The training ground looked like a long box, as tall walls preventing the view from the outside formed a rectangle around the area.
To the right side of the entrance, there was an outdoor gymnasium, covered in fine soil. And to the left side, there was an indoor gymnasium with a roof.
Ashoka looked around the training ground, then looked at the children lined up at the center.
'Just as I've heard, there are a lot of them.'
Despite it being still early in the morning, over a hundred children were warming up all around the training ground.
Ashoka had heard that there were that many people every time because everyone above the age of 6 from all the noble families would gather in the tempest manor for training at this particular time of the year.
'They said there were more people than usual this time.'
Hema, his nanny had told him that there would be more children than last time coming to the tempest manor this year.
He wasn't sure why, But he wasn't particularly interested in that matter either.
As Ashoka was about to warm up, thinking that it was interesting, he heard a cold voice speak.
"That's him, right? One of the genius twins?"
"Genius twins? was that really true?"
"He is just a bastard son of the Emperor, how powerful can a bastard like him be?"
The noble children were as arrogant as he had thought and were loudly criticizing him.
"Look at that ring in his hand?"
"A flowery ring?"
"What is he, a baby?"
Some of the noble children giggled, looking at the ring on Ashoka's hand.
{Are they perhaps speaking about this monarch?}
Drakorinith shuddered, after having been quiet up to that point, as if asleep.
'That's why I told you to change the way the ring looks.'
{They are trash with no taste. What are you doing? Smash their skulls already.}
Drakorinith's voice was boiling with anger.
'For what?'
{They aren't only mocking this monarch, but also picking a fight with you. Are you saying that you are tolerating them?}
'It's not like I am bothered by it.'
{I don't care! If they looked straight at this monarch, that's enough reason to pluck their eyes out…}
'I'm not crazy like you.'
He was relieved that he didn't give his body to that madman.
"Hmm."
Ashoka turned around and looked at the noble children, who were still running their mouths. Although they flinched a little when Ashoka gazed at them, they provocatively stuck their chins out.
'I would've ignored something like this in my past life to avoid any problems.'
Ashoka lived his past life hiding behind his mother who shielded him against all the threats.
It was comfortable to hide behind someone but he had already realized the price he had to pay for that.
'I already decided to live a different life this time.'
He had decided not to repeat the mistake he had done in his past life, so he isn't going to endure anything like he did in his past life.
"What did you just say?"
Ashoka menacingly approached the children. They looked flustered, as they hadn't expected him to come up to them.
"Huh?"
"Wh-what are you saying…?"
They tried to make up excuses but Ashoka was not a child like them to easily leave them be.
"Stop buzzing like a mosquito and speak clearly."
"Hmm."
"Th-that is…"
The children from the noble families line didn't know what to do, so they awkwardly looked at each other.
'I knew it.'
Those children were just repeating what their parents had taught them. It was the kind of situation that didn't even need a proper solution.
"Haven't you learned not to talk about people behind their backs if you cannot speak to their faces?"
"Sh-Shut up!"
"How dare you talk to us like that!"
"You are just a bastard son, how dare you act like a direct son!"
The children burst out in rebuttal at Ashoka who stood firm against them.
"The word 'dare' is used when you are talking to someone in a lower position than you. You don't have the right to say that to me."
Ashoka's voice wasn't loud, nor quiet, as he was simply stating the facts.
"Kuh!"
The three noble children spread their feet and clenched their fists as if they were going to strike at any time.
Snap.
Ashoka stretched his fingers. It wasn't a bad idea to warm up and attract some attention before the training started.
"Screw you…"
"Stop!"
When the noble children were about to charge, a stern scolding was heard. It was from a handsome, blue-haired boy in his early teens.
{Who does he think he is to get in the way? Break his skull.}
Drakorinith who was disappointed by the interruption of a fight spoke with annoyance.
'Is that Ahmed?'
The youngest son of Mir Khan, one of the two dukes of the Mauryan empire.
Like Ashoka and Sudhatta, he was a child who was praised as a genius who appear once in hundreds of years.
"What are you all doing when the training is about to start? Are you planning to blacken the name of your noble families?"
Ashoka expected that he would take the three brats' side, but he scolded everyone instead.
"Ahmed!"
"I apologize!"
A single word from him was enough to make half of the noble children bow like mice in front of a cat, despite how they were about to charge at Ashoka just now.
After getting the apology from the collaterals, Ahmed approached Ashoka.
"I apologize for their behavior, I am Ahmed Khan from the Khan duke family, nice to meet you"
He extended his hand towards Ashoka, politely introducing himself.
Although Ashoka felt somewhat goodwill towards him from his actions, he could feel an uneasiness from his extended hand.
"Nice to meet you too, I am Ashoka as you may have known"
Nevertheless, Ashoka shook hands with him as disrespecting the goodwill of someone didn't sit right with him.
As they were greeting each other, a voice emerged from the crowd of children attracting the attention of everyone.
"If you two aren't planning to participate in the training, then get out of here. This is not a place for you all to play friends."
---***---
"If you aren't planning to participate in the training, then get out of here. This is not a place to play friends."
