"Can’t we change the terms?" Isaac asked again.
"No." Celia shook her head without hesitation.
Isaac gritted his teeth. Desire and dignity continued pulling him in opposite directions, each refusing to give way. For several seconds, he said nothing and simply continued kneading her shoulders while weighing the decision in his mind. The temptation was strong, but the consequences lingered in the back of his thoughts.
In the end, a sigh escaped his lips.
"Fine. Let’s forget about this."
Celia’s head turned so quickly that she nearly twisted her neck. She stared at him with obvious shock, as though she had just heard something impossible. The expression on her face made Isaac wonder what kind of person she truly thought he was.
The corner of his lips twitched.
"You are refusing?" Celia asked, still sounding unconvinced.
"I was taught never to leave behind anything that can become a problem later. That includes this recording," Isaac replied with a shrug.
His expression settled back into its usual calmness. However, only he knew how much effort it had taken to say those words. Walking away from an opportunity was never easy, especially after it was something as big as this.
Celia continued watching him for a few moments. Her eyes searched his face as though she was trying to figure out whether he was being serious or not.
Before she could say anything else, Isaac changed the subject.
"So, how did the talk with Vale go?"
Celia immediately looked annoyed. The shift in topic erased the surprise from her face and replaced it with concern.
"How do you think it went? It’s not like he would listen if I told him to stay behind."
"Are you worried about him?" Isaac asked.
"Of course, I am. Even if I trust him, the wilderness is still dangerous. Overlords die out there all the time. Just because someone is strong doesn’t mean they are safe." She let out a breath.
The playful atmosphere from earlier faded away. Celia had deliberately avoided thinking about Vale’s journey, keeping herself busy with other matters whenever the subject threatened to surface. Now that Isaac had brought it up directly, those worries returned in full force.
Isaac remained silent for a moment while considering her words. Then he continued massaging her shoulders and spoke in a casual tone.
"Don’t worry. I’ll send a clone of Lume and Oz with Vale."
"What?"
Celia straightened so suddenly that Isaac nearly lost his rhythm. She stared at him in disbelief, clearly wondering whether she had heard him correctly.
Isaac continued as though he had made an entirely ordinary suggestion.
"Lume is an Abyssal Jester. His illusion abilities will be useful during travel, and since we have two of him here, sending one away won’t affect us much. As for Oz, he needs to begin searching for Sea Dragons anyway. There are two of them in the city, and I’m fairly certain one of them would leave on a journey even if I never asked."
Celia opened her mouth, then closed it again. Oz was not just another subordinate. He was one of the strongest beings serving Isaac, and sending him away was not a decision anyone would make lightly.
What she did not know was that Isaac had several reasons for doing it.
The first reason was simple. Vale’s group was not merely a sightseeing party wandering around the world. Vale and the naga princess, Kaela.
If someone attacked them, then it would also be an insult directed at him. Isaac had no intention of tolerating that. Having Oz accompany them would ensure that anyone considering such actions thought carefully before making a move.
The second reason involved the God Quests. Isaac could only choose one Champion of Faith, and Kaela was going to occupy that position. If she died, his progress toward creating a new god would come to an immediate halt.
That alone justified sending overwhelming protection. There was also the possibility that other gods would not welcome the birth of a new divine existence. If someone attempted to interfere from the shadows, Vale and Kaela would need someone capable of handling threats on that level.
The third reason concerned faith. Vale and Kaela were expected to gather followers and spread belief in Isaac’s church. Both possessed experience leading groups and earning loyalty, which would certainly help.
However, converting faith was never a simple task. With Oz accompanying them, things would become much easier. A former ruler of an entire Dragon Kingdom carried a natural charisma that few people could ignore.
The final reason was much simpler than all the others.
Vale was family.
Their relationship had begun under unpleasant circumstances, but those days were long behind them. Now they were brothers-in-law. If something happened to Vale, Celia would be devastated.
Isaac preferred keeping his wives happy whenever possible.
Besides, sending Oz away would not weaken the city enough to become a concern. Another East Sea Dragon King would remain behind. On top of that, Isaac still possessed an unused contract with the Elemental Spirit of Machine.
With those safeguards in place, the city’s defenses would remain stronger than almost anywhere else.
"Thank you," Celia said softly.
The gratitude in her voice was obvious. Looking at her expression, Isaac immediately realized she had misunderstood his motivations. She seemed convinced that he was sending Oz primarily because of her worries.
The truth was different.
Even if Vale had not been her brother, Isaac would have made the same decision. Losing a Champion of Faith was not something he could afford. Personal relationships had only reinforced a conclusion he had already reached.
He was about to explain when another figure entered the invisible bubble surrounding them.
The concealed barrier shattered instantly. A familiar presence stepped inside carrying a tray.
"What are you two talking about that requires hiding?" Alice asked as she approached.
She set two glasses of juice down on the table before them. Her gaze moved between Isaac and Celia with mild curiosity.
Celia’s worried expression disappeared so quickly that Isaac almost admired the speed. A bright smile appeared on her face as though the earlier conversation had never happened.
"Oh, nothing important. Isaac was just asking how he could sleep with both of y—"
Isaac’s hand shot forward like lightning. The rest of the sentence never had the chance to leave her mouth. His palm covered it completely.
"Mmmph! Mfff!"
Celia continued protesting through Isaac’s hand, but he had no intention of letting her finish that sentence. If he removed his hand now, she would definitely continue talking. Judging by the mischievous look in her eyes, she was enjoying this situation far too much.
