"In short, they are lunatics," Eleanor said.
Isaac nodded. From everything he had heard so far, that description felt accurate enough.
Averon leaned back slightly, folding his arms. "Protecting Emily shouldn’t be hard as long as the Spirit of Water is near her. So, shall we focus on the competition for now? It will decide whether or not Isaac will serve another Lord. We can’t afford to lose."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Isaac. There was a faint edge in it, something between annoyance and resentment.
Isaac noticed it immediately. "What?"
"How can you make me your Sub-Lord without telling me you would be making a bet this ridiculous? It’s all but guaranteed now that I will have to serve another Lord." Averon clicked his tongue.
"If you don’t want to serve another Lord, fight properly." Isaac shrugged, not looking particularly bothered.
Averon exhaled sharply through his nose, but didn’t push that line further.
Instead, he moved on. "So, who’s fighting from our side?"
"You, Alice, Emily, Eleanor, Avery..." Isaac paused briefly. "And I’ll look for the sixth member."
Eleanor’s gaze shifted toward him the moment he said her name instead of using her title. It wasn’t something she commented on, but it didn’t go unnoticed either.
Isaac acted like he hadn’t seen it.
"Correct me if I’m wrong, but Alice and Emily are both Adept rank, right?" Averon asked.
"Yes," Isaac said.
"And Eleanor?"
"Champion."
Averon closed his eyes for a moment and smiled. He looked as if he had already accepted defeat.
"All of our team members are Apex rank species. So don’t worry about rank too much," Isaac said.
Averon opened his eyes again, irritation clear this time. "They have Apex rank species too. And theirs are Overlord rank, unlike our Adepts."
"Stop acting like an idiot." Isaac clicked his tongue.
"I’m not an idiot," Averon shot back immediately.
"You wouldn’t be saying we can’t win if you weren’t. We have Avery. Then we have Emily, who has two Catastrophes, three monsters she tamed from the Great Dungeon, three Abyss monsters, and more summons than anyone here can keep track of. Those two alone could turn the fight. Then there’s Alice and Eleanor, who both got stronger recently. So tell me again why you think we’re doomed."
Averon opened his mouth, ready to argue.
Then he stopped.
He thought about it properly this time.
Avery alone might not be enough. That part was true. But Emily... she was a different matter entirely. She was a tamer. Her rank didn’t define her strength. Her summons did, and those were anything but weak.
Even Averon himself wasn’t confident he could deal with her if she went all out.
"...Actually, we might win," he admitted after a moment, his tone shifting.
"I know. But that doesn’t mean you get careless. Stay cautious and fight properly. Now go and get prepared," Isaac said.
Averon nodded slowly. A faint grin formed on his face as he turned toward the door.
Those Lords had been a constant problem for him. He had endured more than a few humiliating moments because of them. Now, he finally had a chance to settle things.
I wonder who’s participating from that Fafnir bastard’s side. I hope it’s that bitch Serisa, he thought as he stepped out.
The door closed behind him.
For a moment, the room fell quiet.
"Who do you have in mind for the sixth member?" Alice asked, breaking the silence.
"I was thinking between Vale and sis. But I haven’t been able to get in touch with her at all. So we’ll probably go with Vale." Isaac leaned back slightly.
Alice nodded. It made sense.
Lords themselves weren’t allowed to participate. Only their subordinates could enter the competition. If that restriction didn’t exist, Isaac would have joined without hesitation.
The group continued discussing a few smaller details. It was nothing major, just adjustments and possibilities. After a while, a knock sounded on the door.
Alice glanced toward it.
"They’re finally here," Isaac said. "Come in."
The door opened, and Paul walked in with his usual energy. Behind him was Tyr, the treant, carrying two large boxes on his shoulders as if they weighed nothing.
"Brother Isaac! It’s been a long time!" Paul said with a wide grin as he stepped forward and pulled Isaac into a brief hug.
Tyr’s bark twisted slightly, forming what could only be described as a smile.
"It’s good to see you both," Isaac said.
Paul greeted the others, while Tyr gave a small nod to each of them. When his gaze landed on Alice, his expression brightened noticeably.
Alice smiled back. "It’s been a while."
From Tyr’s perspective, it hadn’t been long at all. But for Isaac and Alice, who had gone through the Trial, months had passed. The difference showed in the way they reacted.
"So, did you prepare what I asked for?" Isaac asked, getting back to the point.
"Of course! The blacksmiths from Former Governor Jeremy’s city were amazing to work with. Thanks to them, we finished these earlier than expected!" Paul replied immediately, his grin widening.
Tyr stepped forward and carefully placed the two boxes on the ground.
Paul crouched down and opened them.
Inside the first box was a bracelet. It looked simple at first glance, but there was a faint glow embedded within its structure.
The second box contained a spear.
Even without touching it, the weapon gave off a sharp, dangerous presence.
"These are made from the eyes of the Crimson Sky Wyrm, and Hell-Iron Myre. It took a bit of work, but they turned out better than I expected," Paul said, gesturing proudly.
Isaac’s eyes lingered on the items for a moment.
"What can they do?" Alice asked.
Paul picked up the bracelet first. "This one has two skills. The main one is an active ability. When you activate it, it reduces the movement speed of all enemies within a fifty-meter radius by twenty percent."
"That’s useful," Alice said, her attention focused on the bracelet.
"It is. Especially in group fights. It will give you control over the battlefield," Paul agreed, then added, "For every enemy, whose speed you reduce, your own speed will be boosted by 5%. This is its second ability. You can stack it five times."
He then set it aside and lifted the spear.
