Chapter 696: Stars, Snuggles, and Secrets ( 696 )

Liana and Gloria fell silent.

Even Buddy paused for a second, tilting his head as if he knew he was part of the conversation.

Javier leaned back, resting on his hands. His smile was faint… distant.

“I don’t want magic tech to replace everything.”

He exhaled softly and closed his eyes for a moment. The cool breeze swept through the area, and the sound of the stream nearby mixed with the crackle of their cooking fire.

“I’ve already seen what happens when magic tech, or in my old world, just tech,replaces too much, too fast.”

“No one cared about horses. Because they had cars,” Javier said slowly, voice tinged with something quiet and heavy. “No one looked at the sky. Because they were glued to their screens. No one raised animals. Because factories did it faster. Cleaner. More efficient.”

He opened his eyes. The night sky twinkled above.

“Convenience… killed more than hardship ever did.”

Gloria’s eyes widened slightly. Even Liana’s hands froze mid-turning the grilled meat.

“I’ve seen what happens when convenience rules over everything… when people forget how to live without machines. When the old world fades… because people stopped needing it.”

“I made weapons to protect. I made drones to defend. Puppets to keep my people safe. But I won’t make something that erases the soul of this world… just for the sake of comfort.”

He let those words linger.

Then leaned back again, hands behind his head.

“…Besides, I like riding Pekko. Buddy’s annoying, but he’s got personality.”

“Cuquawked!! ” Buddy responded without looking up.

“…I see,” Liana murmured. “Thank you, young master.”

Javier smirked. “Don’t thank me. Thank Buddy for not being replaced.”

Buddy scratched the ground harder, as if claiming his importance.

Gloria sighed. “Ara~ he’ll get even more spoiled at this rate.”

“And besides…” Javier added as he pointed lazily toward the resting Pekko trio nearby, “don’t you two also love your Pekkos?”

Pikko was curled peacefully beside Peanut.

“Mm… yeah,” both girls answered in unison.

Liana reached out, brushing a few leaves off Pikko’s head. Gloria softly adjusted Peanut’s feather straps, both of them smiling like caretakers doting on beloved pets.

“That’s why I don’t craft what I could,” Javier said, voice mellow. “Sure, I made that frozen wagon that keeps meat fresh. But guess what? The Pekkos are still the ones pulling it.”

He leaned forward, grabbing a stick to poke the meat on the grill.

“Yeah, I crafted the mana relay towers. But that’s for our military. So communication is fast. So emergency alerts get sent in seconds, not hours.”

He glanced at them.

“We let public offices install one per town, yeah. That way, if someone has an urgent message, they don’t need to write a letter and wait for a Pekko courier. But even then, that courier’s still faster than any horse.”

Javier sat cross-legged now, a small smile tugging his lips.

“I love this world,” he said simply.

Liana paused her grilling. Gloria looked at him quietly.

“Magic tech doesn’t replace the culture here. People are happy with what they have. They work. They earn. And no one in the Armand region ever starves. No one sleeps on the streets. All because of Father’s strategy, how he manages this land.”

“…He was all alone when he inherited Armand. Everyone in his family, gone. But he built it anyway. With blood, pain, and raw strategy.”

A long silence followed. Only the crackling of firewood and gentle flowing of the stream.

“…And now, looking at everything…”

He exhaled.

“I don’t think I’ll ever share or craft more than what I already have. He once asked me about it, you know… if I would push the magic tech further.”

Javier chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

“But I know my old man. That was a test. He just wanted to see what kind of man I’m becoming.”

He leaned back once more and let the breeze wash over him.

Liana bit her lip softly, watching Javier in silence.

Gloria finally said, “You’ve grown a lot, young master.”

“Heh,” Javier scoffed playfully. “Don’t make it sound like I’m getting old.”

“You are,” Gloria smiled.

“Hmm~ older men have more charm, right?” Javier smirked toward Liana, who instantly looked away, cheeks slightly red.

