The follow-up chores were quite numerous. First, we had to calm the children and send them home.
Then we needed to tie up these human traffickers and bring them back. The Fiore Kingdom has a complete set of laws for this kind of thing, ensuring that once they go in, they won't eat well, stay warm, or rest easily.
For safety's sake, whenever someone woke up halfway, we called out the Two-headed Wolf to bare its teeth at close range, scaring them unconscious again.
If they didn't faint from fear, we'd have to forcibly knock them out. However, Rhode's touch was not the best today; in the past, he could do it in one move, but now he had to hit them many times, and they always woke up quickly.
In the end, Miss Mirajane, the S-Class Mage, had to step in personally.
Capturing these guys wasn't enough. Mira rode the River Crab to Lelake Village to confirm that the Black Bear was stopped immediately when it tried to act, unable to reach the children.
On her way back, she conveniently brought the real Black Bear along to meet the client, who was the mayor.
The mayor was clearly shocked to recognize that one of the human traffickers was a resident of the town.
The captain of the security team was even more self-blaming, meeting this person almost daily and still failing to notice anything unusual.
Rhode thought it was a good thing; if the captain had noticed anything unusual, he might have already been done for.
Despite how quickly these people were defeated by a single move from Scorpio, they were still mages. Once the sleeping gas blew and the Black Bear transformed, ordinary people stood no chance.
Since the case involved mages committing crimes, the mayor immediately contacted the Magic Council.
Although they might occasionally be tricky in some matters, they are indeed professionals in this kind of situation.
Accompanied by the mayor, Rhode and Mira personally returned the children to their homes, carefully confirming there were no other missing children in the town before stopping.
Even after receiving their reward, the two did not leave the town until the Advisory Council took the criminals away.
Mira knew that Rhode was a bit paranoid after what happened with Liss, fearing any little accident, so she let him be.
"However, next time we meet that Star Spirit Mage, be sure to apologize properly."
Even if the command wasn't modified in time initially, not sending them back later seemed quite rude.
"I know. If we get the chance to meet again." In such situations, Mira was the only one he trusted so much that he wanted to inspect the children to make sure their opponent hadn't planted anything.
After a busy day, the two stayed overnight at a local inn, where the mayor warmly arranged the best suite for them.
So, the two pleasantly stayed in separate rooms in the suite.
Such unnecessary enthusiasm.
The comforting part was being able to blow dry each other's hair after a bath, snuggling in pajamas and nightgowns, enjoying some insignificant little perks.
The next morning, they brushed their teeth side by side.
Rhode casually washed his face with a sloppy wash.
Mira carefully tied up her hair to prevent strands from falling in front of her ears before washing her face thoroughly.
The hairband looked rather cute.
After breakfast, the two packed their luggage and walked down the street hand in hand.
"Shall we bring some gifts if we visit Wendy and Carla? It's a pity we didn't prepare anything when we left Magnolia." In their rush to handle the task, Mira forgot.
Rhode said, "No worries. I already brought the best gift Wendy could ever receive."
"That's good." Mira nodded, then suddenly changed the topic, "Ah, Wendy's so lucky to get the best gift from someone."
"…" He started sweating profusely.
Rhode promptly corrected himself, "I just said it like that. It's just a piece of news, not even a gift. Let's buy some souvenirs here in town."
Mira chuckled and raised their clasped hands, shaking them, "Isn't the best gift already in my hand?"
"…" If she keeps flirting like this, I'll propose on the spot.
Although Rhode remembered an old short video on social media—'Little brother, I'll have you', when Mira said it, its impact was immense.
Rhode picked her up and spun her around twice, causing Mira to exclaim in surprise and attracting varied looks from passersby.
...
Every time they visited Cat Transformation Inn, there was always a strange feeling that it only changed its 'scene skin' with the seasons, without much alteration.
Despite its remote location, the tribe that has survived for over four hundred years, consistently maintaining its ancient appearance and living habits, is quite remarkable.
Today, Wendy wore pigtails, red devil horn accessories, and a green off-shoulder dress, looking lively and adorable.
When Rhode and Mira arrived, she was learning weaving from the neighbor Magna.
Lately, Wendy seemed interested in the ancient techniques of the Nirubit Race, often seeking learning opportunities.
The villagers were also happy to teach her everything from weaving to leather-making, carving, hunting, and various tool crafting.
Previously, Wendy showed no interest, but now that she mentioned it, everyone seemed eager to pass on everything they knew to her.
In recent days, Wendy even specifically put magic aside to focus solely on learning various skills, almost exhausting herself with very little rest time.
It was ultimately President Robin Lu who halted this, not wanting Wendy to struggle to the point where her regular training and life were affected.
He guessed that Wendy might have learned something, but he didn't pry, and they maintained a subtle understanding.
However, there was some stubbornness in Wendy's nature, as she insisted on continuing to learn these things alongside her training.
She hadn't left the village in months.
Aside from advising Wendy not to overexert herself at first, Carla was quite supportive of her.
Eventually, Carla even joined in herself.
"Mr. Rhode, Miss Mira!"
Wendy was a bit surprised. While focused on studying, she often lost track of time, now realizing it had been a while since they last met.
Rhode crouched down to give Wendy a hug, "How have you been lately?"
"Hmm!" Wendy nodded vigorously. Although it was a little tiring, she was doing something she wanted to do.
Mira held Wendy's hand and spoke with her, noticing her fatigue with some heartache.
This child seemed to be working hard for something. Seeing her fight like this, she felt like another Rhode.
Could this be another reason why Rhode cared for her so much?
Rhode opened his arms to Carla, "Want a hug too, Carla?"
Carla turned her face away, "Who wants to hug you?"
What cat wouldn't want to snuggle with people? Rhode summoned Warm, "Then play with it."
Warm stuck out its tongue and gave Carla a lick without thinking, leaving her covered in drool.
"Hey!" Carla was about to explode.
"Haha, sorry, sorry, you know its habits; it's very much like a dog in many ways."
If not for knowing this, Carla would have been mad. She asked, "What did you feed it to make it grow so fast?"