[Aeternum Imperium Chat Forum - General Discussion]
PotatoFarmer88: Did everyone else just black out for a few seconds?
GoddessEmilyFan48291: I wouldn’t call it blacking out. I was still aware, but it felt like I was in some strange trance.
SaintessAliceDevotee19384: Same. I couldn’t move or think properly, and then I suddenly felt... enlightened.
LeftShoeOfGoddessAvery: That’s exactly the word I was looking for. It was like my mind had been cleaned out.
RandomMerchant55: Is that why I suddenly understand accounting? I’ve been trying to figure out tax records for years, and now it all makes sense.
RegionalMember271OfLordIsaacFangirlClub : I was practicing swordsmanship when it happened. The moment I came out of that trance, a technique I’d been stuck on for months suddenly became effortless.
GoddessCeliaFan73012: I wasn’t even training. I just... woke up from that weird state and realized I could manipulate mana much more naturally.
NorthernHunter: Same here. My archery somehow improved without me firing a single arrow.
MageApprentice09: Did anyone else feel those four terrifying presences while they were in that trance?
OldBlacksmith: I thought I imagined them.
SaintessAliceDevotee19384: You definitely didn’t.
PotatoFarmer: Four enormous presences. They weren’t threatening exactly, but they were so overwhelming that I couldn’t even comprehend them.
RandomGuard16: It felt like the entire race was being lifted upward by those four people.
GoddessEmilyFan48291: That’s exactly how I’d describe it. The rest of us were just... following behind them.
RandomMerchant55: People in my locality have already started calling them the [Great Four].
LeftShoeOfGoddessAvery: Same here. The name is spreading ridiculously fast lol.
RegionalHead8OfLordIsaacFangirlClub : One of those four felt exactly like Lord Isaac.
RandomGuard16: No way.
RegionalHead8OfLordIsaacFangirlClub: I’m serious. I can’t explain it, but I immediately thought of him.
SaintessAliceDevotee19384: I had the same feeling.
GoddessEmilyFan48291: Me too. One of those presences just... felt familiar.
LeftShoeOfGoddessAvery: You’re all imagining things. Lord Isaac is amazing, but becoming one of the Great Four? That’s a huge leap.
PotatoFarmer: To be fair, people have underestimated him before.
RandomMerchant55: Every single time, actually.
RandomGuard16: There are Ascenders alive. You’re telling me Lord Isaac is already among the four strongest humans?
RegionalMember271OfLordIsaacFangirlClub: I’m saying I don’t know. I’m also saying that if someone told me six months ago he’d unite human cities, defeat awakeners of stronger races, and become a couple with Goddess Celia, I would’ve laughed too.
RegionalHead8OfLordIsaacFangirlClub: Hahaha! Lord Isaac is amazing! You all should finally accept his greatness!
...
Isaac POV
"So, how is it?" he asked.
Isaac folded his arms and waited for their reactions with a smug smile. The croquettes looked perfectly golden, with crispy breadcrumbs on the outside and melted cheese hidden inside.
Their aroma filled the dining room, and even Isaac had to admit they looked far better than anything he had cooked before.
At long last, he would no longer be called someone who couldn’t cook. Becoming the Human Lord had raised his innate talents, and cooking should have improved along with everything else. He had absolute confidence that this snack would finally silence everyone who used to make fun of him.
Celia immediately turned toward him after hearing his question. She looked as though she wanted to complain about something, but the words stopped halfway after meeting his smug yet expectant expression. Her eyes slowly drifted back to the plate, and she remained silent for several seconds.
She couldn’t bring herself to say what she had planned.
Isaac’s confident smile gradually weakened. A strange feeling settled in his chest as the silence dragged on longer than he expected. He forced himself to stay calm before asking again in a much more careful tone.
"So... how is it?" he asked.
"It’s good," Alice said after a moment. She refused to look at Isaac, keeping her eyes fixed on the plate instead.
That confirmed it. The snack was bad. But Isaac couldn’t believe it. They must be just joking to tease him.
"Let me taste it," Isaac said. He reached toward Celia’s plate. Before his hand could get close, however, two tails wrapped around his arm almost simultaneously.
Alice’s and Celia’s tails had reacted at exactly the same time. They stopped his arm so quickly that Isaac didn’t even have a chance to touch the plate.
"I-It’s too good. Let me eat it. I don’t want to share," Celia hurriedly said.
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. Even after saying she wanted to keep eating, she didn’t immediately take another bite. Instead, she stared at the croquette for several seconds, mentally preparing herself before finally taking another small mouthful.
Isaac narrowed his eyes while watching the strange scene unfold. At the same time, he sensed mana quietly fluctuating between Alice and Celia. He couldn’t hear telepathic conversations, but his senses were sharp enough to notice they were communicating with each other.
"They’re definitely talking about me," Isaac muttered under his breath. Neither Alice nor Celia responded, and Alice simply continued eating at an unusually slow pace. Watching her carefully chew every bite somehow made Isaac even less confident.
Just then, the front door opened, and Eleanor entered together with Sera. Sera immediately noticed the food on the table before turning curiously toward Eleanor. She looked genuinely interested rather than cautious.
"So, he really became an exceptional cook?" Sera asked.
"He did. His cooking mastery was always good, and it improved even further. You should try some while it’s still warm," Eleanor answered without hesitation.
Sera smiled with obvious anticipation and sat down at the table. She leaned forward and lightly sniffed the air before an excited smile spread across her face. The smell alone convinced her that the snack would taste excellent.
Meanwhile, Alice and Celia quietly exchanged glances. They watched Eleanor walk into the kitchen before returning with the remaining croquettes for Sera. Neither of them had expected Eleanor to have such a side to her.
Eleanor placed the plate in front of Sera.
"Go ahead. I’m sure you’ll like it," she said.
Without the slightest suspicion, Sera picked up a croquette and took a large bite. Her smile disappeared almost instantly, and her eyes widened in disbelief. She nearly spat the food back out on pure instinct but somehow forced herself to keep chewing before swallowing with visible effort.
"...What is this? Is this even food?" Sera finally asked.