Chapter 131 The Princess

Sitting in a room, with one wall replaced with an open view to the garden, four people sat.

Hela, who is gazing at the plants outside as the wind blew onto her clothes which bore a lizard marking.

V, who was sitting in a corner, looking annoyed and pissed like usual.

Jade, sitting in front of the main table in a dignified and respectable manner.

And, Chrys, who is sitting on the opposite end of the table from where Jade sat.

He then spoke in a calm manner. "Is your friend not joining us today?"

Jade then replied in a polite and gentle tone. "No, he is busy today."

"Matt was it...? Hey, go and take Hela for a short walk." Chrys said while looking at the offended V.

"You're not the boss of me!" V complained.

Ignoring V entirely, Chrys just returned his attention to Jade as he gave her a smile.

A few seconds later, Hela walked over to V and lifted him onto her shoulder before he could react.

"Let go of me, you glutton!"

Faced with V's insults as he tried to set himself free, Hela simply stated. "Can I go outside the city?"

"Go wherever you want! See if I care! Now put me down!"

"Sure, Hela. Just make sure to be back in about an hour or so. And, make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

"Like he-"

After delivering a powerful blow onto the back of V's head, Hela then said. "Okay... I'm sorry I couldn't stay, Jade."

With a smile, Jade responded. "No problem, you're not the one I have business with right now. Maybe we can meet again sometime."

"Yes!"

And with that, Hela left the room and leapt over the wall with the unconscious V still on her shoulder, slightly hitting his head onto the wall as she passed.

After they left, Chrys then stated. "I'm sorry if you are offended by my friends' actions, Princess."

Softly shaking her head left and right, Jade replied. "No need. I already knew Hela was a bit of a wild one. And besides, I think I just learned something new."

"Is it the knowledge that you can simply knock out an annoying person if they start to get too much?"

"Perhaps."

Just then, a servant came into the room, bearing their tea and some snacks.

After setting it down onto the table, the servant did a neat bow before leaving the room and closing the door behind them.

As he grabbed his cup, filled with tea, Chrys asked. "So, what do you want to know from me, Princess?"

After sipping some tea from her cup, Jade responded. "What makes you say I want to know something from you, Mr. Razor?"

Holding the cup in his hands, Chrys continued as he looked at Jade through his sunglasses. "I know a lot of things, Princess."

"..."

"I know you are concerned about your kingdom's well being."

"..."

"I know you already have connected the dots that was left for you to find."

"..."

"I know you are aware of the enemy."

"..."

"I know... that this conversation was planned out by you."

"..."

"Let me guess what you did this morning, Princess."

"..."

"Hmm... This is harder than I thought, but... I know one thing for certain..."

"..."

"You lied."

"..."

"You lied to your friends."

"You lied to your colleagues."

"You even lied to your family."

"And worst... You lied to yourself."

Unable to keep it all in, Jade softly slammed her cup onto the table with her hands while saying. "You don't know me."

His face expressionless and with his eyes still hiding behind his sunglasses, Chrys continued. "Oh, I know. Trust me."

"..."

"I know you are an afraid little child, dreaming of one day making her father proud."

"My father is proud of me." Jade said, her tone and voice showing signs of anger.

"That's what you keep telling yourself, right, Princess?"

"..."

"Since you seem to have forgotten who you are, let me remind you, shall I?"

"You are a princess of the Jade region. Undoubtedly the next ruler in line."

"A princess... who has NEVER picked up a weapon in her life. Always relying on her subordinates when the going gets tough."

"And, what is this? The helpless Princess going up to me, all alone, for she pushed everybody away in order to bear it all."

"...That's not how it is." Jade stated, her voice wavering and shivering.

"Oh? Is that so... Please do enlighten me, Princess."

After saying that, Chrys set the still filled cup from his hand onto the table before looking at Jade in the eyes with his hands placed on top of each other on the table.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What's wrong, Princess? Helpless without others as usual?"

Raising her clenched fist in the air, but a few seconds later, she softly slammed it onto the table as she replied with an exhale. "...No."

His expression still unmoving and uncaring, Chrys asked. "No? What do you mean by that, Princess?"

After a few seconds of silence, Jade replied. "No... I'm not the person you think I am."

"Oh? Here to prove me wrong, are you? Go on then." Said Chrys, his expression unchanging.

With a deep breath in her lungs, Jade stated with a confident tone. "I am Jade. The Princess of the Jade region, next in line to the throne..."

"I have never held a weapon in my life. But, I wield a weapon that no other can ever hope to defeat... I wield my heart."

"These hands have never and never will hold a weapon."

"These hands are meant to hold others like it, and raise them up high."

