Under the late afternoon sky… in a familiar little restaurant in a small yet busy unnamed town…
Pops, Dom's guardian, sat in the kitchen. His graying hair and deepening wrinkles betrayed his age, but the calm confidence in his posture and eyes remained. The whistle of a steaming pot filled the small room as he casually flipped through the newspaper.
Then, he paused at an article about an internal incident that took place in the North-land, three weeks ago.
The alleged battle, which ended with the strange movement of over fifty unidentified mages into the South-land, had fueled weeks of rumors and conspiracies, especially since it involved the Monarch, Anthony, and his division.
But amidst all the speculation and the non-compliance of the knight division to disclose any verification, one name stood out as the alleged ringmaster of the chaos.
Pops smiled softly as he looked at the name. "I've really created a troublemaker, haven't I?" He chuckled, just as the pot's whistle grew shriller.
With a grunt, he got up and turned off the stove. As the whistling died down, he finally heard the commotion coming from the dining room. He turned, just as the kitchen door burst open.
Phil, his young assistant, the same boy who has been helping him for years, rushed in.
"What's all the noise?" Pops asked calmly, lifting a spoon to taste the soup.
Grinning, Phil replied, "He's back."
The spoon froze inches from Pops' lips while his eyes widened in understanding.
Meanwhile…
Dom moved among the customers, greeting familiar faces from his younger days as their waiter.
As an elderly woman hugged him, Lucy and Dae watched from a distance.
"Dom's really popular," Lucy remarked, casually grabbing a random customer's chicken leg and taking a bite, much to the diner's outrage.
Dae watched silently as Dom moved through the crowd, laughing and greeting familiar faces.
Just as the back door swung open, the room fell instantly silent.
Pops stepped inside, calm yet commanding attention as he stood just outside the threshold and locked eyes with Dom.
"Well, I'll be damned," Pops chuckled.
Dom grinned as he walked over. "I missed you, too, Pops."
They shook hands, then embraced, drawing cheers from the customers.
Pops smirked, recalling the last time he'd seen his ward--how small he felt then. But now, not only did Dom match him in height, but his current build had completely dwarfed the image he once had.
"You're looking like a real man now," Pops said as they pulled away.
Dom glanced at Pops' physical features--an older version of the man he once knew and scoffed. "And you look like an old man."
"Fuck you." Pops snapped and playfully slapped Dom's shoulder, which made them laugh as they reveled in the familiar banter.
Dae's expression turned bittersweet as he watched the reunion, imagining what Dom was feeling, while Lucy, unfazed, sipped from the same drink belonging to the flustered customer who finally jumped to his feet, knocked a chair over and stormed out, drawing all attention.
Dae sighed heavily, and Dom slapped a hand to his forehead while Lucy licked her fingers, entirely oblivious to the chaos she'd caused.
Pops raised a brow at them. "And you brought company." He said.
"Sorry." Dom sighed just as a young couple entered, curious about the commotion.
"Welcome," Both Phil and Dom said in unison.
Dom then chuckled awkwardly, eyes widening at his own actions. Even after all these years, the skills he'd learned helping with the family business still came naturally.
As Phil led the couple to a vacant table, Pops clapped Dom's shoulder with a smile. "I'm glad to see you, but I still have a restaurant to run." He said, then held up a tablecloth for Dom. "You still remember how to work?"
With a confident smirk, Dom rolled up his sleeves and took the cloth, moving to wipe down a nearby table.
Later, after closing…
"So this is where you grew up," Dae murmured, walking around Dom's old bedroom.
"Huh…" Dom said as he stepped aside and dropped his bag. "It's smaller than I remember,"
As he strolled across the room, he smiled at the worn-out toys in a box, old clothes hanging in his closet, and books arranged almost exactly as they had been four years ago.
A worn-out book on the study table then caught his eye. He blew the light dust covering it and grinned at the numerous paintings and artwork on the book's cover.
Flipping through, Dom stared at his childish drawings of the Mage Emperor and the other Monarchs in comically poor knight outfits. Laughter bubbled up at his artistic failures, only to be interrupted by a creak.
He turned and found Lucy now lying on his bed, her nose buried in the pillow.
"It's old," She murmured, voice muffled. "But it still smells like you." She grabbed the second pillow and snuggled against it.
Dom offered her an awkward smile just as Pops entered with a tray of snacks and drinks.
