Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

XLIV

"Remember not to destroy them as we walk back. Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you," Bela said and gestured for her to start walking back home.

He might not know the details of his mission, but from what he had gathered, he was able to discern the type of task to be given. And that's what he discussed with Shaurya.

Prithvi has told him that he will get the details of the mission close to the date. But in his eyes, it was just logistics. The point is to figure out what to do, regardless of where someone is.

...****************...

Half an hour later

They were just about to reach home when Bela turned her head sharply to look at him.

"I don't need to tell you that you can't say a word about this to anyone, not even the rest of your team. Once you go on a mission, I'll be your only handler. I'll introduce you to my elf Once he gets used to your smell, we'll only use it as a method of communication, that too, if needed in the most dire circumstances, "he instructed.

"In addition, the exercises you will do with Mriga tonight and beyond will only be your daily warm-up. We'll do your intensive training post 2am every night. So, make sure you get enough sleep during the day," she told him.

In his last sentence, something surprised him and he couldn't help but ask, "When are you going to sleep, Guruji?"

Bela noted the change in her way of greeting him and grinning at the worry in her voice. Did the young man question his efficiency?

"Don't worry. It will not affect the intensity of my training or concentration. As you mentioned earlier, you should not be bothered with other people's problems or problems, including mine. Mama wants you to have a single-minded focus on your goals. Understood?" he asked in a pushy tone.

"Ma, is that mom?" Mriga came out and peeked in the darkness.

"Yes, mama is showing Veer the nearest training facility. Once, the two of you warm up, we will move to that place to train your dexterity and stamina," he replied smoothly.

Mriga's face bowed at the thought of going to the place her mother mentioned. It was a small hill but had been dug with various hiding places and traps.

He had heard some officers at the police station mention a few years ago that his mother was the chief architect of the hill. He had started it as a hobby many years ago and continues to change it even today.

As a result, no one but him knew exactly what was in the structure. None of the officers have barely survived the hill unscathed for years. And it was a well-guarded secret among some residents of Northern Zilla.

From the outside, the hill looked very similar to the one surrounding it. To avoid civilians approaching it, there was a creepy little rumor about a venomous snake pit that was there.

Mriga had visited the place with his mother several times but never to train.

Thinking about it, he was worried about his lower lip. He will definitely fail and even Shaurya might not be able to get out of there, in one piece. Is this what her mother meant by examining her abilities?

In that case, he would probably fail miserably.

As if her mother could read her thoughts, she gave him a smile and passed him to enter the house.

...****************...

East Zila

Prithvi glanced at the people who passed by him, making them look at him with disdain. He was dressed as an asshole, just like Shaurya used to do.

In fact, Shaurya has chosen this display from Prithvi during the early days following it and adding his personal touch, later on.

Prithvi has been in the zilla for a few days now and is disguised as a homeless thug right next to the beach.

Because the water was choppy, not many people ventured there except the fishermen and experienced women who went to catch fish every morning. These people are easily recognizable with weathered faces and callused hands.

In fact, there is one family of women here who are experts at surviving underwater for more than five to seven minutes at a time and use that ability to swim in deeper parts of the ocean. They managed to get the best catch, which was sold to luxury hotels and high-end households.

This family has been producing expert underwater swimmers for generations, now. Clad in tied sarees and braided hair, the ages of these women ranged from fifty to fifteen years. It was an incredible sight to behold and as an ordinary swimmer, Prithvi was very amazed at them.

In addition, there are some couples who use quiet areas to express their 'love' to each other, especially late at night.

In the past forty-eight hours, Prithvi had heard so many explicit conversations that he felt like he was going to have a nosebleed in the end.

Tonight, was his third night of being here in a row and his stomach rang loudly reminding him that it was still there!

...****************...

East Zila

Prithvi scans the dimly lit area for a moment and can recognize most people from the previous day and yesterday. Maybe, he could rest for a while and come back.

