MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1051: A Clear Line

Anthony just sat within Bryan’s room, scrolling through his phone as he waited for Bryan, Rider, Bringer, and Tiara to arrive. Unlike him, who had simply come to the Dragon Domain through a portal, walking in like he owned the place, the others couldn’t do that; they had to come through official channels.

An hour passed, and the next moment, Bryan’s door snapped open and Bryan walked in. Although he didn’t speak, his footsteps and expression seemed to carry relief and happiness in equal measure. He had spent the past hour with his father and his elder brother, both of them testing the effects of the so-called talent pill before Heinz swallowed it, examining every minute change with care and seriousness.

After that, it was confirmed that Heinz’s innate cultivation talent had indeed increased, and he could now reach the Planetary level, meaning he could now contend for the Crowned Prince title, which Bryan already planned to give up willingly at the next official Royal meeting. After all, one couldn’t just accept and decline the title whenever and however they wanted; there were laws, rules, and preparations to be made for everything, especially for a matter tied to the dignity and political stability of the royal household.

As Bryan’s red eyes met Anthony’s, he spoke, ”Truly, I cannot thank you enough.” He felt as though he wanted to cry, but no tears came. The gratitude in his voice was deep and unhidden, the sort that could not be concealed even if he wished to.

”I’ve already accepted the thanks you said earlier, no need to say them again,” Anthony replied with the same carefree expression.

Bryan simply nodded, a smile appearing on his face. He had already started to imagine what he would do with his new freedom, and how he would begin his exploration of the wider world. Although he wanted to become a Mercenary or Adventurer for a year or a few months, just to experience true freedom and lightness, he was more inclined to take Anthony’s suggestion about joining the military.

Although he knew nothing about the Military, he could always find out through his own connections, and the thought of stepping into something structured yet vast appealed to him in an unexpected way.

”My brother, Heinz, wanted to come and thank you personally, even my father wanted to, but I told them you wouldn’t want to see them again,” Bryan spoke with a sigh. Heinz had been the one who benefited the most from this, and even the Dragon Emperor himself had been visibly moved by the possibilities that had suddenly opened.

’Although Father is still extremely vigilant against Anthony’s motives,’ Bryan thought to himself, but at the end of the day, a talent pill wasn’t something even the Dragon Emperor himself could pass up. No matter how suspicious one was, value of that level was impossible to dismiss lightly.

”I’m glad you told them not to come,” Anthony replied flatly.

Bryan could only give a weird smile at Anthony’s words. This was the first time he was meeting someone who truly didn’t care about the Royal Dragon Family. He understood that Anthony wasn’t being disrespectful; the man simply didn’t care, and that indifference somehow felt even more genuine than courtesy would have.

Bryan immediately changed the topic. ”So, I will be taking your suggestion, and I will join the military the moment I’m relieved of my duties as the Crowned Prince,” he stated, a mild anticipation building within his tone, as though saying the words aloud made the future feel more tangible.

Anthony fell into his thoughts for a split second before he spoke. ”Then you should hurry. The Military only takes recruits once a year. The next recruitment should be about three months from now. If you miss this year’s recruitment process, you won’t be able to join the military; you would have to wait a whole year.” Anthony paused a moment before he added with a shake of his head, ”Not even your father’s influence as the Dragon Emperor can change this, so handle your matter swiftly and get registered.”

Anthony had been a descendant of three Supreme Monarchs, and even he had gone through the recruitment process, and even had to go through the one-year compulsory training regimen. If the rules weren’t broken for him, then surely they wouldn’t be broken for Bryan either. The Military, from what little Bryan could already gather, was one of those rare institutions that stood on its own authority.

Bryan nodded, taking Anthony’s words very seriously. Although he knew next to nothing about the Military, he could already guess how strict and disciplined such a force would be. It would be a place where connections had almost no meaning; after all, the children of many experts were there, and not all of them could be treated specially simply because of their lineage or family standing.

Although Bryan could still get small special treatment, like a single captain coming to take him to the Military Base, while other people of lesser standing would be recruited together as one by a single captain, he understood that such gestures would only exist on the surface. Once inside, status would likely mean very little compared to performance, endurance, discipline, and actual worth.

”Can you tell me anything about the Military?” Bryan asked, eager to hear from Anthony, who was a direct source and someone who had already experienced what Bryan was preparing to step into.

Anthony paused for a moment, then shook his head as he spoke. ”You will have to find out for yourself.” He sighed as he spoke, but within his mind, he had a different thought. ’Well, I don’t want the readers to accuse the author of spending Chapters talking about the military all over again when we are already done with it,’ he mused to himself, amused by the thought in a way only he could be.

”But...” Anthony began to speak again, ”although nobody chooses what Military Base they join, I’m sure with your father’s influence, he could persuade the Supreme Monarchs to do this much, so tell your father to get you into Military Base Alpha-9. I have some connections there, might be of help if you are in trouble,” he stated with calm ease, as though the matter was minor, though Bryan understood at once that such a recommendation was anything but trivial.

Of course, the connection he was talking about wasn’t his mother, who was a Supreme Monarch, but his own teammates, like Dale and the rest.

Bryan nodded, then the next moment he paused as though coming to a realization. ”But you are already amongst the strongest within the military, can’t you help with this, since my father might not be able to do it because of his minor connection to the Military?” he suggested, his reasoning sound and not without merit.

But Anthony simply shook his head and replied, ”I could do that, but I won’t. I’ve already helped with the Crowned Prince title that was shackling you, this is where my help ends, Bryan Von Deathwrath,” a smile appearing on his lips. It was not a cruel smile, nor was it mocking; it was simply the smile of someone drawing a clear line and refusing to step beyond it, no matter how easy it would have been to do so.