After everything ended, the city almost immediately went back to normal. Things like this weren't uncommon in Vorandis, to begin with.
With so many hot-blooded cultivators wanting to make a name for themself centralized in a single city, things were bound to get destructive. Between Faction Wars to individual attacks, to the occasional beast tide, the citizens were more than used to this.
While all of this was going on, Mira, for the most part, kept herself holed up in Maria's mansion. Occasionally, the two would go out for some fun, but Maria had many responsibilities she needed to take care of.
However, since she had nothing better to do, she rounded up all of Maria's subordinates (originally hers) and began training with them. She had to make sure that, even if some of them weren't combatants, they weren't slacking off and were always getting stronger.
Fortunately for them, they almost never missed a day of training. Added to the fact that they spent years prior fighting and killing for money, their skills hadn't dulled since they settled down.
Other than that, Mira spent the rest of her time learning more about other occupations like Alchemy, Arrays, Formations, Blacksmithing, etc.
Maria had collected and put together an extensive library on many of the occupations. Combined with her subordinate's hands-on experiences and her high comprehension, Mira was able to gain a crash course in each subject fairly quickly.
She was by no means an expert and couldn't put any of that knowledge into practical use as of yet, but at least she wouldn't be ignorant about these things anymore.
Mira found herself fascinated by the intricate details that were involved in creating a simple array. It wasn't just about drawing lines and pouring in spiritual energy but about understanding the nature and direction of the energy flow and harmonizing it with the environment, along with the items used, the environment, and many more nuances.
However, what really fascinated her was that the lines and symbols used looked uncannily similar to her black runes. They weren't exactly the same, but close enough that she could notice the similarities. It was like looking at a language that was a derivation of an older, more archaic language.
Alchemy was another thing altogether. The process of combining different medicinal herbs to form pills seemed more like an art than a science. The properties of each ingredient had to be understood intimately and then merged in just the right proportions at the right temperature and in the correct order. Even a minor mistake could result in a failed concoction.
Days continued to pass as Mira immersed herself in these new pursuits. Occasionally, she would spar with Maria's subordinates, which gave her a deeper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. She could now give them optimized pointers on areas they should focus on and what they shouldn't.
During this time, Maria continued with her duties as the city's 'Saintess'. Not a day passed where she wasn't sought out to heal someone or even just bless a newborn. Her fame only grew, and with it, the respect and admiration of the city's people.
She still wasn't at the level of a District Leader, but that was mainly because her strength wasn't up to par.
But no matter how busy she was, Maria never missed her sparring sessions with Mira. The latter always forced her to fight, to give her all in each session, and even take her to the brink of death until she collapsed from exhaustion.
Consequently, and perhaps purely coincidental or not, she was always too tired for their late-night romp in the sheets.
A week quickly passed by, and they had only done it that one time on the first day! Part of Maria felt like Mira was doing it on purpose!
***
Now, Mira was getting ready to leave as there were some things she wanted to do before she went into seclusion to prepare for the Prime Disciple competition.
"Do you really have to leave so soon?" Maria asked, her eyes somewhat droopy.
Instead of answering, Mira asked back, "Why don't you return to the Sect with me?"
Maria fell silent for a moment, as she fell into contemplation, before she eventually shook her head, "...As much as I want to… I can't-no, I shouldn't. I still have things to do here. The Battle Maiden Sect might allow me to obtain better resources for myself, but I don't think it's for me."
Mira nodded in understanding, but inwardly, she was a bit surprised at Maria's answer.
'It seems she's matured.' Just for that reason, staying here was more than worthwhile for Maria.
Turning to Alicia, who was standing behind Maria, Mira asked, "What about you and the girls? Do you want to come back with me?"
"...We'll go wherever you want us to, Mistress," Alicia bowed her head and said. Then after a moment of hesitation, she looked up and continued, "However, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd prefer to stay here. Watching Lady Maria grow and having the freedom for our little army to expand in power… I don't think there's a better environment for us."
"Very well."
Mira nodded indifferently, but she didn't care all that much about the answer. She wasn't going to take them back even if they wanted to. Still, it was nice to know where her subordinates' headspaces were.
Turning back to Maria, she tossed a small jar filled with golden liquid at her. Maria quickly grabbed it, inspecting its contents, and felt something special about it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Drink that when you're alone and in a safe space. Think of it as my farewell gift."
"What is it?" Maria asked.
"Something good."
Maria nodded and hurriedly put it away, afraid that one of the District Leaders might sense it.
After Maria had securely stowed away the mysterious golden liquid, she looked back up at Mira, her eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions. Although Mira's usual stoic expression was firmly in place, Maria could sense the undercurrent of reluctance within her gaze.
"Will you be back?" Maria finally asked, breaking the tense silence between them.
Mira's expression softened slightly, "Whenever I'm free."
Maria beamed, her expression relaxing. That was all she could ask of Mira, but it still saddened her that they had to part again.
"Maybe the next time we meet, I'll be following you on your adventures," Maria said, a spark of determination lighting up in her eyes.
"I guess you'll have to work hard then," Mira looked down at Maria and stated without much emotion.
She felt a little bad about treating Maria this coldly, but if Maria did want to follow her, then she needed to be up to par. As she was now… well, Maria was definitely worthy enough of traveling with her.
Honestly, her fight against the Shadowfang made her realize that having a dedicated healer beside her would've made things so much easier. Seraphina could've kept tanking, they could've come up with less self-destructive strategies, and the aftermath wouldn't have been so terrible.
Then, add onto the fact that Maria was strong in her own right and would make for a great all-around support, she was more than worthy of traveling with her. There were no downsides to taking Maria along. She didn't spend all that time and resources for her to sit at home!
However, Maria and the girls still had some maturing to do, and it seemed like they enjoyed soaking in all the new knowledge and experiences this world had to offer.
So, although Mira would love to snatch Maria away and drag her along on some crazy dangerous adventures, she decided against it.
'I can always do that later. I'm sure we'll be meeting sooner than later, anyways.' Mira thought.
Maria moved closer to Mira, taking her hand into her own. "Be safe, Mira. Don't push yourself too hard," she said, looking into Mira's eyes.
Mira offered a small smile in return, squeezing Maria's hand in assurance. "The same goes for you, Maria."
There was a comfortable silence between them for a moment before Mira leaned in, capturing Maria's lips in a lingering farewell kiss. It was a sweet yet passionate exchange, the kind that was filled with unspoken promises.
When they pulled away, Maria's cheeks were flushed, but her eyes shone with warmth and understanding. Without saying a word, she watched as Mira stepped back, her hand slowly slipping from her own.
With a final nod of goodbye, Mira turned and walked away alongside Rhydian and Hana, their silhouettes growing smaller and smaller.
Maria stood there and watched on until Mira disappeared before her smile receded, and she clenched her fists in determination.
"Alicia. Tell everyone to begin working on Phase 2. I think it's time we start laying the groundwork for our future."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
***
As Mira sat on top of Rhydian, flying through the air, she studied the map that Maria had provided, and a smile blossomed on her face.
"I think it's about time for you to become a Rank 8 beast, Rhydian."
The wolf's ears perked up at that.
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