Chapter 161: Sharing The Rewards

The silence stretched. Isaac stared back, waiting, but her expression didn’t shift. She wasn’t going to answer.

Isaac let out a quiet sigh in his head.

’Seriously? Still holding a grudge?’

She didn’t even need to say anything. That smug look said enough.

’All I did was push her a little to see how much she cared about Emily... okay, maybe I went too far.’

But what was he supposed to do?

Isaac sighed.

At least, with Guardian Machina now under Emily’s control, they didn’t have to worry about corruption inside the Soulbind Pendant anymore. Metavore’s influence wouldn’t reach the house or its appliances while that summon was controlling the Metavore.

Eventually, the three of them exited the pendant.

There was some commotion as they left the base—cheering, clapping, a few waves from the other guild members.

Titan’s Edge and the Sanctum of Masters group followed not long after, gradually dispersing as their tasks were done.

A handful of Awakeners stayed behind to oversee the land’s final purification steps.

Back at the house, Isaac headed to the farm first. As he moved between rows of freshly grown vegetables, he called out to the system.

’Share the Coins Emily received today.’

The response came at once.

[+200 Silver Coins]

[+2 Silver Coin, +122 Bronze Coins]

[Total Coins in Possession: 1 Gold Coin, 202 Silver Coins, 122 Bronze Coins]

Not bad. The system had given him the double rewards Emily earned from her quests. That alone made her presence incredibly valuable. The gold coin, of course, came from Chairman Lucius.

Isaac crouched to harvest a row of ripe beans, but his mind was elsewhere.

’So far, I’m doing well. I’ve got a steady income from Emily’s quests, my name’s spreading after today’s battle, and the coins are piling up.’

Reputation and System money—both were essential for his Lord Quest. But there was still a gap. He needed a third SSS-rank Awakener to register under him. That condition hadn’t changed.

Coins? He could get those through Emily. Her main quest had already triggered. As long as she kept taking daily quests and hunting Champion-rank monsters, he’d have a regular flow of income.

Security, though—that was something else.

"I know Alice will accompany her during hunts," he muttered aloud, taking the grains back to the house. "But the monsters can be unpredictable and dangerous."

He considered tagging along, but that would leave the farm unattended.

While he was thinking, Tyr came bounding across the field, returning from the shop.

Isaac paused. An idea sparked.

"Tyr’s evolution materials should be arriving soon," he said to himself. "It’s been a few days already."

Tyr was already fighting Champion-rank monsters as a Level 20 Adept. Once he ranked up to Level 21 Elite, he’d be even stronger. And with the Life Potions stocked up, it wouldn’t take much to boost him straight to Level 30 Elite.

"Alright, I’ll send Tyr with them after he evolves. That should solve their security problem."

That left just one issue: the third SSS-rank Awakener.

Isaac wiped sweat from his brow as he stood, cradling a basket of harvested greens.

The system’s requirement was absurd. SSS rank awakeners were rare, and most awakeners didn’t just hand out affiliations to anyone, much less a Lord they didn’t know.

"Celia’s not an option anymore. She’s completely on the Governor’s side," he said, entering the house and storing the vegetables.

Every other SSS-rank Awakener was also politically aligned.

Still, all awakeners were just hungry for power or advancement. And those SSS rank awakeners? They were definitely the same.

They would need rank-up materials too.

"Awakeners can grind EXP and level up by hunting, but rank-ups require rare resources," he murmured, heading into the study. "And those materials are hard to come by... unless you’ve got a system shop."

That angle could work. Even Celia had been stuck at Level 20 Adept for years, because she lacked the rank up materials.

This was especially true for SSS rank awakeners.

Since they had high rank Talents, they could get powerful classes. However, powerful classes required rare resources to evolve, and without them an awakener could not evolve.

It was why SSS rankers would be stuck at low ranks, despite being powerful enough to defeat monsters.

"I’ll try talking to other SSS rankers. Someone might be willing to trade allegiance for advancement."

But first, he’d need someone to introduce him.

"Selene probably knows a few," he muttered. "I’ll ask her tomorrow."

He dropped into the couch and pulled out his device. A few new messages waited for him.

Selene:

We have to go shopping tomorrow. Don’t forget.

Celia:

Thanks for today. It was amazing to fight alongside you. I hope we can have another chance like this!

