Bhondu was the most gullible and honest person in the military.
Although Bhondu wasn't strong and was easily bullied, he was still the only person who made friends with a mere Priest.
``````````(:bhondu:)
I was waiting for my chance to jump in and capture the Kuryu gang in one fell swoop but had totally lost all the initiative after a 15-year-child started toying with them like infants.
"Why don't you come out?", he said while looking in our direction.
There was unexplainable confidence in his voice; as if he could see all of us through the walls. I didn't know what to do except follow through and enter like a normal person, instead of the flashy entrance I had planned with my team.
"How did you know I was here?", I asked the child while walking slowly towards him.
"Bhondu!?", he called out. He looked confused as if he had seen the ghost of his dead family.
"Oye, mind your manners. I'm way older than you for you to be talking to me like that.", I pranced with my feet, slightly increasing my walking pace.
I couldn't understand why he would just blatantly call me stupid in front of a whole crowd. Was he looking down on me? or was he calling out to someone else.
'Even if I hadn't entered at the right time, there's no reason to call me stupid!!'
"No No... I am... I wasn't... stupid?.. F*ck!! Leave it", he chained multiple sentences into one and not one of them made sense.
'What?'
But in the next moment, I realized that he hadn't stopped because of me, but because the Kuryu Leader was still aiming for the child's neck.
He held a kukuri-knife in both his hands that were custom made for his body size. The handle of the knife was larger than a normal kukuri-knife and it was bent at a slightly elongated angle.
I jumped towards the child in hopes of saving the kid's life. It was my moral duty as a soldier of 'Jan Sena'.
Jan Sena was made up of many novice Sages who couldn't advance further in cultivating Prana, so they joined the public security force.
But to my surprise, just like the child had done before, he completely overwhelmed the Kuryu gang leader. Before I could take 5 steps, he had defeated the Kuryu leader in one single stroke, which was too fast even for me to see.
'He isn't a normal child! I'll let him go for calling me stupid this time!', I made excuses to save my dignity as a soldier.
If all my brothers from the same Unit were to fight the 5 Kuryu members currently littered around the hospital hall bloody, there was a high chance that we wouldn't be able to capture all of them. And yet, there was a 15-year-old child that could do all of that and better than us.
``````````(:Karn:)
The leader of the bandit group was weak. From my initial analysis, I could tell that his Prana was only at Level 2 and he had not practised any good [Shastra]. Compared to him, even Bhondu looked more competent.
As I hit the bandit leader and made him fall flat on the ground, I could see from the corner of my eyes that Bhondu had tried to cover for me. Of course, he was also as slow as the bandit leader, just like how he was in the Military; power and character alike.
Although little time had already passed since I woke up, I was becoming more and more confused. It was not only my father that was here, but also Bhondu.
I had a stepbrother and stepmother who never existed in the past, and a place that was unlike the modern Earth, but instead resembled the Ancient Bharat. There were signs and placards written in Sanskrit - a dead language, and the use of Prana seemed to be public knowledge although not everyone was competent in Prana.
As I looked at the stupid face of Bhondu trying to laugh off the embarrassment I had caused their group of solider, I was reminded of my last 'free' day on Earth.
When I was caught by the military and was being subject to a fake trial to decide my punishment, the only person to stand against the trial and try to help me out was Bhondu.
[A.N: When used as an adjective, Bhondu means stupid. When used as a Noun, it is a name.]
'What should I do now?'
I scanned the hospital hall which was littered with blood all over the place. It was weird that even in such a situation the public was unaffected, it was as if everyone was used to seeing blood.
'Is it because this is a Hospital?', I thought why would the normal public be used to seeing such gruesome scenes.
"Oh Ji!! You are so young and yet so ruthless!! Silently come with us and answer for your crimes!!", somebody behind Bhondu roared with a stern voice.
'Another one?', I was wondering whether everyone in this place had their screw loose.
"Neil! What the hell are you saying?", Bhondu retorted.
"Captain, look at all the bloodshed here. To cause such trauma to the public, he should be punished." Neil didn't back down. It was clear that he was not giving any respect to his captain.
Everyone felt that I was being targeted, however, no one spoke out in front of the group of well-mannered soldiers.
'Who are these people? They look like some ancient version of police.'
Dad was also kindly observing the situation and didn't use his identity as the merchant to intervene between the matters of Police.
'Merchants must have a complicated relationship with the Police.'
"Are you an idiot! This is Kuryu Gang, one of the most heinous wanted criminals of Mahismati, and you want to arrest the person who just got rid of them." I felt relieved that Bhondu was still as upright as in his last life.
"Child, Please come with us to give a statement, don't worry nothing bad will happen to you. I swear it on my name as the captain of Jan Sena's 13th Unit."
From the tone of his voice, I felt that Bhondu must have thought I was being quiet because Neil's threat had scared me, however, I was just observing the situation unfold.
Although fighting evil and Police were different things, I wasn't the least bit scared.
'Am I being treated as a Child by Bhondu!?', I facepalmed.
The nostalgia I was feeling looking at the sweet but stupid Bhondu made my heart feel warm. There were only a handful of people on Earth I ever interacted with, and Bhondu was among the kindest of all of them.
"Sir, Please wait. He is our saviour. You cannot just arrest him.", Dad spoke out at last.
"Do not worry dear sir, we will not harm a good Samaritan who just contributed greatly to the safety of Mahismati.", Bhondu said to my dad while still smiling with his same stupid face.
"It is fine Mr Mayur.", I intervened. There was no point in trying to spend more time with my not-Dad.
"But Mr Sage!"
"Don't worry. I think Mr captain is a good man."
"If you say so. But even then, I must repay the favour to you. Please accept this token of gratitude and tell us your good name."
Dad took out a similar token to what he had shown earlier, but instead of a golden lion, it was shaped like a White Dove.
[Oh my Ji? It is the White Dove token of the Duckkan Merchants.]
I heard multiple gasps going around in the crowd, and even the soldiers looked at the token in Dad's hand as if it was some priceless treasure.
Because of my sixth sense, I could feel the combined level of greed in the hallway getting bigger.
'Is it really something so great?'
'Who is my father? What are Duckkan Merchants?'
'Even Bhondu is drooling at this token, it must be something really good.'
I didn't know whether the people had the same characters in this world as on Earth, but from the initial expression of Bhondu, he seemed not to have changed much, and if he was eyeing that token, it might hold significant power around here.
'If it is really so priceless, it will bring unnecessary trouble for me.'
"As I told you, I don't mind helping someone as it is my moral obligation to do so. I didn't do it expecting a reward, so please take it back."
[ Tch! Give it to me if you don't want it. ]
[ What a stupid child! ]
[ I would disown him if he was my child. ]
I heard a lot of nasty comments about me. Dad also looked at me strangely as if he was trying to guess my intentions.
'Is it considered rude to not accept a reward in this world?', I wondered whether the common sense of this world was slightly different. It wouldn't be surprising if it was.
"I understand sir. I won't force you then, but you must accept this [Space Bead], think of it as giving me some face, and it will also come in handy in the future."
Dad took out another ring from his side-bag hanging at his waist.
'Just how much stuff is there in that bag?', I wondered.
The side-bag was no larger than a handheld purse of women, but it seemed to have a lot of things.
"Okay!", I just accepted the brown-ish bead that had a lot of weird symbols engraved all over its surface.
With the new addition, I had now two things in my possession, which I didn't have a couple of days back.
[Ring of Wisdom] which was on my hand when I woke up in this world and the [Space Bead] given to me by Dad.