Two elderly men stood in front of each other. One with a sword while the other barehanded. Their auras were colliding against each other and the pressure was strong enough to cause cracks on the ground.

"Tsk…" Max clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. It didn't affect him but the same couldn't be said for Nathan. This guy was exhausted and unconscious. He couldn't even put up a mana barrier around himself in that state.

In the end, Max had to get back and enter the gates of the Manor.

"Brother!" Janet screamed as she passed Lilly to Elly before rushing ahead towards Max.

Max saw Janet rushing towards him and passed Nathan to her.

"Don't worry, he is fine…" Max said seeing the girl crying hysterically as if he was dead. What if he really did kill him? Well he didn't…..the guy was a d*ck but not an assh*le…

After letting him down, Max turned around to look at Aria who was struggling in order to maintain the barrier.

"Step back.." Max said as he controlled the mana using his spirit energy and formed a barrier with ease.

As soon as the pressure decreased, Aria immediately felt relieved. Her legs lost strength and she stumbled backwards.

"Thud…"

Feeling something supporting her, Aria turned her head to see Max behind her.

Max shook his head. It was already pretty incredible for her to hold out even when these two Grandmaster Tier Mage were just messing around.

"Let.. go off me…" Aria muttered as she tried to pull away but even her legs weren't moving. How could she get away?

Max turned his head. He saw Elly holding Lilly and Janet with Nathan. Only Lisa was free. But the moment he turned his head towards her, she feigned ignorance turned her head towards the battle.

'This girl….she was clearly looking here…' Max sighed and ignored everything. He was interested in the battle as well.

…

"What do you think you are doing?" The Elder pointed his sword at the old butler. There was a clear superiority in his voice. It seemed he didn't like the fact that a servant had dared to challenge him.

"Isn't that something I should ask?" The old Butler said as a chill flashed past his eyes.

"I am here to protect the Young Lord, even if it means throwing my face. I will still do everything to protect the future of our House!"

"Protect? It didn't seem like that though…' the old butler replied with a calm face.

Even though it looked like there were only a few from younger generations here, it wasn't so. Max knew that more than a dozen or so powerful presence were checking on the situation here.

"Are you planning to betray us too? What would you expect from the father of a traitor?" The Elder said as he pointed his sword at the old butler and spoke, "Step aside….or I will tear you apart first!"

"Put your sword back into the sheath. I am here representing my lord. Do you understand the consequences?" The old butler's voice was loud as if he was speaking not only to the elder but the people snooping around as well.

The Elder's face sank on hearing those words even the other people felt odd. Especially the younger people who seemed to have finally regained their consciousness couldn't believe those words.

"Impossible! Why will the Lord protect him?!!''

"Is he lying?"

"Idiot! Who do you think he is?"

The Elder could hear those people as well and looked at the old butler, "Why are you protecting him? If you are representing the Lord, tell us the reason otherwise there is no way to verify if you are lying or not.."

The old butler looked at him and smiled, "It seems you are misunderstanding something. I am here representing the Lord….."

He then swept his gaze around and his eyes turned cold, "And you don't question the Lord.."

"Swish!"

"Hmmn?"

The Elder who was pointing his sword towards the old butler frowned. And the next instant his eyes widened as blood began to leak out from his shoulder.

"Splash!"

The next instant, the entire hand holding the sword slid down his shoulders as blood flew out of his shoulder like a fountain.

The Elder gritted his teeth as he held himself back from screaming. He immediately put his other hand and used his mana to temporarily stop the bleeding.

He then looked at the old butler with hatred and anger. But he didn't dare to make a move.

"Anybody else wants to ask the Lord about the reason?'' The old butler asked as he looked around.

'He sure is scary…' Max thought as he looked at the old man.

"Well….I am indeed curious…to go as far as injuring an Elder, I wonder who that kid is?"

The voice seemed to have a death wish. But when the person appeared, everybody knew that he wasn't dying.

Max looked at him and his eyes turned cold.

The old butler looked at the man and maintained his calm expression, "You are going against the Lord's decision, Master Saleos?"

"No...never...how can I dare to? It's just my curiosity. A kid who caused so much trouble is being defended here…" Saleos said as his eyes met with Max.

His voice was a trigger and it provoked others as well. A few figures which had been hiding earlier stepped forward as well. They were most likely from his faction.

'This is bad….if it goes on like this...Gramps will have to appear…' Max thought inwardly. If his Grandfather had to appear in order to justify himself to his son. What would it mean?

Wasn't it undermining his status and raising the b*stards value....

"Aren't you being a bit too curious little brother? Don't you know, extreme curiosity can be fatal.." At this moment, another voice sounded as a person appeared beside the old butler.

The man resembled Zack a bit, as Max was watching the scene, the man suddenly turned his head towards him and smiled.

The scene dumbfounded Max a bit. He knew who the person was, it was his Elder Uncle….Janet's dad, Razel Edwinson. The one who was most likely to be the next Lord.

'I wonder if he would still smile at me if he knew that I actually had the thought of killing his son…' Max thought inwardly as he returned the smile.

"Elder brother, you are here?" Saleos maintained the smile.

"Of course, how can I just sit back and watch when my nephew is in trouble?"

When Razel said those words, Max secretly laughed inside. Saleos's eyes face seem to sink a bit as well.

He was planning to gain an advantage but the old man was the Lord for no reason. He was definitely sly. He did not only not make any appearance but sent Razel here after telling him the truth.

Now, it was Razel who knew everything while Saleos was someone who didn't. It was clear who was the more important figure here.

'I will have to give it to the old man...he is not that much of a fool…'

"Nephew?'' Saleos couldn't just drop the act mid-way now.

The people around were in confusion as well.

"He is Third brother, Zack's child…." Razel said with a calm face.

Max smiled as he heard those words. Even though it didn't matter to him, he knew that his mother wanted to hear those words the most. The acknowledgment, she wanted it the most for him. So, he would be happy for her sake and smile for her.

Max was the only one smiling here. Most people's mouths had opened wide and their eyes had widened in shock as well. This was just too much of a shock for them.

Some of these people suddenly remember that they had been cursing his family the entire time and their face turned green.

Janet looked at Max with shock. She didn't know how to react as well.

Max felt her gaze as well and smiled at her, "Nice to meet you, Elder Sister…."