Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 485: Mother’s Machinations(?), Colorful Thoughts

Name: Seraphina Valeis

Age: 20

Rating: 98

Personality: Calm, wise, and nurturing despite her martial ties. She embodies grace under pressure, offering comfort to allies while showing unshakable discipline in battle

Likes: Honorable duels and fair combat, training mortals to overcome fear, music played on stringed instruments, the sight of dawn after a night of battle, and the God of War

Dislikes: Cowardice born of selfishness (but not fear itself), cruelty without purpose, the God of War, desecration of the fallen, and deception in war

Status: It has been a long time since she ate mortal food. Can’t remember why she stopped eating mortal food. It tastes great.

For a moment, Isaac doubted his own eyes.

He remained motionless there on the footpath, trying to come to terms with the truth before him. The faint noise of the city moved around him, yet everything seemed to dull as his gaze stayed fixed on the woman sitting at the small street-side table.

She was... the angel of War God.

She looked completely different from how he remembered her.

Of course, even now, she was an alluring and beautiful woman. Anyone passing by would take a second look. But compared to her real appearance, the one he had seen before, this didn’t even come close.

’Is she here in a disguise?’

This wasn’t his first time encountering someone hiding behind a false face. Eleanor, the Sword Empress, had done the same before, and she had done it well enough to fool almost everyone, or so she thought.

’Why do all these old women have to use disguises?’

The thought came naturally, but it didn’t stay light for long.

Because almost immediately, he noticed something else.

Seraphina’s age was displayed as twenty in her status.

That was the exact same number he had seen before on her status. With his photographic memory, there was no chance of misremembering it. He just hadn’t thought about it until now. But now that he did, he realized something was wrong.

’The War God disappeared at the beginning of the apocalypse.’

’She was already his angel before that.’

’Which means she should have been alive for at least three thousand years.’

’So how is she still twenty?’

For a brief moment, Isaac wondered if his Inspect had failed somehow, but he dismissed the idea almost immediately.

The problem wasn’t the Inspect.

It was her, or rather... something tied to her.

He thought back to his Evolution Trial. Back then, the System had dragged people from different points in time—past, present, future—and placed them together as if it were nothing.

The System could control time, and manipulate it in ways that didn’t follow any normal logic.

’So she’s tangled in something like that.’

Isaac let out a quiet breath.

That explained part of it, but it raised another question.

Why was she here? And more importantly... why was she hiding herself with a disguise?

’I sent her to Mother last time.’

His gaze sharpened slightly as he continued to think.

’If she got some information from Mother, she should have come to me directly.’

They hadn’t parted on bad terms. If anything, their last meeting had been cooperative.

But instead of approaching him openly, she was disguised and snooping around, which meant her target of observation was likely him, and she didn’t want him to know that.

Additionally, she might be the spy sent by Mother. Catherine must have come to this area because she had sensed something, possibly some sort of communication method that connected Seraphina and Mother.

Isaac’s gaze lingered on Seraphina for a moment longer.

’To be staying in mortal realm, she is quite desperate to find the War God.’

As an angel, descending to the mortal realm wasn’t a simple act. It required enormous resources, and even then, it came with restrictions.

Her strength would be limited. Her abilities sealed or weakened. Even her class might not function properly.

And due to all the restrictions, she could die at the hands of awakeners who were far weaker than her.

Yet she was still here, and judging by how she was moving around casually, eating in public, and blending in, she was planning to stay in mortal realm for a long time.

Isaac tapped his fingers lightly against his thigh.

’She is in disguise and she is likely trying to snoop information from me.’

’Whatever information she got from Mother about War God, must be somehow connected to me.’

’How exactly is it connected though?’

’Well, I can ask, but she likely won’t tell.’

’But since she wants information from me, she would likely look for a chance to get close to me.’

There was a chance Isaac was wrong, and she had another reason for snooping around.

But if he was correct....

’How can I take advantage of this?’

Seraphina was in the mortal realm, and System must’ve placed enormous restrictions on her.

Still, she was an angel. Of one of the strongest Gods at that.

If ordinary awakeners were like knives, and elite subordinates of Lords that were participating in competition were like automatic rifles...

Then, Seraphina was a nuke.

’This is a heaven-sent opportunity.’

’I have to recruit her.’

A faint smile appeared on his face.

If she had been in her true form, trying anything like this would have been risky. Her pride alone would have made it dangerous.

But right now?

She was in disguise.

She couldn’t openly act as an angel. She couldn’t reveal herself without consequences.

That gave him room to scam her.

’If I handle this right... I can recruit her.’

Without wasting more time, Isaac stepped forward.

At the same time, he canceled the disguise skill that had been concealing his presence until now. The subtle distortion around him faded, and his true appearance became visible.

He stopped beside her table.

”Hello.”

Seraphina looked up casually at first, her cheeks slightly puffed as she chewed on something.

”Hello— Cough! Cough!”

She almost spat the entire food out upon recognizing him, only to end up coughing as she choked on the food.

Isaac reached for the glass on the table, filled it with water, and handed it to her.

”Here, drink this.”

She grabbed it without hesitation and took a long sip, still coughing lightly before finally settling down.

”...Thank you,” she said, her voice steadier now.

While this was happening, the atmosphere around them began to shift.

People nearby had started noticing Isaac.

At first, it was just a few glances, but then someone recognized him.

”Isn’t that Lord Isaac?”

”Wait, it is him...”

Phones came out almost immediately.

A few people stepped closer, trying to get a better look. Some even gathered the courage to approach.

”Can I get a picture?”

”Sir, just one autograph—”

Most of the people stepping forward were women.

Isaac blinked once, slightly caught off guard.

It wasn’t something he had expected.

Given how often he was criticized online, he had assumed the general public wouldn’t be this enthusiastic.

Before things could escalate, a group of patrol guards arrived quickly.

They formed a perimeter around the table, gently but firmly pushing the crowd back to maintain space.

”Please step back.”

”Give him some room.”

Isaac gave them a brief nod. ”Thanks.”

Once the situation settled, he turned his attention back to Seraphina.

And immediately—

[Status 1: Why is Isaac here? Did he recognize her? No way, that can’t be possible. Even War God could never see through her disguises! Oh, wait! Did he approach her because of her looks? She had heard Isaac was a lecherous man who can’t control himself upon seeing beautiful women.]

Isaac’s smile stiffened.

...What?

[Status 2: How can War God’s son be such a lecherous man? She is going to spank him until he is straightened out! Wait, spank? Isn’t that a bit too much? No, it’s not! She is his Godmother and it’s her duty to set him back to the right path when he goes astray.]

[Status 3: No, wait, she can’t hit him. She is currently in a disguise right now.]

[Status 4: Sigh, she looks so beautiful even in disguise that Isaac approached her. Being too beautiful is also a sin.]

Isaac stared at her, too stunned to say anything.

Ma’am, aren’t your thoughts running too wild?

Still, beneath all that, he noticed something subtle.

Her mood seemed lighter.

It wasn’t obvious if someone was just looking at her face, but with the System showing those internal thoughts, the difference was clear.

’She got a solid clue about War God from Mother. That is why she is so happy.’

That was the most reasonable conclusion.

Isaac kept his expression calm and composed.

”May I sit with you?” he asked.

Seraphina straightened slightly, her earlier fluster already gone. A gentle smile appeared on her face.

”Yes, please,” she replied. ”I apologize for my unsightly behavior just now. I was too surprised to see the Lord of the City come meet me out of the blue.”