As Dom took the tray from him, Pops pulled out a chair. "Let's see," He mumbled, reaching into his jacket while Dom handed out snacks and drinks to his friends.
"The calm, quiet, and all-too-serious swordsman, Dae. Am I correct?" Pops asked.
Dae raised a brow, nodding slightly.
Pops pulled out a box of cigarettes and turned to Lucy. "Then… you must be the enthusiastic beast woman, Lucy."
"Yeshf," Lucy replied, her mouth already full, muffling her words.
Dom sat on the bed as Lucy suddenly shoved a snack into his face. He took it, savoring the familiar flavor, a small smile tugging at his lips.
As Pops lifted the cigarette to his lips, his eyes narrowed at Dom and Lucy, who smiled as they ate together. "Why don't you two just hook up already?" He asked bluntly.
Dom immediately choked, sputtering on his drink, while Dae stifled a laugh.
Once he regained composure, Dom glared at Pops, who raised his arms in defense.
"I'm just saying," Pops muttered, as he pocketed the cigarette pack and brought out his old lighter. "For a man my age, I still find her attractive. Besides," He struck the lighter several times before finally getting a light. "… you did say you kinda liked her in your letters."
Lucy's eyes widened, her jaw frozen mid-chew while Dom groaned, slapping his face. "Dude," He grumbled.
Pops simply shrugged and Dae laughed fondly, standing against the wall with a drink in hand.
Lucy then swallowed her bite and grabbed Dom's arm with a mischievous grin. "Really? You like me?" She asked, tightening her grip.
Dom turned away, a deep blush spreading across his cheeks as he struggled to find a way to divert the conversation.
Pops chuckled at the sight of his ward so flustered, then settled back into his seat, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke.
"So… what's up?" He asked suddenly, his tone serious enough to capture their attention. "As much as I'm glad to see you, I didn't raise you to be homesick enough to suddenly drop by like this."
Dom's embarrassment faded as Pops folded his arms, his ever-sharp eyes fixed directly on him. "What do you need to say… that you couldn't risk writing in a letter?" He asked.
Lucy frowned, noticing Dom's now darkened expression.
He gently turned towards Pops, hands firmly placed on his knees, a clear sign Pops remembered from when Dom was about to say something serious as a child.
"The truth," Dom said simply, and Pops raised a brow, curious.
Some minutes later…
Pops rubbed his bearded chin, absorbing the weight of Dom's words.
"So that's what happened," Pops muttered, releasing another plume of smoke. "I knew that migration story in the news was fishy, but this Clan thing… that's extra fishy." He then noticed Dom's expectant gaze and sighed reluctantly. "But I suppose you're really after something else."
Dom nodded, his grip tightening--silently praying that Pops doesn't run away from the question again--just like did several times in the past.
Pops studied him for what felt like forever, then stood silently and left the room. Dae and Lucy shared a confused glance while Dom frowned, already accepting defeat again.
Then, he returned some time later and handed a small picture frame to Dom.
"Does this look familiar?" Pops asked, returning his seat.
Dom's eyes scanned the old photo within the firm, wooden frame. His eyes sparked with recognition. "This was your old squad, right? When you first became a Captain." He muttered.
Pops nodded while Lucy and Dae leaned in for a closer look.
The black-and-white photo showed dozens of formally dressed men with a clearly younger version of Pops at the center. The image was clearly hand-drawn with astonishing detail--almost lifelike.
Lucy tilted her head, not seeing anything significant, while Dae's eyes suddenly widened.
"I knew you looked familiar," Dae murmured, taking a second look before turning to Pops. "You're Captain Alexander Wick."
Pops' brow twitched, a visual reaction to the almost forgotten name.
Dom furrowed his brows. "You know him?" He asked.
Dae glanced at Dom, eyes serious. "He was an influential soldier whose team helped mitigate the conflict between the South and East around the Treaty signing era."
Dom stared at Pops in shock. "Seriously?" He asked, and Pops shrugged.
Dae's eyes narrowed suspiciously at Dom. "He's your adoptive father. How didn't you know this?" He asked.
Dom hummed thoughtfully, while Lucy, now bored by their conversation, went back to finishing the snacks.
"You can't blame him," Pops said, addressing Dae. "Ever since he was a kid, he only cared about big-name soldiers or the Monarchs. I was never on his radar. Besides…" He looked away, sighing. "I abandoned that name a long time ago."
Dae frowned. "Why?" He asked.
