The talk with the director had opened up Ashton's eyes. But still, there was too much on his plate. The nobles were already his enemies and now that the princess had got a whiff of who he was, she wasn't going to stop pestering him either.
The director was pretty sure of that. That was the reason why she advised Ashton to try and grow stronger. Although she could have protected him from them as a service to his parents, who god knows were even alive or not, it was impractical to think she could have her eyes on Ashton 24x7.
That left them with only one option. He had to be responsible for protecting himself. Although not always, it wouldn't hurt them if he was prepared just in case. There was another thing she wanted to talk about... the hierarchy between the students of the academy.
While it was true the ranks of the students matter the most, there was another invisible hierarchy within the academy. A hierarchy based on the student's lineage and unfortunately, Ashton was at the bottom rung of that ladder.
Also, it was thanks to him being an S ranker, the professors, at least those who believed in the purity of blood and lineage, had already started judging the students based on their background rather than the skills they had.
Sadly, even though the Director was aware of this, there was nothing much she could have done. It would have been a different tale if one or two professors were doing it. She could have fired them and gotten it over with. After all, no tolerance was her way to get things done.
But she would not be able to fire multiple professors just because they did what the werewolves had been doing for the better part of the century... despising humans. What she could, however, do was to make Ashton understand about it.
She was a mutt too and had to work hard to get where she was now. She was not going to disclose how she managed to do what she did. But she could guide Ashton to carve such a path on his own.
"I know what you want to do, Ashton." She said as things began to settle down, "The change you want to bring isn't something anyone on the continent would even entertain thinking about. Humans are looked down upon for ages and the nobles triumph over everyone and everything here."
She continued, "Your blatant disregard of nobility and challenging them at every step might fly inside the academy, but it won't be forgotten or forgiven outside Contingent."
"What happened between you and Hugo might have been played off as a friendly spar that got out of hand. But your repetitive strikes on the nobles will only cause you more trouble ahead. Do you get what I am trying to say?"
"With all due respect, ma'am, I think I do have a right to defend myself if someone threatens me." Ashton took a deep breath to calm his nerves down, "You don't honestly expect me to not do something if I'm the one who gets attacked. Do you?"
The director shook her head and got up from her seat. Ashton was turning out to be just as stubborn as his parents were. Also, judging by the way he was going on about everything, the director had no doubt that someday he would end up just like his parents. Used and tossed aside by others.
But she could not say it out loud. After all, she too had played a part in what happened to them. But it was better for both her and Ashton if she did not disclose that information yet. She would be content if Ashton decided to hate her with all his being afterwards, but right now she had to protect him. For the sake of his parents and to atone for betraying them.
"It seems I have a habit of forgetting you are still a teenager," She turned her back towards him, "but I know you are more mature than others of your age because of the hardships you have suffered. So please try to understand what I am saying with the perspective of an adult and not a kid."
"Who told you I am mature? I'm probably the pettiest person to have ever walked into the academy." Ashton shrugged his shoulders, "But you are right. Everything I have suffered as a human did teach me something. An instinct for survival and to give back what I get from others tenfold."
At that moment, the director saw something in his eyes. Something she had been ignoring till now, thinking he was a youngster, but couldn't anymore. It was a thirst for revenge. Not just against the people who wronged his parents but also against the ones who had wronged him.
As justified of a reaction as it was, she was still the director of the academy and not his confidant. She was required to protect other students as much as she was to protect him. He was already responsible for killing three students, even if it was by accident and she could not let Ashton get out of hand any more.
"You should be careful what you do now, Ashton. You just might end losing more than you already have." Since advising him was not working she decided to take a different route, even though she did not want to.
"I think you've mistaken one thing, ma'am. Unlike you, I don't have anything to lose. I don't care what those nobles think about me or do to me. I only care about what I'll end up doing to them."
Saying so, Ashton got up to leave. It was clear to him that this conversation with the director was not going anywhere. Also, he had already received what he was there for in the first place.
"You do have something to lose Ashton. You will lose my support if you don't listen to me." She threw the last weapon in her arsenal to make Ashton stop from going down the path of self-destruction.
"Well, the joke's on you then. I did not enter the academy hoping you would support me. It has been wonderful talking to you, but I have a class to attend."