Chapter 42: The Crimson Queen’s Patience

The alarm on Victoria’s bedside table began ringing at exactly seven in the morning.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Victoria Hale slowly opened her eyes.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling.

Her red hair was scattered across the pillow, and her usually sharp crimson eyes were still half-closed with sleep.

She reached out lazily and switched off the alarm.

Silence returned to the room.

Victoria turned her head toward the empty side of the bed.

She stared at it.

Then she frowned.

"...Still gone."

She sat up slowly.

Daemon had told her he would only be gone for a few days.

A few days.

That was what he had said.

Yet somehow, fifteen days had already passed.

Victoria rubbed her eyes before getting out of bed.

She wasn’t going to think about it.

At least, that was what she told herself.

After taking a shower, Victoria changed into something comfortable enough for a day of training.

She wore a fitted black long-sleeved shirt beneath a lightweight dark training jacket, comfortable black trousers, and practical combat boots.

Her long red hair was tied into a loose ponytail so it wouldn’t interfere with her movements.

Today wasn’t supposed to be a combat mission.

She had specifically chosen a position in the WHA training department for the time being.

The reason was simple.

She didn’t want to enter another dungeon yet.

Her bloodline curse had become increasingly troublesome, and using too much of her bloodline power could trigger another flare-up.

Victoria wasn’t afraid of fighting.

She was afraid of pushing her body too far.

So she had decided to spend her time teaching newly recruited Hunters instead.

Today, she was supposed to teach them how to deal with the press, public attention, emergency interviews, and other situations that could easily become dangerous if handled poorly.

A Hunter didn’t only need to know how to fight monsters.

One wrong statement in front of a camera could cause panic.

One careless decision around civilians could turn a successful dungeon operation into a disaster.

Victoria understood that better than most.

She left her bedroom and walked downstairs.

Then she stopped.

Her eyes slowly widened.

The living room looked like a battlefield.

Clothes were scattered across the furniture.

Empty food containers were sitting on the table.

Several cups had been abandoned around the house.

A pile of trash was overflowing near the kitchen.

The kitchen itself looked like nobody had touched it in days.

Victoria stared at the mess.

Her eyebrow twitched.

She looked around again.

Then she slowly clenched her fists.

"...Fifteen days."

Her voice was dangerously calm.

"I thought he was going to be gone for four days."

She picked up one of Daemon’s shirts from the floor.

"Four days."

She dropped it back down.

"But that idiot has been gone for fifteen."

Victoria’s crimson eyes narrowed.

"He didn’t call."

She grabbed her phone.

"No message."

She checked again.

"Nothing."

Her expression became darker.

"And somehow Sana and Roxanna disappeared around the same time."

Victoria paused.

"...Interesting."

She slowly smiled.

It wasn’t a friendly smile.

"I’ll remember this."

She imagined Daemon eventually walking through the front door.

The moment he entered, she would point at the mess.

Then she’d tell him:

Clean it.

Every single piece of it.

And perhaps, just perhaps, she might make the mess even worse before he returned.

"Let’s see how much you enjoy cleaning after disappearing for fifteen days."

Victoria grabbed her car keys.

She was about to leave when another thought crossed her mind.

She had initially assumed Sana and Roxanna were simply busy with their own affairs.

But all three of them disappearing together was suspicious.

Victoria had access to enough information through her connections to check their last known locations.

She pulled up the records.

Her expression changed.

All three had last been detected near her residence.

Victoria stared at the information.

"...All three of them?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"They went somewhere together."

She put the phone away.

Fine.

Let them enjoy themselves.

She wasn’t going to chase them down immediately.

They would eventually come back.

And when they did...

Victoria would have a conversation with all three of them.

A very long conversation.

Her eyes briefly glowed crimson.

"Everyone calls me the Crimson Queen for a reason."

She walked toward her car.

Just as she started the engine, her phone vibrated.

Bzzzt.

A message from Elira appeared.

Elira: Where are you? Training already started. You better have an actual reason for being late.

Victoria looked at the message.

She didn’t even bother replying.

She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.

"I’ll do whatever I want."

She drove toward the WHA headquarters.

The WHA training grounds were already crowded when Victoria arrived.

Hundreds of Hunters were scattered throughout the facility.

Some were practicing swordsmanship.

Others were working on physical conditioning.

Several groups were receiving instructions from experienced Hunters.

Nearby, a group of Hunters was preparing to depart after a new Dungeon Gate had appeared.

The entire facility was alive with activity.

Victoria parked her car and stepped onto the training grounds.

Almost immediately, several Hunters noticed her.

Whispers spread through the group.

"It’s Victoria Hale."

