hall, where the moment we stepped inside, a man wearing Special Forces armour came to us and asked us a question.
"Are you Jacob Smith?"
"Well, yes, I am."
The man nodded before gesturing towards the stairs that led to the higher floors.
"Lord Galreid has been waiting for you."
Upon hearing that, I looked at Ori, who had a puzzled expression on his face as I turned back to the man.
"Please lead the way, I will be right with you."
That seemed to work as he nodded, giving me some privacy.
"I will explain all the details later."
I told Ori, as he just nodded before heading to his office.
Now, I was in for the treat, as I looked up at the man standing halfway up the stairs.
As soon as I started climbing the stairs, the man continued leading me to The Duke.
The first thing I get to do today is meet with The Duke, Commander Opus had said he wanted me to meet someone.
But who could it be?
By the time I had finished going through all the possibilities, I realised I was already at the door, leading to the Count's office.
Well, not anymore. The Count is under arrest, and The Duke has taken temporary residence in the Count's office.
A tremble filled my chest, a wave of excitement as I raised my fist to knock on the hard wooden door.
.
.
.
.
Raghav Suryanshi.
I stood face to face with Raghav Suryanshi.
The Hero of Prophecy, The Hero of Paneria.
Internally, I let out a chuckle as I told myself.
'Now, this is Epic!'
Externally, however, I must have looked like a baby that had no consciousness of its existence as I stood there just watching.
Raghav seemed to notice and made his way towards me with his hand outstretched.
"Jacob Smith, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard quite a few things about you from Lord Galreid as well as my Brother, who you met last night."
Finally coming to my senses, I took his hand, and wow, he had soft yet strong hands.
Honestly, I would say he had the softest hand I had ever touched.
But I had to shake the thought out of my mind as I matched the gentle smile he had, or at least I tried, because on his face it seemed so easy.
Then it struck me - he had just mentioned a brother, his brother whom I had met last night.
"I must apologise, but I met your brother?"
Raghav nodded as he gestured to his left, where I saw Shin Furukawa.
"This is Shin, my best friend, but you can consider him my younger brother."
I had no idea the two of them were so close; they really got so close in such a short time.
"Wow, it is incredible how close a bond you two formed in less than a month of meeting one another."
The comment made Shin snort, as Raghav's smile grew slightly as he looked me in the eyes.
"Actually, Shin and I were friends back on Earth. He went missing two years ago and has been here ever since. I soon followed after, as you know, and we reunited here."
"PARDON MY FRENCH, BUT DID YOU JUST SAY YOU KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE PANERIA?"
Raghav just gave me three quick nods.
Since they already knew each other, they also arrived here well after me; they must have some news about the future of the world. I guess I will ask about it.
"So, tell me what the year 2033 is like?"
Immediately after I said that, I saw Raghav's eyebrows scrunch up as I started to realise.
"Does time not flow the same here and there?"
Raghav shook his head as he turned to Shin. "It flows the same in both worlds, right?"
Shin gave a nod of affirmation as he raised both hands in front of himself.
"I have been on Paneria for two years, and Raghav says that I disappeared two years ago on Earth as well. So the time in both worlds seems to be flowing at the same pace. Second for second. Now, Jacob, why would you assume we were from the year 2033?"
"I came from the year 2025, and that was eight years ago for me, so I assumed you coming here now means you are from the year 2033."
Raghav shook his head as his expression changed to a serious one, which made the inner workings of his mind completely unreadable to me.
Soon, he reached a conclusion and shared it with us.
"I believe that Jacob is from a different Earth as compared to ours. Since I am also from 2025, the only way to be certain of this is to ask about some popular events. I will go first. Who won the FIFA World Cup 2022?"
Oh, I remember that like yesterday.
"That is an easy question, Portugal won, with Ronaldo scoring his third goal in the final minute."
I had a grin watching their reactions as Raghav nodded with his eyes closed.
"So we are from different Earths, Argentina won on ours, it went to the penalties. Still, Messi had two goals in the match."
Would you look at that, we found our answers in the first question.
I couldn't hold my laugh as Shin asked me. "What's so funny?"
"I was thinking that both Ronaldo and Messi achieved what they wished for, albeit in different worlds."
"Long live the multiverse."
Shin joked with his hands in the air, and as soon as our eyes met, we both broke out into laughter.
That was when a new voice broke through our laughter, one that I recognised from last night.
"Good morning, My Lord and Your Highness!"
I turned around, and the mage from last night stood before me with Commander Opus walking at his side.
"Good Morning, Mage Amar, Commander Opus."
Lord Galreid greeted the two of them, and now I knew that the man was named Amar.
Then what he spoke next took me off guard.
"I would like to say this, that due to foreseen circumstances that were well within my rights, I am late to this meeting."
