Imperial and his friends arrive at the Royal Capital, planning to lay low. While waiting, they encounter a woman pleading for help about her missing husband. Imperial confronts the indifferent soldiers, and when tensions rise, his unstable magic begins to surge, prompting the Royal Captain to draw his sword.
Just as the tension between Imperial and the royal captain peaked, four figures wearing identical black coats suddenly arrived. Two of them rushed forward, grabbing Imperial's arms firmly.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" one of them said sternly, trying to defuse the situation.
The other two quickly stepped in front of the royal captain and bowed slightly.
"We're really sorry for the disturbance, Captain. He's with us," one said respectfully. "Please forgive the chaos."
The royal soldiers looked at each other in confusion, then slowly stepped back. The captain gave a sharp glare at Imperial before turning away. "Handle your people better next time," he muttered before leaving with his men. The gathered crowd, still murmuring, began to scatter.
Imperial stood frozen, confused by the sudden interference. Who are these guys? he thought. Still… maybe it's a good thing they stopped me. If I'd attacked, it might have ruined our entire journey.
One of the newcomers turned to him, clearly frustrated.
"Are you an idiot or something? Picking a fight with a captain of the royal army without knowing the full story?"
Without warning, another one of them pulled off Imperial's mask.
"I've never seen you before," the man said, surprised. "Are you a new recruit?"
Meanwhile, another member went to the distressed woman and gently asked, "Ma'am, can you tell us exactly what happened? When did your husband leave, and who gave him the job offer?"
As she explained in detail, the other three turned back to Imperial, watching him closely.
"I'm not part of your group," Imperial said, calmly. "I just told her I was because I wanted to help… and it felt like the right thing to do at the time."
One of them narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you wearing the same coat as us?"
Imperial glanced down and finally realized—except for the mask, his black coat looked nearly identical to theirs.
"…I didn't know. It's just something we picked up for travel. A coincidence."
Just then, Ari and Tracey arrived. Ari quickly pulled Imperial aside.
"What were you thinking?" she whispered harshly. "Are you trying to get all of us arrested?"
Tracey nodded in agreement. "Next time, breathe first before exploding with lightning energy in the middle of the capital."
The man who had first grabbed Imperial's arm turned toward them. "You're lucky we stepped in. That could've turned into a disaster."
After speaking with the woman, one of the men returned. "We've got the information. We'll look into it and follow up. Ma'am, please return home. We'll bring you news as soon as possible."
The woman looked relieved and bowed her head. "Thank you… thank you so much."
Then the leader of the group approached Imperial and extended a hand.
"My name is Vince. I'm the commander of the Common Association in this empire."
Imperial shook his hand. "I'm Imperial… and these are my friends, Ari and Tracey."
Vince gave a slow nod. "Your reaction earlier was reckless, but I respect your intention. Not many people stand up for strangers without a second thought. Still, think carefully before charging into situations like that."
Imperial looked at him curiously. "What exactly is the Common Association?"
Ari leaned in. "Yeah… I've never heard of it."
Vince blinked in surprise. "Wait—you're not from this empire, are you?"
"We're from the Central Empire," Imperial answered.
"Ah… that explains it," Vince said with understanding. "There's no active Common Association in your empire right now."
Tracey turned to Imperial and Ari. "The Common Association is kind of famous, though. You really never heard of them?"
Ari shook her head.
Vince smiled faintly. "Let me explain, then. The Common Association is a special squad formed in every empire—except yours. We're not part of the military, and we don't answer to the royal councils. Our only mission is to protect and support the common people—especially when no one else will."
He continued, "Each empire has its own branch with a commander, a second-in-command or vice commander, and a team under them. We handle everything from investigating missing persons to standing up against abuse of power. The organization was founded by a man named Silver, the current commander of the Common Association in the Solaria Empire."
"Silver…" Imperial repeated. "That name sounds powerful."
"It is," Vince said seriously. "He started this movement alone, after seeing how the commoners were ignored by both nobles and royals. His courage and vision inspired every other empire to form their own branch. We all follow his example."
Tracey stepped forward. "Is there a safe way to exit this empire? We're… trying to keep a low profile."
Vince's eyes narrowed slightly. "What exactly are you doing? If you trust me, maybe I can help."
Imperial paused for a moment, then pulled out a sealed card and showed it to Vince. "This should explain things."
The moment Vince saw the card, his expression changed. "This is… the Alden family card?"
The other members of the association stepped closer, shocked.
"You're Imperial Alden?" Vince asked. "One of the top royal families in the entire world?"
Imperial nodded. "Yes. That's why we need to stay hidden. We're on a journey I can't fully explain… but I can promise you, we're not here to hurt anyone."
Vince gave a long sigh. "Alright. I trust you—not because of your name, but because you acted today to help someone you didn't even know. That tells me more about your character than any royal title."
He reached into his coat and pulled out three small cards, handing them to Imperial, Ari, and Tracey.
"These are Common Association ID cards. Write your names on them. If the guards at the empire's border ask why you're leaving, just show the card and say you're headed to meet Silver in the Solaria Empire. Our members have permission to move between borders for official reasons."
Imperial took the card and nodded. "Thank you. Truly."
"Good luck on your journey," Vince said.
With that, Imperial, Ari, and Tracey prepared to leave the capital—one step closer to Solaria, and to whatever awaited them next.