"You've really given me a tough problem, haven't you?"
Greyworth sighed dramatically, her face showing a hint of distress.
Restia, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "Ren is strong, isn't she? Even if she has lost me, her Blade Dance hasn't disappeared. As long as she can contract with another spirit, she will still be a powerful spirit user."
Greyworth glanced sideways at Restia, not denying what the girl said, but her playful expression deepened. She toyed with a strand of hair by her ear, pondering for a moment before saying, "I don't know what you two have been through, nor do I know what kind of wish you made to the Elemental Lord, but right now, Ren Ashbell is no longer the Ren Ashbell she once was. In her current state, her memories are probably confused, and it may take quite some time for her to fully awaken."
Restia remained silent.
Greyworth looked at Restia and continued, "By the way, I had no idea she was such a beautiful girl."
At this, Greyworth couldn't help but chuckle, her face filled with joy.
Restia's mouth twitched, unable to resist saying, "You're still the same as ever."
"Heh, you've changed quite a bit. I thought you would always stay by his side," Greyworth hinted.
Roa found this intriguing. From Greyworth, he learned a crucial piece of information and recalled what the Dark Elemental Lord had said earlier, realizing something.
"Could it be that Ren Ashbell was a boy before and has now become a girl?"
Roa asked curiously.
Greyworth nodded, teasingly saying, "What, are you interested? Indeed, Ren is now a very beautiful girl. And now that she has lost her memory, with just a little deception, you could probably win her over."
Roa shook his head vigorously. Although Ren Ashbell was indeed beautiful, he was not some lecherous demon who would approach every beautiful girl, especially now that he understood the premise that she was actually a boy.
Greyworth looked expectantly at the two, finally saying, "I'll handle Ren's matters. For now, you should prepare your team quickly. The Spirit Blade Dance Festival is not easy to win, even if you have Restia and the Demon Slayer Holy Sword."
With that, she waved her hand, signaling Roa to leave quickly.
Roa pouted, leaving the office in displeasure.
Restia nodded to Greyworth and followed Roa out of the office.
For a moment, the once lively office felt much emptier.
Greyworth reached out to touch the flowers on her desk, her smile fading, and her face returned to its previous serious expression.
"Restia, what are you really thinking?"
Greyworth murmured to herself.
The scene shifted to the academy, where only two people stood in the empty corridor.
Roa sighed and said to Restia, "I need to go comfort Est; she must be feeling quite bad right now."
A smile appeared on Restia's face, but there was little warmth in her eyes.
The sunlight shone down, and it had already been a whole morning since the incident with the lotus. At this moment, it was the hottest part of the afternoon, with the sun hanging high in the sky, its scorching rays beating down on the ground.
Recently, the weather had been warming up, and the sunlight had become increasingly harsh.
Roa reached out to touch Restia's cheek, but she dodged to the right. Looking at Roa, Restia's last trace of a smile faded, and she coldly said, "What do you want?"
Roa didn't mind. Although he couldn't discern Restia's thoughts, girls were often like this; they could be happy for a long time over a small matter, or they could feel utterly heartbroken over a minor action.
Roa shifted his gaze to the corridor outside. In the center of the corridor was a garden, with a gravel path weaving through a sea of flowers. The garden wasn't large, but that was only in the context of the academy.
Unknown flowers bloomed vibrantly, exuding endless charm under the sunlight, their petals swaying gently in the breeze.
The wind blew, brushing past the flowers and Roa's golden hair.
Roa said to Restia, "Since you are my contract spirit, our time together will surely be longer in the future. I hope you can see me as family, just like that boy—oh, no, that girl."
Roa's tone was serious, and his words stirred ripples in Restia's calm heart.
Without speaking, Restia merely nodded, and then a black feather fell to the ground, disappearing in place.
Roa sighed. He could sense Restia's wariness. Even with the so-called contract kiss, it was impossible to win over a spirit's heart immediately, nor could he expect her to accept him so openly.
Why did it feel more like raising a girlfriend than a spirit?
A strange expression flashed across Roa's face, and he quickly pushed those chaotic thoughts aside.
After adjusting his clothing slightly, he infused divine power into his right hand, attempting to summon Est.
The door to the Astral Zero opened, and Roa poured divine power inside.
However, when the door opened, there was no response from within.
Roa waited a moment longer, but Est still ignored him.
"Is she angry?"
This was the first thought that crossed Roa's mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he believed she was likely upset.
Although Est had become elemental, being elemental didn't mean she lost her ability to observe the outside world. At that moment, she might have been peeking from the side, and if she had seen that scene, it was almost certain she would be angry.
"Hiss."
Roa inhaled sharply, feeling a pang in his teeth. The thought of spirits peeking made him feel quite troubled. No, he had to think of a way to block Est and Restia's desire to spy.
Roa didn't believe that Est and Restia were spirits of great tolerance.
Just by observing Est's daily life, it was clear that her temperament was far from generous, or rather, all girls were difficult to deal with.
Roa continued to infuse divine power, trying to summon Est, but she remained indifferent, as if she had completely vanished.
At this point, boys usually had two choices:
Ignore her as well.
Persistently pursue her.
Students who have been in relationships know that at this moment, one must never give up. Roa was well aware of this and knew he couldn't just give up.