“Y-You’re still only thirteen!”

“Nearly fourteen,” he said proudly.

Gloria just gave a gentle ara~ and resumed flipping the meat.

Buddy flapped his wings with a loud squawk as if announcing dinner time.

After finishing their grilled meat and tidying up, the area slowly calmed as night crept in.

The Special Puppet Knight Squad stood silently around the perimeter. Each one had their mana rifles ready, eyes glowing faintly from behind enchanted visors. Their formation was clean and precise, forming a living wall of security. Nothing could get close without being torn apart in seconds.

Liana adjusted the last blanket with a soft sigh, ensuring the ground was smooth and the corners tucked properly. She gave a quick glance toward the edges where their Pekko companions, Buddy, Pikko, and Peanut, were already curled up and dozing in the grass nearby, their bellies full.

“Blanket’s ready,” she said softly.

Javier grinned. Without hesitation, he leapt into the center of the makeshift bedding and landed with a soft thump.

“Ahhh~ This is the life,” he mumbled, arms stretched wide across the blanket like he owned the world. “Five-star campfire hotel. With two personal maids? Peak luxury.”

Liana shook her head with a tired smile and slowly lay down on his right side, her long hair cascading down her shoulder as she settled in. Gloria quietly followed, gracefully lying on his left. The moonlight reflected softly on her glasses, and she pulled the blanket over them all with practiced ease.

“Chuuuuuuu~”

Javier puckered his lips and leaned toward Liana.

Liana raised an eyebrow, but her lips curled. She leaned in gently, brushing a kiss against his with that soft, slow affection she always gave. A gentle kiss—not rushed, not shallow. Something warm that lingered.

“Ehehehe~”

Gloria raised her hand with mock protest. “Ara~ no kiss for me tonight? Am I being neglected?”

“Neglect? Impossible,” Javier said, rolling his head toward her and puckering again without shame.

Gloria leaned in and returned the kiss, calm and sweet, just as deep as Liana’s but with a quiet warmth behind it. She tapped his nose afterward.

“Greedy young master,” she whispered with a playful smile.

Javier tucked his arms behind his head, grinning wide while both girls rested beside him.

Javier stretched under the blanket, his face glowing with excitement under the stars.

“Next month! Four more years!” he declared proudly, pointing at the sky. “And I’ll be able to marry both of you!!”

“Yes, yes…” Liana replied with a long sigh, turning her head toward him. “And then become a womanizer, knocking up every girl you flirt with.”

“Liana!!!” Javier flailed dramatically, nearly flipping the blanket off them.

“What?” she replied, eyes narrowed. “Everywhere we go, you keep flirting with girls.”

“But… that’s… that’s just coincidence!”

“Oh really?” Gloria chimed in softly, adjusting her glasses as her voice turned mildly sarcastic. “So hugging Liana’s mother was a coincidence too?”

“That was a mistake!! I was in a haze!” Javier protested, now sweating. “It was because… because certain maids went back to their hometown without telling me!”

“Yes, yes…” Liana replied, voice flat. “Now go sleep, young master.”

Javier pouted, looking away.

“…Don’t worry,” Liana added sweetly. “If you become a womanizer again…”

Javier’s eyes twitched. He turned his head slowly, only to see both Liana and Gloria calmly holding their blades. Not raised. Not swinging.

Just… gently resting on top of his blanket.

Right over his crotch.

“EEEKKK!!! I’M NOT!! I WON’T!!! I PROMISE!!!” Javier flailed again, nearly rolling off the blanket, hands in the air.

Gloria smiled softly. “Ara~ good boy.”

Liana smirked. “Sleep tight, future husband.”

Javier gulped and lay perfectly still.

The night air grew quiet again.

Except for the faint trembling of a certain young master, who now realized being loved by two powerful women might come with certain… sharp consequences.

( End Of Chapter )

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