But persistent pursuit also required skill. If he simply infused divine power in a barefaced manner, trying to lure Est out, it would undoubtedly fail.
Feigning regret, Roa said, "Is Est not feeling well? I originally wanted to go shopping with her, enjoy some delicious tofu, drink milk tea, and eat ice cream. What a pity."
Roa's expression appropriately displayed a sense of regret.
His right hand glowed for a moment, and Est seemed to hesitate.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Roa intensified his efforts, casually saying, "I guess I have no choice but to find Restia."
This time, Roa had learned his lesson. To prevent Restia from eavesdropping from behind, he cut off the divine power source to her, although he wasn't sure if it would work.
As soon as Roa's words left his mouth, suddenly, particles of light began to gather, and Est appeared before Roa with a cold expression.
Est was wearing the academy uniform, her petite and cute figure pressed close to him. The girl was not tall, only about 1.45 meters, reaching only Roa's waist. Est looked up at Roa, her face still expressionless, and said, "Roa, come here."
Est's way of addressing him made Roa feel a sense of foreboding.
Est's thoughts were easy to understand; the clearer they were, the better he could tell when the girl was angry. Like now, directly calling Roa by his name indicated that she was likely sulking.
Roa obediently bent down, bringing his gaze level with Est's, meeting her cold eyes. He asked, "What's wrong?"
Roa had considered that Est's response might be coldness or a small punch, but he didn't expect Est to suddenly leap into his arms.
Est hugged Roa, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and the girl's sudden action left him somewhat at a loss.
Roa opened his mouth but didn't know where to start. Breathing in Est's faint scent and feeling her soft body and the warmth from her small arms, he sighed and reached out to stroke Est's forehead, feeling a bit embarrassed as he said, "I'm sorry, Est."
He didn't know why he was apologizing; he just felt that he should at that moment.
The embrace didn't last long. Est released him, her eyes still cold, but the emotions hidden within were quite complex.
Est looked at Roa's exceptionally handsome face, recalling the strong and powerful heartbeat she had just heard. Suddenly, she took a small step forward.
A soft sensation brushed against his lips.
Roa's eyes widened in disbelief.
Had Est also learned Restia's way and started to enjoy kissing?
The soft lips touched and withdrew in an instant, and Est didn't give Roa a chance to savor it. She stepped back and softly said to him, "Please don't abandon me."
It was only at that moment that Roa noticed Est's slightly trembling body.
Est's body was so small, and beneath that petite frame lay a heart that was broken and fragile.
Recalling the girl from his dream, Roa couldn't help but feel a surge of pity, and he regretted his earlier teasing.
Although Est usually seemed indifferent, when it came to her most important things, she would naturally feel panic.
Despite having lived for over a thousand years, Est's emotions were like those of a child.
Having understood everything, Roa picked up the girl. She was incredibly light, and her small body seemed to tremble slightly at his sudden action.
Roa reached out to stroke Est's silvery hair as he walked toward the distant street, smiling at Est, "Let's go, I'll take you to eat something delicious."
Accompanying a girl on a shopping trip often meant that a whole day would pass just like that.
Est was different from other girls; she was only interested in food, and along the way, she never stopped talking about it.
Chewing on her food in small bites, Est's eyes sparkled, and Roa could feel her joy.
The girl's sadness was like bubbles; with a gust of wind, it would disperse.
Holding Est's hand and taking her to taste delicious food, Roa felt a long-lost sense of contentment.
As for what the future held, he would leave that to his future self; right now, he just wanted to relax.
Relaxation was impossible, as the school bell rang, and a group of students noisily approached from a distance.
Roa had no classes and no so-called teachers, which was why he could quietly enjoy his peaceful time.
But now it was already class dismissal time, and the tired students clustered together, chatting about something as they walked toward the street.
Among this group, there was a red-haired girl and a blonde girl.
Roa's mouth twitched. He didn't know why, but seeing the red-haired girl made him feel a bit overwhelmed. He wanted to pretend he didn't notice, but Claire inadvertently glanced in Roa's direction, suddenly raising her hand and waving at him, signaling her location.
Roa sighed helplessly, holding Est's hand as he walked toward Claire and Rinslet.
As he got closer, he could hear the two of them bickering, and Roa felt a sense of helplessness.
Upon seeing Roa's arrival, Claire excitedly said, "Hey, hey, where have you been all morning? I was looking for you at the academy for a while."
Roa asked in confusion, "Looking for me?"
Claire nodded, saying, "The academy has arranged another team competition for tomorrow afternoon, and I wanted to let you know."
Roa nodded in understanding, and then Claire curiously asked, "I heard you were attacked in the library?"
Roa asked in surprise, "Didn't you say you didn't know where I was? How did you know I was attacked?"
Claire looked at Roa with a strange expression and said, "I couldn't find you, but someone saw you, and your situation spread from there. So, how was that person?"
Roa shrugged, saying, "Just a clown, I knocked him out with a few punches."
Claire responded with an "oh," showing little interest in the attacker, then excitedly said, "Did you see what happened in the Spirit Forest this morning?"
Roa was puzzled, and Claire began to explain excitedly, "You don't know! I happened to be standing in the corridor looking out, and in that instant, a powerful wave of divine power swept through, completely annihilating the Spirit Forest. All the trees in the middle disappeared! This even alarmed the academy head."
The more Claire spoke, the more she felt something was off, and she fell into thought. She looked up at Roa, her fiery red eyes flashing with curiosity, "Could it be that you did it?"