At the edge of the Mage Tower stronghold, a relatively open area was designated as the living quarters for the Watkan tribe.
The Great Artisan God silently directed his people to unload their meager luggage, his rough fingers brushing across the cold stone floor.
There was no familiar scent of ore from the underground tunnels, but above them was no longer oppressive rock—instead, the soft Light Dome that kept the Black Mist at bay.
The dwarves set up their dwellings with a mix of novelty and caution, feeling the warmth that dispelled the chill, and a hope for “the Light” kindled in their eyes.
The Great Artisan God’s gaze swept over his busy people and finally settled on the towering outline of the Mage Tower in the distance.
His brow furrowed.
‘I hope things will be better from now on… At least the Saintess is here!’
Meanwhile, Muxuan and Qiansitelin had already left the stronghold and arrived at the Church Residence.
The two figures quietly appeared in the tranquil woods deep within the Church Residence.
The familiar house looked especially peaceful nestled among the trees.
When Qiansitelin pushed open the door and only the two of them were inside, the heavy atmosphere that had hung in the air finally dissipated.
Muxuan almost dragged herself to the chair by the window and collapsed into it.
Her slender fingers pressed deeply into both temples, her golden eyes tightly shut.
Her silver-white eyelashes cast tired shadows on her pale face.
The exhaustion of the past few days could finally be relieved a little.
Qiansitelin gently closed the door, walked over to Muxuan, and looked at her tenderly, her eyes full of concern.
“Your Highness, the Wotekan side is being settled by the Great Artisan God and Bishop Valentin, and the stronghold has initially regained order.”
“But here at the base… without Cardinal Beikeze, a lot of tasks have piled up.”
“I know.”
Muxuan’s voice was thick with fatigue, her eyes still closed.
“So I have ‘Muxuan’ handle it.”
Hearing Muxuan’s answer, Qiansitelin’s brow did not relax; instead, it furrowed even tighter.
“But Your Highness… isn’t that still you handling it?”
Qiansitelin knew very well that every move of “Muxuan” was the result of her lady’s control.
Having to split her attention to control “Muxuan” and deal with so many tedious matters meant that Muxuan, though sitting here as if resting, could not truly rest her mind.
“The main purpose is to let ‘Muxuan’ select new Cardinals.”
“This time, I plan to promote two of the six current Bishops to share the authority and responsibility.”
“In the future, I may need to appoint more Bishops to make the division of responsibilities clearer. We can no longer place the heavy burden on one person.”
This was her reflection on the Beikeze incident.
“Besides, I still have you by my side, don’t I?”
As she spoke, Muxuan flashed a sweet smile at Qiansitelin.
Qiansitelin looked at that smile, her heart softening, and the words of reproach could no longer leave her lips.
She stood up and suddenly changed the subject, her voice much gentler.
“Alright, my lady, arguing about this is pointless.”
“What you need most right now is not to handle official business, but to completely unwind.”
Hearing Qiansitelin’s suggestion, Muxuan’s beautiful brows furrowed, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
“A hot bath? There’s a small bath here, but where would the hot water come from? Do we have to boil it on the spot? Too much trouble.”
She was too tired to muster the energy.
But Qiansitelin’s lips curled into a smug smile, as if she had been prepared.
She took Muxuan’s slightly cool hand and immediately pulled her toward the bathroom.
“As for that, Your Highness need not worry. I have my ways. Come with me~”
Qiansitelin half-dragged, half-led Muxuan to the small bathroom in the side room.
In the center of the bathroom was a square bath carved from a single piece of warm white stone.
It wasn’t large, but enough for four people.
When Qiansitelin pushed open the door, a humid warmth carrying the fragrance of grass and trees rushed toward them.
Muxuan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“This… how did you manage it?”
The pool was already filled with water, steam rising from the surface.
The temperature was obviously just right—the most comfortable heat—blurring the stone walls of the bathroom.
But the base didn’t have a hot spring, and she hadn’t seen Qiansitelin light a fire to boil water.
So where did this hot water come from?
Hearing Muxuan’s puzzled voice, Qiansitelin released her hand, walked to the edge of the pool, and gracefully dipped her slender fingers into the water, stirring lightly to create a small ripple.
“Just a little trick.”
Qiansitelin turned back and gave Muxuan a gentle yet sly smile.
“Your Highness, the temperature is even. It won’t burn you.”
“Come on in—if you wait any longer, the water will get cold~”
As she spoke, she began to help Muxuan remove her slightly soiled outer robe.
Muxuan looked at the steaming pool, then at Qiansitelin’s tender expression, and her taut nerves finally relaxed.
When Qiansitelin slipped off Muxuan’s outer robe, her graceful figure appeared faintly in the mist.
Qiansitelin wanted to continue helping Muxuan remove her undergarments, but Muxuan reached out and stopped her.
Muxuan was now wearing a sly smile as she looked at Qiansitelin.
“Now it’s my turn.”
With that, Muxuan reversed their roles and pinned Qiansitelin beneath her.
Instantly, sounds of play mixed into the mist.
Muxuan’s hands weren’t entirely well-behaved.
While helping Qiansitelin undress, she kept moving her hands, a hint of envy flickering in her golden pupils.
At the same time, she muttered under her breath, “How can they be so big…”
Qiansitelin let out a soft laugh and tapped Muxuan on the chest.
“Your Highness needs to do more massages.”
Hearing this, Muxuan’s face flushed slightly.
She gave a light snort of disdain, then quickly stripped Qiansitelin clean and gently pushed her into the water.
“Ah… Your Highness, it feels wonderful.”
Seeing Qiansitelin’s expression of enjoyment in the bath, Muxuan hesitated for a moment, then shed her own clothes.
When the warm water enveloped her tired, cold body, she couldn’t help but let out a satisfied moan.
Then she slowly sank into the water, temporarily isolating the past days’ burdens outside the mist.
“It really is much more comfortable than I imagined.”
Qiansitelin sat across from Muxuan, watching her closed eyes with deep tenderness.
Muxuan’s silver hair floated on the surface, her small face flushed pink from the steam.
Qiansitelin’s fingertips quietly lifted in the water, as if wanting to touch the face so close, but stopped just before breaking the surface.
In the end, she only gently brushed aside a strand of silver hair clinging to Muxuan’s cheek.
She knew what her little lady was doing at the moment, so she had no intention of disturbing her; she simply watched quietly from the side.
Meanwhile, in the Church Council Hall at the center of the base, “Pope Muxuan” sat solemnly on the main seat, his golden gaze sweeping over the six bishops below, each with a different expression.