Alice looked at the two of them with a confused expression. Her gaze moved from Isaac to Celia and then back again. She seemed to be trying to understand what had happened in the few moments before she arrived.
Isaac simply smiled at her without saying anything. The innocent smile only made him look more suspicious.
Alice stared at him for another second before letting out a sigh.
"How come both of you always start acting like children whenever you’re together?"
Neither Isaac nor Celia answered her. One physically couldn’t, while the other knew that explaining would only make things worse.
Alice shook her head as if she had already given up trying to understand them. With another sigh, she turned around and headed toward the kitchen. Whatever chaos these two were creating, she clearly wanted no part in it.
Only after Alice disappeared through the doorway did Isaac finally release Celia. The moment his hand moved away, she immediately inhaled a deep breath.
"You—"
Before she could continue, Isaac increased the pressure of his massage slightly. The sudden movement interrupted whatever accusation she had been about to throw at him.
"Hey!"
Celia immediately squirmed in her seat. The pressure wasn’t painful, but it was annoyingly ticklish. She tried to twist away from his hands while glaring at him.
Isaac remained completely unapologetic.
"You brought that on yourself."
"I was only telling the truth."
"You were trying to get me killed."
Celia laughed and attempted to escape his grasp. Unfortunately for her, Isaac had no intention of letting her get away that easily. Every time she tried to move away, he simply caught her shoulder and continued the massage.
Looking at her laughing face, Isaac felt slightly annoyed with himself. A few minutes ago, he had genuinely been feeling sentimental after discussing Vale’s departure, and worried about him. Then this little gremlin had immediately tried to set him up.
Of course, he knew that she was just keeping the mood light. Celia was good at masking her emotions and acting in a way that would make others smile. The kind nature was one of the reasons he liked her.
Their banter continued for another minute before two figures descended the stairs. The sight immediately drew Isaac’s attention away from Celia.
The first was Eleanor.
The Sword Empress looked unusually tired. Her eyes seemed unfocused, and there was a faint absent-mindedness in her expression that felt completely out of place. Normally, she carried herself with the sharp alertness of someone who could draw a sword at any moment.
The second person was Sera.
Isaac blinked when he saw the angel coming down from upstairs. For a moment, he wondered why she was there.
Then the memory of his conversation with Catherine the previous night resurfaced. The pieces finally connected inside his head.
Everything suddenly made sense.
So that was why Alice had been grumpy.
"Good morning," Sera said while yawning.
The angel looked completely different from her usual dignified self. Her hair was messy from sleep, several strands sticking out in random directions. Even her clothes looked slightly wrinkled.
Another yawn escaped her lips as she walked forward. Her posture carried none of the grace she usually displayed.
Meanwhile, Alice’s gaze followed her movement across the room. The intensity behind that stare was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
If looks could kill, Sera would have died several times already.
The angel either didn’t notice or simply didn’t care. She continued walking across the room without changing her expression. A moment later, she headed directly toward the basement gym.
Isaac’s eyes met Alice’s.
Without saying anything, he silently apologized. After all, he was partially responsible for allowing Sera to stay here.
The apology seemed to improve Alice’s mood slightly. She still snorted and looked away, but at least the hostility lessened. At the same time, her reaction seemed to accuse him of taking far too long to understand the obvious.
Isaac wisely chose not to argue.
At that moment, his attention naturally shifted toward Eleanor again. The Sword Empress had settled into a chair, but something about her behavior still felt strange.
Isaac frowned.
Why did she look like she hadn’t slept all night?
A bad feeling immediately appeared in his chest. The thought arrived so suddenly that he almost wished it hadn’t.
No way.
Surely not.
There was absolutely no way she had seen what happened last night. He had been inside the Mirror Dimension.
For a brief moment, Isaac was tempted to use Inspect. The temptation was strong enough that he nearly gave in.
Then reason returned.
No.
Absolutely not.
Experience had taught him an important lesson. Every single time he used Inspect on the Sword Empress, he ended up regretting it afterward. There was no reason to repeat that mistake.
This time, he would remain ignorant.
If he didn’t know the answer, then the answer couldn’t hurt him.
It was a simple philosophy: If I don’t see it, it’s not my problem.
Satisfied with that conclusion, Isaac prepared to move on. Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to challenge him.
At that exact moment, Eleanor looked toward him. Their eyes met briefly. Then she immediately looked away.
Isaac froze.
For several seconds, his brain stopped functioning properly. He simply stared in disbelief.
’What?’
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
Usually, whenever their eyes met in the morning, Eleanor would glare at him as though he had personally ruined her day— night. This had become such a consistent pattern that Isaac practically expected it by now.
But this time she avoided eye contact.
Isaac suddenly remembered the contents of her status screen from the last time he had inspected her. A horrifying possibility immediately entered his mind.
’Did she actually accept it?’
Had whatever happened last night finally forced her to acknowledge certain truths about herself? Was that why she wasn’t glaring at him anymore? Because she no longer considered him responsible?
Isaac immediately developed a headache.
The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to think about it. Every possible explanation somehow made the situation worse.
He decisively buried the entire subject.
Whatever was happening inside Eleanor’s head was not his problem. At least that was the lie he chose to tell himself.
Several minutes later, more people gradually arrived for breakfast. Chairman Lucius arrived first, carrying his usual calm demeanor. Beatrice and Selene entered with him. The dining area slowly became livelier as more conversations began.
Vale appeared a little later and joined the others. With everyone arriving one after another, the mansion gradually filled with noise and activity.
Isaac watched the gathering for a moment before standing up. There was still one person missing from breakfast.
Leaving the mansion behind, he stepped outside and called Avery for breakfast.