Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 232: A Monumental Feat, Flying

Perhaps the part about taking advantage of Celia was a lie, Vale thought, his gaze flickering toward Isaac.

His eyes were complicated, carrying guilt, hesitation, and something that looked almost like gratitude.

A sharp knock on the door broke the silence.

Professor Catherine appeared out of thin air.

She opened the doors, and let three figures step inside.

The first was Eleanor, the Vice Principal of the Sanctum of Masters, known also as the Sword Empress.

Her very posture carried the weight of her title.

The second was Lucian, the Principal of Horizon Institute, who carried himself with an approachable and friendly air that contrasted with Eleanor’s sharp presence.

And last was Dante Riven, Dean of the Combat Department at Aeternum University, a man who remained silent and yet had a titanic presence.

Dante’s eyes flicked toward Catherine, lingering just for a heartbeat before he deliberately looked away.

He didn’t greet her.

The group made their way into the living room, and Lucian stepped forward with an easy smile as though this were just a friendly reunion.

”Isaac, it’s been a long time since we met. How have you been?”

Isaac rose politely. ”I’ve been doing fine. Thank you for your consideration, Principal Lucian.”

”Haha, just Lucian is fine. Titles make everything sound too stiff.”

They exchanged handshakes, Isaac first with Lucian, then with Dante, and finally with Eleanor.

Once the greetings were done, they all took their seats.

Isaac sat with Alice beside him on one side and Celia on the other. Celia’s sofa was near Vale’s, placing her between Isaac’s calm presence and her brother’s tense silence.

The atmosphere thickened almost immediately.

Nobody had to say it aloud; everyone felt it. The tension in the room was not the kind that faded away with a laugh or a polite phrase.

Lucian was the one who finally cut through the silence. He leaned forward slightly, still smiling, and placed a small device on the table.

”So,” he said, ”let’s start.”

The device clicked softly when he switched it on.

”This is a recorder,” he explained with a smile. ”I hope none of you mind. We don’t have much time, so it’s better to be direct.”

Eleanor’s voice followed. ”Vale, we want to question you about some important matters.”

Vale didn’t respond. He sat still, his jaw set, his gaze locked somewhere between the floor and the wall.

Celia frowned, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

Her eyes shifted toward Isaac, searching for an answer.

”You’ll get your answers,” Isaac murmured quietly, leaning just enough so she could hear. ”Listen.”

She bit her lip and nodded, though unease was already clawing at her chest.

Eleanor’s gaze returned to Vale. ”Do you know about the curse placed on the Naga?”

The room held its breath.

Vale still didn’t answer. His eyes moved slowly from Celia to Eleanor, then finally to Isaac. His teeth ground together.

Celia’s heart raced.

”....Why are you asking my brother that?” she asked.

She knew better than anyone what Vale was capable of. She also his areas of expertise. That was why her voice trembled with denial.

”The Naga are under a curse. This curse inflicts unbearable pain and death if they defy orders from the caster. Whoever placed it on them forced them to act against humanity, collecting intelligence on our strongholds and launching attacks. The curse caster is the one behind it all,” Eleanor explained.

”What?” Celia’s felt her heart being wrung painfully. ”What does that have to do with—”

”It was me.”

Vale’s voice cut her off.

”I was the one who placed the curse on the Naga.”

Celia froze.

Vale didn’t look at her.

He couldn’t.

His eyes stayed fixed on the ground, as though it was the only thing stable enough to hold him upright.

”Why did you do that?” Eleanor pressed.

Celia’s hands curled into fists. Her nails dug into her palms until her skin broke.

She wanted to scream at Vale, to call him a liar, to deny his words.

But the silence, the way the others stared, and the lack of shock in Isaac’s expression pointed to the same truth she didn’t want to accept.

”It was the governor’s orders,” Vale muttered.

”...What?” Celia raised her head and looked at him. ”He... ordered you.... to?”

Eleanor frowned.

Her eyes alternated between Celia and Isaac.

She had known the depth of Celia’s admiration for her brother and her faith in the governor.

Now she wondered whether Isaac had made the right choice in bringing her here at all.

Isaac met her gaze and gave a small nod, signaling to let things continue.

”How did you come across the Naga? And how did you place a curse on them?” Eleanor asked.

”I was scouting the ruins, and I stumbled on a Naga base. They had just fled from their city’s destruction, which left them injured, starving, desperate. I thought maybe the governor would help—”

His voice faltered.

What he thought back then didn’t matter. What actions he took did.

”The governor ordered me to place the curse, so they would obey us. They tried to resist, but they were too weak in that state.”