He stood up slowly, as if in a fog, and staggered towards a nearby tavern serving cheap alcohol and greasy food that was almost inedible.

His body was ready to rebel thinking of another fight of the same food he had eaten a few hours earlier, but he knew that he could not be too long away from the post. This is the only option.

According to the source, this is where foreigners often gather. Since he did not know who they were or how they looked, he could not find out about them. Also, his presence here is not even known by the office of Suraksha chakra in East Zilla.

After all, other than her relationship with the local brothel, she did not trust anyone.

When Prithvi first took over the position of head of recruitment at Suraksha Chakra, he made sure to visit the main brothel in all four zillas.

Unbeknownst to anyone, he continued to use the networks already present in these brothels and other places, but also built his own connections. Whenever any information came to him through one of the zillas, he chose to reaffirm its authenticity from its own source.

Even Ramanujam and Saraswati do not know the source of the parallel information. That was how he remained on top of all the events when others reported it to him.

He had chosen to take the house from Gurukul as well for the same reason. He needed different existences and options to manipulate the timeline and avoid scrutiny.

The incident with Charulata not only left a deep impact on him, but also affected the choices and decisions he made then and beyond.

He considered him his only teacher, despite training with many other teachers in the summer post.

In spite of all this, all these years, all these years, he visited her only once and it was too much years ago when he had just recovered from his injuries and was thinking about what to do with his life.

Ever since his arrival here in the Eastern zilla, he had never met anyone who stood out among the crowd. It could be because he could not identify people properly or it could be due to the absence of businessmen in the capital.

Prithvi assumed that the people involved would track their moles carefully and his sudden departure would be a reason for them to be on alert.

In fact, he had considered the option of meeting Charulata or coming directly here on the first night itself.

If only he had come here that night, the advantage of the surprise would be on his side but he still chose to go to the Northern zilla first because he needed the meeting to be completely veiled from everyone's eyes.

So, now he had no choice but to wait. If the premonition was correct, the rat would not be able to stay away from the cheese for too long!

The young woman in the East zilla brothel, which was her mole, had told her something strange.

He mentioned that the new people who had recently visited, chose to last for a long time in the main hall of the brothel. But that's not the surprising part.

After about an hour of their stay, a poor man who definitely could not afford the services of a brothel would appear in line to find himself a woman. This has happened more than two or three times in the past month or so and so he notes the same.

In fact, he had been trying to track down the last homeless man who showed up with money in the girl's room next door. The next time he came, he not only cleaned up but also seemed to suddenly earn some money.

So, he told his informant to do a scene with him on the first night of his arrival here.

Some local thugs had approached him and asked for the money he owed them since he had been in the zilla before.

There was a huge scene that resulted in a fight between him and them. As per the instructions, they left him with some bruises and a stern warning.

Hoping his identity as the original settler of the zilla is set with it, he has begun a game of waiting and watching.

But from the looks of it, tonight doesn't look promising either.

...****************...

The beach, 3am

The tide had brought with it a pungent smell of the sea, shocking Prithvi from his sleep which seemed to have made him fall. Now, even the most ardent lover had left, leaving her shivering in a tattered scarf.

"Am I too old to be involved in reconnaissance?" he grumbled to himself, as some pain and pain made their presence known.

"Sister, are you hungry?" the soft voice of a person spread his daydream.

A middle-aged man came beside her, almost without a sound.

His senses screamed, Prithvi showed a wary face to the stranger and muttered,

"I'll return the money soon, I promise. Don't hit me."

The stranger drew closer, carrying an alcohol-laden breath towards him.

...****************...

East Zila

"I'm not here to hit you or ask you for money. I wonder if you want to eat something? I was there when the pub owner kicked you out. He was an evil man who would not even offer a single bronze coin even a discount to anyone. Here, take this.." the man held out the paper-wrapped package towards Prithvi.

Hesitating for a moment, Prithvi grabbed the package from the man's hand and tore it open.

It seemed like there was some kind of pakora* inside that felt cold to the touch. But seeing Prithvi devouring it, it seemed that it was the most delicious dish on Earth.

