Chapter 37: Meanwhile

-Brad-

"That arrogant prick!"

Greg, the one labeled as the Red Ranger by a certain young S-ranked adventurer—unbeknownst to any of the five—slammed his fist on the bar counter where he and Brad, the Purple Ranger, sat, near the port.

"I couldn't agree more," Brad replied much more calmly, taking a swig of the drink they'd been served. He tried to ignore the looks he was getting from the young waitress and the other female patrons. It wasn't the first time he found himself the subject of such gazes, and over time, he had learned to brush them off.

He sighed lightly as the memory of the incident replayed in his mind, and he promptly ignored the awed gasp and swooning sounds that followed his movements.

"It's infuriating. Being treated like that. He didn't even bat an eye when he refused our help."

"Damn son of a—I'm so mad right now!"

Greg fumed and ranted, while Brad listened in relative silence, the boy's infuriating words echoing in his mind.

'I don't see why you're needed here.'

Those arrogant, self-entitled words rang in his head again and again. The boy had far too much confidence in himself—and his lost items, or whatever it was. It grated on Greg's nerves, and Brad clearely wasn't pleased with how things had turned out either. After generously offering their help and spending hours preparing for the mission, they were dismissed at the last moment.

Neither of them knew that the girl had also made a request to him...

Brad sighed again.

"We need to inform His Highness," he said, catching Greg's attention. Greg hummed thoughtfully.

"You're right. He wanted to come too and was going to ask Her Highness, the Queen, for permission."

Suddenly, Greg brightened, as if struck by an idea.

"Wait! That's it! We can tag along when he gets permission to take the airship. I'm sure Her Highness will agree—after all, we'll be fighting pirates and saving innocents. Then we can catch up to Alpenwind and show him how wrong he is!"

Greg seemed pleased with his own idea, but Brad remained unconvinced. Something told him this wouldn't go as smoothly as Greg hoped.

"I don't know… convincing Her Highness won't be easy. I wonder if Julius can pull it off."

As much faith as he had in the prince, the Queen had a reputation. With her years of experience as a Queen—and as his mother—she knew Julius inside and out. It wouldn't be surprising if she dissected his request and pointed out a dozen flaws in his arguments. As much as Brad respected the Queen, she also made him nervous. One didn't simply mess with Her Highness. And for good reasons.

"Oh, come on! He'll manage. Disowned or not, he's still her son and the prince. This is exactly what a prince should do—save people from vile pirates!"

Brad could never match Greg's enthusiasm and energy. Nor did he think it was worth the effort to point out the flaws in that statement.

"All right. Let's talk to His Highness and the others first, see how things are going on their end. Who knows, maybe you're right and it'll work."

"Damn straight! Let's go!"

Greg chugged the rest of his drink in one go and was ready to leave, but Brad didn't share the same mannerisms. Despite everything, he was still a noble and had manners. Manners that his friend never seemed to care about.

With a sigh, Brad finished his drink, only to grimace when the bill came.

'Drat. Marie won't be happy we spent this much on two drinks.'

The thought of an angry Marie made his heart sink. She had been struggling to manage the group's paltry finances, and here he was, splurging on drinks.

He could only hope he'd be able to plead his case and get off lightly. The thought of Marie being mad at him was too much to bear. He glanced at Greg, who seemed blissfully unaware of their financial struggles.

Sighing once more, Brad waved to the still awe-struck waitress and offered a small tip, feeling guilty he couldn't give more. Not long ago, he wouldn't have hesitated to leave ten times the amount.

Suppressing the dejection creeping into his mood, he followed Greg out.

'I hope you have better luck, Julius. Today is shaping up to be quite an awful day.'

***

-Mylene-

Mylene sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time, dismissing yet another of Julius's harebrained ideas.

"But Mother! Isn't this our duty...?!"

Julius's voice cracked, his protest carrying the whiny tone she had hoped he would outgrow by now. Despite his tall, regal bearing and the sharp features he'd inherited from his father, the King, Mylene couldn't help but lament that she hadn't managed to impart some of her sharper wit onto him. It was clear now, as she sipped her imported tea and listened to Julius spew pitiful excuses, that she'd failed in teaching her first son some vital lessons. He was asking to command an entire fleet, yet had absolutely no experience as a ship captain, much less a fleet commander. And then there was the real reason behind this absurd request.

Pirate subjugation.

