Villain's POV: The Heroines Want Me!

Chapter 16: Chapter 16- The Capital (Part 1)

Chapter 16- The Capital (Part 1)

Rize stared at Venera for a good few moments, understanding the kind of game they were playing. He didn’t even realize Venera had this kind of side before, but it made sense to him when he saw how she looked at him. He felt the urge to laugh at how ridiculous this situation was.

But at the same time, he felt that he was being challenged and mocked. As if Venera was saying he would never dare to do such a thing, as he would be standing around royalty and the most important people in the world.

”...” He squinted his eyes before he looked at Geralt. ”Yeah, she has a point. I think I could learn a lot from seeing how royalty and nobility operate in official ceremonies. If I’m going to follow the princess and be her protector, I need to know how these kinds of events work.”

”...” Venera raised her eyebrows, surprised by his reaction. ’He dares, huh...’

”...” Geralt stared at him with a conflicted look before he sighed and gave up. He could not defy the princess’ orders much more than this, or he would be in trouble. He still believed it was a very bad idea deep down, but he had no choice but to accept that.

”Well, it’s settled then. You are officially invited to the ceremony.” Venera said. ”I hope to see you there three days from now.”

”I will be there. Thank you for the invitation.” Rize said with a faint smile. ’You’re not going to win this game you’re playing, not on my watch.’

Venera smiled faintly back at him. ’We will see.’

”Well, I’ve done what I came here to do,” Venera said calmly. ”We will be leaving now.”

”Shall I come with you, Your Highness?” Geralt asked.

”No need. We came here in complete secrecy; I’m sure we will be back home safely. Thank you for the hospitality, Geralt.” Venera said before she turned to Rize. ”And it was good meeting you, Rize. May our cooperation in the future be fruitful.”

”You too, Princess,” Rize replied. ’Fruitful, she said. If she only knew the heinous things she was going to do to me in the future.’

However, naturally, nothing of that happened yet, so Rize wasn’t going to punish her for it yet. In fact, seeing the sheer difference between what happened in the original story and what happened in this world, Rize started suspecting that things might truly not go as he expected.

’Only time will tell if I will be betrayed or not. I will be able to prevent it if that’s the case.’ He thought to himself as he watched Venera leave with her butler. The two took the car and disappeared into the distance.

Rize watched them from the window before he turned to Geralt. ”That was very interesting... I didn’t expect the princess to be so friendly like that.”

”Her Highness is a very respectful and approachable lady to those whom she deems worthy of her time. You should be honored she took this trip just to see you. She’s a very busy person and her time is extremely precious.”

”Yeah, I’m aware.”

”Well, you better take this as a drive to work harder and do your best,” Geralt said.

”So, what is this ceremony all about?”

”Her Highness’ second brother, Prince Kane, is about to undergo his awakening, and as with any other royalty, that is a day of celebration, as it is his birthday and the moment he will become awakened. The entire capital will celebrate that day, and there will be a ceremony in the evening.” He explained. ”We will be attending the banquet where the king, the queen, and the prince will be giving speeches.”

”Sounds very exciting.”

”You will get to see all the important members of the royal family and understand the kind position you will have in the future.”

’The royal family, as far as I remember, are a bunch of rotten pieces of filth who want to outsmart and kill each other for that throne. Venera has 6 siblings, three boys and three girls, excluding her. Each one is aiming for that throne and the power that comes with it.’

Being the ruler of the strongest nation in the world was something that would make them truly invincible. The wealth, fame, and power they would gain were unimaginable. It was basically their ticket to immortality or beyond.

So, as the King ages and they grow up, the political battle for the throne will grow even more intense and evil.

’Venera and the protagonist will end up in the heart of this conflict. It will certainly be interesting to watch.’ Rize thought to himself.

”For that, we need to get you proper clothes for the occasion.”

”Hm? A certain fit?”

***

*Three Days Later*

”Oh wow...” Rize stood in front of the mirror as he stared at his reflection. His hair was slicked back, and he was wearing a black suit with a bowtie. He appeared very elegant and dashing, making his already ridiculously handsome face shine even brighter. ”Not half bad.”

”Are you ready, boy?” Geralt asked.

”Yes, sir.”

”Good, let’s go then. We don’t have time to waste.” He said.

With that, the two walked out of the cabin. It was a very sunny morning. Getting in the car, they moved out of the forest and found the main road back to the capital.

”Now that I think about it, this is the first time I’m going to the city,” Rize said. ”It feels so weird.”

Rize knew of the capital from the book, but he had never seen it before, so he was curious how it would look.

He knew that it was a majestic city and one of the most beautiful places in the world. A city where millions of people lived and the heart of the nation. In a fantastical world like this one, he knew he was going to witness something that would blow his mind.

However, what he didn’t know was that what he was going to witness would crush all his expectations and completely blow his mind.

A few hours later, the long stretches of forest they were surrounded by started clearing up as they emerged from a tunnel on the other side. Rize squinted at the bright light before he opened his eyes, only for his jaw to drop to the ground.

A massive, majestic city sprawled before him in its full glory. Cars were moving in and out endlessly through the massive gates. Aircraft flew over their heads everywhere, and the sound of the bustling city could be heard from their position.

Large, modern buildings peeked from behind the thick walls of the city, welcoming them with their modern beauty. However, what made this place so utterly mesmerizing to stare at was something hovering in the heart of the city.

’The Golden Clock...’ He thought to himself.

A massive circular object, at least several hundred meters in length, was suspended over the city in the air without anything attached to it. It was a large, ancient clock and the city’s most important monument.

The Golden Clock... Or as many call it... The Founder’s Time Piece.