MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1059: Discussion-2

"Tch, you were just itching to flaunt it and pull off that pig-to-eat-the-tiger trick," Bringer shot at Anthony right away, his voice dripping with mock irritation as he blurted out his mind freely.

Anthony just chuckled and shook his head in response, utterly unfazed by the jab. Truth be told, he felt a spark of satisfaction seeing them all relax around him—the wariness in their voices and words had nearly vanished. A faint trace still hid underneath, but it wasn’t nearly as stiff or obvious anymore.

"It’s the first time I’ve heard anyone praise the idea of an Academy," Tiara remarked, shaking her head, since she’d never say anything like that herself. Sure, she’d encountered her Master, the Vice Principal and Empress of Blood, at Omni Peak Academy, but that didn’t make her fond of schools or their rigid setups.

"Same here," Rider and Bryan chimed in together, letting out synchronized sighs as they quietly backed Tiara’s view on the subject.

"I’ve had this question nagging at me for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask," Bryan piped up suddenly, recalling that persistent doubt that had bugged him for so long.

"What’s on your mind?" Anthony shot back instantly, turning his focus to Bryan while bracing for the query.

"Why’d you always show an F-Ranker aura back in school? Was it ’cause you enjoyed playing pig to eat the tiger, like Bringer mentioned?" he pressed, his interest plain as he hunted for a straight answer.

Anthony hesitated briefly before replying, his face growing mildly contemplative. "Well, showing my true mana realm wasn’t an option—the world’s always been full of threats. If folks learned I had SSS abilities before even stepping into the Academy, what do you reckon would’ve happened?" he explained steadily, a serious edge underscoring his calm words.

No one in the group took long to grasp Anthony’s point; they all realized assassins would hound him nonstop the instant he left Academy grounds, ignoring his age or situation entirely.

"Plus, think about when the Forsaken Cult wiped out around a hundred students from our class? If I’d paraded my actual mana realm, they’d have thrown everything at me. Heck, they might’ve even unleashed a Planetary-level powerhouse. Overkill, sure, but groups like the Forsaken Cult don’t play by normal rules," Anthony continued smoothly, his logic sharp and solid.

Sure, he could’ve dialed his aura down to A Rank like the rest back then, but constant tweaking sounded like too much hassle, so sticking with F Rank proved way handier, misconceptions be damned.

"Enough about my story. What about you all? What’ve you been doing lately?" Anthony redirected, eager to hear their tales after all the time spent on him over these five years.

"Eh, not much," Bringer answered with a heavy sigh, though his voice hinted he was brushing off his exploits on purpose.

"Ignore that fibber; he’s the Crowned Prince of the Titan race now," Bryan revealed bluntly. Even without daily chats, he stayed looped in on big news and public buzz.

Anthony raised an eyebrow at the news, then glanced at Rider. "I figured you’d snag Crowned Prince or whatever—you’ve always been the brains."

"I’m his advisor, his right-hand guy. Might as well be King myself, glued to him daily, dishing out advice on all sorts of stuff. And with my brother’s smarts, he’ll need it big time ruling," Rider said with a casual shrug, indifferent to the Prince title and happy in his spot.

"Wait ’til I’m King, and I’ll make you pay for these digs," Bringer grumbled, tongue clicking in irritation, only to catch another effortless smack upside the head from Rider.

Anthony watched the pair, shaking his head; they both looked thrilled with their setup and bickering, unlike Bryan who’d run from Emperor duties any day.

"If you make it that far, I’ll swing by your coronation," Anthony quipped with a grin, blending jest with a hint of real intent.

"No sweat, these would-be killers just test their luck daily," Bringer brushed off, unfazed by the comment. Assassination bids had piled up countless times these past five years, turning routine.

Anthony gave a slight head shake, mind wandering briefly. Where would he end up in a thousand years—dead, sealed off, or rivaling ???’s heights? The future’s haze settled softly in his thoughts.

Years in the Divine Realm hadn’t changed that; a millennium still loomed impossibly distant. At just twenty now, wrapping his head around that timescale was tough.

"So, what about you, Tiara?" Anthony prodded, eyeing the unusually silent Tiara and her sparse input.

"Ugh... spare me, it’s already giving me a migraine," Tiara groaned, obviously irked, frustration tingeing her words.

Anthony fixed his gaze on her, patiently awaiting details, yet Tiara looked anything but eager to spill on her life.

"She’s pissed ’cause she’s betrothed to the Vampire Domain Blood Queen’s sole son, Elara Bloodmoon. They’re pairing Royal-grade Vampiric bloodlines for some super offspring. Tiara wants none of it—she’s got no feelings for her... future hubby," Bryan chimed in from the sidelines, smirking like he relished the dirt.

Tiara whipped her eyes to him, fangs bared in a chilly hiss. "Why do you love spilling others’ secrets?" Her stare brimmed with bloodthirsty menace.

Bryan stayed cool amid her glare, firing back, "Then speak up quicker next time. Hate leaving us in suspense," with a nonchalant shrug, provocation forgotten.

Tiara huffed, retracting her fangs as she tamped down her annoyance. Someday she’d suck this lizard dry, she vowed inwardly before letting it go.