Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 476 Likes: Voyeurism; Dislikes: Isaac

"Averon Solkara. The Lord of the Solkara race. A holder of Transcendent Talent," she stated.

"He is not my subordinate. There's no way he's just going to follow me into a meeting like that, as following me would mean accepting they are my subordinates," Isaac countered.

"He isn't your subordinate yet, so you must make him one. You can no longer afford to let him remain independent. He is too valuable, and there's another reason as well to bind him to you. I don't believe I need to elaborate on that," she asserted.

Isaac remained silent for a moment.

He understood perfectly what she implied.

Currently, he was more than just another City Lord. He was a precious asset, a rare commodity that other Lords would vie for without a second thought.

The Florathi had already revealed their intentions that morning. They did not perceive him as an equal, but rather as something to be acquired, molded, and dominated.

If direct acquisition was impossible, they would resort to indirect methods.

Other Lords harbored similar ambitions.

They could encircle his city by seizing control of adjacent territories. This would allow them to impede movement, restrict hunting grounds, and stifle the development of his awakeners.

Overt attacks or conspicuous actions were unnecessary. They would employ insidious tactics to apply pressure, rendering it unbearable for him to maintain his independence.

Averon's city would also become a target. His city was located too close to Isaac's territory.

They would secure control over his city and neighboring ones, subsequently utilizing these locations to harass Isaac.

If Isaac did not bring Averon under his wing, someone else inevitably would.

Once that occurred, the situation would escalate dramatically for the worse.

"We require allies, Isaac. The apocalypse presents dangers, and the monsters are formidable... but do not underestimate the other Lords. Some among them are far more perilous," Eleanor advised.

"I understand."

Isaac offered a slight nod, his expression now grave.

"Excellent. A meeting with Averon has already been arranged for you. Time is of the essence, so do not squander it. Bring him under your command, by any means necessary. You should be capable of achieving this, shouldn't you? You've acquired considerable knowledge during the Trial." With a slight turn, she signaled the conclusion of their discussion.

"Yes, I can-"

He halted abruptly.

How did she know what he had learned in the Trial?

"Did my sister inform her?"

That seemed like the only logical explanation. It had to be.

Because if Eleanor genuinely recalled the events of the Trial...

...then her current composure would be utterly impossible.

Isaac fixed his gaze upon her, his overwhelming curiosity compelling him to activate Inspect.

The familiar interface materialized before him.

Name: Eleanor Weiss

Age: 167

Rating: 97

Personality: Dignified, Unbreakable Will, Pervert (New)

Likes: Swordsmanship, honest and hardworking individuals, challenges, sword collecting, Voyeurism (New)

Dislikes: Laziness, complacency, arrogance without substance, needless violence, disrespect towards the "Sword," being called old,

Isaac (New)

Status 1: Concerned for your safety and that of her new family. The upcoming meeting with the Lords carries significant risks.

Status 2: In denial regarding her newly acquired 'interests.' She despises these new 'propensities.

Isaac froze, utterly stunned.

For a brief moment, his eyes remained unblinking.

Normally, he would only scan the Status section, but this time...

"What... is this?"

His gaze traced the lines once more, this time with deliberate slowness.

"She developed a new personality trait... and it's [Pervert]?"

His eyes descended further.

"Likes... Voyeurism?"

And then-

"Dislikes... Isaac?"

A dull ache began to throb at the base of his skull.

He had merely intended to verify something straightforward!

Instead, it felt as though he had uncovered a secret he should never have.

His eyes fixated on the word "interests" within the Status section.

He let out a quiet exhalation.

"'Interests' refers to... observing others during their private moments,"

right?"

Slowly, Isaac raised his gaze from the screen, looking at the Sword Empress—no, Eleanor—with a peculiar expression.

Her composed demeanor remained unchanged. Her posture was as steady as ever.

Nothing about her outward appearance hinted at the revelations he had just processed.

However, the Status screen was infallible.

"Did she develop these strange interests because she remained single for over a century, and the prolonged loneliness warped her desires?"

The Sword Empress.

A woman who had reigned supreme for more than a hundred years. A figure whose mere name could instill terror in her adversaries.

And now-

"She enjoys... that?"

Isaac opened his mouth, then promptly closed it.

There was simply no appropriate way to broach this subject.

"You know what..."

He subtly straightened himself.

"I saw nothing. It's not my problem if I remain ignorant of it!"

"Out of sight, out of mind!"

He could accept that outcome.

But one particular line continued to trouble him.

She now disliked him.

That detail, he could not simply overlook.

Then again... he could perhaps guess why she disliked him.

