Chapter 341: Overwhelming Presence
Tower cranes dominated nearly every section of the skyline.
Some slowly rotated overhead while others carried enormous steel assemblies across the construction zone below.
The ground itself was filled with activity.
Heavy machinery moved continuously between construction sectors while thousands of workers could be seen operating across different portions of the project.
Beyond the buildings, broad multilane highways branched throughout the district, connecting one section of the future city to another.
Several elevated interchanges swept gracefully through the landscape, their curved supports giving the roads an appearance that felt almost futuristic compared to anything currently existing within Gritnia.
For several long seconds, neither Isabella nor Valerie spoke.
The sheer magnitude of what they were looking at made words feel strangely inadequate.
Eventually, Mr. Chang slowed to a stop before turning toward them. "If you don’t mind," he said, "there’s one more place I’d like to show you."
Curiosity immediately appeared on Isabella’s face.
The convoy continued for several more minutes before turning onto another road that gradually grew quiet, at least compared to the other areas where construction was still actively underway.
Moments later, the vehicles came to a stop.
Mr. Chang stepped out, then walked toward the edge of the road. "This way."
Both Isabella and Valerie followed him.
The moment they rounded the final bend, Isabella stopped walking altogether.
Before them, was a breathtaking waterfront residence. A mansion so beautiful and elegant.
It had glass-railed balconies at the upper floors, while expansive outdoor terraces overlooked the lake beyond.
Golden light poured softly through every pane of glass, revealing luxurious interiors and spacious living areas.
There were lounge chairs outside surrounded by towering palm trees that swayed gently throughout the outdoor space.
Even Valerie, who had already seen the early stages months ago, found herself staring.
The finished result exceeded even what she had imagined.
Mr. Chang smiled as he observed their reactions.
"This is the new residence Mr. Stark intends to move the entire family into."
He looked toward the industrial skyline visible in the distance.
"It’s considerably closer to the factories and the city."
Isabella slowly looked around again. She honestly didn’t know what to say.
It felt like a private paradise.
Mr. Chang continued walking as he spoke. "Interestingly enough, almost every structure design you’ve seen throughout the city was personally drawn by Mr. Stark."
That made Isabella thoughts instinctively drift back to the first month after their marriage; it was just Ethan moving between sex and returning to the dining table to work on diagram designs.
That thought made her smile a little.
———
Towards the end of the day...
A young boy stood outside the gates of Stark Manor, both hands gripping the iron bars as he stretched his neck, trying to peer into the enormous estate.
His curiosity had completely gotten the better of him
Then, a voice suddenly sounded directly behind him.
"Who are you?"
The boy’s entire body froze.
Two crimson eyes opened behind him. And it felt like an overwhelming killing intent washed over the surroundings.
The open space suddenly became suffocating, and every instinct inside the boy screamed at him not to move.
His breathing became shallow. "I... I came..."
He tried to answer, but the words refused to leave his mouth.
He couldn’t even bring himself to turn around. Because somehow, he was absolutely convinced that if he looked back, he would die on the spot.
The manor gates suddenly opened as Ishtar hurried out before immediately lowering herself into a respectful bow.
"Lord Ethan."
Only then did the terrifying pressure disappear.
The boy staggered slightly as though someone had finally allowed him to breathe again.
Still trembling, he immediately pointed toward Ishtar. "I... I came with... her..."
He was still sweating heavily as the words finally left his mouth.
Ethan looked toward Ishtar. "You know who this kid is?"
She remained bowed. "Yes, Lord Ethan. He is a classmate from the Academy. "He was waiting here because I went inside to retrieve the notes he lent me earlier."
The boy nodded so rapidly it almost looked painful. "Y-Yes."
Currently, Ishtar was a first year at Belsorth Academy.
Ethan stared at the both of them for another moment, then nodded. "Very well."
Without another word, he stepped through the gates carrying several papers bags filled with assorted groceries and treats he had picked up on his way home.
Only after he disappeared into the manor, did the boy finally collapse onto the ground.
He remained seated there for several long seconds, trying to calm his breathing.
Then he slowly looked toward Ishtar. "Does your family always greet people like that?"
Ishtar smiled and extending the notebook with both hands, before bowing politely. "Thank you for lending it to me."
The boy accepted it almost mechanically. "O-Okay..."
Then he stood and hurried away quickly.
Ishtar eventually returned inside and made her way toward Ethan, who was now relaxing on the living room couch.
"My apologies, Lord Ethan, I shouldn’t have brought him here."
Ethan waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, it’s fine. But, you should be a little more careful from now on."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"I’ve already been informed that there are more demons in Gritnia."
"So, from now on, I’ll have one of my summons accompany you to school."
A hint of worry appeared across Ishtar’s face. "...Yes, Lord Ethan."
Ethan noticed it immediately. "The Carrion Seal...Has it reacted any differently since then?"
She slowly shook her head. "No, It hasn’t changed at all."
"I see." Ethan said, then smiled "Don’t look so worried or have you forgotten you’re a member of this family?"
Ishtar smiled, knowing that the Stark family was home to beings powerful enough that very few people on the continent would willingly provoke them.
She nodded.
Ethan continued. "But, I honestly didn’t expect you to become this serious with the academy."
He laughed quietly. "Rayleigh and I only agreed to enroll you because Francesca isn’t around at the moment."
"We figured you’d get bored staying home by yourself while everyone else went off to work."
Ishtar looked away slightly. "I’m sorry about that too."
Ethan blinked. "For what?"
She rubbed one arm awkwardly. "I only started hating the feeling of falling behind everyone else. I don’t like being behind during class activities."
Then Ethan chuckled softly. "That’s not exactly something you should be apologizing for. It just means you’re enjoying school."
Then he looked at her curiously. "What exactly are you falling behind on?"
Ishtar hesitated for a moment before answering. "I... never really paid attention to the basic spell classes, or magical diagrams."
She lowered her gaze. "Those are what he was helping me study."
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly. "Come on. If that’s all it is, you could’ve simply asked Valerie."
He thought for another second. "Or even Isabella. They’re better casters than I am."