Celia was bored.
Her concert was coming up, so she should have been busy enough to forget what boredom even felt like.
There were rehearsals, outfit fittings, stage checks, media runs, and a hundred other things people kept reminding her about.
But the venue had been too loud and too crowded earlier, with managers and technicians running around as if the world would end if a spotlight was misplaced.
So she had slipped out.
Like she always did.
Now, she did not even fear Vale much.
Before, sneaking out would have meant a lecture.
But these days, she was stronger. Not stronger than him, of course, but strong enough that she did not feel like a child who had to hide behind doors.
Still, when she returned home, she realized something unfortunate.
She had nothing to do.
Emily was in another city, learning how to use her new bloodline skill while also managing that place’s affairs. Alice, Isaac, Vale, and Professor Catherine were out for training. Ruby, the City’s AI, had refused to record more silly videos with her after receiving strict orders from Isaac.
The Water Elemental Spirit was hovering near the garden, watching the sunflowers with an expression that looked almost tender. Celia did not dislike plants, but she did not understand what was so fascinating about staring at them for hours.
"I’m... bored..." she muttered.
She melted into the sofa and stared at the ceiling, as if it might suddenly provide entertainment.
After a while, she recalled something Vale had mentioned before leaving. The children from the Crawling Serpent tribe had been rescued from Pit of Trials. Vale and the dragon maids had been looking after them. Celia had been curious but too busy to check.
Her eyes brightened a little. That could pass the time.
She pushed herself up, already planning what she would say to the kids, when the front door opened.
Vale walked in first.
Behind him were Alice and Isaac. The Sword Empress followed last.
For a brief moment, Celia felt her heart jump into her throat. Alarms rang in her mind. She had left rehearsal early. If they had found out—
She straightened quickly and tried to look normal.
Then she actually looked at Vale.
Her breath caught.
His presence had changed. It had grown considerably heavier. Like something that had walked through blood and fire and simply accepted it as part of life.
It felt like staring at a wild beast that had just returned from a hunt.
She took a step back without realizing it.
Vale lifted his gaze when he heard her move. His eyes looked hollow and exhausted. There was no anger in them. No warmth either.
Celia instinctively stepped back again.
Vale did not react to her fear. He walked past her and dropped onto the sofa without a word.
Isaac fell onto the opposite sofa as if his bones had given up on holding him upright. Alice went straight to the kitchen and poured herself water, drinking it in long, steady gulps.
Celia’s throat felt dry.
She noticed something else. Alice had always been intimidating.
But now she felt... different. Like a dragon that had just finished learning how to tear through enemies and paint the lands in their blood.
Her eyes were blank, and she moved like she was tired, yet Celia felt that if she approached carelessly, she might genuinely get hurt.
Isaac was the same. He looked exhausted, but there was something beneath that exhaustion, something that had sharpened.
’What happened to them?’ Celia wondered. ’I thought they went for training. Why do they look like they came back from a war that lasted months?’
She swallowed and forced herself to move closer.
"Brother, are you okay?" she asked softly.
Vale did not respond.
That unsettled her more than anything. Vale adored her. He never ignored her like this.
"Celia, bring them water. They are tired," the Sword Empress said.
Celia nodded quickly and hurried into the kitchen.
She filled two glasses with water, then filled one glass again, bringing the total count to two. She carried them carefully back to the living room and handed one to Vale and one to Isaac.
Vale took his glass and gave a faint nod.
Isaac did the same. He drank slowly, then placed the empty glass on the table.
Before Celia could ask if they needed more water, Isaac’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.
She barely had time to react before he pulled her down into his embrace.
His arms wrapped around her firmly, and he leaned his head against her shoulder, inhaling as if drawing strength from her.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Celia almost squealed. Her face flushed instantly. Her eyes darted toward Vale. She never found doing intimate things in front of others embarrassing. But Vale was a different matter altogether.
"Get your hands off her," Vale grunted without even looking at them.
"I’m recharging myself," Isaac muttered, his voice dull and lacking its usual humor. He did not loosen his grip.
Celia froze.
Vale did not repeat himself. He just leaned back, staring at the ceiling again as if it was more interesting than whatever Isaac was doing.
Alice returned from the kitchen and did not even glance at the two of them. She sat down, closed her eyes, and rested her head against the sofa.
Celia’s mind felt scrambled.
Were these the same people she knew? Vale was ignoring her. Isaac was displaying affection in public. Alice looked like she could not care less about what Isaac was doing.
’What kind of training did they go through that they changed so much?’ she thought, glancing nervously at the Sword Empress.
The Sword Empress stood calmly near the window, her posture straight as ever.
A faint ripple of mana formed beside her, and Avery manifested quietly.
The Water Elemental Spirit’s gaze swept over the three who had just returned.
"So they survived the Hellish Training of Sword Maiden. I almost thought they would not return again," Avery said with a small smile.
The Sword Empress frowned slightly. "...What kind of stories have you been hearing about me?"
"Do you want to know?" Avery asked, her smile widening.
"...Never mind," Sword Empress replied.
Avery’s gaze lingered on Vale, then on Alice and Isaac.
"I have to say, though, they have grown considerably stronger. It’s almost like they are different people."
"Mhm." The Sword Empress gave a short nod.