It was a boy with green hair and black eyes.
"What? who the hell is he?"
"How dare he talk like that to Ahmed?"
"Does he have a death wish?"
The noble children murmured among themself while wondering about the identity of the daring kid.
"If I am not mistaken, You are Vikram from the Sena Duke family, aren't you?"
Ahmed turned around looking at the green-haired boy.
"I don't know how a bastard who didn't even inherit the name of Duke Sena managed to come here to the tempest manor, but be mindful of your words, everyone isn't as generous as myself to let you run your mouth"
Duke Gandarva Sena along with Duke Mir Khan were the two dukes of the Mauryan empire who held the most military power next to the Emperor's royal army.
It wouldn't be wrong to call them two pillars of the Empire.
And though both Ahmed and Vikram belonged to the duke families, Ahmed was the official son of duke khan whereas Vikram was a bastard son born to a maid.
Vikram's position in the family is very different from that of Ahmed in the Khan family.
Just the fact that he was able to attend the training in the tempest manner was a surprise.
On the other hand, it proved how talented he was to be able to attend the tempest manor training despite being a bastard son, which attracted Ashoka's interest.
But it seemed like Vikram was a short-tempered kid as he made his way in front of Ahmed.
"I would love to see what the 'child' of duke Khan is capable of"
He said provoking Ahmed.
The atmosphere turned tense as they both were ready to break out into a fight.
Ashoka who was very intrigued by the flow of things watched the situation with excited eyes.
But as if to pour cold water on his expectations the doors of the training ground were slammed open.
Slam!
A red-haired man walked past the door, which was still vibrating. With pointy ears and a heavenly appearance, he had both a mysterious and cheerful atmosphere around him.
"Are you fighting already? You have a lot of guts, I guess it's because you're still young. Too young, actually."
He grinned and moved to the center of the training ground.
'An elf?'
Ashoka narrowed his eyes. There was no way he wouldn't know about an elf after reading so many novels in his past life.
But the real reason he was surprised was that Sage Chanakya had told him that most of the races other than humans inhabited the eastern continent, which was commonly known as the "Alliance of seven kingdoms".
So he was momentarily surprised to see an elf here.
But it seemed like Ashoka was the only one who was surprised by his appearance as everyone else seemed like they know who he was.
"Sword of the Emperor, the elf swordsman, Alberad Agnus"
"He is here to teach us?"
"I heard that he was injured..."
There was news that he was injured in a dungeon and ended up retiring, so the children hadn't expected to meet him there.
"Hmph!"
Alberad glanced at Ashoka and the children, then went to the platform that allowed him to look down on the whole training ground.
While Alberad was scouting the children, the two in front of Ashoka calmed down.
"I guess your luck was good…"
Ahmed said before turning around and walking to where a group of children was waiting for him.
"We will see whose luck it was"
Vikram also responded calmly before standing there all alone.
It didn't seem like there was anyone with him as he was standing all alone.
'A lone wolf, huh?'
Ashoka thought looking at him only to realize that there was no one at his side either.
He really missed the company of his brother, who clinged onto him at moments like this.
Ignoring the matter, Ashoka glanced at the children who were gathered there.
It seemed like his siblings who were staying at the tempest manor were training in a different training ground as he couldn't see any of them.
Finally, Ashoka turned his attention toward the elf standing on the stage.
"Nice to meet you all."
Alberad smiled from the platform.
"I'm the head instructor Alberad, who is going to oversee your training."
His voice was bright, not in a frivolous way, but cheerful. Keeping a laid-back smile, he continued.
"There are a hundred sixty trainees, but only eight instructors. As you must also be thinking that there are too many trainees, let's reduce that number. A quarter would be ideal."
Alberad's laid-back smile became slightly mischievous.
"Re-Reduce?"
"To a quarter?"
"What are you talking about…?"
The children's faces went ashy pale. It was the first time they'd heard of trainees being weeded out before basic training in tempest manor.
"We will distinguish between gems and pebbles, quite literally. I'd rather train some quality swordsmen over quantity."
Alberad waved his finger at the children as if he were choosing products.
"I'm the son of Marquise! It's nonsense to weed me out before becoming a trainee!"
One of the children shouted in anger.
"That's true! We were all ordered to participate by the family!"
More joined him in his rebuttal.
"Ah. I'm dumb, so I don't know about the noble families at all."
Alberad frowned while picking his ear with his pinky finger.
"I'm the law on this training ground. If you aren't happy about it, complain to the elders who appointed me, or even better to the Emperor."
Despite looking like a ruffian rather than a head instructor, his good-looking appearance still managed to make him look cool.
'Weeding out…'
Ashoka scratched his chin.
{Who is that arrogant guy?}
'What?'
{He dares to look down on me! I don't like it. Pluck off that elf's ears.}
'Is there even anyone that you do like?'
{Back when I was alive, no one could see my eyes. As the true monarch that everyone admired…}
'Shut up.'
Because Drakorinith started to talk for too long, Ashoka tapped the ring forcing him to shut up.
{How dare you....do ...something.....like this....to this monarch...}
like that the cries of the old dragon reverberated without being heard by anyone.
---***---