"Before that, can I ask you a question?" Overlord Libra asked.
"Go ahead," Isaac said with a nod.
Libra leaned back slightly in his chair and studied Isaac for a moment. "Why did you arrange this meeting with both me and Overlord Aurora present? Weren’t you worried that I would ask for something valuable after seeing what you were willing to offer her?"
Isaac simply smiled.
That smile was enough to confirm Libra’s suspicions. Isaac had done this intentionally. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that Aurora had never been Isaac’s primary target in this meeting.
It was him.
If Libra gave in to greed and demanded excessive rewards, Isaac would probably agree without much resistance. However, that would also tell Isaac exactly what kind of person he was dealing with. Any trust or future expectations would disappear at that moment.
On the other hand, if Libra restrained himself, Isaac would see that he could be trusted. It was a simple test, but an effective one. The best traps were often the ones that looked like opportunities.
A quiet chuckle escaped Libra.
Isaac appeared young, but he possessed qualities that many older leaders lacked. He remained calm during negotiations, knew how to read people, and understood how to use rewards to reveal their true intentions. More importantly, he had the strength and resources necessary to back up his decisions.
Even Libra had been tempted.
As an Overlord, he understood the value of power better than most. A few valuable resources from Isaac could increase his strength significantly. With greater power came greater influence and security.
Still, power had never been the thing he valued most.
To Libra, strength was only a tool. Everything he had done since becoming an Overlord was for the sake of protecting his city and the people who depended on him. As long as they remained safe, he could live without becoming stronger himself.
"Before I came here, the elders believed there was a strong possibility that you would try to absorb our city. They discussed it extensively before I left," Libra said.
Isaac listened quietly without interrupting.
"That’s why they gave me complete authority to make a decision after seeing you and your city with my own eyes. Now that I have, I can say this confidently. I would be happy for my city to become part of yours." Libra smiled faintly.
Aurora turned toward him with visible surprise. She clearly had not expected him to reach a decision so quickly.
"I won’t ask for resources or personal rewards. However, I do hope we can discuss a few adjustments to certain laws. Some of our policies have served our citizens well, and I would like to preserve the parts that work," Libra said.
"That’s fine." Isaac nodded without hesitation.
Among the human cities, Libra’s city had always been known for having relatively little class distinction. Their policies encouraged stability and social mobility better than most settlements. In some areas, Isaac felt his own administration could learn from their experience.
With Libra’s matter settled, Isaac shifted his attention toward Aurora.
"What is your decision?" he asked.
Aurora crossed her arms before answering. "I want the Mid-Rank Species Potion, the EXP potions, and a Legendary-grade piece of equipment."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "I saw how much loot your people brought back from the Great Dungeon. Don’t tell me you don’t have any available."
Isaac shook his head.
"I won’t take equipment from the competition participants. They earned those rewards through their own effort, and the items belong to them. I’m not interested in taking away what they rightfully won."
Aurora frowned immediately. It was clear that this answer was not what she wanted to hear.
Before she could complain, Isaac continued speaking.
"However, I can give you something better."
The annoyance on Aurora’s face vanished almost instantly.
"Something better?" she asked.
Isaac reached into his storage space and pulled out a dark sword. He placed it on the table between them.
Both Aurora and Libra immediately focused on the weapon.
"This sword was forged using Hell-Iron Myre. It’s an ore that can only be found in Hell. As far as I know, it doesn’t exist anywhere in the Material Realm," Isaac explained.
Aurora carefully examined the blade without touching it. Even without special appraisal skills, she could tell the weapon was unusual.
"The rarity of the material alone makes it extremely valuable. If you find the right buyer, you could probably purchase a Legendary-grade item and still have a substantial amount of money left over," Isaac said.
Aurora looked up from the sword.
"If it’s worth that much, why don’t you sell it yourself?"
"Because I have no reason to. My farms already earn more money than I need," Isaac said.
Aurora stared at the weapon again. Several seconds passed as she weighed his words and examined the blade.
Finally, she nodded.
"I’ll verify the material myself. If everything you said is true, then I’ll hand over my city."
"Sounds good," Isaac replied.
The two quickly finalized the terms through a Contract. The agreement was straightforward and left little room for misunderstandings later.
Isaac would absorb Aurora’s city first before delivering the promised rewards. Since the Mid-Rank Species Potion could only be used by one of his citizens, there was no practical alternative anyway.
