Bunty left Kartik’s store with a new Core. Initially, they had agreed on a ten-ninety split on all Core sales. It was the same rate Kartik offered Baba. However, Red Charger’s Core should’ve sold for one-hundred pounds at most. Thanks to Bunty’s presence, Kartik had made an additional twenty-five pounds. The Core Yuki had traded could’ve potentially earned him a lot more coin at another auction sale. He agreed to let Bunty have it as his cut.

The Core’s silver sheen intrigued Bunty. It reminded Bunty of Eirkh’s Core, and the size suggested it carried more power than Red Charger’s. It was a matter of supply and demand, though. Physical enhancement Cores being in more demand often sold for a lot more than better-aged Cores with the less popular Cores. Apparently, Evergaze, the gremlin’s Core, hadn’t offered Yuki or Mei any favourable spells. They had found it on the ninth floor, and due to the age of six centuries, Gaia would allow its use until the twentieth floor.

Kartik had confirmed their claims with his own three-times upgraded spirit. Gaia had offered him defensive and utility telekinesis spells but not much else. Apparently, Evergaze the gremlin had used telekinetically controlled weapons to attack them and zipped around the battlefield at alarming speeds. Its tribe had made life harder by riding around on giant, horned deer while stabbing at them with spears. Bunty guessed it was the battle that had killed Koki.

Kartik had tested it when Yuki first brought it around and believed it would most likely grant telekinesis spells. Gaia had told Kartik that Evergaze, the gremlin it had come from, was six centuries old. Since the Core originated from an aged second-interval beast, it could be used until the twentieth floor. Bunty hoped the Core would benefit Gwyneth. She had offered him Red Charger’s Core for passage. Gwyneth had helped him kill Uzeth and was now a valuable companion. As a result, he no longer wanted to profit from the crimson sphere. Instead, he wanted its benefits to go back to her. Bunty hoped the Core would increase her control over the lantern and improve her control over whatever she got from the tortoise.

After a quick walkthrough, Climber’s Market and Noble’s Ring, Bunty ventured into the market standing along the central canal. He carried on along it until he found the side street dominated by Bengali vendors. The sound of patrons and shopkeepers speaking one another in his mother tongue felt alien to Bunty but comforted him at the same time. It reminded him of Baba and Neer chatting when it was just the two of them. Bunty understood them, of course, but he’d never been comfortable communicating using it. Now, he regretted not taking the time to learn the language. He believed it would’ve helped connect to his family at a deeper level.

It didn’t take Bunty long to find his destination: Jit’s Tea Shop. The narrow building stood in between an old bookstore and a small eatery. Bunty knew the businesses well and knew the same man owned all three. While the latter two had eye-catching storefronts, the teashop had a simple wooden sign above the door. The pillar to his right said tea, and the one to his left had ‘cha’ written on it in Bengali. A man sat by the door in front of a stove pouring spiced milk tea from one jug to another. He moved them apart, high and low, creating steaming arches of the glorious liquid during the act. After repeating the action half-a-dozen times, he poured them into clay cups, showing a thick head of froth. Once done, he whistled, and a boy half-Bunty’s age carried them into the shop for the patrons.

In typical Bengali fashion, men and women of all ages populated the shop, drinking and talking. Men in tattered vests and long, ironed, kurtas sat next to each other, coexisting despite their difference in station. Things would change outside the building, of course, but while in the tea sho,p all were equal. Baba claimed he had never witnessed such equality before, except in a Sikh Gurudwara. Bunty had heard the French had similar practices after abolishing monarchical rule and the nobility but had never ventured into the French quarter.

“Can I help you, brother?” The serving boy approached him after emptying his tray. “Would you like a seat for tea, or are you looking for breakfast.” He waved at the eatery. “Today’s breakfast is hing kochuri, aloor dom, and we have fresh maachh bhaja too.”

