The harvested seeds were Tier 2. He couldn’t hide his satisfaction because the evolution had sent the tree up by an entire tier instead of merely strengthening it. If he planted these Tier 2 seeds and enhanced them using his farming skills and the effects of his territory, there was a very good chance of producing Tier 4 Vitality Grain crops.
That would be another enormous improvement to his territory’s food production. Isaac looked at the evolved tree with obvious satisfaction.
As if responding to the change, the crop spirits suddenly rushed toward the tree. They happily circled its branches before gently sinking into the leaves and trunk as though they were playing around it. Isaac narrowed his eyes as he observed the scene.
He could faintly sense the tree improving little by little while the spirits remained around it. Whatever they were doing, it seemed to be benefiting the tree.
"This is... surprising," Avery said quietly. She stepped closer before placing a hand against the trunk. Her expression gradually became more thoughtful as she observed the mana flowing through it.
"The evolution?" Isaac asked.
"Partly. But this isn’t a normal evolution. Look at the leaves. They’ve turned blue," Avery replied.
Isaac lifted his eyes toward the canopy. "I noticed that."
"The color isn’t just cosmetic. Whatever you did caused the tree to begin absorbing traces of my elemental essence that naturally nourishes the surrounding land. That shouldn’t normally happen," Avery explained.
"So this tree developed a new ability?" Isaac looked at her curiously.
"I believe so. We will need to check what it is. And there’s something else. Due to the essence it absorbed, compared to ordinary Tier 1 Vitality Grain Seed Trees, this one feels different. It has become much more unique," Avery answered.
Her complicated expression made Isaac smile. She looked impressed, yet at the same time almost resigned, as though she had already accepted that unusual things simply happened whenever Isaac was involved.
"I’ll take that as a compliment," Isaac said with a quiet laugh. Avery smiled but didn’t deny it.
Just as Isaac was about to return to the farmhouse, his expression suddenly changed. Someone had entered the range of Sovereign of Land. Since his entire farm was covered by the skill, any presence stepping onto his territory would immediately register in his senses.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and identified the mana signatures. The first belonged to the Florathi Princess, Althea. The second belonged to Charlotta, her maid and bodyguard.
Before Isaac could say anything, something unexpected happened. Every crop spirit hovering around the fields froze simultaneously. Then, without any hesitation, they rushed straight into the ground.
Within moments, every glowing light had disappeared beneath the soil. Isaac could still sense them moving rapidly underground, diving deeper and deeper as though desperately trying to hide.
He exchanged a glance with Avery. Neither of them spoke aloud because Althea and Charlotta could easily overhear them with their senses.
Instead, Avery activated the artifact she normally used for telepathic communication.
’The crop spirits hid because of the Florathi Princess and her bodyguard,’ her voice echoed inside Isaac’s mind.
’Are you certain?’ Isaac asked, even though he already knew the answer. With his powerful senses, he knew the only thing that changed in the surroundings was the arrival of the two Florathi.
’Yes. For now, don’t mention the crop spirits to them. I don’t know what’s happening yet, but we need to investigate first,’ Avery replied.
Isaac gave an almost imperceptible nod. A few moments later, Althea and Charlotta walked into view together.
"Good morning, Lord Isaac," Althea said politely as she offered him a formal bow.
"Good morning, Althea, Charlotta. Isaac is fine, though. Aren’t we friends?" Isaac asked with an easy smile.
Although the crop spirits’ reaction had been unusual, Isaac still trusted Althea based on everything he had seen so far. Until he had concrete proof that something was wrong, he had no intention of treating her differently. That said, he would remain cautious and keep the incident in mind.
The two Florathi greeted Avery politely before following Isaac into the house.
As they walked toward the living room, Isaac looked at Althea and asked, "Was there something you wanted to discuss?"
"It concerns our return to the Florathi Kingdom. We had planned to leave today, so I wanted to confirm whether you’re still coming with us," Althea replied.
Isaac nodded without hesitation. They had already discussed the schedule, and today had always been the agreed departure date. There was no reason to delay the trip any further.
"Let’s leave in the afternoon. There are still a few things I need to finish before we head out," Isaac said.
Althea’s expression brightened immediately. Isaac wasn’t entirely sure whether she was simply happy to finally return home or whether she was more excited about bringing him to the Florathi Kingdom. Perhaps it was a little of both.
"Then we’ll return to our residence for now. We’ll meet again this afternoon. I’m sure you still have plenty to prepare before leaving," Althea said with a small smile.
"Why don’t you stay for breakfast first? It won’t take long, and everyone should be awake soon," Isaac said.
Althea hesitated for a moment before smiling apologetically. "I’d rather not interrupt your family’s morning routine. We have already imposed on you quite a bit during our stay."
"You’re worrying too much. Sharing one meal isn’t an inconvenience. Besides, everyone already knows you two, and will be happy with your presence," Isaac replied with a laugh.
After a bit of back and forth, Althea conceded to stay for breakfast.
Isaac led them into the living room, and left one of his clones to entertain the two guests. Avery also remained downstairs to keep them company, allowing the conversation to continue naturally.
With everything settled for the moment, Isaac headed upstairs. He had already sensed that Alice was awake. More importantly, he wanted to see whether her breakthrough had caused any noticeable changes. After everything that had happened yesterday, he was naturally curious.
Reaching her room, Isaac gently knocked on the door, then entered. Inside—