"I’ll go and check," Isaac said.
"I’ll come with you," Celia replied.
Isaac nodded and stepped closer before lifting her into a princess carry. Celia wrapped an arm around his neck as a pair of wings emerged from his back. His control over Partial Phasing had improved significantly, allowing him to instantly expand the wings through his clothes without tearing them. What once required careful preparation had become second nature to him.
With a thought, he opened the window using Telekinesis. The two of them left the mansion moments later and flew into the sky. The Tree of Harmony wasn’t far away, so the trip took less than a few seconds.
Isaac landed beside the tree and immediately looked upward. The Tree of Harmony possessed three branches, and each branch had originally carried three golden leaves. Now, however, the final branch held only one leaf. Two leaves had disappeared.
"When were those leaves consumed?" Celia asked as she stepped beside him.
"I don’t know. Today was busy, and I didn’t have a free clone available to manage the farm inside the Soulbind Pendant. I only noticed the change after checking the tree," Isaac replied.
Isaac had never installed cameras inside the Soulbind Pendant either. The mansion and farm were among the few places where he could truly relax without worrying about responsibilities or enemies. Filling those places with surveillance devices felt wrong to him, so he had always avoided doing it.
The Dragon Maids had been busy throughout the day as well. Some of them had gone to help the children of the Crawling Serpent Tribe, who were trapped inside the Pits of Trials according to the tribe’s traditions. Celeste was among those handling the rescue efforts. The remaining maids had spent the day outside enjoying the city’s celebrations because Isaac had practically forced them to take a break.
"Is there a problem, Master?"
Isaac turned toward the voice and saw Phobe emerging from the nearby forest. She moved quickly toward them, clearly having sensed him leaving the mansion. Her arrival wasn’t surprising. The Dragon Maids had become extremely attentive whenever Isaac suddenly went somewhere.
"Do you know when the leaves disappeared?" Isaac asked while pointing at the Tree of Harmony.
Phobe looked at the tree before lowering her head. "I apologize, Master. If I had remained near the mansion today, I would have noticed immediately and informed you. Please punish this servant for failing to fulfill her duty."
"It’s fine. I’m the one who sent everyone outside today. There’s no reason for you to blame yourself," Isaac said with a wave of his hand.
Phobe hesitated briefly before speaking again. "I do not know when the leaves disappeared, Master, but I may be able to find out. I possess an affinity with nature, so I can detect the traces that should still remain within the flow of natural mana."
Isaac looked surprised for a moment before nodding. "If you can do that, then go ahead and check."
Phobe crouched down and placed a hand on the ground. She closed her eyes and focused completely on the mana flowing beneath the soil. Minutes passed as she carefully traced the disturbances left behind throughout the day.
Eventually, she opened her eyes and stood back up.
"I found it, Master," she said. She then gave him two exact timestamps, accurate down to the second.
Isaac’s brows furrowed immediately. Thanks to his Titles, he possessed perfect memory, and multiple clones had been active throughout the city all day. The moment he heard the times, he began reviewing everything that had happened around them.
The first timestamp immediately caught his attention. The leaf had disappeared only a few minutes before Avery proposed the dungeon competition to the other Lords. That meant something significant had occurred shortly beforehand.
"What is it?" Celia asked after noticing his expression.
"I think the first leaf is related to the dungeon proposal somehow. The timing is too close to ignore. Something happened before Avery presented the idea, and that was what used the first leaf," Isaac replied.
Isaac sorted through his memories one by one. Averon becoming his subject was the first possibility that came to mind. However, after checking the timing, he realized it happened several minutes too early to be the answer.
He continued searching but found nothing obvious. After several moments, he sighed and shook his head.
"I can’t figure it out right now. I’ll ask Catherine later and see if she notices something I missed."
His attention then shifted toward the second timestamp. The moment he remembered what had happened at that exact time, a strange look appeared on his face. Celia noticed it immediately.
"What?" she asked.
Instead of speaking aloud, Isaac contacted her through Tirra’s bond.
’Hey.’
’Yes?’
’The second leaf disappeared when you took the Heaven-Reversal Moon Elixir.’
’And what exactly are you trying to say?’ Celia blinked.
’The elixir spiked your lust so much that we did it until both of your Physiques were upgraded. Because of the boost from them and your new skills, I could fight Third Priest. Perhaps, if I didn’t have those boosts....’
Isaac didn’t say anything, but the meaning behind his words were clear.
Celia stiffened. She had known the fight was dangerous, but hearing it stated so directly made her realize how close the situation had been. The thought left her frozen for several seconds.
Isaac chuckled softly before pulling her into a hug.
’Thank you. You saved me again,’ he said sincerely.
Celia looked up at him.
The word ’again’ wasn’t an exaggeration.
During the Lord Quest, she had dreamed about the Crimson Sky Wyrm before it appeared. That warning had given everyone enough time to prepare, allowing them to survive a disaster that should have devastated them. Today, she had simply trying to have some fun with the elixir and causing trouble as usual, yet the result had once again changed the future.
’When you say it like that, it sounds as though I planned all of this,’ Celia replied.
Isaac laughed. ’You didn’t. But somehow things always work out whenever you’re involved. At this point, I’m starting to think fate itself is helping you.’
Celia rolled her eyes, though a faint smile appeared on her face. ’Or maybe you’re just giving me credit for things I accidentally caused.’
’Maybe. But the results are still real,’ Isaac admitted.
He tightened his arms around her for a moment before smiling. ’You really are my lucky star.’
Celia didn’t say anything in response and simply hugged him back. For the first time since learning about the battle, the heaviness weighing on her seemed much lighter.
