Isaac paused, caught off guard. “What decision?”
She didn’t explain. Instead, she nodded at him and walked away, leaving Isaac with more questions than answers.
He watched as Alice and Lucius moved toward the slightly elevated stage at the center of the hall.
Selene was already there, dressed in a perfect attire.
Her silver hair were braided neatly, giving her a mature charm, and her red eyes carried the usual polite expression.
Lucius stepped forward.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” he began, his voice carrying across the hall with practiced ease. “I know many of you had to adjust your schedules to be here tonight, and I appreciate it.”
Conversations died down, and eyes turned toward the stage.
“I’ve gathered you here to share two pieces of good news,” Lucius said. “Both are important to me, and to the future of the Calloway family.”
A murmur passed through the room. People exchanged glances.
Lucius smiled faintly. “First, I want to speak about the future of the Calloway Conglomerate. After careful deliberation, I have made my decision regarding who will succeed me as chairman.”
He turned slightly toward Selene.
“It will be my daughter, Selene Calloway.”
Applause followed, steady and expected.
Some people clapped with genuine happiness. They were those who had backed Selene from the beginning. For them, this was a long-awaited confirmation.
Others clapped simply because it was appropriate. Their disappointment was well-hidden, but visible to anyone paying close attention.
Selene bowed her head slightly, maintaining her composed smile.
She hadn’t originally wanted the position.
But after long talks with Alice and her father, she had agreed.
Alice had been the one to bring up the suggestion. She didn’t want to run the company. She wanted freedom, explore the wilderness, encounter monsters only seen in legends, and defeat them.
When the clapping died down, Lucius continued.
“The second announcement concerns someone you already know, my niece.”
He gestured to Alice. The gesture confirmed her identity for anyone unsure.
People had been confused before.
While she did look like Alice, her presence had been colder, and heavier, not to mention the horns on her head should belong to a demihuman, not a human who failed to awaken even the weakest Talent.
Whispers began to ripple.
Lucius let the moment build, then delivered the news calmly.
“She has awakened the legendary dragon bloodline of our ancestors.”
The room stilled.
But Lucius wasn’t finished.
“More than that, she has awakened the same talent as our house’s founder and first matriarch: SSS ranked Saintess.”
Silence appeared.
The people were stunned beyond measure.
If they were to believe Chairman Lucius, what they were attending right now was an historic event. It would go down in the annals of the history, and be remembered for centuries.
SSS ranked talents appeared only once a decade, and this was a generous number.
Moreover, the Saintess Talent was one of the rarest, and most revered among them.
It was a support class capable of communing with the Gods.
She had awakened her dragon heritage on top of that.
Unbelievable. Some among the crowd had to pinch themselves to make sure they were not dreaming.
Alice stood quietly, letting the silence hang for a few seconds. She could see the doubt in the eyes of the crowd.
She stepped forward and activated her Solar Dominion skill.
Golden flames erupted around her. The burning domain engulfed the center of the hall in a brilliant blaze. Heat rushed outward.
Several guests flinched. A few gasped.
But no one was burned.
Slowly, they realized the flames weren’t harming them. They weren’t even uncomfortable. The heat was controlled.
Then, they raised their heads to look at the cause of it.
She stood in the middle of it.
Her figure was bathed in radiant gold. Her domineering presence washed over the hall.
The girl who had been mocked, insulted, ignored looked over them with a confident and cold gaze.
Her gaze that never gave up or cowered, now looked frighteningly powerful.
It was clear who she was now.
A dragon.
Not a fantasy written in books, or a myth sung by the bards.
But a true dragon.
The hall remained silent, but the atmosphere had shifted.
There was no longer confusion or disbelief.
Instead, there was awe, envy, and reverence for the majestic being who stood in front of them.
Isaac smiled as he watched the reactions of the crowd.
Seeing their reaction towards Alice made him happy. Emily was no different. She was all smiles.
Alice’s gaze locked with the two of them, and she gave a subtle nod.
Then, she slowly withdrew her flames. The golden fire faded, vanishing without a trace. She stepped back, returning to her earlier position beside Chairman Lucius.
