"So, why did Lord Isaac approach me?" Seraphina asked, tilting her head slightly.
"It’s my duty as the Lord to check on how the people in my city are faring, and if they are having any problems. I regularly look around and mingle among the citizens," Isaac answered.
"Really?" Seraphina raised a brow.
"Yes. Though I usually keep a disguise so as to not cause commotion," Isaac said without hesitation.
"Then, why did Lord Isaac approach me? Is it true he is a connoisseur of beauty?" she asked, her lips curling into a playful smile.
It was the kind of smile that would have easily charmed most people watching.
Isaac, however, felt nothing from it.
All he could picture was the same woman from earlier, stuffing noodles into her mouth too quickly and nearly choking.
The contrast between that moment and her current composed demeanor made it hard for him to take her act seriously.
Still, he spoke, "Miss...."
"Sera," she said smoothly.
"Miss Sera is quite funny. However, I would appreciate it if you don’t make comments like that. I am a loyal husband," Isaac replied, a small chuckle escaping him.
He made sure his voice carried just enough for the surrounding crowd to hear.
He wanted to make it clear to the crowd that he was a loyal person, and not someone who went after beautiful women.
This was the perfect opportunity to weaken his Lustful, NTR, and Harem Domains!
There was a ripple of reactions almost immediately.
Some women in the crowd chuckled softly, amused by his response, while a few men scoffed under their breath.
"How is the city, Miss Sera?" Isaac asked.
"It’s beautiful. The food is good, the streets are clean, the pure ambient mana helps calm people, and the aesthetics of the city feel harmonious," she said without hesitation.
"I’m glad you liked it." Isaac nodded once, then his gaze sharpened slightly. "So... can I ask where you came from? I wasn’t aware humans lived beyond the four human cities."
The four human cities were Fortified City 50, Fortified City 22, Fortified City 82, and Fortified City 62. Though after Isaac’s took over two of them, the number had already been reduced to three.
Seraphina smiled faintly. "How do you know I’m not from a human city?"
"I have a high-rank Mana Sense skill. The amount of mana I can sense from you says you are from an Apex rank species. There is no human of that rank in the other cities. If there was, humanity would have already gained a Lord long ago," he lied as smoothly as he breathed.
Seraphina would need to check his status to know if he was lying. However, thanks to the item she gave him last time, no one could see his status if he did not want it.
The crowd reacted instantly.
Gasps spread like a wave, and people instinctively stepped back, giving Seraphina a bit more space.
Apex rank.
It was no longer an unknown term. Since Isaac became Lord, knowledge about ranks, species, and the wider world had started spreading among the common population.
Even so, hearing it confirmed so casually still shook them.
The way people looked at Seraphina changed.
Murmurs rose.
"So that’s why Lord Isaac approached her? He needs both beauty and strength?"
"Look at me, Lord Isaac! I might not be strong, but I have long legs and a very dexterous tongue!"
"Look at this bastard. He..."
Isaac’s lips twitched slightly to the murmurs.
He chose to ignore them.
Seraphina, on the other hand, let out a quiet chuckle.
"Indeed, you are correct," she said. "As you know, humans have always ventured into the wilderness and the Mourning Frost Mountains. Sometimes, a few of them gain unexpected treasures or opportunities and become stronger. Thanks to that, they gain favor from other Lords and are recruited by them."
She paused briefly before continuing,
"My great-great-grandparents were such people. However, they always regretted not being strong enough to return to the human cities and help them. When my parents heard about the emergence of a human Lord, they sent me here."
"And the Lord where you lived let you come here?" Isaac asked, raising a brow slightly.
Seraphina only shrugged.
She didn’t answer.
Isaac kept his smile, but his thoughts moved quickly.
That was a complete background.
Either she had connections she used to create a fake background for herself, or... Mother had intervened and prepared everything for her.
"Since you were sent here by your parents, can I take it that you want to work for me?" Isaac asked.
"That will depend on how Lord Isaac performs," she replied, her expression calm, but her words carrying a subtle challenge.
Isaac laughed.
"Is something about what I said funny?" she asked.
"There is. Why do you think I will take you as my subordinate?" he asked back.
The crowd quieted slightly.
