INTERSTELLAR ERA: MY MIND IS A LIBRARY

"That is why I called you here, to create a unit to investigate the case," Max said, looking straight into Silas’s eyes.

His expression was dead serious.

If anyone had not known better, they would have thought Max was always this serious.

Silas nodded. "I might as well devote the rest of my time to helping," he said with a smile.

"I will take that as a yes then," Max replied.

Silas nodded.

"Good."

Max made a mental call to Alfred immediately after.

"Send them in," he said.

After a few minutes, the elevator doors chimed.

From it, five people walked in, each one clad in the standard uniform of the Veritas Corps.

"Silas, these are your team members."

Max stood up, walking into the middle with calm, calculated steps.

"This is Mira, an assassin. She is at the Master rank and is very good at concealment," Max said, pointing at a girl.

The girl was short, barely reaching Max’s chest in height.

She had short black hair that reached her neck. Her huge eyes made her so cute that Silas was momentarily captivated.

"This is Michael," Max spoke slowly as he approached the guy wearing a robe.

He was the only one who stood out from the rest.

His long, silky blue hair flowed down his back, and gentle green eyes gave him an ethereal air.

"He has a perception based skill. I do not know the specifics since he has refused to tell, but it is strong."

Max moved on to the third person, a young boy who looked to be in his teens.

He had short brown hair and black eyes.

"This is Miller." As Max said this, he patted Miller’s shoulder. "Do not be fooled by his appearance. He is very dangerous in battle," Max warned.

Silas was surprised. Someone like Max praising a person’s battle prowess was proof enough that Miller was nothing to scoff at.

"This is Billie," Max said as he reached the last person, a lady with black hair tied in ponytails, a beautiful face, and blue eyes.

She stood at almost the same height as Max.

She was the most stoic of all of them, her gaze as calm as still water.

She did not even flinch as Max approached.

He slowed down as he spoke.

"I am sure you can see the resemblance, but in case you do not, she is Alfred’s sister."

Silas was surprised to learn that Alfred had a sister. "He never mentioned her," he thought.

And those blue eyes. They were different from Alfred’s.

"She also has a skill," Max said, cutting through his thoughts.

"You should know the last person," Max said, pointing to the person at the end.

"She would only be a liability. Why should she join us?" Silas asked as he spotted Lilura among the others.

"No, she is at the Master rank too," Max explained calmly. "The Crimson Fang used a drug to weaken her and wipe her memory of cultivation. It seems like it was linked to the man you killed, since she regained all her power after he died."

Silas looked at Lilura.

His reason for rejecting her went beyond power alone. He knew Amelia was going to be furious.

"So why are you not bringing Amelia in?" Silas asked, standing up to greet the members of his new team.

Max stepped aside to let him pass. "We cannot bring emotions into this case. If the two of you are together, there will be too many distractions."

As much as Silas hated to admit it, that was true.

He greeted each of them calmly and looked back at Max.

"You will explain it to her later," he said.

Max nodded with a smile.

"So, we will be together for some time," Lilura whispered to Silas.

Silas looked at her, then looked away.

"You will all have our full support and can call on the Veritas Corps at any time for backup," Max said, his words slow and deliberate.

"In addition, you will be given a mansion in Aurumis so you can reach anywhere on the planet quickly."

Silas was surprised.

But it did not last long. He thought of his own net worth.

Normally, Aurumis was the largest city on the entire planet, generating more than 70% of its new income.

It was so exclusive that Silas would never have dreamed of going there before now.

"A lot of things have changed," he thought calmly.

"You will leave immediately, so go pack everything you need," Max said. "And if you want anything, do not hesitate to ask."

Miller was the first to react, raising his hand.

Max acted like he did not see him, continuing with his speech.

"Governor Max," Silas tried to interject but Max ignored him.

"What is it?" Max asked, finally reacting to Silas’s tap on his arm.

"Miller wants to ask a question," Silas whispered.

Max sighed, seeing he had no way to avoid it now.

"How can we be sure he is strong enough to lead us?" Miller asked directly, not even sparing Silas a glance.

"You can find out yourself. All you need to do is invite him to a spar. If he agrees, good luck to you."

Max did not return to his speech.

"I challenge you to a spar," Miller said to Silas, his voice gentle and soft.

Silas looked at Miller with a calm, cold gaze that seemed to unravel his soul.

"No."

Silas’s reply cut through the air, reaching Miller like a blade.

"If you do not trust my ability to lead, you are free to leave," Silas said.

Miller rolled his eyes in mild annoyance.

"I believe in you," Lilura said, in a tone Silas ignored entirely.

"She will only make things harder in the long run," Silas concluded quietly.

But there was nothing he could do. If Max had added her to the group, then she stayed.

"Alright, enough of this. Go get prepared. Your ride is here," Max said, cutting through the growing tension. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Billie was the first to leave. She walked out without a word to anyone.

Michael followed, then Mira, then Miller.

Lilura followed shortly after, seeing that Silas was not heading out yet.

"So, you asked us what we needed," Silas said, looking at Max with a smile