"How was their performance?" Avery continued. "Among the stories I’ve heard, some say that even the Sword God could not endure the Hellish Training and would try to escape whenever possible."
The Sword Empress’ eyes moved slowly over the three exhausted figures.
"They performed alright," she said.
Avery raised an eyebrow. "Alright? That is a rather high praise coming from you. I heard from one of your disciples that you rarely use that evaluation."
The Sword Empress remained silent for a moment.
"Those three are not normal. Their talent is surprisingly high, and their willpower is higher. None of them attempted to run away. Not even once," she finally said. "Also, don’t use Sword God for comparison. That brat had talent but no motivation."
Avery chuckled. She learned a new fact today.
"I also conducted a few tests," the Sword Empress added, lowering her voice. "I believe Vale might be related to the direct lineage of one of the Seven Great Devils."
The air changed.
Avery’s expression sharpened instantly, her smile gone.
"That means Celia might be..." the Sword Empress trailed off.
Celia felt Isaac’s arms tighten slightly around her, though she doubted he was fully listening.
Avery looked at Celia, then back at the Sword Empress.
"You are telling me this because you want me to protect them?" Avery asked calmly.
"Yes," the Sword Empress replied without hesitation. "I am still trying to complete my Overlord-rank Quest. Until then, you will have to protect everyone. Because if Vale and Celia are who I think they are, then things will become dicey as soon as the Grim Reapers find them."
The name alone made the air feel heavier.
Avery did not show fear, but she did grow serious. "I understand. I will keep watch. If anything stirs, I will act before it reaches this house."
"That is all I ask," the Sword Empress said quietly.
...
Evening came slowly.
Isaac was lying back against the dining table, eyes half-closed. Alice sat on the floor mat beside him, her head resting on his leg while he absentmindedly combed through her hair with his fingers. Neither of them had the energy to speak much.
They had finally been allowed to rest after three months.
Three months without proper sleep.
Now that they had the chance, their bodies seemed to have forgotten how to fall asleep. So they stayed like that, not really talking, simply waiting for exhaustion to finally drag them under.
On Isaac’s other side, Catherine leaned against his shoulder. She had fallen asleep almost immediately, her breathing steady and quiet.
The clock struck eight.
The front door opened, and Celia walked in first, looking slightly less bored than earlier. A few minutes later, Emily entered as well, dust still clinging faintly to her sleeves from her work in the other city.
Isaac opened his eyes and nodded at her.
Emily froze when she saw the three of them.
"What happened?" she asked, alarmed. Her eyes scanned Isaac, then Alice, then Catherine with concern. "Why do you look like this? Were you injured?"
"We’re fine," Isaac said.
"You don’t look fine. You look like you haven’t slept in weeks."
"That’s because we haven’t," Alice muttered without opening her eyes.
Emily stared at them, shocked.
Isaac sighed. "We look like this because of training. It’s nothing serious. We’re just tired."
She crossed her arms. "Training shouldn’t make you look like you just crawled out of a grave."
"It was that kind of training," Isaac smiled wryly.
Honestly, he would rather die that meet that [bat] again. He finally understood why Catherine reacted the way she did when she saw it.
Isaac was already wondering if he could secretly deal with the [bat] which was now his mortal enemy.
After a few more questions and repeated reassurances, Emily finally exhaled and relaxed a little.
"Okay. But I’ll cook dinner. Alice should rest," she said firmly as she headed toward the kitchen.
"You should rest too," the Sword Empress’ voice came from behind her. "You’ve been working all day managing your city. I will cook."
Emily paused. "It’s fine. I can manage."
"I insist," the Sword Empress replied in a tone that made it clear the matter was settled.
Emily hesitated, then gave in with a small nod. "Okay. But let me help."
Around that time, Selene entered quietly.
Her expression was clouded, and her gaze was distant. She looked like someone preparing to leave on a long journey without knowing if she would return.
Isaac noticed immediately.
’It doesn’t look like she has any confidence in completing the Quest,’ he thought.
He sighed softly but said nothing yet.
Selene noticed the atmosphere and quickly forced a smile.
"You’re all back. How did the training go?" she asked, her tone light but slightly strained.
"It was amazing. I wish all my enemies can go through this training," Issac replied.
Selene chuckled at that weird comment, finding it funny.
She moved toward the kitchen to help, and for a while, the house filled with normal sounds. Plates clinked. Water ran. Someone laughed quietly at something Celia said.
Dinner was ready soon.
Everyone gathered around the table. The food was simple but warm, and for a few minutes, no one talked about training, Grim Reapers, or Quests. They just ate.
Catherine woke halfway through and blinked sleepily at her plate before joining in. Isaac fed her with his hands. It was a rare moment where she showed a side like this, and asked to be fed.
After dinner, plates were cleared, and chairs scraped softly against the floor.
Isaac remained seated.
Selene was about to stand when he spoke.
"Selene."
She stopped and looked at him.
"Sit down for a moment," he said.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the back of her chair before she slowly sat again.
The others sensed the shift in tone and fell quiet.
Isaac leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His exhaustion was still visible, but his gaze was steady.
"You’re planning to leave soon, aren’t you?" he asked.
Selene tried to smile again. "It’s my Quest. I don’t really have a choice."