In his heart, Roa comforted himself, feeling a bit better.
For now, the primary goal was still to become stronger.
He honestly paid the S-level plot permission, and a mysterious feeling enveloped Roa.
Only now did Roa realize that the door to the Astral Zero had been sealed shut, and with the infusion of this power, the sealed door was loosened.
Voices from Est and Restia echoed in his mind.
"Huh? What happened to me?"
"Just now, I couldn't sense the master's aura."
"This place gives me a very unpleasant feeling."
"I feel like my body has undergone some changes?"
The two spirits began exchanging information, ultimately reaching a conclusion.
"It seems I need to rest for a while."
Est spoke with some confusion, seemingly not understanding why she had become this way.
Perhaps it was due to the change in environment? Or something else.
Roa did not explain much, pondering for a moment before saying, "It might be that killing the Elemental Lords caused some changes in the Astral Zero. In any case, you should rest for a while. We have arrived in a new world, and things are complicated. I will explain everything to you once I sort it all out."
Although both spirits felt quite puzzled, they ultimately said nothing more, nodded, and fell into slumber.
After checking the spirit imprint, the power of divine might could still flow freely in the Astral Zero.
Roa breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that they just needed to rest for a while.
However, Roa was still standing in the forest, which was not a place to linger.
The urgent task now was to confirm the time and see how long had passed.
Roxy should still be in the Shirone Kingdom. After thinking for a moment, Roa decided to see her again.
For her, it might just be a short time apart, but for Roa, it felt like an eternity.
Seeing Roxy again was a good choice; he hoped she was doing well over there.
Without much hesitation, Roa took his package and returned to the Shirone Kingdom.
The journey was not far; after walking for half an hour, he could already see the unique and complex streets of the Shirone Kingdom.
At this time, it was still early, probably around eight in the morning.
Compared to the last time he appeared in the forest at midnight, there were many more pedestrians on the road this time.
He sat down at a restaurant by the roadside and casually ate some breakfast from the Shirone Kingdom.
The breakfast was average, the taste was also average, and the ingredients were unknown beast meat, with no idea where the meat came from. The only commendable aspect was that the meat was steamed, retaining some freshness.
After finishing the food in his bowl, Roa took out a few copper coins from his package and handed them to the owner, preparing to continue toward the palace.
Holding a cup made of clay, he slightly heated it and then air-dried it, forming a ceramic-like cup. He extended his hand, gathered water elements, and let the water flow out into the cup.
Roa shook it a bit and found no traces of clay or anything at the bottom of the cup, so he took a sip.
The magic in this world had many uses; for someone like Roa, it could save a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Such small conveniences were part of the joy of magic.
Thinking this way, Roa arrived in front of the palace, where two guards were stationed at the door.
Roa recalled for a moment and realized that the two soldiers in front of him were not the same ones he had met before, but he did not mind, as it was rare to meet the same two people again.
After clearing his throat a few times, Roa approached and explained his purpose to the two soldiers.
The two soldiers thought for a moment, then as if remembering something, they directly stepped aside and smiled at Roa, saying, "That lord said that if it's you, there's no need to report; just go right in."
Roa was slightly surprised but proceeded directly toward the palace.
Having experienced many worlds, especially after seeing the luxurious palace of the academy, returning to see the palace of the Shirone Kingdom felt rather plain. In a sense, Roa even felt that this palace was built quite poorly.
Arriving at the palace corridor, Roa recalled that at this time, Roxy should not be in her room, but he still went to check her room first.
The door was closed, and after knocking, no one responded; the room was very quiet.
Roa shrugged, having anticipated this outcome.
After pondering for a while, Roa placed his package on the ground, looked around the street, and caught hold of a passing soldier.
The soldier was slightly taken aback upon seeing Roa, then became surprised.
"Are you… Lord Roa?"
Roa placed the package in the soldier's hands, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled, "Young man, you keep this for me; I left it here, and I'll come back to get it later."
The soldier hesitated for a moment but still agreed.
Roa expressed satisfaction with the young man's performance.
Upon arriving at the square, he walked around according to his memory and eventually found a group of people in the center.
It was still the magic confrontation training, using the Water God Flow to counter some intermediate or low-level magic.
As for why they didn't use high-level magic, in a certain sense, high-level magic represents a qualitative change; both its power and the amount of magic power required increase significantly.
If high-level magic were used, a careless mistake could easily lead to sending a teammate away.
This was certainly not what Roxy wanted to see.
However, casting intermediate magic felt a bit too easy for Roxy.
At this moment, the girl was yawning while casting spells.
Roxy was still wearing that robe symbolizing her identity as a magician, a mix of brown and white, with a white inner shirt underneath, and a blue skirt on the lower half.
The hem of the skirt reached her knees, failing to showcase Roxy's slender and fair calves.
Speaking of which, Roa rarely saw the girl wearing such clothing.
Roxy's thoughts were always a bit different from other girls; she instinctively rejected revealing outfits.
According to her, even if she wore such revealing clothes, she couldn't become a charming woman.
Yet now, Roxy was even voluntarily wearing such clothes, which surprised Roa greatly.
Roxy's delicate and unenergetic face simply looked at the soldier in front of her.
She extended her hand, gathered magic power, and lazily recited the incantation.
Her speech was not fast, but the power was considerable.