Once the contract was completed, Isaac summoned one of his clones. The clone would accompany Aurora back to her city and oversee the integration process.
Another clone was assigned to travel alongside Libra. Both city transfers would begin immediately.
With the meeting concluded, Isaac finally left the conference room. The moment he stepped into the hallway, his thoughts shifted back toward administration.
There was still a tremendous amount of work waiting for him.
When he entered his office and sat down, a large stack of documents greeted him. Reports from newly integrated Cities were piled beside production summaries, military updates, and financial records.
Isaac picked up the first document and began reading.
Several minutes later, Catherine appeared behind him. Without interrupting his work, she rested her hands on his shoulders and started massaging them.
"Good work today. You accomplished quite a lot," she said.
Isaac simply nodded and continued reading.
Catherine narrowed her eyes. Then she reached forward and pinched his cheek.
"If someone tells you that you did a good job, you’re supposed to say thank you."
Isaac stopped reading and slowly turned toward her. For several seconds, neither of them said anything.
Catherine met his gaze without backing down. Eventually, Isaac let out a small sigh.
"Thank you."
"That’s better." A satisfied smile appeared on Catherine’s face.
Isaac returned to his documents while Catherine continued standing behind him. For a while, the only sound in the office was the rustling of paper as he turned pages.
Then Catherine spoke again.
"I will send my clone with Overlord Libra. Since I’m a Champion Candidate, I can take over the City for you."
"Why?" Isaac asked as he flipped another page.
"I have some nuisances to deal with in that direction. Now that I’m stronger, I think it’s time I paid them a visit," Catherine said.
Isaac glanced at her before returning his attention to the document in front of him. If she wanted to settle old matters, he wasn’t going to stop her. He wasn’t worried of her getting into trouble. She was smart.
"Do you need me to send a clone with you?" he asked.
"No, I’ll be fine on my own," Catherine replied. Then she leaned down slightly and whispered into his ears. "Besides, if you send a clone and I can’t control myself, what happens if I attack it at night?"
Isaac immediately rolled his eyes.
He knew she was teasing him because of how he treated his clones. The clones were not truly separate people. They were additional bodies connected to the same consciousness.
Everything a clone experienced was felt by Isaac. Likewise, a clone could not act independently without Isaac directing it. In many ways, calling them clones was misleading.
Still, Isaac would never let his clones touch his wives. Catherine understood that perfectly well and enjoyed teasing him whenever the opportunity appeared. After all, she would use all her clones to ’please’ Isaac, so her thoughts regarding clones were different.
Seeing his reaction, she smiled in satisfaction.
Isaac chose not to respond. There was no point encouraging her. Instead, he continued working through the documents piled across his desk.
Several minutes later, he finished the current stack and set it aside. Before he could reach for the next one, Catherine pulled a document from her spatial ring and placed it in front of him.
"What is this?" Isaac asked.
"It’s a list of candidates for your Champion of Faith," Catherine replied.
Isaac nodded and opened the file. Choosing a Champion of Faith was one of the important tasks still waiting for him. Whoever received the position would eventually travel beyond his territory and spread his faith.
The list was longer than he expected.
It contained names from several races and factions under his control. There were human Overlords, talented human awakeners, members of the Ashfang Tribe, and representatives from the Naga species.
Some names stood out because of their strength. Others appeared because of their intelligence, charisma, or influence among their people. A Champion of Faith needed more than combat ability.
"I would recommend Kaela," Catherine said after giving him a moment to read.
Isaac looked up from the document.
"The leader of the Naga?"
Catherine nodded. "She no longer needs to spend all her time protecting Selene. Since Selene formed a contract with Spirit, her safety is much more secure than before."
Isaac listened quietly as Catherine continued.
"There’s also the matter of the curse affecting the Naga. Even though they’re part of your territory now, they think they are not truly seen as the citizens. If your first Champion of Faith comes from their race, their social standing will improve immediately. It would strengthen their loyalty as well. The political value makes it a good decision."
Isaac slowly nodded.
The reasoning was sound. Kaela was capable, respected among her people, and loyal. Choosing her would solve several issues at once.
Before he could respond, a knock sounded from the office door.
"Come in," Isaac said.
The door opened and Vale entered the room. He looked as calm as usual.
"Welcome, sir. Would you like tea or coffee?" Isaac said with a pleasant smile.
"Why are you talking like that?" Vale looked at him with a strange expression.
