Chapter 94- Healthy Red

Chapter 94: Chapter 94- Healthy Red

Chapter 94- Healthy Red

For a while after that, the group roamed the training grounds, watching the soldiers as they worked. The common troops’ general, Levian, explained to them the process and what they wanted their soldiers to do.

Rize instantly understood why Sagardia was the strongest empire in the world, and it wasn’t merely their infinite resources; their army was simply in another world compared to the rest. Their men, even the unawakened ones, were exceptionally skilled warriors. They had a set of skills that simply made them killing machines in warfare, and those skills were only getting enhanced with the ruthless training.

Rize could tell that they were being pushed to their limits, but no one complained or even showed a look of exhaustion. Instead, all he saw was fire in their eyes. Each one of them would scream in unison as they did their exercises relentlessly.

"They’re hard-working men," Levian said as he noticed the look of surprise in Rize’s eyes. "Our test handpicks them to make sure each soldier is one who has the hunger and desire to serve this great empire."

"Hm. I could tell." Rize replied as he nodded his head. ’They’re borderline insane. But, then again, to be a warrior who risks his life every Monday and Tuesday, you have to be slightly insane. Our world doesn’t like sane people.’

Even Rize himself is insane in a way. Nobody could survive Geralt’s training unless they had a few screws loose to begin with.

’Even though these guys are doing some insane work. If Geralt got his hands on them, they would beg to go back here, as it is heaven compared to that hell.’ Rize smiled to himself. ’I wonder where that old man is now. I heard he is abroad on some mission. Hopefully he’s doing well.’

Rize already missed his scowling face and his ruthless training, even though he was glad it was over.

"Let’s go, Rize."

After watching for a while, Venera seemingly had enough as she turned around to leave. The boy nodded and walked after her.

"Are you satisfied with the work, Your Highness?" Hinako asked with a hopeful smile on her face. This entire time, Venera hadn’t commented on the work at all except for a few questions and odd looks, and that naturally made the woman nervous.

If the princess didn’t find their work satisfying, it was not a good look for them at all, and to her especially. However, at the same time, Venera was someone very hard to satisfy.

"Hm, I have nothing to say," Venera replied as she looked through the elevator’s glass door with a calm expression. "You’re doing your work well."

Her words, as flat as they sounded, still made Hinako smile faintly.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness."

When the elevator returned to the surface, Venera walked out, and Rize followed, looking over his shoulder at the two people. Then, he approached Venera and whispered.

"That was very interesting, to say the least." He said.

"And very demented," Venera replied. "They have no idea how they will tackle that logistical nightmare."

"Yeah, they definitely looked stressed up there."

"We will see what kind of things they will resort to. But safe to say, it won’t be pretty." Venera said as she clicked her tongue.

Getting in the car, they drove back to the palace. The atmosphere was tense and quiet, and Rize could tell Venera was angry, but even then, she still didn’t give him the same cold treatment she would give to everyone else.

Only around Rize does she stop pretending and drop her guard. If people knew that Princess Venera was capable of smiling and laughing, they would think it was some sort of sick joke. She was called the ’Aloof Ice Princess’ amongst the masses for a reason.

Nobody had ever seen her smile in any official appearance, so they could only suspect that she was simply incapable of smiling when, in reality, Venera was a very playful person around Rize.

When the car finally reached the palace, the sun was still high in the sky.

"Sorry for making you come with me all the way there, Rize. I know you’re exhausted from your hunting trip." Venera said as she got out of the car and walked with him to the palace entrance.

"It’s my job, Venera. I will gladly go with you wherever you want or... The palace would be paying me for nothing." Rize said with a shrug.

"You’re a very honorable worker, aren’t you?" She asked with a sarcastic tone.

"The best in the business. If they ever have an employee of the month award in the palace, I would win it all year round." Rize replied with a chuckle. "Or, hm, actually, I’m not that crazy, maybe just 11 months out of the year. Yeah, that’s perfect."

Venera watched Rize rumble to himself, and she could only smile faintly. The sour mood she was in a bit ago dissipated, and she could only chuckle at his odd jokes. She had never met someone who spoke like Rize; he had such a different way of wording things or speaking in general.

She never understood what it was really, but it was very charming.

"Ok, employee of the month, your employer is telling you to go eat food and rest," Venera said. "You have to train tomorrow too."

"Yes, ma’am." Rize saluted.

"Don’t even." Venera rolled her eyes.

"Come on, I have to learn how to act more formally around you. Imagine if people see me and think I’m just tagging along. I need to be more intimidating."

"No, just... No." Venera replied. "Remain as you are. I like you that way better."

"..."

As they walked, suddenly Rize stopped as he stared at Venera; his eyes widened slightly.

"Hm? What’s wrong?" Venera noticed that he had stopped and looked over her shoulder. The boy had a stunned look on his face. "Is everything o-"

Before she could even finish that sentence, it dawned on her what she had just said. Her eyes slowly widened as she turned her head away quickly to hide her face.

"Just... Don’t be someone you aren’t." She said with an odd tone. "Anyway, we will talk later."

Then, before Rize could say anything, she quickly ran away from the scene as fast as she could without making it seem like she was running. Rize stood there for a while like a statue, not knowing what to do.

Then, he started walking back to his room. When he made it there, he closed the door slowly before he turned around and rested his back against it. He closed his eyes and put his hand against his face.

"Isn’t this a bit too cruel?" He muttered. "And a bit too sick?"

Pursing his lips, he sucked a deep breath. That was perhaps the most adorable thing he had ever seen, and more than that, it warmed his heart to hear those words. To hear someone say that they ’like’ him.

He had never heard it before in his life, and it was akin to a train crashing into his heart. At that moment, all Rize could do was wash his face to hide the healthy red color that appeared on it.