The Martial Unity

It took some time, but Ria spent the entire day doing right by her friends. Not only did she visit Runark to keep him company, but she ensured that the manifold tree was given to the elves discreetly that very day.

”You did good, giving the tree to the elves,” Misha remarked even as she peered into a microscope, studying a sample of the macrobe human’s blood under a slide.

When Ria blasted through the guardian’s body after becoming a Martial Sage, its blood had spewed all over her exo-Martial suit, which she had thankfully preserved. It gave Misha the opportunity to study a rather novel and new form of blood.

Ria stood by her side with mild interest in the blood sample, looking around the lab she was in. The lab was equipped with cutting-edge research technology, with a variety of different kinds of microscopes, as well as isolated environments to conduct experiments of all kinds. Entire sections of it were dedicated to samples of different kinds of esoteric substances and other chemicals.

It was exactly the kind of environment where someone like Misha thrived. She had chosen to relocate to Greater Tekvoria, which had since become a meritocratic technocracy after regaining autonomy from the Kandrian Empire. She had been firm in her decision not to partake in the operations anymore, realizing that they were far more dangerous than she had anticipated.

Unlike Runark, she had absolutely no problem backing out.

She got up from her microscope, turning towards Ria with a knowing glint in her cybernetic eyes. ”You’ve been crying.”

Ria smiled bittersweetly. ”You haven’t.”

Misha shrugged lightly, causing her curly hair to bounce at the gesture. ”I’m sorry if I come off as cold, but I simply don’t get outbursts of emotion like that. I do feel bad about Siliscia and Sternon. I wish I had been stronger. But ultimately, time can’t be turned back. I prefer focusing on the future and making the most of their sacrifice.”

She turned back to the blood sample. ”This… this can change hemotechnology. I’m so glad you bull-ran through that creature and preserved all kinds of samples with you.”

Ria raised an eyebrow. ”Is it really that valuable? That humanoid creature was strong, but not that strong compared to hemosapiens today. Aunt Arastia would crush it effortlessly.”

”The creature was made up of micro-macrobes,” Misha remarked.

”Isn’t that just regular microbes at that point?”

”Not quite,” Misha shook her head. ”These micro-macrobes retained their intelligence despite being that small. They’re far more capable than any engineered blood cells that I have ever come across. If I can reverse-engineer these miraculous capabilities and industrialize these, then I will be able to make not just hemosapiens, but all humans and pathwalkers. I must see this through!”

When it came to blood, even the cool and nonchalant Misha grew emphatic. Ria simply smiled at her enthusiasm. Although she wasn’t sure how she felt about Misha seemingly unfazed by the tragedies that had occurred, she was happy that she wasn’t traumatized the way Runark was.

”How are you planning to earn money if you’re going to spend all your time researching?”

”I plan to take some grants, not to mention my share of the money from this particular operation will be so vast that I won’t ever have to worry about money.”

Since the operation was a success, even if a pyrrhic one, once the intel was sold, she would have an immense amount of wealth from how profitable it would be.

Misha turned towards Ria. ”Have you had the sales department start selling the information to clients? I need the money, you know?”

”Not yet,” Ria heaved a breath. ”Some of the clients will want to speak with someone in charge, and I’ll need to be there. I’ll start it tomorrow, I promise.”

It wasn’t long before she departed from Acherialis, heading back to the Kandrian Empire after finishing her obligations and duties. What she felt worst about was that there was nothing she could do for Sternon. He didn’t have family. He didn’t have dependents. He had nothing.

The team was all he had. It took everything Ria had to keep her composure until she returned to the Kandrian Empire, returning to royal quarters in the Vargard Royal Palace.

STEP

Her home was as she remembered it, albeit messier. Her mother’s absence made it feel empty; the darkness of the night sky seemed to encroach into her room, reminding her of Runark, which only made her sadder. There was an untidiness that she associated with her father, who awaited her inside.

”Ria,” Rui gazed at her with a gentle smile. ”You’re back.”

She immediately rushed forward to plunge herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

”You did well,” Rui told her, kissing her on the top of her head. ”You cared for the living, and you honored the deceased. That’s good.”

”…I would rather I didn’t have to in the first place,” she squeezed out.

”…I’m afraid not even I have the power to ensure that, Ria,” her father replied gently, before letting go. ”As you get older. Many of the people you know and love will pass away. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

”…Isn’t there?”

”No, there isn’t,” Rui firmly affirmed. ”Resurrection isn’t something you should use to keep people you love from dying. Death is a part of life, and while most people fear it, taking that away from them would be the biggest curse you could inflict on them.”

”That sucks,” Ria muttered.

Rui smiled bittersweetly. ”It does. But that’s life. I, too, watched people I care for pass away. But I choose to remember their life than their death. The memories I have with them are everything to me. Though, on the bright side, your mother and I, and a lot of people in your life, are going to live for very long. So, you won’t have to go through that as much as the average Martial Squire and above would.”

”…I just don’t know if I want friends if the pain of losing them is this great.” Ria’s voice was low. Her tone; dark.

Rui stared at her for several moments before making a suggestion.

”Ria, would you like to join me for some late-night sparring?”

”Hm?” Her attention returned to her father. ”Now? I’m not really in the mood…”

”I never got to congratulate you for becoming a Martial Sage,” he smiled at his daughter. ”Why don’t we celebrate as well afterwards? Now that you have become a Sage, there are things that you must know…”