Landlord (Professor Catherine):

I’ll be late. You three can have dinner without me (

╥

﹏

╥).

Isaac typed quick replies to each, keeping it light and simple. He didn’t expect any fast responses, but Selene and Celia both replied within seconds.

That surprised him.

’Shouldn’t they be busy? Selene probably has meetings all day, and Celia should be with her guild, debriefing after the hunt.’

Still, he didn’t dwell on it. It was his first time managing two conversations at once, but he managed to keep up without making things awkward.

There was no reply from Catherine, though. She hadn’t even opened his message.

That made him pause.

’She’s fine,’

he told himself.

’She’s probably just caught up in something. Out of everyone I’ve met, only Vice Principal is stronger than her.’

In truth, he had a feeling Professor Catherine might even surpass Vale Rae, the leader of Titan’s Edge.

’She’ll be fine.’

Later that evening, they ate dinner. Emily went to sleep early. Alice was outside, still training under the moonlight.

Isaac stayed in the study, going over study materials and practicing his Sovereign of Land ability.

He could now deploy three roots in the assassins destroyed main base, which was far outside the stronghold. He could manage all of it from this very room.

At midnight, he closed his books, stepped outside to harvest crops, and replanted new ones under the soft moonlight.

When he came back inside, Emily was asleep. Alice had just come out of the bathroom, hair wet, a towel around her shoulders. She was wearing a tank top and leggings.

She smelled faintly of rose.

Isaac blinked. He could feel the heat rise in his chest.

Alice didn’t say anything. She walked past him and sat on the bed, drying her hair slowly with the towel.

She still hadn’t mastered internal heat control. Without that, she couldn’t dry her hair with her own temperature the way she should be able to do as a Sun Dragon.

"I’m going back to the Calloway Estate tomorrow," she said without looking at him.

"Huh?" Isaac turned. "Is this about earlier?"

"No. It’s not that."

She paused, then continued.

"My instincts are getting stronger lately. The dragon part of me is becoming harder to manage. I need to check the old library at the estate. Since the first Matriarch was a dragon, she might’ve left behind some records. Maybe I’ll find something that can help me control this."

Isaac looked at her carefully. "Is that really it?"

"It is."

She stood up. Her gaze softened just slightly. Then, without another word, she leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.

It was short, quiet, and unexpected. Before he could say anything, she stepped past him and went to bed.

Isaac looked at her sleeping figure.

’If she was going to kiss, I would we rather do ’it’.’

Still, he didn’t say anything. He reckoned Alice must be tired from today’s ordeal and needed rest.

...

Selene’s POV

Selene stood in front of her full-length mirror, holding up another dress to her body. This one was a deep violet, sleek and sleeveless, with a silver trim along the hem. Her brows furrowed slightly as she turned sideways, considering it with critical eyes. Then she tossed it onto the growing pile on her bed.

"No," she muttered. "Too... dramatic."

She turned back to her wardrobe, red eyes scanning the neat row of clothes with focused urgency. Each dress she owned was expensive, tailored, and elegant, yet none seemed

right

. Not for tomorrow.

Behind her, seated comfortably on a plush armchair, Marien sipped her tea. She hadn’t spoken for ten minutes now. Her expression was as blank and unreadable as always, but the occasional twitch of her eye said more than words ever could.

Selene pulled out a pale cream dress this time. Simple, sleeveless, and paired with a soft cardigan. She held it up.

"What about this one?"

Marien blinked slowly. "You rejected that one thirty minutes ago."

Selene clicked her tongue and put it back. "It looked different earlier."

"No, it didn’t."

She ignored the response and walked back to the mirror, picking up a dark green dress from the bed. She draped it over her front and adjusted her silver hair over her shoulder, studying the effect.

"I want something casual," Selene said. "Not too fancy. But not too plain, either. It’s not an official meeting, but I can’t look sloppy."

Marien lowered her tea. "You realize you’re going shopping. Not dining at a diplomatic banquet."

"I

know

that," Selene said, half-whining, half-defensive. "But it’s still important."

Marien’s gaze didn’t change. "Because you’re meeting Isaac."

Selene turned her head just slightly and gave a small smile. "Yes."

That one word hung in the room for a moment.

Marien set the cup down with a soft clink. "You’ve never spent this long picking a dress for anyone before."

"Mhm," Selene said, not giving a direct answer.

