Whether in his past life or in this world, Roa has a slight obsession with cleanliness. His basic requirement for hygiene is to keep things clean.
But clearly, looking at the messy things in the room, it is evident that the other party has never cleaned up.
Claire is somewhat aware of her room's condition; after all, she has been mocked by playmates before. However, mocking aside, after being annoyed for a while, Claire has no intention of changing.
Later, because they all had their own matters to attend to, and Claire is an extremely reclusive person, she is not well-liked in various respects. So since then, no one has visited her dormitory.
Roa coming to find Claire can be said to be the first person to visit her this year.
Roa twitches the corner of his mouth, looking at the girl in front of him dressed in pure white clothing, and says somewhat speechlessly, "You look so cute, can you please pay attention to your hygiene?"
Claire's cheeks quickly flush with a hint of red, not knowing if it is because she feels ashamed from Roa's words. Even so, Claire stubbornly replies, "I think it's fine; my home is comfortable."
Roa shrugs and says helplessly, "This is your home; you should pay a little attention to it. Forget it, come on."
Claire does not immediately open the door to step out but says to Roa, "Wait a moment, I need to change my shoes."
Roa hadn't noticed until Claire mentioned it; looking down, he sees she is wearing a pair of cute pink slippers with a rabbit charm.
Nodding, Roa continues to wait outside for a moment, and Claire hurriedly comes out from the room.
Claire is still wearing the same old academy uniform, with a skirt that sways slightly with her movements, and black knee-high socks. Claire's figure is not particularly alluring, but she has a relatively delicate face, and her usual tsundere personality is a plus in the eyes of special enthusiasts.
Under Ellis's astonished gaze, the two set off directly towards the Spirit Forest.
Of course, Roa wouldn't just leave without a word. After thanking Ellis, he took Claire and left.
Ellis watched the two of them leave, lost in thought.
Teaching wasn't anything special; learning wasn't something that could be achieved in one go.
Claire was in great shape. Compared to the panic of last night, she seemed unusually calm today.
She must have adapted to Roa's teaching environment and, deep down, didn't feel as much resistance.
Silently recording every key point that Roa mentioned in her mind, Claire began to try the first form of the Sun Breathing technique, Dance.
Claire had some foundation, but it wasn't enough to allow her to smoothly execute the Sun Breathing technique.
After stumbling through the Dance, Claire wanted to transition into the second form, the Clear Blue Sky, but it was clear that Claire, holding Roa's knight sword, couldn't swing it down after a certain point.
Compared to Roa's fluid and dazzling blade dance, Claire's attempt at the Sun Breathing technique seemed quite comical.
Well, it wasn't a big deal.
However, it was evident that Claire had made progress compared to last night.
Roa devoted himself wholeheartedly to teaching Claire, and time passed little by little.
In the morning, he taught Claire, and in the afternoon, he followed Greyworth for lessons. Before long, it was time for their appointment.
On this day, Claire arrived early at the headmaster's office, where Roa was yawning beside her.
Seeing Claire, Roa smiled and greeted her, "Hey, good morning, Claire."
Claire nodded and returned the greeting, "Good morning, Roa."
Greyworth looked at the interaction between the two with curiosity, then turned to Roa with a strange expression and said, "How did you manage that? You actually got this problem child to speak properly."
So you know she's a problem child too? Roa suppressed his desire to retort and quickly got to the point, "So, our goal today is the shrine located in the Spirit Forest?"
Greyworth casually replied, "Didn't I give you the map? You can figure it out yourselves."
Faced with Greyworth's extremely irresponsible comment, Roa could only nod helplessly and then turned his gaze to Claire.
At this moment, Claire looked at Roa with a serious expression and said, "I won't give up. Even though you're strong and amazing in every way, I won't concede."
Seeing Claire's serious expression, Roa felt a bit helpless.
This girl could be incredibly stubborn in some aspects.
Roa stepped forward, reaching out to pat the girl's forehead, but Claire disdainfully dodged his hand. Facing her look of disdain, Roa didn't feel embarrassed.
Claire, like Roxy, hated being treated like a child. However, their relationship had softened quite a bit over the past few days. Roa simply treated her like a younger sister. Yesterday, he had tried to pat Claire's forehead, and at first, she didn't show any obvious protest; instead, she even seemed to enjoy it. But when she noticed Roa's teasing smile, she became flustered and began to resist his attempts.
In any case, Claire didn't reject the action of being patted on the head.
Roa withdrew his outstretched hand and smiled at Claire, "Let's have you try it first. If you fail, I'll step in."
If Roa had said something like this a few days ago, Claire would have definitely protested with some "impossible" remarks. But this time, Claire surprisingly nodded calmly.
Greyworth noticed Claire's behavior.
Greyworth clicked her ton in amazement but didn't pay much attention to her. She was just here to greet them and wait for Claire. Now that her purpose had been achieved, Roa took Claire and left the headmaster's office.
The corridor was still as complex as ever. The academy covered a large area, and just getting to the main gate was quite a long journey.
The two walked at a leisurely pace, with Roa in the lead and Claire closely following behind, casually chatting.
However, Roa could sense a hint of tension in Claire's tone.
This was understandable, as contracting a powerful spirit was not an easy task.