A short distance away, Phobe quietly watched the two of them. As a professional maid, she stood perfectly still and behaved as though she wasn’t there at all. She neither interrupted them nor drew attention to herself. If someone arrived at that moment, they might not even notice her presence.
Isaac eventually looked down at Celia and smiled.
"See? I told you that you were a big help." Celia smiled back at him, and some of the gloom in her eyes receded further. She still had a lot she wanted to say, but she no longer felt as burdened as before.
The two remained near the Tree of Harmony for several more minutes before returning to the mansion.
During the flight back, Isaac found himself thinking about the city. Although the immediate danger had passed, fear still lingered among the citizens. It would take time before things returned to normal.
After arriving at the mansion, Isaac brought up an idea that had been on his mind.
"Would you be willing to do a livestream before your concert? The citizens are worried right now, and if there’s anyone who can make them relax, it’s probably you," he said.
Celia thought about it briefly before nodding her head. The concert was still a few hours away. She had enough time to do one livestream.
Isaac smiled in relief after receiving her response. He wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but it was worth trying.
The livestream started shortly afterward. It wasn’t anything elaborate or carefully planned. Celia simply sat in front of the camera and talked with the viewers. She answered questions, explained parts of the current situation, and reassured everyone that the city remained safe.
At first, the atmosphere in the chat remained tense. That was hardly surprising considering everything that had happened today. Fear wasn’t something that disappeared after hearing a few comforting words.
Yet Celia possessed a natural charisma that Isaac couldn’t easily explain. She wasn’t a politician or an experienced leader, but people naturally felt comfortable around her. The longer she spoke, the more relaxed the viewers became. Gradually, the chat shifted away from fear and anxiety toward ordinary conversations.
Isaac watched from the side while reading the comments. He was honestly surprised by how much trust people placed in Celia’s words. Some viewers even started praising Isaac after hearing her talk about everything he had done for the city. Others simply thanked both of them for everything they had done.
Eventually, some inappropriate questions rose. Viewers asked about her relationship with Isaac, how close they were, and whether the rumors circulating throughout the city were true. A few questions became increasingly shameless as people grew more comfortable.
Isaac immediately became concerned after seeing where the conversation was heading.
Normally, Celia would have enjoyed teasing people with those topics. She loved bragging whenever she got the chance. However, today she simply laughed and redirected the conversation whenever such questions appeared. Whether because her mood still hadn’t fully recovered or because she understood the seriousness of the situation, she avoided answering every single one.
The livestream continued with a positive tone. Many viewers seemed noticeably calmer than before, and the atmosphere throughout the chat had improved significantly.
Isaac couldn’t solve every problem with strength alone, and moments like this reminded him of that. Sometimes people simply needed reassurance.
After leaving Celia, Isaac headed out again. There was still one matter he wanted to discuss.
A short while later, he found himself sitting across from Catherine inside a small café hidden within one of the quieter districts of the city.
Their disguise abilities ensured nobody paid attention to them. To everyone else, they appeared to be nothing more than ordinary customers enjoying a conversation. The café itself was peaceful, and the sounds of quiet chatter filled the background. It was the kind of place where people could talk without being disturbed.
Catherine sat across from him while slowly sipping her coffee. She had already changed back into her combat gear, a black combat suit. Numerous belts and pockets were attached to it, each carrying different equipment. Veteran Awakeners rarely relied entirely on spatial storage.
Spatial rings were convenient, but they had weaknesses. Certain enemies possessed abilities or artifacts capable of sealing space itself, rendering storage equipment useless. In those situations, anyone who carried all of their weapons inside a spatial ring could find themselves completely helpless. Experienced fighters always kept at least some equipment directly on their bodies.
The combat suit was a body suit. For obvious reasons, it didn’t look good on most people, but on Catherine, it made her incomparably attractive. The suit showed the outline of her curvy and well-trained physique while hiding all of her skin, leaving much to the imagination. It was practical equipment designed for combat, yet somehow it made her look seductive and sensual. Isaac suspected very few people could wear something like that and make it look so natural.
Her hair was tied neatly into a bun, revealing her slender neck, and her expression carried the same mysterious smile she always wore. To anyone else, she appeared perfectly calm and composed. Isaac knew better.
Catherine had always been skilled at hiding her emotions. Years of experience had taught her how to suppress her thoughts and present a calm exterior regardless of what she was feeling. Most people would never notice the difference. Isaac, however, had spent enough time with her to see through it.
"Try not to worry too much about the escaped member. Tomorrow Emily will tame the one we captured, and once that happens, extracting information should become much easier," Isaac said while reaching across the table. He gently held her hand.
"That is good news. And before you say anything else, I know you are worried about me. But I’m fine. I’m not someone who becomes afraid simply because danger appears," Catherine replied with a smile.
Isaac stared at her for several seconds before sighing. She was still hiding behind that smile. He knew exactly what she was thinking, even if she refused to admit it aloud. The risk on his life had affected her more than she wanted anyone to know.
"Sigh. Stop lying," Isaac said.
"I’m not lying." Catherine replied.
"Yes, you are. You learned that while everyone else was frozen in time, I was fighting for my life. Now you’re blaming yourself because you think you weren’t strong enough to help. That sounds exactly like something you would do," Isaac replied calmly.
Catherine opened her mouth to deny it again, but Isaac interrupted her before she could continue.
"I have a way to make you stronger. If you listen to me, you’ll become at least five times stronger than you are right now," Isaac continued.
Catherine’s mysterious smile remained the same. But Isaac was now somewhat able to read her. He could tell she was shocked.