The Champion-ranked chewed slowly. His expression remained neutral.
Then he set the pick down on the edge of the plate.
A murmur rippled near the entrance.
The whispering of media personnel picked up. Their camera drones had been recording since the moment he accepted the sample.
Now, they were inching forward, trying to capture every detail of the moment. Some were already guessing something was wrong.
But Vale simply turned toward Isaac.
“It’s good,” he said.
The whispering stopped.
He asked, “How much are you selling these for?”
“5,000 Obol per piece.”
His voice was clear enough to be heard by the surrounding customers and, likely, the hovering drones as well.
Isaac had deliberately set the price high. It was not done out of greed, but because of the location.
Sector 4’s central marketplace was considered a luxury hub. Undervaluing goods here would only damage their reputation. High-end customers didn’t trust cheap-looking items, no matter how effective they were.
Vale nodded without comment. “I’ll take some.”
He placed an order for several cabbages and for the other vegetables as well. He seemed to be someone who liked his veggies.
After the staff packed everything, Vale stored them in a spatial ring. Then he looked at Isaac again.
“Do you grow other vegetables too?”
Isaac smiled. “We’re planning to expand. If you have suggestions for crops, I’m all ears.”
Vale shook his head. “It’s okay. Grow whatever you want. I’m not picky.”
That was the end of it. He offered a short farewell and walked toward the exit. The media, already on alert, swarmed to the sides. Flashing lights, soft murmurs, camera lenses focusing in.
Isaac didn’t need to hear their words to know what they were thinking.
Most, if not all, Awakeners preferred meat-heavy diets. It was the most efficient way to absorb raw nutrients and mana, and keep their body going.
Vegetables were not seen as even the secondary option. It was something only civilians used.
But Vale Rae—arguably the strongest Champion-ranked Awakened in Fortified City 50 and all human cities—had just praised Isaac’s vegetables in public.
Then purchased them.
It was a headline by itself.
The big news would do wonders for publicity.
Isaac watched Vale leave through the glass doors with a faint smile on his face.
The siblings had helped him once again.
First at the stronghold shop, and now here.
He was still watching the crowd when Bella quietly appeared at his side. She leaned slightly closer, keeping her voice low.
“Please head over to the Tier 2 grain section,” she whispered. “Miss Selene is calling you. The Governor is here.”
Isaac nodded and moved through the store, passing several lingering customers. Some gave him polite greetings. Others simply watched as he passed by.
When he arrived at the back section, he found Selene speaking to an older man with silver-streaked black hair and a dignified posture.
His clothes were understated, but of high quality. He wore a long coat typical of city officials, but not a single guard stood near him. He didn’t need one.
The moment Isaac approached, the man turned to face him.
“Hoho, so this is our city’s SSS-rank farmer.” The old man chuckled with a pleasant tone. “I am Governor Marcellus Dane. I’ve been rather busy lately, otherwise I’d have paid you a visit much earlier.”
Isaac bowed slightly out of respect. “An honor to meet you, Governor Dane. Thank you for taking the time.”
Governor Dane waved his hand lightly.
“No need for formalities. You’ve already done more than enough to earn this city’s gratitude.”
His gaze shifted to the nearby grain displays. “I tried one of the Tier 2 grains earlier. The effect was rather good.”
He turned back with a smile.
“And you’re only selling them for one million Obol each? That’s quite generous, young man. With how exclusive these grains are, you could raise the price significantly.”
Isaac chuckled lightly. “You flatter me, sir. But honestly, this city took me in when I had nowhere else to go. I lived here, trained here, and awakened my Talent thanks to the free awakening provided here. Taking more money from it just doesn’t sit right with me.”
He paused, then added, “If anything, I’d rather sell them at a discount. It’s the least I can do to repay everything the city’s done for me.”
For a moment, Governor Dane didn’t say anything. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes lingered on Isaac’s face, as if assessing something.
Then, slowly, he nodded. “I see.”
He returned his attention to the display.
“I’ll take all of them,” he said.
Isaac didn’t argue.
At the Sector 4 store, bulk buying was allowed. It was part of the plan.
Given how famous Isaac’s good had become, discouraging bulk buying was impossible. Someone could send fifty of their people to buy all grain even if Isaac allowed only a few grains per person. As such, he had allowed bulk buying directly.