A water ball spun in Roxy's hand, eventually transforming into a water gun, making a sound as it shot towards a soldier.
The speed was quick, but because Roxy raised her hand to cast the spell, as long as the soldier was prepared and timed it right, he could withstand this magic attack.
The principle was similar to those who dodge bullets.
A person cannot dodge a bullet; the ability to avoid a bullet comes from predicting the opponent's shooting position and anticipating it in advance.
Of course, the magic Roxy cast was not yet at such a rapid level; the speed of bullets is generally at the speed of sound, while the speed of magic is not that exaggerated, but it is not slow either.
The soldier nervously swallowed, then focused intently on Roxy's gestures. Almost the moment the magic was released, the young Water God Flow swordsman swung a circular slash with a sword that could hardly be called a good longsword, slicing the water gun in half.
After doing all this, the soldier wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"That's enough, next!"
Roxy's lazy voice came through.
Roa couldn't help but smile, recalling the impression Roxy gave him when they first met.
A grumpy, squinting little girl.
It seemed she was still the same.
Next to Roxy stood a few familiar faces.
Familiar as they were, he no longer knew their names.
Planning to surprise the girl, Roa quietly snuck around to Roxy's back and reached out to hug her waist.
Suddenly embraced, Roxy jolted, her previously lazy expression turning serious. Unconsciously, her right hand gripped her staff, ready to cast a fireball spell on the person behind her.
The surrounding guards also shivered, hurriedly drawing their longswords.
To sneak up silently and not be detected at such a distance, if the person were an enemy, things could become quite troublesome.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense.
However, upon seeing Roa's face, the expressions of the three knights beside her became somewhat strange.
"Lord Roa, playing tricks on people is not a good habit."
"I second that."
The two knights sighed and sheathed their swords.
Roxy, who was about to teach the person behind her a lesson, was slightly taken aback. Then, her serious expression vanished, and she joyfully broke free from Roa's grasp, turning to look at the person behind her.
Behind her was a face so familiar it couldn't be more so, a handsome young man smiling at her.
After the surprise and joy, Roxy asked, somewhat annoyed, "Why are you back so soon? It's only been a little over a month, have you finished your business?"
"I've taken care of it, but this time I'm preparing to return to the Asura Kingdom. I just wanted to say hello to you."
Roa replied.
Roxy's expression became strained, and her smile stiffened.
However, Roa quickly changed the subject: "Well, I can spend a day with you."
Only then did Roxy's face light up with joy.
A day was not much; in Roxy's life, it couldn't even be considered short.
But everything has its relativity.
Clearly, even a day was incredibly precious to Roxy.
Watching the sweet interaction between the two, the knight standing closest to Roxy exchanged glances with his companions, cleared his throat lightly, and said to them, "In any case, we are here. If you have any matters, you can take a day off. By the way, it seems Roxy hasn't taken a day off yet. I believe even if the captain finds out, she won't say anything."
Roxy hesitated; her conscience made it hard for her to take such a paid day off.
The knight patted his good buddy beside him, a meaningful expression on his face as he teased, "Go on, don't keep your boyfriend waiting too long. If you spend the only day you have with us, everyone will feel guilty. Or do you want to spend the day with your boyfriend in the training ground?"
The knight's teasing made Roxy's cheeks flush. She awkwardly coughed a few times, feeling a bit embarrassed under their gazes.
But in the end, she agreed.
Logically, a month was not a long time for Roxy; days that could pass in the blink of an eye had become incredibly long since she saw Roa again.
Every time Roxy returned to her room, she would think of Roa's face, and past memories flowed through her mind like a stream.
Recalling their first meeting, the first time he taught her magic, the first time he held her soft little hands.
Who could have imagined that the guy who looked more like a girl than a girl would grow up to be so handsome in the future?
Even she couldn't have imagined that one day she would be able to marry Roa.
Time is like that; the less you care, the more easily it slips away.
But when you truly care about something, it becomes extremely long.
However, being able to see Roa's face again made Roxy feel that all of this was worth it.
After writing a leave note, Roa took Roxy out for a stroll.
The two walked through the streets and alleys of the Shirone Kingdom like a normal couple.
Aside from the intricate maze, the Shirone Kingdom had other beautiful sights.
For example, the lake over there, and the mountains beside the lake. Standing on top, one could see the lake connecting with the sky.
The shimmering surface of the lake intertwined with white clouds; of course, the clouds might not always be white, sometimes resembling the evening glow.
During sunset or sunrise, this place was always the most beautiful.
The setting sun and the lone wild goose fly together, the autumn waters blend with the long sky.
Although there were no lone wild geese here, it evoked that imagery.
The two sat on the mountaintop, gazing down at the lake below.
The afterglow of the sunset bathed the entire forest.
Roxy looked at the distant dawn, her eyes exceptionally bright.
Neither of them spoke, as if whoever spoke first would ruin the moment.
After staring in silence for a while, Roxy finally said with a hint of emotion, "You know, Roa, I once fantasized about encountering danger in a maze, and at that moment, a prince on a white horse would appear, riding a handsome white horse, slaying all the dangers before me with a magnificent sword, and then walking straight up to me, saying, 'Are you alright, my lady?'"
Roa remained silent; the story was not finished, and interrupting someone while they were speaking is extremely impolite. He waited for the continuation.