The meeting with Aistena took place in the Deep Blue Illusion again.
Although they had only gone a month without seeing each other, both felt that the other's bearing and state of mind had changed considerably.
Looking at Aistena, Kroya inexplicably felt that beneath his presentable exterior lay utter exhaustion, the kind that made him want to sleep forever whenever he had time to rest.
Even his fitted Battle Mage robes had been replaced with a more comfortable, somewhat slovenly set. He even smelled of invigorating peppermint essential oil.
His face was bare, and his mind seemed scattered.
Aistena, meanwhile, felt that the already warm light surrounding Kroya had grown even more vibrant, like the grass he had seen on childhood spring outings to the palace gardens in the Royal Capital.
That emerald-green grass, stretching to the horizon and basking in the warmth of the sun.
The two fell silent for a while before Kroya finally teased, "What's happened to you lately?"
As he spoke, he gestured for Aistena to take a seat.
Soft, comfortable chairs and a table had already appeared nearby, providing somewhere for them to sit and chat.
Acting president Aistena sat down with Kroya and sighed helplessly. "All the senior mages in the Kingdom left, so I had no choice but to take over as president of the Mage Association for now.
"You have no idea how many little things there are to deal with!"
In the Royal Capital, he had to remain calm and unruffled. That was not actually difficult for a Battle Mage.
Battle Mages were different from warriors and knights.
The former needed to keep their mental power stable at all times so they could calmly assess the situation and cast their spells reliably.
As for the latter, if they got angry, they