Then, seeing the astonished expression on the trader's face, Roa raised an eyebrow and coldly said, "Aren't you going yet?"
The trader heard Roa's words and showed a sarcastic smile, but this time he was very honest and didn't say a word.
Seeing the trader's attitude, Roa smiled and patted him on the shoulder, letting go of him, and coldly warned the trader, "Well then, I'll be leaving. Don't let me find out you're trying any tricks again, or your head won't be safe."
With that, he continued on his way toward the palace at the top.
The slave trader swallowed hard, and the onlookers all wore expressions of curiosity. Although no one said anything, they generally didn't have a good attitude toward such people.
The trader's face turned ashen as he watched Roa leave with a carefree demeanor, gritting his teeth and snorting coldly as he began to pack up the cage to return.
The trader had made up his mind that this matter was far from over.
However, suddenly, the trader's eyes widened, and he clutched his chest, collapsing to the ground, unaware of whether he was alive or dead.
The onlookers were stunned, exchanging glances, but no one stepped forward to check.
Needless to say, this incident was most likely caused by that young man, but even if they knew, no one wanted to help the trader.
It wasn't until a quarter of an hour later that a guard came to check, but by then, all the bystanders had already left.
In the distance.
Roa had walked quite a distance. In this narrow alley, it only took a few steps to lose anyone who might be following him.
Roa certainly wouldn't let the trader off the hook. Although the trader hadn't shown any signs of extreme anger or resentment after being threatened, and had hardly spoken a few words, it was precisely such a person who had the most malicious thoughts.
Knowing that the trader was a bad person who could potentially harm him, Roa had never been one to show mercy.
After easily manipulating his magic to pierce the trader's heart, he prepared to leave in style.
Roa thought that he would soon be pursued, but in fact, he didn't see any guards following him even when he reached the palace.
The palace was, of course, very grand.
This was a genuine palace; even in a not-so-economically developed country, its palace was quite imposing. Describing it as resplendent would not be an exaggeration. Just the deep red gate in front already showcased its grandeur.
Of course, the gate was wide open now, revealing a more spacious garden inside.
Guards stood on either side of the gate, and both had a strong presence, likely at the level of intermediate or advanced swordsmen.
Seeing Roa standing at the entrance, one of the guards instinctively frowned, but Roa couldn't see the guard's expression due to the armor.
The guard stepped forward and asked, "Who goes there? What business do you have at the palace?"
Roa nodded and curiously asked, "Is Roxy inside the palace? The new court magician of yours? Never mind."
Roxy had a magic seed, so he could just find her directly. Given the guard's demeanor, it was likely they wouldn't let him see Roxy so easily.
Of course, Roa didn't plan to perform a disappearing act right in front of them. He intended to retreat to a corner and then quietly slip in front of Roxy.
It had been a long time since he last saw Roxy, and he missed her dearly.
He reminisced about the scent of Roxy and remembered the times they had slept together.
The guard wore a strange expression, falling into silence for a long time.
Roa raised an eyebrow, not intending to waste more time with the guard. From the look on the guard's face, it was clear they weren't going to let him pass easily.
Without further ado, Roa turned and retraced his steps.
One guard fell into thought, while the other asked his companion, "Should we pursue?"
The guard hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Pursue what? Do we have to obey the Seventh Prince's orders? Let's just pretend we didn't see anything; besides, he's already left, hasn't he?"
Though they whispered, Roa overheard them. He raised an eyebrow; it seemed Roxy was also involved in some troublesome matters.
Reaching a dead end, he activated his transparent world, and a 360-degree map appeared in his mind.
Without further delay, he headed toward the palace interior, avoiding all the guards and directly entering the interior of the West Long Kingdom's palace.
There were many rooms, and guards were patrolling the central area. Roa felt something and instinctively looked toward one of the rooms.
Although this room was also part of the palace, it was clearly not in a prime location and was somewhat secluded.
It was noon, so Roxy should be having her meal in the room.
Finding an opportunity, Roa walked directly to the door.
He gently knocked and cleared his throat, preparing to surprise her.
"Who is it? Didn't lunch already arrive?"
Roxy's slightly youthful voice of confusion came from inside.
However, before Roa could say much, the door was already opened.
Roa was somewhat speechless; Roxy really needed to change her reckless nature.
Not knowing who was standing outside, opening the door so carelessly could easily lead to being abducted by a trafficker.
The moment she saw Roa, Roxy was slightly taken aback. She tilted her head in confusion, feeling that his appearance was very familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
The magic seed she had received from him began to pulse with life again.