Eleanor’s eyes narrowed.

She knew from Catherine’s reports that Vale and Celia both belonged to Apex-ranked species.

That alone explained how Vale could suppress weakened Nagas.

A normal Champion-ranked human would never have managed it. She kept that detail to herself.

”Why curse them?” she asked instead.

”To use them against the three universities. The plan was to eliminate your strongholds. Once you were gone, the governor’s returned forces would reclaim the ruins and seize control of the city.”

The table rattled suddenly as Dante’s fist slammed down. His glare burned into Vale.

”So you were planning to backstab us?”

”Yes.”

Dante’s aura spiked, filling the room with a suffocating weight. He was about to speak again when a broken sob cut through the heavy silence.

”Brother... that’s a lie, right?”

”....”

”Please...”

”...”

”Please say everything.... you just said was a lie...”

How many awakeners died to the Nagas?

How many more would have died?

All of their blood was on the hand of her brother and the governor.

Vale’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again. His words were ragged, torn from somewhere deep.

”It’s not a lie.”

That was the last thread.

Celia’s body trembled as if she had been struck. She stood with stagger before turning abruptly. No one moved to stop her.

”Celia—”

Vale called her out.

But she was already running toward the door, tears blinding her path.

A cloud of black-blue mist surged into existence, swallowing her before anyone could reach her.

In an instant, it vanished, teleporting her with away.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Vale’s expression crumpled.

The pain in his eyes was sharp enough to cut through the air. He still couldn’t look at where his sister had been sitting only moments ago. He couldn’t bear it.

Lucian reached across the table, grabbed the recorder, and clicked it off.

”Well,” he said lightly, leaning back, ”that was intense.”

He waved the recorder toward Isaac, showing it to him.

”You know, we could’ve used Evil Sword’s truth ability when interrogating the Nagas to uncover the governor and Vale’s connection. But it would have been useless. People wouldn’t believe her. It’d be her word against the governor’s, and with her reputation, no one would know whether her words were truth or lies. Even her truths are treated with suspicion,” Lucian explained.

Dante glare stayed locked on Vale like a predator unwilling to release its prey.

Eleanor was the one who redirected the conversation.

”Isaac, the three universities would like to thank you. Bringing Vale here helped us a great deal.”

Her eyes shifted briefly to Vale before settling back on Isaac.

”We also heard about your handling of Titan Edge Guild, and the invitation you gave them to join your faction.”

”Is there going to be disciplinary action against me for the violence?”

He had taken down a guild on his own.

It was the kind of move that could easily be twisted into an act of recklessness or insubordination, depending on who judged it.

”No,” Lucian answered before Eleanor could. ”Evil Sword covered for you. You won’t face any trouble from that. But speaking of you...”

He leaned forward, his tone shifting.

”Is it true? Do you really have EXP potions that increase experience points?”

”Yes,” Isaac admitted. ”But—”

”They’re only for people in your faction, aren’t they?” Lucian smiled knowingly.

Dante and Eleanor exchanged quick glances. They both caught the change in direction immediately. Lucian wasn’t letting this opportunity pass by.

Before either of them could cut in, Lucian pushed further. ”Give me a few EXP potions, and I’ll join your faction.”

Isaac arched a brow. ”So easily?”

”Easily?” Lucian chuckled, though his smile sharpened into something far less casual. ”This is the only choice we have. You’re an SSS-rank farmer and a Lord candidate. Next to you is Alice Calloway, the SSS-rank Saintess. And that young one, Emily, another SSS-rank talent, follows you. Just by the number of SSS talents you’ve gathered, you’re already on par with the governor’s influence.”

He let the words hang in the air before continuing.

”It’s only a matter of time before you conquer this fortified city. And when that happens, you’ll either share the benefits with the Sanctum of Masters, or Horizon Institute joins you now and gets a piece of pie as well. If I have to choose, I’d rather secure the advantage now.”

Isaac chuckled softly.

”Alright.”

But then his smile faded.

”I have a condition.”

Lucian leaned back with interest. ”Let’s hear it.”

”Horizon Institute must follow my orders.”

It was a simple condition, but its weight was obvious. He wasn’t asking for a loose partnership. He wanted authority.

Lucian thought about it only briefly before nodding with his easygoing smile again.

”As long as you don’t tell us to kill ourselves, or take unfair advantage of us, we’ll follow your lead.”

”That works for me.”

Isaac pulled up his Lord Profile.

[Request: Add Subject – Name: Lucian Vale]

[Subject Slots Available: 7]

[Confirm Y/N?]

