Level Up Legacy

1169  Father and Son

"You have a rather interesting approach to ambushes," said Mister White while dipping his spoon in soup, swirling it, and then having a taste. "How did you survive for this long?"

"Ambushes are nothing but surprise attacks," said Arthur with a smile. "If you take away the element of surprise, you can use their attacks against them. If we prepare for their ambush, it becomes ours."

"Although I never tried to outsmart someone as terrifying as the Yalen King, I would roll those dice alongside you," said Mister White as he cleaned his mouth from soup. "The execution will take place in two weeks from now, so we have enough time to infiltrate and stop it."

"This will endanger your gang," said Arthur in a frown. "Is helping someone you respect worth this much risk?"

"You don't trust my intentions because I know that they don't make sense for you," said Mister White with a knowing smile. "However, your contributions to Kera saved many of my men, and I heard your speech. In our world, favors are earned."

"I don't accept favors," said Arthur with a smile. "Name a price. It can be anything this world has to offer, and I will be able to grant it."

"I don't take money from friends, so this is a way of becoming your friend," said Mister White with a smirk. "If you were just a criminal, I wouldn't even hesitate to devour your wealth. If you were a criminal that Joe introduced, I would help you without taking a penny."

"I appreciate that, old man," said Joe with gratitude, as he felt proud that his word carried such weight. Mister White waved his hand and began eating again. Arthur, however, was not about to accept a free lunch. He wanted to offer something that Mister White wanted.

"I can make you meet your son."

The dancing utensils pouring food into their plates froze midair, as the chilly wind of December made its way into the tent. Mister White had his spoon close to his mouth when he heard the words, but his eyes were as wide as eggs.

"What… did you say?" asked Mister White as he raised his eyes, looking at Arthur as if he has seen a ghost. "Did you say that…"

"I can let you meet him and even talk to him," said Arthur as his golden eyes studied the old man, in them the man saw knowledge of his deepest regrets. "I met him in the Kingdom of Wrath."

"What is that?" asked Mister White with trembling hands that placed down the spoon into his bowl. He could see that Arthur was not a man who would lie or joke around about such things, so he knew this was the truth. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"A place where the souls that met injustice meet," said Arthur with a sad expression as he looked to the side. "I never knew he was your son, but I can see him standing there, watching over you."

"…is this the truth, Joe?" asked Mister White with a frown because he refused to believe that such a thing existed. His entire demeanor shifted at the mention of his son. The bartender was at a loss, but the one who stood up was none other than Koby.

"You may not know me, but I have witnessed my lord summon countless souls ," said Koby as he took off his hood. "You can ask your son things that no one else would know, but even with no spoken words, you will recognize that he is indeed your own flesh and blood."

Mister White did not say anything more, as he stared at his hands as if reliving some sort of memory. After a few moments of silence, the floating items descended to the ground.

"If you indeed grant me that, I would be happy to risk this life a hundred times until I perish," said Mister White as he looked at Arthur with a changed expression. "It is my deepest regret."

"I know," said Arthur with a nod. "The meal can wait."

Arthur rose from his chair and then took off his cloak. Underneath were his black and golden robes created from the finest fabric. Their sheen came from a mix of mystic power and an elegance of kings.

Sarohan picked his cloak and rose from his chair, before walking to the far end of the tent. Joe and Koby followed after him, as the tables and chairs moved out of the way. Mister White rose from his chair, standing in front of Arthur with expectations and fear.

"I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil," said Mister White as he chuckled.

"And what if I was indeed the devil?"

"I would be happy to make this deal. Gods never answered my prayers anyway," said Mister White with a grin as he opened his arms. "Let it be an arm, a leg, or even my eyes. I will give them away to see my little boy again."

Arthur looked at him with complex emotions before he smiled and raised his hand. Black lightning crackled from his palm before morphing into a black flame. Then, with golden eyes shining within the dim room, he uttered a command.

"I summon thee, unfortunate soul of the dead," said Arthur as he looked into the black flame. "Meet the ones who remember you on this earth for one final time, in my name, the Merciful King of Wrath."

A distant cry of wrath echoed in the sky, as the flame in his palm began to morph and change shape. It jumped from his hand and landed in front of Mister White before changing to be the image of a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Hello, pops," said the dashing young man as Mister White as his entire body shook. The old man did not say a word before falling to the ground, his old knees digging through the soil. His eyes welled with tears as he stared at the young man, who rushed to his aid.

21:51

"Is that you? Is it really you, Dominic?" asked Mister White as his son helped him stand, grasping to him like a drowning man.

"It's really me, pops. Our king summoned me to meet you," said Dominic with a warm smile. Mister White shed tears as he rose from the ground, and Arthur turned around to leave. The rest followed after him to leave the pair of father and son behind.

The earlier bright sky has now turned cloudy because Arthur used his powers. Sarohan wiped away his tears as the four stood outside the tent, where QQ was still standing guard. Seeing them stand there with his boss talking to someone inside, the guard was confused.

"Is everything alright, Little J?" asked QQ with confusion as he rubbed his chin. His thick mustache bounced up and down as he glanced at Arthur with recognition. "Our boss doesn't have a phone, so who is he talking to?"

"His son," said Joe with a smile. QQ looked at him with confusion, but the bartender turned toward Arthur to explain. "Dominic was never a part of our gang, no matter how much his father tried to persuade him. In the one time that Mister White managed to convince him to join us, he was killed in battle."

"And thus, the old man blames himself," said Sarohan as he burst out crying, tears filling his goggles. "But Dominic never blamed him! He never did!"

"How would you know?" asked Koby with a sigh. "If he did not blame him, he would have never entered our lord's kingdom of wrath. He still has unfinished business in this world."

"Not against his father," said Arthur to confirm. "I remember meeting him a few weeks ago and hearing his story. If he blamed his father, he would have said something. He just regrets not changing his father's line of work."

"Oh Dominic!" cried Sarohan harder, making QQ shed tears of his own. The guard did not understand, but he knew Dominic as well. After almost an hour, the clouds parted, and golden glow shone from inside the tent.

Arthur turned around and walked into the tent, to find Dominic as golden as his own mana. The dashing young man looked at him with gratitude, as his father wiped away tears while on the ground.

"I never thought that our promise would be fulfilled this son, our lord," said Dominic toward him as he looked at the golden mana. "It seems I am now ready to be reborn as someone new. And I will never forget this debt."

"Neither will I, Lord Arthur," said Mister White as he rose from the ground, his spotless suit now wrinkled and dirty. "You have given me closure in life, and for that, I shall offer this humble life for your sake."

"Dominic has to leave now," said Arthur with sadness as he looked at Mister White. "Bid him farewell, and let him enter the cycle of reincarnation."