Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 700: Rumors About The Emperor And The Seventh Queen, Eccentric Nature Of The Seventh Queen

”Because of what happened with the Third Priest, there may be people who try to harm you, so the World Tree has decided to give you its protection,” Eloy said with an easy smile.

Isaac nodded politely, accepting the explanation without arguing. However, inwardly, he became considerably more wary because there were several things about the situation that he did not like.

First, it was now clear that the World Tree was paying attention to him. Isaac already had a poor impression of the World Tree because the Third Priest, someone devoted to it, had attempted to harm his family, so knowing that the World Tree itself intended to constantly watch over him did not make him feel comfortable.

There was another problem that bothered him even more. The World Tree had only given its blessing to him and had not extended the same protection to his wives, which made it clear it was interested in him specifically.

He also noticed Althea flinch slightly when Eloy appeared. She had been confident and relaxed until now, but she was suddenly quieter, and Isaac could tell from her expression that the Second Priest was not someone she was fond of.

Isaac still didn’t like the thought of being constantly observed by the World Tree, and was about to speak up when Emily’s hand tightened around his. He looked toward her and found her watching him quietly, choosing not to use telepathy because someone with sufficient perception might notice or even decode the mana transmission.

She simply looked at him gently. Her expression seemed to tell him that whatever happened, everything would be fine, and Isaac understood what she was trying to say without needing any words.

Isaac sighed before smiling back at her. He decided that there was little point in worrying about something he could not change at the moment, so he followed Eloy toward the city. He had been prepared for this already anyway.

They soon reached the enormous gates, where several Florathi guards were waiting for them. Every guard wore Mystic-rank armor and carried weapons of the same level, which made Isaac raise his eyebrows because equipping ordinary guards with such expensive equipment was an impressive display of wealth.

The gates opened without resistance, and the group entered the city. A carriage had already been prepared for them, so Isaac and his wives climbed inside while Eloy flew beside the carriage and continued talking throughout the journey.

Althea, however, remained unusually quiet. She sat with her hands clenched together and only answered when Eloy directly asked her something, and although she tried to hide it, Isaac could tell that she was nervous.

Isaac occasionally looked through the curtains as the carriage moved through the streets. Most of the Florathi people had red or green hair and deer-like antlers, although there were plenty of exceptions, including people with other hair colors and even some with pointed ears that reminded Isaac of the elves from the fantasy stories of his old world.

There were also several different races living throughout the city. The streets were busy without being chaotic, and the shops, homes, and various public buildings made it clear that this was a prosperous city where people had lived for a very long time.

What caught Isaac’s attention most were the buildings made from plants and trees. Their structures reminded him of the buildings Althea had helped him create in his own city, but these were far larger and considerably more refined, showing just how much experience the Florathi had with manipulating plants into useful structures.

The city was undeniably beautiful. Isaac continued looking outside while occasionally speaking with his wives, and he noticed Emily staring particularly hard at one of the sweet stalls they passed.

She kept watching it until the carriage moved too far away for her to see it. Isaac understood immediately that she wanted to try the sweets, so he quietly decided that he would take her there later, and considering how much mana existed in the food of a city like this, there should be no issue with her being able to taste them.

Even Celia behaved herself during the ride. Isaac found that somewhat surprising, but he was not about to complain about it.