A translucent panel appeared in front of Lucian.

He glanced at it, lips twitching at the sight of his name displayed so plainly.

After a moment of consideration, he pressed his hand against the confirmation.

[Subject Added Successfully.]

[Subjects (4/10)]

Isaac kept his expression calm, but under the surface, excitement burned. He had just gained the Principal of Horizon Institute as his subject. That meant the entire Horizon Institute was now backing him.

Dante, who had been watching closely, finally spoke. ”The Aeternum University also wants to support you.”

Lucian turned his head and smirked. ”Can a dean like you even make such a decision? Shouldn’t you return and discuss it with your headmaster first?”

Dante shot him a look of clear disgust. His expression seemed to say, You latched onto his thigh without hesitation, and now you’re telling me I should hesitate? Do you have any shame at all?

He ignored Lucian and turned back to Isaac. ”Before coming here, my headmaster gave me authority to decide whether we join you or we reject you depending on what I see. And this is the decision I’ve made.”

Isaac nodded. ”My condition for Aeternum University is the same.”

”We accept it,” Dante replied without pause.

He opened his Lord Profile, and another set of words appeared.

[Request: Add Subject – Name: Dante Riven]

[Subject Slots Available: 6]

[Confirm Y/N?]

A panel appeared before Dante. He read it quickly, then confirmed.

[Subject Added Successfully.]

[Subjects (5/10)]

All eyes turned then to Eleanor. Unlike Lucian or Dante, she wasn’t just a university leader. She was Eleanor Weiss, the Sword Empress.

She was one of humanity’s four Overlord-ranked awakeners.

If she joined Isaac’s faction, it wouldn’t just be another alliance. It would be a monumental shift.

Lucian and Dante both doubted she would agree.

Even if the Sanctum of Masters as an institution joined Isaac, Eleanor herself might remain independent.

After all, once Isaac became a True Lord, he would be able to adjust or even interfere with his Subjects’ status screens.

For someone at Eleanor’s level, that was a risk not easily taken.

But Eleanor broke their expectations. She gave a single nod in Isaac’s direction.

”Are you sure, Vice Principal?” Isaac asked carefully.

”Yes,” she answered without hesitation.

Isaac’s excitement was hard to contain. He opened his Lord Profile once more.

[Request: Add Subject – Name: Eleanor Weiss]

[Subject Slots Available: 5]

[Confirm Y/N?]

The panel appeared before Eleanor. She studied it briefly, then pressed her confirmation.

[Subject Added Successfully.]

[Subjects (6/10)]

The top three universities had joined Isaac’s faction.

It was a monumental feat.

Isaac kept his composure, but the faint smile threatening to break across his face nearly slipped through.

He rose from his seat instead, redirecting attention.

”You should continue your discussion with Vale. I’ll go after Celia. Right now, it is a dangerous moment. The governor could make a move at any time. It’s not safe to leave her on her own.”

The others nodded, understanding the urgency.

Isaac turned to Alice. He leaned down, pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and whispered, ”Get some rest.”

Alice touched his hand briefly, and she nodded. ”Come back safely.”

Without another word, Isaac stepped out of the house.

The night air was cool.

He crossed through the edge of his farm, and spoke quietly.

”Professor Catherine, please don’t follow me.”

There was no reply at first.

He waited.

”...okay.” A faint whisper brushed against his ear, so close it was almost unsettling.

Isaac snapped his head in the direction of the voice.

Did she really need to answer like that? He sighed, shaking his head.

”Unnecessary,” he muttered to himself, then continued walking.

Once he was far enough from the farm, he crouched low.

His muscles tightened.

With one explosive jump, the ground cracked beneath him, shockwaves bursting outward as he launched into the sky.

The force carried him higher and higher until the stronghold spread out beneath him like a vast, fragile map.

He reached the peak of his leap, just as gravity started to reclaim him.

Instead of falling, he used the Netherborn Phantom Emperor bloodline he had shared from Emily.

His body steadied, and he hovered above the city, floating in the night air.

He was flying!

The rooftops stretched endlessly. The glow of fires and lanterns flickered was present here and there, but he couldn’t spot Celia.

His eyes narrowed.

’Tirra, come here,’ he called inwardly.

A flicker of light rippled beside him, and in the next moment, the ghost bird appeared out of thin air.

’Tirra is here, Master!’ she chirped enthusiastically.

’We need to search for Celia. Help me. She looks like—’

Isaac began forming the image in his mind. Tirra’s faint glow sharpened, ready to extend her senses with his.