Chapter 100: Effort

"Your Highness…"

Blake stared at Herbert's upright back, momentarily dumbfounded.

Herbert had changed.

Although the last time they met he had already had a vague feeling that Herbert had become somewhat different from the Herbert in his memory,

as a retainer who had watched him grow up with his own eyes, Blake had still leaned more toward the idea that it was the awkwardness of a long separation and a disguise put on after going through a calamity.

But now, Blake could finally be absolutely certain — His Highness had truly become different.

Not just on the surface, but had genuinely changed, inside and out.

His strength had grown greater than before, his temperament had become more resolute than before, and he was even more coldhearted than before.

In the past, Blake had always felt that Herbert, both in temperament and in the way he handled matters, resembled the late Lady more.

But now, he sensed intensely from Herbert the shadow of the family head.

Cold and sharp, like wings forged of metal — resplendent, yet brimming with danger.

Also, what had he just heard?

The meaning of His Highness's words — he intended to return to Wang Cheng!?

Blake hurried to catch up with Herbert, not daring to walk beside him but falling a step behind, and whispered with his head lowered:

"Your Highness! What you mean is… you intend to go back and demand justice?"

Had His Highness truly thought it through and decided to go back and clear his name!?

Blake had not been in Wang Cheng when the incident originally occurred; he had been dispatched on a mission, and by the time he returned the matter was already settled, and Herbert had already come to the monastery alone, with no way to visit him.

He did not know exactly what had happened, nor what treatment Herbert had endured.

But to be honest, he had actually felt some regret about Herbert's course of action, even a sense of disappointment that he could not live up to expectations.

Hiding away in a monastery to become a holy professional — such a course of action was really not very manly…

Thinking of this, Blake blinked and silently closed his mouth.

He had wronged His Highness.

His Highness Herbert had not been cowardly; he had chosen to endure for the time being, waiting for the day when the moment was ripe to strike back.

"What? Is that so surprising? Did they really think I would stay here forever?"

The corner of Herbert's mouth lifted slightly as he looked into Blake's somewhat evasive eyes and said playfully:

"That I would spend my whole life cowering here as a devout holy professional, trembling at the mere thought of past experiences, not daring to set a single foot into Wang Cheng?"

"Isn't that looking down on me just a little too much?"

"Just how fragile do they think I am?"

Herbert shook his head, feeling a bit speechless.

A little disrespectful, that.

Not to mention the present Herbert, who had awakened the memories of two lives — even the naive youth of this life had never truly forgotten everything he had suffered.

Not everyone could endure the punishment of the kingdom's dungeons.

Let alone the fact that the very moment Herbert awakened the memories of his past life, he had drawn up a list of things he absolutely had to do in the future.

Topping that list was to return and deal with the one behind it all, to give himself an answer.

If the problem could not be resolved smoothly, then he would resolve the person who had caused the problem — no matter who that person was.

"Then… when do you plan to go back?"

After receiving Herbert's affirmative reply, Blake became thoroughly excited.

With Herbert's current strength, he believed that once His Highness returned, he could easily sweep aside those good-looking but useless noble sons.

He wished he could take Herbert back to Wang Cheng right this instant!

Compared with Blake's agitated mood, Herbert appeared incomparably calm, even a little cold.

"There's no rush on this matter."

He gazed ahead, his eyes serene, and said lightly: "In two months. We'll settle it then, when the time comes to attend the banquet."

Blake, doused with a bucket of cold water, widened his eyes and hurriedly said: "Two months!? Your Highness, won't you reconsider?"

In two months' time, far too many variables could occur; he worried that by the time Herbert returned to Wang Cheng, the situation would have grown even more complicated.

"I'm not in a hurry — what are you in a hurry for?"

Herbert gave Blake a strange look, shook his head, and said with a hint of regret:

"Blake, not to criticize you, but instead of worrying about this little matter of mine, you might want to pay a bit more attention to your own strength."

"When I was little, you were already a high-rank warrior, but now that I've grown up, how come you still haven't advanced to Legendary? Have you not been putting in the effort normally?"

Blake:?

Wait, Your Highness, why are you suddenly talking about me!?

He tried to explain something, but Herbert raised a hand to cut him off and rebuked:

"I used to hear you say that improving strength was so difficult, but now that I've experienced it myself, it's really not as hard as you made it sound!"

"Were you lying to me all this time?"

Blake:???

This burly warrior had never in his life felt so wronged, so close to tears.

Not a single word of explanation could he get out.

Explain — how does one explain?

In a single month, the other party had nearly caught up with his own thirty-plus years of effort.

How does one explain that!?

Goods must be discarded when compared with better goods; men must die when compared with better men.

Meeting such a freakishly talented Highness, better to obediently keep one's mouth shut.

Herbert saw Blake successfully sunk, chuckled inwardly, raised a hand and patted his shoulder, encouraging:

"Alright, don't be discouraged. Just work hard from now on."

"Since the chance is rare, don't go back yet. Stay at the monastery and spar with the Knights for a while. They'll give you earnest guidance on my account."

Don't worry.

The Knights' good big brothers will definitely be ve~ry~ ear~nest~

Blake wanted to explain something, but in the end he powerlessly dropped his head and fled with his face covered in shame.

"Understood…"

Things had come to this; apart from accepting, what else could he say?

Sigh!

Blake tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle to gaze at the sky, refusing to let his tears fall.

At this moment, this fierce fellow couldn't help but mutter in some bewilderment: "Could it really be that I'm not working hard enough?"

Whether Blake was working hard or not, Herbert didn't know.

But he himself, in fact, was still quite hardworking.

Very loyal to his desires, and willing to put in tremendous effort.

Whenever he had a new desire, he would work extremely hard, exhausting every means to achieve it.

He could scour the entire internet just to find the source of a blurry picture.

He could also, like right now…

"Valentina, can't you just obediently listen for once?"

"Hmph!"

(munch munch munch)

"You've already shown it before anyway, so don't be so stingy!"

"Hmph."

(munch munch munch)

At this moment, the warden who should have been outside the cage was now inside it, shamelessly pressing himself up against the prisoner.

"Just give in to me!"

And Valentina, who had been harassed for quite a while without reacting, finally erupted after finishing her food, snapping angrily:

"Who's letting you touch my tail! Get away from me—mmph."

A meat skewer was shoved into her mouth; all her fury vanished, and even her eyes went clear.

"Hmph…"

(munch munch munch)

She looked at the pile of meat skewers in Herbert's hand and began to hesitate.

In the end, her attitude finally softened.

Taking the skewers, she turned around and muttered:

"Hmph… we agreed, just this once."

Herbert nodded vigorously, thumping his chest in assurance: "Mm-hmm-hmm! I'll definitely only touch it once!"

This time I'll only touch her tail once.

As for next time…

Next time we'll talk about it!

Folks! Amazing news!

Just when I had no hope left and had completely settled my mind to wait for the release… this afternoon I went to ask the editor-in-chief when I'd be going up.

Then he told me: "Hm? Has operations not sent the notice yet? You're actually on Sanjiang."

Me: "Huh?"

Yes!

Sanjiang, I made it!!!

I really got on Sanjiang—

I'm alive, completely alive!

Aaaaaah—

Thank you, everyone!!!

I'm brimming with energy right now! Going to stockpile drafts hard!

Although the site message still hasn't come, extra chapters +5!!!

Aaaaaah—

Brothers, wait for me to go up and update like crazy!

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(End of this chapter)