The Imperial Capital was a large city at the foot of the mountain of fire. It was also the only city in the world that didn't have a name on purpose, symbolizing Grenmar's lifelong ambition to unite the world and make this city the capital of Andromeda concurrently. At its center, including the walls that surrounded the capital, there was an additional fortified area where the nobility was residing and also where the Imperial Academy was located. The common people were calling this area as 'inner area' or for brevity, 'inside'.

******

Vladimir and John were currently staying in an inn in the outer area of the capital. Father Jonas proposed them to stay together with him, but the two youths didn't want to impose on him. After all, their foster father provided them with the necessary money to cover their expenses in their stay. The boys decided to take a stroll in order to become familiar with the city.

"What do you think? Isn't it an extraordinary place?" John asked with a smile.

"Yeah..." Vladimir answered flatly. He was clearly still angry with his brother, trying to ignore him as much as he could.

The brown-haired youth could only shake his head and sigh upon seeing how dispirited his usually energetic brother was. He thought of something and took a small notebook from his backpack. It wasn't an item that a commoner could easily have but Antony still bought one for him from one of his travels. Many letters were written inside and John started to read some of them aloud.

"The goals that we need to accomplish before we reach the capital... Do you want to discuss the results of our journey?"

Vladimir's eyes gained a momentary gleam, but he tried to hide the fact that John's words had sparked his interest. Unfortunately for him, this change was immediately noticed by the boy who continued.

"Goal number one. Leave a strong impression on the princess... Hahahaha! I am sure, that even if she wants, she will never forget us. Especially you, who went to challenge her subordinate on your very first day in the Order!" he said with a laugh.

"What else I could do! There was no other way for me as a commoner to interact with a member of the Imperial Family. I had to show her my potential in some way and it was a plus that I could experience how strong is a knight from the elites of the Empire!" the silver-haired youth shouted indignantly.

"You didn't need to be in so much hurry though, but since I did exactly the same thing with you, I have no right to judge you" John muttered. He revealed a part of his past publicly because he knew that he wouldn't have a second chance to talk with Adriana again. At the same time, he wanted to exploit his recklessness to sniff out the spies of Erebus. It was the only way that he could find a lead regarding his enemy.

Unfortunately, he lost a lot of time wandering in the Forest of the Lost Memories and he didn't have the chance to interrogate the people he was suspicious about. The fact that he had almost died also shook his confidence. Since unexpected variables started to appear, he decided to stop taking risks and get rid of anything that can endanger him and his brother in the future. He didn't kill Edward and Father Jonas only because Vladimir would never forgive him if he did that, but he was still a little worried that one day they would come for revenge.

'At least though, there will be no rumors about Vladimir's elements or my past in the Marquess House.'

"But why did you use all the three elements? Did you want to create new enemies?" he asked mockingly.

"The Demon Lord will send assassins after me either way. That's what father told me, so I thought that if I revealed my potential, I would be at least protected by the Empire and it would be easier for me to gain information about the demons!" he answered boastfully.

"This kind of idea isn't bad, but it doesn't suit your character. You are the kind of man that resolves his problems with his own strength. Never forget that!" John advised him gently.

"And what kind of man you are, John?" Vladimir asked seriously.

The brown-haired boy fell silent for a few minutes. He didn't know the answer to this question or more precisely, he had never made the effort to understand himself.

"If I have to say something, I am a person with no face. I choose my identity according to what scenario I have created in my mind. Yes, I am an actor. If the circumstances demand me to be a brave knight, I'll become that, if I have to be a knowledgeable scholar, I'll play successfully that role..." John replied as he closed his eyes. He thought for a little and he then opened his mouth again.

"A person who blends easily in his surroundings, a person with many identities, but without a real one... I am a 'phantom'" the youth added expressionlessly. The last words he said, weren't his, but someone's from his distant past.

"You are wrong! You are John Smith, the only brother of mine. You are the one that should never forget that..." the silver-haired youth exclaimed.

"Hahaha! You are right! I'll leave it to you then! One day, tell me what kind of man I am since I am too stupid to find the answer myself." John said with a laugh. A smile formed on the face of Vladimir as he remarked

"It took some time, but in the end, you realized it yourself."

"Whatever you say... Let's proceed with our conversation. Goal number two. Prove our strength to others. Honestly, after this journey, I have never felt so weak like this before."

"What can I say? My life has been spared twice. It's only ten to eleven days since we left the Moon Village, but I feel like a year had passed. I was too arrogant." Vladimir muttered.

"I am the same. I actually underestimated the Hero of the North. I even mocked him during the duel. It was the first time in my life that I was tricked by a person. There are not many things that are known for the 'Iron General', but it seems that his past is more intriguing than we thought. His appearance is also misleading. He is more like a crafty fox. As for the dragon, I don't even have the power to say anything." John analyzed coldly.

" Edward de Thundergod was a commoner who was born in a remote village in the north of the Empire. He was also the only survivor when the Berserkers raided his birthplace. He decided to take revenge and he raised an army with people with similar backgrounds to him. He attacked the Latheon Kingdom when it's forces were facing the knights of the Empire. A respectable man without a doubt." Vladimir said proudly like he was the one who was praised.

"What do you think about the prince?" John asked curiously.

"..."

*******

Two days ago...

Adriana suddenly heard footsteps. She turned her head alarmed, but upon seeing her brother, a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Johan!" she shouted happily as she stood up and ran towards him.

"Adriana... You are safe... What a relief!" Johan said as he hugged his little sister. The surrounding crowd was looking at them awkwardly, but the siblings didn't seem to care.

"What happened here?" the prince asked as he commanded the magicians to provide help to the injured people of the group. The red-haired girl quickly explained about the dragon that massacred her knights with tears in her eyes.

"I see..." he said as he looked at the two exhausted boys. His gaze was filled with pity.

"I can only ask you for forgiveness in advance." Before they even had the chance to realize what he meant, the knights knocked them out and arrested them!

******

"That was close! If we weren't the sons of an S-ranked adventurer, we would have been used as a scapegoat for the incident." Vladimir said with a little fear.

"The Empire can't show any weakness, even if it's facing a dragon. Since Kalan escaped in time, they had to put the blame on someone else. Luckily, we are not just any commoners, but people who had gained merits in the incident. The princess wouldn't let them execute us easily. Don't forget that we also came together with Father Jonas. They really acted rashly."

"The irony is that they were actually right... " the silver-haired youth muttered.

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John didn't say anything. They had to move forward. Their story after all only starts now...