My sarcastic side decided to make an appearance in front of all these important individuals as I chuckled before letting my mouth run.
"Appreciate the honest mate."
I spoke out without even realising what I was saying, and that made Shin laugh even harder.
"It's Chewsday innit? Would you like a bo'ohw'o'wo'er, mate?"
He said in a very accurate British accent.
"So are you British?"
Raghav asked as I ignored Shin and focused on answering Raghav's question.
"I am, I hope that will not be a problem between us, given the history the British have with the Indians. But to be clear, I was born in the US."
"Hmm. I have no problem with the British, just did not want to wrongly assume, so I asked."
That figures, he was probably unsure if I was British or Australian.
"I appreciate it, but if you will excuse me, I need to ask what is going on, who is this Mage Amar? He was at my home last night, offering me a bribe."
A lot of different looks were exchanged between the people in the room.
Princess Aurelia frowned as did the other members of the Band. Raghav had twisted his upper body to look back at Lord Galreid.
So whatever expression he had on his face was hidden from me by the time I turned to look back at Mage Amar and Commander Opus.
The sound of a chair scraping the floor entered my ears.
Lord Galreid stood up and straightened his clothes.
"Allow me to explain."
He then walked forward towards us as Raghav moved to the side, following The Duke with his eyes, until he was right next to me and held his hands together.
"I hope you don't take offence at it, but I asked Mage Amar to do that, think of it as a test of loyalty. Going forward with the mission, we must ensure that there are no more traitors among us."
Honestly, I felt bad, very bad. My loyalty and character were being questioned.
My teeth dug into each other, and my jaw clenched visibly. For some reason, I felt the urge to look at Raghav.
And I am glad I did, because when our eyes met, I watched him blink; it was a gentle and slow blink.
The way the muscles moved, and the eyelashes fluttered, then the eyes themselves.
They held a serene calm within them that I couldn't begin to describe, and if I did, I wouldn't know how to end.
Just like that, the anger and revolt that had brewed in my mind all passed, and I thought about the situation once more.
They were not going to test everyone; that was a given. I was the only one summoned here by The Duke and introduced to The Hero.
It would mean they want me working with them in a much closer setting than before. That would be why I was tested, Lord Galreid did not know me before yesterday, and even Commander Opus had only heard of me from Chief Yamla.
I knew that they trusted each other and that the words spoken mattered, because words in Paneria were law. People kept their words above their own lives.
But lately, the past few years have changed things; no longer are people as honest as they used to be.
The society in Paneria was in a moral decline, so it is logical for them not to trust me blindly.
With the newfound clarity, I answered The Duke.
"I take no offence in it, my Lord. This was a step to ensure the safety and security of the people. We can't risk any interference in the mission we are about to conduct."
A laugh from Commander Opus and a pat on my shoulder jolted me as he stood proudly by my side.
"Alright, then let's begin. Take a seat, everyone."
Following the Commander's words, we took our seats, and on one of the sofas were Princess Aurelia, beside her a white haired woman and a very tall man with long black hair.
Opposite them sat me, Shin and Mage Amar.
Raghav sat on the single sofa, opposite The Duke. Even though Lord Galreid sat at the head of the room, the power dynamic was entirely on Raghav's end.
Right now, he was the centre of authority; usually this would be seen as invasive or threatening, but since it was Raghav. It was naturally accepted without resistance.
As for Commander Opus, he was standing near Lord Galreid, between two planning boards with a bunch of documents and a map of the entire city pinned on them.
I took a look around the room, and everyone sat in their own way.
Lord Galreid sat leaning back with his intertwined fingers supporting his chin. Princess Aurelia and her white haired companion sat with an elegance that I was seeing for the first time.
The tall man sat with his left arm reaching behind the white haired woman, resting on the sofa frame, his right palm resting on his right knee as he crossed his right leg over his left.
Shin, Amar and I were struggling to fit on the sofa, a sofa that could comfortably sit four people. The reason for this was not our size but our way of sitting, as all three of us were manspreading.
It also did not help that Shin had his katana in his arms, hugging it.
We had complaints about each other, but kept them between ourselves, not wanting to interrupt the meeting.
Then there was Raghav on the single sofa. His back straight, his left leg was raised in such a way that the ankle rested at the end of his right thigh. His left wrist rested gently on the pommel of his sheathed sword, keeping it upright.
I knew it was hard sitting with a sword tied around your waist, especially in seats that had no opening in the back or side.
So I understood why he took off the sword.
Then I focused my attention towards Commander Opus, who began debriefing us on the events of yesterday and what new information the night shift had gathered.
"So, yesterday we made history by arresting nearly 121,000 people. 30,000 of which were our fellow officers who were on their payrolls. It was a sad day, but now they all will be allowed to make an appearance in Court today, as per procedure. The information they will confess in court today will help us uncover some of the mysteries that trouble us."
