Time flew for the Fuller family after Annie's birth!",

In the first few weeks of their first daughter's life, Vicente and Nova received gifts from virtually every important man in the kingdom, and even some outside allies.

The Metal City experienced a climate of hope and joy unparalleled in its recent journey, with things working out almost perfectly during this period.

Lauren advanced, becoming a Mid-level Paragon, while she, Nina, and Eve focused on helping Vicente and Nova take care of little Annie during her most tough days.

But Annie was very calm. Except for the times when she needed to be cleaned or fed, she was practically trouble-free, being a lover of sleep.

When she was put to sleep, she would sleep for an hour or two without showing any signs of distress.

After the first few months like this, she got smarter, gaining control of her body and beginning to understand who was who in her surrounding.

At about 5 months, she continued to be breastfed by Nova, but was introduced to food, mostly fruit and broth. Lauren and Nina would still be there for her, but with the decreased need for care and longer sleeps, they could gradually return to normal cultivation and training in Metal City.

Still, as Nina had promised Vicente earlier, they would stay in the city to help raise Annie in her first few months until the little one was a year old.

Thus, the two would still be in the city after the six months since Annie's birth, still helping Vicente and Nova daily, but back to their local routines.

Meanwhile, no one had any idea how Lauren had regained some of her memories. After the previous situation, she had kept her special moment on the day of Annie's birth to herself, even though her behavior had changed from that day on.

No one suspected she had remembered her past, and people like Vicente believed she was accepting her reality, distancing herself from the former Lauren as time went on.

Either way, the family had grown closer since Annie's birth.

In addition to Vicente's sisters, there were his other wives and Nova's family, who had been part of Annie's early childhood.

Layla and Lina had moved to Metal City during this time and began living with Nova, Vicente, and Annie on the Fuller estate.

The two had married within Annie's first six months and now longed to carry Vicente's children themselves.

Unfortunately, pregnancy wasn't so easy and they hadn't had the same luck as Nova. For now, they were just trying it while watching little Annie grow.

When she was seven months old, Annie said her first words before taking her first steps at eight months.

By the time Nina became a High-level Mage, on Annie's tenth birthday, she could speak in small sentences and even understood that she was in a magical world.

On her first birthday, she would stop being breastfed and gradually gain independence, learning to use the toilet and accompany her parents on activities around Metal City.

At this rate, she would finally have her first goodbye when Lauren and Nina would leave the city to return to their duties around the family's territory.

...

"Bye, aunts! I miss you already!" Annie shouted to Nina and Lauren as she sat in Vicente's arms, waving as tears streamed from her eyes.

Nina felt a heaviness in her heart at seeing her niece like that, but she had spent too long in this city. It was time for her to leave for the border of her family's safe territory, to contribute to the magical community amid disaster!

Clenching her fists in determination, she exhaled and said. "See you in a few months, Annie. Until then, be a good girl and don't give your parents any trouble."

Lauren put a hand on Annie's head and said. "When I come back, I'll bring you presents, little one."

"Is it a promise?" Annie's eyes sparkled.

"Hmm." Lauren smiled before kissing the girl's forehead.

Vicente looked at his sisters, seeing Killian next to Nina and Lauren right in front of him. "Good luck on your travels. I'll join you in a few months."

"Hmm, don't rush, or Annie will be sad," Nina said to her brother.

"Unfortunately, I don't have a choice..." Vicente sighed as he looked at Annie. "But I'll try to stay as long as I can."

Then he looked seriously at Nina and Lauren and advised them both.

"Nina, be careful. Your power is potent and you could become an Earth Sovereign quickly. Don't take any unnecessary risks while you are at the border.

Lauren, be careful when you go to the Chutha Dynasty. There are magicians from the Congregation of Revelations who would love to find a Dark Path magician like you. Besides, the enemy forces in this state aren't easy to deal with."

"Got it. I won't kill myself. I'll act from afar, and if any problems arise that are bigger than I can handle, I'll retreat." Lauren said to calm her brother. "Anyway, I hope I can help you stay together as long as possible." She said to Vicente, Nova and Annie.

Nova nodded as Lina and Layla joined her, while Vicente was with Rory and Casey to his left.

They saw the departure of Lauren, Nina, and Killian, who left with no plans to return. Sure, they would visit in the future, but that would be it.

With no expectation the disaster would end in the short term, they all had to sacrifice for the sake of their plans and the community!

Rory and Casey watched the three leave, both very close to becoming Paragons, the same situation as Lina, Layla, and Nova.

They hadn't used the many resources Vicente had helped to produce by giving vampire organs to the alchemists in their city. They couldn't use those resources for a few more months because of the vampire blood they had absorbed earlier.

They were stronger because of Vicente's sacrifice of the monsters in the city, which had maintained a rich concentration of mana and elements in Metal City.

But while they didn't use these resources, some of Vicente's family members and allies did, and they made some breakthroughs.

This was the case with Benson, Bart, Eve, Newton, blacksmiths like Lukas, and many others who advanced to become Earth or Sky Sovereigns in the year since Vicente's return.