The crowd remained quiet. They were too stunned to speak.
“That’s all the news we had to share,” Chairman Lucius said, smiling. “I hope you’ll extend your best wishes to both of my daughters. One who will lead, and one who will blaze her own path.”
Applause followed again. It was louder this time.
This time, it wasn’t out of obligation. There was a genuine mix of awe, admiration, and curiosity in the way people clapped.
Some faces were lit with excitement. Others tried to mask the quiet calculations forming behind their polite smiles.
Isaac stood with Emily.
He didn’t know why Alice had stepped aside from the Chairman position, but he wasn’t bothered by it. If that was her choice, he would respect it.
The crowd began to move.
People trickled toward the stage to congratulate Chairman Lucius, Alice, and Selene.
Some came out of obligation. Others came because they recognized how monumental the announcement had been. And a few were there to make sure they weren’t left behind if the tides continued to shift.
Lucius greeted them with his usual composed demeanor. Selene remained graceful and formal. Alice, though still regal in posture, gave off a colder aura, which kept most from lingering too long.
Isaac waited for a while before approaching.
He wanted let them meet others first. When he finally stepped forward, Lucius noticed and gave him a nod.
Selene’s eyes flicked toward him the moment he entered their line of sight. Her gaze unconsciously lingered on him.
She wanted to speak to him.
But she was currently caught in conversation with a tall man wearing a deep green coat. His smile was polite, but to Selene it was clear the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Oran Fennel.
He was the owner of Fennel Potions, one of the largest potion suppliers in Fortified City 50, and Oran was the de facto leader of the Awakener Faction in the Fortified City 89’s economic council.
“Congratulations, Miss Selene,” Oran said, raising a glass. “I’m pleased to know the next Chairman of the Calloway Conglomerate is someone we can trust. The Awakener Faction supports your leadership wholeheartedly.”
Selene nodded. “Thank you. That means a great deal.”
Oran’s eyes briefly drifted toward her body, lingering for just a moment before he caught himself.
Selene noticed. She said nothing, but her expression cooled by a few degrees.
“You must be feeling a little pressure now,” he added, lowering his voice. “Especially with that display from your cousin. A dragon bloodline, and a Saintess talent… not exactly an everyday occurrence.”
Selene kept her smile polite. “Alice will always have the support of this house, no matter the path she chooses.”
“Of course. Of course,” Oran replied, raising his glass again. “Still, I imagine you’ll want to secure a few more allies before the next council meeting. I’ll have some names for you by tomorrow.”
She nodded, then turned slightly to glance at Isaac again.
She wanted to walk away, to break out of the polite game of politics and join the conversation happening a few feet away.
But she couldn’t do that yet. Oran and others like him still needed handling.
Meanwhile, Isaac stepped up beside Alice. She looked at him, and for the first time that night, her confident mask seemed to falter.
He frowned. “Are you alright?”
Alice hesitated, then gave a small nod. But it wasn’t convincing.
“I’m not going to be the Chairman,” she said quietly.
Isaac blinked. “And?”
“I gave it up,” she said.
Her voice was calm on the surface, but there was something strained underneath.
“I chose to become an explorer instead. I don’t have anything important to give you anymore, Isaac.”
He was caught off guard.
Just minutes ago, she had stood in front of everyone like a queen. But now, she looked unsure, and hesitant.
He understood what this was. Fear. Not the fear of danger, but of rejection.
She was thinking too much.
Worried that without the title, without the promise of a corporate empire, she might not be enough. That the moment she stepped off the path others expected of her, she’d lose the one person she wanted by her side.
Isaac smiled and leaned in, his voice just above a whisper.
“I got you,” he said near her ear. “That’s the most precious thing the Calloways could offer anyway.”
Alice froze for a moment. Then her cheeks turned red, and a quiet breath escaped her lips. Her shoulders relaxed.
The doubt in her eyes melted away.
A wave of relief hit her so hard that she almost laughed, but she held it in. Her cold, regal expression softened into a warmer one.
Lucius, standing beside them, cleared his throat.
“You still have to earn the ten billion target before you can take her away,” he said dryly.