’Beautiful.’
Emily’s short silver hair had been brushed neatly, and a pale blue dress hugged her frame in a soft, flowing manner.
It had short sleeves, a silver belt around the waist, and a simple but polished design. She looked graceful, cute and a little regal.
Beside her, Alice wore a sleeveless black dress that clung to her body.
Black gloves reached to her elbows, and the back of the dress dipped low, exposing her shoulder blades.
She didn’t wear any jewelry, but she didn’t need it.
Her authoritative yet sexy appearance was already enough to draw attention.
Isaac blinked, realizing he’d been staring for too long.
He gave a small smile. “Both of you look beautiful.”
“We look beautiful?” Emily giggled.
His compliment had been short, but the way he’d frozen up said more than enough.
Emily enjoyed the rare moment where Isaac didn’t have something clever to say. It was a small win for her, who was always on the receiving end of his teasing and couldn’t say anything back.
Alice scanned his clothes.
He didn’t need to use Inspect to figure out her thoughts.
“Where are Professor Catherine and Leora? We’re going to be late.”
“They messaged me earlier and said something important came up. They told us to go without them,” Emily said.
“I see.” Isaac nodded once, then moved toward the door. “Alright. Let’s get going.”
The three of them left the house.
The night was already there, and the dark skies were illuminated by the pillar of light in the far horizon.
Their assigned jeep was parked outside the farm.
Isaac got in the driver’s seat, and Emily took the passenger side. Alice climbed into the back without a word.
The engine started with a soft growl.
Isaac wasn’t worried about leaving his farm unattended. Tyr and Deathwood Guardian were patrolling the premises.
He turned the wheel and drove them toward the central base of the stronghold.
The stronghold was still active, with students and awakeners moving through the main roads that had been built recently.
Watching them and the surrondings, Isaac realized that a lot of construction work was far from over. He wondered why the speed was so slow.
Isaac glanced at the rearview mirror, and noticed Alice staring out of the window in daze.
“You don’t look happy that you are going back home,” Isaac said after a while.
Alice leaned against the window in the backseat. “It’s a big event where almost everyone will come. There will be lots of politics. It makes me not look forward to the banquet.”
Isaac chuckled.
He thought she was worried about meeting her family members, but it turns out it was just her introvert nature surfacing.
Soon, they reached the outer gates of the central base and slowed down.
After a brief check, the guards waved them through.
The buildings in this area were built from concrete and special materials. They were heavily fortified, and patrols were more frequent. They passed a few command buildings before reaching the teleportation hub at the center.
Isaac parked in one of the guest lanes and stepped out. Emily and Alice followed. The area around the hub was busy, filled with awakeners, guards, and staff making final checks.
Some people were talking in small groups, others were reviewing their notes or invitations.
They moved toward the entrance, where a pair of officers were checking the identification. Isaac pulled the slim black card from his coat pocket and handed it over. The officer scanned it, gave a short nod, and motioned them through.
The teleportation chamber was wide, circular, and lit with dim-blue lighting. The teleport pad at the center was active, glowing faintly as it cycled through destinations.
A technician stood nearby and gestured toward the platform. “Please step onto the pad. You will be teleported to the Teleporter B9-0.”
’0’ meant the location was Central Sector while B meant the area B inside there. ’9’signified the teleporter number among the teleporters present in area B.
Isaac stepped forward without hesitation. Emily came up beside him, and Alice followed behind.
The tiny dark cloud floating above them rumbled. It’s size rapidly increased and it swallowed them.
…
Economic Council Chambers, Sanctum of Masters Stronghold, Akaza Ruin, Fortified City 89
The meeting chamber was vast.
It had layered marble floors and black-tinted glass stretching over the walls, allowing those inside to see the weather outside without giving away a single thing about what was happening within.
Nineteen organizations had gathered.
These organizations lead the Economic Council, the highest authority in Fortified City 89 when it came to business, land ownership, and the flow of resources.
Months ago, these groups had bought the rights to regulate the city’s economy from the Sanctum of Masters, securing a position that made them nearly untouchable.
Some of these organizations were deeply tied to Awakener-related industries.
Be it weapons, gear, recovery potions, dungeon artifacts, anything an Awakener needed to survive or improve their odds was sold by them.
Their profits were immense, and their influence was even greater.
They had monopolized their respective markets through brutal takeovers and policy manipulation. Since their domination began, none of them had ever recorded a loss.
Still, that was only one side of the coin.
