After his late-night training, AK returned to Mike's house and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. The next morning, he slowly opened his eyes and noticed that he was still in Mike's room. His entire body was sore from the intense training, but before he could properly wake himself up, he noticed Mike getting ready and putting on his uniform. Curious, AK looked at him and asked, "Mike, where are you going?" Mike looked back at him while adjusting his clothes and replied, "All the soldiers have been called to the main grounds. There is going to be a promotion ceremony for soldiers who have earned a higher rank." AK sat up and asked, "Are you getting promoted too?" Mike immediately laughed and shook his head. "No, definitely not. I've been out of the kingdom for quite some time, and I haven't done anything useful for the kingdom recently. I wasn't here to help with any missions, and I haven't taken part in any recent battles, so there's no reason for them to promote me."
AK looked at Mike for a moment and asked, "Doesn't that make you feel bad? Everyone else is getting promoted while you're still at the bottom." Mike laughed again and replied, "Can a soldier with the lowest rank not help someone? You need to understand something, AK. A rank is only a way to distinguish people. That's all it is. People become greedy when they start chasing ranks because they think having a higher position automatically makes them stronger or more important." AK remained silent as Mike continued, "A soldier fights, a captain leads, and a commander takes responsibility for many people. Ranks exist because someone needs to have authority and guide others. But people often forget the purpose behind that authority and start chasing the rank itself. So let them chase it. In the end, they're only helping the King gain more people who are willing to serve him without questioning why they're doing it."
AK thought about Mike's words for a moment before saying, "So you're saying the power they gain from those ranks is useless?" Mike shook his head and replied, "No, the power isn't useless. It's what you do with that power that matters. If you become a captain, you'll have people under your command. You'll have to protect them, make decisions for them, and sometimes put your own life at risk for them. That's what power is supposed to be used for. Think about it, AK. Can a weak person properly lead a group of strong people? If you can't protect the people following you, how can you expect them to trust you?" AK became quiet again, thinking deeply about what Mike had said. He slowly understood that Mike wasn't against power itself; he was against the greed that made people chase it. He's right. Power isn't meaningless. It's the reason someone wants power that decides whether it's good or bad.
Even after understanding Mike's point, one thought remained in AK's mind. I need power. He knew that if he wanted to protect the people he cared about, find his lost friend, and eventually return to his family, remaining weak wasn't an option. He was about to tell Mike what he was thinking when Mike suddenly asked, "AK, would you like to come with me?" AK looked at him and asked, "Where?" Mike smiled and replied, "To the main grounds. You can see how many brilliant fighters this kingdom has. Maybe you'll learn something by watching them." AK thought about it for a few seconds before finally nodding. "Alright, I'll come." Mike smiled and said, "Good. Then get ready."
After AK quickly changed and prepared himself, the two of them left the house and started walking toward the main grounds. As they made their way through the kingdom, AK noticed many things that were different from his own home. The streets were crowded with merchants, soldiers, travelers, and people from different regions. Shops displayed strange weapons, magical items, tools, clothes, and other objects that AK had never seen before. He slowed down several times because of the things that caught his attention. Mike noticed this and laughed, saying, "You've never seen some of these things before, have you?" AK shook his head and replied, "No. The things here are completely different from the ones in my kingdom." Mike smiled and said, "That's because this kingdom has connections with many different regions. You'll find things here that you probably won't see anywhere else."
As AK continued looking around, the unfamiliar objects slowly reminded him of home. His expression changed as memories began appearing in his mind. He remembered his childhood, the days when he used to play without worrying about anything, and the moments he spent with his family. He remembered the familiar feeling of being at home and the days when his biggest concern was simply becoming stronger than his father. Then another memory appeared in his mind—his father training with his sword. AK remembered watching him carefully, fascinated by every movement. His father's attacks had always seemed impossible to follow, and when AK was younger, he had admired him more than anyone else. He remembered standing there and thinking that one day he would become strong enough to surpass him.
The memories continued flashing through his mind until he completely lost track of his surroundings. The sounds of the kingdom became distant, and for a moment, it felt as if he had returned to his old home. Suddenly, Mike's voice broke through his thoughts. "AK!" AK didn't respond, so Mike called him again, louder this time. "AK! Are you okay?" AK finally came back to reality and looked at Mike with a slightly confused expression. After looking around, he realized that they were still walking through the kingdom. Mike looked at him with concern and asked, "You sure you're okay?" AK nodded and quietly replied, "Yeah... I'm fine. I was just thinking about home." Mike looked at him for a moment before giving him a small understanding smile and saying, "Don't worry. You'll see it again someday." AK looked toward the road ahead and clenched his fist slightly. an time later both reach main ground.
As AK and Mike finally reached the main grounds, AK was surprised by the enormous number of soldiers gathered there. The promotion ceremony was about to begin, and hundreds of soldiers stood in organized formations while officers and commanders watched from the front. AK looked around carefully, observing the soldiers one by one. Many of them looked incredibly powerful, with muscular bodies and battle-hardened appearances. Some were even more physically imposing than Max himself, which immediately caught AK's attention. He thought to himself, If there are so many soldiers here who are stronger than Max, then there must be people in this kingdom who are far beyond anything I've seen before. The thought made him both excited and nervous. Mike noticed AK staring at the soldiers and smiled before saying, "Pretty impressive, right?" AK nodded and replied, "Yeah... there are a lot of strong people here." Mike looked toward the soldiers and said, "These are only the soldiers gathered for today's ceremony. The stronger ones aren't even here yet."
AK continued observing the surroundings, trying to understand the different ranks and the strength of the soldiers around him. He noticed that some wore different armor and carried weapons that looked far more advanced than anything he had seen before. The atmosphere was filled with excitement as soldiers waited to hear who would be promoted. AK was so focused on everything around him that he failed to notice a soldier walking directly toward him. A moment later, AK accidentally bumped into the soldier's shoulder. AK immediately stepped back and said, "Sorry, I didn't see you." However, the soldier's expression suddenly became serious. He looked directly at AK and said, "You bumped into me... so you're challenging me to a fight."
AK stared at him in confusion. "What?" He had absolutely no idea what the soldier was talking about. Before AK could say anything else, Mike walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. With a calm expression, Mike explained, "Here, bumping into someone is considered a challenge. By bumping into him, you've basically challenged him to a fight." AK looked at Mike in disbelief and said, "You're telling me I challenged him just by accidentally bumping into him?" Mike shrugged and replied, "Pretty much." The soldier stepped forward and said, "So? Are you accepting the challenge?" AK looked at him, then at Mike, still trying to understand the strange custom. Mike gave him a small smile and said, "Well, you wanted to see how strong the fighters here are, didn't you? Looks like you've got your chance."
AK looked back at the soldier. His confusion slowly turned into determination as he tightened his grip on his sword. "Alright. I accept." The soldier smiled confidently and turned toward the nearby fighting arena. "Then follow me." AK began walking after him while Mike followed close behind. As they made their way toward the arena, AK could feel the eyes of several soldiers turning toward them. The unexpected challenge had already attracted attention, and some of the soldiers began whispering among themselves, curious about the newcomer who had just accepted a fight.
When they reached the fighting arena, the soldier stepped inside and turned around to face AK. Mike stopped at the edge of the arena and crossed his arms, watching silently. AK walked into the arena and drew his sword, his expression becoming serious. The soldier raised his weapon and smiled confidently before saying, "Let's see what you've got." AK tightened his grip and replied, "You wanted a fight, so don't complain when I give you one." Around them, the soldiers began gathering to watch, and what had started as an accidental bump had suddenly turned into AK's first real fight inside Mike's kingdom.