'She discovered a new interest – voyeurism – yet she remains in denial. Unwilling to accept that she might be a pervert, she is choosing to blame me for

exposing her to those sights.

'How could this possibly be my fault?'

He hadn't even been aware that she was watching him.

And if she truly detested it that much, perhaps she should simply cease her observation in the

first place.

"Why are you lingering here? Go and meet Averon," Eleanor stated,

interrupting his contemplation.

"...Very well, I shall go."

He turned on his heel and walked away.

Alice and Avery remained behind with Eleanor. Isaac had requested their presence to provide companionship for her. He, however, needed a solitary moment to collect his thoughts.

As he proceeded down the corridor, his thoughts gradually began to coalesce.

'She is indeed in denial.

That much is abundantly clear.

'Given sufficient time, she will eventually come to terms with her new inclinations.

And once that acceptance occurs, the misplaced animosity she feels toward me would likely vanish. Naturally, this process will require time.

At the very least, that was the most probable outcome.

Unless, of course, some drastic event were to occur, compelling her to embrace her recently discovered

'interests' sooner rather than later.

Isaac's brow furrowed slightly.

'I have absolutely no intention of assisting her in accelerating the acceptance of her interests!

Whatever internal conflict she might be experiencing, he was not about to involve himself in it.

He already had more than enough on his plate.

By the time he arrived at the designated meeting room, his expression had

fully returned to its usual composure.

Two guards stood sentinel outside the entrance.

They were faces he recognized instantly.

Guards affiliated with the Solkara family.

Isaac identified them immediately. They had accompanied Averon on a previous occasion... and they had also been part of the group he had decisively defeated back then.

Both guards straightened observably upon his approach. "Greetings, Lord Isaac."

Their tone was one of marked respect. Without any hesitation, they proceeded to open the door for him.

Isaac stepped across the threshold.

The chamber was expansive and richly decorated.

Averon Solkara was already present, seated, with Simraj, his trusted advisor, positioned slightly behind him.

The instant Averon's eyes fell upon Isaac, he sprang to his feet.

"You! Return my funds immediately! What an audacity you possess to deceive me in such a manner!" Averon exclaimed, his voice escalating sharply.

"...To what exactly are you referring?" Isaac inquired.

"Cease this pretense of ignorance!" Averon bellowed. "Your wife – Emily – she managed to tame those Blazing Pterodactyl spirits! Those creatures were under my claim! I personally felled them within the confines of the Great Dungeon!"

"Pray tell, what is it you are speaking of?" Isaac questioned, feigning an innocent demeanor.

For a fleeting moment, it appeared as though Averon might genuinely expel blood from the sheer force of his rage. "You—!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Isaac. "You broadcasted her Lord Quest on a live stream! Thousands bore witness to the event! Those three Blazing Pterodactyls! They are precisely the monsters I vanquished! I personally transported their carcasses out of the Great Dungeon! You are indebted to me for them! Settle your debt immediately!" Isaac offered a single, deliberate blink.

The accusation arrived with startling speed, a torrent of indignant words accompanied by just enough

conviction to potentially sway an unwary listener.

He refrained from an immediate reaction.

Instead, he met Averon's gaze with unshakeable confidence. "Do you possess any tangible

evidence?"

"What did you say?" Averon stammered, utterly taken aback.

"Evidence that those three specific creatures were dispatched by your hand?" Isaac pressed.

"I am fully cognizant of the appearance of the monsters I have slain—" "Well, all Blazing Pterodactyles bear a remarkably similar appearance. It is highly probable you are mistaken," Isaac stated calmly.

Averon stood frozen in disbelief. The fury that had previously contorted his features instantly evaporated, replaced by an expression of sheer, unadulterated stupefaction.

In truth, Averon harbored no genuine anger. He recognized that the predicament stemmed from his own lapse in judgment, his susceptibility to being duped.

His feigned outrage was merely a tactic to extort money from Isaac. Was this course of action considered shameless? Undeniably. But so what? He held a strong preference for accumulating wealth over maintaining his pride.

However, Isaac had proven to be even more brazen than he. Far from offering any form of compensation, whether fair or otherwise, he had outright denied the assertion that those monsters belonged to Averon.

It is worth noting that Isaac was currently amassing an immense fortune, at least by the standards of Averon's city. He could undoubtedly afford to meet such a demand. "Why precisely are you regarding me in such a manner?" Isaac inquired.

"...Have I ever conveyed my profound dislike for you?" Averon asked.

"You expressed that sentiment during our very first encounter. Subsequently, you were physically assaulted quite severely for uttering those words," Isaac responded factually.

