Morning came with a warm breeze. Isaac stood on the edge of the field, sleeves rolled up, hands already dusted with soil.
The stalks of grain were ready, golden and tall.
He swung his hoe once, and harvested in neat bundles. It only took a few seconds.
Once the field was cleared, he began planting new seeds with the help of the roots.
Tyr waited nearby. Isaac handed over the grain sacks to him.
“Take these to the shop,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Tyr nodded, and took them.
With that done, Isaac headed to the gym for his morning training.
The routine was short today, just enough to warm his body and run through the stances that kept his senses sharp.
He returned to the living room sometime later, pushing open the door.
Alice and Emily were there, sitting across from each other with steaming cups of coffee for Alice and strawberry shake for Emily.
Alice was flipping through a news app on her device, while Emily was humming under her breath, idly petting Tirra —her ghost beast bond— on her lap.
Alice looked up when she noticed him. “Why is Professor Catherine inside that thing?”
Isaac followed her gaze to the life support pod glowing softly in the corner of the room. “She came back late last night injured.”
Emily’s brow furrowed. “What happened?”
Isaac poured himself some water before answering. “I think the Nagas set up a failsafe. Something to hit us with even if we managed to destroy the Metavore Hive. Professor must’ve been dealing with it.”
Emily’s expression turned sharp. “It’s those Nagas again.”
Alice blinked, caught off guard by the sudden coldness in Emily’s voice. “Em?”
“Yes?” Emily turned to her with a sunny smile, her tone light and cheerful.
Alice frowned, confused. For a moment, it felt like Emily had been someone else. But maybe it was just her imagination.
“She’ll wake up around ten,” Isaac said, glancing at the pod. “Let her rest a bit more.”
Alice stood up, stretching. “I’m heading into the Soulbind Pendant. I’ll train until she wakes up. Emily, can you tell your summons to spar with me?”
“Sure.” Emily nodded and disappeared into the pendant.
Inside, her summons were waiting. They turned to her with trembling eyes, after hearing what was about to happen.
They looked like tiny chicks about to be thrown into a storm.
Emily scratched her cheek and looked away awkwardly. “Don’t look at me like that…”
Alice stepped forward. “Don’t worry. I’ll heal all the damage you take in the training.”
The summons closed their eyes in resignation. Acceptance came quickly when pain was guaranteed.
Emily reappeared in the real world, materializing right onto Isaac’s lap. He barely flinched. He was reading a book, the pendant still glowing around his neck.
She kissed his cheek and hopped off. “I’ll get breakfast ready!”
An hour passed quietly.
When Alice came back out, her hair was slightly damp and she smelled of soap.
She had clearly used the Soulbind Pendant’s bathroom. There was a hint of satisfaction in her posture, the training had gone well.
Emily walked back into the living room, carrying a tray of toast and tea.
“Thanks for letting me use your summons,” Alice said as she sat down.
“No problem.”
“I’ll be training them too,” Alice added. “They’ll be more useful if they learn proper combat. That Guardian Machina of yours, for example—its stats are great, but it’s too emotional. It needs better instincts.”
Emily gave a weak smile. “Go easy on them. They’re kids.”
Isaac listened in silence. He agreed. The Guardian Machina they had brought back had clearly been made in a rush, probably under the influence of the Nagas.
Unlike the first one—which had been obliterated by Vale Rae—this one lacked finesse. Raw power wasn’t enough without proper structure.
After breakfast, Isaac and Alice stood by the door, packing up.
“I’ll be out for a while,” Isaac said to Emily. “Professor should wake up in less than an hour. Take care of her, and study while I’m gone.”
Emily pouted. “Why do I have to be the one studying today?”
Isaac chuckled. Of all of them, Emily hated studying the most. And yet, she was the only one stuck with it today.
He could’ve stayed back until Professor Catherine woke up, but that wasn’t happening. Not today.
Because today, he had plans.
Shopping plans with Selene.
No way Professor Catherine would let him leave if she knew that was his excuse. She’d pull out a lecture long enough to rewrite a textbook.
’It hasn’t even been a month since university started, and I’m already bunking classes’ he thought.
They entered the jeep and headed toward the Stronghold’s teleportation gate. The roads far from the main base were quiet.
Alice was scrolling through her device again. “Look at this.”
She showed him a photo.
It was from the shop’s opening day in Sector 4. In the picture, he and Selene were standing close.