"I’m simply doing my job. Since I’m your secretary, I should remain at your side and attend to your needs. That’s what a secretary is supposed to do, isn’t it?"
Vale’s eyelid twitched.
He immediately understood the meaning behind the words. Isaac was taking a jab at the fact that he had been absent throughout most of the day despite being Isaac’s secretary.
Of course, Vale had been working. He had spent the day handling human awakeners and various administrative matters. However, that didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t been anywhere near Isaac.
"Anyway, I’m here now," Vale said. Then, before Isaac could continue the topic, he pointed toward the file on the desk. "What’s that?"
Isaac snorted quietly but decided to let him escape. He explained the Champion of Faith and the purpose of the candidate list.
The moment he finished speaking, Vale gave his answer.
"I’ll go."
"You want to become the Champion of Faith?"
Vale nodded.
"You already have enough responsibilities. Besides, Celia will be upset if you disappear for months," Isaac said.
Vale refused to back down. The two men stared at each other across the desk.
Neither spoke for several seconds. Catherine watched from the side with obvious amusement. Eventually, Isaac tapped his finger against the table.
"This is about today’s battles, isn’t it?" Isaac asked.
Vale remained silent.
Isaac had already guessed the answer. Watching everyone fight powerful opponents had clearly affected him. The battle against the Purification Cult had probably been the final push.
Isaac couldn’t help finding the situation familiar.
The more he looked at Vale, the more he was reminded of Celia. The siblings really were alike in matters like this. Celia had also been blaming herself for being useless until he showed how much she had done for him.
"You’re misunderstanding me. Yes, today’s battles are part of the reason, but I’m not sitting around feeling sorry for myself," Vale finally said.
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
Vale continued before he could interrupt.
"I trust that Celia will be safe with you. Because of that, I finally have the freedom to travel on my own. I’ve wanted to see more of the world for a long time, and getting stronger along the way isn’t a bad thing."
The explanation sounded reasonable at first.
Unfortunately, Isaac knew Vale too well.
"I can just give you stat potions if getting stronger is your goal," Isaac said.
"I don’t want pampered growth," Vale replied immediately.
Silence settled over the room once more.
Isaac could have argued. He could have pointed out every flaw in Vale’s explanation and forced him to admit what was actually bothering him.
Instead, he decided not to.
Vale was trying to protect his pride. There was no reason to corner him.
"Fine. If Celia agrees to let you leave, then I won’t stop you. However, you’re not becoming the Champion of Faith. I’m choosing Kaela," Isaac said.
"I need Celia’s permission?" Vale frowned. He wasn’t worried about someone else becoming Champion of Faith. He just wanted to travel around, gain experience, and grow stronger.
"Yes," Isaac replied.
Vale’s eyelid twitched again.
"Why?" Vale asked.
"Because if I tell you to leave without asking her first, I’m worried about what she’ll do to me after she finds out."
Vale stared at him for a moment. Then he slowly raised an eyebrow.
"You’re afraid of Celia?" he asked.
Isaac nodded.
He wasn’t lying. At this point, he was honestly more afraid of that devil than most of the monsters lurking inside the Great Dungeon. Every time he heard the words "news" and "Celia" together, his heart immediately started beating faster.
It wasn’t because he thought she would get hurt. Rather, experience had taught him that reports involving Celia rarely arrived without bringing some kind of trouble along with them.
Honestly, Celia should be praised for that. Very few people could make Isaac worry simply by having their name appear in a report. Yet she managed to do it consistently.
Isaac expected Vale to call him a liar. At the very least, he expected him to chuckle or make some sarcastic remark.
Instead, Vale simply looked at him.
The expression on his face contained sympathy and pity. Isaac blinked when he saw it.
Only then did he realize something. The reason Vale was so overprotective of Celia wasn’t as simple as he had originally assumed.
Part of it was because he worried about her safety, which was natural for an older brother. However, that wasn’t the entire reason.
The other half was because he was worried about what she might do.
Isaac stared at him for a moment. Suddenly, many things made much more sense.
He had only been dealing with Celia for a few months. Even then, she had already managed to give him enough headaches to last a lifetime.
Vale, on the other hand, had spent years dealing with her. Years.
Isaac looked at him again. The sympathy in Vale’s eyes remained.
Isaac found himself feeling a little sympathy in return. Vale had suffered at her hands for far longer than he had.