Supreme Ruler: Reincarnated as the Emperor's Bastard Son

"Hema."

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Ram and Karan. Those two weren't sent by the royal palace. That, or they're traitors."

"Young Master, what are you talking about…? Everyone at the tempest manor knows of their faces, including me. They're definitely Ram and Karan of the 1st division of royal guards."

Hema spoke in disbelief.

"Ashoka...What are you saying?", Sudhatta couldn't believe his brother's words either.

Even Ashoka knew of their faces. He had come across them a few times when he was in the 7th magic tower.

Nevertheless, Ashoka had his reasons for treating them as impostors or traitors.

"Hema. The guardian knights never leave the princes, whom they are protecting unattended like this, even if the nannies are with them."

"Ah!"

"One of those two should've stayed next to the carriage. But both of them went out to engage the enemies. They're either traitors or impostors."

Hema checked the situation outside through the window.

Just as Ashoka had remarked, Ram and Karan had left their positions as soon as the attack began.

Crack!

Hema's face distorted in fury as she grinded her teeth.

The anger was directed toward the two traitors, as well as at herself for noticing the situation only after Ashoka had pointed it out.

"…I apologize, my prince. I will make sure to receive severe punishment for this oversight of mine once we return to the royal palace. "

She bowed to the young princes without hesitation and when she lifted her head up, her eyes were burning with a raging fire.

"As of this movement, Hema Khatri will protect prince Ashoka and prince Sudhatta as a member of the royal guard secrete division. Please be patient and lenient even if my protection ends up being somewhat drastic and violent."

"While it's important to get us out of danger, it's also crucial to learn who these assassins are, since they may be allies who are here to rescue us from those two traitors."

"Yes, Young Master. I will not bring dishonor to the Royal family's name."

Slash!

Hema suddenly swung her dagger diagonally while still being seated. The steel carriage was cleanly bisected and easily fell apart. Ashoka could now see the sky from inside the carriage.

Sudhatta opened his mouth wide in shock at Hema's powers.

She then immediately carried her young masters and jumped out of the metal, running like an arrow flying with the wind. Since the traitors had prepared the carriage, there could've been hidden features to prevent them from escaping. Therefore, the nanny had to be quick in order to avoid all the potential traps.

Due to the darkness of the night and the heavy snow, their visibility wasn't any better outside. All they could see were some flashes and sparks about 200 meters away from them.

The two boys hanging on either side of her waist didn't even seem to hinder her movement as she was gracefully moving through the snow.

'Since the both of them left to fight the attackers as soon as the battle began, they must've judged that they couldn't stop the enemies alone.'

If the opponents that Ram and Karan were fighting against were their allies, then the princes and the nanny were about to be saved.

But Ashoka couldn't discard the possibility that the attackers were, in fact, other enemies who had different goals than the two traitors. Nevertheless, Hema carried the boy and ran towards the battlefield.

"Find the princes!"

"Team 3! Block the one on the left!"

The voices of those who had attacked the carriage could be heard.

At a closer look, Ram and Karan were fighting on equal grounds against 20 or so opponents.

"Hema! why did you leave the carriage!"

"This place is dangerous. Please return to the carriage for now!"

Ram and Karan shouted toward Hema when they noticed her.

"Shut it, you dirty treacherous bastards. On whose orders are you two here? How dare you attempt to kidnap the young masters...!"

Hema wrapped aura around her dagger and glared furiously. The face of the two traitors distorted visibly, and smiles began forming on the attackers' faces who had surrounded the 7-star knights.

"That woman is Hema Khathri! the young master's presence has been confirmed!"

"All men, prioritize the protection of the princes!"

The attackers were indeed their allies.

Ashoka felt somewhat relieved.

If Hema joined forces with them, then they could easily subdue the traitors.

The battle came to a sudden standstill with their arrival.

During this short moment in time, Ashoka scanned the armor and robes of his presumed allies.

'A scribe robe and a black blade on armor. It's the Sage Chanakya's knights and the others...I don't who they are but it seems like they don't have any ill intention towards us.'

Sage Chanakya's knights. They were the personal soldiers of Sage Chanakya who move only on his orders.

As Ashoka had seen the same pattern on the knights when he visited the tower of wisdom, he was able to confirm that they were his allies.

On the other hand, he didn't know who were the ones with the black blades symbol on their armor but they seemed to be cooperating with Sage Chanakya's knights, so he ignored that for now.

Nonetheless, each of them seemed like an experienced soldier and were at least of 5th star level.

'So they aren't traitors but impostors. The horses and coachman were killed with the Icicle Shots… due to a failed preemptive attack.'

Having surveyed his allies and observed their strength and numbers, Ashoka came to a sound conclusion.

If Ram and Karan were truly 7-star knights, they could've easily decimated the twenty 5-star attackers—particularly in the darkness and heavy snowfall where everyone's vision is restricted.

However, despite the battle having lasted for a long while, there were no visible casualties among the assailants. In other words, Ram and Karan weren't true 7-star knights from the royal guardian division.

They were imposters who used some means to copy the appearance of the royal guards.

'You shouldn't have messed with me.'

Ashoka had endured many things in his past life that he had no intention of showing mercy to those who tried to kill him.

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