That Devon was nicknamed the monster of the Dane family was something Hal had had no knowledge of and while Melinda's tone was aimed at taking it with levity, Hal knew it was actually a big deal and no matter how much she worked to water it down for both his benefit and also to show her father she no longer held him in high regards, it did not change that fact.

Melinda folded her arms beneath her breasts and looked up at her father,

"What does what you do have to do with anything?" She asked him.

Devon grinned,

"Well, it just so happens that there's an expedition coming in a few weeks and I think it is both the perfect opportunity as well as the perfect state for your 'Fiance' to actually show me what he's capable of." He said and there was something about his tone that Hal immediately disliked.

That coupled with how sure he was that this would not be a bonding moment made him feel immense trepidation.

Melinda frowned slightly but it was actually Damien who spoke up,

"An expedition to battle against the Dystopians? That hardly seems like a place to take a youngster." He said with his brow raised while he wondered what it was his brother was thinking.

Not to mention Hal's age and complete lack of experience in battle, he felt Devon should not even be considering the possibility of bringing someone at the Cosmic Phenomenon realm to a battle he would be participating in.

Especially since Devon's foes were those even he could only keep striving to defeat as the Dystopian continent had its own powerhouses.

However, it was for all those reasons why this should not be happening that Devon actually wanted them to.

He was right about Hal driving himself to him and if the youngster happened to die in the process of doing so... It just showed he was just as incompetent and unfit to wed his daughter as he always believed.

Although, this was mostly what he wanted to think and was simply stemming from his dislike of Hal which even he could not explain.

"That's not fair. You know that don't you?" Melinda said but Devin shrugged,

"Why is it not fair? I planned to eventually take you on an expedition. It would have been a real eye-opener for you on what really goes on between Haron and Dystopia, despite how peaceful this continent may seem."

While it was true that at some point before she was banished, it was discussed that she would tag along on an expedition with her, in which case she could at least bank on his protection, the same could not really be said for a scenario where Hal goes in her place.

However, she no longer saw a reason to try to talk her father out of it or to even stand against it without at least listening to Hal's input.

She turned to him and Hal was actually squinting into the distance as he contemplated an expedition with his future father-in-law who had made it very clear that he did not like him.

This was probably Devon's way of intimidating him which Hal felt was a bit of an un-fleshed-out plan. After all, whether or not Hal acquired his approval, his marriage with Melinda seemed well on the way now.

Even Devon himself had said he had no choice but to accept their relationship but still wanted to make an evaluation...

So why...

And that was when it hit Hal and his eyes widened.

He was suspected.

He was suspected of the one thing that even Melinda's stubbornness to be with him would have difficulty in overcoming. He was suspected of being connected to Dystopia.

And not suspected of making use of some body strengthening technique but of something of a much deeper connection with Dystopia. Something like his Bloodline.

He was willing to bet that was what Devon's decision to bring him along on an expedition was all about.

It was to see how Hal would react against Dystopians.

At which point, if there was anything that pointed to him really being connected to the Dystopian continent, he would be killed in the spot.

In fact, Devon was powerful enough to kill him just because he disliked him but Hal felt that while he was an ass for banishing his daughter, doing something like killing Hal without actual proof of him being a traitor by affiliation was not really his style.

Of course, he could be wrong.

Hal smiled up at Devon,

"Of course I'll go with you" he said and Melinda sighed while her father grinned.

"Good, I'll try my best but I cannot guarantee that you will return in one piece." He laughed and walked away from Hal to return to his seat.

Isabella watched all this happen and could not help but smile as things has worked out even better than she had planned. She had not expected get some to have sensed what she had sensed in Hal but his decision to take his daughter's fiance on an expedition proved he did.

Don't get her wrong, Hal was a genuine talent and she had really done a one-eighty on her decision as regards to him but there was a need to make absolutely sure they would not be canoodling with the enemy.

When she had been glad that Devon said he would make his own decisions regarding Hal, she had expected that to involve some sort of test of strength. Or even have him stubbornly refuse to allow the relationship.

Either of the two would have been good as it would have provided an avenue for her to see how the couple would react and maybe in turn find out what that darkness she sensed in Hal meant.

But this, this was so much better.

Damien frowned as unlike his brother and mother, he had not so far sensed anything out of the ordinary about Hal which was not to say his senses were impaired, just that he had not exactly been paying that much attention.

Melinda took a long look at Hal and he, having sensed and noticed the look, winked at her before she, in turn, looked to her grandmother and then to her father and a good up from her chair, pulling Hal with her,

"Is that it? Is that what this whole 'meeting' was about?" She asked and Isabella shrugged with a smile.

She was not only enjoying the proceedings but also quite impressed with how Melinda was taking it all.

Melinda snorted,

"A solid waste of time" she said and walked right of the hall while pulling Hal along.

The Blue-eyed Devil had no objections to the pull but did not neglect to wave at Isabella and give her a dazzling smile that quite surprised the patroness on his way out.

Outside, Melinda waited until they were well away from the meeting hall before turning to face him,

"Do you know what you just agreed to? Do you even grasp the concept of the magnitude of what you just said 'yes' to?" She asked and she was every bit as upset as she looked.

"First off, I didn't say 'yes' exactly, I said 'Of course'. And second, are we having our first couple's fight right now?" He asked.

Melinda groaned,

"We've had arguments before, Hal" she said and he shook his head.

"No, those barely count. This one sounds serious" he said with a serious kid of his head.

"Of course it's serious. You just agreed to go to battle with the Dystopians with my father. In a situation where I guarantee he will push you to your limit which he believes is your cue to prove him right." Melinda said in an exasperated tone of voice.

"Prove him right about what?"

"About the darkness you have within you"