Chapter 419 - 387: Hunter’s Got Caught...

(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

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After spending a considerable amount of time with Goddess Ganga, Devara finally took his leave from his mother’s divine domain.

Their conversation had covered several subjects, from his recent return to Trivenivrata after four years of training with Vishnu to the political situation developing around Vrishasena and the possibility of several kingdoms joining together under his leadership.

As expected, Ganga had listened patiently, occasionally offering her thoughts while also reminding her son that he did not need to carry every burden alone simply because he was capable of doing so.

Devara had enjoyed the time with her more than he cared to admit, and by the time he entered the whirlpool that would return him to Bhulok, the tension that had been weighing on his mind had eased considerably.

He swam upwards through the sacred waters, following the familiar currents until the light filtering down from the surface grew brighter.

With a final push, he broke through the water and emerged into the open air, brushing his wet hair away from his forehead as he took a deep breath.

The familiar sounds of the harbour gradually reached him, accompanied by the calls of fishermen and the creaking of wooden boats shifting against their moorings.

However, the moment Devara looked towards the shore, he realised that something had happened during his absence.

Several men were kneeling on the ground with their hands bound behind their backs, surrounded by a group of royal guards.

Their clothes were damp and stained, and a few had scratches across their arms and faces, suggesting that they had struggled before being restrained.

A short distance away, several fishermen had gathered, pointing towards the captives and speaking among themselves in agitated voices.

The atmosphere was considerably different from the peaceful scene Devara had left behind, and the guards who had remained near his horse now stood in a disciplined formation, their expressions stern as they kept the prisoners under control.

Devara slowed his approach, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the situation.

I leave for a little while to speak with Mother, and return to find an entire gathering waiting for me.

I suppose the Ganga has decided that I should not have a peaceful day.

Suppressing a sigh, he swam towards the shallows and stepped onto the bank.

One of the guards immediately noticed him and straightened, followed by the others, who bowed respectfully as their king approached.

The fishermen fell silent when they saw him, and several quickly stepped aside to make room.

"Maharaja!"

the commander of the royal escort greeted him, bowing his head.

"Welcome back."

Devara acknowledged him with a nod, accepting the cloth another guard offered so that he could dry himself before looking towards the bound men.

"That is certainly a different sight from the one I left behind,"

he remarked, his voice calm but carrying enough authority to silence the remaining murmurs.

"Would someone care to explain why these men are tied up on the shore? And why do I have the feeling that this has something to do with the matter we discussed earlier?"

The commander exchanged a brief glance with the fishermen before answering.

"It does, Maharaja. After you entered the river, the fishermen began helping us investigate the reports of illegal hunting. Their inquiries led us to these men."

"They were found with equipment that appears to have been used to catch the Ganga dolphins, and several witnesses have identified them as the people responsible for injuring the creatures you examined earlier."

Devara’s expression changed.

He turned his attention towards the captives, studying each of them in silence.

One man kept his head bowed, refusing to meet the king’s gaze, while another looked around nervously as though searching for an opportunity to escape.

A third appeared angry rather than frightened, his jaw clenched as he muttered something under his breath.

Devara heard it, but chose not to react immediately.

Instead, he looked towards the fishermen who had gathered near the guards.

"I want to hear the full account of what happened. Who discovered these men, what evidence was found, and how did you determine that they were responsible for the injuries?"

An elderly fisherman stepped forward, bowing respectfully before speaking.

"Maharaja, after you asked us to examine the dolphins, we realised that the wounds were likely caused by fishing equipment rather than natural accidents."

"Some of us had heard rumours about men hunting the dolphins in secluded parts of the river, but we had never confirmed who was responsible. When your guards began asking questions, several fishermen came forward with what they knew."

"We followed the information to these men and found them preparing their equipment near a stretch of the river where the dolphins often gather."

He paused, his expression tightening with indignation.

"They had heavy nets, hooks, and several sharp tools. There were also marks of blood on some of the equipment. When we questioned them, they attempted to leave, and a few resisted when the guards intervened."

"We cannot say that every wound on the dolphins came from these particular men, but the evidence suggests that they have been hunting them."

Devara listened without interrupting, his gaze remaining fixed on the captives.

The discovery confirmed his suspicions, but he was not prepared to pass judgment based solely on the anger of the fishermen or the presence of suspicious equipment.

If these men had violated the royal prohibition, they would answer for it.

Yet he wanted the facts established properly, especially if the investigation revealed that others were involved.

"Very well," he said at last.

"The evidence will be examined, and the witnesses will give their statements to the authorities. Until then, these men are to remain under guard. No one is to strike them, threaten them, or take revenge upon them. We will determine what happened through an investigation, not through anger."

The fishermen bowed, though some still looked furious at the men who had harmed the dolphins.

The guards tightened their formation around the captives, ensuring that no one could slip away while the investigation proceeded.

Devara stepped closer to the prisoners.

"You have been accused of hunting creatures whose protection was explicitly ordered by the crown,"

he said, his voice steady.

"I want to hear your explanation. You will each have an opportunity to speak, and I advise you to use it honestly. If you have done nothing wrong, the evidence will establish that. If you have violated the law, lying about it will only make your situation worse."

For the first time since Devara had arrived, the men seemed to understand that their fate would not be decided by the fishermen’s anger alone.

Several exchanged uneasy glances, while the man who had previously appeared defiant lowered his eyes.

Devara waited, allowing the silence to stretch between them.

His visit to the Ganga had begun with a simple desire to spend time with his mother, but it had brought him face to face with a problem that demanded his attention.

Now that the suspected hunters had been caught, he intended to discover not only what they had done, but also why they had done it and whether anyone else had helped them.

The dolphins had no way to demand justice for themselves.

For the moment, that responsibility rested with him.

The moment Devara finished speaking, the expressions of the bound men changed.

Whatever defiance they had managed to maintain while surrounded by the royal guards began to crumble as they realised that the king himself was standing before them, demanding an explanation for their actions.

One of the hunters immediately lowered his head until his forehead nearly touched the ground, while another struggled to bring his bound hands together in a gesture of supplication.

"Maharaja, please forgive us!"

the first man pleaded, his voice trembling.

"We made a terrible mistake, and we beg you to pardon our insolence. We never intended to offend you or disobey your royal command. We swear that we will never do such a thing again. Please show us mercy!"

His words were quickly followed by the others, who began begging Devara to spare them from punishment.

Some repeatedly apologised, while others insisted that they had acted foolishly and would never approach the dolphins again.

The man who had previously appeared defiant now bowed his head, joining his companions in asking for forgiveness.

"Maharaja, we know that what we did was wrong,"

another hunter said desperately.

"We should never have hunted those creatures, especially after your order forbidding it. We were foolish enough to believe that we could get away with it, and now we understand our mistake."

"Please, give us one more chance. We will abandon this work and never harm another dolphin for as long as we live."

Devara listened to their pleas without interrupting.

He watched as the men continued apologising, their voices occasionally overlapping in their desperation to convince him that they had learned their lesson.

The fishermen standing nearby remained visibly displeased, and a few shook their heads at the sudden display of remorse.

They had heard enough rumours about the hunters to suspect that the men were not merely unfortunate fishermen who had made an innocent mistake.

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(Author note:)

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