The person was none other than their granduncle, Bhishma. And with him were their cousins.
Bhishma was 82 years old, but aside from his silver hair and beard, there was nothing about his appearance that suggested his age. His face looked as if he were in his 30s, not his 80s.
Bhishma stepped out of the carriage, surrounded by four young boys.
Those boys were:
Duren—he was one year older than Dharma.
Second was Damon—he was one year younger than Dharma and the same age as Bheem.
Next was Vikir—he was one year older than Arjun and one year younger than Bheem.
And the last was Yuji—he was one year younger than Arjun.
(For comparison, Dharma is 19 years old.)
"Haha, so there are beggars at the academy's front gate," Duren mocked, sneering at Dharma and his brothers.
"Eww, disgusting bastards. The guards should kick them out," Duren added, while Vikir, Damon, and Yuji started laughing.
Bheem clenched his fists in fury, and Dharma stared straight into Duren's eyes, while Arjun remained completely unbothered.
"DUREN! What is this behavior? They are your cousins! Is this what you have been taught in the royal palace?" Bhishma barked in a commanding, authoritative tone.
Duren merely looked away, avoiding eye contact.
Bhishma then looked at the guard and commanded, "Guards, let them enter the academy. They are of royal blood. I will speak to the authorities about their passes. I am the guardian of all these children."
The guards nodded and pulled open the giant doors.
Bhishma glanced at Dharma before entering the academy, with the four cousins following closely behind him.
Bhishma turned to Dharma, handed him a coin, and said, "Here, take this silver coin. Go to the Vajra administration and request new passes and IDs." (1 silver coin \= 100 copper coins \= $100).
Bhishma’s voice was devoid of emotion—commanding and authoritative, like an officer addressing a civilian—though his eyes subtly betrayed a faint hint of care and empathy toward Dharma and his brothers.
"Please forgive my rudeness, Granduncle, but I cannot take money from you. I do not wish to accept anything for free. We will manage somehow. You can leave us on our own... just as you have left us on our own until now."
Bhishma stood silent and speechless. He knew Dharma’s personality—righteous, rigid, and principled—and he understood exactly what Dharma was referring to.
"If you cannot take it for free, then pay me back when you have the money. And there's no need to pay interest—consider it a small loan from your granduncle."
Dharma stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding. He took the silver coin and began walking toward the Vajra Academy administration office.
There was a flicker of helplessness in the eyes of Bhishma—a man who rarely showed emotion—perhaps burdened by his past choices or today's reality.
Before parting ways, Bheem and Duren locked eyes, both glaring with intense anger and disgust.
"Brother Bheem," Arjun said softly, guiding him along after Dharma toward the office.
As they were about to enter the building, Dharma bumped into another boy who looked curious and friendly.
Who was this boy? What was the dark history between these cousins? And why was there such a massive financial divide between them?
Well, we will find out in the next chapter.
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