Aria let go of her hold on the Cutler couple as soon as Rias finished dealing out the punishment, and Ava dashed over to her son while crying out his name, "RICK, MY SON!!! MY POOR CHILD!!!"
She kneeled beside him and hugged him, not caring about the blood staining her clothes or the fact that his body smelled like burned meat. Her priority was to console her son and give him comfort after suffering through such a horrific ordeal.
Soon, Nathan approached the two of them and looked down at Rick with a remorseful expression on his face before kneeling beside him as well, taking out a pill and feeding it to Rick, who swallowed it down without thinking twice.
As soon as the medicine entered his stomach, his screams of anguish came to an abrupt halt as his features relaxed, and he passed out, losing consciousness. This allowed him to avoid experiencing the unbearable pain any longer while also healing his wounds over time.
"Take care of your son, and let this serve as a reminder to both of you of the consequences of your failure to educate your child and guide him onto the right path. Remember, I won't be able to protect you all every time you make mistakes." Nathan warned William and Ava before he stood up, turned around, and looked at Aria and Rias with an apologetic expression on his face.
"I apologize once again for the trouble my family has caused you today. I'll be sure to take care of it and make sure something like this never happens again."
Listening to his words, Rias didn't say anything while Aria nodded her head and gave him a slight smile, acknowledging his apology before responding, "Grand Elder, I trust that you'll do whatever it takes to make things right. Don't disappoint me, okay?"
"I understand," Nathan replied with a bow.
Then, Aria shifted her gaze toward Asher, who was still looking quite annoyed about the situation that transpired, and approached him, smiling. "My son, why are you still upset? You got the compensation you deserve from the Grand Elder. And that boy also paid the price for his sins, so shouldn't you be satisfied now? Is there something else bothering you?"
This made Nathan, who was standing nearby, frown and cast a glance in Asher's direction, wondering if he was going to make some other demands.
"Sigh... Although Grand Elder Nathan offered to compensate me three times for the inconvenience he caused me, it still doesn't change the fact that my identity was exposed and that everyone present here is aware of it.
So, it won't take long for the news of my existence to spread within the sect, and it will ruin the surprise element that I wanted to use when meeting her." He said, letting out a sigh, followed by an exasperated expression on his face.
As the butterfly touched the bodies of each person present, it dissolved into particles of light that seeped into their bodies, making them forget what they saw and heard here.
One after another, the crowd began to lose consciousness and fall to the ground. This scene left Asher and the girls dumbfounded. They couldn't comprehend what was happening right in front of their eyes.
'Why did those people faint after being touched by those butterflies?' Asher thought, staring at them with a puzzled expression on his face. "Mom?"
"Fufu... As you can see, I just erased their memories of the events that took place here and replaced them with the image of a spectacular fireworks show. When they wake up, they will remember seeing a stunning fireworks display and will wonder why they lost consciousness. No one will remember anything about you."
"Is such a thing possible?" Scarlet exclaimed, shocked at what she just witnessed, while Cecil covered her mouth in awe.
"Of course. This is just a simple manipulation of their minds through spiritual energy, which makes it easy for me to achieve my desired results. After all, mind techniques are one of the many branches of illusions." Aria clarified as she chuckled and continued, "Now you don't have to worry anymore. Right, Darling?"
Asher nodded with a smile and said, "Thanks, Mom; this is the best outcome."
"No problem. Anything for my dear son." Then, Aria shifted her gaze toward Rias, who was already looking at her, and said, "Well then, Elder Rias, I believe our business is concluded here, right? Why don't we head somewhere else and talk?"
Rias nodded her head in agreement and said, "Sure, follow me."
Soon, the group of Rias, Aria, Asher, Scarlet, and Cecil left the Cutler residence and made their way towards Rias's residence within the Twilight Mist Sect, leaving behind unconscious people scattered on the ground.
Nathan watched them disappear into the distance before turning his attention towards all the disciples and elders that were affected by the technique and shaking his head. "Truly terrifying."
As Asher followed behind Aria and Rias, alongside Scarlet and Cecil, he got a message that made him frown and stop following, and he said, "Mom, we got a situation."