Barely an hour had passed when the calm outside the White Tiger Mercenary Headquarters was torn apart by a sudden shout.
"Hey! Look at the sky!"
The cry carried panic, sharp enough to make several people stop mid-step. Heads tilted upward, brows knitting together as eyes strained against the glare of daylight.
"Where?" someone asked, shading his eyes with his hand.
High above the clouds, a massive shadow slid slowly across the sky, its outline warped by mist and distance. At first, it looked like nothing more than a dark stain against the heavens. Then it moved, and the shape became unmistakable.
"It… It's a Dragon!" another voice screamed, cracking with terror.
That was all it took.
"The Dragon's going to destroy the town! Run!" the first man yelled, already turning tail and sprinting down the street.
Panic spread like wildfire, but it was cut short by a sharp scoff.
"Idiot," a calmer, more knowledgeable man said, squinting upward. "That's not a Dragon. It's a Wyvern."
As the silhouette descended through the clouds, the truth revealed itself.
The creature was enormous. Its wings stretched nearly twelve meters from tip to tip, beating the air with heavy, thunderous force. Its head was long and narrow, jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth that glinted faintly in the sunlight.
Each swing of its powerful tail sent violent gusts of wind crashing down, knocking people off balance and scattering loose debris across the ground.
And seated calmly on its back was a man.
He wore shining red armor that reflected the light like burning embers.
His posture was straight and unshaken, as if the violent winds meant nothing to him.
His face was stern yet vigorous, filled with the kind of authority that came not from rank alone, but from long years of command. An invisible pressure radiated from him, heavy enough to suffocate the air.
No one dared shout anymore.
The man's sharp gaze swept across the town until it landed on a familiar sign mounted on a sturdy building.
The Wyvern obeyed his intent instantly, folding its wings and descending toward the White Tiger Mercenary Headquarters. With a powerful thud, it landed before the entrance, claws digging into the stone.
The man straightened and spoke, his voice echoing like thunder.
"Magnus Fireheart, Captain of the Imperial Guards, orders the Captain of the Blue Tiger Mercenaries to come out!"
A stunned silence followed.
Whispers erupted immediately.
"The Imperial Guards…?"
"Wait, did he say Captain?"
"What is someone like that doing here?"
This was no ordinary Imperial Guard. This was the Captain of the Imperial Guards, a man who stood close to the Emperor himself. If anyone claimed there was nothing serious going on, no one would believe them even under torture.
Inside the headquarters, the mercenaries felt their hearts sink. None of them dared respond. They could only stand stiffly, waiting.
Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed from within.
The Captain of the Blue Tiger Mercenaries rushed out and immediately bowed deeply.
"Noel of the Blue Tiger Mercenaries greets Captain Magnus Fireheart!" he said, forcing calm into his voice while cold sweat soaked his back.
A figure like this had personally come to his doorstep.
'The Empire really is tightening its grip,' Noel thought bitterly. 'They don't even bother pretending anymore.'
Then again, why should they?
Magnus Fireheart nodded faintly, his eyes already drifting past Noel.
"Is Garreck—"
Before he could finish, the sound of footsteps interrupted him.
A man emerged from the building, carrying a small child on his back.
Magnus Fireheart's eyes lit up immediately.
"Good," he said, satisfaction flashing across his face. "You will be rewarded handsomely."
He stepped forward, his stern demeanor melting into a broad smile.
"It's been a long time, Magnus Fireheart."
Hearing that familiar voice, Magnus Fireheart's tense shoulders finally relaxed. A smile spread across his face.
"Yes," he replied warmly. "Brother."
The two men embraced briefly, laughing loudly, the sound ringing with relief and reunion.
Magnus Fireheart stepped back, his gaze flicking toward the child. "Is the Imperial Prince safe?"
For the first time, anxiety crept into his expression.
Magnus Fireheart glanced over his shoulder at the small figure clinging to him and nodded. "Yes. As you can see."
His lips tightened slightly.
'How am I supposed to say he was unconscious for nearly three years?' he thought bitterly.
Magnus Fireheart let out a long breath and nodded. "Good. Then let's leave this place."
"I'd be happy to," Magnus Fireheart laughed. "I'm sick of this lifestyle."
He turned back one last time, looking at the mercenaries he had lived and fought alongside for the past two years.
"If you ever run into trouble," he said calmly, "go to Fireheart family and mention my name."
He smiled and waved. "Take care, Noel."
