The Crown and The Rose
Chapter 35: The Second Day (Part 1.5)

Chapter 35: The Second Day (Part 1.5)

The Crown

"Do you really think that we will let you in just like this?" I raise an eyebrow at Seraphina, who is standing so confidently and casually before me like this is some kind of joke to her, "You tried to kill several times Seraphina. There is no way I will let you join our team."

"My deepest apology if I sound harsh, Miss Seraphina." Edward has an evident expression of displeasure on his face that is almost unignorable, "This is impossible to let you join us after what has transpired since the day we arrived here. You are unmistakeably a foe who cannot be allied with."

"You guys are so noisy." Seraphina sneers, "Look, Lush, having me in your team is the best scenario for both me and you. Think about it. I know you have the brains to think about this easy and compelling subject."

Now that Seraphina mentions this it dawns on me.

She is actually right.

I am a human and I can’t let anyone know about it although many people already know about this. So I will need people who already know that I am a human so that I won’t have to worry about my disguise as a demon in front of him. But if I pick a random individual then he will come to be suspicious of me and I will end up in a deeper shit.

Other than that, Seraphina is a strong ally to have. She is strong and has a sharp nerve. She knows what she is doing. And for her, I am the same. So if we call a truce now and become allies then there will be a high chance for us to win. Her reasons are very reasonable and strategical, but... I just can’t ignore the fact that this woman is after my life like I am a mouse and she is a cat. I will be damned if she tries anything on me during the trial.

I eye Seraphina with a contemplating and suspicious look on my face. "Give me a moment." I excuse myself from her.

"Make it quick, we don’t have much time to spare here." Seraphina rushes me with a knowing look in her eyes. She knows just what my answer is gonna be and I hate that more than anything.

"What do you guys think about her proposal?" I step aside a little from her with my two companions.

"I think, having her on our side will gain us some better odds," Erick remarks, looking unusually serious.

"Even if she is a good soldier for the battle, we just can’t turn a blind eye to her history," Edward says stoically, seemingly not at all happy about all this. Well, I can relate to how he feels but we need a reality check here. We can’t be emotional here. We need to be practical.

"I know how you feel, Edward." I nod, "But we cannot afford to lose a valuable tool like her. We will need her in the venue. So it is better if we keep her by our side. And other than that you guys are here by my side now. She won’t be able to do anything." I try to reason with them, or... I try to reason with myself...

Edward stares at me for a beat before finally sighing and nodding, "If Your Highness insists on this then who am I to refuse? I shall heed Your Highness’s orders."

I smile and nod at them, Erick returns the gesture but Edward seems to be too preoccupied, complaining about it under his breath that he doesn’t even nod back let alone smile.

However, I don’t mind. He has always been like this. Nagging mother type. I turn to Seraphina who is waiting in the distance not so patiently.

"We have decided." I announce, "We are going to let you join our team. However, we expect you to be on your best behavior. Did I make myself clear?" My tone is hard and my face shows no emotion.

"Took you long enough." Seraphina gives me the never-changing poisonous smile, "I will try to behave myself, Your Highness."

My eyes narrow and my gut flips. My gut is telling me not to believe this demon girl because the chaos she will bring, will be inevitable. But for now, taking her on the team is the best choice I can ever make.

Suddenly Vermilion’s calm and icy face from the night before flashes over my eyes, "Prince, you are a wise person. You know when to run and when to fight." There is a slight hint of pent-up frustration in his cold tone, "Why do you act so childishly sometimes?"

I chuckle internally. My Lord maybe right after all.

Edward is still grumbling under his breath about who knows what. Erick meanwhile is looking pretty happy about the whole thing. I figured that it was normal for him to be acting this way since he doesn’t really think of Seraphina as his foe as he is a fellow demon and once was her comrade. If someone were to be suspicious or hostile in his eyes would be me and Edward since we are both humans and over that I am a light magic user. However surprisingly, he is pretty chill about it. As if he couldn’t care less about all this human and demon thing.

We all sign up as a group and I insist on making Erick the leader because if I or Edward become the leader we will undoubtedly attract attention and that can be deadly to us later on. And there is no way in the hell that I am making Seraphina the leader, she just might well send us to hell if not heaven. So the best case scenario for us, no, me is making Ercik the leader. He is not too sharp but he is not too dull either if he were then he already have kicked the bucket in the first trial.

Dear Gods, for this time, just for this time, please let it be the right decision because if Ercik betrays us, we will be done for.

Professor Felix once again climbs onto the high stage and looks down at us. Everyone present’s spine snaps straight and their expression turns serious as Professor Felix starts to speak in his usual kind of mocking and confidant tone, "The given fifteen minutes is up demons. I hope you already have chosen who is going to be your teammates for today’s trial. Now please take the teleportation array given to you and leave the ground within two minutes. There will be a map given to you guys along with the array."

And just like before suddenly a dark mage appears before us, he silently hands Ercik the array and the map. Erick nods to us and we return it but of course, Seraphina doesn’t do the same. Erick rolls his eyes and puts magic into the array. Abruptly, a dark portal that is much bigger than the last one, opens us before us.

I gulp down the worry and anxiousness and enter the portal. This time I am not alone, but this time I have much more burden on my shoulders than the last time. All I can do now is pray to the Gods that everything will be alright.