"I will give a second chance for those who have never had a chance in the first place."

"I will extend these... 'helpless' hands to those in need."

"For I, Jade, am strong."

After finishing her statement, Jade looked at Chrys' sunglasses with eyes filled with confidence and fire.

"*clap*"

"*clap*"

"*clap*"

"*clap*"

"*clap* Very..."

"*clap* Well..."

"*clap* Said..."

"*clap* Princess."

Without his face changing, Chrys slowly clapped for a few seconds before stopping as he said. "It seems you have proven me wrong, Princess."

"You truly are strong, Jade."

"I apologize for my ignorance. Now then, since you have bested me, I will answer your questions."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Don't be shy now."

After taking a minute and a deep breath to calm herself, Jade stared at Chrys with a calm expression.

"Let me be blunt, I want to know what you know." Jade said with a demanding tone.

Unfazed, Chrys answered. "Let me ask you this, Jade. What makes you think you can survive knowing what I know, Jade? I am a very secretive person afterall."

Without a shred of hesitation, Jade responded with a confident tone. "Because I don't know who you are, and I don't want to know. Me being kept in the dark are what's keeping me safe from you."

With the corners of his mouth slowly rising, Chrys then stated. "Very well. Best if we keep it at that. Go on, ask me."

With a serious tone, Jade asked. "What do you know? Who are you fi-... who are WE fighting?"

After a bit of a pause, Chrys then answered. "Do you have a past, Jade?"

"Answer the question." Jade demanded.

"They say a person's past, dictates their future."

"..."

"Every mistake you made, will one day come back to bite you."

"..."

"Every grave you bury, they will unearth."

"..."

"Let me ask you, Jade. Why do you think I am who I am? Why are you... You?"

"I don't think I understand your question." Jade said, looking directly at Chrys' unchanging expression.

"Put it this way, what do you think I want?"

"Will answering this question cost me my life?"

"No, it will not."

"I believe you are after something."

"Heh, playing it safe, huh? Very well. Let's say for example, I want vengeance. What do you think I will do?"

"Go and find someone to satisfy that need."

"That is true. Now, think if someone went up to me and said, 'I can give you what you want, and I can prove it to you' do you think I will take their offer?"

"...I presume you will ask questions first."

"Yes, that is part of the process. But, for the sake of our example, let's say I said Yes. What do you think will happen now?"

"You either get backstabbed or get what you want."

"Correct. Now, take that example and multiply it to how many people you have wronged in the past."

"I haven't wronged that many people."

"That might be true. But, can you say the same for everybody else?"

"..."

"Let us say... everyone is guilty of atleast one sin each, shall we?"

"..."

"Now, think, for every side you take, for every person you declined, for every person you beat... There will ALWAYS be someone against you."

"..."

"Now, think if someone dug out that old wound of theirs and pointed them towards YOUR direction, starting to get it now?"

"Yes, I think I am. But, how do you propose we fight them?"

"Well, you can always just go my way and tie up every loose end to the point that it can't be tracked back to you."

Looking a bit to the side, Jade stated. "...I don't everybody can do that."

"Yes, that is true. But, the only other way is to face them directly."

Leaning back a bit, Jade asked. "So, we just overpower them, right?"

Shaking his head gently, Chrys continued. "I think you are overestimating yourself, Jade."

"What do you mean?" Jade asked, looking very serious.

"Nobody is prepared to meet their past, nor are they capable enough to defeat them."

"..."

"For example, a former lover, a family member, a ghost that visits your nightmares nightly, a former disciple, a little sister, do you think you have the courage to face any of these?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Answer me, Jade."

"I can't."

"So you really are strong. Well, let me leave you this piece of advice, Jade."

Chrys then picked up his full cup of cold tea before toying with it in his hands as he continued. "Take this drink for example."

"It is a drink... made from poison. Why do you think you can injest this particular drink without being poisoned?"

"...Because I only take in a small amount."

"Yes, because hypothetically, if you drink enough of this drink, you will reach the dangerous amount."

"Where are you getting at?" Jade asked, looking a bit impatient.

Chrys then stated. "We are all humans, Jade. And, we have our limits."

After saying that, Chrys placed his full cup back onto the table before he stood up.

Walking towards the door and grabbing the handle, Chrys suddenly turned his head back towards the pondering Jade before asking. "Now that you know this, Jade. Are you willing to break free from your limits or stay where you are now?"

"Take the safety of the tried method, or brave the unknown?"

After saying that, Chrys left the room without waiting for Jade to answer.

After a few minutes of deep pondering, Jade silently stood up from her seat before walking out to the balcony off to the side.

And with a deep breath, she took in a lung full of air while her face and eyes blankly stared off into the distant sky.