Standing nearby, Simraj's lips twitched involuntarily. He suppressed a chuckle, lowering his head as if to adjust his posture discreetly. Averon released a weary sigh and sank back onto the sofa. The initial surge of energy with which he had entered the room had completely dissipated, supplanted by a profound sense of resignation.

"Sigh, I find myself utterly unwilling to continue this conversation. Kindly inform me of the reason you orchestrated this meeting, and then you may depart," Averon stated, his posture on the sofa resembling that of a deflated balloon. "Are you not scheduled to attend the Lord's assembly, which is commencing imminently?" Isaac asked, choosing to deflect the question as he took a seat across the table.

At that opportune moment, one of the Solkara guards stepped forward gracefully and placed a tray with tea upon the table. The action was executed with remarkable quietude and practiced efficiency, and within mere seconds, he retreated once more, leaving the two men to face each other in silence.

"Are you inquiring out of ignorance, or are you genuinely clueless?" Averon inquired.

Isaac offered a shrug, though he was fully aware of the answer. Averon’s gaze lingered on him for a few moments before he let out another weary sigh.

"Numerous Lords have arrived today, yet only five shall join you in the meeting. These five are the most formidable in our territory, positioned just beneath the Florathi. Should lesser Lords like myself presume to attend alongside them, they would deem it a profound insult, and then..." He paused, his expression flickering as if a distant memory had surfaced.

"In the best-case scenario, they would severely restrict your trade routes. In the worst, they would reduce your city to a mere Slave City," Averon concluded.

Leaning forward slightly, he rested an elbow on his knee. He explained that crippling trade routes was a trivial matter for influential Lords. A few whispers to the right individuals, a clandestine agreement, and suddenly, no one would conduct business with you. In a realm where resources were perpetually scarce, such isolation was sufficient to annihilate a City without a single clash of arms. Not all settlements possessed the self-sufficiency, the fertile lands, the specialized skills, or the unique capabilities that Isaac's City commanded.

And a Slave City...

That fate was infinitely worse.

The City would endure, its inhabitants spared, yet every resource it produced would be systematically siphoned off under the guise of trade or a protection tax.

The Lords who subsequently held dominion would refrain from outright conquest, preferring instead to preserve the City as a perpetual source of wealth, draining its bounty regularly. This strategy allowed them to avoid the responsibilities of integrating new citizens and providing welfare, and should the Slave City ever fall, the dominant Lords would face no repercussions.

"So, you harbor fear towards these Lords?" Isaac posed the question.

"Indeed. I will not engage in any rash actions that jeopardize the lives of my people," Averon grumbled.

"Says the one who attacked me upon our very first encounter, without any knowledge of our military might," Isaac retorted. Averon’s expression tightened. That memory was far from pleasant. In retrospect, his actions had been impulsive, driven by emotion, and he had paid a steep price. There was no need to vocalize such regrets.

He had certainly learned from that experience. Yet, that fact did not negate Isaac’s tactless reminder of his past failure.

Disregarding Averon’s visible discomfort, akin to having ingested something disagreeable, Isaac leaned forward and declared, "Become a Sub-Lord under my command. This arrangement would permit you to attend the meeting."

The air in the room grew heavy with silence.

Averon remained motionless initially, his eyes fixed on Isaac as he attempted to discern if the proposal was genuine or merely a jest.

"...Is this meant to be some sort of jest?" Averon finally inquired.

"It is no joke," Isaac affirmed.

"...I am tempted to offer you an insult, but to save us both time, let me be direct. What makes you believe we would serve under you? Many Lords have sought my allegiance. I have rejected them all, and conversely, those who attempted to coerce me have all been vanquished," Averon stated. "The ones you vanquished were in proximity to your City. They were not powerful Lords," Isaac countered.

"Be they strong or weak, the outcome remains unchanged: I defeated multiple Lords," Averon asserted, followed by a short, mirthless chuckle. "I find it astonishing that someone who hasn't held the title of Lord for even half a month dares to label other Lords as weak. You are merely a novice."

"A novice who vanquished two Catastrophes," Isaac replied calmly.

This time, Averon’s laughter was absent.

The weight of those words settled palpably in the space between them.

He knew, unequivocally, that it was the truth.

Isaac’s City was anything but ordinary. The synergistic combination of various unique abilities alone set it far apart. Emily’s mastery over taming the spirits of deceased monsters, irrespective of their rank. Saintess Alice's exceptionally potent healing skills. Isaac's unparalleled Drop Rate Talent, exceeding 100%. Catherine’s SSS-rank Farming proficiency. The sheer potential, formidable combat strength, and robust financial capability of Isaac’s City were undeniable.

Furthermore, Averon harbored a deep intuition that Isaac possessed further undisclosed strengths, formidable trump cards yet to be revealed.