NOVPUBChapter 516: Obsession’s Toll ( 516 )
That night.
Javier lay on the ground, arms folded behind his head.
The stars above the ruined dwarven town blinked faintly, flickering in the cold air.
Beside him, Buddy had curled into a resting position, softly breathing, feathers slightly ruffled.
The air was quiet.
No monsters.
No sounds of battle.
Javier looked at the sky, eyes half-lidded.
He had just finished cleansing the miasma in this region, planting one of his mana-sealing devices so the corrupted fog wouldn’t return.
Another area secure.
Another step forward.
But right now, none of that mattered.
He exhaled.
“Liana… I missed you.”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
He imagined her beside him.
That familiar presence, warm, gentle, always calm no matter how reckless he acted.
He wanted to sleep beside her.
Hug her, bury his face into her shoulder, feel her heartbeat against his chest.
Then kiss her lips like he always did.
And she would return it without hesitation.
Soft. Sincere.
He wanted to lay on her lap, eyes closed, while she sat reading one of her books like she always did.
One hand turning pages.
The other gently stroking his hair.
Or maybe.
He’d whine about being hungry.
She’d scold him a little.
Then sigh.
Then cook for him anyway.
“…Or tease her. Make her snap.”
He pictured himself poking her side, or whispering something flirty in her ear.
Then she’d turn red, scold him with a flushed face,
and chase him around the estate with that special “playful slap” she always used when she was pretending to be angry.
Those memories…
were his treasure.
Javier turned on his side, arm over his head, facing the firelight crackling beside Buddy.
“Just a little longer,” he muttered.
The ones he missed the most.
Like the nights when he buried his face into Liana’s chest,
holding her close while inhaling her soft, calming scent.
She would gently caress his hair, running her fingers through it again and again.
And in that always-calm voice, she’d will whisper.
“Don’t overdo it, young master… wait until you turn into a real adult.”
She said it like a joke.
But she always held him tighter after.
Then there was Gloria.
When he laid on her lap, or leaned into her embrace,
she’d smile with that same teasing grace.
Fingers dancing along his head, soft and patient.
And she’d murmur.
“Ara~ Naughty young master. Here, here…”
And he’d feel her lips press gently to his forehead.
Her chest rising and falling with every breath,
letting him rest against it like he belonged there.
“Let’s hope I can finish this mission fast.”
Javier whispered the words as he lay beside the dying fire.
The stars above blinked in silence.
Buddy shifted slightly but remained asleep.
His eyes stayed closed.
So I can go back to them.
To the place where he belonged.
To the life he wanted.
A normal life.
The kind others might take for granted,
but for him, it was everything.
The one he always dreamed of.
No more war.
No more blood.
No more missions.
Just peace.
Waking up with Liana beside him,
her arms around his shoulders, telling him he overworked again.
Gloria humming softly in the morning, brewing tea, teasing him while pretending to scold.
That was the life he longed for.
To wait.
Patiently.
Until he was no longer a boy.
Until the day he could stand proudly as a man.
And take their hands properly.
Marry them both.
And just live.
Not as a hero.
Not as a noble.
Just as Javier.
Even if deep down, he knew the truth.
A kingdom without war or conflict… was nearly impossible.
There would always be struggle.
Always greed.
Politics.
Ambition.
But even so, There would be moments of peace.
Small windows.
Years, maybe.
Or maybe only months.
Maybe, if they were lucky, a few decades.
Thirty years, perhaps.
Enough time to live.
Enough time to love.
And for Javier…
that was more than enough.
He exhaled quietly.
And let himself drift to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the Human Kingdom.
Inside the grand throne room draped in crimson banners and golden emblems,
King Edmund sat on his throne, his eyes half-lidded, fingers tapping against the armrest.
Dark mana seeped faintly from beneath his robe.
“Report on the war.”
A figure stepped forward.
His armor once polished, now stained with dark aura.
General Gilmon.
He knelt before the throne.
“My liege.”
His voice was deeper than before.
“The war in the Dwarven Kingdom…
We’ve already advanced.
Our forces have captured more towns and strategic strongholds than the Halfling Kingdom.”
Edmund smiled.
“Good.
That’s what I want to hear.”
He rose slightly from his throne.
“Soon, I will get Gumarak.
I will devour him.
And his celestial.”
His eyes glowed faintly red.
“Then comes Gurdan.
The halfling king.
Once I consume his celestial as well…”
He raised his hand.
“I will be complete.
And I will find the one who holds the Seventh Celestial.
I will become the perfect vessel.
Grow stronger.
And conquer every kingdom.”
A heavy silence followed.
Then Edmund narrowed his eyes.
“Now…
What about Armand?”
General Gilmon stiffened.
“…We can’t reach them, my liege.
All the intelligence units we’ve sent…none returned.”
Edmund leaned forward.
“None?
Not even one?”
Gilmon lowered his head further.
“No detail.
No report.
It’s like they were swallowed whole.
We don’t even know if they made it inside the region.”
A low hum came from the throne.
Edmund’s expression twisted slightly.
“Armand…
Still hiding behind that cursed fog.
That wretched barrier.
And that man.”
He sat back, shadows curling around his throne like snakes.
“So be it.
Let them think they’re safe.
When the time comes..they will all kneel.”
A crooked smile slowly formed on King Edmund’s face.
The air around him grew colder.
“And soon…”
he whispered.
“I will get my Francesca.”
He stood fully now, shadows wrapping along his arms like living vines of dark mana.
“Her beauty… her voice… her grace.
She was always meant to be mine.”
He laughed softly to himself.
“She will have no choice.
Once I crush Garius…
Once I break everything he built.”
His fingers clenched into a fist.
“She will kneel before me.
And finally understand who truly deserved her.”
Silence filled the throne room.
Even the corrupted knights nearby didn’t move.
The sheer weight of his obsession pressed like a curse on every wall.
Then he sat back down, the throne creaking faintly.
“Soon.”
His voice dropped.
“Very soon.”
( End Of Chapter )
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