Roxy looked so cute while eating.
Honestly, Roxy is just adorable.
Being able to spend each day by her side like this—simple as it is—feels like a life without regrets.
But no, Rudeus.
If you let yourself get complacent, the gods and men will steal your happiness.
On the other side of my life, I trained in swordsmanship under Paul.
Paul possessed remarkable talent with the sword. But because he was a natural genius, he was utterly incapable of teaching others.
A pure instinctual fighter.
His way of teaching relied entirely on feel.
For someone like me, who had never mastered advanced sword techniques, it was nothing short of a nightmare.
More than once, I thought—if only I could use Battle Aura...
But the very reason I possess such terrifying magical power is because of the Laplace Factor.
And the reason I cannot wield Battle Aura?
Also the Laplace Factor.
Without it, my mana capacity would be around Sylphy's level.
With it? Probably ten times hers. Maybe more.
I had never been able to measure it accurately.
Aside from Time Magic, I never truly ran out of mana in my previous life.
It felt a bit excessive, even wasteful.
Still, it didn't matter. Once I crafted my Magic Armor again in the future, I could compensate for my physical shortcomings.
With rare spells like Gravity Magic and Lightning Magic, I wouldn't lose even against Saint or Emperor-level opponents.
Well, except for the Dragon God.
Orsted is on a level beyond all comparison. He can't even be considered a standard opponent.
...
Before I realized it, I had turned five.
In those years, I cherished every moment I had with Roxy, doing everything I could to create good memories with her.
Selfish, maybe.
But I wanted Roxy to remember me.
I hoped that one day, even if I didn't save her in the labyrinth, she would still fall in love with me.
They say if you love someone, you should make them happy.
But I've never been that selfless.
If I love someone, I want to make them happy in my own way. That's what I believe.
Then one day, as Roxy and Paul discussed my future, I realized it—
I was about to graduate.
I wished I could slow time down, stop her from leaving.
But no matter how I felt, I had to let history proceed without interference—at least until I met the Dragon God.
The Jaw of the Red Dragon.
The only place I knew for certain where the Dragon God would appear.
To fight Hitogami, I need Orsted's power.
...
Roxy took me beyond the yard, out into the wilderness.
She was going to demonstrate the Water Saint-tier spell, Thunder Cumulonimbus.
I had used this spell countless times. After all, my specialty—Lightning Magic—was developed based on it.
Frankly, there is no one in this world who understands cumulonimbus magic better than I do.
But still, I watched Roxy with reverence.
She stopped her horse near a lone tree, dismounted, and tied the reins around the trunk.
Then she gently lifted me down from the saddle.
"Next, I'll cast Thunder Cumulonimbus, a Water Saint-level attack spell. It summons a downpour and lightning across a wide area."
"I understand."
"Try to replicate it after watching."
Then, Roxy began her demonstration.
Thunder roared as rain poured down in sheets.
By the way… the poor horse we brought was struck and began smoking.
"Ah!"
Roxy rushed over in a panic and began casting healing magic on the horse with a pale face.
I couldn't help smiling.
Flustered Roxy was cute, too.
Worthy of being both my revered teacher and beloved wife.
She must have noticed my smile.
"Please don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Roxy said with a tearful expression.
Ah!
Impossible.
This clumsy side of Roxy is far too adorable.
I almost died from the cuteness, but I managed to hold back. After all, this was my graduation day.
I wanted to leave her with a good impression.
...
Roxy's POV
Rudeus successfully cast Thunder Cumulonimbus, the Water Saint-level spell.
No, "successfully" doesn't even begin to describe it.
Using the residual magic from my own casting, he created a diagonal updraft that sustained the clouds for over an hour.
In fact, it would be difficult to dispel them now.
What kind of talent is this?
When he finished the spell, I was drenched from head to toe.
And yet, for some reason...
Even though my student had surpassed me, I didn't feel a trace of jealousy.
Only a warm, genuine smile.
"Congratulations. You've reached the level of Water Saint."
I brushed aside my soaked bangs and offered my sincere congratulations.
Then I froze.
Rudeus...
Was crying.
***
Rudeus's POV
I was about to graduate.
That meant Roxy and I would part ways. It would be a long time before we saw each other again.
Ah...
My Roxy. I don't want to be apart from you.
But we must part.
Hitogami once said that a union between Roxy and me could give rise to a power capable of defeating him. That means she is a primary target in his eyes.
To protect her...
I need to keep my distance.
...
When Roxy was preparing to leave, both Zenith and Paul tried to convince her to stay.
"Roxy, it's fine if you stay with us. There are still plenty of dishes I haven't taught you..."
They were never ones to care about money. If Roxy had wanted to stay and become family, they would have welcomed it.
Especially after seeing how attached I was to her.
But Roxy wasn't that kind of person.
She bowed deeply and said:
"No, thank you for the kind offer, but this incident has made me realize my own limitations. I plan to travel the world and further hone my magical abilities."
I knew why.
She was hurt. Because I had caught up to her.
But this kind of thinking was meaningless.
I'd faced plenty of setbacks myself.
Like the story from the Holy Land of Swords, where Eris once trained—there was a boy named Chino who supposedly grew overnight into someone capable of defeating the Sword God in a single strike.
Hey, come on. Isn't that too much?
The Sword God is no joke.
Even in my prime, I would've struggled against him.
To grow that strong overnight… talent is terrifying.
Comparing yourself to others will only drive you mad.
Before she left, Roxy walked up to me, smiled, and placed a hand on my head.
"Rudy. I did my best, but I'm no longer strong enough to teach you."
"What you've taught me will benefit me for the rest of my life."
I said those words with all my heart.
"I'm glad to hear that... but it's a bit much, don't you think? Oh—right."
As if remembering something, Roxy reached into her cloak and pulled out a pendant tied with a leather cord.
It was shaped like three spears forged from green metal.
I hadn't thought much of it before. But now that I saw it again, I realized—
It looked just like the spears used by the Supard.