Social Skills were dangerous.
They could let you read snippet of other’s thoughts, or implant an idea in their mind. For these reasons, awakeners with social skills were detested by public, and they were not allowed to use skills legally in the city.
These awakeners were always under strict surveillance.
They rarely got support from other awakeners either, and thus couldn’t level up much, since going into wilderness alone was no different from suicide.
"No, I didn’t mean actual skills," she said quickly. "I meant their ability to talk to people, and handle customers. You know, presentation, tact, all that."
"Oh."
"Also," She lowered her voice. "Two of the staff here do have social-type skills. Don’t worry, the skills are weak ones, and they’re not dangerous."
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
"Their skills aren’t flashy or explosive, but they’re useful for shops and public interaction. So, we picked them up for quiet jobs."
Isaac nodded slowly.
He wasn’t worried about having his mind read. His high Spirit Power stat protected him from social skills.
"I get it," he said finally. "But I still need to know what they can do."
Selene nodded. "One of them can tell if someone likes a product. It’s just a sense, nothing invasive. The other can detect if someone’s entering the shop with bad intentions, like if they’re coming to stir trouble."
Isaac folded his arms. "That’s actually impressive."
"It is. But don’t get too comfortable. These abilities don’t work if the target has high Spirit stats or any kind of mental defense skills. So they’re not foolproof."
He gave a short nod. "Alright. Let’s meet them."
"This way," Selene said, leading him in.
The staff turned as they approached them.
There were six of them—three men, three women—all dressed in simple yet tailored uniforms.
The fabric was gray with pale blue trim. They stood at attention when they saw Selene and Isaac.
"Everyone," Selene said, "this is Isaac. He is the CEO of Family company, and the owner of this shop. You’ll be working with him directly."
Isaac offered a polite smile. "Nice to meet you all."
They introduced themselves.
The first to step forward was a tall man with trimmed silver hair and a clean jawline. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. "I’m Camden. I’ve handled high-end clients for the past six years, and I was part of Calloway’s central branch."
"Welcome to the Family." Isaac shook his hand. "I appreciate the fact that you came here despite being part of the central branch."
"It is my pleasure to be here."
Next came a short woman with sharp, watchful eyes. Her black hair was tied into a low bun, and her tone was efficient. "Rhea. I’m used to dealing with logistics and complaints."
One by one, the rest introduced themselves.
There was Micah, a younger man who seemed quiet but observant, and two women—Bella and Mave—who clearly had experience working the floor.
They smiled sweetly, and their posture were relaxed even though today was the opening, which showed their confidence.
As they talked, Isaac found Bella could cook, and Micah would mainly work as the security guard.
Bella in particular had a subtle charm to her voice, something almost too smooth.
Then, the last to speak was a slim man with thick glasses and a calm tone. "I’m Emrin. I mostly handle customer data and behavior logs. Preferences, trends, that sort of thing."
Isaac glanced at Selene. She gave a small nod.
So these two—Bella and Emrin—were the ones with the social-type abilities.
He turned back to the staff.
"I welcome all of you to the Family. Now, I won’t take up too much of your time, since the opening will be soon done. I just want to say I appreciate all you and I hope I can rely on your experience."
There were a few nods and small smiles from the group.
"Also," Isaac continued. "You can share any ideas or problems you have related to the shop, the customer, or the products. You don’t need to worry about being punished if you make mistakes, but I would appreciate if you would be honest about them. Lastly…"
He smiled.
"If you have any problem even outside the shop, you can share them with me. We are a family here, and I would do my best to help all of you."
Their smiles brightened, seeing Isaac’s attitude. Even Rhea gave a small approving nod.
After a short round of questions—mostly about expected schedules, setup dates, and if they’d be allowed to test products—Selene clapped her hands gently.
"I’ll leave you to get acquainted. Camden and Rhea will stay behind to discuss logistics. The rest of you, take a short break."
The team dispersed gradually, slipping into a side room or exiting toward the back hallway. Selene gestured for Isaac to follow her to a corner of the main room where a set of sample displays were being assembled.
"You’ll like them," she said. "Bella and Emrin, I mean. They know the boundary lines. They don’t use their skills unless needed, and even then, it’s subtle. Most customers will never notice."
"And those who does notice?"
"Don’t worry. They have permits. It needed a bit of work, but Alice handled it, and Calloway made sure the request for the permit was processed quickly."
She passed him a few documents.
