After finishing his soup, Ekaksh leaned back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Hey, guys, I have a few doubts. Can anyone answer?"
Kian didn't even look up from his book. "Ask. As if you wouldn't ask even if I told you not to."
Ekaksh chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, fine. I'll list all my questions. Question number one: can you tell me about the Underworld Realm? Question number two: can you tell me about the Galaxy Realm? And also, can you tell me what happened to our first king, queen, and their children? And give me a basic summary of our history. I'm clueless. What if the king or the queen asks me all this? If I stand there blank, they'll just throw me out. I don't personally care, but my mother told me to at least stay here for a minimum of one year without getting expelled. I don't want to get thrown out in the first week."
Aarav snorted softly. Ruhi tried not to laugh. Kian finally lifted his head, eyes calm.
"Okay. Your first question is about the Underworld Realm," Kian said, adjusting his posture slightly, the tone of a knowledgeable senior slipping in naturally. "The Underworld Realm is the third realm created by the first King. It consists of several major parts. At the southernmost side, the Celestial phoenix guardian protects the southern Eye of the World."
Ekaksh's eyes widened a bit, already hooked.
Kian continued, voice steady. "Then comes the Underworld Trial. Anyone who is an extremely important suspect, or important criminal ,someone dangerous, someone whose guilt or innocence has to be known without fail is sent there. During the trial, a magic is cast. It reveals whether the person is truly guilty or innocent. If the person is innocent, he receives a reward of all the good karma from his life. But if the person is guilty, he receives a punishment that is… extremely severe. Not small crimes, not petty thieves. A normal thief, like someone stealing food, will never be sent there. Only high-level suspects. The guy we caught yesterday? He will probably be sent."
Ekaksh nodded quickly. "Oh, I never knew that. And I'm one hundred percent sure that man will be punished badly."
Kian went on, "The Underworld Realm has fifteen Shinigamis. Anyone can go and try to impress one, but almost no one succeeds. Anyone who does impress a Shinigami gets to wield a Deadly Wish. Each Deadly Wish can be countered through intelligence and most of them come with curses. And like I read in that guy's mind yesterday, the Shinigami he impressed was one of the weakest one out of all fifteen."
Aarav hummed in agreement, remembering.
Kian lifted his hand slightly, counting mentally as he organized the next points. "There is also a duplicate of the Yggdrasil Tree there. Just like our realm's tree, but protected by the Underworld guardian. Then there's an auditorium, and the three Asura Blades which are on the land somewhere noticeable . Only a worthy & destined person can wield them. And there are eight hidden magical runes. The first king mentioned they exists before dying, but strangely, in fifty years, no one has been able to find even one. I don't know why. few People tried, but… no one succeed."
Ekaksh's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I will find them. All eight! And the eight in our realm too. And the three blades! I hope I can wield one someday."
Ruhi smiled softly at his enthusiasm. Aarav chuckled. Kian showed a faint hint of amusement.
Kian continued, "Just like our realm, the Underworld Realm has three villages. Each village has its own warrior school. And there are three houses in the Underworld Academy. The one ruling the Underworld Realm is the prince. His wife has the title of princess, but she is not a warrior. The prince is the only ruling warrior there. The princess holds the title because of marriage."
Kian ended there, giving Ekaksh a moment to take it all in.
Ekaksh exhaled loudly. "That… was a lot. But okay. I think I understood." He looked proud of himself for a moment, then leaned forward. "Continue about the Galaxy Realm and the history, okay? Because if they ask, I will die on the spot."
Aarav gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "We'll tell you before the meeting. Relax."
Ruhi nodded. "We won't let you embarrass yourself."
Ekaksh puffed his chest slightly. "Good. Because I must survive at least one year. My mother will kill me if I fail."
The group burst into soft laughter, the tension lifting for a moment.
Kian continued speaking. "Now we come to the Galaxy Realm. On the northern side of the Galaxy Realm lies the Northern Eye of the World, and it is protected by the Celestial Tortoise. Even in the Galaxy Realm, there is a duplicate of the Yggdrasil Tree. That tree works as a transporter between realms, and it is guarded by the Celestial Guardian.
There are nine Planet Gods. Whenever they feel that someone is a true heir to their power, and only when a person proves themselves worthy of the responsibility, the Planet God grants them planetic power. Until now, very little is known about the Planet Gods. The textbooks barely mention anything about them.
Then we have the twelve zodiac signs. Anyone who is genuinely kind hearted can become a zodiac wielder. If a zodiac wielder wants to pass on their position, they can seal a blood contract with someone they choose. Their blood must touch the heart of the person receiving the power. Once the contract is made, the new wielder inherits the zodiac. It is not necessary for the person to be born under that zodiac sign, but most zodiac wielders prefer choosing someone born in that sign.
Next are the eight magical ruins, the three blades, and the last thing: the five seasonal spirits. The seasonal spirits only appear when they find someone who is the kindest and purest soul across all three realms. They come on their own, place their hands on that person, and grant them the crown of the season. That person becomes the Mother or Father of that season for the three realms. It doesn't play a huge role in war because even though the season wielder can control weather, if they ever misuse the power, it will be taken away and returned to the original owner. And if the original owner is not present, it will go to someone else worthy of it.
That is everything about the Galaxy Realm."