The offerings sounded tempting, and when craning his neck to peek inside, Bunty was surprised to see that it wasn’t just Indians dining within. He was tempted, but other matters needed sorting.

“I’m looking for someone, actually,” he said, lowering his voice. “Has an old man with a wooden leg been in? He has a trimmed beard, carries a talwar at his hip, and often wears black, rimmed spectacles.”

The boy looked Bunty up and down before leaning forward. “Are you looking for Swordmaster Utpal Sen?”

“I am.”

The boy gestured for him to follow before heading into the tea shop. There was barely enough room to walk between the tables. The patrons smiled at Bunty and made way for him, though It was the tea shop etiquette Baba had taught him. He had never thought of it before, but now that he was distancing himself from the nobility, Bunty wanted to know about his people. Bengali folk were stereotyped as the intellectuals of India. They enjoyed academics, argued with one another, and went on about civil liberties, often causing issues with British rule. Other Indian communities often joked a Bengali would happily eat fish and rice for every meal. Given one of the breakfast options, Bunty felt the stereotype was relatively accurate.

Bunty heard Baba before spotting him. The old man’s deep laugh drowned out the surrounding chatter. He sat in one of the few booths at the tea shop’s rear. A pair of suited men and a woman in a bright blue sari sat surrounded him. They all appeared to be in the same age group as him and were locked in animated conversation. Bunty had never witnessed Baba so relaxed around anyone except for with Lord Graham behind closed doors.

“I’ll take it from here,” Bunty told the boy pressing a two-pence coin into his hand. The wide-eyed child thanked him before returning to his duties.

Baba looked between his friends as they talked, his eyes occasionally drifting over the shop. It was during one such scan he did a double-take. “Excuse me,” Baba said, pushing through his friends. He paused, looking around, the floor but then shook his head and stood up. When the old man stumbled towards Bunty, he realised Baba’s cane was nowhere to be seen, and he was walking towards it. So, he rushed forward to meet his father. Baba wrapped his arms around Bunty as soon as he was within reach and hugged him tightly. “I was sure Edgar’s hitmen failed.”

“It’s a good thing he’s too cheap to hire them through the Bounty Hunter’s Guild,” Bunty said, giving his father a good squeeze. “Did you get my letter?”

“No,” he replied, pulling away with an eyebrow raised. “When did you send it?”

“When I reached the seventh floor before Edgar’s incompetent hopefuls came for me. How long ago did you leave the Boleyns?”

Baba looked back at his friends. “I need to catch up with my son,” he told them. “Let’s continue our conversation tomorrow.”

They nodded and smiled at Bunty before Baba led him into the shop’s rear and up a flight of stairs. Baba limped into the tiny apartment above it and took a seat on an armchair by the only window. “Victoria told me about what happened on the fifth floor,” he answered. “She told me the truth about Edgar’s abilities and how he was using them and urged me to leave. I was scared to death; you died and sent my spies out looking for you. Then when I found out about Edgar offered a pair of Climbers employment for your head, I couldn’t stick around any longer.”

“You should’ve left as soon as Victoria told you about Edgar’s powers. He could’ve used them on you.”

“We never had a reason to be around one another. Edgar asked for sword training a couple of times, but I always found excuses to postpone the lessons. It was suspicious enough given how much of a failure he was before, Victoria’s warnings cemented it.”

“He almost killed me on the fifth floor,” Bunty said, looking down at the floor. “I’m not sure how his spirit works, but he made himself invisible and disguised his spear into a staff.” Bunty lifted his shirt, showing off the scar. “He got a sly shot in, and then the poison had me down for a week.”

Baba took Bunty’s hand. “I was terrified for you, son,” he said. “Victoria didn’t tell me about the poison, but my spies told me about Gwyneth dragging you onto an unknown vessel. When I didn’t hear anything about you for a week, I expected the worst. Edgar setting hunters on you gave me some solace. It meant you were alive. By the time I got news of someone sighting you on the seventh floor, I was relieved. My affairs were sorted with the Boleyns by then, and Lord Graham had gotten distant too. I told him about Edgar’s actions and thanked him for employment before leaving.”

