Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 376: Naked Greed, Celia’s Plan

The segmented sword lay on the table between them, its many sections locked together so neatly that, at first glance, it almost looked like a normal blade. Almost.

Catherine and Isaac stood there in silence, both staring at it.

Isaac was surprised. He wouldn’t deny that. An Imperial-grade weapon was not something you stumbled upon every day. Still, the surprise didn’t shake him too much. He already owned an Imperial-grade item himself: the treasure chest that generated money based on the strength of his City. Compared to that, this sword was different, but it belonged to the same tier of absurd value.

Catherine, on the other hand, was completely still.

She didn’t even try to hide it.

Her eyes were fixed on the weapon, unblinking, as if someone might snatch it away the moment she looked elsewhere. Isaac had seen her curious, amused, and calculating before. This was different. This was naked greed, plain and simple.

She looked like a child who had just found her favorite toy.

Isaac cleared his throat.

”It’s a good weapon. You should take it.”

Catherine blinked, as if only just remembering he was there.

”Uh? Ah, yes, but...” She hesitated and finally tore her gaze away from the sword. ”It’s Imperial grade, and it has an instant death attack skill. Only those with death resistance or divine protection can block that kind of effect. You should take this weapon instead of me. You need it more.”

Her words were reasonable.

But her eyes betrayed her. They lingered on the blade for just a fraction of a second too long.

Isaac noticed it.

’I see. Her status did say she likes learning new poison compositions.’

’She probably wants to study the toxins this weapon can produce.’

He smiled. He liked her how she was, but he liked this side of her too, where she openly showed he actual thoughts.

”Okay,” he said.

”H—Huh?”

The reaction was instant. Catherine stiffened, clearly not expecting him to agree so easily. Her brain froze for half a second, trying to process what she had just heard.

Isaac burst into laughter.

The sound echoed lightly through the room, breaking the tension completely. Catherine’s expression shifted as realization dawned on her face. By the time she understood what had happened, it was already too late to recover her usual composure.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

”You’re awful. Is how I raised you? You should never play with a maiden’s heart.”

Isaac chuckled at those words, then said,

”You can take the weapon. I was just joking.”

”But—”

”No buts,” he cut in, waving his hand dismissively. ”Take the weapon.”

Catherine looked at him for a moment, then back at the sword. This time, she didn’t hesitate. She nodded once, firmly, and reached out.

The moment her fingers wrapped around the hilt, a faint reaction spread through the blade. The segmented parts trembled slightly, as if acknowledging her presence, before settling down again.

She bonded with it.

After that, she just stood there, staring into empty air.

Isaac raised an eyebrow. ”You want to test the weapon?”

”Yes,” she replied absentmindedly. ”But I’ll do it later. For now—”

”No,” Isaac said, cutting her off. ”You should go now.”

He waved his hand toward the door. ”Go outside the city and take a few nagas with you. Tell them that whoever comes along will get some loot from the monsters we hunted yesterday.”

Catherine’s gaze sharpened immediately. ”You mean...”

Isaac nodded. ”The monster tribes in the wilderness will make a move soon. They’ll think our city should’ve been weakened after everything that happened. They’ll come to check whether they can take something, or maybe try to extort us. Go deal with them.”

Understanding settled in her eyes.

”That makes sense.”

She had already been planning to deal with the nearby tribes. Now, with an Imperial-grade weapon in her hands, she could barely contain herself.

Normally, an awakener wouldn’t slaughter too many monsters from organized monster tribes. If you pushed them too far, the tribes might retaliate by sending Overlord-rank monsters to raid the city. That kind of escalation was dangerous.

But if the monsters approached the city first...

Then, the cities could

Catherine smiled.

It was the smile of an evil scientist, preparing for their next experiment.

”Heh, this will be fun.”

She turned and walked out without another word, practically radiating anticipation. A moment later, her presence vanished completely.

Isaac watched the doorway for a few seconds before turning back to his work.

Paperwork waited for no one.