Isaac glanced toward the side room where the two had gone. "That second ability—detecting bad intent. How reliable is it?"
"Only within a short range," Selene replied. "And it has to be direct intent. If someone’s just having a bad day or is generally aggressive, it won’t trigger. But if they’re coming in specifically to cause a scene or steal something? Emrin will know."
"That’s good," Isaac said quietly.
After a moment of silence, Isaac spoke, "I brought the Tier 2 grains."
Selene blinked. "What?"
He took out a single Vitality Grain.
It shone with a faint gold hue, and its surface was speckled with delicate lines that pulsed slowly, like a heart. Selene reached for it carefully, turning it in her fingers.
"There’s a lot of mana in this," she murmured.
Isaac nodded and passed her a set of documents. They were lab reports with clear metrics and test results. Selene flipped through them without speaking. Her eyes moved line by line, brow lowering slightly.
When she finally looked up, her expression had shifted.
"We can make these the shop’s specialty."
"That was the plan," Isaac said. "For now."
She gave a slow nod, then looked back down at the grain. "This is the first time I’m seeing something like this. You can put a price of 1 million on it, and it will still sell like hotcakes."
"Mhm, Alice gave the same estimate," he said.
The price was nothing too much, He needed a lot more money if he wanted to buy more land to grow more crops. After all, he would no longer be given a massive discount, and he needed to spend as much money as others to buy land.
"You brought enough for today?"
"Yes."
Isaac reached into his inventory once more and retrieved a container. Inside it, the Tier 2 Vitality grains were arranged neatly.
"One hundred," he said. "It should be enough for a launch."
"You brought one hundred Tier 2s on opening day?"
"I’m expecting demand."
She let out a quiet chuckle. "Good. Because after today, you might need even more."
The ribbon-cutting ceremony started an hour later.
The shop’s front area had been decorated quickly but elegantly. Pale white curtains had been drawn back to reveal the new displays, and a path had been cleared to allow space for the arriving guests.
A small crowd had gathered outside.
They were mostly mid-tier influencers, a few well-known Awakeners, and some curious researchers who’d heard rumors about the Vitality Grains.
There was media too.
Two camera drones floated near the entrance, quietly recording. A pair of reporters stood nearby, one already setting up a microphone, the other scanning the guests with practiced eyes.
Isaac frowned. "Why is media here?"
Selene leaned toward him, speaking low enough that only he heard her. "This is your first public appearance in the city. That’s why."
As she leaned in, the sound of fast camera clicks filled the air. Flashes went off in quick bursts, catching them mid-conversation.
Selene stepped away like it was nothing. She moved to speak with someone from the administration staff near the door.
Not far away, Marien stood with her clipboard.
Her expression remained unchanged. But internally, she was screaming in rage. She didn’t need to check the press feeds to know exactly what tomorrow’s headlines would be.
"Family Shop. The sign of friendship between the heir of Calloway and the humanity’s first SSS rank Farmer. But are they just friends, or is there something more going behind the scenes?"
Or something equally dramatic.
Back inside, the staff had finished final checks.
Emrin stood behind one of the main counters, while Bella assisted a few early customers already examining sample displays.
The Tier 1 and Tier 0 grains were set up near the front to attract traffic.
The vegetables were further inside, and the Tier 2s were behind a reinforced glass enclosure. A small sign beside them listed their effects.
Isaac had made sure the supply was deep enough for the day. He had stocked thousands of grains and vegetable crops.
As the doors officially opened, people began to trickle in.
There was no sudden rush, but a steady stream, which Isaac had expected since only the wealthiest roamed this area of Sector 4.
Many paused at the entrance to look around, then moved directly to the Vitality Grains section.
Some customers asked questions. Others simply watched. A few checked the notes that displayed the effects of the grains and imprinted them on the memory.
Isaac observed quietly from the side.
Camden and Rhea handled most of the customer-facing interactions.
Bella hovered nearby, answering casual questions and guiding hesitant buyers, who couldn’t believe the effects of the grains. Her tone was friendly, never pushy.
At one point, Emrin caught his eye and gave a small nod. Isaac nodded back. It wasn’t a signal, but rather a confirmation that everything was in place.
The Tier 0 grains were selling quickly. The displayed stock of Tier 1s had been emptied already, and replaced by another a new stock.
Isaac glanced at the sales feed displayed on the small monitor near the back office. The numbers were already better than expected.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the media still standing outside. The flashes from the camera drones hadn’t slowed.