"The Crimson Queen?"

"She’s training the recruits today?"

Victoria ignored them.

She continued walking until she reached the sword-training area.

Elira was standing in front of a group of young Hunters.

The moment Elira saw Victoria, she crossed her arms.

"You finally decided to show up."

Victoria stopped.

Elira looked her up and down.

"Are you sure you’re mentally present today?"

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"You look like your mind is somewhere else."

Elira sighed.

"If something is bothering you, go into a dungeon and kill a few monsters. Maybe that will clear your head."

Victoria’s expression became slightly annoyed.

"Don’t irritate me."

"I’m not irritating you."

"You are."

"I’m trying to make you teach these Hunters something."

Victoria looked at the recruits.

Then she looked at Elira.

"They’re actually here to learn from me?"

"That’s generally how training works."

Victoria smiled.

"Fine."

She walked over to the weapon rack.

Her hand wrapped around a wooden training sword.

She pulled it free.

"Who wants to go first?"

The male Hunters immediately looked at each other.

One stepped forward.

Then another.

Then another.

Within seconds, several of them were volunteering.

Victoria looked amused.

"Why choose one?"

She raised the wooden sword.

"All of you can come together."

Elira’s face immediately changed.

"Victoria."

Victoria smiled.

"Relax."

A few moments later—

THUD!

One Hunter hit the ground.

THUD!

Another went down.

BANG!

A third rolled across the training mat.

Victoria moved through the group like she was taking a casual walk.

A sword came toward her.

She tilted her head.

The blade passed beside her.

She tapped the attacker’s wrist.

The wooden sword flew away.

Another Hunter charged.

Victoria stepped aside, hooked his ankle, and sent him crashing onto his back.

Two more attacked simultaneously.

She crossed her sword against one weapon, redirected it into the second Hunter’s path, then swept both of their legs.

They collapsed together.

The entire exchange took less than a minute.

Soon, every Hunter was lying on the ground.

Victoria calmly lowered her sword.

Elira stared at her.

"You mad woman!"

Victoria blinked innocently.

"I didn’t kill them."

"You were supposed to teach them!"

"I did."

"You defeated everyone in thirty seconds!"

Victoria shrugged.

"That is also a lesson."

Elira put a hand over her face.

"I specifically told you to teach them how to handle combat situations."

"I showed them what happens when they attack someone stronger."

"That’s not what I meant!"

Victoria smiled.

"Then explain it better next time."

Elira’s eye twitched.

"I need coffee."

She turned around.

"And I need a headache medicine for dealing with you."

Victoria placed the training sword back onto the rack.

"Get me one too."

"I’m not your assistant."

"Then don’t bring it."

Elira glared at her.

Victoria simply walked away.

"Miss Victoria."

Victoria stopped.

She turned around.

Julian was approaching with Cole beside him.

Julian bowed slightly.

"Would you mind sparring with me?"

Cole stood beside him, already trying to hide a smile.

Victoria looked at Julian.

"Why not?"

Then she smiled.

"But don’t cry after I defeat you and call your billionaire father."

Cole immediately burst out laughing.

Julian’s face twitched.

"Miss Victoria..."

He took a deep breath.

"Please don’t take me lightly."

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"I don’t."

"I’ve been practicing swordsmanship since I was five."

That caught her attention.

"Since five?"

Julian nodded proudly.

"Yes."

Victoria smiled.

"Then show me."

The two walked toward the center of the training ground.

Several Hunters gathered around them.

Elira stopped drinking her coffee.

"Please don’t destroy my training ground."

Victoria ignored her.

Julian took his position.

He held his sword with both hands.

Victoria noticed his stance immediately.

Not bad.

His feet were positioned properly.

His grip was firm.

His shoulders were relaxed.

He wasn’t simply swinging the sword based on strength. He had actually been trained.

Julian attacked first.

CLANG!

Victoria blocked.

Julian immediately rotated his wrist and changed the angle.

Victoria parried.

Another strike came from the side.

She blocked again.

Julian stepped forward and launched a combination of three strikes.

Victoria casually avoided the first.

Blocked the second.

Then stopped the third with a single hand.

Julian’s eyes widened.

Victoria smiled.

"Your basics are good."

Julian pulled his sword back.

"Don’t compliment me yet."

He rushed forward.

This time his movements were faster.

He attacked from different angles, mixing horizontal and vertical strikes.

Victoria continued blocking.

She wasn’t using her bloodline.

She wasn’t even using her full physical strength.

She was simply observing him.

Julian suddenly changed his footwork.

He lowered his body and attempted a sweeping strike toward Victoria’s legs.

Victoria jumped over it.

