Chapter 145- Jealous

Chapter 145: Chapter 145- Jealous

Chapter 145- Jealous

Rize looked at her for a second before he thought for a moment. ’Rose is quite strong and very helpful. We really work well off each other, so she would definitely be a huge help.’ He thought to himself.

As much as Rize wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, this next test would prove to be the hardest one he would face so far. It would push him to the limit, and who knows what kinds of abominations he would see in that area. The forest surrounding the mountain itself was utterly massive, and getting through it was bound to take effort; then the climb itself would be brutal.

"Yeah, I think we could make a good team," Rize said after a bit of contemplation. "I will ask Venera too, just in case, though I’m sure she wouldn’t say no."

"Well, Her Highness seems to have quite the temper," Rose replied with a shrug. "I wouldn’t be surprised if she said no."

’I don’t even know why Venera has that temper around Rose. Even in the main story, the two weren’t particularly the best of friends, which is very odd considering how similar they are in more than one way.’ Rize mused as he looked at Rose. Either way, he knew that Venera wouldn’t sabotage their test just because of some feelings.

She knows more than anyone else how strong Rose is and how much of an addition to the group if she joined them. They would definitely become far stronger if she were with them, and that would increase their chances of success quite a bit.

Rize looked outside for a second before he exhaled. "I will have to excuse myself now. If you want, we can meet at the main plaza at around 6 pm?" He asked. "We will probably leave at that time."

"Ok, I will see you there then," Rose said.

With that, Rize left the office with Rose before they eventually separated and walked in different directions. Rize immediately headed to Venera’s class. When he got there, he saw her waiting for him silently.

"I’m sorry for keeping you waiting," Rize said as he approached her. "I had to hear the explanation from Melissa, and then I came as fast as I could."

"It’s ok. How did things go?" She asked.

"What do you expect? I aced the test and got everything right." Rize replied with a smile on his face.

Venera blinked before she smiled back. "I was just making sure. I knew you were going to ace it. Congratulations."

"Thank you. Congratulations to you too, even though it probably didn’t even push you that much."

For Venera, the test was as easy as it could’ve been, and it didn’t make her put any more effort than she usually does to still finish it in record time.

"Oh, also... Venera, we need to talk about something important." He said. "What do you think of the second part of the test?"

"Hm, it is definitely not far off from what I expected, although it’s still brutal." She said. "The weather in the next few weeks will be particularly harsh and cold. I heard there is even the possibility of a very bad storm. I don’t know if this was just a coincidence or if they deliberately wanted to do it during this time, but either way... It won’t be easy, far from."

"Yeah, there are also the monsters in that region. They’re hostile and very strong... Some are even Tier 7 and Tier 6."

Rize had already studied many regions of the world and the kind of ecosystem that exists in them, and this particular region near the academy was known for terrifying monsters and horrific abominations that infested every corner of the forest and the surrounding plains and mountain range.

Even with the two of them working together, they could encounter a monster that could kill them both with ease if they weren’t careful and didn’t know where to go. So, Rize decided to bring the topic right there and then.

"That is why... I may have accepted a certain offer." Rize said.

"Hm?"

"Rose." He said. "She wants to team up with us."

"..." Venera frowned for a second. "You accepted that? Without asking me?"

Her tone was slowly becoming colder and Rize quickly reacted to try and save his skin, knowing that if she got upset, it would be a disaster.

"Think about it, Venera. As much as we’re both strong, this test could potentially be the hardest of them all. We can’t really risk facing a life-threatening situation without at least being as ready as we can be. Rose is very strong, and she’s very smart. She would be a huge help." Rize said.

"Very strong... And very smart?" Venera muttered under her breath as she blinked slowly. "Is that what you think?"

"Yeah, she finished the test at the same time that I did. I think we could definitely use her assistance. What do you think?" He asked with a soft smile. ’I’m sure Venera understands.’

"Hm, I see..." Venera said in a mysterious tone before she nodded. "You do have a point. She could be of some help. Not that we can’t do it without her, but if she is available, we might as well take her temporary aid."

"Great! I’m glad you agree. We agreed to meet tonight at the plaza at around 6 pm." He said. "We should go to get everything before that, and also lunch. I’m so hungry."

With that, Rize started walking while Venera stared at his back silently for a second. Her mind was thinking of a thousand things at the same time as she felt a very weird sensation that she had never experienced before in her life. She was upset; she was angry... But she wasn’t angry with Rize... She just felt something that squeezed her heart quite a bit.

’Why do I hate the fact that he said she’s smart and strong this much... Why does it bother me this much?’ She asked herself. It was a factually true thing, as Rose is one of the most talented individuals in Sagardia and the entire world.

Even Venera would admit that at one time herself. However, for some reason, Rize saying it that way made her feel extremely annoyed, and she couldn’t quite explain why.

The mixed feelings made her bite her lip. ’What am I even thinking? Why am I even so bothered by this? He didn’t say anything wrong... He didn’t... say...’

The words Rize said repeated in her head again and again, and each time, it made her even more annoyed and angry.

"Venera?" Rize called for her when he noticed she wasn’t moving, and his voice snapped her out of her daze as she exhaled.

"I’m coming."

She started walking, but even as Rize talked to her, that feeling didn’t leave the back of her mind. Venera being Venera, she wanted to know what that feeling was, why she felt it, and how to deal with it.

But as the two left the building and finally breathed the air of the city again, she focused on the matter at hand, which was to prepare as much as possible for this test. Since the academy didn’t restrict what they could bring, granted they had to carry it on their backs or in the limited space they had, they knew exactly what kind of essentials they would need and where to get them.

With that, the two moved toward their targets. They bought more healing potions of a higher grade, more stamina potions for the endurance test, and more rations as emergency food if they couldn’t find any in the mountain range or the forest.

They also bought thick clothes made especially for the harsh climate of the higher altitudes. The clothes they were given were decent, but they wanted something of a higher grade with better insulation against the cold and other features they might need.

Finally, they stopped at a restaurant to eat and fill their stomachs before the trip. They knew that this was going to be the last time they ate a nice meal before the two weeks of hell they were about to undergo, so they made sure to enjoy their food thoroughly.

By the time they were done, it was almost 6 pm so they headed immediately to the meeting spot. The city was completely empty of students as everyone was still undergoing the test, but Rize expected an influx of candidates to appear between tonight and tomorrow as they started finishing the test and getting ready for the trip.

’It will be so interesting to see how they will deal with this... We will definitely see quite the faces soon...’

The chaos that will occur on that mountain will be unlike anything they have seen in their lives, and Rize knew that deep down. Staring at the colossal guardian before them, he could only frown.

’At least I will finally understand the feeling it has been giving me.’