He then pointed towards a few images as he spoke.
"First is the whereabouts of the Leader of the Plieders, Vasqe. Second, the current situation of the inner circle of the Mineority. Third, there is an unseen man by the name of Mark. We don't have much information on him, except that he is not from Paneria and was directly involved in the incident during the summoning and the attack on Marne."
Whoa, now the stakes got higher. I guess this was the reason for the Band being here. This would be the second time they cross paths with him.
"Raghav foiled his plans in Rine, and Shin here was with Kanah during the attack on Marne."
I take that back; this marks their third time. Just Great.
Commander Opus showed us a letter, handing it to me.
"Jacob, this letter was received by the owner of Alpha Mines, Markus. He had approached The Band of Heroes prior to the events of yesterday. Seeking a collaboration in taking down the two gangs that were after him. In doing so, he placed himself in Mark's sight. Is there anything useful in this? Raghav already took a look at it and found some details, but we were hoping to get a second opinion just in case."
I took hold of the letter and sighed. "Respectfully, I believe that there is no need if Raghav went through it. I read the report on the Rine incident, and I know that Raghav is leagues ahead of me in deduction."
"Still, the outlook changes from detective to detective; also, think of this as me gauging your skills."
Raghav responded, and as I gave it a thought, it made sense. So I began observing the letter.
I must have read it four times two times straight and two times in reverse.
"He's left-handed, his hands are light and slightly below average for an adult human; I would put him as an older man. There is nothing else that can be taken from this."
Raghav smiled and gave me a nod. "I look forward to working with you today, Jacob."
I smiled back and gave him a nod. "It will be a pleasure."
We then shifted back to Commander Opus as he started speaking again.
"The tasks for today are as follows: ensure the capture of the remaining criminals and uncover anything we can about Mark's plan for tomorrow. The teams will be divided as such: Princess Aurelia, An Exter and Eldrain Exter will focus on takedowns and apprehensions, working with the rest of the force. Shin, Jacob and Raghav will handle the investigations and evidence discovery."
Then a knock was heard on the door as Ori's voice came through. "Lord Galreid, I have brought the permits."
"Please come in."
Lord Galreid responded, and Ori let himself in, holding a few papers in hand.
Raghav stood up and turned around, reaching his right hand towards Ori.
The moment he stood up honestly scared me a little because he grabbed the handle of his sword with a reverse grip.
Ori's mind was probably blown out by the excitement of meeting The Hero of Prophecy, and he fumbled on his words as he tried handing the papers to Raghav.
"I am sorry, but I was reaching out to shake your hand. I am Raghav."
Now that was a very polite thing to do. I honestly didn't expect Raghav to actually get up to greet someone like that.
I watched, completely lost in the way he behaved, when Ori realised what Raghav was doing, he shook his hand and introduced himself as well.
"I am Ori, Jacob's Sala."
Raghav paused for a moment. "If I am correct, the word Sala means Wife's Brother here as well, yes?"
Ori just nodded, and Raghav smiled at him. "Thank you, Ori, for bringing these permits to us. It was a pleasure meeting you."
Then Ori nodded and bowed towards Lord Galreid and Princess Aurelia before smiling at me as he left.
Once Ori was gone, Raghav turned around, looking at the permits and began distributing them.
One was given to the tall man whom I now know as Eldrain Exter and his wife, An Exter, the white haired woman. Lastly, one was given to Shin, and Raghav kept one to himself.
"What are these permits?"
I asked out of curiosity, as Lord Galreid answered.
"These four are Adventurers, while they enjoy certain privileges, they can't start fights without legal repercussions, and they can only fight in self-defence or with permission from the regional administration. Which is what they have received from me. Just in case they have to engage people in battle today, I have granted them permits. Without expiry, of course."
They thought this through. Good to know that this team is more than just brawn.
"Now that we have what we need, shall we go while the day is still young?"
Raghav asked, to which I stood up, along with the rest of the crew.
That was when Commander Opus handed my group three files.
"These are the details we gathered regarding possible leads you can look into. We wish you the best of luck. If you need anything else, I will be here today guarding Lord Galreid while he oversees the Court."
Thank god, I did not want to spend today in Court, I hate Court days, but I had a feeling today was going to be especially hectic.
As if to prove me right, a thud was heard from the glass window as we saw a piece of shit, literal shit smeared on the glass.
Instinctively, Raghav and I moved to the window, and when we looked down, we saw a massive crowd standing before the City Hall with banners and slogans in their hands.
"They are holding protests, citing misuse of authority; it must be the work of Vasqe to get his son out."
Commander Opus said as he exhaled sharply from his nose.
"I will go down and de-escalate the situation. You can start the Court session without delay."
Raghav volunteered, turning around without waiting for a response and began walking out.
Shin and I shared glances and followed after him, without looking back at all.