The next morning…
The massive wooden gates of the town stood open beneath the pale morning sun as Anthony and two other Knights prepared to leave.
The town guards moved diligently nearby, blocking the curious civilians from getting a closer look at the final Monarch standing before them. Some of them are literally pushing others just to get a glimpse at one of the strongest mages in history.
The town chief stood in front of Anthony with tired eyes and an exhausted expression.
"Again…" He bowed his head slightly. "…thank you for saving this town and…" He clenched his fists. "…avenging my son."
Anthony offered a stiff nod as they shook hands, then bid themselves farewell.
As he walked back to his men, Anthony sighed heavily once he noticed the numerous stares fixed on him. He smiled at them, and the crowd practically cheered for him.
Then he turned away from, his expression instantly turning dismissive. "I'm getting too old for this shit," He muttered while stretching his back with a groan.
"Says the man who blew up half the forest."
The comment came from a young, slim Knight approaching him.
Anthony shrugged. "I said I was sorry."
The Knight rolled his pale, almost pupil-less eyes, emphasizing the long, burnt scar crossing the right side of his face. "We're good to go," He said, handing Anthony his formal captain's hat.
Nearby, the second knight, a younger red-haired man, sat lazily atop a horse beside the carriage. The wind filtered through his Mohawk while his muscular frame leaned comfortably against the saddle as he lit a cigar.
"Can you stop that?" The scarred Knight snapped immediately.
The red-haired escort sighed dramatically. "You're no fun, Roy." He scoffed.
"I don't want my lungs deep fried, Jasper," Roy grumbled as he walked past.
Jasper clicked his tongue as he removed the cigar from his mouth before flicking his eyes toward the road behind them. "…Looks like you've got company, Boss."
Anthony turned and immediately spotted two figures jogging toward them, having bypassed the guards' barricade.
As they got closer, recognition flashed briefly across Anthony's face.
Pops slowed first, slightly out of breath, while Dom stopped beside him, clutching the sleeves of his hoodie nervously.
Up close, Anthony's towering presence felt even larger somehow.
Pops visibly stiffened beneath it but still managed a polite smile before extending his hand.
"It's nice to finally meet you properly." He said respectfully. "I'm Dom's guardian. Things were chaotic these past few days, so I never got the chance." He extended a hand. "Thank you for saving him, General."
Anthony nodded once and shook his hand firmly. "I'm just glad I got there in time." His ember-red eyes shifted toward the boy half-hiding behind Pops. "How's he holding up?"
Pops rested a hand gently atop Dom's head, his gaze drawn to Dom's bandaged cheek. "The wound will leave a scar, but physically he's alright," His expression softened slightly. "Mentally… he's doing better than I expected considering everything that happened."
Dom lowered his gaze awkwardly.
"He's tougher than he looks," Pops added before nudging him forward slightly. "Actually…" He nudged Dom forward. "…he has something to say to you."
Anthony raised a brow. "Really?" He muttered before lowering himself to one knee so his eyes met Dom's directly. "Your name's Dominic, right? What'd you want to say?"
For a moment, Dom couldn't answer.
His fingers twisted tightly against his sleeves as anxiety crawled back into his chest. Then he glanced briefly toward Pops.
The old man simply nodded.
That was enough.
Dom drew a deep breath before finally looking Anthony in the eyes.
"Thank you for saving me, Mr. Dragon, sir." He said timidly.
Anthony blinked once before laughing softly. "You can just call me Tony…"
Dom nodded quickly.
".… and you're very welcome, Dominic."
Silence followed.
Dom opened his mouth once.
Closed it again.
His heart pounded violently in his chest.
Then--
"I…"
The adults waited patiently.
Dom clenched his fists.
"... I'm going to surpass the Emperor…"
His voice trembled slightly.
Words bubbled up, but fear held them back. He glanced at Pops one more time for encouragement. Then, with one deep breath and a steadying nod to himself, his voice finally rang out:
"… and become the greatest hero!"