Noel stood frozen, his mind blank.
'The Fireheart family… Noble blood…' His heart pounded. 'I've struck gold.'
As the brothers mounted the Wyvern, Noel suddenly shouted, "Don't forget your words, Garreck—no, Magnus Fireheart!"
Magnus Fireheart smirked. "I won't."
With a powerful beat of its wings, the Wyvern lifted into the sky, heading straight for the Imperial Capital.
*
Six hours later.
A massive wall appeared on the horizon.
It towered more than sixty meters high, stretching endlessly in both directions like an unbreakable barrier against the world.
"We're finally here," Magnus Fireheart said with a laugh. "This Wyvern really saved us time."
The two brothers chatted animatedly, lost in conversation, completely forgetting about the child behind them.
Lucien understood none of their words.
So he gave up trying.
Instead, he focused on the sensation of flying.
The Wyvern moved incredibly fast, the wind brushing harshly against his face, yet instead of fear, he felt exhilaration. His heart raced, not from danger, but from excitement.
Compared to the nightmare of space-time travel, this felt almost pleasant.
The air pressure alone would have thrown him off the Wyvern, but the two men in front of him casually deflected it with an unseen barrier, shielding him without even thinking about it.
'The air here is so fresh,' Lucien thought dreamily. 'The scenery… it's beautiful.'
Mountains, rivers, forests, all flowed beneath him like a living painting.
For the first time since coming to this world, he felt light.
'Maybe coming here was the best decision I ever made.'
He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know what awaited him. But the care these two men showed him made him believe, at least for now, that he would be safe.
With nothing he could change at this moment, he simply went with the flow.
The Wyvern crossed the towering walls effortlessly and descended toward the heart of the capital.
It landed before the Imperial Castle.
Rows of guards stood firm, spears in hand. Their expressions did not change, yet awe and respect shone in their eyes as the Wyvern touched down.
Their gazes briefly flickered to the frail, emaciated child, confusion evident, but no one dared question anything.
The trio entered the Imperial Castle as if they owned it.
Lucien stared around in quiet amazement. Even without understanding a word, he knew this place belonged to royalty. The grandeur was overwhelming.
He realized his mouth was slightly open and hurriedly closed it.
'Is this body affecting my emotions?' he wondered.
Ever since coming here, his reactions felt stronger, less restrained.
Maybe it was the influence of a developing child's body. Or maybe the mental chains he had forged in his old world no longer existed.
They soon reached the Throne Hall.
Before anyone could announce their arrival, the doors opened.
A young woman stepped out.
The moment Lucien saw her, his breath caught.
She was stunning.
Tall and graceful, her presence alone commanded attention. Her fair skin glowed softly, and her almond-shaped royal purple eyes shimmered like wine under the light. Long blonde hair flowed down her back in gentle waves.
Her expression was warm and refined, like a mother who had endured endless worry.
Her gaze fell on the child.
Her eyes widened.
She ran forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"You're safe… you're safe…" she sobbed. "Thank goodness… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry I wasn't with you…"
Her body trembled as tears soaked into Lucien's clothes.
He froze.
He couldn't understand her words, but the warmth of her embrace pierced something deep within him.
'Is she… this child's mother?'
Guilt flooded his heart.
An unfamiliar tightness gripped his chest, and tears nearly spilled from his eyes.
'Is this… also because of the body?' he wondered desperately.
Behind her stood a man, tall and imposing.
He watched them with moist sapphire eyes.
"My son has finally returned safely," he said, his voice deep and steady.
The two brothers immediately knelt.
"We pay our respects to the Emperor and Empress!"
The Emperor nodded and took his seat upon the throne.
"Rise," he said. "Magnus Fireheart, you have done a great service."
He paused.
"This Emperor grants you the title of Duke, a Mid-Level Earth Rank City, and one hundred Purple Coins."
Magnus Fireheart bowed deeply, his heart pounding with gratitude.
"Magnus Fireheart," the Emperor continued, "you escorted them safely. Well done."
As the Empress entered carrying the child, the Emperor's brows furrowed.
"Magnus Fireheart," he asked coldly, "explain everything that happened."
Magnus Fireheart swallowed and began his report.
Twenty minutes later, he finished.
"So," the Emperor said slowly, "my son only woke up three days ago?"
Cold suspicion filled his gaze.
Sweat rolled down Magnus Fireheart's back as he gulped.