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Chapter 406 92.2 - Hidden Currents

Things that they wanted to do but weren\'t able to?

Wrong choices. Wrong time. Wrong acts.

In the end, it is always something that is wrong.

For some people, it is engraved in their lives.

For Lucas, who had lived his whole life under the shadow of other people, there were countless of those.

The moment when he first lost to Julia.

The moment when he collapsed from overworking and understood it was his limit.

The moment when he lost in the duel against Damien.

The moment he died for the sake of the other people and received nothing.

Those were all regrets.

He had seen all of his future regrets and promised himself he would change them.

To change the future that was awaiting him. To become the star of the light.

Yet, aside from those future regrets, there was always one thing that had been haunting him.

A person.

"Lucas."

White hair tied at the back of his neck.

Cold blue eyes piercing one\'s own existence.

A pressure that even breathing is hard before it.

A presence for which the world needs to show respect.

Fergus Middleton.

His father.

"Yes, father."

He was one of the strongest beings of his generation. Someone who reached the pinnacle of the world.

Someone who stood at the top of many monsters, many demons. Blade Demon.

Someone who earned such a nickname.

Yet, for Lucas, the existence of Fergus meant something different.

He was the reason Lucas was like this. From the moment he was born, Lucas was always subjected to the ideal of a perfect heir.

Julia was not that different.

The two were raised by constantly being compared to each other, someone else.

If one asked Lucas what his biggest regret was, that would be the fact that he had never once heard praise from Fergus\' mouth.

Not even once.

No ounce of acceptance.

For Fergus, only results mattered, and Lucas wasn\'t able to show any good results at all. At least, the results he had shown had always fallen short compared to the ones that Julia had.

As a swordsman, Julia was superior. Her talent was slightly higher than his, and that slight difference was all that mattered.

At the end of the day, he never was able to get any sort of compliment.

Even when he died, he felt like Fergus was disappointed in him.

As Lucas stood before his father, Fergus Middleton, the weight of years of unspoken expectations hung heavy in the air. Fergus\'s presence alone demanded respect, his stature and cold blue eyes piercing through any facade.

Lucas swallowed his nerves, bracing himself for whatever words his father would impart.

Even now, he couldn\'t stand in his presence completely devoid of anything.

"Lucas," Fergus\'s voice was deep and commanding, cutting through the arena\'s lingering cheers. "You did well today, choosing the heir of \'those.\' You\'ve shown that Middletons are not to be trifled with."

Lucas inclined his head slightly, a mix of relief and pride swelling within him at his father\'s acknowledgment.

\'Finally.\'

It was a rare moment, and he savored it, hoping it marked a shift in their strained relationship.

For the first time in his life, things were starting to get in his way.

"And your swordsmanship," Fergus continued, his tone shifting subtly. "Combining the illusion blade of the Arkwrights with Middleton techniques. What prompted that choice?"

Lucas straightened, seizing the opportunity to explain his strategy, eager to demonstrate his thoughtfulness and skill. "Father, I thought—"

Before he could finish, an overwhelming pressure emanated from Fergus. It was as if the very air around them thickened, making breathing difficult. Lucas instinctively took a step back, his heart racing as he met his father\'s intense gaze.

"What made you think that we, as Middletons, would need to resort to the puny tactics of the Arkwrights?" Fergus\'s voice cut through the room, each word laden with disappointment and disapproval.

Lucas felt a pang of dread.

\'Huh?\' He had hoped for approval, for validation, yet here he stood, once again facing his father\'s unyielding standards.

\'But, you didn\'t show the same reaction when Julia was the one that did it.\' He couldn\'t understand.

What was this supposed to mean? Didn\'t he do a good thing by creating a new technique for himself?

Why?

"I... I thought it could add unpredictability," Lucas stammered, struggling to maintain composure under his father\'s scrutiny. Even after all this time, it seemed he was still not strong enough to go against his words.

"Since a straightforward sword won\'t help us facing human enemies." "So you are saying that our family\'s sword is weak?"

Lucas clenched his jaw, suppressing the urge to argue. He knew better than to challenge his father\'s beliefs, forged through years of battle and leadership.

Yet, the sting of disappointment cut deep, reigniting familiar doubts and regrets.

"T-that….That wasn\'t what I intended to imply." Lucas managed, his voice barely above a whisper. He bowed his head in deference, masking the turmoil within him.

Something. When he looked into Fergus\' eyes, he could see something that he had always seen.

Disappointment.

\'Why?\'

"It is fine," Fergus muttered, his voice strong. And then, he waved his hand, opening the door.

Following that, another person revealed himself.

"Julia."

"Yes, father."

Hearing her father calling her, Julia entered the room.

As Julia entered the room at her father\'s summons, Lucas couldn\'t help but feel a mix of apprehension and curiosity.

Fergus\'s gaze shifted from Lucas to Julia, his expression inscrutable, devoid of any warmth or emotion. Julia stood tall and composed, meeting her father\'s intense scrutiny with unwavering composure.

For a long moment, silence filled the room, thickening with unspoken tension. Fergus seemed to be assessing Julia, his piercing gaze weighing her words and actions.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Lucas, Fergus nodded almost imperceptibly, a signal that he was ready to speak. His voice, when it came, was measured and commanding.

