Chapter 29: The Blackmail Bargain
In Indian households, blackmailing your sibling with knowledge of their secret relationship? Works like a charm.
Sure, you might get beaten black and blue—even if you're still recovering from a near-death experience—but the blackmail? Oh, it works.
It was a typical Wednesday morning. I'd left the house early to clear my mind and figure out how to ask my brother to train me. Father had mentioned his mastery of the hexagonal mana matrix, but Raj hadn't shown me anything personally. And considering his innate suspicion of everything—even my sudden curiosity—I couldn't just walk up and ask.
So, I wandered through the Delhi marketplace, letting the chaos of the city soothe my nerves. The streets were alive: vendors shouting deals, mana-charged carriages rolling past, and bursts of incense and spice flooding the air. It smelled like pepper, fried batter, and ambition.
As I strolled, something odd caught my eye.
In one corner of the market was a small park that had been turned into a weekend-style bazaar. Stalls were arranged in a semi-circle, each one decorated with colorful silks and enchanted lanterns. Trinkets, accessories, and handmade items lined the tables—most of them catering to women.
A place I would never associate with my battle-hardened brother.
And yet—there he was.
Raj. Standing beside a stall. Holding a pair of earrings.
My jaw slackened.
He wasn't alone either. A woman stood next to him. Beautiful. Elegant. And strong. I could feel her mana aura radiating subtly, refined and potent. She was a hunter for sure.
She dressed casually—jeans and a half-tucked kurta—but her posture screamed confidence. Raj lifted the earring to her ear and smiled.
A smile so wide I didn't even know his face could manage that expression.
Something clicked.
Oh.
I might've said it out loud because the next moment, Raj's gaze snapped to mine.
He froze.
The woman turned, curious. Her eyes—pink pupils—met mine.
Recognition bloomed. I'd seen her before. She was Priya, the Vice Guildmaster of Ayurdhara, the healer guild that controlled South Delhi.
Two high-ranking hunters stared at me. My brain spun. The shopkeeper next to them, a woman selling crystal hairpins, glanced between us and clearly figured out what was happening. Her eyes lit up like she'd just won the gossip lottery.
I raised my hands in surrender.
There was no way I could outrun them.
A second later, the world blurred.
Both Raj and Priya had moved. Each of them grabbed one of my arms, and in the blink of an eye, I was yanked into the sky.
We landed on the rooftop of a 22-storey building.
I stumbled away, disoriented, while they both stared at me. An unspoken agreement passed between them.
"On request from each of us buys your silence," Priya said first.
I wanted to cheer.
But I kept a straight face.
"I don't know… only one request seems kinda light for such valuable information…"
"Don't push it," Raj said through gritted teeth.
I gestured to Priya. "I'll cash in yours someday. As for you—" I turned to Raj, "I want mana manipulation training."
Raj raised a brow, about to question why.
But Priya—bless her—grabbed his hand.
"Okay," he said finally. "It's 12 now. Meet me at Agnidhvaja at 2. The gates will be open."
I nodded.
As I turned to leave, I stopped. "One more thing—you guys gotta drop me back down. I'm not Rank 5, and the rooftop's locked."
Priya laughed. "Raj, go ahead. I'll drop him."
Raj hesitated.
But one glare from her sent him vanishing off the rooftop.
She turned to me with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"My name's Priya," she said. "Or you can just call me sister-in-law. I'd prefer that."
"Priya—"
Her brow twitched.
"sister-in-law," I corrected.
Her smile could've melted mountains.
She placed her hand on my shoulder.
The next moment, we were back on the ground.
And she was gone.
I exhaled, still buzzing from the sudden turn of events. With a mix of confusion, excitement, and low-key trauma, I headed toward the building that housed Agnidhvaja.
Training was about to begin.