"Now this, is the real piece," he said, his tone shifting slightly,
Isaac watched closely.
"It has a two percent chance to induce a three-second stun every time it hits an enemy. And there’s another two percent chance to reduce the durability of the enemy’s weapon by three percent if there’s a clash," Paul explained.
At first glance, the numbers didn’t seem impressive.
But in real combat, awakeners could exchange dozens of strikes in a single second. That meant those chances stacked quickly. Over time, the effects would trigger far more often than they appeared to.
"Good work." Isaac said.
"It wasn’t just me. Those blacksmiths you introduced me to helped a lot. I wouldn’t have finished these this fast without them." Paul rubbed the back of his head, smiling.
Isaac nodded.
There were still a few eyes of the Crimson Sky Wyrm left. Those had been given to jewelers. He had been told it would take more time to turn them into proper items.
I wonder what kind of abilities those will have, he thought briefly.
Without wasting more time, he picked up both the bracelet and the spear.
Then he turned toward Alice and handed them to her.
Alice looked slightly surprised for a moment, then accepted them.
"Thank you," she said.
Isaac gave a small nod. "Use them well."
Alice examined the bracelet first, slipping it onto her wrist. Then she looked at the spear, her grip tightening slightly as she tested its balance.
"It feels good," she said after a moment.
"It should. I didn’t cut any corners with that one," Paul replied proudly.
...
The news of the competition between the Lords spread faster than anyone expected.
Within half an hour, it had reached every corner of the city.
The streets were louder than usual, filled with people discussing matchups, odds, and rumors that kept changing every hour.
Citizens gathered in small groups, arguing over which Lord would win, while visitors from other cities—those who had come to explore the Great Dungeon or trade in the markets—joined in with equal enthusiasm.
It didn’t take long for information about the participants to start circulating.
Lists appeared. Names were whispered. Strengths, abilities, past achievements. Everything people could dig up was suddenly common knowledge.
No one knew who had compiled the information on the subordinates of the other Lords.
Yet somehow, almost everyone had access to it.
There was one detail that stood out.
Information about every Lord’s subordinates was present... except for Isaac’s.
That alone was enough to stir suspicion.
People assumed Isaac had suppressed information about his own team while secretly gathering data on others.
The only question that didn’t have a clear answer was this—
How would Isaac know so much about everyone else?
...
On the second floor of a quiet café, two old men sat by the window, watching the busy streets below.
Steam rose slowly from their cups of tea.
"So you bet on Isaac because you hate him?" asked Marlow, his tone calm and mildly amused. He was the principal of Master of Sanctum university.
"Yes! I’ve put everything on Isaac!" replied Jeremy, former governor of human city, and someone who now served Isaac, without hesitation.
"Why?" Marlow raised an eyebrow.
"Why what? I can’t wait to see that bastard lose. Do you know how much he makes me work? I’m telling you, he has no respect for his elders!"
A few nearby customers glanced in their direction, but Jeremy didn’t care.
"That’s why I bet on him! If he loses, I’ll finally get some satisfaction. And if he wins, I’ll get money. Either way, I win!"
Marlow chuckled softly and shook his head.
Even at his age, Jeremy could go on endlessly when it came to complaining. It was almost impressive.
But then, Marlow’s expression changed.
His eyes shifted slightly, and his posture stiffened.
Jeremy didn’t notice.
He kept going, his voice rising again as he added more colorful insults.
Marlow kicked him under the table.
Once, then again.
Jeremy ignored it both times.
"...and I swear, one day I’m going to—"
"Seems like you are quite happy with the salary you get."
The voice came from right behind him.
Jeremy froze.
He knew that darned voice.
Slowly, he turned his head.
Isaac stood there, looking down at him.
Instead of shrinking back, Jeremy’s expression twisted with irritation.
"Yes, the salary is so good I hate it! What are you going to do? Fire me? Go ahead!" he snapped.
Isaac didn’t react immediately. He simply looked at him for a moment.
Then he spoke, calm as ever, "...Do you remember there’s a clause that says I can send you on work trips?"
"What do you—"
Jeremy’s face stiffened.
Isaac smiled faintly and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Pack your bags. You’re going to the Crawling Serpent tribe tonight. You’ll observe their management system," he said.
Jeremy’s expression darkened.
"And of course, you’ll continue handling your work for this city as well," Isaac added.
For a brief moment, Jeremy genuinely wished he had ten mouths.
So he could curse Isaac with all of them at once.
Marlow, on the other hand, quietly sipped his tea, clearly entertained.
...
Outside the café, Isaac walked along the street.
The noise of the city surrounded him, but his focus was elsewhere.
He had come to this area because, for a split second, he had sensed Catherine.
Meeting Jeremy had been a coincidence.
Finding out he was being cursed... less so.
"Tsk. I give him a good salary, proper resources, and flexible authority. Why does he act like I’m forcing him into slavery?"
He shook his head slightly and continued walking, his gaze scanning the surroundings.
People moved around him. They were merchants, awakeners, humans, orcs, and ordinary citizens. Nothing seemed out of place.
Then, suddenly, a screen appeared in front of him.
[A suitable target detected in host’s vicinity.]
Isaac’s eyes snapped to the direction indicated by the screen.
Across the street, near a small outdoor seating area of a restaurant, a woman sat alone at a table.
She looked completely ordinary, and inconspicuous.
She was eating a bowl of noodles with full concentration, her expression almost blissful, as if she were tasting something extraordinary.
For anyone else, she would have blended into the crowd.
But the screen hovered above her.
More notifications appeared.
[Name: ...]