"Julia," Fergus began, his tone cutting through the air with authority. "Why did you challenge the heir of the Arkwrights?"

Julia met her father\'s gaze evenly, her own expression serene yet attentive. "Father, he was the only suitable opponent left to challenge. I wanted to test my skills against someone of worthy lineage."

Fergus nodded again, acknowledging her response. However, instead of easing the tension, a palpable pressure began emanating from Fergus once more. It was the same overwhelming force that had unsettled Lucas moments ago, now directed towards Julia.

\'What? How?\' Lucas watched in astonishment as Julia stood unaffected, her demeanor unchanged despite the invisible weight pressing down on her.

"Haaah….haaah….."

His own breaths grew shallow, his chest tightening under the oppressive force that seemed to distort reality around them.

Fergus intensified the pressure, sensing Julia\'s resilience, making it even harder for Lucas to endure. He felt as though the air itself had turned against him, squeezing him from all sides. The pain was physical and mental, threatening to overwhelm him.

As Lucas struggled, tears welled up in his eyes, his vision blurring with the sheer agony of the moment. The ringing in his ears drowned out any sound, leaving him gasping for air, desperate for relief.

And then, abruptly, as if snapping out of a trance, Fergus retracted his pressure. The oppressive force lifted, leaving Lucas panting and shaking. He looked around, bewildered by the intensity of the experience, and saw Julia standing composed as ever, seemingly unaffected by what had transpired.

\'…..\'

His thoughts were in turmoil. Sure, he had watched the fight between Julia and Damien and had seen Julia almost beat him.

But this was something different.

Inherently, something had changed inside Julia; he was sure of it.

Then Fergus opened his mouth.

"Then, why did you lose? Why did you challenge him despite knowing that the probability of you losing was high?"

His eyes peered through Julia as he asked this question.

That evoked something inside Lucas since this was the same question that his father asked him when he was the one challenging Damien. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Julia met her father\'s gaze with unwavering resolve. "Father, to retreat from a challenge simply because the odds were against me would mean I lack as a swordsman. A Middleton does not back down from a worthy opponent."

Fergus frowned slightly, his expression reflecting sternness. "As a hunter, it is your duty to retreat when the situation calls for it. What you did was reckless, even foolish."

Julia stood tall, her voice steady and unyielding. "A hunter may choose the most strategic option, but as a swordsman and as a noble of Middleton blood, I refuse to cower in the face of adversity. A friend once taught me that true strength comes from facing the strongest opponents, not from avoiding them."

It was clear who was the person Julia was implying.

After all, there was one clear guy who boldly announced that he wanted to be a hero.

Ethan Hartley.

"Heh….."

Lucas watched in astonishment as his father\'s expression softened ever so slightly. A rare smile bloomed on Fergus\'s face, a sight that stirred a mix of surprise and longing in Lucas\'s heart. It was a smile he rarely saw, one that hinted at approval and pride.

\'Why? Why are you showing that smile? I said the same words, too…At that time, I said the same words too. But you didn\'t smile at me.\' He couldn\'t comprehend. Yes, maybe he lost brutally against Damien at that time. Maybe he thought so highly of himself.

But so did Julia. She also lost against him, and she couldn\'t win.

Then why?

Why was the reaction different?

Why couldn\'t it be him?

"Well said," Fergus murmured, his voice carrying a hint of admiration. "No matter how formidable your adversary, a Middleton never bows before the strong."

He paused, his gaze completely focused on Julia.

"And what you displayed in that duel, challenging the [World of Dreams] of the Arkwrights, it was a testament to your spirit and determination. The fact that you were able to shatter it and go against it at this age."

Fergus stopped, looking at Julia.

"You are the greatest talent that I have ever seen."

CLICK! The moment Lucas heard these words, he felt like something inside him had snapped.

\'I see….\' Something…He came to the realization of something.

The visions of Julia brilliantly fighting against Damien started playing in his mind.

The way she had completely gone against him.

The fact that she would win if her body didn\'t hold her back.

And then it was another vision.

The memory of Ethan being able to use a skill that he would be using when he graduated from the academy.

The memory of Ethan going against Kellan Stormrider, who could even go against Lucas himself.

The memory of everyone chanting Ethan and everyone watching the scene with pride.

And then, the memory of the look his father gave him just now. \'No matter what I do, it won\'t be enough for you, will it?\' It felt like everything was against him.

\'No matter what I do, I will never be able to surpass you. Is that what you are saying?\'

It felt like he would never be good enough.

\'No matter what, this world will reject me until the end?\'

Regardless of his efforts and the time he put into mastering that illusion blade, Julia could do better in just a matter of seconds.

This world was such a place.

\'If this world is such a place. If this world is rejecting me, then what\'s the point of putting in all of this effort?\'

What was the point when he was destined to achieve nothing?

At that moment, he felt something dark inside him awakening.

\'Right. What is the point of this world existing if it is rejecting me?

This world... it doesn\'t deserve to be saved,

It deserves to be destroyed.\'