CHAPTER 186: LUNCH WITH SHANI

"Professor?" Hermes nearly choked on his own breath. "Wait. Hold on. You’re telling me... you’re teaching law here? At AUPU?"

Shani smiled with the same unbothered calm he always carried. "Yes. The faculty asked me to handle a few courses while I prepare for practice. I just passed the national board exams too.... Top ten, somehow. I’ll be working under Samavurti and Co. soon."

Hermes stared at him, at a complete loss for words. "You... you passed the top ten? And you’re going to Samavurti? That’s like... Like winning the legal Olympics! I..."

He scratched the back of his neck, shame pricking at his chest. "I can’t believe you’ve already achieved so much and I didn’t know. I was—"

"Busy being a hero?" Shani chuckled warmly, clapping Hermes’s shoulder. "Don’t belittle yourself. You’ve had your hands full ever since your debut. I’ve watched every story that came out about you."

Hermes winced inwardly, thinking to himself with bitter humor, You could say that again.

Before he could reply, Raphael stepped forward, tilting his head with polite curiosity. "Samavurti and Co.... That sounds familiar. Aren’t they the ones preparing the legal defense for the Russians involved in the Soyuz mission?"

The air shifted. Hermes’s eyes widened, and even the others straightened up.

Shani nodded, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. "That’s correct. I’ve recently been taken into their defense team. I’ll be one of the junior attorneys assisting in the case."

Hermes froze, his mind racing. His heart sank as the realization struck him. If Shani was on the defense, and he himself had been placed on the opposite side,...

It meant that he would soon face his old friend in court.

Somner immediately slithered closer to Hermes’s side, his expression sharp with suspicion.

He whispered. "Master, don’t you see? He sought you out on purpose. He’s trying to psych you out before the trial even begins!"

Ymir gave a curt nod, his tone just as cool. "He approached you here of all places? Either he’s attempting to rattle you or to dig for information. Be careful with your words."

Hermes shook his head quickly. "No. Shani isn’t like that. He wouldn’t try to manipulate me, not for something like this. If anything, he’d want to make sure the trial was fair."

A soft laugh broke through their whispered circle. Shani had overheard them all too clearly.

He raised his brows, smiling in that easy way that always seemed to disarm people. "You give me too much credit, gentlemen. I only wanted to catch up with my old friend. And, truthfully, with all of you as well. You are not strangers to me. I know your names, your reputations, the things the tabloids like to call you. Hermes’s so-called ’hero harem.’"

The group collectively stiffened. Magni blinked in confusion, tilting his head, while Somner nearly choked on his own indignation. Ymir’s jaw tightened, his cheeks twitching in restrained annoyance. Aphrodite looked down and away, though his ears flushed pink. Raphael merely smiled politely, though there was a flicker of discomfort in his eyes.

Hermes groaned. "Don’t say it like that."

Shani only grinned wider. "Apologies. That’s how the news referred to them. I watched the interview with Charlotte Freeman too. But of course, I would believe my friend’s words more than the sensationalist media. Come on, let’s have lunch. There’s a little Indian restaurant nearby. My treat."

Reluctantly, they agreed. Some with hesitation, others with suspicion, and Magni with enthusiastic hunger.

As they walked, Hermes’s phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced down and nearly laughed when he saw the alert:

[Aphrodite added Raphael Mirasol in the group chat].

Messages immediately began to flow.

Aphrodite: Since he’s a professor here, maybe we can get info from him about who’s studying the plant.

Hermes: Good point. I remember seeing it in the library once, though only for a moment. Shani and I were always there. He might know something.

Somner: Ugh. Wish I had library dates with you too, Master.

Ymir: Do you even know how to read?

Somner: Hah! I can read you to filth right now, Tennessee.

[Somner sent a pink cat sticker punching]

[Ymir sent a white cat sticker kicking back]

More stickers came and some bickering, spamming the group chat. Hermes shook his head, hiding a smile.

When they reached the restaurant, the scents of cumin, cardamom, and roasted spices filled the air. The interior was warm and inviting, lined with carved wooden panels and paintings of riverside ghats. A faint sitar played over the speakers, weaving into the hum of diners chatting at nearby tables.

The group settled in, though their body language revealed their moods. Somner crossed his arms as if determined to remain unimpressed. Ymir adjusted his tie and looked around with a critical eye. Aphrodite’s gaze softened slightly as he recognized details of the decor. Magni inhaled deeply, as though he could eat the smell itself. Raphael sat poised, his politeness unwavering, though his eyes moved curiously to the colorful menu.

The food arrived in a flurry of fragrant steam. Platters of butter chicken glistening in rich tomato gravy, bowls of chana masala fragrant with ginger, baskets of garlic naan brushed with melted butter, lamb biryani studded with raisins and cashews, and cups of sweet, creamy mango, strawberry and regular lassi to cool the spice.

Magni immediately dug in, tearing naan with his hands and shoving great chunks of meat and rice into his mouth, his booming laughter echoing through the restaurant. "By the gods, this feast! Flavors that strike like hammer blows upon the tongue! A banquet worthy of kings!"

Ymir pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you really have to eat like an animal in public?"

He sighed, spearing a careful piece of paneer tikka with his fork. "I have never tried this cuisine before. I’m very picky with food, but..."

He chewed, frowned, then admitted begrudgingly, "It’s not bad."

Somner arched a brow, delicately twirling naan between his fingers. He tasted the butter chicken, swallowed, then smirked.

"It’s fine, I suppose. But Mas— I mean Hermes, if you ever want the real thing, I’ll take you to the place of origin itself. I know a spot in Delhi that will blow your mind!"

Aphrodite ate quietly, graceful as ever, using his hands with practiced ease and observing the proper etiquette. His eyes softened as he sampled each dish, but he said little. His silence carried respect rather than judgment.

Raphael watched curiously, sipping his mango lassi before speaking. "It is unlike anything I have eaten before. Sweet and hot, all at once. Strange, but not unpleasant."

Hermes chuckled softly at the variety of reactions, but his thoughts lingered on their mission.

Finally, when the table quieted, he turned to Shani. "Back when we were students, I thought I saw something strange in the library once. A fiery plant. I only saw it for a split second, but... Do you know anything about it?"

Shani leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "A fiery plant in the library? Hm. I do recall seeing something unusual like that. But if such a thing exists, it would not be in the general collection. It would be in the archives. The archives house a botanical garden."

Then he said something that changed the mood of this little lunch date.

"That garden belongs to Dr. Atum Khemia."

The name hung heavy in the air. At that moment, Raphael’s hand tightened around his cup. His strawberry lassi began to bubble, then boil....

And finally burst in a hot splash across the table!