Chapter 21

Rudeus was utterly dumbfounded. If Roxy's magic could be called a disaster, then Roya's was nothing short of an apocalypse.

He couldn't even imagine how many casualties there would be if such a spell were unleashed on a place like the royal capital.

Sylphie's face was pale. She stumbled back a few steps, her timid nature making her especially vulnerable. To her, magic had always been fun and fascinating, but the apocalyptic scene before her was genuinely terrifying.

Roya stared blankly at the barren plain, at the shattered magic stone in his hand, lost in thought for a moment.

With a sigh, he turned to Roxy and flashed a smile.

For once, Roya's smile wasn't forced. The corners of his mouth curved naturally, warm and genuine—a rare and beautiful sight.

Rudeus blinked, momentarily wishing the figure before him was a real loli instead of his big brother.

Roya stepped forward and wrapped Roxy in a big hug.

"Remember to write. You know my address," he said, feeling the petite frame of the girl in his arms. This might be their last embrace.

"Mm," Roxy murmured, a little flustered, staring at Roya in her arms.

"Take care of yourself. If you run into any problems you can't solve, set them aside and write to me. I'll figure out a way to help you."

"Tch, I'm your master, you know. Why would I need my apprentice's help?" Roxy grinned, her arms tightening around Roya.

But Roya ignored her protest, continuing earnestly, "Promise me you won't push yourself too hard."

Roxy met his golden eyes, seeing an unprecedented seriousness in them.

With a sigh, she nodded helplessly.

Rudeus and Sylphie exchanged a glance and moved to a quiet corner to stand.

"Um, I feel like Master Roxy's feelings toward Roya are… different, somehow?" Sylphie said, tilting her head as she watched the two embrace.

Rudeus let a sly grin slip before quickly reining it in, noticing Sylphie beside him.

He put on a mature air and chuckled at her. "You'll understand when you're older."

Sylphie tilted her head again, muttering under her breath, "I get the feeling you're up to no good, Rudeus."

Holding Roxy's hand, the group walked in rare silence.

The dark clouds parted, and sunlight spilled down, its warmth bathing everyone.

Rudeus's gaze kept darting between the two.

They walked quietly, side by side.

The journey wasn't long, and soon they were back home.

Zenith was humming a cheerful, unfamiliar tune, watering the flowers with a watering can.

She spotted the group returning from a distance.

Beaming, she greeted Roxy warmly. "Everyone, good work! What would you like to eat?"

But Zenith quickly noticed the awkward atmosphere. Roya was holding Roxy's hand, while Rudeus and Sylphie trailed far behind.

Puzzled, she asked, "What's going on with you all?"

Stepping inside, Roxy let go of Roya's hand, took a deep breath, and said, "I'd like to talk about ending the magic lessons."

Zenith's expression froze. The watering can slipped from her hand, clattering to the ground.

In the living room, the family gathered together.

Paul looked at Roxy with a serious expression. "So, you're saying you're leaving?"

Roxy nodded, absently brushing a strand of hair by her ear. "Roya's a genius. Rudeus is a genius. Even Sylphie's talent surpasses mine," she said, offering a wry smile.

Paul and Zenith exchanged a glance but said nothing.

Roxy continued, "I really like everyone here. I've felt so at ease with you all. You're wonderful people. This tutoring job has been the warmest moment of my adventuring life."

At that, she bowed deeply. Paul moved to stop her, but she held up a hand to halt him.

"Honestly, I love being with you all. But I've taught everything I can. It's time for me to set out on a new journey. I'm their master, after all—I can't let the day come when my own students leave me so far behind I can't even see their backs," Roxy said slowly.

Roya sighed. That was probably Roxy's true reasoning.

She had her own pride, too.

Paul and Zenith fell silent. After a moment, Zenith spoke, "If that's your decision, I won't argue. Just…"

She stepped forward, helping Roxy up and pulling her into a warm embrace. "You're part of this family now. No matter what trouble you face, you can always come to us. This home will always be open to you."

Roxy's eyes glistened with emotion. Paul rubbed his nose and pulled a heavy pouch of gold coins from his pocket, handing it to her.

"Thank you for your dedicated teaching these past few years," he said. "It's been a pleasure having you here. You're a fine teacher."

The room filled with a touching atmosphere. Farewells were always bittersweet.

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to Roxy.

Paul gave her a sturdy chestnut horse from the household. Though Roxy protested, it was forced into her hands anyway.

Roya watched silently as Roxy rode off into the distance. She waved farewell to everyone, and when her figure vanished from sight, he looked away.

"Well, it's time to get started," Roya murmured to himself.

He'd mastered Water Saint-level magic. Next up was swordsmanship.

That very afternoon, after Roxy's departure, Roya threw himself fully into the version of himself in the world of Sword Art Online.

Sword Art Online World

As dawn broke outside, Naoki Kirigaya rose, dressed, and brushed his teeth.

In his spare time, he'd learned the languages of four countries and passed their TOEFL and IELTS exams. When it came to credentials, most people couldn't hold a candle to him.

The AI managing his body wasn't interested in studying—it preferred gaming.

But talent was talent. Whatever he did, he excelled effortlessly, outshining most with ease.

Roya was a proud person. Since he'd crossed into this world, he aimed to be the best.

He wanted to level up by grinding monsters, honing his sword skills to benefit his real-world self.

It was a grand plan, but there was a hitch: the AI couldn't be trusted to follow his original intentions diligently.

Left with no choice, he occasionally took control himself.

So, on top of learning languages, he picked up programming. Why programming? To create bugs, of course.

Only honest players stuck to the rules. True masters crafted their own cheats.

But he couldn't rely entirely on exploits. His original goal was to refine his swordsmanship in SAO, not to wreak havoc with hacks.