"Slowly. There's a lot more. If you like, I can give you better food next time," the man grinned.

Prithvi raised his eyes and looked at the man calmly.

...****************...

South Zilla

Vindhya's carriage stopped outside the mansion and she stepped out. The sea trip and then the land trip made him tired and a little fussy. But he did not let the polite facade slip from his face.

Harshvardhan and Ujjwala were there to greet him. His parents had sent his old and trusted nanny as a companion.

He was sent with the specific purpose of being able to get detailed information about the household from the helpers and make estimates about the assets and value of the family.

Currently, the nanny, Mandavi has nothing to lull. If the structure of the house was everything, this family was indeed on par if not better than its own master.

"Welcome to our house, Vindhya. We have been waiting for your arrival anxiously" said Ujjwala, with extra zeal injected in his voice.

He had just lost an argument with his son who refused to come down to welcome Vindhya.

She was a guest of her mother and not hers. He told her firmly that he would do what was deemed absolutely necessary and nothing more.

Not wanting to make a fuss before the girl's arrival, Ujjwala had no choice but to comply with her wishes for now. He'll make her regret it later. Finally, she forced her husband to accept the girl.

"Greetings, Uncle and Aunt. My parents sent their best prayers along with some small gifts," Vindhya said politely and gestured to the servants accompanying her, to begin unloading precious gems and various expensive items.

While Harshvardhan nodded in acknowledging his greetings, Ujjwala came forward and held his hand and pulled him into the house.

"Your parents don't have to trouble themselves. But we really appreciate the thought behind the movement. Come on, I'll show you your room. Yash is doing an important business assignment on behalf of his father and will be joining us soon" he added.

Vindhya grinned at the meaning behind Ujjwala's words. The woman had reduced the importance of the gift by thanking him for the intention behind it. It was a good way to politely make others feel that regardless of its value, the gift was no big deal.

With just that one line, Ujjwala steadied his superior attitude for now. Vindhya said to herself that she would remember this trick!

Just when Ujjwala mentioned Yash's name, the first glint of real emotion flickered in his eyes. Unlike the nanny, she had no interest in checking out the house that would become her home after marriage. It was probably because he had never imagined that he would live anywhere except in the capital in the palace. So, his wealth or lack was not important to him.

"Auntie, please don't get tired. Have some servants lead us to the room. I'll refresh myself and see you later" he said in a polite and elegant manner as usual.

As soon as she went to the guest wings of the house, Ujjwala turned her sorrowful gaze towards her husband.

"Did you see how beautiful and raised the girl was? She was not only considerate but also obedient and graceful. What's wrong with my choice?" he asked her.

Harshvardhan looked the spirit in his wife's eyes and replied, "That's wrong. He is your choice, not his. Have you ever bothered to ask him about his passions?"

Ujjwala snorted, even refusing to answer such irrelevant questions. Had Yash known what was good for her, would she have had to worry about her on her behalf.

She knows at least seven households who have sent invitations to Vindhya's parents, expressing their interest in her after her sixteenth birthday party that Yash attended. Thanks to her well-placed mole in their home, she managed to stay on top of everything to date.

Seeing his wife lost in the plot and his plans, Harshvardhan let out a long sigh and left from there.

...****************...

Northern Zilla

"If this goes on, I will actually die before I even go on my apprenticeship. Maaaa... How much longer do you want me to do this?" Mriga gasping.

It was only her third day and the Shaurya training regime as designed by her mother. But it was already much higher than what Ramanujam had ever made for him.

Not only did he make them do extremely intensive training, he also expected them to practice horseback riding, archery, and sword fighting.

Mriga was proficient in the first two but sword fighting was completely new to him. His arms and shoulders hurt from activity.

But Shaurya looks very comfortable. Even though he had just recovered, he seemed to do things a lot easily.

......................

*Pakoras - fried dumplings made from gram flour, containing vegetable fillings