Chapter 27- Who Truly Knows?
Trying to keep calm, Rize focused on what she said as the chaos unleashed in his mind. Every single instance before this where the plot changed was bad, but it was still manageable. In the end, they were bound to meet, so it was simply something that happened earlier than expected. Rize could handle that kind of change.
However, this instance, that look, that confession… It was never supposed to happen to him. Those words were meant for the protagonist who was the catalyst for them. He was supposed to make Venera feel that, to discover her own goal and admit it before him, and that would lead to their relationship strengthening down the line.
All of that went down the drain so quickly.
'How… How did this even happen? I didn't even do anything! This is bad, this is really bad… What should I do? What should I do? Think, Rize, think…'
"Rize?" Venera noticed the odd expression on his face.
"Huh?" He snapped out of it as he looked at her. "Oh, nothing, nothing, ehem… So, umm, how are you going to do such a thing?"
"..." Venera stared ahead of her for a second as she closed her eyes, imagining the thoughts in her mind visually. "Well, I think the first step is to get rid of the shroud of divinity wrapped around these people. We aren't perfect people, Rize. No one is perfect." She said. "We make mistakes, we consume lies, and we lie to ourselves. We aren't all-knowing, and we aren't invincible."
"I see…"
"A true kingdom is about being righteous and, more importantly… Humane ruler. I don't want to lose that humanity because I became strong." She said. "I don't want that."
Her words wavered subtly at the end, which was something that Rize noticed. However, he didn't comment on it and looked ahead himself.
"I believe that's… That's an admirable goal to have. To be a good ruler is to be someone who everyone looks up to. I understand why you don't want the sense of worship they give to those who have supernatural powers." Rize said. "And I believe if there is someone who could do it, it's you, Venera." He then turned around and smiled at her.
Venera stared at him with slightly wide eyes, blinking slowly. She was taken aback by what Rize said. He was oddly the first person she had ever admitted this goal of hers to. She didn't know why, but she felt like she knew Rize for a very long time and could trust him enough with such a secret.
Ever since she met him, she kept getting surprised by his personality and behavior. He was simply so intriguing, unlike most other people she had ever met. Something about him was different, unique, and… oddly calming.
"Yeah, and it seems if things go as intended, you're getting dragged with me into this."
"We will see about that," Rize said.
The two sat in silence for a while, not looking at each other. Minutes passed quickly, and before they knew it, a silhouette appeared on the stairs, going down toward them.
"Well, Geralt is back. I should probably head back now." Venera said as she stood up and adjusted her clothes.
"Yeah…"
"Rize? Oh, Your Highness. What are you doing here?"
"I was just talking to Rize." She said. "Are you done with my father?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Well…" Venera turned to Rize. "I think this will be it."
"Hm?"
"I doubt we will see each other again for a long while. You will get busy, and I will get busy. So, I might as well say this now. It was nice meeting you, Rize."
"It was nice meeting you too, Your Highness." Rize replied.
"I will see you when the time is right. I would guess it's 9 years from now."
"That sounds like a very long time when you say it like that, haha." Rize chuckled. It was indeed a long time, but he knew that it would pass eventually.
"Well, you better not slack off during that time, or Geralt might break your bones." She said.
"I-I would rather avoid that kind of outcome." Rize shuddered as he remembered the kind of hellish training he was about to go back to.
Meanwhile, Geralt watched their interaction from the side with a curious look on his face. He had never seen the princess act that way before. She was usually cold and stern, and completely withdrawn.
Yet, he was seeing her expressions change a lot when talking to Rize.
'What did that brat even do…' Geralt squinted. 'Hm, well, as long as he gets along with Her Highness, that's good.'
If the two could build a good connection, Geralt was certain it would make a huge difference in keeping the princess alive.
"Well, see you later, Rize. Good luck on your training."
"You two, Your Highness. I will see you in 9 years."
With that, Venera bid him farewell and left the venue. Rize finally turned to Geralt, who had a very weird expression on his face.
"Are you ok, sir?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, we need to leave now. You've already wasted a day; we can't waste more than that. It's time for you to pick up pace and get stronger. You've seen the true power everyone here possesses; you're still far from that."
"I'm aware, sir. I feel even more motivated to work harder now."
"Good, so just to make sure your motivation isn't temporary, we're increasing the difficulty a notch," Geralt said coldly.
"Haha y-yeah, that's amazing…"
'Fuck me.' Rize cursed in his mind.
Then, the two finally left the venue and got inside the car. After leaving the palace, they found themselves in the bustling streets of the capital again. The celebrations were still ongoing as people were out enjoying the nightlife.
It felt like a contrast to the quiet palace at night. The bright light fascinated Rize to no extent, and it made him instinctively look around, enjoying the moving scenery.
However, that eventually came to an end when they finally left the city and the dark forest welcomed them again.
Rize stared behind him. He would perhaps not see the city for years, as he would focus on training. As fleeting as this moment was, he enjoyed it.
'Whatever happens in the future is now completely up to fate. My knowledge might help me, but the changes are already so major that I truly can't predict what could happen anymore.' Rize mused. 'What I'm certain of is that I took a good first step forward. Being a stranger in this boy's body… I think I'm doing good.'
As the city disappeared in the distance, Rize finally turned around and faced the path ahead. His eyes were calm and serene, but his heart was oddly racing. Something told him that this was never going to be the story he expected it to be.
Somehow… Somewhere along the line, this will diverge from the story of the downfall of a villain.
Who truly knows?
[End Of Prologue]