DCE: The Enchanter Chapter 63

Chapter 63: A Stroll Through Serenora

[[The next morning]]


It was great to own the biggest skyscraper in the heart of the ever evolving district. 


I did get a cut from everything present within the place, but this skyscraper was something that I owned in its entirety.


 Zatanna was still asleep. 


Tired and dozing with a blissful expression.


As for me, I stood at the top of the building –witnessing the magnificence of the rising sun. 


It truly was a luxury to witness the rising sun from this up high with nothing but a cup of coffee in your hand.


Closing my eyes, I breathed out.


"This was possibly the last break I will get for a while."


My schedule right from today's afternoon was packed.


There was a certain unstable woman that I had to meet and then look for a way to contact another woman.


"Well it's best not to procrastinate."


With an enchanted snap of my fingers, my clothes flew from the bed and wrapped around my naked body.


Enchantment was truly magnificent as I did not even had to spend time taking a bath. I could enchant my body to be cleaner than any person that took a bath.


I could get rid of any and all bacteria that was not needed and I could get the 100% cleaning rather than the 99.9% as promised by most products.


A ridiculous thought sprouted in my mind, making me chuckle.


"If I ever decide to stop playing this hero and villain game, I know ways to earn money."


Money…


Technically I had a lot of it. But I was not going to splurge it for my comfort.


Not yet.


For now, I had to let that money flow out into channels that could help me grow. And one of those channels was termed 'politics' which reminds me that there is another person that I have to meet soon.


At least if I want to keep the promise that I made to the heroes, it is the least I will have to do.


Taking the final sip of the coffee, I flew towards the road. It was barely morning and people were already opening their shops. 


The big stores were open all the time, but I had not just opened the place to the massive businesses. There were small shops and people that worked extremely hard to earn their bread.


It was an honest sight and I loved every moment of it.


Of course, taxes for them was lower because of the difference in income. I am a businessman trying to make some profit but I wasn't a monster that would suck the poor dry.


As I walked down the road, I saw many of the people greeting me. Those were mostly the ones that were opening their shops for daily business. 


"Oh!"


Surprising me was a loud gasp that came from my left.


"It's Mr. Hughes!"


And as I turned, I saw a face that I recalled fairly well. 


"Are you out on a jog, sir?"


It was a kid, not older than twelve. He had sharp facial features with an asian look and a healthy body.


Not fat but a little chubby.


He had two of his front teeth sticking out a little more than others and he wore a bright expression even at an hour where most would be groggy for being woken up.


"Ah, Daiki," I greeted the Japanese boy, "Good morning."


"Good morning, sir!" He said, giving me a polite bow.


"And indeed I am out for a little jog."


More like to get some fresh air and enjoy the sight of the place that I worked day and night for.


"Daiki…"


While I was talking to the hardworking kid, I heard an aged voice. Turning around, I saw an old man that was unable to walk straight because of his old age as well as his scoliosis.


He seemed to be in his seventies with grey hair and balding spots over his head. He wore a metallic framed spectacle that seemed way too heavy for him and a pair of lenses that were thicker than a sheet of ice.


But that wasn't just any old man. 


It was the owner of the shop where the boy was working –the owner who was the grandfather of the said boy.


"Good morning, Hiroshi-sensei." I greeted the man who was a retired physics teacher.


"Good morning to you too, sir." He greeted back with a smile. He seemed energetic, much different from his frail appearance.


Hiroshi sensei was a man that moved to the US at a young age to pursue his dreams of pursuing science. He married here and also had a family as well as got a job as a physics teacher.


Sadly, when he felt everything was going well for him –he lost his family just ten years ago in a bus accident. The accident left him with only his grandson. And since he was old and his memory was also failing him, he could not keep tutoring students to make a living.


So, the man shifted to baking traditional Japanese sweets and breads. And when I first tried his food, I was blown away.


They were absolutely delicious. Not to mention it wasn't just me that thought this as I had seen massive queues of people waiting to have one taste of the food that he made.


Despite that, he was drowning in debt and there was no way for him to take care of his grandson as his health was failing.


So, when I learnt of this, I decided to get him to Serenora with a tax system that was cheaper than most and considering his age, that already low margin for me was lowered further.


