Chapter 1071: Love
Everyone simply listened as Anthony spoke, a smile ever-present on his face as he talked about Vega; they did not interfere, nor did they interrupt, they simply listened as Anthony went on and on about Vega, recounting their first meeting at the Military in vivid detail, their first date that lingered warmly in his memory, their closed-door seclusion training where both of them pushed each other beyond their limits, and Vega’s spar with an AI robot of hers.
After a while, Bryan could not help but speak, "I can’t help but feel jealous, true love is hard to find these days," he sighed as he spoke, his tone carrying both longing and quiet resignation.
Everyone was simply jealous of Anthony; having someone who loved you just as much as you loved them was rare, extremely so, almost to the point of being considered a miracle in this era. Although many people get married, sometimes they end up separating, like the Dragon Emperor’s wife; the both of them had already separated over a decade ago, a fact that was widely known yet rarely spoken about openly.
Even the Titan Patriarch, he too had separated from his wife; the only person or persons who still had a complete family here were Anthony and Tiara, whose parents loved each other very much, their bond standing as a rare example of enduring affection in a world filled with power struggles and schemes.
"I wonder when I will ever fall in love," Rider spoke as he looked out of the aircraft window, his gaze distant and thoughtful, although he did not actively seek it out or bother about it, everyone longs for it once in a while, even those who pretend otherwise.
"Speaking of love, how is Vivian doing?" Bringer asked with a calm smile. During their time at Omni Peak Academy, he had pestered Vivian relentlessly, openly declaring that he loved her without hesitation or shame, much to the amusement of others.
"She is doing fine, missing her? I can call her over, you know," Anthony replied with a knowing smile as he met Bringer’s gaze, a faint teasing glint flashing across his eyes.
Bringer stayed silent for a moment, then shook his head as he declined; although he loves Vivian even until now, he knew he could not be with her due to being the Crowned Prince. After all, the Patriarch of the Titan Domain can only marry another Titan and give birth to another Titan, not a half-Titan, half-anything else, as the bloodline must remain pure according to their ancient laws.
Someone like Rider, who was not set to rule over the Domain, could marry anyone he wants, be it Human or Vampire; nobody would really care, as his choices would not affect the lineage or the political stability of the Domain.
"I understand that maybe you do not want to see her because of the Titan Domain laws and such," Bryan added from the side as he gazed at Bringer, his expression softening slightly in understanding.
"That is part of the reason, but not only that," Bringer spoke as he sighed, "I have had her contact for the past five years, but I never once texted her, or even did a butt dial of some sort; I cannot just text her now and expect her to come running," he shook his head as he spoke calmly, though there was a trace of regret hidden beneath his composure.
"I never once thought I would hear something so intelligent come from your mouth," Tiara said, her voice filled with subtle amusement, a faint smirk forming on her lips.
"How powerful is she now? In fact, not only her, how powerful are those ten freaks? I remember they just came out from nowhere and took over our ranking, making us drop out of the top ten without warning," Rider said as he suddenly remembered Clement, Spectre, and everyone else, his curiosity piqued once more.
Anthony simply laughed as he spoke, "Well, apart from Donna and Vivian, everyone else simply joined the Military. Donna and Vivian wanted to do their own thing, so they created a guild of only women, while opening orphanages throughout the Human Domain, helping those who had nowhere else to go," Anthony explained, his tone carrying a hint of admiration for their efforts.
"Honestly, at this point, I might join the Military; why is everyone joining it? Is there something special happening over there?" Tiara could not help but speak, her curiosity now fully ignited as she leaned slightly forward.
"I guess so, I mean Anthony joined the Military and immediately reached the Planetary level, then he also found love at the Military," Bringer spoke with a nod, as though confirming the idea, his reasoning sounding almost convincing even to himself.
Anthony simply laughed and replied, "If any of you are not bound by any laws or rules or whatever, I would advise you to join the Military; you are bound to grow faster there. Although you might lose your Prince status and advantages, at the Military, it will not take you a thousand years to get to the Planetary level. Besides, they also have ridiculous resources, although you have to work for them; besides, you can quit anytime, so there is really no permanent restriction," he encouraged, his words carrying both confidence and sincerity.
"It is decided then, I will be joining the Military, too bad none of you will be joining me," Tiara spoke as he immediately took Anthony’s advice, her decision swift.
"I will be there with you," Bryan spoke as his gaze shifted towards Tiara.
Rider, Bringer, and Tiara arched their eyebrows in confusion, clearly not expecting such a declaration from him.
"I do not think the Dragon Emperor would allow that," Tiara spoke as he gazed back at Bryan, her expression turning slightly serious.
"I am no longer the Crowned Prince, my brother is... well, officially I still am, but that will change soon," Bryan spoke with a calm smile, as though he had already accepted the outcome.
Rider could not help but speak, "Bro, what did you do that made your Father drop you as the Crowned Prince?" he asked, voicing the question on everyone’s minds, his curiosity evident.
"It is not like that," Bryan said, then proceeded to explain what happened at the Dragon Domain before they arrived, recounting the events with clarity.
"Hooo!!! So that was the help Anthony gave you," Rider spoke, but a flicker of shock flashed through his eyes and everyone else’s as they heard that Anthony possessed a pill that could increase talent.
"Well, at least I will have someone I know with me, and I will be using your connections to help me get to the Military," Tiara stated, her tone carrying a hint of satisfaction.
Bryan simply nodded his head without saying anything else. His mind drifted to Evelyn; just like Bringer, he had not contacted her because of the family laws, but now, he could find her and cultivate their relationship without restraint or hesitation.
A small smile broke across his face at the thought of meeting Evelyn again, ’I wonder how strong her healing and Light magic has gotten,’ he thought to himself, as even Dragons could not keep up with her in terms of healing, a testament to her extraordinary talent; ’well, she is at the Military too, we would be able to meet somehow,’ his thoughts drifting further as anticipation quietly settled within him, accompanied by a faint sense of excitement and hope for what lay ahead.