When Morrigan entered, the first thing she noticed was how simple everything was. The mirrors, floors, furniture, and curtains were all in plain colors, and there was no excessive luxury.
Accompanied by a well-dressed secretary, Morrigan glanced around with scrutinizing eyes and said calmly, "This place looks very modest. For a man like Maxwell."
The secretary slightly turned her head and replied in a formal tone, "Mr. Maxwell is not a man who enjoys excess. After all, he works for his people."
"He’s not one of those who live in palaces while his people suffer in misery," the secretary gave Morrigan a meaningful look for a moment and added. Despite narrowing her eyes at this remark, Morrigan said nothing.
"How should I address you?"
"You may call me Emily."
Seeing that the secretary didn’t want to talk further, Morrigan stayed silent, and soon they arrived at a room.
Inside, there was a small round table, two cups of tea, and some snacks on it.
"Mr. Maxwell said he would be here shortly. Please wait here until Mr. Maxwell arrives," Emily said seriously, and Morrigan nodded, sitting on one of the chairs.
She then ate some of the small sweets.
Meanwhile, as Thomas watched the departure of the Lady, his eyes wandered around in boredom, observing everyone rushing to their tasks.
Thomas took out a cigarette pack, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with a flame created at the tip of his finger, taking a drag and exhaling the smoke.
"Aren’t you going to offer me one too?"
Thomas raised an eyebrow and looked at the man who had appeared beside him. The man had elegant blonde hair, a simple yet graceful suit, and a cane in his hand.
"Who the hell are you, bastard?" Thomas asked indifferently. The elegantly dressed man laughed and introduced himself. "My name is Maxwell."
"Maxwell? Are you the owner of this dump?"
Despite Thomas’ mocking tone, Maxwell only smiled and replied, "Yes, this is my dump."
After staring at Maxwell for a moment, Thomas extended a cigarette from the pack to him. Maxwell accepted it with a small nod and lit it with a lighter.
"Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with my Lady?" Thomas asked curiously. Maxwell turned his head and responded, "That can wait for now."
Thomas narrowed his eyes, his purple gaze gleaming menacingly. "Are you joking? Instead of going to my Lady, you’re coming to me?"
Thomas grabbed Maxwell’s arm and began to squeeze it slowly. "I think you’re smart. You better not make a mistake..."
A thin smile appeared on Maxwell’s lips, and he sighed. Despite Thomas squeezing his arm, Maxwell still had a relaxed expression.
Maxwell grabbed Thomas’ arm and suddenly pulled. Thomas’ eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then he grinned wildly. "Damn! You’re strong!"
"I’ll take that as a compliment," Maxwell said calmly, then looked at Thomas with stern eyes. "I know about you and that savage cult of yours, Thomas."
Thomas’ eyes sparkled with amusement. "Even if you know, what can you do?"
"Believe me, I can do a lot. Like telling Lady Morrigan the truth," Maxwell adjusted his collar and said calmly. "You are a threat. I don’t care about your religion, but your actions are unforgivable."
"What are you, the God of Goodness?" Thomas said harshly. A small smile appeared on Maxwell’s lips. "Call me whatever you want. I don’t care."
"But if you harm even one person, it will end badly for you, Thomas." As Maxwell openly threatened him, Thomas’ eyes grew wide with anger. In an instant, he directed his hand like a knife toward Maxwell but stopped just in time.
Thomas’ hand halted an inch from Maxwell’s stomach. He realized that if he went through with it, it would cause trouble with his Lady, so he had to stop himself.
Clenching his teeth, Thomas looked at Maxwell. "If you think you can threaten me and then just walk away, you’re mistaken."
Maxwell remained calm and gave Thomas a final look. "I hope you don’t forget what you once were, Thomas. Your past isn’t easily forgotten."
For a moment, Thomas flinched, then laughed and sneered. Maxwell raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What are you laughing at?"
"Really?"
Maxwell nodded and continued. "In legends, crows have always symbolized death, beauty, and the night."
Morrigan raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at Maxwell with uncertain eyes. "Is that so?"
Maxwell smiled slightly. "Hair as long as the night, a deadly beauty... You’re almost like a Goddess of Beauty. Don’t sell yourself short."
Feeling her cheeks starting to redden, Morrigan quickly composed herself. Seeing her reaction, Maxwell chuckled but was interrupted by the sudden entrance of the crow.
"Seth? What are you doing here?" Morrigan asked wearily, addressing the crow perched on her head.
As Seth settled on Morrigan’s head, he gave a sharp look at Maxwell and the phoenix, especially the phoenix. Maxwell’s expression turned serious for a moment. "Is this your crow, Lady Morrigan?"
After Morrigan confirmed, Maxwell narrowed his eyes. "How interesting. The similarities seem even greater than I thought."
"What are you implying?"
"It seems your crow must be special," Maxwell said as he looked at Seth, who was still glaring at him. "Even Felix doesn’t possess such a strong magical aura."
Morrigan couldn’t understand why everyone else seemed to recognize Seth as a magical creature. Even Maxwell had understood with just a glance.
Morrigan made a mental note to train herself to see Mana, then focused on Maxwell.
"Seeing a magical crow is rarer than seeing a legendary one. And if this crow is strong in dark magic..."
"Are you suggesting Seth possesses dark magic?" Morrigan asked, her natural skepticism showing. Aside from his intelligence, Seth behaved like any other crow. The idea that he wielded dark magic seemed like a joke.
Maxwell calmly nodded, his eyes examining Seth. "For example, Felix constantly emits Mana, but his natural talent for control makes it impossible to sense the Mana around him.
Your crow, on the other hand, is uncontrollably releasing Mana all around. Anyone with the ability to perceive Mana can see it."
"Then why can’t I sense it if it’s that obvious?" Morrigan asked. Maxwell answered immediately. "Simple. First, you don’t yet have the level of Mana control needed to see it. And second, there’s a unique bond between you and the crow."
As Seth’s eyes narrowed, Morrigan’s curiosity grew. Maxwell watched her reaction for a moment before continuing. "It’s as if the crow was born from your shadow, sharing the same essence and power. Like an illusion, almost identical."
Morrigan’s eyes gleamed with understanding as Seth realized the reason. It was likely because of the bond they had forged.
From the moment Seth chose Morrigan as his companion, she had become equal in power to him. It wasn’t a difference in level.
It was a difference in magnitude.
"Mr. Maxwell, you need to head to the Hall of Justice in 10 minutes."
At the sound of Emily’s voice, a look of disappointment crossed Maxwell’s face. "What a shame..."
He turned to Morrigan. "It seems our time is up. I wish we could have talked more."
"Don’t worry, Mr. Maxwell. Next time, I’ll host you at my place."
"That would be nice, Lady Morrigan," Maxwell said with a kind smile. As Morrigan left with a servant, only Maxwell and Emily, who had entered the room, remained.
"Do you think the meeting went well, Sir?" Emily asked. Maxwell nodded. The kind demeanor he had shown moments before had now vanished, replaced by a completely emotionless expression.
"It went well enough. No, it went very well."
Though surprised by Maxwell’s praise, Emily maintained her professionalism. "What do you think about the Saint? Will you invite her as well?"
Maxwell paused for a moment in thought, then turned his eyes to Emily. "No, there’s no need. If Lady Morrigan continues like this, Alice won’t be necessary."
"But—"
Before Emily could continue, Maxwell sharply interrupted. "That’s my final decision, Emily. You don’t need to think about it any further."
Emily sighed quietly but obeyed nonetheless. Without lingering, Maxwell left.