Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

The next day, Mira and Dominique set out from the inn, leaving Linnea and Hana to rest. 

The city they were in was full of activity, but it wasn't all that big. As they walked through the busy streets, Mira scanned the crowds, searching for the right place to gather information.

They soon found themselves at a lively marketplace, where traders from all over the place gathered. Mira and Dominique split up to cover more ground, agreeing to meet back in an hour.

Dominique easily struck up conversations due to her cute fox-like appearance with the vendors and travelers. Although there were a few who looked at her with more malicious gazes, they didn't dare to do anything, as the woman she came with was known throughout the continent. 

"Only the strongest can fly over safely," an old man with a weathered face told Dominique. "Those in the Divine Sea Realm have no trouble, but for Mortal Shedding Realm Elders, it's a gamble with death."

Dominique frowned, considering their options. Mira, while incredibly powerful, hadn't broken through to the Divine Sea Realm yet and wouldn't for a while.

"The safest way for most is by boat," the man continued, "but even that's not without its dangers. Storms, sea beasts, and even humans... The ocean is a place where the weak are guaranteed to die."

"Really? How do you know so much, Grandpa?" Dominique asked with shining eyes, casually sliding over a ring full of Spirit Stones.

"Hohoho! This old man used to live near the ocean, but I wanted a change in scenery, so I moved to this quaint little city; far away from most of the danger but close enough to reap the benefits." The old man chuckled.

Dominique thanked him and moved on, gathering more snippets of information. 

She heard from others of a Teleportation Array that connected the continents, but it was heavily guarded and required a hefty fee. Even those from the major Sects couldn't pass through without a reason. Doing so would be regarded as an act of war.

Another option was being escorted by a powerful expert, but finding one willing to take such a risk would be a challenge. Not to mention bothersome.

Meanwhile, Mira gathered similar information. However, she preferred directness and efficiency, questioning traders and information brokers with a no-nonsense attitude.

As they reconvened, Mira and Dominique exchanged their findings.

"It seems our best bet is to head north towards the sea," Mira concluded. "There, we'll find more detailed information"

Dominique nodded. "However, I'm afraid that Mother's notoriety might make a lot of people unwilling to work with us."

Mira frowned, but she couldn't refute Dominique's words. "Tch. We'll see when we get there."

With their plan set, they made their way back to the inn to inform Linnea and Hana of their decision. Linnea, of course, expressed concern, but what could she say against Mira? Hana was in the same boat. 

Neither had a say in the matter.

Not even an hour after having made their decision, the group hopped on Rhydian's back and took flight, heading North. But not before they made a little detour.

***

Inside the city of Vorandis, Mira walked around with a large cloak draped over her body. She wrapped herself in an illusion to change her face and aura, had the Hidden World technique active, and even altered her real body to look more human so as not to stand out. 

"Did you hear? The Saintess broke through to the Soul Transformation Realm recently."

"Yeah! Not only that, but I feel like she looks even more beautiful than before! Ahh~ What I'd do just to get a day alone with her."

"Stop daydreaming! There are rumors going around that she's connected to 'that' person."

"...F-Fuck… A-Are you serious?"

"I even heard 'that' person just destroyed Brightclipse City!"

"...Nevermind. I'm satisfied with the Saintess's healing. I don't want to spend any alone time with her."

Mira nearly chopped off the head of the man who dared to have thoughts on her fiancee but held back after hearing him reconsider. 

Still, she was surprised about the number of people talking about Sanctum or Maria just from walking in the streets. Hell, she could even hear people talking about her in their homes. 

Whether it be about her outstanding reputation, god-like healing capabilities, or the reasonably priced yet high-end goods that she sold, everything was positive. 

Extending her hearing, she attempted to listen in on the conversations of some of the stronger people within the city. 

"...So, does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with Sanctum?" A man at the top of one of the tallest buildings asked his subordinates. 

"...I think we should just leave them be."

"Me too!"

"Yeah."

"..." The man sighed and said, "Look, I know you all received healing from her, which may have possibly saved your lives, but she's consuming the city! At this rate, soon, this entire place will be hers!"

Nobody in the room said anything, but the answers were written all over their faces. They were saying: 

'W-Wouldn't that be a good thing?' 

'Power is great, but living is the most important.' 

'She's also someone with great moral character! We might make more money with her than with you!'

"Leader! I think instead of going against her, we should try and cooperate with her. From what I heard, she's not only a disciple of the Battle Maiden Sect, but is known to be close to Mira, their Prime Disciple. Should we do anything to harm her…" The woman who talked didn't need to finish that last sentence for them to understand.

Mira stopped listening there, satisfied with their responses. 'It seems like Maria has developed her business quite well. Her public opinion is so high that, despite having many competitors, nobody dares to do anything.'

There was also the fact that almost everyone in the city seems to have been healed or saved by her at least once. Trying to harm Maria within Vorandis was equivalent to shooting oneself in the foot.

'Good.' Mira nodded with a slight smile. 'I'm glad she's making a name for herself.'

However, that smile turned gloomy when she remembered how she 'killed' Maria.

'Should I… see her? I should probably apologize, right?' But when was the last time she'd done that? It's been at least a few lifetimes. 'I don't even know if I can do it properly.'

With a sigh, Mira made up her mind and walked toward the Sanctum. She passed by the line and walked right into the building without a single person noticing her. By now, her control over the elements and her own innate powers was so high that almost nobody in the city could detect her unless they were actively looking for her.

Within seconds, she snuck her way into Maria's office, only to find nobody there. 

After another sigh, Mira took out a letter from her Storage Space and placed it on the table. However, just as she was about to leave, something caught her eye. It was a white note titled 'To Mira' with a spatial ring on top of it.

Stunned, she instinctively grabbed the two objects and stuffed them in her Storage space before dashing out of the Sanctum. 

Suddenly, she felt a pair of eyes glance in her direction, and although she could sense they weren't right on her, Mira knew that someone was looking for her. 

Turning around, she saw Maria staring out of a window at the top of the mansion, waving her hand with a blank smile on her face. Her emotions were impossible to read, even for someone like Mira.

For the first time in a long time, Mira panicked. Unsure of what to do, she unhesitatingly disappeared from her location, quickly dashing out of the city. 

Whether it was out of pride, guilt, ego, or something else entirely, she felt she wasn't emotionally ready or deserving to face Maria at the moment. Whatever Maria wanted to say, she didn't want to hear.

She clicked her tongue as she made her way to the outskirts. A few seconds later, she hopped onto Rhydian's back and coldly ordered, "Go."

Rhydian shivered and hurriedly took flight, while everyone else was curious why Mira was so different despite only being gone a few minutes.