The thing called the magic seed became more active.
Standing outside was neither a soldier in armor nor a maid in a maid outfit, but a young boy in short sleeves, wearing a bright smile.
He had dazzling golden hair, casually tied back, and his handsome features made Roxy instinctively think of someone—Roa. The contours of their faces were quite similar, but the finer details were worlds apart.
His eyes were becoming increasingly spirited, with his crimson-gold pupils reflecting Roxy's face.
When he smiled, he looked really handsome.
He was undoubtedly an exceptionally good-looking young man; if he were to change into a knight's outfit and ride a handsome white horse, he could easily play the role of a prince in a fairy tale.
By the way, did that boy have such a high nose back then? He seemed to have grown taller than her by a head, but now it felt absurd that she had to look up and stand on tiptoe just to see his face.
Roxy was sizing up Roa, and Roa was naturally observing Roxy as well.
Roa was pleasantly surprised by Roxy's attire.
She still wore the same unchanging outfit, the same white magician's robe, with no signs of change; even her facial expression remained the same.
With half-closed eyes, she was a girl with blue braided hair.
The white magician's robe was still on her, and even in summer, she hadn't taken it off. Looking at this petite girl, Roa couldn't help but smile broadly.
Roxy's azure eyes examined Roa's clothing. She looked at his outfit, still holding a package in her hand, and hesitantly asked, "Is it… Roa?"
Roa didn't respond verbally, simply wearing a look of "as it should be" as he walked into Roxy's room.
Roxy was a bit dazed; allowing a strange male to enter her room was undoubtedly very inappropriate.
But looking at his nonchalant expression, Roxy found herself unable to come up with any reason to stop him, so she foolishly stepped aside, letting Roa walk in.
The room wasn't particularly clean; aside from the neatly arranged books on the table, other personal items were basically strewn about.
At a glance, Roa instinctively frowned.
Roxy quickly stepped in front of Roa, her face serious as she said, "Stranger, please tell me your name, or don't blame me for calling the guards."
Roxy tried to use her height to block Roa's line of sight, preventing him from seeing things he shouldn't.
But unfortunately, it was of little effect.
Roa helplessly said, "Master Roxy, have you forgotten me?"
Roxy was slightly taken aback. Although she had a vague suspicion in her heart, hearing him confirm it left her somewhat at a loss.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
Should she be happy?
Her disciple had come to visit her quietly; she should indeed be happy.
Should she be gratified?
Her disciple had grown so handsome and matured a lot, and whether in magic or swordsmanship, he had made such deep progress; she should indeed feel gratified.
But more than that, Roxy actually felt a bit worried and at a loss.
Roa ignored Roxy's somewhat complex expression and teased, "Master Roxy, you really haven't changed at all over the years."
Lost in thought, Roxy followed the boy's gaze to a certain spot, only to see a white triangular object.
At a glance, Roxy's face instantly flushed red. She stepped forward, angrily blocking her underwear, glaring at Roa, and the earlier feelings dissipated, leaving only embarrassment.
Roa smiled and ruffled Roxy's hair. Her hair was very soft and smooth, and it felt great to touch.
At a height of 1.45 meters, Roa could easily reach her forehead with a slight stretch.
Having experienced Mitsuri Kanroji, Aisha, and Norn's tests, Roa had become exceptionally skilled at head-patting. A simple motion made Roxy, who hadn't reacted yet, instinctively show an expression of enjoyment.
Then Roxy realized something and swatted Roa's hand away, angrily saying, "Roa, you've grown up, gotten taller, and become stronger just to bully me, haven't you?"
Roa showed a look of surprise and asked curiously, "But doesn't Master Roxy look like she's enjoying it?"
Roxy's face turned beet red, and she opened her mouth, finally managing to say in a dry voice, "That's not an expression of enjoyment; it's, um, anger! You've made me angry!"
Looking at the girl's adorable appearance, Roa smiled, naturally pulled out the chair by the table, sat down, and said to Roxy with a smile, "How have you been lately, Master Roxy?"
Roxy glanced at the sunlight outside the window and sighed, "Actually, the recent days haven't been very good."
Roa nodded. Just by standing in front of the gate, he could sense that Roxy didn't seem to be having a good time here.
Roa remained silent, quietly waiting for Roxy to speak.
Roxy organized her thoughts and began to speak slowly, "After parting with you, I became increasingly aware of my lack of strength. After receiving your gift, my magic power grew significantly. However, if my knowledge didn't change, I still couldn't break through my own limitations. Eventually, I chose to explore the labyrinth in the Shirone Kingdom."