A large portion of the council consisted of businesses that catered to the common population.
They were clothing manufacturers, food distributors, public housing providers, and entertainment chains.
After all, Awakeners made up less than 10% of the total population. Selling to the remaining 90% was where steady, ’long-term’ profits came from.
Then there was the neutral faction.
Only four organizations belonged to it. These groups had no interest in factional struggles or internal power plays.
They simply wanted their businesses to run smoothly and stay out of politics. One of the most prominent among them was the Calloway Conglomerate.
The chamber was full of quiet chatter, hushed negotiations, and subtle glances when Selene Calloway, who had been seated calmly near the center, cleared her throat.
It was just a polite cough. But it cut through the noise like a blade through silk.
The conversations halted.
Everyone’s eyes turned to her. Not just because she had made the sound, but because everyone had already been watching her since the moment she walked in.
Selene Calloway sat with the poise of someone raised around power.
Her silver hair, braided with thin red cords, draped neatly over her left shoulder.
Her cherry-colored eyes held a calm friendliness that made people lower her guard around her unconsiously.
She wore a tailored black gown with faint red embroidery along the seams.
The sleeves were long and slightly transparent at the edges, and the dress narrowed slightly at the waist before falling loose around her legs.
The Calloway crest shimmered subtly at her collarbone.
It was clear she was dressed for the banquet scheduled later that evening, where everyone in this room had also been invited.
But despite how captivating she looked, not a single person dared to admire her inappropriately.
Selene was the heir to the Calloway Conglomerate after her elder sister, Alice, failed to awaken. People feared offending her more than they feared offending half the council combined.
With the silence firmly in place, she stood up.
“I’ve called for this emergency council meeting for a simple reason,” she said, her tone firm but polite. “I want the council to reverse its decision. Isaac should be allowed to continue purchasing land.”
The room stirred.
Glances were exchanged, some subtle, others blatant.
Why is she supporting that farmer? I thought he attacked her?
That’s what the reports said. Did something change?
I told you they had made up. Chairman Lucius was seen with the boy just last week.
Even if Lucius supports him, it’s Selene who holds power now.
No one spoke these thoughts aloud. But the tension in the air thickened.
The people from the Awakener faction—the ones who had originally pushed to block Isaac’s land acquisitions—looked visibly uncomfortable.
The shift was unexpected.
The council had voted almost unanimously to halt Isaac’s land purchases.
Their excuse had been “zoning concerns”, “market monopoly” and “long-term planning.”
In reality, it was fear and greed.
Fear that a single boy—barely out of his teens—was threatening the market by growing more food in a week than the city’s B-rank Farmer could in a year.
They’d tried to contain him before it got worse.
But now Calloway was backing him.
And Calloway wasn’t an organization they could afford to go against, not openly.
“I understand the reasoning behind the council’s previous decision,” Selene continued. “Isaac’s capabilities, while impressive, disrupted the current market. Many of you stood to lose from it. I acknowledge that.”
The room quieted further.
Surprisingly, she wasn’t attacking them, and instead she was acknowledging their stance.
“But,” she added, “since I am now backing Isaac, and since my support will undoubtedly affect your interests, I will provide compensation.”
The council members frowned.
Compensation?
They became confused.
She didn’t need to offer compensation.
If anything, she could have accused them of sabotaging a talent who could uplift the entire city.
If things got worse, Sanctum of Master would have to intervene.
And they wouldn’t have sided with the council. They would’ve sided with Isaac.
Selene could’ve used that leverage.
Instead, she was offering something that no one expected.
“I propose the following in exchange,” she said. “Calloway Conglomerate will yield several commercial locations in Sector 4, Sector 8, and Sector 9. These markets currently operate under our banner, but we will formally step back from active control. Instead, your companies will take over.”
The murmuring resumed, but now it had a different tone.
That’s prime real estate.
Is she serious?
She’s giving up Sector 4? That’s been under Calloway control for years.
What’s the catch?
“There is no catch,” Selene added, answering their unspoken questions. “We will also refer consumer traffic from our channels to those locations. Consider it a gesture of goodwill, and partnership.”
Now, the expressions across the chamber changed.
The neutral faction looked relieved.
The common goods faction, known formally as the Triden Group, nodded among themselves. They were gaining a lot from this deal. More customers, more land, less tension.
The Awakener faction looked more confused than cornered.
Why give up so much instead of using brute force to make them stop hindering Isaac?