Realization

---Province of Ujjain, Khan dukehold----

Inside the duke Palace, where Mir Khan, the Lion of the east dwelled, a room that looked like the definition of splendor was completely silent.

"Ugh…"

Ahmed Khan, who had been standing straight for almost four hours, started to groan.

He had been given special permission to visit his house since the dukedom of Khan's was located in the same province, but coming here didn't do any good for Ahmed.

Mir Khan, who was sitting at the desk, finally looked at him.

"Ahmed Khan."

"Yes."

Since Ahmed hadn't spoken for hours, his voice was hoarse.

"What was my command?"

"It… It was to become the top trainee Knight. A-and you also asked me to not lose to anyone!"

"Correct. I wasn't asking much. I just wanted you to get first place, after winning against the bastard from the Sena family."

Mir Khan's eyes burned red in anger.

"And yet… Not only that bastard, you also lost to the son of the peasant! In front of everyone, at that!"

The low and cold voice resonating throughout the room made him feel like his heart was being crushed.

"How much will you disgrace me? Do you want to become like the third or the fourth?"

"No, not at all!"

Ahmed kept shaking his head, trembling. He didn't want to become like his two older brothers, who weren't even mentioned by name anymore.

"You've already lost your first chance."

Mir Khan's eyes didn't contain any hint of delight at seeing his son after such a long time. Only anger and irritation existed.

"I… I am aware."

Ahmed couldn't meet his intimidating gaze, biting his lip as he looked at his feet.

"The top trainee knight will be chosen again once basic training is over, upon trainee knight graduation. Bring me that title."

"Yes…"

Ahmed swallowed and responded as if he was spitting blood.

"If you want to live as a part of the Khan household, don't waste your last chance."

Mir Khan waved his hand, signaling him to get out.

"Th-thank you."

Ahmed couldn't even look at his father's face properly, despite not seeing him for six months. He left the room while lowering his head.

"Damn it!"

After leaving the Palace, Ahmed punched the wall while screaming.

"It's because of that bastard…"

He gritted his teeth. Since he was used to being complimented, his father's admonition affected him even more.

And the fact that a mere insect-like Ashoka, the son of a commoner, was the cause of all of it made him even angrier.

"Haa!"

He sighed, trying to get rid of the irritation filling his heart, but he didn't feel any better.

Blaming Ashoka for everything, Ahmed left the duke palace without even meeting his mother and siblings.

***

---Training grounds, Tempest manor----

"Why am I here…?"

Ahmed returned to the tempest manor without delay as he had nothing more to do.

He started to wander around to rest his agitated heart.

when he came to, he had arrived at the training ground. The door was closed, so he went over the wall.

"It's as expected."

Ahmed sneered. Despite the entrance door being closed, the doors to the indoor gymnasium and locker room were all still open.

"Stupid instructors."

He curled his lips and headed to the locker room. When he was about to close the door, he noticed the locker with Ashoka's name on it.

"Hmm."

Murmuring that he was only going to look, he opened Ashoka's locker. It was neat inside. There was nothing except a box at the bottom of the locker.

'Why is there a box here… huh?"

Ahmed's jaw dropped as he looked inside it.

'Wh-what's with this number of shoes?!'

The box contained training shoes with the bases either worn out or torn off. And there weren't only a few of them, but over ten pairs of them.

'He did this in six months?'

He examined the shoes in disbelief, but they all had the same shape and size. They were all Ashoka's shoes.

"Ah…"

Ahmed gasped. He was also supplied with training shoes, just like Ashoka. But he had only replaced them twice.

'How does this make any sense?'

The fact that Ashoka had replaced his shoes more than ten times, while he had only replaced them twice, was difficult to believe.

"This is crazy…"

Looking at the shoes, which looked like they had been worn for several years, he felt like he had been hit over the head with a club. The shock was much greater than when he was scolded by his father.

'I feel like I just woke up from a dream.'

Once his head cleared, he remembered the facts that he'd been trying to ignore.

The fact that Ashoka arrived at the training ground earlier than anyone and returned later than everyone.

The fact that he never gave up training, despite sweating heavily and breathing frigid air from his mouth.

The fact that he kept running alone in the training ground after night fell, after his stamina training in the indoor gymnasium.

'While I've been superficially swinging my sword and resting in the dormitory, he's been surpassing his limit every day…'

That was the reason that Ashoka's spirit was better than any other temporary trainee knight…

'This is how a real man should be.'

Among everyone in the training ground, the one who was the most suited to being a warrior was Ashoka.

'On the other hand, I…'

He scorned and mocked him, and without being able to accept the results of the test, he disgracefully lost to him

"Kuh!"

His face grew red in embarrassment. He hated himself for all the dirty and disgraceful acts he had done, blinded by his envy.

After sitting in the locker room for a while, he lifted his head. His green eyes were brimming with determination, unlike when he entered the training ground.

"Never again…"

What had already happened couldn't be changed. Not repeating the same mistakes was the important part.

That was what a Khan should do, and what he was going to do from that moment on.

"Haa!"

Breathing out deeply, he got rid of his selfishness.

He realized something important today.

'Talent keeps you ahead of everyone, but hard work will keep you at the top'

Many things were going to change in the future.

---***---

(Sunday surprise)

End of Volume 1 - The Birth of Chakravarthy.