Although Aiden returned from the dungeon and took a different path than Circe.

  At that moment, he didn't care at all if he ran into her again.

  In fact, it was better not to, considering how violent she is.

  But then, what is she doing here asking to be Aiden's sentinel?

  And although the murmurs didn't stop, and now they were also lunging out with bad comments about Circe, Aiden ignored them.

  But it’s normal, that is to say. For Aiden, people speaking ill of him was irrelevant; to Aiden, it’s as if they were talking about someone else. Especially because they talk from a distance and aren't standing right in front of him.

  "Don't talk nonsense. I don't want a sentinel." Aiden replied to her with a serious, cutting tone, and walked away from the place.

  Circe, shocked by his response, stood motionless staring at the ground, watching as Aiden's shadow disappeared from her vision as he moved away.

  "But why...?" she murmured. "Is it because I attacked him in the dungeon?" Circe asked confused while Aiden continued to distance himself.

  'It's true that made me very angry. I lost the chance to analyze the power of the scroll and had to return quickly...'

  Aiden sighed.

  'I hope she isn't persistent. Seeing the uproar she caused, I know that accepting her will bring me trouble.'

  "Young Aiden."

  Aiden turned, returning his gaze to Circe.

  She looked at him intently, waiting for an answer.

  'I know that girl is a monster. If she had fought seriously in the dungeon, I would have died...'

  "Why are you looking at me with disgust, Young Aiden?" Circe asked while Helen approached her side.

  Although Aiden's face was one of amazement at recognizing Circe's strength, in reality, because of the grimace on his face, it seemed like he was looking at her with disgust.

  Aiden remained in silence.

  "Then with that look... I can take for granted that you don't want me. Heh, heh, how bad..." She turned; she had an expression of disappointment on her face, as if she felt she had failed.

  The mere fact that she caused an uproar by choosing Aiden, and he rejected her, makes her look very bad before the rest of the demons. It’s not because of the rejection itself, but because of who did it.

  And if she tried to change her choice now, she would only receive mockery and rejection.

  Aiden said no more and simply left.

  Leaving the crowd of curious demons behind him.

  ◇◇◇

  "Circe, what happened in that dungeon?" Helen asked with a tone of concern in her voice.

  "We weren't actually there for long, but as I told you before, I tried to kill him."

  "Did you wound him seriously?"

  "No... I could barely land a single blow. Then he threw me to the ground. Heh, heh."

  "WHAT!" Helen shouted with surprise. "What do you mean he threw you to the ground? Are you aware of what you're saying?"

  "I don't understand why it surprises you. You live in the castle and he is the son of the Demon King." Circe replied, taking for granted that it is normal for him to have that strength being the son of the most powerful being on the continent.

  "It’s not about that. I would understand it if you told me Lord Ash or Solaris defeated you, but Aiden?"

  Helen paused. She swallowed hard.

  "Aiden is the weakest demon in this place. He is a bastard, son of the Demon King and a common demon who no one knows who she is. And you know, I know you know that when there is a mixture of Demon King and common demon..." Helen paused and breathed.

  "He is simply going to die from not being able to control the Demon King's enormous power..."

  Helen told it with seriousness and also intrigue. How was it that her friend, who she knew well how strong she was, was going to lose against someone who couldn't even manifest demonic power without harming himself.

  And she continued talking so that Circe would understand the gravity of what she was saying, telling her that Aiden was on the verge of dying consumed by his own flames, spent two days in the recovery atrium, and had been given up for dead. And she told her that it wasn't the first time he experienced similar problems.

  "Then, how do you say someone like that fought with you and is still alive?"

  "Wait, wait, Helen. I understand what you're saying, but it's true. And it’s hard for me to believe what you say because he even stopped my surprise attack. He is strong; I think he's just faking it."

  "I can't believe that... I've been in the castle for many years. I think you've lost your mind, Circe."

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  Helen was right in everything she said. But she couldn't know that now Aiden was nothing more than a frontend controlled by a very bold backend named Aiden. That had been the pact of complicity between these two.

  Human and Demon.

  And because of Circe, now that frontend known as Aiden was in the spotlight of the castle's attention.

  "Even if you say that, at some point you'll see I'm not lying." Circe replied to her flatly.

  Tuu-tuu!

  A trumpet resonated.

  Circe and Helen raised their gaze.

  Two dragons and a fleet of wyverns were arriving at the castle.

  They landed in the courtyard.

  A handsome and dashing demon climbed down from the neck of the black dragon. A very elegant royal uniform, red hair, and very intense yellow eyes.

  From the other dragon climbed down another red-haired demon with longer hair.

  "My, they've arrived. How lucky they weren't in that uproar from before." Helen commented with relief.

  "Th-they are the Demon King's sons, right?" Circe asked.

  "Yes. Lord Aedan, who is the first son, and beside him Lord Igniel, the third son."

  "They all have red hair... And Ash was in the crowd before, who is the fifth son, right?" Circe asked.

  "Yes. All of them, except your dear Young Aiden."

  "Don't say it like that... after all, he rejected me."

  While they continued talking, another group of wyverns arrived and landed with a cage. It was large as a two-meter room; the cage was covered with an enormous blanket.

  When they removed the blanket and opened the cage, they began to take chained demons out of it.

  There were children and young demons, some elderly. It was a total of seventeen demons that they began to take inside the castle with Aedan and Igniel at the lead.

  Following them was a group of demon soldiers who had arrived on the wyverns.

  Circe watched the slaves with unease; cold sweat fell from her cheek.

  She bit her lip and her gaze turned violent.

  "What’s wrong, Circe?" Helen's voice broke the momentary tension that was being created by Circe's aura. "Do you happen to know any of those prisoners?"