"You might be Apex rank, but I have several Apex ranks under me. I have dragons, devils, and several legendary races. What makes you think I would want you?" he questioned.
Then he added, more pointedly, "I should be asking you. What do you have that will make me want to take you under me?"
This time, the reaction from the crowd was louder.
Gasps, whispers, disbelief.
An Apex rank human... rejected so openly?
Some people looked stunned, others excited.
The more observant ones caught something else entirely.
Dragons. Devils.
Until now, the exact races of Saintess Alice and Goddess Celia had not been officially confirmed. But with Isaac’s words, people could begin connecting the dots.
At the same time, a different question began spreading among the crowd.
What did he mean by dragons... and devils? He had more such subordinates?
Live streams of the encounter were already spreading rapidly.
Across devices, screens, and communication channels, people watched the exchange live.
And along with it came a flood of public chat.
...
[Anonymous User 4821]: That’s our Lord.
[CityResident_77]: He didn’t even hesitate. Apex rank or not, he doesn’t care.
[IronGuard_21]: This is why humanity finally has a future.
[MageApprentice]: Dragons? Devils? Just how strong is his faction?
[HopeForHumanity]: Under Lord Isaac, we’ll rise. I’m telling you, this is just the beginning.
[Watcher_09]: Damn, I wish I was as lucky as him to be so bold to refuse an Apex rank Human.
[Anonymous]: Humanity will dominate one day. Mark my words.
...
Back in another part of the city, a group sat gathered around a screen.
Alice stood near the table, her arms loosely crossed, her eyes fixed on the projection.
Celia leaned casually against the side, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Arlene sat nearby, while Emily sat on a floating cushion, watching both the screen and Alice at the same time.
They had just returned from shopping when Arlene received the notification of the live stream.
Now, all of them were watching it.
"Sera. She is quite beautiful. Isaac moved quite fast," Celia said lightly.
She glanced sideways at Alice as she spoke.
Alice snorted.
Emily hesitated before speaking carefully, "Alice, I don’t think Isaac is trying to—"
"I’m not angry," Alice cut in. Even though she had a natural expression, Emily and Celia could see a faint exasperation in her gaze. "What do you guys think of me? I’m not going to lose my temper every time Isaac talks to a woman."
"R-Right," Emily replied, though her smile came out a bit stiff.
Celia giggled softly.
She knew Alice well enough.
After everything that had happened—after Isaac accepted her request regarding Selene—Alice would never get angry at Isaac for meeting other women.
Thus, this kind of situation wasn’t serious, which made it the perfect chance to tease Isaac and Alice.
"If you’re not angry, then why are you speaking so forcefully?" Celia asked, her tone playful.
"I’m not. Besides, I know Isaac will just recruit her and nothing else. It’s not like he’s going to bring her home," Alice replied, though her voice did carry a bit more emphasis than usual.
"How about we make a bet? I say he will bring her home," Celia said.
Alice fell silent.
"Wow, so you don’t trust him at all? You think he’s the kind of man who meets a woman once and brings her home the same day?" Celia asked, placing a hand lightly over her chest in mock surprise. "
Alice’s eyebrow twitched. She turned her head slowly, her expression flattening as she met Celia’s gaze.
"Doesn’t that mean you don’t trust him either?" she asked.
"It’s because I trust him that I’m making this bet." Celia said without hesitation. Her smile didn’t falter in the least.
Alice presence rose. She stared at Celia.
Celia didn’t move. She simply smiled, as if she found the reaction more entertaining than threatening. To her, Alice looked like someone guarding something precious, and that only made her want to tease her more.
Arlene, who had been sitting quietly to the side, was not handling it nearly as well. Her shoulders tensed, and her hands curled slightly in her lap as she felt the pressure building.
"I-Is this okay...?" she asked in a small voice.
Emily noticed her reaction right away. She gently placed her hand over Arlene’s, giving it a light squeeze.
"It’s fine. Don’t worry. They’re just teasing each other," she said softly.
It was only Celia who was doing the teasing and Alice might explode at any moment, but saying that to Arlene would not be wise, so Emily gave her a fake assurance.
In any case, Emily knew Alice wouldn’t do anything too drastic. At best, she would drag Celia to a training session.