A few reporters were interviewing guests just past the entrance.
Their voices were too faint to hear clearly, but he could guess what they were asking.
Words like "Calloway," "rare grains," and "breakthrough in cultivation" were bound to come up.
He smiled again, just slightly.
He had no doubt Selene was behind their presence here today.
She hadn’t mentioned it directly, but this level of coordination wasn’t accidental. When the news would hit tomorrow, his name—and the shop—would be the headline. This level of exposure couldn’t be bought easily.
His gaze drifted across the shop as he thought, but then paused when it reached the vegetable section.
Unlike the grain displays, that corner was quieter.
There were almost no customers crowding the counters.
The vegetables, neatly arranged and labeled, had barely moved since the doors opened. A few shoppers had stopped to glance at them, but most walked right past.
It wasn’t surprising.
The Vitality Grains had detailed descriptions, quantified effects, and proven effects. The vegetables didn’t.
At best, the labels simply said things like "High quality" or "High in nutrients." There were no numbers, no breakdowns of specific buffs, and no verified testimonies from trusted figures.
They just looked like... vegetables.
And that was the problem.
If this continued, the vegetables would be a big flop.
’Hmm, isn’t that?’
Isaac noticed someone near the vegetable section.
He had long white hair, blue eyes, and the half-lidded expression that seemed both calm and disinterested.
Vale Rae.
He was staring at a cabbage.
His arms were loose at his sides, and his head tilted slightly forward, as if lost in thought.
It seemed he was debating over something.
Isaac walked over.
As he approached, Vale shifted slightly and noticed him. He didn’t seem startled. Instead, he straightened, then extended a hand without hesitation.
Isaac took it.
"Vale Rae," he said. "I came here to buy a few things since my little sister and guild mates praised quite a few products of yours."
"Haha, I guess I owe Celia another favor."
Vale stared at Isaac for a moment longer when he mentioned his sister, but he stayed quite.
At the same time, Isaac was observing him too.
He looks lazy, but he took the initiative to greet first, Isaac thought. That’s not how someone spoiled by power behaves.
A lot of high-rankers in the city had an air of detachment. Some thought of themselves as untouchable. Others acted distant because they genuinely didn’t care. But Vale, despite his appearance, didn’t carry himself that way.
He knew the balance.
He knew how to read a room, and how not to seem overbearing.
Isaac appreciated that.
"Is there something you wanted to ask?" he asked calmly.
Vale didn’t speak at first. He looked back at the cabbage with an unreadable expression.
Then he asked, "Do they taste good?"
Isaac raised an eyebrow. It was a simple question, but the way Vale asked it—serious, almost hesitant—made it clear this wasn’t casual curiosity.
Does normal cabbage not taste good to him?
Or... maybe it’s like Emily. A sensitivity to taste?
Vale was a demihuman, after all. There could be unique dietary quirks or perceptual differences at play.
Isaac nodded slightly. "Yes. These cabbages were grown in my own field using specialized cultivation techniques. They’re rich in nutrients, high in mana, and they hold a distinct flavor. I can vouch for them."
Vale gave a soft "hmm" in response. He picked up one of the cabbages with both hands, turning it slightly.
After a moment, he looked up again.
"Do you eat them raw or cooked?"
Isaac blinked, not answering immediately.
Raw? Cabbages could be eaten raw? But then he remembered that there many types of people in the world, with many preferences, and he shouldn’t judge them.
So what if he eats it raw? That just means he wants to feel closer to the nature.
"You can eat them both ways, but I would recommend cooked for the best flavor. You can pair them with grains, meat, or use them in broths. The mana content would be retained throughout and after cooking."
Vale studied the cabbage again, as if trying to picture the taste in his mind. Then he set it back down carefully.
"I see."
Isaac waited, letting the silence settle for a moment. Then he asked, "Did you want to try some? I can have Marien prepare a sampler plate. Lightly cooked with a bit of seasoning."
Vale tilted his head. "...Sure."
His words brought the attention of the media, and the customers.
Isaac called over Marien and gave her the instruction. She nodded and moved toward the back room to prepare a small sample.
While they waited, Vale didn’t move far away.
He simply walked along the row of vegetables, occasionally stopping to look at one or another. Pea pods, wheat stalks, tomatoes, onion, garlic.
Isaac walked beside him, silent for now.
When the plate arrived, Vale accepted it with a quiet thanks. He used the wooden pick provided to try a slice of cabbage first.