"Don't bother speaking to a half-wit like him. He's a servant"
An older boy, who seemed to be fifteen kicked Daniel away.
The crowd of children surrounding us immediately silenced themselves. Daniel moaned, clutching his gut on the ground. I immediately kneeled at his side, and Harp joined me. He wasn't really hurt, but he was in pain. I suspected that the boy had infused mana into his kick, and glared at him.
"Woah, no need to be so on guard! He's my servant, so I won't be in trouble. You can kick him too if you feel like it" - the assailant laughed, and a few of the others did too - "I'm Danmon Icarun."
He seemed to be on the older end of the noble children who had gathered, and the nervous manner of the others around me showed that he was somewhat of a bully.
"Don't be arrogant, Danmon!" Harp spoke up beside me, "This is not your home. You can't act in such a way."
She looked at me for affirmation, and I nodded back. It seemed that the son of a count, no matter how strong he was, hadn't been able to push around the princess as of yet.
"Hey, what right do you have to tell me how to treat my people? Don't overstep your authority, princess." The obviously unoriginal, one-dimensional villain warned the younger girl, stepping closer towards us. A few members of the crowd began to mutter. It seemed some took Harp's side, some agreed with Danmon, and some remained undecided.
Scum. The true victim here is Daniel and all they are talking about is authority. I guess I'm no better though. I'm sorry kid, but I'm going to have to take advantage of your weakness. I'm gonna use your brother as a stepping stone. If I can get a fight started, it'd be a great chance to awaken.
"I don't tolerate violence in my lands, Senior Danmon," I spoke up, "Are you trying to show off by beating up a weak servant? That is extremely boorish conduct for an aristocrat. Were you raised improperly or are you just dumb?" I provoked him, and he clenched his teeth at the unexpected insult.
"What? How dare you be so discourteous to a guest?" One of the members of Danmon's posse spoke up.
"I'm simply warning him to abide by the laws of this land. It seems I've done him a favor. He could have gotten into trouble if he displayed this behavior later in life." I continued my passive aggression, answering the boy who'd spoken up.
I turned my head, staring straight at the infuriated Danmon, before twisting the figurative knife into him one last time. "Maybe your should thank me as a teacher. Come on, bow to show your respect."
A lot of gasps and snickers erupted from the crowd and the silence from a minute ago was now a series of loud whispers and laughs.
"Oi, the hell did you say to me? You think being the son of a duke is going to get you anywhere, hah? To me, your title means 'I eat shit', got that?" Danom grabbed my collar. "I only came here because my mother told me to make friends with you. But wouldn't it be better if I-"
I didn't let him finish his sentence. Everyone here had seen him grab me by the collar. I could now start my 'self-defense'.
I punched his jaw. A right hook imbued with the tiniest bit of mana that made him twirl on the spot and fall over. I used this momentum to bring my left hand to his neck, pushing him further back. I had to get the upper hand as fast as possible, before he used his height, weight, or reach to his advantage.
I moved above him, getting ready to knee him in the chest, but he wrapped his right leg around me and sent me to the ground. In an instant, he was above me, both fists ready to knock me out like a light, trapping me with his feet.
I couldn't move or overpower him due to the difference in height, and could only watch as he brought his elbow down on my shoulder.
Ahhhh!!!! Great. I lost my advantage. If things go on like this, I'm going to have to use mana. Damn it. Sorry Hugo, but I'm gonna have to blow up this suit.
I sighed and 'awakened' as his right hand reached my face.
To be honest, it hurt a lot more than I thought it would. It was also much louder, brighter, and hotter than I expected it would be.
I exploded in a ball of brilliant white light. Everyone around me ducked down and closed their eyes, and from the banquet hall, the gathered nobles and guards ran towards us.
When the light and sound died down, I found myself in torn clothes. Thankfully, my legs and privates were still mostly covered, but my top was completely shredded. Danmon was on the floor below me, clutching his ears. The sound must have hurt a lot, as he had been right above me.
The guards arrived, their weapons drawn, and the duke followed with most of the other mana-wielding nobles.
"Mesgen what happened?" Father asked, the sword in his hand shining in the moonlight.
"Uh, father. I - I awakened." I smiled at him and he looked at me in disbelief.
"That loud explosion?"
The other nobles began to mutter, and some ran to their children. Apart from Danom and Daniel (who could stand now), no one was hurt, and I was thankful for it. Even the emperor offered a hand to his daughter, who seemed dizzy and confused. The only one unattended to was Daniel, but Mother noticed, and ran over to inspect his wounds.
"Give me your hand son." Father knelt before me and placed his palm on mine, examining me to see if it was true.
"O- Orange core?" He exclaimed in surprise.
All the preoccupied adults suddenly fell into silence.
"Let me see." Emperor Harman grabbed my other hand and examined the mana flow in it. "So it is true! A pure orange core without a hint of red! This is unheard of for his age!"
Father glanced at the injured Danmon, Daniel being nursed by Mother, and lastly me. "What happened here?"
I explained the details of the fight with Danmon. With the affirmation of most of the other noble children, and Harp (who seemed to have regained her sense of balance), the story was made clear.
"I will promise to punish him! He dared to insult the great duke! Please allow me to carry out a suitable punishment on the boy who dared to defile our names." Count Icarun pleaded with the duke, rubbing his hands together. He was a short man, with a gross mustache, wearing a grey blazer.
The hell man? It's obvious that he isn't going to do that. He's his heir. This ass-kisser's trying to fool Father. The only son of his who'll be punished is Daniel... It seemed that most of the nobles agreed with me, but my father allowed it and pardoned the count, who walked away with his sons.
"Father, about Daniel-" I tried to butt in but got cut off.
"You will have no further comments on this matter understand? Go back to your room and get cleaned up." Father commanded in an angry voice. It was obvious that he was not pleased with my actions, especially regarding how I spurred the argument myself. I bowed and followed his command.
A man from beyond time...
A murder from long ago...
A betrayal and a burning grudge...
He shouldn't have been born again.
But then again who can resist the desire for revenge?
The Ravian world has been peaceful for too long, and what better to light the sparks of war than peace and quiet?
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