Isaac raised his eyebrows.
Celia Rae was famous. She was an SSS-rank support-type awakener with an incredibly useful Talent, and a massive online following. Her popularity extended beyond just students.
She had fans among regular civilians and awakeners alike.
But that wasn’t the main thing of importance here.
“She’s the youngest sister of Vale Rae, the guy who leads Titan Edge Guild.”
Alice nodded.
Titan Edge Guild. It was one of the top four in Fortified City 89.
Known for its brutal efficiency and solid hierarchy, it had influence in politics, military deals, and elite dungeon clearances. Its members were treated like celebrities. And now, Celia Rae, the little sister of the guild’s leader, was commenting on “his” shop.
Alice tapped the screen.
“Look at the way she phrased it. ’We’ll have to wait in line.’ She didn’t say ’I.’ She used ’we.’ That means she’s not coming alone.”
Isaac nodded slowly. “So she’s arriving as a representative of Titan Edge.”
“Most likely, yes.” Alice continued, “In other words, one of the biggest guilds is making a move, which means this stronghold’s value just skyrocketed overnight.”
Alice crossed her arms.
“Expect a rush of new customers. By tomorrow, a lot more businessmen will come sniffing around. Even small-sized guilds, and a few ambitious medium ones will come. They’ll want to establish a foothold before the market saturates.”
It made sense. Big guilds had that effect.
They didn’t just fight monsters; they shifted economies. Their presence guaranteed protection, and that was enough for merchants, smiths, and medics to move in without hesitation.
Sanctum of Masters provided the same reassurance, but people trusted guilds more than universities for obvious reason.
“I get it,” Isaac said. “If I was an investor, I’d be here first thing in the morning.”
Alice nodded. “That’s why we should be ready.”
Isaac rolled his shoulders and turned to his fields.
With everything shifting so fast, he couldn’t afford to fall behind now. He took a breath, activated his Sovereign of Land skill, and walked into the fields.
He carefully managed the distribution of nutrients and mana.
Five hectares were set aside for Tier 1 vitality grains. The remaining eleven were for Tier 0.
By the time he was finished everything, including planting the seeds, sweat clung to his back and forehead.
He looked around, and noticed Alice was gone. She had quietly left sometime while he was working.
Isaac wiped his hands on a towel, then made his way back to the house.
The hallway was quiet. He reached the room and gently pushed open the door. Inside, the soft light from the desk lamp illuminated the space. Emily was curled up on the bed, hugging the teddy bear he’d given her.
She was awake.
Her eyes blinked sleepily as he entered. “Welcome back,” she said softly.
Isaac smiled. “You didn’t have to wait.”
“I wanted to,” Emily said. She shifted to sit up, still holding the bear. “Did everything go well?”
“Yeah. Got the grains planted.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, and she scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. For a few moments, they didn’t talk. The room felt still and quiet.
Then Emily whispered, “You’re working so hard lately.”
Isaac didn’t respond immediately.
He had been busy. Between farming, dealing with the shop, planning around assassin threats, and managing growing relationships… it was a lot.
But it wasn’t something he regretted. Not when it was for people who mattered to him.
“I’ll work harder,” he said.
Emily closed her eyes. “Just don’t burn yourself out.”
He looked down at her face. Her expression was calm, but her grip on the bear was firm. Isaac leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“I’ll be fine,” he said.
“Promise?”
He chuckled. “Promise.”
They stayed like that for a while before he gently helped her lie down.
“Isaac?” she said, her voice soft and a little confused as she shifted to look at him.
He smiled, leaning closer. “Since my dear wife’s tired after all the work today, I’m going to give her a massage.”
Her eyes widened slightly, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
“A massage?” she repeated, her tone caught between surprise and curiosity. “Then, maybe I should massage Isaac instead?”
“I’m fine. I have high stats,” he smiled, standing up.
He crossed the room to his bag, pulling out a small bottle of massage oil with a faint herbal scent he bought today.
’This should give me a lot of AP.’
Isaac should’ve been worried about AP since Emily was supposed to return to university tomorrow.