She almost groaned aloud. Pirates—those ruthless, crafty scoundrels—weren't something she wanted her son anywhere near, let alone leading a charge against with no proper intel or strategy. Julius wasn't ready for that kind of danger. Far from it. If anything, he wouldn't be ready for quite some time.

Now, she had to make him understand that. Somehow.

"It's the duty of the competent. Or are you implying you're better than the knights and soldiers who fight Sky Pirates every day?" Her sharp gaze pinned him in place.

For a moment, the comment seemed to cow him. Mylene felt a flicker of relief, but she couldn't let her guard down just yet. She needed to fully break through that stubborn streak of his—make him see how juvenile his plan was before his pride dragged him into real danger.

He remained silent, but she could still see the fire of youthful passion smoldering in his eyes, no doubt fueling his next counterargument. She mentally huffed. She was willing to indulge this debate for now, but he had little hope of winning. He had talents, true, but verbal sparring in a political arena was not among them. And while she wouldn't unleash her full might—the 'Black-hearted Princess' had no desire to crush her own son—she wasn't going to coddle him, either. Not when he came to her with foolish ideas like this.

Seeing him hesitate, she pressed on.

"Do you know," she continued with a casual, almost offhand remark, "that boys from the Academy sometimes force their way into these skirmishes to impress girls? More often than not, they end up becoming a burden rather than an asset."

Julius jolted, and that was all the confirmation she needed. So, it wasn't just about duty or heroics. It was, at least in part, about impressing her. That girl. She sighed internally.

'Ah, to be young and foolish.'

"I understand the plight of you boys," she said aloud, her tone softening just a fraction.

Julius's head snapped up. Of course, she understood. It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed how he and his friends fawned over that girl—experiencing their first true crushes. Still, she failed to see what made her so captivating. The girl had clouded their already muddled judgment, and now their decisions were colored by the reckless impulses of youth and the chaos of hormones.

Raising a teenage son was proving to be an exhausting ordeal. She couldn't help but wonder why Julius couldn't be more like his siblings. Erika and Jake hadn't caused her nearly as much trouble. Yet. But she knew Julius wasn't the only one on the cusp of rebellion. Jake, with his mischievous tendencies, might prove just as difficult. She shuddered to think what he might do when he reached Julius's age.

"Leave the subjugation to the knights," Mylene said, her tone turning authoritative once more. "It is their duty, after all. The army will move the moment a request is filed from the Baronet's territory. If they're indeed suffering from pirates, they'll have requested aid by now."

And that was another thing—there hadn't been any official reports or requests for assistance. If pirates were truly terrorizing the Baronet's lands, it would have reached the Royal Palace by now. Mylene didn't think for a second that the Baronet had been silenced or overrun. No, something else was going on here.

She wanted to investigate further—figure out why Julius was even aware of this—but she had other responsibilities that demanded her attention.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of an attendant.

"My lady, you have a guest."

She turned, curious to see her adopted son, Jilk, making his way in. He bowed politely, stopping a few steps from where she and Julius sat.

"What is it, Jilk?" she asked.

"I've come with news, Your Majesty," he said, his tone measured. "It appears Baron Alpenwind is indeed participating in a pirate subjugation. Moreover, Greg and Brad have already left to assist him on the mission."

Mylene felt her heart sink. So that was why Julius had been so insistent. His friends were already involved.

Of course, they were.

Her grip tightened around her teacup, though she kept her expression neutral. She had suspected Julius wasn't acting entirely alone, but knowing Greg and Brad were already part of this reckless endeavor only complicated things. They were all equally foolish, swept up in the grandiosity of youthful ambition, with no understanding of the real dangers they were walking into.

She set her cup down gently and leveled her son with a gaze that brooked no argument. "Julius, listen to me carefully. I understand your desire to help. I do. But this is not your battle to fight. You're not ready, and more importantly, you're not needed."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with a raised hand.

"I will not allow you to throw yourself into a situation that you cannot handle. This isn't about glory, nor is it about proving yourself to anyone." Her voice softened slightly. "There will be time for that. But not today."

Julius clenched his fists, his expression tight with frustration, but he remained silent. Mylene hoped he understood, even if he didn't like it.

"Leave the subjugation to the knights," she repeated firmly, standing from her seat. "And as for your friends... I'll ensure they are given the support they need. You, however, will remain here and focus on your studies."

The conversation was over. She had made her decision, and she would not be swayed.

As Julius rose reluctantly and left the room, Mylene let out one final sigh, a small pang of guilt tugging at her heart.

But a mother's duty was to protect her children, even if it meant protecting them from their own reckless desires.

***