’Hmm, as expected, the sales are going to shot ridiculously high in Sector 4.’
’My current production rate if far from enough.’
’I need to buy more land.’
Until now, the city had no overpowered farmer like Isaac.
But his advent, the city realized they had been like a parched man in the search of water. The water given by him (his grains) could quench the thirst of the city that had been killing them silently.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that as long as Isaac continued selling grains, the city would see enormous growths thanks to the grains powering up the awakeners.
Selene signaled a nearby staff member, who began preparing the order. The Governor gave Isaac a final nod, then left without ceremony.
The moment he stepped outside, the media’s interest surged again. Their drones followed him. Questions were shouted. Reporters recorded reactions in real time.
But inside, the atmosphere remained focused.
Customers kept pouring in. Some were curious, some were already familiar with the grains.
The vegetables were drawing more interest now too. Several customers had witnessed Vale’s purchase and were asking Bella questions about the crops.
Isaac gave a glance at the store, then quietly made his way up the stairs to the first floor above the shop.
It wasn’t a lounge or anything fancy, just a calm observation space with an office. A wide window let him see the store below, and a second, smaller screen on the wall showed the live sales feed.
He sat down, watching silently.
“I wonder how much I will earn now.”
His mind flicked to the awakener faction in Sector 4. It seemed like they had no plan of making a move today, but knowing them, they would soon make a move against him.
’Well, since Selene is on my side, I’m sure I can easily deal with all problems they throw at me.’
Selene had already told him about the awakener faction. They were ’supporting’ Selene to overthrow Isaac, and protect the chairman seat from Alice.
They thought Selene was supporting Isaac and Alice openly while planning to backstab them.
However….
’Damn it, I can’t believe I’m actually looking forward to them doing something stupid.’
He sighed, half amused. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped being someone who simply wanted to be left alone. Now he was thinking three steps ahead, expecting betrayals, playing along with politics.
’I swear it’s all the influence of Professor. She was the one who even told me to use the Life Energy Potions to bring awakeners to my side. The innocent me would never think of anything like that.’
It reminded him he needed a plan to handle the Life Energy Potions. Last night, there had been no time, but he was hoping to talk with Alice and Professor Catherine about it tonight.
He shook his head slightly. “I swear it’s all the Professor’s influence. I was innocent once.”
As he was reviewing possible approaches in his mind, a knock came at the door.
He was confused. No one was supposed to visit him right now.
He hadn’t scheduled any appointments, nor was he informed someone was coming to meet him.
A female voice followed. “Excuse me. Is this Mr. Isaac’s office?”
Isaac’s brows furrowed.
Something about this made his mind flash back to that incident the Calloway estate. He had been kidnapped without warning and returned just as suddenly.
“Did those people come back here?”
He stood up from the chair, glancing toward the door.
“No… What if it’s someone else who came to assassinate me?”
It was a valid possibility.
There were too many people who might want to remove him. Competitors, the B-rank Farmer who had suddenly become useless because of him.
Even government might want to eliminate him. Some of them would see him as a rising threat, and not everyone believed in playing fair.
The knock came again, firmer this time.
His gaze sharpened, he prepared to activate his skills at any movement, and a calm focus slid over him like water.
Then he spoke. “Come in.”
The door opened.
A woman stepped in, dressed in a travel-styled formal uniform.
She wore a black coat with silver trim, and a pair of smooth boots that weren’t military but built for movement.
Her long dark hair was tied neatly at the back, and her posture was confident, but not aggressive.
Isaac didn’t recognize her.
He kept his tone even. “Please, take a seat.”
She nodded and walked over to the chair across from him. “Thank you.”
Once seated, she introduced herself with practiced clarity.
“My name is Elira Vance. I serve as an ambassador and external liaison on behalf of Fortified City 22.”
Isaac didn’t let his expression change.
But internally, the surprise was real.
An ambassador?
Fortified City 22 was one of the humanity’s cities. It was known for its close relation with other races, and frequent trades with them.
Their firepower might not match Fortified City 50, but in terms of economics and inter-species relations, they were far better.
Isaac tilted his head slightly. “I wasn’t informed of a visit.”