"I see that Main One has granted you new work," said Ngu-gu as soon as the last male left the training area. The Odd Ape watched the entire teaching process without interrupting. It must have taken a lot of effort for such a lively one to be so patient.

"Yes," confirmed the boy. He was still unsure about many things. The sincere talk he had with Scarface had led to unexpected results. Ashwin found out a lot, perhaps even more than he could comprehend and accept. And in the end, the leader had asked him to teach all the males what he knew about combat. He was still too young to be a warrior, let alone a teacher, but it was an opportunity - to rise to a new rank, to prove his worth and even to challenge his own abilities. And so, Ashwin collected every piece of knowledge he had and studied as a future heir to the Cheda family and put it into practice.

It wasn't easy. Some of the apes were reluctant to even listen to the boy. And their constitution was different from that of humans. Right from the first training, Ashwin faced these challenges and had to think about how to solve them. Fortunately, the Main One's order had enough power to make arrogant beasts listen to their teacher.

As for the second issue, Ashwin began to experiment with moves. Scarface even got involved and advised the boy on how to use the apes' perks, such as strength, agility, and speed, to compensate for his lack of height and hand dexterity. 'It's still too early to talk about results or even progress,' thought the boy, looking at a wooden stick that had been used as a practice sword. Even if he taught them techniques, how could they put them to use without real blades? The only metal the village had was what they stole from humans. Ashwin doubted apes could make any new weapons other than those made from bones or stones.

The boy continued to pick up the scattered wooden sticks that his students had just left on the ground. Now, after learning about the ruins of an ancient settlement, it was clear why Scarface had become attached to this place. However, it didn't solve the issue of living close to the nymphs. He decided to put off his scouting mission for the time being. Maybe, if his new job goes well, he could even resume it with a few apes as part of training.

And there was still danger from Virat's soldiers. Raja was not a forgiving person, so, whatever business was holding him back then, Ashwin could not shake the feeling that, one day, humans would come back. At the least expected moment, they would encircle the village and shoot the apes down until no one was left... 'Scarface should know that too. I just hope he isn't stubborn enough to sit there waiting for death'.

"You keep sighing today," Ngu-gu noticed. Ashwin flinched at the sudden voice; being deep in his thoughts, he completely forgot about the ape. "Don't tell me you are still sulking over Choice?"

That wasn't the case, but it sounded like a better excuse than his worries about the future. And partly, it was true - he kept thinking about this heartless tradition. At first, he tried to distance himself from the troop, but as time passed, he became involved in their affairs. Thinking about his home, the boy sometimes wondered what choice his parents would make in such a situation. 'What's the point of all this thinking? I probably will never see them again. I need to let them go and think about the future.'

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Ngu-gu watched a human who didn't answer his question. He took the silence in a wrong way and said, "Don't worry. Those who left are likely all alive. I saw some of them in another village. Seriously, Main One's heart is weak. He has changed Choice and one day he will regret it."

"What do you mean?" Ashwin's attention was finally fully on the ape. The beast gaped at him. His eyes rolled as if he were thinking hard about what he was allowed to say.

"Hmmm... There was someone he let go. First time he changed Choice, he exiled those who can return and avenge that decision. If it happens, Main One will be challenged."

The vague description didn't impress the boy. 'Isn't it obvious that if you drive someone out, they will eventually stab you in the back?' He looked at the ape, pondering if he should press for more details or let it slip. Something about Ngu-gu's words had been bothering him. Maybe the fact that he specified exactly the first time the Choice was changed?

Ashwin placed the wooden sticks he had gathered in a basket. Bea made it at his request. The female ape still rarely spoke, but she was more comfortable around human than she had been at first. Actually, all three of them got used to each other. Zaris was curious about a lot of things, and his language skills slowly improved. Ashwin began to teach him how to write and count, and his student proved to be more patient and talented than most adults. Ashwin smiled, remembering how the ape child concentrated on scratching the ground with a short branch, drawing dashes into numbers. When Batsa was teaching him, he thought the old man was just doing his job diligently. It turned out that teaching could be fun.

These thoughts reminded him of his own lessons. Apart from other things, Scarface was going to train with them. They still hadn't started, and the boy felt slightly nervous about his potential sessions with a beast who single-handedly dealt with oakwalker.

"I've been thinking..."

"A human that can think. That's rare." The ape chuckled, pleased with the joke he came up with.

"Fine, I won't say anything," grunted Ashwin.

The trick worked, and the Odd One hastily encouraged him, "No-no, go on, talk."

"Regarding Scarface," before the boy could continue, Ngu-gu laughed. Ashwin snapped irritated. "What? What's so funny?"

"Scar face? Kh-kh," the beast hooted and slapped his hips several times. He found it hilarious beyond measure. "Really?"

Ashwin sighed, then, suddenly, the realization made his anger and irritation evaporate. Instead, confusion took over the boy. Indeed, he had made up that name in the pit without knowing that apes could talk. And then, after they escaped, he never asked the owner for his true name. Trying to hide his embarrassment, Ashwin turned his gaze away from the laughing ape.

"Alright, so what's his real name?"

Letting out a few more laughs, Ngu-gu grinned, "He has none, none more."

The answer surprised him so much that Ashwin looked at the ape again. "What do you mean?"

"The moment male becomes Main One, he puts his name in clay jar and buries it in ground," while Ngu-gu was explaining, he moved his paws to show the whole process as if he were talking to a silly child. Ashwin stared in disbelief at the ape. The beast had no choice but to say, "Power has no name."