  "What? No. Not at all. I was just angry remembering that now I'm not a sentinel and I'll have to return to my village..."

  The annoyance Circe felt was quickly calmed by Helen's intervention.

  It didn't take long for the courtyard to become empty again.

  And both Helen and Circe retired to the interior of the castle.

  ◇◇◇

  Aiden, who remained in his room, didn't notice all the demons who had arrived at the castle.

  Although he did hear the sound of the trumpets blowing.

  He was more busy and distracted, reflecting.

  He was lying on the bed remembering how the system windows worked.

  'Now that I think about it, I should have accepted her... I hadn't thought about how we could train together.'

  'I was only thinking about not getting into more trouble, but if I'm going to have trouble anyway...'

  Tok Tok Tok

  'What the hell.'

  Aiden stood up. Upon opening the door, there was that beautiful demon who had so insistently offered to be his sentinel.

  "Am I interrupting, Young Aiden?"

  "Circe... You are very persistent, don't you think?"

  "It’s just... you didn't give me an answer, Young Aiden. I mean, yes, you gave me a dirty look, but you simply left without saying anything... That's why I thought it might be better to talk without all those annoying demons around."

  She sighed.

  "It’s just that I don't understand why the high caste of demons in this city think they are so special."

  'This girl...'

  "All right, come in. Let's talk." Aiden replied to her, letting her pass; then he closed the door. He sat on the bed and she remained standing in front of him.

  'How long has it been since I had a girl in my room?' Aiden thought, feeling some nostalgia for his previous world.

  "Fine, why are you so determined to be a sentinel? Or put another way: why my sentinel? You just met me."

  Circe remained in silence for a few seconds.

  She carefully observed the entire room.

  While it wasn't an enormous room, it could be considered a good place to be comfortable.

  She looked back at Aiden and finally spoke.

  "Since I was little, it was always my dream to be a sentinel. My father was one."

  'Was? So he died?'

  "He taught me to fight since I was very little. Although most demons specialize in elemental manifestation, my father always told me not to trust only in that and taught me to fight hand-to-hand and with weapons."

  'That kick she gave me in the dungeon still hurts...' Aiden thought as he remembered that fight in the dungeon.

  "That tells me your motivation, but why my sentinel?" Aiden asked with disinterest. "Surely you know my situation perfectly well? Are you insane or is this a trap from my brothers?"

  "No, Young Aiden. It’s not like that. I originally wanted to be Lord Igniel's sentinel, but when I fought with you in the dungeon I realized that you are actually very strong. You didn't just stop my stealth attack, you knocked me down."

  Circe said it while joining her hands and interlacing her fingers.

  "So, are you some kind of masochist?" Aiden asked with suspicion.

  "NO, NO! Nothing like that, Lord Aiden. Please, stop mocking me." She reproached, blushing.

  Aiden sat thinking in silence for a moment.

  "All right. Although I hope this doesn't bring me more trouble than I already have."

  Circe planted herself closer to him, leaning her body to be near his face with a large smile. "Do you mean it seriously, Young Aiden?"

  "Yes, yes. Now you are my sentinel."

  Circe's happy face turned serious suddenly.

  'Now what's wrong with this one?'

  And before they could talk about anything else, the sound of a great uproar in the hallways stole the attention of the room.

  Heavy footsteps were heard.

  They were approaching quickly.

  'What now? Can't I have a moment of peace?' Aiden stared at Circe, who was watching the door intently.

  It seems she had already noticed the presences and assumed they would come all the way to the room where she was with Aiden.

  The footsteps stopped in front of the room.

  A sharp blow threw the door completely open and four demon guards entered.

  Four stayed outside at the door.

  But an unpleasant voice spoke to them from outside.

  "Aiden, bastard son of the Demon King. On suspicion of the theft of the sacred hero's relic, the order has been issued to bring you before his majesty." The voice came from Leonor, one of Ash's sentinels.

  Who, as she spoke, walked into the interior of the room, planting herself in front of them, invading their space.

  "And if you try to flee, you will be executed." Leonor added with a malicious smile on her face.

  'What the hell. And now what's wrong with these people?'

  "What does this mean?" Circe looked at her seriously. "You can't simply come and accuse him without proof."

  Aiden, although he didn't understand what relic they were talking about, assumed that someone was simply trying to screw him over.

  Maybe it was his brothers' doing or some high-caste demon who hated him.

  He took a step forward to try to defend himself.

  "You’d better get out of my room. I haven't stolen anything nor do I have any interest in that silly relic."

  "You shut up, little bastard." She said it with a dry and cutting tone.

  '...I'm starting to get angry. Who does this woman think she is?'

  "Enough, Leonor. Being Lord Ash's sentinel doesn't give you the right to speak to Young Aiden like that." Circe's voice hardened.

  'Calm down. It's not good to start a conflict right now, but...' Aiden thought to himself.

  Leonor smiled sideways, a grimace loaded with malice.

  "So now you defy his majesty's authority? Perfect. It will be a pleasure to see how they chain both of you... or something worse."

  Aiden brought his right hand to his forehead.

  'It makes no sense to keep arguing with this woman.'

  He turned toward Circe and pushed her gently by the shoulders.

  "Stop now. I’d better go at once. I’m sure they’ll quickly realize it wasn't me."

  "But, Young Aiden!" Circe protested.

  "Don't worry." Aiden forced a tense smile.

  Leonor let out a short laugh.

  "Ha."

  It was the last thing she said before leaving the room, leaving the order for the rest of the demons to take Aiden to the Demon King.

  It made no sense to think about it anymore: there was no choice. Aiden had to present himself before the Demon King.