Chapter 326: Wendy's Endeavor
Chapter 326: Wendy's Endeavor
There were still many loose ends to tie up. First, they had to comfort the children and send them home.
Then, they needed to bind these human traffickers securely and take them back. The Phore Kingdom had a comprehensive legal system for such cases, ensuring that these criminals would face harsh living conditions, but they wouldn't die from exhaustion.
For safety, if anyone woke up along the way, they would call upon the two-headed wolf, who would intimidate them with its fearsome appearance, ensuring they remained unconscious.
If intimidation didn't work, they would have to forcefully knock them out. However, Rod's aim was off today; what used to take one hit now required multiple strikes, and they'd regain consciousness shortly after.
In the end, S-Grade Archmage Miss Mira had to step in personally.
After capturing these criminals, Mira, riding on the Crab Ship, made a trip to Lealco Village to confirm that the Black Bear had been stopped immediately during the operation and hadn't come into contact with the children.
On her way back, she also brought the real Black Bear with her, taking them both to meet the client, the town mayor.
The mayor was visibly shocked to discover that one of the human traffickers was a resident of the town.
The captain of the law enforcement team felt even more remorseful. Almost seeing this person daily, he hadn't noticed any abnormalities.
Rod, on the other hand, considered this a good thing. If he had noticed something amiss, he might not have made it out alive.
Despite being easily defeated by the Scorpio Gate, these people were still mages. With the mist smoke and the Black Bear's transformation, ordinary people wouldn't stand a chance.
As the case involved mage criminals, the mayor immediately contacted the Mage Council.
Although they might occasionally be a bit biased in certain matters, they were indeed professionals in handling such situations.
Rod and Mira, accompanied by the mayor, personally delivered the children to their homes, carefully checking that no other children in the town were missing.
Even after receiving their reward, the two waited for the Mage Council to take the criminals away before leaving the town.
Mira understood that Rod was a bit on edge after the incident with Lisana, fearing any unexpected situations. So, she let him have his way.
"However, if we encounter that Spirit Mage Miss again, you'll have to apologize properly."
Even if the initial instructions hadn't been modified in time, not sending them back directly was still quite rude.
"I understand. If we ever meet her again," Rod replied. In such a situation, the only person he trusted was Mira, and he wanted to ensure the children's safety, checking for any possible tricks.
After a busy day, the two spent the night in the best suite at the town's inn, courtesy of the mayor's hospitality.
They happily occupied separate rooms in the suite.
This was a bit of an overkill in terms of hospitality.
Fortunately, after bathing, they could blow-dry each other's hair and spend some time together in their sleepwear, enjoying the small pleasures of life.
The next morning, they washed up side by side.
Rod casually splashed water on his face.
Mira, however, took the time to tie her hair up, ensuring no strands fell in front of her ears before washing her face.
The hair tie was quite adorable.
After breakfast, they packed their belongings and walked hand in hand through the streets.
"Should we bring some gifts when we visit Wendy and Shalulu? It's a shame we didn't prepare anything when we left Magnolia," Mira said, having forgotten about it due to her focus on the mission.
"It's fine," Rod assured her. "I already have the best gift for Wendy."
"That's good," Mira nodded, then quickly changed the subject. "Ah, Wendy is so lucky to receive the best gift."
"..." Rod broke into a sweat.
Rod quickly backtracked, "I was just saying, it's just a piece of news, not even a proper gift. Let's buy some souvenirs in town instead."
Mira laughed and lifted their intertwined hands, shaking them gently, "Isn't the best gift already in my hands?"
"..." If you keep teasing me like this, I might propose right here.
Although Rod remembered a short video from a certain audio platform—'Little brother, do you want me?'—Mira's words still had a powerful effect on him.
Rod tightly hugged her and spun her around twice, eliciting a surprised exclamation from Mira and various reactions from the onlookers.
...
Every time they visited the Cat Transformation Village, Rod felt a peculiar sensation, as if the place merely changed its 'scene skin' with the seasons without any significant alterations.
Despite its remote location, it was impressive that a tribe with over four hundred years of history maintained its ancient appearance and traditional way of life.
Today, Wendy wore her hair in twin tails and adorned it with a pair of red devil horn hair accessories. She donned a green off-the-shoulder dress, looking lively and adorable.
When Rod and Mira arrived, Wendy was learning weaving from her neighbor, Magna.
Recently, Wendy seemed fascinated by the ancient techniques of the Nyrubit Tribe and often sought to learn from others.
The villagers were also eager to teach her, covering everything from weaving and leatherworking to carving, hunting, and crafting various tools.
Previously, Wendy hadn't shown much interest, but now that she had expressed her desire to learn, everyone seemed determined to pass on all their knowledge to her.
A few days ago, Wendy even set aside her magic to focus solely on learning these skills, working tirelessly to the point of having almost no rest.
In the end, it was Robin Lu, the Guild Master, who put a stop to this, not wanting Wendy to overwork herself to the extent that it affected her regular cultivation and daily life.
Rod guessed that Wendy might have discovered something, but he didn't press the issue, maintaining a subtle understanding between them.
However, Wendy's personality also had a stubborn streak, and she insisted on continuing to learn these skills alongside her cultivation.
She hadn't left the village for several months.
Aside from initially advising Wendy not to overexert herself, Shalalu was quite supportive of her endeavors.
Eventually, Shalalu even joined in on the learning.
"Mr. Rod, Miss Mira!"
Wendy was pleasantly surprised, as she often lost track of time when concentrating on her studies. Now that she thought about it, it seemed like it had been a long time since they last met.
Rod bent down and gave Wendy a hug, "How have you been lately?"
"Mhm!" Wendy nodded vigorously. Although she was a bit tired, she was doing what she wanted.
Mira held Wendy's hand and spoke to her, noticing the fatigue on her face, which made her heart ache.
This child must be working hard for something, right? Her determined expression reminded Rod of himself.
Could this be why Rod was so concerned about her? Rod opened his arms towards Shalalu, "Shalalu, do you want a hug too?"
Shalalu turned her face away, "Who wants to hug you?"
When had a cat ever been shy about snuggling? Rod summoned Worm, "Then you can play with him."
Worm stuck out his tongue and, without hesitation, licked Shalalu, leaving her covered in drool.
"Hey!" Shalalu was about to lose her temper.
"Haha, sorry, sorry. You know his habit; he's like a dog most of the time."
If Shalalu didn't know this, she would have blown up. She asked, "What have you been feeding him? How did he grow so big so quickly?"
(End of Chapter)
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