Isaac stared at them. By the standards of the current world, that level of strength was top tier.
Seeing his reaction, Celeste laughed softly. "Master, you are making it look more impressive than it really is."
"It is impressive."
Several of the maids smiled at that response.
"We are only strong because we are old," Phobe, the dragon maid, said calmly.
That explanation made sense to Isaac.
In the current world, nobody lived long enough to accumulate strength over thousands of years. However, the dragon maids spent thousands of years as System Monsters. They were not truly alive during that period, but they still existed. The passing years strengthened them regardless.
The conversation soon returned to Alice’s newly purchased item. This time, Priscilla’s expression became slightly more serious.
"The Heart of Magic is a treasured heirloom among dragon clans. Normally, it is only given to talented dragon children," she explained.
"Children?" Isaac asked.
"Yes, it can only be absorbed into the body by Infant Dragons. Once a dragon becomes an Adult Dragon, their body will reject the Heart of Magic," Priscilla explained.
Alice immediately became more attentive. She listened closely as Priscilla continued speaking.
"Upgrading the Heart of Magic through the blood of an Adult Dragon is possible, but that explanation is incomplete. There are two additional conditions."
Everyone focused on her words.
"The first condition concerns foundation. The more Magic Arts you learn before upgrading the Heart of Magic, the stronger that foundation becomes. Without a strong enough foundation, future upgrades will eventually become impossible," Priscilla explained.
"How many Magic Arts would I need?" Alice asked.
"For the perfect foundation, ten."
Emily, Selene, and Isaac looked surprised. Alice herself remained silent as she waited for further explanation.
"Not simply ten Magic Arts. Ten Magic Arts of A-rank at least," Priscilla said.
Isaac immediately understood why that was difficult. On the surface, A-rank Magic Arts did not sound particularly extraordinary.
The problem was that Magic Arts were not System skills. Skills granted by the System could be used instantly, but Magic Arts had to be learned through personal effort. Every aspect of mana control, understanding, and execution had to be mastered from the ground up.
For an Infant Dragon, mastering ten separate Magic Arts to A-rank was an extraordinary accomplishment. Very few could ever hope to achieve it.
One had to remember that unless one had SSS+ rank Talent, or a powerful bloodline and Physique, they needed to reach Champion rank to have ten skills.
Yet Infant Dragons were required to master ten Magic Arts as the first step.
"You don’t have to be burdened to much. Theoretically, only dragons with the potential to become Dragon Kings can build a perfect foundation. It’s okay even if you can master only five or six A-rank Magic Arts," Priscilla smiled faintly.
Alice narrowed her eyes slightly. Instead of appearing intimidated, she looked challenged by the idea.
Isaac had already become familiar with that expression. Whenever Alice encountered something difficult, she tended to become more determined rather than discouraged.
"The second condition is even harder," Priscilla said.
Alice immediately focused on her again. The room also grew quieter as everyone waited for the explanation.
"The blood used for the upgrade should ideally come from a High Dragon. While we could simply provide some of our blood, that would not be the best option," Priscilla said.
"Why not?" Isaac looked at her curiously.
"The blood should be earned through hunting another dragon. Blood obtained that way contains traces of the defeated dragon’s lifeblood. That lifeblood will stimulate the Heart of Magic much more effectively," Priscilla replied.
"I understand." Alice slowly nodded.
She then fell into silence. Judging by the thoughtful look on her face, she was already considering where she might find a dragon to hunt in the future.
"I see. Thank you for all of this information," Isaac said.
"It was my pleasure, Master." Priscilla smiled warmly.
While the discussion continued, one of Isaac’s clones quietly left the room. The clone headed toward the preparation area where Celia was getting ready for the upcoming concert.
The area was crowded with activity. Dozens of crew members surrounded Celia as they worked on the final touches to her appearance.
Some adjusted her outfit while others handled her makeup and accessories. Despite the busy atmosphere, Celia’s mood was noticeably lighter than before.
Isaac was glad to see the change. Over the past several hours, Celia had spent much of her time helping the citizens recover from the disaster. In the process, it seemed that she had managed to recover somewhat herself.
The moment she noticed him, her expression brightened. Then she realized something and immediately puffed out her cheeks.
"Why is your clone here? Why aren’t you here yourself?" she asked with a pout.
"You can tell this is a clone?" Isaac blinked in surprise.
"Hmph." Celia turned her head away and crossed her arms.
Before Isaac could ask anything else, one of her staff members called for her. The preparations were finally complete, and it was time for the show to begin. Celia ignored his expression and started walking toward the stage with her crew.