A stunned silence fell shortly after…
Even the wind seemed to stop for a moment while the spectating fans stared in confusion, as they couldn't hear most of the conversation.
Then Anthony laughed.
Not mockingly.
Genuinely.
Warmly.
"Surpass Ethan, huh?" He grinned, his glowing eyes narrowing with excitement at Dom's white hair. "I'd love to see that."
A sharp pressure rolled subtly over his body for the briefest second.
Roy stiffened immediately, and Jasper glanced over his shoulder.
Even Pops' eyes narrowed suspiciously at the subtle, dark aura surrounding Anthony's body.
But Dom noticed none of it as he spoke up again. "I want to be like you and the other Monarchs."
Anthony's amusement softened into curiosity. "… Like us?"
Dom nodded slowly.
His hands trembled slightly as memories surfaced again.
The forest…The blood…The pressure.
That overwhelming fear.
"I was so scared," He admitted quietly. " My body wouldn't even move. I thought I gonna die just standing near that guy."
Pops' expression dimmed painfully. "Dom,"
Dom shut his eyes briefly before continuing. "But you weren't like that," He said quietly.
Anthony frowned faintly.
"Even though you were, like… ten times stronger than him, your mana didn't scare me. It was like… Um…"
Dom searched desperately for the right words.
"It felt like…" His gaze drifted toward a nearby bush swaying gently in the wind. "…your fire."
Anthony's brow twitched slightly.
"It was hot enough to burn everything around us…" Dom murmured. "… but it never burned me."
Roy's eyes narrowed subtly, and Anthony himself went still, impressed that this child was able to acknowledge that little detail amidst fear and chaos.
Meanwhile, Dom looked down at his own hands.
"It felt safe," He admitted softly. "Like nothing bad could ever touch me while you were there."
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The only sound was the soft grunts of the horses nearby.
Then Anthony slowly stood again.
"You're a smart kid, Dominic," He said quietly, his expression now serious. "But you need to know that power like that comes with a price."
Dom nodded immediately. "I know…" He muttered, his gaze lowered.
"In the end… the knights are soldiers too." His expression tightened slightly. "… so I know that you're forced to… kill...sometimes. Like with that guy."
The image of Elon vanishing inside that explosion flashed through his mind again, making him shiver.
Anthony watched him silently.
Then Dom looked back up, meeting Anthony's eyes confidently.
"But even if you have the power to kill people with just one spell…" He said firmly, "… you still use it to protect good people too."
His blue brightened again, a hand placed on his chest like a salute.
"I want to be like that. A fire that can protect but still stop the bad guys."
The clearing fell silent once more.
Even Pops looked slightly caught off guard while the two other knights shared a curious stare.
Dom shifted nervously beneath their stares. "Is… is that weird?" He asked.
But nobody answered… they couldn't…
They were simply struck by how such a boy could understand the weight of power, the responsibility it carried, and the choice to protect rather than destroy.
Even though his words sounded childish… they weren't…
Anthony's expression softened. "You sound exactly like I did when I first joined the army." He chuckled faintly before turning toward Pops. "You're a former soldier, aren't you?"
Pops blinked. "How… did you know?" He asked, shocked.
Anthony smirked. "You still walk like one,"
Pops laughed quietly under his breath.
"I may not know you, but I can tell a commanding officer when I see one." Anthony continued, his gaze drifted back to Dom afterward. "You trained a damn good soldier."
For a moment, Pops simply stared at Dom.
Then pride slowly spread across his tired face.
"...Yeah," He murmured, his gaze nearly distant and… sad. "I guess I did, didn't I?"
Dom's eyes, however, lit up. "Really?" He asked, his fists trembling.
"Yeah," Anthony replied as he removed his captain's hat slowly. "Kid, you're already thinking like a soldier. Just keep it up, and you'll be fine."
Dom grinned excitedly at the praise from a living legend, then frowned once he remembered one detail.
