Insect Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 389. The burden of overwork

"What is my goal now?"

Theo had returned to his room after the brief but enjoyable escape into the town.

He sat all alone in his chair while the mantis perched on the bed, fast asleep.

His journal lay open in front of him, a quill resting on the side as he tried to think what his next steps should be.

’Let’s start with what I currently have,’ he thought and started writing down.

’I have the aura... the newly gained strength... then there are the ants, for whom no matter how much time I give, would never seems to be enough... then...’ Theo paused as he wrote things down.

’I guess I should write down Mantis too... It’s one of my strengths as well... and it’s strong enough to help me defeat beings that are above level 10... though not all of them, since I haven’t tried killing tougher beasts yet.’

He wrote the thought down before falling back into thought again... until he realized something else.

’My hive link... that’s a whole different thing on its own. The untapped potential I have with it right now is driving me nuts...’

’And now I am a Foundation Human too. My balance is still completely off, and that needs attention too.’

’I need to break through and surpass level 10 already.’

’And now, I have this political pressure on me as well. The national asset... if that becomes public, I am bound to attract some hatred, even if the emperor said it would be fine.’

His quill continued moving across the page.

’I have seen how Father is isolated from the rest of the nobility. Part of it is preference, but I can feel it... a part of it is something else. Something shady...’ Theo thought while writing down everything until the whole page was filled.

’What else?’

He asked himself as he leaned back to get the chair’s support before covering his eyes with his arm.

’Fuck...’

It was fair to say that Theo had taken on a bit too much than he could handle.

Yes, he had written everything down, but the next challenges were already approaching. There was barely any time to think and reflect on what he had accomplished and what still demanded his attention.

Theo stayed like that for a few minutes, trying to finalize what he should work on first.

’And now there’s that scholar the emperor is sending. If the scholar arrives, there goes all my time,’ Theo realized. Then another thought followed.

’...The knight training with Sir Knight...’

The more Theo thought about it, the more it felt like everything was piling up at once and he needed one more thing to do.

’And now, the ant queen is also expecting more... not just the food, but the space they need to expand the colony. It’s not just about the food anymore,’ Theo muttered, repeating the last point again before writing it down in his journal.

When Theo said that, the ant queen came through the bond and agreed with the statement, making Theo realize that he might also need to teach them a bit of empathy.

After that, Theo didn’t think much for the next few hours. Mental exhaustion had caught up with him, and so he went to bed and took a nap.

According to him, this had become even more stressful than getting used to the pain he had endured before.

When he woke up, the same problem was still there.

Theo returned to his journal, trying to think of a solution. More time passed, and he began to feel like he was experiencing a burnout.

’The answer should be simple... but nothing is coming to my mind...’

The entire night went by like that, and eventually, Theo felt like it was about time he took some help.

’Every choice I make now isn’t personal anymore. I can feel it. My attendants aren’t just attendants anymore... they are party members. My people.’

’Even the kingdom is now a part of this. They know so much...’

Theo stood from his chair, and just as he did, his room’s door opened on its own.

He looked up, surprised to see Clara already in her attendant uniform and back.

"Young master... why are you awake three hours before your usual time?" she asked with concern.

"And you look stressed."

"We don’t have time, Clara. Let’s go already. I need to get someone’s help." Theo said, leaving his room briskly.

Clara quickly followed. Soon she realized they were heading toward the baron’s study. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

When Theo reached close enough, he saw the usual guards standing near the gate.

"Let me through. I would like to talk to my father," Theo said calmly, though there was a clear authority in his voice.

Both knights took a moment to adjust to the unfamiliar tone before one of them replied.

"He is not in the study right now, young master."

"So he is in his room?" Theo asked.

The knights nodded.

Seeing their puzzled expressions at his demeanor, Theo took a deep breath.

"Thank you," he said before heading toward the baron’s personal chamber.

Clara tried her best to stop him from going to the baron’s personal room. He had never done that before, and there was no way the baron wouldn’t react to it.

When they reached the door, Theo knocked a few times and waited.

After some time, the door opened.

When Theo saw his father, he took another deep breath before asking something.

"Father, how trustworthy is old man Bernard? I would like to discuss some urgent matters with him," he said, keeping his tone as calm as possible.

While the baron initially had an annoyed expression on his face at being disturbed, when he met his son’s eyes, he paused and thought calmly after studying him carefully.

"That all depends on what you want to discuss with him," the baron replied.

Theo handed him the journal, already opened to the relevant pages. The baron skimmed through them in less than a minute.

When he looked back at Theo, his expression had turned serious. It was clear that there were many questions he wanted to ask his son right away, but he held them back.

"...Go for it, son."