But he was relaxed.
’Emily isn’t sad at all even though she is supposed to go return tomorrow. It’s almost like she will stay here.’
’Moreover, she said she had a surprise for me, but she hasn’t revealed it yet.’
’If I’m not wrong, she is waiting for tomorrow, where I’ll think she will go back, and then she will reveal she is going to stay here.’
’That would be her surprise.’
Knowing he was certainly correct, he smiled a little.
He turned to Emily and held it the massage oil, giving her a playful grin.
“You in?”
Emily hesitated, her fingers tightening around the teddy bear.
She looked nervous, her gaze flickering from the bottle to his face, but she didn’t say no. After a moment, she nodded, setting the bear aside.
“Okay.”
Isaac sat back on the bed. “Face down first.”
She moved slowly, stretching out on her stomach, her head resting on her folded arms. Her shirt rode up slightly, exposing the small of her back, and Isaac poured a little oil into his hands, warming it between his palms.
The scent of lavender and mint filled the air, subtle but calming. He started at her shoulders. His fingers pressed gently into the tense muscles.
Emily let out a small sigh, her body softening under his touch.
“That feels nice,” she murmured, her voice muffled against the pillow.
+0.4 AP
+0.4 AP
“Good,” Isaac said, keeping his movements steady.
His hands worked down her shoulders, kneading the knots he found. He moved to her upper back. His thumbs traced slow circles, and she relaxed further.
He added more oil, his hands gliding along her spine, working out the stiffness.
Her skin was warm under his fingers, and he couldn’t help but notice how small she seemed like this.
“Turn over,” he said after a while.
Emily shifted, rolling onto her back with a shy glance at him.
Her cheeks were still pink, but she settled down, her arms resting at her sides. Isaac poured more oil, starting at her shoulders again, his hands moving carefully over her collarbone and down her arms.
She closed her eyes.
+0.6 AP
+0.7 AP
He worked down to her hands, massaging her palms, then moved to her legs, starting at her calves.
Her muscles were tighter here, probably from standing at the shop counter, and he took his time, easing the tension out.
“You’re good at this,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Glad you think so,” he replied, chuckling.
His hands moved to her thighs, keeping his touch gentle but firm, and he noticed her breath hitch slightly.
He glanced at her face, catching the way her lips parted, her blush deepening. He kept going, careful not to push too far.
+0.9 AP
+0.9 AP
When he reached her feet, he massaged the arches, his thumbs pressing into the soles, and she giggled, squirming a little.
“That tickles,” she said, opening her eyes to look at him.
The massage continued for an hour.
By the time he stopped, Emily looked like she had been cooked in a warm bath and wrapped in clouds.
She blinked up at him, face flushed and expression dazed.
“That was…” she mumbled, “…good.”
“Glad you liked it.”
He mentally pulled up the system screen.
AP Balance: 221.0143 → 280.912
Nearly sixty AP from one session. And it wasn’t just the number that surprised him—it was the pace.
With how much effort he’d been putting in all day, this was the biggest jump in the shortest time yet.
He held back a grin. The massage had been a perfect choice. It had genuine care mixed with just enough teasing.
Isaac was about to stand, reaching for the towel to wipe his hands, when Emily’s hand grabbed his collar.
She tugged hard, pulling him down with surprising strength.
He caught himself just in time, his hands bracing on either side of her, and found her small frame pinned beneath him.
Her eyes were staring at him, a mix of shyness and determination. Her cheeks were flushed.
He didn’t know who moved first—maybe it was her, maybe him—but their lips met.
Emily’s hands slid from his collar to his neck.
Her fingers curled into his hair, pulling him down until there was no space left between them.
Isaac’s heart raced, one hand resting on her waist, the other supporting his weight.
Her lips were soft, insistent, and he matched her intensity, letting the moment carry them both.
Maybe it was the effect of massage, or it was due to simply teasing her for an hour, the AP came flooding in.
+1.1 AP
+1.2 AP
+1.1 AP
+1.1 AP
+1.4 AP