Roa was an empathetic person, and through their light conversation, Claire began to feel less tense as she observed Roa's relaxed demeanor. Thus, the two left the academy, following the map in a specific direction.
The shrine dedicated to the sealed Sword Spirit was located in a remote area deep within the Spirit Forest. Given the vastness of the forest, it would be difficult for an ordinary person to find this place without a map.
After walking for a long distance, they finally arrived at their destination.
Compared to the paths mostly covered in leaves, the road ahead was made of gravel. In front of them was a steep cliff, and far below, they could see an extremely imposing door. The material of the door was unknown, but it gave off an extraordinary first impression.
Not only was there the grand door, but there were also stone lanterns used for offerings on either side. Compared to the door, the stone lanterns appeared somewhat plain, yet this simplicity highlighted their elegance.
"Is this the shrine that enshrines the sealed Sword Spirit?" Roa stepped forward, gazing at the tall stone door, lost in thought.
Roa could sense a subtle wave emanating from behind the stone door, something akin to divine might, but not quite.
In any case, it felt strange.
Claire looked at the stone door and murmured, "A barrier?"
Roa was slightly taken aback by her words and curiously asked, "A barrier?"
Claire nodded, "Yes, barriers are usually used to prevent outsiders from entering or to keep those with ill intentions out. In any case, if there isn't a corresponding divine might, the barrier won't open. You aren't planning to break the barrier, are you? If so, step aside."
"This level of barrier is no problem for me."
After saying that, Roa shrugged. He was familiar with these things, but hearing about a barrier for the first time made him feel somewhat intrigued.
Claire took out the map and was about to speak when she saw Roa had already extended his right hand towards the stone door.
Roa could feel that this barrier wasn't particularly strong and that he should be able to break through it easily with his strength.
And indeed, that was the case.
As Roa infused powerful divine energy through his right arm into the stone door, the surrounding transparent barrier began to bubble.
Then, under Claire's astonished gaze, the barrier started to twist and change like a water surface, shattering like glass, and finally dissipating, revealing the temple inside.
Ignoring Claire's shocked expression, Roa pushed open the grand door and walked inside.
Claire quickly regained her senses and hurriedly followed, calling out to Roa, "Hey, wait for me!"
Roa slightly slowed his pace, but it wasn't because of Claire's call; it was purely because of the extremely unpleasant odor emanating from inside.
The passage was narrow and damp, and apart from the light from the stone door, the rest was pitch black.
The dark tunnel wasn't a problem for either of them. Roa raised his hand, and a fireball the size of a fist ignited, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
However, the musty smell in the air made Roa feel somewhat uncomfortable, which was why he slowed down.
Claire also sensed the unpleasant odor. Her expression scrunched up as she covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve and walked deeper inside.
After passing through the tunnel, they arrived at the shrine at the end of the passage. The surroundings were still rocky, and in the vast open space of the shrine, there was a stone path.
At the end of this path, at the front of the shrine, was an altar.
On the altar lay a sword engraved with exquisite patterns. The sword was ancient and emitted a faint glow, which stood out in the not-so-bright space.
Roa glanced at Claire, gently nudged her, and said, "Go ahead."
Claire took a deep breath, her expression becoming extremely serious. The girl stepped forward to the holy sword embedded in the center of the altar, extended her right hand, tightly grasped the hilt, and began to chant: "——————O proud spirit sealed within the ancient holy sword, you shall serve me as your master. Let us form a contract, and I shall be your sheath——————"
As Claire's voice echoed in the empty room, a massive wave of energy began to spread from the sword, and a fierce wind swept through the area, causing Roa's long hair and clothes to flutter.
As the girl continuously infused divine might, the pressure grew stronger, and the wind became more unrestrained, carrying sand and stones around. Roa squinted; although he had prepared for this, he was still surprised.
Roa knew that Claire had a considerable amount of divine might, but the level she was displaying now exceeded that of most spirit users in the academy.
Yet even so, this divine might was still insufficient to subdue the spirit within the sword.
Roa, standing on the periphery, was affected by this divine energy, let alone Claire, who was at the center.
At this moment, the raging divine might continued to spread, and the energy Claire infused was like a spark igniting explosives, as she struggled against the divine might emanating from the holy sword.
This process was not easy, but Claire gritted her teeth and persevered.
With a determined expression, the girl finished the last line of her chant: "——————I command you, form a contract with me——————"
Claire continued to infuse divine might, trying to communicate with the spirit within the sword.
But unfortunately, the spirit within the sword refused to engage.
The sword, tightly gripped in Claire's hand, suddenly trembled and erupted with an astonishing light, unleashing a wave of divine might several times stronger than before, attacking Claire. The sword emitted a powerful shockwave, and Claire was directly thrown back by this force.
Claire let out a painful cry, and seeing the situation, Roa rushed forward, catching the girl in his arms and absorbing the impact, holding her in a princess carry.
Even though they had been in close contact before, being held in such an embarrassing position made Claire's cheeks flush instantly.
"You, you, you, you…"
Claire stammered for a long time without managing to say a complete sentence. Roa, feeling exasperated, said, "Stop with the 'you.' If you want to thank me, let's wait until after this is over."
As soon as he finished speaking, the silver altar suddenly erupted with dazzling light, and a beam of white light shot up into the sky, racing towards Roa's position at an incredibly exaggerated speed.