"Does it still hurt?" Lora asked as she looked at Lear.

"It's fine…" Lear replied, he was getting used to getting battered. Whether it was good or bad was another matter obviously.

"I am sorry for what happened back then. I shouldn't have reacted like that…" Lora said, her head hung low.

"Nah...I was being insensitive, interfering in your personal matters even though you clearly didn't want to talk about it…" Lear replied with an apologetic smile.

"N-No, I-I…" Lora looked at him with a complicated expression. She didn't know what was the right thing to say.

"You don't need to force yourself. But I still want you to break that shell, Lora. Don't let the past hold you back…and if you need my help, then I will be there…" Lear said with a smile.

"Lear..." Lora looked at him, her eyes glistening a bit. But still she shook them off to reveal a dazzling smile.

They were clearly drifting away from the present unaware of the gazes at them.

"Sniff!"

"Why are you crying?" Bahamut asked, looking at Max as if he was staring at an idiot.

"You won't understand, he has finally grown into a man. I am proud of him…" Max muttered looking at Lear. The seed he had sown had finally sprouted.

"Well, my men have spotted them several times together….weren't they like that from the start?" Bahamut asked.

"Oh! That's news to me. No wonder it reached this stage…'' Max nodded. He hadn't been paying attention to them. Something must have happened and Lear must have succeeded in capturing some flags.

"Anyway let's gather everyone….we don't have much time till sunrise. We have to make a decision about these people…." Bahamut said as he gazed at Erina, Namen and Aria sitting together.

"Get Lisa in…." Max said as he looked at Mr. Cool sitting beside. This thing included her friend, Max felt it was important for her to be present here.

….

A few minutes later….

Everyone gathered around except for the criminals who were being judged. Erina, Namen, Aria and Lora were left aside and not allowed to join in on the conversation.

''Why do I feel like being treated as a criminal?'' Erina muttered with a depressed face.

As for the guys...Even though they were about to have serious conservation, they were pretty down to earth….yup they were sitting on the ground to be exact.

The house was destroyed and neither of these guys planned to waste energy on building some furniture.

"I brought them…"

Everybody turned their head on hearing Mr. Cool's voice but when they saw the number of people who had arrived, their faces turned grim.

"Let's kill him…." Bahamut said, picking up his club.

"I agree…" Lear said with a nod.

"Yeah, let's make it four instead of five…we don't need a troublemaker.." Max was in agreement as well.

But before they could do anything, Aria rushed towards them.

"Elly! Lisa! Janet!"

Elly and Lisa turned their heads to see Aria. Janet still was in a daze.

"What are you all doing here?" Aria asked in surprise as she gave them a hug. It was truly refreshing to come back from the face of death and be able to feel it once again.

"Why did you leave alone? We were so worried.."

Max shook his head seeing the emotional reunion and instead focused his gaze on the culprit of their troubles.

"You better have a good reason…" Max said as he looked at Mr. Cool.

"She can heal injuries. I confirmed it myself. So I brought her in…" Mr. Cool said pointing at Elly.

Max looked at him. He couldn't retort that, even if he was fine, Lear was in a pretty bad condition.

Besides, it was better to heal fast and stay in the best condition. A lot has happened in a few days, who knew what else was waiting ahead….

"Ok, what about her?" Max asked, pointing at Janet who still seemed to be in a daze.

Mr. Cool looked at everyone. He knew a crappy answer would not end up in a good way. So he took his time answering...

"Well, I couldn't leave her alone. What would we do if she told someone that people had disappeared into thin air?"

"He is bullish*ting…" Lear said looking at him.

"I feel too…" Bahamut agreed.

"Excuse me, can you heal them...I didn't bring you here for free.." Mr. Cool immediately changed the topic and headed towards Elly.

"Yes...I will.."

Everyone looked as Elly made her way towards Max, since he was the one who looked terrible as he had severe facial wounds. But he just asked her to treat Lear first, while he observed her actions.

The emerald glow appeared around her and she began to treat Lear's wounds.

"What do you think?'' Max asked Bahamut. His family had a healer after all.

Bahamut shook his head, "It's different…"

"How?" Max asked.

"It feels like it is different from healing magic at the very core…'' Bahamut said after a bit of thinking.

Elly continued to heal Lear, but it was clear from her expression that she was having a tough time.

'She is not good at it…' Max thought as he looked at her control. Since it was the spirit world, there was no mana here. She had been expending a lot of her mana without a care and had wasted a ton of it too…

It was enough for Max to know that she had an insanely large mana pool within her core.

"I can only do this much for now…" Elly said as she stood back up.

"It's fine. I am more than good…" Lear said and then thanked her.

''What's the meaning of this? I thought you were supposed to help….you still have more than half of your mana left.." Mr. Cool said as he looked at her. He didn't seem happy.

Max was surprised, he wasn't expecting her to still have that much of her mana left.

"I can't do any more than this…" Elly said, her eyes refusing to meet anyone else's. Her right hand was tightly gripping the upper arm of her other hand. She seemed a bit shaken with sweat pouring down her forehead.