"But I don't even have an affinity yet." He muttered. "How can I become strong?" He muttered.
Anthony paused, his expression momentarily confused as his eyes drifted across Dom's physical features and weak blue mana.
Then amusement slowly crept into his expression.
"...I see."
He chuckled to himself.
"You really have no idea what you are, huh? I don't blame you. It's not something ordinary people know, after all." He chuckled, his gaze drifting towards the viewing citizens while drawing confused stares from both Pops and Dom.
Then, Dom flinched as Anthony suddenly placed the captain's hat on his head.
"The strongest abilities aren't always the flashiest," He said as he simply patted Dom's head gently. "… you just have to master what's already inside you."
Dom blinked rapidly. "Wait… what does that mean?" He asked, lifting the oversized hat over his face.
Anthony laughed before stepping toward the carriage.
"You said you wanted to surpass us, right?" He asked while climbing aboard. "Then, solving one little riddle like this shouldn't be too hard for a future great mage."
Roy climbed into the driver's seat with an exhausted sigh.
Anthony leaned near the open carriage door one final time.
"When you figure it out and officially become a knight," He said, smiling faintly, "…come find me and return that hat,"
Dom tightened his grip on it instinctively.
"That'll prove your dream never changed…:
Anthony's ember-red eyes glowed slightly.
"... and a promise that I'll personally help you reach it."
Dom's breath caught, his eyes widened instantly as the thought of one of his heroes supporting his goal made his heart skip.
Then tears rapidly filled them.
"I WILL!" He shouted passionately. "I PROMISE!"
He waved both arms wildly as the oversized captain's hat repeatedly slipped down over his face.
Anthony laughed warmly before shutting the carriage door
Moments later, Roy tugged the reins, and the horses pulled forward.
Dust drifted behind the carriage as it rolled slowly away from town.
Dom stood there long after it began disappearing into the distance.
Still clutching the hat tightly against his chest.
Several minutes later…
The carriage rolled calmly along the dirt road while Jasper rode several meters ahead.
Roy frowned thoughtfully from the driver's seat.
"Why didn't you just tell him what his power actually is?" He asked, his voice low but loud enough to reach the small window behind him.
Inside the carriage, Anthony uncorked a bottle and took a long swing, savoring its flavor and stinging aftertaste.
"Because," He replied causally, "I've always wanted to sound like a wise old man. Like Jin back in our glory days."
Roy groaned. "You're insufferable."
"Besides," Anthony added while glancing out the window, "… if his hair already turned white…"
His smile widened faintly.
"... then he's already awakened it. He'll figure it out eventually."
Roy's eyes narrowed slightly. "I never thought I'd see one of their kind in a place like this." He muttered, his tone tinged with disbelief.
Anthony didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stared silently at the bottle in his hand while Dom's face replayed itself in his mind.
"I'm guessing we shouldn't report him to HQ?" Jasper said, barely able to hear their conversation from ahead.
Anthony waved dismissively from inside the carriage. "Nah. Let him have his freedom now." He said, staring at his bottle. "When he comes to join the knights, they'll find out."
Roy raised a brow. "You actually believed that boy's words?" He asked.
Anthony clicked his tongue, teasingly. "Come on, Roy." He chuckled, and a grin slowly stretched across his face. "Those weren't the words of a boy. They were the declaration of a warrior."
Jasper laughed loudly. "Well, I bet half a mil the Council finds him anyway and offs him before he even reaches the capital."
"If reality doesn't kill the dream first," Roy added dryly.
"It's a bet." Anthony declared boldly as he leaned back against his seat with absolute confidence. "I can't wait to see your faces when he shows up later."
"Whatever you say, boss." Jasper scoffed while Roy shook his head in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Anthony's smirk widened as he let the thought linger; the sight of that young boy with white hair sparked a memory powerful enough to make his grip tighten on his bottle, the glass cracking slightly under his grasp.
"The next Emperor…" He chuckled softly to himself and closed his eyes. "I'll be waiting, kid."