Pops took a big whiff of his smoke as he stared at the ceiling--a familiar sad expression that Dom immediately recognized.
"Your last mission," Dom murmured.
Pops exhaled thick smoke, watching the white cloud curl above his face. "Captain Alexander Wick died that day. And the humble restaurant owner was born." He declared, gesturing casually. "Luckily, the people here don't know me, so I just called myself Alex. And once I took in this dumbass in,"
He nodded at Dom,
"…people started calling me Pops instead."
Dom laughed sheepishly.
Pops then smiled proudly at Dae. "I'm impressed you recognized me. Even in the army, I wasn't exactly a national hero."
Dae crossed his arms, studying the photo again. "Before I became a knight, I studied all key figures in both the knights and the army." He said, eyes narrowed. "To make important connections, you need to know who the important people are first."
Pops stared at Dae for a moment, then chuckled. "Dom was right. You are way too serious about details."
Dae glared at Dom, who looked away with an innocent smile while whistling.
"Anyway, we're getting off topic," Pops said, drawing their attention back. "I want you to look at the picture, kid."
Dom and Dae looked down at the photo again.
"Other than me, do you recognize anyone else?" Pops asked.
Dom scanned the image; aside from the younger Pops, proudly posing at the center, the other men looked unfamiliar.
"You literally only showed me this picture once when I was like seven. I don't know anyone here by their faces," Dom admitted.
"Come on, indulge your old man," Pops said with an amused smile.
Dom shot Pops one last uncertain glance before refocusing on the photo. Dae sat beside him, leaning in to study the soldiers, while Lucy, who had completely withdrawn from the conversation, busied herself finishing the remaining snacks.
Someone I know… Dom thought, frowning as he looked at the smiling soldiers. I know some of the names from Pops' stories, but he never showed me their faces…
As he scanned the other thirty soldiers-- distinguished-looking, varied in stature and build, with all sorts of facial quirks--one figure slowly began to stand out.
A tall man in the back row, black hair curling slightly at the ends, wearing a goofy pair of spectacles and sporting a friendly, almost nerdy expression despite his fit physique.
And for some strange reason, Dom couldn't take his eyes off him. He stared at the man for thirty seconds before making up his mind.
"This one," Dom said, lifting the picture and pointing at that man.
Pops stiffened, eyes widening to their limit. "The fuck?" He asked, nearly choking on his smoke. "I was just messing with you. I didn't expect you to actually get it."
As Pops coughed, beating his chest to compose himself, Dom smiled proudly.
"How did you pick him?" Dae asked, unaware of the man's identity.
Dom shrugged. "I don't know. He just… stood out to me." He said.
Pops finally regained himself, smoke curling from his mouth as he leaned his head against his seat. "Huh. Crazy." He muttered, "I guess I underestimated the unbreakable bond between a parent and child."
Dom flinched, eyes widening as he studied the photo again. "You mean… this guy's… my dad?"
Pops nodded with a warm smile.
Dom's gaze remained fixed on the young, friendly-looking man. Though he didn't seem to have inherited any obvious physical traits from him, Dom could still sense a strange bond to the man's smile.
"His name was Sergeant Reiner Klaus," Pops said softly, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Dae noticed Dom's subtle twitch at the name.
Pops closed his eyes. "I'm sure I've mentioned that name before." He added.
"Yeah," Dom said softly, a small, growing smile on his face. "He was your best friend… and Vice Captain."
"Damn right," Pops chuckled as he sat forward and released another puff of smoke. "Your father was my right-hand man. And your mother… was his girlfriend." A nostalgic smile washed over him. "Her name was Clara."
Dom beamed--his heart swelling at the mention of his mother's name, even though it sounded unfamiliar.
"Girlfriend…" Dae repeated, catching Pops' attention. "Not wife?"
Pops shook his head, retrieving his half-finished cigarette and tapping it into the ashtray beside him. "Unfortunately, they never got the chance to tie the knot." He said with a sad look in his eyes.
Dae frowned, imagining the worst.
"How… how did they meet?" Dom asked, eyes wide with curiosity, his mind too excited to even notice that brief sad moment.
Pops chuckled at the childlike anticipation in Dom's gaze. "It's a pretty interesting story, actually." He said as he placed the cigarette back in his mouth and took another drag, leaving a moment of deliberate silence--one that made Dom lean forward, eager, hanging on every unspoken word.