It had already been a month since Vaelthor's downfall.
An entire month had passed since the battle that had practically decided the course of the war against the demonic armies. Since then, for the first time in a long while, I could wake up without immediately thinking about battles, strategies, or urgent reports from the front lines.
When I opened my eyes that morning, the first thing I saw was the gentle sunlight streaming through the bedroom window.
I lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling.
The silence.
The tranquility.
The absence of any sense of urgency.
It felt strange.
For so long, my routine had been dominated by training, missions, wars, and constant danger that simply resting felt unusual.
I turned my head to the side.
The girls were still asleep.
Scarlett was completely wrapped up in her blanket.
Rai'kanna was taking up far more space than she actually needed.
Liriel slept peacefully.
Elara looked like she was having a pleasant dream.
Lyannis maintained her elegant posture even while sleeping.
Vespera remained as quiet as ever.
A small smile appeared on my face.
It was a simple scene.
But it was exactly that kind of moment that made me realize just how much things had changed.
A few months ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that we would have moments like this.
I got out of bed quietly and walked to the window.
Outside, the mansion's garden was bathed in the morning light.
A few servants were already at work.
Birds flew among the trees.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
And I liked that.
After getting dressed, I went downstairs to the mansion's main floor.
The aroma of breakfast already filled the air.
Soon afterward, the girls also began to appear.
One by one.
Still sleepy.
Some more energetic than others.
We gathered for breakfast as usual.
We talked about simple things.
Nothing related to wars.
Nothing related to demons.
Nothing related to the future of the world.
Just ordinary conversations.
Elara commented on some new flowers being grown in the garden.
Lyannis talked about a book she had recently finished.
Scarlett complained that she was getting bored because there was no one strong enough to fight.
Rai'kanna immediately replied that she could fight her if she was really that bored.
As a result, the two of them started arguing.
An argument that lasted through almost the entire breakfast.
Liriel merely sighed.
Vespera remained silent, watching everything.
I simply kept eating.
Some things never changed.
After breakfast, I went for a walk through the garden.
The weather was pleasant.
A gentle breeze blew through the air.
For the first time in a long while, there was no mission waiting for me.
No urgent meeting.
No enemy appearing out of nowhere.
No crisis.
Just peace.
I walked slowly while observing the garden.
The flowers were beautiful.
The trees were growing healthy.
The artificial lake reflected the blue sky.
The mansion had truly become a home.
When I bought it, I never imagined it would come to mean so much to me.
At first, it was simply a place to live.
Now it was much more than that.
It was where my family was.
Where my friends were.
Where I could relax.
Where I could forget the world's problems for a little while.
I continued walking for a few minutes until I found Elara tending to some plants.
She greeted me with a smile.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
I looked at the flowers around us.
"You really enjoy this."
She smiled.
"I do. It's relaxing."
"I see."
For a few seconds, we simply stood there looking at the garden.
Then she spoke again.
"You're still thinking about the war, aren't you?"
I looked at her.
Elara had always been good at noticing those kinds of things.
I sighed.
"Maybe."
"'Maybe' means yes."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"You know me far too well."
She simply smiled.
"Are you worried about the Demon King?"
This time I didn't answer immediately.
Because that was exactly the truth.
Even after a month of peace.
Even after Vaelthor's defeat.
Even after all the victories we had achieved.
There was still one thing that remained in my mind.
The Demon King.
The true enemy.
The one who commanded everything.
The one responsible for that entire war.
Elara noticed my silence.
"Do you think he'll make a move soon?"
"I don't know."
That was the most honest answer I could give.
I truly didn't know.
The demonic armies had been strangely quiet for weeks.
No advances.
No major movements.
No offensives.
That should have been a good thing.
But it didn't put my mind at ease.
In fact, it worried me even more.
Because it meant something was happening.
Maybe they were reorganizing.
Maybe they were preparing something.
Maybe the Demon King himself was planning his next move.
I didn't know.