Before Julian could recover, she tapped his shoulder with the wooden sword.

Tap.

"You lost."

Julian froze.

Victoria stepped back.

"Again."

Julian gritted his teeth.

He attacked again.

This time he used a feint.

Victoria noticed it immediately but allowed him to continue.

He changed direction halfway through the attack.

His sword came dangerously close to her shoulder.

Victoria blocked at the last moment.

CLANG!

She smiled.

"Better."

Julian’s expression brightened.

He continued.

For several minutes, the spar remained one-sided, but Victoria didn’t immediately defeat him.

She was testing him.

His swordsmanship was genuinely decent.

He lacked the experience of a true high-level Hunter, but his foundation was solid.

Eventually, Victoria disarmed him with a clean twist.

Julian’s sword fell onto the ground.

Silence.

Victoria lowered her weapon.

"You have decent skill."

Julian stared at her.

"Really?"

"Yes."

She nodded.

"If you keep practicing and eventually awaken a strong bloodline, you could have a place on an S-Rank team."

Julian’s eyes widened.

"An S-Rank team?"

"But don’t get excited yet."

Victoria pointed at him with the sword.

"You still have a lot of work to do."

Julian smiled.

"I will."

For the first time since arriving at the training program, Julian genuinely looked happy.

Two weeks earlier, he had received the message from the WHA asking him to participate in the mentor program.

At first, he had wanted to refuse.

The last person he wanted to meet was Daemon.

But then he discovered that Daemon and Roxanna weren’t attending.

That had immediately improved his mood.

Two weeks had passed.

Daemon still hadn’t appeared.

Neither had Roxanna.

Julian had his own theory.

A very stupid theory.

They’re probably staying at some cheap rental hotel somewhere.

He frowned.

Probably enjoying themselves like rabbits.

He quickly shook his head.

If he told anyone that theory, they’d accuse him of lying.

Or they’d say he was simply a spoiled rich kid who thought he knew everything.

Julian sighed.

"Being a good man is so difficult."

Cole looked at him.

"...What are you talking about?"

"Nothing."

Julian smiled.

"At least I have a rich father."

Cole stared at him.

"That is somehow the worst thing you’ve said today."

Julian ignored him.

He turned toward Victoria.

"Miss Victoria, thank you for your guidance."

Victoria nodded.

Julian hesitated.

"And there’s something I want to tell you."

Cole’s expression immediately changed.

He knew that look.

Julian was about to get himself into trouble.

Victoria asked, "What is it?"

Julian smiled confidently.

"I’m almost certain Daemon used some kind of artifact to pass the qualification."

Victoria’s smile disappeared.

Cole silently looked toward the sky.

Here we go.

Julian continued.

"I don’t believe someone like him could actually—"

He stopped himself.

"And that big br—" woman

He coughed.

"I mean, Miss Roxanna."

Victoria’s eyes became colder.

"They’re probably involved in some kind of scam together. I have people who can investigate these sorts of things.

If you give me permission, I can find out the truth."

He smiled as if he had just offered her a great business proposal.

"My father also asked me to invite you to dinner. He’d like to discuss a possible business partnership."

Victoria slowly placed the wooden sword back onto the rack.

Then she turned around.

She walked toward Julian.

One step.

Then another.

Julian’s smile disappeared.

Victoria stopped directly in front of him.

"If you ever insult my husband again..."

Her voice was quiet.

"...or my friend Roxanna..."

Julian swallowed.

Victoria leaned slightly closer.

"I’ll personally buy you a ticket to hell."

She paused.

"And I’ll buy one for your rich father too."

Julian’s face went pale.

"Understood."

Victoria stared at him for another second.

"Good."

She turned away.

Julian released a breath.

I talked too much.

For the first time, he remembered one extremely important detail.

Daemon wasn’t merely some Hunter he disliked.

He was Victoria Hale’s husband.

I should have used my brain before speaking.

Victoria suddenly stopped.

"Julian."

He froze.

"Yes, Miss Victoria?"

"Come with me."

Julian’s face immediately changed.

What?

She turned toward him.

Julian couldn’t tell whether she had changed her mind or whether she was about to fulfill her promise about the ticket to hell.

Cole, meanwhile, looked extremely interested.

Victoria started walking.

Julian reluctantly followed.

Cole watched them disappear toward the building.

Then he smiled.

"This looks surprisingly good."

He immediately started following.

"Hey, Victoria! Wait for me!"

Victoria glanced back.

"Fine. Come along."

Cole grinned.

Julian’s stomach sank.

He had a very bad feeling about where this was going.

And judging by Victoria’s expression...

He was probably right.