Rise of the Crusader
Chapter 181

181 Reason

Serena paced around the room with her hand balled into a fist and an agitated expression on her face.

“Those assholes!” Serena blurted as she moved helter-skelter.

Inside the room, Serena wasn’t the only one who was agitated, the other two people in the room were also very disturbed about what transpired earlier.

“We can’t back down, after all, he hasn’t made a decision yet.” Said Melanie as she stared at Serena, who was walking around the room.

Responding to Melanie, Serena shook her head several times.

“You don’t understand Raphael, which is why you still assume this,” Serena replied. “From what I know about him, he has already lost all respect for the council after what he heard from Kristin.”

“That bitch!”

There was rage written all over her face as she remembered the disastrous words that were said by Kristin.

Ves took a deep breath, “What’s done is done. But, what we need to do now is replace a solution to this problem.” Said Ves.

.....

A nod of acknowledgment came from Melanie and Serena after Ves spoke.

“What do you have in mind?” Serena stopped walking around and asked.

“The way I see it, we have two available options.” Ves said, “One, we counter propose, in the sense that, we offer him something that he won’t be able to reject.”

“Or, we force him in the council.”

A stupefied look was quick to appear on Melanie and Serena’s faces, and before any of them would speak about what was on their mind, Ves’s voice rang out.

“I don’t need to stress how important it is to have Raphael in the academy, but if we really want to remain as one of the big forces in the academy, we need him on our side.”

“I’m certain the others would be looking to do anything to pull him in, and so, should we,” Ves said.

The look on Serena’s face clearly suggested that she was against Ves’s second idea, and after a few seconds, she spoke.

“No!”

“There’s no way we would force him into the council. I also want him here, but if it has to come to forcing him before he joins us, then I oppose to that.” Said Serena.

Serena turned towards Melanie and Ves, “I will speak to Raphael again, and whatever he says will determine whether or not we proceed or not.”

With that said, and Serena walked towards the door.

She was about to open the door, when she paused and then turned towards Ves and Melanie.

“I will advise you not to try anything ridiculous or else the consequence will be very dire.”

Followed by those words from Serena, and she stepped out of the room.

And as she left the room, Melanie and Ves glanced at one another with their thoughts rather unknown.

Meanwhile, as the student council debated on how they were going to handle the problem, the cabal also discussed their own.

Glenn sat in front of a rounded table with the same people that were in the administration block with him earlier, and a youth having arctic white skin.

“What do you think, Ripper, do we begin that phase of the plan, or we should still hold back?” Glenn inquired.

As Glenn spoke, everyone moved their eyes to Ripper, and while he didn’t make a move nor express detest on any one of them, they remained very alert.

The look on his face, as well as the aura that was excluded from his body, demanded respect, and as he spoke, the hair on their bodies stood erect.

“Yes, we can now begin the plan.”

It was merely a few words, but it caused the heart of the people in the room to beat rapidly.

Glenn nodded his head, among the people in the room he was the only one who remained neutral to the deadly intent that was leaving Ripper’s body.

“Ah-Ahem!”

Kristin broke the awkward silence in the room.

“I have a question,” said Kristin, and after she received attention from the people around the table, she spoke.

“I’m well aware of Raphael, and the potential he has, but what I don’t understand is why we are offering this much for him.” Kristin paused, “It seems like we are willing to lose a quarter of our wealth and power in the academy just to get him.”

“But, as I said, I’m aware of what he is capable of harnessing for us. However, what I don’t understand is, why we are willing to go to this length to have him.”

“I refuse to believe that the only reason we are going for him is because of his potential, there has to be something else. So, what is it?” Serena blurted.

Glenn’s lips soon curved into an amused smile as he stared at Kristin.

He turned towards Ripper, “Should we tell them?”

There were ranks in the cabal, and only the high-ranking commanders knew the sole reason why they insisted on pursuing Raphael to such great lengths.

It wasn’t just because of his talents and potential, as Kristin had said, and as Ripper nodded his head upon Glenn’s words.

“We are all after Raphael because he is the one with the key to everything.”

Before Kristin and the others could even process what they has just been told, a knock came on the door.

The door was soon pushed open, and as three men who were all suited in black walked into the room, Glenn stood from his seat.

He stared at Ivan, Antonio, and Miroslav, and then folded his hand across his chest.

“To what do we owe this pleasure to?” Glenn spoke.

There was, however, no response from the three of them after Glenn spoke. They had eyes on Ripper, and it was only after some seconds that they turned towards Glenn.

“My brothers and I, feel we can come to an agreement, so we have to come to discuss it with you.” Said Miroslav.

Glenn shook his head, he had no idea where this was going to, but he was well certain that no agreement could be made, despite Miroslav saying it could.

He was right about to speak when Miroslav’s voice rang out.

“Before you say no, don’t you think you should listen to what I have to say first? Then, if you say no afterward, we will gladly leave here.”

There was a certain level of confidence that existed in Miroslav’s voice, and once he began talking, the expression on Glenn’s face changed quickly.

“It’s quite simple, we would rather have Raphael join the cabal than he joins the student’s council.”

“We would like to join forces together, kick the council out of the race, then what decides who he joins between the both of us.” Miroslav blurted.

Glenn placed his hand on his chin, “Hmm”

“Since you suggested this, I believe you must also have a plan to eliminate them from the race, what is it?” Glenn inquired.

A nod came from Miroslav afterward, and as Glenn waved his hand towards the seat beside him, the three members of bratva’s moved towards there immediately.

...

Meanwhile, in one of the rooms in the male dormitory, Elisa lay on the bed with a thick duvet wrapped around her body.

Her eyes were shut closed, but after a few seconds, they trembled slightly.

Elisa’s slowly moved her hand to the other side of the bed, and as she felt no one beside her, her eyes sprang open.

“Raph-” She abruptly paused, as right when she wanted to yell for Raphael, she saw him seating on the chair in front of her.

Raphael slowly turned towards Elisa, “I’m right here.”

With that said, and he moved his gaza back to the book.

Elisa heaved a deep breath, and the concern that was written all over her face vanished. However, as she recalled what transpired, a blush was soon to appear on her face.

She wrapped the duvet around her body and lowered her head.

“It can’t be that you’re shy, right because I remember someone asking me for more,” said Raphael as he opened another page of the book he was reading.

“Or is it Raphael... Yes... Yes.”

As Raphael made jest of Elisa from what she said during their moment, Elisa covered her face with the duvet.

She could vividly remember everything that happened, and it was a side of her that she didn’t think exist.

At least not until Raphael showed her.

Slowly, Elisa stood from the bed with the duvet wrapped around her body, she walked towards Raphael.

Raphael could hear footsteps getting closer, still, he didn’t stop reading the book in his hand, not until, Elisa stood in front of him.

“What are you reading?” Elisa asked, and then made a move.

She gently sat on him, and with her hands wrapped around his neck, she stared at his lips and then his glittering blue eyes.

Raphael leaned forward and plucked Elisa’s heart-shaped lips.

“Ahn~!”

He kissed her passionately and, placing his hand on the duvet, he gently removed it from Elisa’s body while he continued on with the kiss.

Slowly, he stood from his seat, and then made his once again to the bed.

.....