MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 679: Arrogance

Time blurred as the conversation unfolded, with most of the talking carried by Vega, Amara, and Anthony. Klaus, as usual, remained reserved, only interjecting every so often with a word or two, his presence felt more through silence than speech.

The tranquil flow of their discussion was broken when the door to the dining room opened. Jenna, ever graceful, entered with her food trolley, which now stood empty. Her movements were delicate, polished by years of service, as she crossed the floor toward the table. With precise elegance, she began clearing the dishes, her motions almost soundless, transferring each plate carefully onto the trolley.

Klaus’s voice cut through the quiet with calm ease, though laced with something deliberate beneath the surface.

“How about Anthony and I have some man-to-man bonding time?” he suggested smoothly. “It would give me the chance to know him better as we talk. Vega, you should spend some time with your mother since you haven’t seen her in a while. The two of you can catch up.”

Amara turned toward her husband, studying him for a moment, before nodding her approval. Vega said nothing; instead, she smiled softly, understanding more than her father realized.

Anthony’s lips twitched faintly. He had no idea what Klaus had planned, but he sensed that refusing was not an option. He could only agree, silently preparing himself for whatever was to come.

With deliberate gentleness, Anthony rose from his seat, the legs of his chair scraping lightly against the polished floor as he stood. His composure remained unshaken, though inside he braced himself.

Klaus, noticing the motion, also rose, his towering frame commanding as ever. Without another word, the two men stepped out of the dining room, leaving Amara and Vega watching after them in silence.

The hallway they entered stretched ahead, lined with ornate decorations and ancient murals.

They walked side by side, their footsteps echoing faintly against the marble floor. Anthony did not trail behind Klaus, not even by a single step. Instead, he walked at the exact same pace, shoulder to shoulder, as though declaring silently that he considered himself an equal, not in power, but in dignity.

Klaus made no move to quicken his stride. He let the silence stretch long and heavy, perhaps as a test. But Anthony did not falter under it. He seemed almost to enjoy the stillness, as though it were a natural state of being.

At last, Klaus broke the silence.

“I don’t approve of you,” he said, his tone calm and steady, lacking even a hint of malice.

“I know,” Anthony replied, equally calm.

His voice held neither defiance nor fear. Though he remained cautious, it was not because Klaus was overwhelmingly powerful. His caution stemmed only from the fact that Klaus was Vega’s father.

Power was not the matter at hand, respect was.

Approval was.

Even if Vega’s father had been a man of far lesser strength, Anthony would still have shown the same consideration. In his eyes, it was not about ranks or dominance. It was about the bond of family, the honor of seeking acceptance.

Klaus fell silent again, studying the boy beside him. He had expected Anthony to ask why, to seek justification, but the young man remained composed. Finally, Klaus spoke once more.

“Wouldn’t you ask why I don’t approve?” he asked, pausing at a mural depicting an ancient war, its intricate carvings bathed in the glow of lantern-light.

Anthony allowed the silence to linger before answering. “Because I already know the answer.”

One of Klaus’s brows arched, betraying his surprise at such a confident reply. Before he could speak, Anthony continued.

“If I were in your shoes, I might have already diced up any boy bold enough to charm my daughter into a relationship.”

His words carried no arrogance, only a calm acknowledgment of paternal instinct. Klaus’s stern expression softened slightly as he nodded. The boy’s perspective mirrored his own, at least in part.

Anthony was asking for his daughter’s hand, not directly, but in principle. He was asking Klaus to trust him with his most precious treasure. But Klaus could not simply hand Vega over because of talent or charm. That was not enough. She was his daughter, his blood, and though he respected her freedom, no father’s heart surrendered easily.

Still, he was not unreasonable. He would never obstruct Vega’s happiness out of pride alone. That was not the kind of man, or father, he was.

The silence deepened again, broken only when Anthony spoke.

“You lied to me about your reason for being at Omni Peak Academy,” he said suddenly, his tone measured. “As powerful as you are, you had no need to lie.”

Klaus turned his head, recalling the earlier excuse. “About the Dragon giving me an artifact I supposedly needed?” His lips curved into a faint smile.

“Indeed, I had no reason to lie. But did you truly expect me to tell a fifteen year old boy that I took a position at an Academy for no other reason than boredom? That I chose to teach because my wife and daughter were away and I was bored without them?”

Anthony inclined his head in acknowledgment. That explanation, as absurd as it sounded, made far more sense.

Klaus, seeing the boy’s silence, pressed further.

“How do you plan to protect my daughter?” he asked suddenly.

Anthony tilted his head slightly. “Protect her?”

“Yes,” Klaus said firmly. “Protect her. If the Demon King’s true body appeared before us now, do you truly believe you could keep him at bay just because you destroyed a clone that carried less than a hundredth of his strength?”

Anthony’s answer came without hesitation.

“Even if the Demon King himself appeared now, I would still win. It doesn’t matter whether his clone bore only a fraction of his power. He shall fall like everyone else who has fallen before him.”

For the first time in a long while, Klaus stood stunned. Then, slowly, he began to smile. It was not a mocking smile, but one filled with genuine amusement, as though Anthony had said something absurd yet refreshingly bold.

“You’re confident,” Klaus said with a chuckle. “With your current power, you couldn’t even scratch the Demon King, yet you claim he will fall before you as others have. It has been ages since I last heard such arrogance spoken so plainly.”

But before Klaus could continue, Anthony cut in.

“And I don’t plan to protect your daughter the way you do.”

Klaus’s eyes narrowed dangerously, his eyes sharpening like the edge of a blade. “What do you mean?” His tone carried the weight of unspoken threat, as though warning Anthony that a single wrong word could cost him his head.

Anthony did not waver. His voice was calm, almost solemn, as he spoke.

“Although she is precious to me, and I would wipe out every life form in the universe if the universe itself dared to stand against her, I will not treat her as though she were an egg to be coddled. I will not make her a trophy girlfriend to be hidden away and admired from a distance.”

He paused deliberately, letting his words sink into the silence between them.

“Unlike you, who has kept her away from true battles, leaving her with little battle experience, I will do the opposite. I will not shield her from growth. She will stand beside me in every fight. She will rise with me. She will conquer with me. She shall reign with me. And she will live with me, not as something fragile to be sheltered, but as a partner, an equal, a queen.”

Anthony’s words carried neither hesitation nor fear. They were spoken with conviction, his blue eyes gleaming with unshakable resolve.

The hallway seemed to darken around them as silence pressed in once more, but this time it was no ordinary silence. It was the kind that followed truth, heavy and undeniable.