As she brushed past him, she leaned closer and whispered into his ear. "Surely, you haven’t forgotten that I haven’t forgiven you making me watch you die back then?"
A mischievous smile appeared on her face before she walked away without waiting for a response. Isaac frowned as he watched her leave. Something about that smile bothered him.
He could not explain why, but a faint sense of unease settled in his heart. Celia looked far too pleased with herself, and every time she looked that pleased, someone—called Isaac—usually ended up suffering.
Thankfully, nothing unusual happened during the concert itself. Isaac already knew Celia was famous and understood the influence she carried among humans. Even so, the scene before him exceeded his expectations.
The massive audience stretched across the venue, and the cheers never seemed to stop. Humans shouted her name while members of other species joined in with equal enthusiasm. Some sang along despite barely knowing the lyrics, while others simply enjoyed the atmosphere.
Countless devices recorded the performance. Isaac noticed several Lords posting clips into Lord Chats while the concert was still ongoing. The videos spread rapidly, attracting attention from people who had never heard of Celia before.
Music enthusiasts quickly joined the discussions. They praised her voice, her stage presence, and the atmosphere she created during her performances. Her popularity surged almost immediately.
Yet Isaac knew this was only the beginning. The Sector was vast, and countless species had only recently become aware of humanity. As more cities discovered her music, her influence would continue growing.
More importantly, concerts offered something rare in the current era. For a few hours, people could stop thinking about monsters, wars, and survival. They could simply enjoy themselves.
In an apocalyptic world, that kind of relief was priceless. It made perfect sense that people loved her so much. Celia gave them something many had forgotten they needed.
By the time the concert ended, the crowd was still cheering loudly. Isaac joined the others backstage as they congratulated Celia on her performance. Everyone looked pleased with how smoothly things had gone.
Emily was especially excited. She immediately hugged Celia and refused to let go for several seconds.
"That was your best performance yet. I loved every second of it," she said.
Celia laughed and thanked her. The praise continued for several more minutes before everyone gradually returned to their responsibilities. The event itself, however, was not over yet.
Soon afterward, the venue transitioned into a smaller fan event. Fans were allowed to take pictures with Celia, purchase merchandise, and exchange a brief handshake. A long line quickly formed.
Surprisingly, it was not limited to humans. Many members of other species had joined as well. Several openly declared that they had become Celia’s fans.
Isaac found the whole thing mildly amusing. At her current level of fame, most celebrities would have reduced direct interactions with fans. Celia, however, continued doing these events without hesitation.
When he mentioned it, she simply shrugged.
"I like meeting them. This is one of the easiest ways to connect with people. It reminds me why I started singing in the first place," she said.
Isaac could understand that reasoning. He even liked seeing her happy to click photos with her fans. Still, a strange feeling lingered in his chest. At first, he ignored it.
Then he noticed it happening again and again. Every time someone held Celia’s hand, a faint sense of displeasure surfaced inside him. The feeling was small, but impossible to completely ignore.
Isaac silently scolded himself. The thought itself was unreasonable. These were her fans, and they were only shaking her hand for a few seconds before moving on.
Asking her to stop would be absurd. Unfortunately, logic and instinct were not always the same thing. Isaac carried the bloodlines of two dragons.
Possessiveness was deeply rooted in his nature. Watching strangers touch the bare skin of his wife irritated him far more than he wanted to admit. Even so, he maintained a calm smile and kept those thoughts to himself.
There was no reason to burden Celia with something so unreasonable. Or at least that was what he told himself. Celia apparently had other opinions.
At one point, she glanced in his direction. A mischievous smile briefly appeared on her lips before vanishing behind the charming expression she showed her fans. Isaac immediately became suspicious.
That smile lasted less than a second, but he knew this girl had something planned. His bad premonition returned.
A few minutes later, the line continued moving smoothly until one fan stepped forward and tried to grope Celia’s hand instead of simply shaking it. Isaac nearly moved.
For a brief moment, murderous intent flashed through his mind. The instinctive urge to eliminate the offender was too strong. Before he could act, however, Celia subtly raised an arm.
The gesture was small and hidden from the crowd, but Isaac understood its meaning immediately. She was telling him not to interfere. Apparently, this was not the first time such a thing had happened.
Celia’s smile never wavered. Instead, she tightened her grip around the man’s hand.
"Ahhh!"
The man screamed.
His face instantly turned pale, and his knees hit the floor. Tears appeared in his eyes as he desperately tried to pull away. Celia continued smiling warmly as though nothing unusual was happening.