Munching on apples they had brought from a shop, they proceeded to Tetsu’s house. After throwing remaining fruit bits near the tree, they tried to clear their mind as they approached closer to the destination.
Like they had done in the past they took an alley and marched along.
Perhaps they had their expectations held high.
“Who are all these?” Shinji’s jaw dropped when they saw hundreds of people standing on a queue.
Turned out, Shinji and Fujimoto were at the end of it. House was barely visible from where they were.
“Today is his working day.” Fujimoto whispered.
“What do we have to do with it? Come.” Shinji believed they were not meant to be in line.
Walking past by the people lined up, they got some disrespectful stares. But courtesy to Shinji’s sword, none of them dared to utter a single word against them. Fujimoto pushed the man to make room for them to get in.
Inside the house they saw Tetsu standing in front of the cracked crustal ball.
“Tell me where he is.” Shinji didn’t try being nice.
“If you want me to tell you something then get back in the line. And don’t ever break queue.” Tetsu talked to them like he had never seen them before.
Shinji looked at the other people glancing at them from the door.
“You can close the door if you feel uncomfortable to talk in front of masses.” Said Shinji.
Two guards in armor rushed inside the house with their swords out.
“They are on duty as well.” Tetsu smirked.
“B***** it.” Shinji said by trying to grasp Tetsu’s throat.
Before he could touch him, jet of blue light shot out of the crystal ball.
It hit Shinji on his chest and Fujimoto on his head. They fell like a broken tree on the floor because of the heavy impact.
Guards put their swords back in sheaths after seeing them on ground.
“You paralyzed me?” Shinji’s facial muscles contracted in rage.
Fujimoto was yet to speak anything.
“Dump them back in line.” Tetsu commanded his guards.
The strong guards hoisted them on their shoulder and paraded with them while the spectators in queue watched.
In the end, guards threw Shinji first and then Fujimoto. Both of them got their sensation back after a while.
Fujimoto was the one to speak this time, “I hate Tetsu even more now.”
“I will kill him once this ends.” Shinji held his aching head, “And the guard who threw me.”
“Do we have to get in line?” Fujimoto spread his arms in frustration.
“He would not see our case regardless.”
“Okay then. You stay here with your hands folded like this while I go in and break the damn ball.” Fujimoto bellowed.
People turned their heads back to see them.
“Keep your voice low and intentions even lower. Don’t make a spectacle out here.” Shinji limped back to his feet.
“Hello Mister.” Fujimoto patted a man ahead of him, “Am I making a scene here?”
“I – I have-” man muttered, “No. Not at all.”
“What are you here for?”
“I and most of us here are peasants looking to earn some coins for running our families. But the tax policy of Pryeg is bogus. With tax increasing twice every year, we have no other option other than migrating to somewhere else. Looking at our oracles, Tetsu will tell us which place would be best for us to go.”
“Tell me, how effective his predictions are?” Fujimoto was eager to know.
“Reliable. There are exceptions once in a while but most of peasants who obeyed Tetsu are doing well.”
“And what does Pryeg authorities do about this? Tetsu is reducing income of city by driving away farmers.”
“Authorities don’t get mercy as you two did. Government minds their own stuff and Tetsu does the same. Sorcerers are…err…you know how they are.”
Fujimoto slid his hand under his pocket to take out a gold coin.
“You believe in compromise?” Fujimoto showed him the shiny gold.
“What type of compromise?” farmer asked.
“You come here tomorrow and now let us stand in your place.”
“Fujimoto!” Shinji became vocal, “One coin is too much.”
“I am ready.” The peasant snatched the coin and stepped away from the queue.
He thanked Fujimoto before rushing from there.
“How much coin do you have?” Fujimoto asked Shinji.