And precisely because I didn't know, I found myself thinking about it too much.
After talking with Elara for a little longer, I continued my walk.
I passed by the training grounds.
As expected, Scarlett and Rai'kanna were there.
The two of them exchanged blows with wooden weapons.
The impact of their attacks echoed across the field.
Even without using mana or special abilities, their physical strength was impressive.
I watched them for a few minutes.
It was obvious how much stronger both of them had become.
In fact, all of us had grown tremendously.
Our battles against the demon generals had forced us to evolve.
Every fight.
Every challenge.
Every victory.
Everything had contributed to that.
But even as I watched them grow stronger, one thought came to my mind.
It still wasn't enough.
I knew that.
Better than anyone.
Vaelthor had been incredibly powerful.
Even using strategies.
Even fighting as a group.
Even taking advantage of every possible advantage.
Victory hadn't come easily.
Quite the opposite.
If a few things had happened differently, perhaps the outcome would have been different as well.
That was a reality I couldn't ignore.
And if Vaelthor possessed that level of power...
Then just how powerful was the Demon King?
The answer bothered me.
Because I couldn't even imagine it.
I continued thinking about it for most of the day.
After lunch, I went to the mansion's library.
I picked up several books related to magic, combat, and history.
I spent a few hours reading.
Trying to keep my mind occupied.
Trying to relax.
But every now and then, my thoughts returned to the same place.
The Demon King.
Always him.
Late in the afternoon, I went up to one of the mansion's balconies.
From there, I could see a large part of the city.
Vailor looked peaceful.
The streets were busy.
People were going about their work.
Merchants were selling their goods.
Children were playing.
Life went on.
I watched the scene in silence.
Perhaps that was exactly why I kept fighting.
Not for fame.
Not for recognition.
Not for money.
But to protect all of this.
The tranquility.
The normalcy.
The lives of ordinary people.
As I looked over the city, I heard footsteps behind me.
Liriel approached.
She stood beside me without saying anything for a few seconds.
Then she spoke.
"You're thinking too much."
I smiled faintly.
"Am I really that easy to read?"
"A little."
She rested her arms on the balcony.
"What's on your mind?"
I looked toward the horizon again.
"The future."
She remained silent.
"I'm thinking about the Demon King."
Liriel didn't seem surprised.
She had probably expected that answer.
"You don't think you're ready."
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
I sighed.
"Yeah."
Because that was exactly it.
I had become stronger.
Much stronger.
But even so, I couldn't feel completely confident.
Vaelthor had been defeated.
But that victory had demanded everything we had.
Strategy.
Teamwork.
Sacrifices.
Planning.
It had not been an easy victory.
And the final enemy stood far above him.
Liriel remained silent for a few moments.
Then she smiled gently.
"Maybe you're looking at it the wrong way."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have to be ready today."
I looked at her.
"We have time."
She continued.
"A month ago, you defeated someone many believed was impossible to defeat."
"I didn't do it alone."
"I know."
She nodded.
"But that's exactly the point."
I thought about her words.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe I was trying to carry everything on my own again.
The sun was slowly disappearing beyond the horizon.
Golden light illuminated the city.
The wind blew gently.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds.
Then I made a decision.
I couldn't control when the Demon King would make his next move.
I couldn't predict the future.
I couldn't speed up time.
But I could make good use of this peaceful period.
I could rest.
I could train.
I could continue growing stronger.
I could become more powerful.
I opened my eyes again.
A small smile appeared on my face.
I looked at Liriel.
"You're right."
She looked satisfied.
"Of course I am."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Then I turned my gaze back toward the horizon.
Peace still existed.
Maybe it wouldn't last forever.
Maybe difficult days would return soon.
But as long as that peaceful time continued, I would make good use of it.
Because when the time came to face the Demon King...
I wanted to be stronger than ever before.
And at that very moment, I decided exactly that.
I would use every single day of that peace to continue growing stronger.
The final battle was still far away.
But I would be ready when it finally arrived.