The next day…
Dante and Missio awoke from their slumber at the same time. The brothers groggily straightened, stretching their limbs. They eventually got up and washed themselves. Both put on their casual clothes and stepped outside. Dante lifted his head. The sight of the covered sky dawned upon him. A strong wind passed by as Missio stepped off as well. Both brother's overgrown hair fluttered in the wind.
Dante's fingers slid through his hair, making it upright and angled to the side. Missio's hair passed his ear, irritating it. Dante spun his head around, looking at Missio.
"Let's cut our hair first."
"Yeah." Missio scratched his neck.
They headed off to the streets of Bologna. The streets were quiet – too quiet as if every human being had silenced their voice for this exact day. Thunder rumbled across the heavens as the brother's reached a barber shop. The revolving door spun around as they entered. A soothing light eclipsed the room. A man, who was scrolling on his phone, jolted up.
Dante didn't say a word, sitting down. The man rushed over and adjusted the seat to ease the cutting. He quickly placed a cloth over Dante and tied it around his neck. The dark cloth settled onto Dante's body as he took off his glasses.
"How would you like it done?" The barber asked, ruffling the supreme commander's hair.
"Cut the side to one and just cut the top short but not too short." Dante replied.
"Got it." The man grabbed an electric shaver.
He activated it and brought it to the King's hair. Dante felt the razor blades graze his skin as his hair fell off. After rounding his head, the man sprayed Dante's head with water. Dante furrowed his brows as the water splashed onto his face. The barber grabbed scissors and a comb before cutting the top. Missio sat at the back on the soft couch. He scrolled on his phone, watching social media as the cuts of the scissors sounded.
"Say, sir. Where are you from? I haven't seen you around here." The barber tried to make small talk.
"I'm from Romulus. Me and my brother came here on a cross-country road trip. How did you know?" Dante replied.
The man chuckled. "Well, sir… when you've been in the industry for a decade, you seem to magically recognize faces."
Dante smiled. "That is true. I've been going to the same barber shop for my entire life. They've been boasting that the King comes to cut his hair there ever since I took my father's place."
The man froze for a moment too long. "T-The king?!"
"Don't worry and just cut my hair." Dante chuckled. "You can use me for advertisement if you want."
The man laughed awkwardly for a moment before going back to cutting. Eventually, the barber finished, cleaning the hair off Dante. Missio glanced up, turning off his phone. He stood at the same time as his brother. Dante put on his glasses. Missio took his seat and the barber again adjusted for his height. The man then, placed a cloth over him and tied it around his neck.
"How do you want your hair done, sir? It's rolling off your ears and covering your face." The man stated, sliding his fingers through Missio's hair.
"I want a middle part mullet." Missio replied, shifting in his seat.
"Okay…" The man grabbed his shaver.
After a few minutes, Missio opened his eyes. The man wiped his face with a soft brush, clearing the hair off his face. Missio blinked, looking at himself in the mirror. The man took off the cloth. Missio stared at himself for a moment before standing up.
"How much is it?" Dante asked, pulling out his phone.
"Two hundred Aureus." The barber replied, leaning on the chair.
"Got it." Dante scanned the shop's QR.
He transferred the money in a few seconds, showing the transaction to the man.
"You're good to go." The man nodded.
Without wasting another second, Missio and Dante exited the shop. Dante tucked his phone into his pocket. Then, he tucked in his hands as well as they headed back to the RV.
"Hey, bro." Missio called out. "Today is Pangea's anniversarium right?"
"Yes, it is…" Dante replied.
"Have you brought any gifts for him?" Missio asked.
"A bottle of wine and a few gold coins." Dante replied.
Missio nodded. The two siblings continued to walk down the sidewalk until they reached their RV.
***
After showering, Dante took out a pair of white suits with golden accents. Missio, who stood in his underwear stared at him blankly.
"We're wearing that?" Missio asked awkwardly.
"Of course. For this historic moment, it's mandatory that you dress in most respectable and expensive outfit you own." Dante threw a suit a him.
"Is this really the most expensive thing we own?" Missio slid on the shirt.
"No – but we're in an RV. This'll suffice." Dante also put on his shirt.
A few minutes later, Missio and Dante stepped out in royal-like white suits with golden accents across. Dante adjusted his golden tie and glasses. Missio slid on his light brown loafers that Dante had bought in Venice previously. He stood up, dusting himself off. Suddenly, in the distance, the sound of a Buccina resounded throughout the city. It lasted for a few seconds, thunder rumbling in the clouds.
Then, it stopped and Dante rushed off.
"It's starting! Hurry up." He shouted.
Missio flinched and rushed behind him. A few minutes later, the siblings made it to the city center. They caught their breaths as another Buccina went off.
May 1st of the year 2984 of the Modern Age.
Dante lifted his head, seeing a brigade worth of officers marching down the streets. Missio straightened as well. Trumpets, drums and majestic voices rang out as they approached. Behind the march, two horses pulled a carriage.
Atop it, the picture of a bold young man with flashy red hair, golden eyes and pristine white skin was visible. He wore a white uniform with a red epaulette woven of a fine white silk made for royalty and laced with gold and gems. Missio gulped as more people gather around the parade, all wearing their most expensive attires. The march passed the city center, raising the flag of Rome that featured a golden eagle surrounded by a laurel wreath embedded onto a red fabric.
The flag rode with the strong wind as flowers fell from the sky. Missio and Dante followed it with the rest of the civilians. The officers of the Bologna marched through the city for hours. Eventually, they reached a small throne on an elevated platform. The chief of police held the picture of Pangea in his hands carefully. He hopped off the carriage, stepping onto the marble floor. He placed the picture upon the throne and got onto one knee.
Two more officers placed a necklace made of flowers. A cup of gold was placed down as well which filled up with wine soon after. Finally, a handmade crown settled onto the frame as it gleamed. Everyone including Missio and Dante fell to their knees, bowing down to that singular photo of a man who had long passed away. Then, the chief's body trembled as he spoke an ancient yet rhythmic chant.
"Praise the Founder! For he is our lord, our savior and the one we do not deserve. He is the greatest human to be born – past, present and future. We yearn to live in your time! We offer our lives! Eternally, we're grateful for you who gave us everything yet received nothing in return… All hail, Pangea! OUR FOUNDING EMPEROR!"