The elven trio, consisting of Aqua, Sheira, and Azure, strode forward and into the Onost prison. "Azure, you didn't sleep again, did you?" Sheira shook her head slowly, "Did you have that much fun with Aqua?"
Azure tilted her head and gave Sheira a dangerous glare, "It's not the time for your jokes, Sheira."
"So serious~" Sheira rushed to Azure's side and grabbed her arm, and hugged it tightly. "Don't worry, I will keep advising you."
She pinched her nose bridge and sighed, "Thanks, but could you please do this later. I really am not in the mood."
The princess's face turned serious, "Sure. I guess your mood is because we are going to meet the Golden Rose."
The only response she received was a nod.
"You two needn't worry, I am here. They won't harm you." Aqua spoke softly.
"I know… It's just that I am still wary of them; they kidnapped my Sheira. It's just too much to ask of me not to be wary of them."
"Azu, I don't care about it. Sure, they killed a bunch of my loyal guards, which is unacceptable, but they were merely conducting the order they were given. I do not hold it against them, especially after what transpired."
"I will have to agree with Sheira, while their actions are unacceptable, they too are victims. We do not need to trust or like them; we need to get something useful out of them."
Azure blinked slowly. Despite Aqua agreeing with Sheira, it still did not feel right to even speak to the Golden Rose, yet both her best friend and her crush swayed her to do the opposite. While she had a mental block about it, it did not mean that she could not see the obvious benefits of recruiting them.
Each member of the Golden Rose was an asset equal to her in the past, and the Golden Fang overwhelmed even her Blessed speed.
Even with Aqua's sword and his mind being corrupted, he still crushed me. Her pride had been shattered to such an extent that she could call it pulverized. Azure, the champion of the elves, was nothing.
She was a worthless warrior who could not protect her people against anyone even remotely powerful; thus, she had a duty to improve herself and become someone powerful enough to become a protector.
And impress her… Her eyes wandered to Aqua.
Heroine moved ahead, her movement was so graceful that she couldn't help but gawk at her legs as they brushed against each other.
In an instant, her face turned bright red as she shook her head. Stop it!
While she was trying to fight her dazed state, she had not noticed the object of her admiration appearing right in front of her. "Azure, is something the matter?"
She shook her head quickly, "Not at all, just thinking."
Should I probe her more? Aqua quickly dismissed the thought; she could not blame the girl for feeling anxious when she was about to meet the former enemy, especially now that she had a duty to recruit them and put their skills to better use.
She quickly grabbed Azure's hand and smiled, "Everything will be alright."
Aqua could say this for sure this time: Azure's presence helped her get her mind off the past pain, and thus she had a duty as a friend to do the same for Azure. While not the same intensity, the spirit of the issue was there.
Their stride quickened as they passed the heavy iron doors. However, there was something strange around them. The mana residue, while so subtle that it could hide from almost anyone, was visible to someone like Aqua.
Small amounts of darkness surrounded the doors.
Shadow Spells? Aqua pushed the door open. Only one person had used shadows, and it was the leader of the Golden Rose. "Golden Fang seems to have gone on a walk without anyone noticing."
She ignored the shocked expressions as she stopped in front of a guard who bowed and gestured for them to follow him toward the maximum security ward.
Aqua's lips formed a wry smile as she observed the shadowy residue. He is incredibly skillful, but not enough to hide from me.
It did not take long for them to arrive in front of the final heavy iron door. The guard placed his hand on the magical seal, and the door creaked. Then it moved toward the inside, revealing two rows of cells, which held the most dangerous criminals.
At the end was a cell where the Golden Rose was detained.
This prison is so useless. Aqua sighed in disappointment; even the seal that was supposed to prevent the powerful criminals from escaping was lackluster. Even Sheira would have been capable of punching the door together with the seal clean off.
"The Criminals are here, please beware, they are dangerous." The guard bowed and quickly made his way out of the ward.
"I know." Azure was the first one to answer as she approached the cell's bars. "Golden Rose…"
The prisoners shuffled before a familiar woman approached the entrance and grabbed the bars. "Lady Azure. It's an honor to see you once more."
Azure's face beamed with a slight smile. Laura was rather agreeable despite being an officer of the Golden Rose."Is it time for our judgment?"
"No, I am here to give you an offer." She forced herself to stand straight and speak sternly. Yet she noticed the large man who had killed her once approach. Her body shuddered, yet as she noticed Aqua in the corner of her eye, she gathered her courage.
"Speak, elven lady." The man spoke coldly.
She inhaled sharply and clenched her fists, "Your band will train our military! This will be your redemption. You have no right to refuse."
Golden Fang tilted his head and his lips widened into a grin, "And, little Lady. How do you plan to force us to work for you?" Laura stared at him with eyes full of disbelief; however, Azure's reaction was that of absolute shock.
It was such an unexpected retort that she was left speechless.
"How dare you?! After everything you did?!"
"From what I can tell, you don't have a way to force us. Perhaps if you are willing to pay, let's say… 600,000 crowns, we would be willing to serve you." He had mocked her; it was unacceptable.
Before Azure could speak, Sheira pulled her back and whispered in her ear, "Azure, he is testing you. Let Aqua deal with him."
Azure nodded; she was not good at this.
The heroine cracked her neck as she approached, "Golden Fang, I suppose?"
"Quit it, lady. We will not serve you without compensation."
"I hope you enjoyed your walk under the starlit sky yesterday~" Aqua smiled wickedly, "You know, despite being rather skilled, you are sloppy."
His eyes widened, "Y…you know?"
"Of course I do, and your expression tells me that you are not surprised."
He shook his head as his posture relaxed, "So is it right to assume you were the reason my band survived. Laura told me it was a red-haired elf by the name of Aqua."
"Indeed, you are correct. I was the reason you were saved from Rolan's influence."
"So his name was Rolan…" He scratched his chin. "Well, I must thank you for saving what remains of my band. I truly am thankful for it."
"I did it for Laura. Do not test your luck." She frowned as her aura flared and threatened to crush everyone in the cell.
A chuckle escaped his lips, "There is absolutely no way you are an elf, your kind is really bad at intimidation, and here you are making me quiver in my boots."
"Azure is merely inexperienced. Now, let me ask you. Will you help us, or will you die?" He felt himself being crushed by unimaginable pressure.
"Alright, Alright. But I have one demand."
Aqua leaned forward and frowned. "Speak, I advise you to choose your words carefully."
"I spent years searching for someone worthy of inheriting my shadow techniques. I wish to have the right to choose someone worthy." His eyes wandered away from Aqua toward Azure.
Someone like Aqua, who could easily see through him and crush him, had no use for it and was far beyond him; he could tell it in his gut. However, the knight behind her was powerful and seemed like a rather excellent fit.
Before Aqua was about to burn him alive, Sheira placed her hand on her shoulder, "Let me take over, please."
Aqua exhaled loudly as she took a step back, "Go ahead."
With a nod, the princess crossed her arms and tapped her foot, "Alright, Golden Fang. That demand is acceptable; we will give you and your band a salary; however, do not do anything stupid." She pointed her thumb toward Aqua, "She doesn't tolerate treachery."
"I can tell." Fang grinned; he felt no fear, merely excitement. Even if his student was an elf, he would not discriminate against anyone capable of handling the power of Lady Ilya.
"Good! I will release you now, and we will all go to the arena. I want you to test your mettle against our champion."
The statement made Azure step back and gasp, "W…what?!"
"I find those terms… acceptable." Everything went exactly as he had wished; he would be able to test someone who had potential.