Chapter 793: Returning Back to Cromwell Kingdom Jack slowly raised his hand. "Wait..." he said, staring at Skully with a complicated expression. "Did you just say Imperia?" Skully tilted his head. "Yes, young master. Imperia." Jack’s fingers curled slowly. His usual playful smile never appeared. For once, he had nothing to say. ... They didn’t waste time. The moment Skully finished his report, Nox summoned his dragon in one smooth motion. The massive beast ripped through space as if it had been waiting on the other side. A thunderous roar echoed across the frosty plains. "Skully, you’re coming," Nox said. "Use the ant as a mount. I want you close." "Understood, Master." Skully bowed slightly, then tapped the ant drone’s head. The huge creature skittered across the snow as if it were flat stone, every movement precise and controlled. Nox and Jack stepped onto the dragon’s back. The wind howled the instant they shot into the sky. The dragon flapped its wings, the world shrinking beneath them. For a while, Nox said nothing. He simply stared forward, eyes narrowed, hair whipping behind him in the wind. Jack sat behind him, one hand gripping a scale for balance. His other hand was clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was... quiet. Too quiet. Normally, he would be the one making random comments about the scenery, comparing dragon flight to a bad carriage ride, or whining about the wind being too cold for his "delicate skin." But now he just stared blankly at the clouds drifting by. His mind wasn’t here. ’Imperia...’ That name alone was enough to dredge up memories he had buried deep. Faces flashed through his head. A strict father. Training grounds filled with monstrous elites. A palace that shone too brightly. Expectations that felt like chains tightening around his throat. And two faces stood out the most. A calm boy whose gaze could slice through stone. A girl who laughed while beating people half to death. Soren and Serene. ’Those two... there’s no way it’s a coincidence.’ He replayed Skully’s words in his head. —"Twins. A boy and a girl. Strong. Abnormally strong." —"From Imperia." ’Tch.’ He bit his lip. ’Why here? Why now?’ The first thought that came to him was simple. They were here for him. He hadn’t left Imperia politely. He had fled. Back then, his mission had been simple: retrieve the elemental crystals from Snowhelm. He failed. Not only did he fail—he disappeared without reporting back. In Imperia, that was no different from treason. He’d been terrified to return. So he ran. He met Nox by what he called "fate" and what others would call "luck." He had started anew... or at least he tried to. And now? Now Imperia had sent people. ’They sent those two...’ He knew exactly what it meant for both of them to move personally. It meant Imperia was taking this seriously. It meant they weren’t just probing. They wanted something important. ’Are they here for the Beast Tamer class? Or... are they here to drag me back by the neck?’ He exhaled slowly. None of this left his lips. Behind him, the wind roared. In front of him, Nox’s calm back seemed steady, grounded, unshakable. Jack stared at that back in silence. The more his thoughts spiraled, the tighter his chest felt. For the first time in a long while, the ever-smiling chatterbox had no jokes, no snark, no sarcastic remark to throw out. Nox noticed. He didn’t miss the way Jack’s aura had shrunk, or how his presence felt... unstable. After a few more minutes, he turned his head slightly. "Jack." The voice cut through the wind sharply. He blinked. "...Yeah?" "What’s the matter?" Nox asked directly. "You’ve been unusually quiet since Skully mentioned Imperia." Jack forced a weak chuckle. "Me? Quiet? I’m just enjoying the view, you know. Nice sky, cold air, potential impending doom—" "Jack." Nox didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. The way he said the name shut down the fake smile instantly. Jack’s shoulders slumped. Silence hung between them. Then he sighed. "...I think I know who those twins are," he said at last, eyes dropping. Nox fully turned this time, giving him his full attention. "Skully said they’re from Imperia," he said. "You reacted. Why?" "Because..." Jack’s grip tightened around the dragon’s scale. "Because I’m from there too." That didn’t surprise Nox. He had suspected long ago that Jack wasn’t exactly "ordinary." "Go on." Jack swallowed, suddenly feeling his throat go dry. "In Imperia, there’s a certain family," he began slowly. "They’re the rulers of the island, and they’ve been that way since the creation of Imperia. The power is passed down from generation to generation." "My father is... the strongest person there and also the ruler," he continued, eyes dimming. "And I’m his son. One of three." Nox’s eyes sharpened. "Three?" "Yeah," Jack nodded. "My older brother, my younger sister, and me. Soren, Jack, Serene." He inhaled. "It’s them," he said quietly. "It has to be them. That description... that attitude... that crazy girl picking fights for fun... I’d bet every crystal I’ve ever stolen that those twins are my siblings." Nox didn’t respond immediately. The dragon soared on, wings beating rhythmically. "And why would they come all the way here?" Nox asked finally. "Just to visit you?" Jack let out a bitter laugh. "Visit? Yeah right. That’s not how my family works." He turned his gaze to the clouds. "Before I met you," he said, "I was sent out on a mission—retrieve the elemental beast. Supposed to be simple. Slide in, slide out, no mess." He paused, lips twisting. "That was until I met you." Nox remained quiet, letting him speak. "After you took the crystal for yourself," he continued, voice dimming, "I didn’t report back. I didn’t return. I just... ran." "Why?" Nox asked. He let out a humorless chuckle. "Because going back empty-handed in that family is the same as signing your own death sentence," he said plainly. "At best, they cripple you and throw you in some dungeon for wasting their time. At worst, they erase you from existence and pretend you never lived." His shoulders trembled faintly. "So I ran. I told myself I’d survive and find another path. Then I met you, got dragged into this whole Beast Tamer mess, and thought... maybe I finally escaped." He laughed again, hollow. "But if Soren and Serene are here... Imperia hasn’t let go. And if they were told to move personally, then the order probably came straight from the old man." Nox narrowed his eyes. "So you think they’re here to retrieve you." "Partly," Jack nodded. "My gut tells me that. Soren especially—he’s dutiful to a fault. If Father said, ’Bring back that useless runaway,’ he’d do it." "But," he added slowly, "knowing Imperia... that won’t be their only reason. If they caught wind of the Beast Tamer Class, they won’t ignore it. They’ll want to know everything. Control it. Own it. Or destroy it if they think it’ll upset their balance." He looked up. "And you, my friend, are someone they would either want on a leash... or gone." Nox held his gaze. "...And what do you want?" Jack froze. The question hit harder than expected. What did he want? To run again? To hide? To pretend his past didn’t exist? Or to stand his ground? His fists trembled. "I... don’t want to run anymore," he said finally, exhaling. "I left because I was weak. Because I couldn’t face my old man or Soren. Because I was scared." He inhaled sharply. "But this time... I have people I want to protect. A kingdom I kinda like. A class I helped spread. And a ridiculously troublesome friend who keeps diving into insane situations." Nox raised a brow slightly, but the faint smile tugging at his lips wasn’t hidden well. "So," Jack continued, eyes hardening. "If they came here for me, fine. They can find me. But I’m not going back in chains. And I’m not letting them hurt the people around me." His jaw tightened. "If they touch Cromwell... if they touch your family... I’ll fight them. Even if it kills me." There it was. A resolve that hadn’t been there before. Nox watched him for several long seconds before turning forward again, a small approving smile on his face. "Good," he said simply. Jack blinked. "...Good?" "You’re finally talking like someone who isn’t running," Nox replied. "That’s enough for now." Jack let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Just hearing that eased something inside him. The dragon angled downward. Cromwell Kingdom’s silhouette grew clearer on the horizon. ... Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer with their valuable Golden tickets, power stones, gifts and comments. I really appreciate it. Thank you very much! More Chapters coming up in a bit!