At this point, Roxy secretly glanced at Roa and noticed that he was leaning on the back of the chair, staring at her intently. She couldn't help but say, "What are you looking at?"
Roa, however, smiled and said, "Master Roxy is beautiful."
Roxy had never heard such words before, especially from such a handsome young man. Her cheeks turned even redder, but when she realized it was Roa, she angrily said, "You jerk, Roa, teasing me again."
Roa tilted his head, his clear golden eyes meeting Roxy's blue ones. Their gazes intertwined, and Roa's expression turned serious and sincere as he said, "I'm not teasing you, Master. I really mean it."
But the more serious Roa's expression became, the more it made Roxy feel flustered.
Roxy took a deep breath, trying to calm the restlessness in her heart, and forcibly turned her gaze to the bookshelf in front of her. "Where was I? Ah, I explored the labyrinth and joined a good team of adventurers. The people there were quite strong, with a high sense of teamwork. I'm also a seasoned adventurer. After a tough battle, I managed to conquer the labyrinth. Of course, I contributed the most, and through that experience, I successfully advanced to the rank of Water King-level mage."
After saying this, Roxy subconsciously straightened her back, her face showing a proud and confident expression. She smiled and said, "As a master, I can't let my disciple surpass me to the point where I can't even see their back."
Roa appropriately clapped his hands and said in an admiring tone, "Master Roxy, you're amazing."
Roxy smugly turned her head, her face showing excitement from the praise.
After enjoying a wave of praise from her genius disciple, Roxy continued to talk about what happened next.
"Then, our team received a large sum of money, which we divided. I mentioned the rest in my letter to you—I was invited to be the court mage of the Shirone Kingdom and the magic teacher of the seventh prince."
Roa nodded, waiting for her to continue.
Roxy went on, "However, the seventh prince is a very lecherous brat, and his talent is quite mediocre. I tried to teach him before, but he couldn't learn anything. Even the simplest magic, which you, Rudeus, and Sylphie could learn in one go, the seventh prince couldn't grasp no matter how much I taught him."
At this point, Roxy made an angry face, gritting her teeth as she said, "He wouldn't listen to me, so I simply resigned from the position of his tutor."
Roa pondered for a moment, looking at the girl sitting on the bed, playing with the strands of hair by her ear.
After some thought, he stood up and said to Roxy, "Actually, I came to see you this time because I have something I want to discuss with you, Master Roxy."
Roxy looked up in confusion, seeing the boy who had unknowingly grown three heads taller than her, and said helplessly, "What could you possibly need help from a useless master like me?"
Roa took a step for, his left foot stepping out slightly, bending his knee at a 90-degree angle, while his right leg knelt on the ground. He placed his right hand on his right leg and extended his left hand to Roxy, saying, "I came to see you this time because I want you to become my wife."
Roxy was slightly stunned, her expression frozen, her brain completely shutting down.
She couldn't believe if she had heard something she shouldn't have.
But when she looked down, she saw the boy's impossibly handsome face.
The midday sun shone through the window onto the floor, casting a long shadow of the boy.
The autumn breeze outside blew through, causing the open books on the desk to flip pages.
Roxy rubbed her cheeks and then slapped them lightly.
Roa, seeing Roxy's exaggerated reaction, said helplessly, "Master Roxy, I've told you before that I like you, right? Why are you so shocked? After all, we've already kissed. Oh, by the way, that was my first kiss."
Roxy didn't dare to meet Roa's intense gaze, her eyes dodging as she muttered, "Who would take the words of a seven or eight-year-old child seriously?"
Roa chuckled, then extended his left hand to hold Roxy's left hand, saying seriously again, "So, Master Roxy, can you accept my feelings?"
Roxy instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but her strength was too weak, and she couldn't break free, leaving her hand in his grasp.
Roxy tried to struggle a few more times but still couldn't break free, so she could only look at Roa helplessly.
Roxy had once imagined that her future husband would be a prince on a white horse, who would extend a helping hand when she was in trouble, rescuing her from difficult situations.
She hoped to meet her prince in a labyrinth.
But now, another prince had already found her and directly expressed his desire to marry her.
And now, that prince was kneeling on the ground like a knight, extending his left hand to hold hers.
He was serious, and from his meticulous attitude, it was clear that he wasn't joking at all.
To receive such a young man's favor must be an extremely happy and joyous thing for any woman, right?