Soul Avatar

Harsh Treatment

"Rion ?"

"Y-yes...?"

He was feeling even more weirder when she called him 'Rion'.

"Rion are you ..."

"Your highness."

Suddenly, a voice called out to Liana.

Turning around, she saw a knight in golden armor, the signature armor of the Solaria Empire.

"Yes ?"

"His Majesty called you and Lord Hero. It is time for the training under Lady Riona."

The knight replied while glancing at Orion. He had been there since two minutes ago and was shocked by their interactions. They were not in love with each other, so why was it like they were flirting in public?!

"I see, let's go Rio...Orion."

As expected, even Liana was embarrassed to be watched when they were calling each other by their nicknames.

"Yes..."

Orion stood up with a reluctant face. It was Riona who was training them today. She was extremely strict during their training and Orion was the one suffering the most obviously.

Orion and Liana walked in the hallway. The maids, butlers and knights all bowed nobly but frowned upon seeing her with Orion.

They couldn't understand why their Princess was with him rather than the others.

Orion, already used to such gazes, ignored them but Liana sighed tiredly. She wanted them to understand how rare was Orion like a person in this world, but they had only strength, personality and looks in their minds.

The girls in the palace were idolizing Andrew, Austin, Ryan and the Hawkins brothers, while the males were idolizing Anna, Aura, Elena and Sienna. The others were just behind them and Orion was at the bottom of their list.

While she was thinking she should do something about it, they reached the training garden in the back of the palace.

Orion saw all his classmates already there with their training outfits, black pants and white shirts. Orion was already wearing it, so he walked toward the group. Most of his classmates glared daggers at him after seeing him with Liana.

They thought that the Princess would abandon him after seeing his useless power or his pathetic side, but no.

On the contrary, they were closer than ever.

Liana joined her father, who was looking at her with a conflicted face.

"You took your time, Lord Orion."

A cold voice rang out.

Orion jumped up as he felt chills running down his spine.

Turning around, he saw a very beautiful blond-haired and green-eyed woman staring at him. She was also wearing a training outfit, enhancing her beautiful figure.

"La-Lady Ri-Riona...!" Orion stuttered.

*Sneers*

Again, his classmates mocked him but he didn't have time for them.

"Yes it's me. I hope you are ready for one extra hour in your training."

She declared coldly.

Orion's face turned pale even without the extra hour. He was on the verge of dying after the training, so with one extra hour...

"Do you have a comment ?"

"N-No..." Orion lowered his head.

It was his fault to spend too much time in the library.

"Then we will start now. One hour of running around the palace . I said to run, not to trot around. Understood ?"

"""Yes."""

They all replied.

Whoosh!

Jordan and his brother didn't wait any seconds longer and started first.

"Let's go guys!" Andrew also followed with his friends.

Soon they were all gone except Orion, shocked by the speed of his classmates.

"Lord Orion," Riona called out in a low tone, and it was scary.

"Y-Yes!" Orion ran immediately.

Riona was the commander of the first division army of the Solaria Empire, so she was rather popular. Orion didn't want to make a bad image, though he doubted that it was already done.

"Sigh..."

After Orion left and she was alone, Riona sighed tiredly.

"You are still harsh against him, Riona."

Liana said with a pout.

Riona bowed nobly and replied.

"Princess, I have to be, otherwise he will be drowned by all your pampering."

"Ahahaha!" The Emperor laughed loudly.

"Ri-Riona?! Father ?! I'm not pampering him! He is just my only friend in the palace..." She replied and pouted again.

Riona stared at Liana and confirmed that she was indeed just considering Orion as a friend.

"I see, but please understand, Princess, that it's for his own good. He has potential even if he doesn't have offensive ability."

Riona stated after analyzing his training for a full month.

"Sigh...If only he was more confident..."

Liana had already said the same thing to Orion, but he didn't believe that he had 'potential' even more in a fight.

But if Liana had to say a good reason for his lack of self-confidence, it would be because of the belittling of his classmates toward him.

***

"Huff....huff....huff....huff"

Orion was running fast, well fast for him, but he couldn't even catch up with others.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind passed near him. He didn't even see who that was because of the speed, but if he had to guess, he would say the Hawkins brothers.

'Why is there a huge gap between me and them? It is nonsense no matter how you look at it...'

Orion was feeling depressed that his classmates' progress was several times more than his own.

'Even Lady Riona is hating me...'

He could understand his classmates.

He was not completely stupid, he knew that they were jealous of his closeness with Liana, but he didn't care.

Usually he would have cut his ties with her, but not now. She was his only true friend after all. He didn't have friends because of his weak health in his childhood, but not anymore.

But even Riona was harsh toward him...

'Sigh...Yeah I don't care what they think about me, as long she is at my side I don't care.'

Thinking about that, he continued his run.

"Huff...huff...huff...huff"

"Hey look at who is there ?!"

"Oh! Isn't that the most pathetic and weakest man in our class?"

"There is no doubt it's him!"

Three malicious voices rang out behind him.

They did the whole run around the Solaria palace and caught him up.

Turning around, he saw John, Tyler and Joseph with a smirk on their faces. Andrew was trying to stop them but Orion wondered if he was not trying to hold back his laugh in the contrary.

Orion had a neutral impression of Andrew but he couldn't help but find him strange. It was like he was faking his whole personality.

It was impossible to totally fake the personality he developed during sixteen years, so obviously, a few times his true personality leaked unconsciously.

The four of them quickly caught up and arrived behind Orion.

Suddenly John smirked.

Slap!

"Wha... ?" Orion felt something slapping his back but he didn't have time to react.

Crash!

"Aarrgh!"

Orion let out a pained groan, as his knees rubbed against the hard ground.

"Oops! My bad Orion, you were on my way and I didn't see you!"

Stifling his laugh, John ran ahead.

"Sorry for him, Orion. I'm late, so see you."

Andrew apologized and left as well, without helping Orion to stand up.

Tyler and Joseph smirked and followed Andrew.