“How’s Lord Graham doing?”

Baba sighed, shaking his head. “He’s a husk of the man he used to be. I had witnessed a change in him after you left, and for the longest time, I thought it was the stress of Alexander’s condition. Then when Victoria told me about Edgar, everything fell into place.” Baba looked into Bunty’s eyes sorrowfully. “Lord Graham called off the expedition party too. There’s still a healer keeping Alexander alive, but things aren’t looking good.”

“I think I can save him, Baba,” Bunty said.

“You need to move on, son—”

“I’m close, though!” Bunty sat on the chair’s arm and lowered his voice. “Neer’s journal speaks of a facility like the one we found on the ground floor. It had the same plant creature and Omrito. Since he talked about the location too, the hardest part will be finding the ruin’s entrance!”

“After Neer passed, he’s the closest thing I’ve had to a brother or a friend for the longest time,” Bunty told him. “I have to try. Gwyneth and I have found a new party member. Oss is our vanguard, and he’ll keep us safe.”

“I just don’t want to lose you, Bunty,” Baba said. “If not for Gaia’s restrictions, I would’ve stormed into the sixth floor and turned it upside down looking for you.”

“That’s a Climber’s life, though. Gaia can take us whenever she pleases.”

“That’s reassuring.” Baba chuckled, shaking his head.

“I might have a solution, Baba. What if we leave New Calcutta and settle down in the tower?”

“Well, you’d need to reach the thirtieth floor for me to join you. I wouldn’t be able to rendezvous with you before then. Setting down roots also means stopping the climb. If you upgrade your spirit past floor forty-one, the seventh interval will become inaccessible to you. Are you sure you and Gwyneth are willing to stop your climb?” Baba tapped his prosthetic leg. “I might still be effective in the seventh interval, but given my age and missing leg, I’m no good beyond it.”

“What if I told you that I have a solution for that too?”

In the end, Baba wasn’t as convinced as Bunty would’ve liked. He expressed appreciation of his son’s progress and achievements, of course, but refused to make any commitments without evidence. Baba insisted that Bunty tested the ability to tamper with gates as it sounded too good to be true. Once he understood the ability and had nurtured it, Baba would make a decision on how to progress.

For the time being, Baba was satisfied with where he was. Bunty had never shown much interest in his father’s financials but was aware he earned a fair deal as Graham Boleyn’s number two. The job came with food and board. As a result, Baba lived frugally, and instead of letting the money pile up in the bank, he had invested it in the Bengali community. He owned shares in Jit’s Tea Shop and the businesses on either side of it. Now, the owner had given Baba rent-free accommodation above the store. No one outside of the community knew of his location.

Bunty had suggested the dojo to keep Baba busy, but after three decades of working non-stop, he wanted some time to relax. Even though Bunty wanted to tell Baba about Oss and his future goals, he kept the information to himself. It was a stressful time for both of them, and he was glad to see his father safe. That’s all that mattered. Kartik knew Baba’s location because he too belonged to the Bengali community, and they were friends. Hopefully, the information wouldn’t get out, and he could rest easy.

Much to Bunty’s disappointment, when he suggested divulging the location to Lydia, Baba shot it down. He wasn’t ready for any unknowns to learn where he was. Instead, Baba agreed to send a runner to the FTF’s headquarters once a week. If Bunty couldn’t visit the tea shop himself, he’d send messages down to the organisation, and they’d pass them on.

It bothered him that Baba wouldn’t just go with his plan, but it wasn’t new. The older man always believed he knew best—after decades of dealing with the nobility and New Calcutta’s organisations, he probably did. Since Baba tended to worry, he didn’t feel bad about keeping information regarding Oss from him. Baba’s negative tone when talking about Neer befriending tower locals discouraged him.