About the first King and Queen," Kian went on. "They both passed away due to old age. Their children… their fate was far more tragic. The Princess of earth and the Prince of the Galaxy Realm were both killed during a monster attack. The Prince of the Underworld Realm eventually died as well.
After their deaths, only one true ruler remained, and that is our current King. As for the Prince and Princess lineages, the Galaxy Realm has gone through three successions so far. Our Earth Realm has had only one change. And the Underworld Realm has had two changes within the last fifty years."
Kian says ,"that's all".
Ekaksh was laughs when he wrapped his arms around Kian again, squeezing him in another enthusiastic hug. Kian stiffened immediately.
"If you hug me one more time," he warned in a calm but dangerous tone, "just see what I do."
Ekaksh instantly released him like he had touched fire, and everyone burst into laughter.
By then it was almost nine thirty. They needed to leave soon if they wanted to reach the auditorium before the King and Queen arrived. Aarav checked the time and nodded. "Let's go. Before that, we should visit Sanvi."
Yesterday, Sanvi had told them she would be taking a holiday because she was extremely tired. So Aarav opened a special portal, the space shimmering like liquid glass. All of them stepped through and arrived directly inside his house.
Sanvi was sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading something halfheartedly. The moment she saw them appear out of nowhere, she jumped. "You scared me!"
Ruhi quickly explained everything that had happened, from their sudden summons to the upcoming meeting with the King and Queen. Sanvi's eyes widened with excitement, and she kept nodding like a child hearing her favorite story.
"Wait, I'm going to meet the King and Queen before I even become an official warrior?" she asked, almost squealing.
Aarav chuckled. "Yes. Lucky you."
Sanvi looked as if she was going to explode from happiness.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Aarav opened another portal. All of them stepped in, and within seconds they were standing near the entrance of the auditorium, the air buzzing with spiritual energy from the special portal.
As they walked out, a boy standing nearby stared at the glowing residue of the portal. "What kind of magic was that?" he asked, stumbling over his words in shock. "Spatial magic is it?"
Aarav simply nodded to the boy's question about spatial magic. The boy's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward with a friendly smile.
"Hi, I'm Dhruv," he said. "I'm from Topaz House. I'm your senior. I'm twenty-two years old. Usually, when the Captain assigns a special mission, a senior accompanies the squad. So I'm the one assigned to you."
He rubbed his neck and laughed at himself. "I wanted to surprise you, so I didn't tell you earlier. Honestly, I should have. I walked all the way from Topaz House to the auditorium when I could have just used spatial magic. All that effort for nothing."
Ekaksh chuckled quietly.
Dhruv continued, "Every squad is assigned a senior. I'm a Rook-ranked warrior, so I'll be guiding you during special missions. But before the King and Queen arrive, do you mind telling me your names? And shouldn't a squad have four members? Why do I see five?"
Ekaksh stepped up to answer. "Because yesterday's mission was a bit chaotic. Aarav's sister tagged along."
Sanvi quickly lifted her hand and waved. "Hi."
Dhruv smiled at her and nodded. "Alright then. Let's start with introductions."
Aarav spoke first. "My name is Aarav."
Dhruv pointed to the next person.
Ekaksh grinned. "I'm Ekaksh."
Ruhi gently said, "I'm Ruhi."
Then Kian spoke, voice cool and flat. "Kian."
Finally Dhruv turned to Sanvi. "And what's your name, miss?"
"Sanvi," she replied.
"Great," Dhruv said. "About your powers and abilities, I'll get to know them during training and missions. Right now we don't have time. The King, Queen, and the princes and princesses could arrive any moment."
He barely finished that sentence when the doors opened, and eight high-ranking figures walked in together. The room fell into total silence. All five students, including Sanvi, froze. Their eyes widened in pure astonishment. This was the first time they were seeing the rulers of all three realms personally.
The King stepped forward. His presence was commanding, strong, and filled with authority.
"Come with us to the meeting room," he said, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.
Dhruv bowed slightly. The King glanced at him. "You are the senior assigned to them?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good. Where is the one who was held captive? The one who used Shinigami power and summon the monsters?"
Dhruv left for a moment, then returned with the prisoner dragged forward in magical restraints. The man looked exhausted, furious, and terrified all at once.
The King fixed his eyes on him. "You will tell us everything."
Then he turned to the four students and Sanvi. "You five will explain as well."
One by one, they described everything that had happened. How they followed the trail of the disappearing villagers. How kian overheard the two men in the auditorium whispering about monsters and Shinigami sorcery. How they used strategy and teamwork to corner the suspect. And how he finally admitted that a hidden group was planning something dangerous.
The rulers listened silently, absorbing every detail.
When they finished, the King nodded. "Very well. We will investigate his mind. And I want all of you present."
He looked at the princes and princesses. "You six as well."
Then he placed his hand on the glowing Yggdrasil root embedded near the Auditorium . As the tree opened, he said, "We are going to the Underworld Realm."
A collective gasp slipped out of the group. Traveling between realms was rare, advanced, and terrifying for first-timers. Except for Dhruv, all five , were doing it for the very first time.
Ekaksh swallowed hard. "Are we… taking him for an Underworld trial?"
The Queen's lips curved into a faint smile. "Oh, I see a smart one."
Kian, Aarav, and Sanvi all turned to stare at each other when the queen called Kian smart, shocked at the fact that Kian was called smart for ..... the very first time...
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