Instead, their eyes were fixed on the office room where he and Celia stood. A few even whispered to each other while sneaking glances.
"Looks like your fans noticed you when we were outside," Isaac teased.
Celia followed his gaze and smiled. "Sorry about that. I suppose we’ll need to leave through teleportation again."
It didn’t seem she hated getting attention.
Though having seen her status screen, Isaac knew she did not like fans who crossed boundaries.
Paul, seemingly oblivious to the attention, bent down and handed Isaac the weapons, each neatly stored in fitted cases.
Isaac placed the Infernal Fang Spear and the Frostveil Sword into his spatial ring. That left the last case, the katana.
He turned toward Celia. "Do you use weapons when you fight, or do you rely purely on magic?"
Celia shook her head. "I’m a support. I don’t really fight."
Isaac frowned. "Just because you’re support doesn’t mean you can’t fight at all. What are your affinities?"
Her eyes drifted to the katana’s case for a brief moment before she looked away. She understood his intention.
"Isaac, I can’t take it."
"You didn’t answer me. What are your affinities?" he pressed.
Celia hesitated, then finally relented. "Space, air... and dark lightning."
Isaac nodded.
He didn’t have Dark Lightning Affinity, and wouldn’t be able to bring out to true potential of Stormshadow Katana.
Celia was different.
Paul’s mouth dropped open. "Dark lightning? That’s— that’s an element from hell itself. How does a surface world dweller has it?"
"Celia’s special." Isaac gave a simple answer.
He pushed the katana case toward her. "Take it."
She opened her mouth to protest, but her hands moved almost on their own as she accepted the weapon.
"Thank you," she said softly. For someone who had refused just seconds ago, her expression betrayed her excitement.
Her fingers lingered on the case longer than necessary.
"Katana is quite famous among young adventurers due to how media depicts the weapon. I always wanted to try it," she said.
Isaac caught the gleam in her eyes and almost laughed.
He had noticed the way she kept looking at the sword earlier, which was exactly why he decided to give it to her.
’I’ll need a weapon for myself too.’
’But let’s wait until I create a proper physique and unlock an elemental affinity.’
’When that happens, I’ll have Paul make a sword for me. One that is aligned to my own element.’
’Until then I can use the spear and sword.’
Isaac had trained with every weapon during his academy days, hoping it would help him if he awakened a Talent with a particular weapon.
Now, his hard work from past was coming in use.
Before Paul could respond, an idea struck Isaac. "Actually, could you make a giant war hammer attuned to the solar element?"
Paul rubbed his chin. "A solar element war hammer... I can forge it, but I’d need ores with solar element. I don’t have anything like that right now."
"Then how did you manage to make the spear and the sword?" Isaac asked.
Paul shrugged. "Fire and ice ores are common enough if you know where to look. And as for the katana, the Hell-Iron Myre itself resonates with dark lightning. It was almost natural for it to take that form. But solar affinity... that’s another story. I’d need very specific ores infused with sunlight mana."
Isaac nodded slowly. "I understand. I’ll come to you when I get the materials."
Paul smiled. "Whenever you’re ready, Boss."
Isaac thought about mentioning the idea of Paul becoming his subject, but it wasn’t the right time.
The matter of Lords and subjects wasn’t something Paul would easily grasp without a lot of explanation.
Better to wait until the man had a clearer view of the bigger world.
Before the silence stretched too long, Celia raised her hand.
A tiny dark-blue cloud formed above her palm, swirling and growing rapidly. Within moments it expanded enough to cover the room with faint shadows.
"Ready?" she asked, reaching out her other hand.
Isaac nodded and took it. The two of them stepped into the cloud, and the smithy vanished behind them.
When the haze cleared, they were standing back in their house.
Isaac let go of her hand. "I’ll prepare a few things before we leave. What about you? What will you do until then?"
Celia hesitated. "Can I enter your soulbind pendant? I could train with the summons inside."
Isaac thought it over.
The soulbind pendant held Genos, a champion-rank summon from Emily. It was born from the Metavore Hive and had become quite skilled with a sword. It would actually be a good training partner for Celia.
He nodded. "Alright."
Celia stepped closer.
Her gaze was focused on the pendant resting against his chest.
"You don’t need to take me out when you leave for your evolutionary trial. If I stay inside, I can keep an eye on Emily in case something happens."
Isaac narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn’t considered that.
She must have noticed his hesitation because she quickly continued. "Your trial is individual, isn’t it? They won’t allow you to bring anyone.
"There’s a high chance the soulbind pendant will be sealed during the process. You won’t be able to enter it or use what’s inside.
"If something happens with Emily during that time, I can act. Isn’t it better if I’m there, just in case?"
He weighed her words.
She was right. It did make sense.
"Fine," Isaac said.
He could feel she had an ulterior motive.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he pulled up her status screen.
[Status: Isaac’s soulbind pendant is special. It might be allowed to function during the evolutionary trial. If that happens, being inside means Celia can accompany Isaac. Being together in a dangerous setting will greatly increase her chances of deepening romance.]
Isaac froze.
His thoughts stalled, then came back in a rush.
’This little devil,’ he muttered inwardly.
He had thought she was innocent, and energetic.
But no, she was already planning three steps ahead!
"Isaac, can I?" Celia asked sweetly, her eyes wide and full of innocence.
He stared at her, exasperated.
On the surface she looked harmless, but right now she was playing the pig to eat the tiger!
"...Okay," he said finally.
Her smile brightened as she touched the pendant.
"Good luck on your trial," she said softly. And then she vanished into it.
A moment later, Isaac saw her through the connection.
Inside the pendant, she was already pulling out the katana from her spatial ring.
She looked at it with shining eyes, hugging it close, and then giggled softly while whispering his name.
Isaac let out a long breath and shook his head.
She really wasn’t as straightforward as she appeared.
’A devil is a devil I guess.’
Pushing the thought aside, he began preparing.
He checked his supplies, stored away what he wouldn’t need, and finished by harvesting the grain in the farm outside before planting new crops.
By the time noon came, everything was in order.
He stood quietly, then spoke,
"I want to start the Evolutionary Trial."
A door of white light appeared before him.
Instincts told him he needed to step through it.
Without hesitation, he walked forward.
And then the world swallowed him whole.