One condition

Maxwell finished recounting his story, leaving the gang in stunned silence.

Glade was the first to speak. "That was... quite the story."

Hito rushed to Maxwell's side, inspecting him for injuries. "Are you feeling okay? Did they hurt you anywhere?"

Maxwell shook his head. "No bruises, just a bit tired."

Hito sighed in relief but still looked worried. "I knew it was a bad idea to let you go outside..."

Akuro stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Hito's shoulder. "No harsh feelings, Hito. He managed to defend himself."

Maxwell gave an awkward smile. "Heh..."

Hito sighed again, a hint of sadness in his eyes. A strange feeling of nostalgia washed over him. "Maxwell, I..."

Suddenly, the shop door opened. The team turned to see who it was, and Akuro and Hito's eyes widened in surprise.

Standing in the doorway was Gizo. "So this is the human," 

Hito growled and stepped in front of Gizo. "What are you doing here?"

Gizo smiled slyly. "Calm down, big guy. I'm just here to talk about something, especially about what happened."

Akuro remained silent, his annoyance evident as he looked at the masked girl. "Let her pass, Hito."

Hito's eyes widened as he looked at Akuro. Seeing the emotionless look on Akuro's face, Hito reluctantly stepped aside, allowing Gizo to move closer to Maxwell.

"Thank you," Gizo said, walking up to Maxwell and looking intensely into his eyes. "Hmm..."

Maxwell gulped. "Uh... hi?"

Gizo grabbed his arm and inspected the bracelet closely. "Hmm, interesting..."

Gizo looked back at Maxwell, her tone dripping with annoyance. "You only have one monster... that's quite small."

"Uh, yeah, still trying to find another, but I don't really know how to—"

"Typical," Gizo interrupted, her voice sharp. "You have one of the most powerful artifacts, and you're fumbling around like a child." She sighed and let go of his arm, turning to face the others.

"Ouch, rude," Maxwell muttered, offended.

"I found a little bit of info about the White Plumes... and it also has to do with the strange creatures you saw."

Hito's ears perked up. "Really? Then tell us."

Gizo chuckled, a hint of malice in her voice. "Of course, but on one condition..."

Hito growled, his patience wearing thin. "You and your deals..."

Akuro sighed, weary of the games. "What is it this time?"

"I help you with this mess, but in return, I want information on this human." She pointed at Maxwell.

"Maxwell," Akuro corrected.

"Yes, Maxwell. I don't really care about the name," Gizo replied dismissively.

Maxwell looked at Akuro and Hito, unsure of what to do. "Is this a good idea?"

Akuro exchanged a glance with Hito before addressing Gizo. "Alright, you can help us. But no harm comes to Maxwell."

Gizo smirked. "Deal. Now, about the White Plumes..."