“You two look good together,” she said.
“Mhm.” Isaac nodded, not saying anything on the topic. “I’m going shopping with her today. Want to come? You could head to your family’s library at night.”
Alice thought about it. Then she shook her head.
“If I go with you, I’ll end up staying longer at the Calloway estate. That’s more time away from you. I’d rather finish my tasks quickly and come back.”
She looked at him seriously. “Take care of Selene, alright? Don’t let any boys hit on her. And if she wants something, pamper her, even if it’s just for the day.”
“If my mad princess says so, then it will be done.”
Alice narrowed her eyes. “That nickname again?”
“Is it wrong, though?” Isaac smirked. “Apparently, all the other Awakeners started calling you that after they saw how you reacted when Emily got hurt.”
Alice leaned back in her seat, arms crossed.
“I get the ’mad’ part. But where did ’princess’ come from?”
Isaac gave her an innocent look. “No idea.”
“Liar,” she muttered. “I knew something was off when you told me and Emily to go set up our tents. You used that time to spread rumors, didn’t you?”
Isaac blinked innocently. “What are you talking about?”
Alice’s eyebrow twitched. That expression confirmed it. It had been him.
“You bastard,” she muttered.
“I was just helping boost your reputation,” Isaac said, not a hint of shame in his voice. “Titles spread faster than names. And ’Mad Princess’ rolls off the tongue pretty nicely, doesn’t it?”
Alice wasn’t sure if he had become more shameless lately, or if her tolerance had simply dropped.
Either way, she was stuck with him.
And somehow, she didn’t really mind.
They stepped into the teleporter, and a few seconds later, arrived at Fortified City 50. After a short walk to the car station, they swapped vehicles.
Alice slid into the passenger seat while Isaac drove them toward the Calloway estate.
Plans had shifted slightly. Since Isaac was dropping Alice off, he’d decided to pick up Selene directly from her house instead of meeting at the pre-decided location.
Once they passed through the main gates of the estate, Isaac followed the curved road up toward the villa.
At the entrance, Selene, Marien, and Chairman Lucius were already standing outside.
Alice stepped out of the car first and greeted them with a smile.
She gave Selene a light hug, then did the same to Chairman Lucius.
A few words of polite conversation passed between them before Isaac finally stepped out too.
He gave them all a cheerful wave. “Good morning.”
Selene smiled and returned his greeting.
But while the girls exchanged friendly words, Isaac noticed something else.
Both Marien and Chairman Lucius were glaring at him from behind Selene’s shoulder.
He returned their stares with a bright, innocent smile. “Don’t worry, father. Alice already told me to take care of Selene or I’ll be punished.”
Alice froze in place.
Selene turned to him in surprise.
Chairman Lucius’s face stiffened like someone had just slapped him with a wet rag.
The word ’father’ wasn’t used lightly, especially in front of family.
The implication was clear.
Not only was Isaac openly implying that he was close enough to marry Alice, but he was also taking the daughter of the house on a date right in front of the family head.
And no one could stop him.
“I’ll be going now,” Isaac said, finally turning to Selene with a light smile. “Shall we?”
Selene nodded and walked with him, her steps graceful as always.
Today, her outfit wasn’t just elegant, it had a subtle touch of allure. Nothing too much, just enough to make Isaac blink twice.
They spent the next few hours wandering through Fortified City 50’s high-end districts.
They shopped, talked, and shared snacks along the way.
Selene tried on a few things. Isaac offered opinions when asked.
A few times, he carried the bags for her without being told. And neither of them noticed the time passing.
By the time the sky had darkened, the streets were glowing with artificial light.
“Let’s get dinner,” Isaac said. “After that, I’ll drop you home and head back.”
Selene looked up at him and smiled. “Let’s go back to the estate first. I’ll cook for us.”
Isaac blinked. “…You’ll what?”
“I’ve been learning,” she said, a slight blush on her cheeks. “I think I’m finally decent. So come back with me and be my first taste tester.”
Isaac returned her smile, but inwardly, his thoughts were running.
’Wait… She’s already cooking decently? But weren’t we at the same level a few days ago?’
He followed her silently back to the estate, mind still swirling.
’No. It might just be her imagination. Yeah. That’s probably it. Her cooking can’t have improved that quickly. I mean, I’m still bad at it…’
Still, he had a bad feeling.