Chapter 1114: Outgrowing Every Opponent ( 1114 )

After a moment, Javier smiled, sat up, and glanced around.

Well...

I guess since everything is finished...

I’ll head out to my personal workshop. Since Liana and the others are called by Mother.

Javier stood up, dusted off his pants, and took one last look around the office.

These two days weren’t that bad after all.

Alright, time to leave.

He walked toward the door and opened it, only to freeze and stiffen.

Garius was standing not too far from the door, with Mylezra at his side. Hesbeirn and Gilmon stood a respectful distance away, their eyes carefully averted, barely contained their amusement.

"Ah! Esteemed Father!" Javier stood straight and bowed.

"Mm." Garius nodded, both hands clasped behind his back. "Having fun talking alone inside the office?"

Javier’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He felt the weight of his father’s gaze, and the Eyes of Truth seemed to see right through his earlier impersonation.

Did he... hear?

"E... esteemed Father..." Javier mumbled softly, his voice trailing off, his mind racing.

Garius shook his head and glanced at him again, his expression unreadable. "Thanks for your hard work. Now go get some rest. Perhaps check on your pekko, or... finish crafting those engagement necklaces for your fiancées."

H... how did Father know about that?

Damn... this old man really does know everything with his Eyes of Truth.

"Y... yes, Esteemed Father," Javier said, bowing again. He turned and began walking away, maintaining a calm, dignified pace until he rounded the first corner. Once out of sight, he broke into a swift, quiet sprint, putting as much distance between himself and that terrifyingly perceptive presence as possible.

After stepping out from the manor and onto the walkway leading to his personal workshop, Javier put his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed but his mind restless.

He glanced around the maintained gardens, then up at the clear, late afternoon sky streaked with soft hues of orange and pink. The air was calm, the estate peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy he sometimes craved.

What should I do next, before crafting the necklaces?

Feed Buddy? Take him for a ride? Spar with my puppet knights?

Man... after all those huge events, I’m starting to notice everything I do is just... the usual routine.

Capturing spies, putting them in their place. Spending time with my future wives. Feeding the pekko. Crafting. Checking the mana satellite feed.

I’m... bored.

A part of me almost wished those massive, world-shaking events, like the Celestial Intrusion, or the Voidgate Incursion...well...the celestial filth cleansing one...hadn’t ended so soon.

Yeah, I know I was desperate for them to be over before. But... looking back...

He kicked a small pebble off the path, watching it bounce into the grass.

Is there something... more? Something that gets the blood pumping, that makes you feel truly alive? A real challenge, a fight where the outcome isn’t certain, an adventure that isn’t just another diplomatic mission or paperwork marathon...

He sighed, a faint, restless smile touching his lips.

Maybe I just miss the adrenaline.

I really miss those days of being chased by Liana, being cheeky and truly enjoying my childhood in this world, despite being reborn with an adult’s memories.

I really miss that time. When I could just flip a maid’s skirt and bolt, peek at their panties, give a playful slap on their butt and then laugh and run. Or play hide and seek with Liana for hours. Sneaking out of the estate to go to the nearby village, only to be chased down by a furious, strict Liana.

Or hunting monsters with Liana and Buddy, fighting off waves of them, feeling the real thrill of danger and victory.

But now...

After becoming stronger... it feels like the world has shrunk. The challenges that once felt immense now seem trivial. The adrenaline is gone, replaced by a quiet... emptiness. A sense that I’m just going through the motions of a life that’s become too predictable.

I guess maybe that’s also the reason why Father buries himself in daily work, visiting towns, personally ensuring no one in Armand goes hungry, micromanaging national projects. He’s filling the void left by the absence of a true, overwhelming challenge. He’s creating purpose where peace has made it scarce.

Even in this month of celebration, with the holo-TVs, the upcoming public radio, the new talent search programs... it’s all fun. It’s progress. It’s good for the people.

But for someone like me... for someone like Father... it’s not enough. It doesn’t make the heart race. It doesn’t fill that quiet, restless hollow that only true struggle can satisfy.

Is that why Father is always so calm and serious? Because there’s no real challenge left for him anymore?

He’s become too strong. So strong that the world itself feels like it’s holding its breath around him. There are no monsters left that can threaten his home, no enemies that can match his blade, no crisis that his power and mind can’t unravel before it truly begins.

And in that absolute strength... you lose something. You lose the thrill of the fight, the desperation of a close call, the raw, vibrating joy of surviving something that could have killed you. You lose the reason to push your limits, because you’ve already found the ceiling, and it’s lonely up there.

Maybe that calmness isn’t just wisdom. Maybe it’s the stillness that comes when the storm inside has nowhere to go. When you’ve outgrown every opponent, and the only fight left is against boredom... or against the slow, quiet passage of time itself.

But still... I can’t help but wonder if he ever looks at the horizon and wishes, just for a moment, that something would appear to truly test him again.

Ah...

Better not think about it too much.

I forgot one important thing.

I’m still second or third compared to him. And I’ve never even been in a full-power fight with Marcellus and Cedric.

Both of them have special talents.

The Crown of Arcana and The Power of Sanctum.

I guess I should ’challenge’ them to a mock duel.

But...

It might be dangerous if any of us lose control.

But telling Father? No way!

He’d just smirk and ask, "How about you three versus me? Solo."

Ugh! I’m sure he’d say that. And then both of them would bolt, leaving me alone... to face Father... just like before.

Yeah... no way.

I guess I should ask Mother instead.

Javier smirked smugly and changed direction, heading toward the pekko pen with a lighter step.

( End Of Chapter )