I wasn't making a lot of profit from his shop, but it did feel good to see such an honest man smiling again.


"Would you like some freshly baked bread, sir?"


And besides, it was not the money for which I brought them to Serenora but the absolutely heart touching food and the sense of notalgia that was induced in me each time I took a sniff at the scent of the baked food.


"I would absolutely love it," I said in the most honest tone that I could muster.


"Then please take a seat," He suggest, "I will bring you the anpan that I just made."


Saying this, the man left me and his grandson alone to talk.


And I cannot say that I wasn't entertained as the kid kept asking me interesting things as well as showed me the art and craft work that he had been learning at his school.


He didn't go to your conventional school, but to an institute built by an NGO for the poor and the unfortunate.


Maybe… I should look into that NGO. It never hurts to help some good people.


And as I was talking to Daiki, I got a certain notification. 


It was a text from a certain someone that I hadn't met in a very long time.


It made me surprised to see her text to the point that I muttered her name out loud.


"Carol?"


…

…


"Master Bruce, the dinner is ready."


Bruce had been going through multiple files on the rapidly growing Serenora that was housed at the heart of Gotham. He did not like that Jasper was controlling an entire place on his own and so he was about to burst down on Jasper's door –but he decided not to.


'He is neither running any illegal market nor delving into drugs or trafficking.' Bruce mused, 'I do not exactly have the materials to go after him. Worst of all, he had made pacts with the politicians…'


Bruce recalled a certain promise that the Enchanter made and that recollection did not please him 


'I'll have to deal with him soon, but for now…' He frowned and looked at a few files that were being displayed on his screen, 'I have someone else to worry about…'


"Master Bruce?"


"Keep it covered for a while, Alfred." The billionaire said, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."


To Bruce, Alfred was closest to a father figure that he had in his life. And while their relationship was of a master and his butler, Bruce viewed Alfred as a member of his family.


And so when Alfred asked him to do something, he often followed.


"You seem worried." The older man walked towards him, dressed as perfectly as he always was.


He stared at the screen that had the picture of a man that he knew just as well as Bruce.


"Sir Oliver?" He asked, "Is something wrong with him, master Bruce?"


Bruce leaned back and sighed, "I hope that I am wrong but…" mumbling this, he stared at the other side of the screen surprising Alfred.


Both the men were staring at the picture of a certain creature.


"Lately he hasn't been able to control his emotions and has been quite uneasy. He has been messing up his missions, his anger has been untamed and he seems detached from the team."


Batman never showed emotions but as Bruce, he did. And while he was never going to acknowledge it, he did care for Oliver.


As in one way or the other, he related to Oliver.


"So you think…" Alfred frowned, "He might have been influenced by Starro?"


The picture that they were staring at was that of the alien warlord, Starro.


Starro was an enemy that they had faced before. But it was only one of the countless bodies that the hive minded alien had. 


Bruce knew that there were countless of them out in space and each of them possessed the ability to control one's mind.


"His actions were sort of understandable after the clash with Jasper Hughes but despite that…" Bruce frowned, "He has been going beyond what any of us at the League expected. And it's not a good thing."


Alfred nodded, "Sir Oliver had suffered worse than with Jasper Hughes. Something of this caliber should not be able to break him."


"That is why I think something else is involved," Bruce sighed, "And I will figure it out."


Alfred nodded but just as he was about to remind Bruce about the food, he recalled something.


"You said something about his hand injury, sir." He said, recalling the things that Bruce told him about.


"It's getting better," Bruce frowned, "But now that you mention it…"


He put a finger around his chin, "It did heal quite abruptly… especially since it was showing no signs of healing."


"Do you think those things might be somehow related?" Alfred asked making Bruce think deeply.


"I… don't know," Bruce said, "but… maybe I should look into that."


He knew that after days of worrying about Oliver and his situation, he might have finally found some clue.


"But for now, Master Bruce," Alfred reminded, "You should focus on getting off the chair and eat your food."


The tiny little reminder which was more of a scolding, made Bruce smile.


"Of course, Alfred." Bruce showed a smirk, "I cannot miss the food that you make."


A statement that made the butler sprout a smile of his own.