The pair had spent a couple of hours discussing Bunty’s spirit, and Baba loved the addition of the Spiderlegs. He believed they carried more value than the Frost Blade. Since it tired him out, Baba advised he use the spell sparingly until his next upgrade. Inexperienced Climbers put too much trust in their spells, and if the magical abilities failed, they’d find themselves too tired to use their martial skills effectively. The following Core’s passive tempering would increase Bunty’s stamina and resilience, making it safer to use Frost Blade. For the time being, it was safer to combine Spiderlegs with his new summons and combine them with his sword training.

“What do you reckon I should look for in my next upgrade?” Bunty had before parting ways.

“I don’t know. Figure it out for yourself.” Baba’s reply had surprised Bunty. “You made your own path in life without using the sword. This is something you’ll need to figure out for yourself.”

“That’s not fair, Baba. I’m asking you because you have experience guiding your students and the Boleyn parties.”

“Don’t get me wrong, son. It’s not that I don’t want to advise you. I just can’t. I give blanket recommendations to external students. When advising Boleyn troops, I’d design plans and paths for entire parties, not individuals. Since you’re building a party, you need to figure out for yourself what role you’d like to fulfil.” Baba had shed his authoritarian, teacher tone ever since Bunty broke out on his own. “Do you want to be the vanguard, an assassin, a dedicated tracker, or the party’s trump card? Decide what you’d like to do first. Then, communicate with your party and see what works for you as a group. Gwyneth has a better head for spirits than I. She’ll advise you a lot better than I can anyway. Then gather information from people more in tune with the relevant interval’s market. I believe in you, Bunty, and I’m sure you can figure out your future path without me holding your hand.”

“Thanks, Baba,” Bunty said, feeling humbled. He’d spent several years arguing with his father and rebelling against the way of the sword. Bunty’s first instinct had been to argue. Now he understood that his father saw him as an adult and a Climber. Baba trusted Bunty, and the sentiment had left him feeling warm inside.

Their final topic of conversation had been romance, and Bunty had drawn a line there. He wasn’t ready to discuss the matter with Baba. Bunty wasn’t sure whether he was prepared to address the issue at all. Baba had laughed and told him that Victoria was interested in him. Despite her family’s actions, she had gone above and beyond for the Sens. At the same time, Bunty’s embarrassment suggested he wanted Gwyneth now. Given their sleeping arrangements and recent experiences, it was likely that she felt about him similarly.

When Bunty had brought up matters of staying professional in climbing parties, Baba had brushed it off. Instead, he told Bunty that the outside world’s societal rules didn’t matter in the tower. It was the wilderness, after all. The only rules and norms were the ones they decided on as a party.

In the end, Baba sent Bunty off with sweets and cured meats for his party. There was a skin of sweet wine for him and Gwyneth to share too. Bunty accepted the latter hesitantly. He had never expected such advice from his stoic, conservative father.

Bunty spotted Yuki and Mei once again in Climber’s Market. Mei had shed her Japanese clothing for armoured clothing better suited for an augmenter. Yuki wore the same clothes as before but now carried Koki’s sword too. Spotting it lit a fire in Bunty’s belly. She was indeed a vile human being. He hoped to use the FTF’s resources to keep an eye out for Hina in case she had survived.

It was evening by the time Bunty finished purchasing food, ointments—he avoided the Boleyn stores and purchased medicinal supplies from the FTF instead and a Core-enhanced dagger for Gwyneth. The last cost him fifty-pounds, but he considered it a necessary expense. She couldn’t always rely on his summoned spear, and everyone needed a backup weapon.

The sky-mantis Core didn’t just increase the weapon’s cutting ability but enveloped the blade in swirling winds. The craftsman claimed a skilled user could fire wind blades from the dagger with training. Bunty had his doubts but believed the tool would combine brilliantly with the lamp’s lightning imbuement ability. They could stick the dagger atop a Slimeskin staff to make a spear as well.