Chương 24: The 'Noble' Children
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."
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