Lisa looked at Max and he sighed. She had clearly noticed that strange change in her behavior as well.

"Let her get some rest, she seems mentally exhausted to me…." Max said intervening. "Besides, we don't have much time to come to a decision, remember?"

Max asked and the situation returned to normal.

"You are not coming, Lisa?" Janet asked as she looked at Lisa. They weren't allowed nearby it seemed.

Aria and Elly turned to look at her as well. But Lisa forced a smile on her face and spoke, "I will be there in a bit…"

…

"I don't think it's a good idea to let them out without taking any precautionary measures…" Bahamut said as he looked at everyone.

"What do you mean by precautionary measures?" Wilson asked.

"Poison them….I can get it made. They won't find an antidote anywhere else but from me…"

'This kid…' Max shook his head. Where did he get such evil ideas?

Before Wilson could explode, Lear stepped in.

"Don't mess around. Earlier you were right, but not now. There are people who are family here, you can't just expect people to accept that…"

"Aren't you just worried about your love?" Bahamut asked.

"You think it's just a game don't you?" Lear asked, looking at Bahamut.

'Wait you are not going to deny the lover thing?' Max titled his head as he looked at Lear.

"You are upset because of what I said back then?" Bahamut asked as he looked at Lear. His eyes were almost glaring at Lear. He seemed pissed at his words

"No, you were right back then." Lear admitted. "You could see the important thing back then, but can you not see it now?"

"What would you do, if our position were changed?"

"At this age, I bet you love your mother the most….how about I give her some poison?''

"Boom!"

Lear didn't flinch.

Bahamut's club was an inch away from his face. But before he could break his face, Max and Mr. Cool had grabbed him.

Max had caught hold of his hand while Mr. Cool had grabbed him by his neck.

"Calm down, will you…" Max said with a sigh.

Bahamut took a deep breath before withdrawing his club and sitting back on his position.

"You still wanna continue with your proposal?" Max asked, looking at Bahamut. He was a kid, but he was smart. Max was sure that he should have understood it by now.

They had to find a gentle solution. Or else they would end up destroying their very own ideals. They were fighting to protect the people they cared about.

Besides, if they really carried something like that out...could they really carry on being the same as they always were….

Will you work with the guy who poisoned your mother or sister?

Wasn't it obvious?

Max didn't blame Bahamut. The kid had strong logic but he had to develop more of his E.Q…he was instinctively protective towards his own family but that was not same for others in his eyes...

He was acting mature but was he really not just a kid....

Bahamut didn't answer but just shook his head. He had withdrawn his proposal.

"Why don't we just allow them to go? I am sure they wouldn't tell it to anyone…'' Lisa said after a bit of hesitation.

"Well, that might be a bit difficult…." Max said with a forced smile.

"Why not just ask them to be your followers? You can keep an eye on them...may be even lie that they would be dead if they reveal it…" Lear gave an interesting idea but Max shook his head.

"We have a limited number, we can't waste it like that…."

"Why not tell them the truth? I am sure these beauties will understand…" Mr. Cool said with a smile.

But everyone glared at him.

"No...I don't want my sister to know about it." Wilson said with a serious tone.

"I think that is the best course of action here…" Bahamut said once again. His opinion seemed to have entirely changed from earlier.

"If the earlier plan doesn't work then this is the only way. If we can't use fear, then use emotions. Besides, you don't get it….your sister is in danger. She would be better off knowing the truth….and if we just let them go without telling them the truth, the curiosity will get better off them and end up causing trouble...."

And now he was being mature once again....

"I know my friends, they can be trusted. I promise…." Lisa said as she turned her head to look at them. She was supporting Bahamut.

"Can you vouch for Lora as well?" Max suddenly asked Lisa, making Lear give him a look.

"Huh?" Lisa was taken back. She turned her head toward Lear.

"He has only known her for a while. I heard you were acquaintances since childhood….can we trust her?" Max asked as he looked at her.

Lisa looked at him. But couldn't find anything hidden beneath those words.

"I think you can. She only had a problem with me after all…" Lisa said in a cold voice.

'Now, what to do?' Max thought. He was still a bit uneasy.

'Why not just tell them? I can help you study their emotion...if any of them shows a single hint of malice. I will know it right that instant…' Andriel's voice rang in Max's mind.

'But I am afraid that they might tell it to their parents or something….the Noble Houses have been infiltrated by the demons...you sure it will be safe...'

'You really don't believe people easily don't you? Well, it is not a surprise after what you went through…that Hephaestus...if only I knew it beforehand. ...' Andriel said as her voice turned chilly.

'I wouldn't be here if I didn't go through the trial…' Max replied.

"It seems you people are having trouble coming to a decision…"

Everyone turned their heads only to see the old spirit standing there.

"What are you doing here old geezer?" Mr. Cool asked.

"Well, I thought I might as well help you out…." The old man smiled.

'Yes, I forgot about him. He can help you after all.' Andriel said to Max.

'Oh...you sound confident…' Max asked in surprise.

'I hate to admit. But he is not called the Dragon Of Truth for no reason, his eyes of nobility can not only see through the lies but fate itself....'