Alice’s smile blossod like a sunrise as she locked her gaze on Max, but her next words, sent through the quiet intimacy of voice transmission, carried a far more cautious tone. "You promised you’d co to the Middle Domain, and you did. I’m truly happy about that, Max. But for now... we should act like we’re only acquaintances."
She paused for a brief instant, her ntal voice growing more subdued, tinged with frustration and faint bitterness. "I’ve co here with so of my family mbers. They’re just here to keep an eye on . I hate them. They never let do anything I want. Everything I do, everywhere I go, they’re always watching, making sure I am ’safe.’"
Her beautiful red hair seed to catch fire under the shifting light as she finished, her eyes flickering briefly toward the bustling crowd behind her.
Max followed her gaze, and his own expression darkened as he saw the approaching figures. Erging from a busy avenue a short distance away, a group of young n and won began striding toward them with palpable arrogance radiating from their bearing.
Their steps were asured, deliberate, as though they owned every inch of the marble floor they crossed. Their robes were elegant and richly adorned, bearing insignias of a Phoenix that glowed subtly in the crimson light—symbol of the Phoenix God Nation within the Four God Nation.
The young man at the head of the group stood out starkly even among them, his broad shoulders and slender waist lending him a commanding silhouette. Strapped across his back was a massive black iron sword, its hilt wrapped in dark leather, the blade so large that it seed like it would split the floor beneath his feet if he so much as swung it.
His sharp eyes glead with cool appraisal as he took in Max’s presence
Max t the young man’s gaze steadily, his own eyes calm, though he inclined his head slightly in acknowledgnt, silently agreeing to Alice’s silent plea to stay cautious. "I understand," he replied in a swift ntal whisper. "And don’t worry about , Alice. I can handle myself."
Just then, the young man in front finally spoke, his voice deep and authoritative as it rolled out over the low hum of conversations and footsteps filling the Hunter Association hall. "Junior Sister Alice, who is this? Why don’t you introduce him to us?"
His question held a faint edge, polite enough on the surface but carrying an undercurrent of probing curiosity—and perhaps even the slightest hint of suspicion.
Alice straightened slightly, her expression smoothing into polite serenity as she turned toward the group. "He is Max Morgan," she said, her voice calm but carefully neutral as she executed the delicate balance of concealing deeper truth behind a surface-level explanation. "I’ve t him recently during so of the tis I’ve co to the Hundred Battle Regions."
The young n and won exchanged quick glances among themselves, so eyes flickering with curiosity, others with thinly veiled disdain, as they assessed Max like a curiosity plucked from the wilderness.
"Max Morgan?" the young man scoffed, lifting one eyebrow as though he were inspecting an insect crawling across his boot, his deep voice resonating across the polished marble floor of the Hunter Association’s towering hall.
"I haven’t heard of it." He didn’t even bother sparing Max a glance after that, simply dismissing his existence with a flick of his gaze as he shifted his attention fully to Alice, his broad fra looming as he stepped slightly closer to her.
"Junior Sister Alice, the Nulls could break out at any ti," he continued, his tone dripping with the kind of forced concern that carried an edge of command. "It’s better for you to stay with ."
Alice, for her part, forced a small, polite smile onto her lips, though her shoulders tensed ever so slightly beneath her elegant robes. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Margo," she replied delicately, her voice sweet but carrying a hidden firmness. "But Max is my friend. Can he join our team?"
For a fleeting mont, silence stretched between them as Margo’s eyes narrowed, flicking toward Max with cool appraisal. His gaze swept over Max’s figure, lingering briefly on him as he assessed the other party’s strength.
’A level 1 Master Rank trash?’ A faint smirk curved across Margo’s lips, and disdain flickered in his dark eyes, though he swallowed whatever cutting remark was forming on his tongue, perhaps rembering Alice’s presence and the watching eyes of their entourage.
"Your friend?" he echoed, a dry chuckle slipping past his lips. "Since you’re Junior Sister Alice’s friend, I’ll grant you a favor." He paused, leaning in slightly as his voice dropped into a low, authoritative rumble. "But rember this well: I am the captain of this team. You must obey my orders. If you disobey even once, don’t bla for expelling you from the team." His words were delivered like a blade wrapped in silk—polite on the surface, but unmistakably sharp beneath.
Max listened calmly but inside, he felt a spark of irritation flare at the arrogant arrogance practically rolling off Margo like heat waves. A part of him had genuinely wanted to join Alice’s team, eager for the chance to fight alongside her and so that they had more ti to catch up with other.
But listening to Margo lord his authority and dictate conditions as though he were so emperor handing down decrees soured the thought entirely.
Max wasn’t the kind of man who could stomach biting his tongue and obeying every command simply for the sake of team harmony, especially not from soone who clearly viewed him as an insignificant extra.
The idea of having to listen to Margo’s every word grated against every instinct in him. It just didn’t make sense to chain himself to soone else’s whims when he could stand on his own strength and lead his own path.
"Alice, I’ve co with my team, so I won’t join yours," Max said firmly, his voice carrying calm certainty as he faced her. "But don’t worry," he added with a small, reassuring smile, "I’ll keep an eye on your team in case of ergencies." The words slipped past his lips with quiet conviction, an unspoken promise woven into every syllable.
He might not be fighting by Alice’s side, but he would still be there in the shadows, ready to strike should danger threaten her.
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