Marien didn’t argue. She stood up and walked over to the bed, picking up one of the dresses that had been tossed aside. A navy blue one with a light silk lining. She held it out.

"This one is simple. Soft fabric. Good color contrast with your hair and eyes. And doesn’t scream ’I tried too hard.’"

Selene took it, held it up again, and looked into the mirror. She gave a small nod.

"Maybe you’re right."

"Of course I am."

"But should I go with heels or flats?"

Marien sighed.

"Flats," she said. "You’ll be walking. The city’s central sector isn’t exactly made for dramatic entrances."

Selene turned again and looked at her reflection, holding the dress against her frame. Her silver hair flowed naturally over her shoulders, and her red eyes had a faint glint of excitement.

"You really think it looks okay?" she asked, not looking at Marien but watching her through the mirror.

"It looks fine," Marien replied. "You’ll look fine. You always do."

Selene smiled. Not the polite, measured one she wore in meetings or public gatherings. This one was warmer, genuine.

"You think he’ll like it?"

"If he doesn’t, I’ll dropkick him."

Selene chuckled, setting the dress on the bed more carefully this time.

"He’s smart," she said softly. "He’s also tricky. Manipulative when he wants to be. But... I don’t know. He’s not dishonest."

Marien raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn’t call him not dishonest."

Selene chuckled, knowing Marien didn’t like Isaac.

Marien didn’t argue. She just picked up another dress from the bed and refolded it properly before laying it back on the hanger.

"You do know you don’t need to try so hard to choose a dress, right?"

"I know," Selene replied. "I thought it would be just better I looked good."

Marien looked at her, and clicked her tongue.

Selene simply smiled.

She moved to the vanity and sat down, opening a small drawer filled with accessories. A pair of silver earrings caught her attention, and she held them up to her ears. They sparkled faintly under the light.

"Not too much?" she asked.

"Those are the ones you wore when meeting the ambassador of Fortified City 22," Marien pointed out.

Selene shrugged. "And?"

"You’re saying this is more important than that?"

Selene didn’t respond immediately. She put the earrings aside and pulled out a smaller, simpler pair. Just studs. Clean and unassuming.

"Maybe I don’t want to be impressive tomorrow," she murmured. "I just want to enjoy the day."

"You’re not afraid it’ll go wrong?"

Selene met her reflection’s gaze. "Of course I am. But isn’t that the point?"

Marien didn’t reply. She simply went back to her tea, now a little cooler, and sipped quietly.

"I mean," Selene continued, now almost thinking out loud, "we’ve only known each other for a few weeks. But somehow it feels longer. I feel comfortable around Isaac."

Marien raised an eyebrow. "Be careful that guy. You never know when he will attack you again."

"I’m not looking to fight him."

"Even if you should?"

Selene paused at that. Her fingers stilled on the drawer handle.

"I don’t know," she said after a moment. "But I don’t want to treat everything like a battlefield anymore."

Silence fell between them again, and Marien let it linger. Then, without looking up, she said, "What time are you meeting him?"

Selene picked up her device and checked the message.

"Ten in the morning. He said he’ll meet me at the plaza near the garden cafe."

Marien hummed. "He better not make you wait for too long."

Selene nodded slowly, smiling again. "I’m fine with waiting for a bit."

She stood up and gently smoothed the dress once more. It looked ordinary compared to the others she’d tried, but something about it felt more... honest. Less performative.

Marien watched her quietly. Then, finally, she stood and stretched.

"I’ll prepare the car."

"I thought I’d just teleport."

"You

thought

wrong. You’re wearing a dress. You’ll take the car."

Selene laughed. "Fine, fine."

She followed Marien to the door but paused halfway through.

"Thank you."

Marien glanced back. "For what?"

"For not making fun of me."

"I’ll save that for after you return home tomorrow."

Selene grinned and shook her head. "You’re the worst."

"I know."

As Marien walked off, Selene turned back toward her room, a thoughtful expression on her face. She sat at the edge of the bed, fingers lightly brushing over the fabric of the dress.

Tomorrow would be simple. Shopping. A few conversations. Maybe lunch. Nothing too extravagant.

But it felt like a turning point.

One of those small moments that quietly shifted the entire direction of a story.

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself feel the anticipation. It wasn’t nervousness. It was hope.

And in her heart, Selene hoped Isaac would feel the same.