Time flies.
As the sun sets and night falls... the entire town seems to be shrouded in a black cloth, shrouded in a gray haze.
Only this tavern was brightly lit, its warm yellow light making the whole room cozy and comfortable.
A gentle sea breeze blew outside the window, and occasionally the cries of seagulls drifted from afar.
During this time, Roxy asked about Luo Ge's experiences.
Luo Ge didn't hide anything from this, and recounted from the beginning how, after Roxy left that year, he and the Sword King Ghislaine traveled together, and how they were ambushed by the Dragon God on the Red Dragon's Jaw.
When Luo Ge was being chased by the Dragon God and had no choice but to jump off a cliff to his death, even though Roxy wasn't there, she could imagine how desperate that child must have been at that moment.
But as his most trusted teacher, he wasn't there for his student when the student was in danger...
Roxy was filled with bitterness, but then she heard that Luo Ge had fallen off a cliff and was unexpectedly caught in a teleportation magic circle.
She breathed a heavy sigh of relief; as expected, her disciple would never be easily defeated by fate.
But.
When she heard that Luo Ge had fallen into one of the world's three great labyrinths, " Dragon God Hole," Roxy's heart clenched again.
As a seasoned adventurer, she was well aware of the dangers of " Dragon God Hole," one of the world's three great labyrinths.
Even seasoned adventurers wouldn't dare venture into such a place, and that child was only five years old back then.
That kind of maze is fraught with danger, traps, monsters... it could easily take the life of an adult.
However, Luo Ge lived a difficult life in the Dragon God Hole for two and a half years. Roxy couldn't believe how her disciple had survived those two and a half years.
That child must have had a very difficult time.
Although Luo Ge spoke casually, Roxy knew very well how difficult it was to survive in the maze... Luo Ge's casual tone was probably just to keep her from worrying.
Thinking about all that her disciple had gone through, Roxy couldn't help but feel empathy for him...
Meanwhile, as someone was vividly recounting their upcoming arrival at the Sword Sanctum, Luo Ge inadvertently noticed that Roxy's eyes had suddenly turned red.
"Huh?"
"Teacher... why are you crying?"
Luo Ge paused for a moment, his tone tinged with surprise.
However.
Then, something even more unexpected happened to Luo Ge.
While Luo Ge looked confused and bewildered, Roxy stood up without saying a word.
He walked up to Luo Ge.
With his mind full of questions, Luo Ge, Roxy was even shorter than Roxy, actually hugged Luo Ge tightly.
Then... without saying a word, giving Luo Ge no chance to refuse.
She grabbed Luo Ge's head and pulled him tightly into her embrace, while her other hand gently reached over Luo Ge's head and carefully stroked it.
She stroked it gently, her movements careful, like a mother tenderly caring for her child.
"... Luo Ge... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Please forgive me for my willful departure back then, without ever considering your feelings."
"Teacher?"
"Teacher... you..."
"I'm sorry, Luo Ge, can you forgive me, teacher? I've wronged you, I'm so useless... If only you were a little more capable, you might have been able to protect Luo Ge."
"Teacher, please don't say that."
Luo Ge's voice, muffled in her arms, carried a reassuring calmness, "... I've never blamed my teacher. After all, that path was always my own choice, and no matter the outcome, I won't regret it!"
"And... teacher, you taught me magic, you're already amazing."
"By the way, actually, I'm the one who should be apologizing all along."
"Apologize? Why do you say that? Did Luo Ge do something wrong?"
Seeing Roxy's completely bewildered expression, Luo Ge sighed and said, "... I was so immature and sensible before. I shouldn't have used that kind of thing to secretly blackmail the teacher."
"That kind of thing?"
Roxy's ahoge (cowlick) wobbled slightly, clearly not having reacted yet.
Luo Ge continued to remind him, "It's just that you, teacher, didn't chant..."
Before she could finish speaking, Roxy's face flushed red instantly; she had almost forgotten about the incident.
As a result, Luo Ge brought up the very thing he didn't want to talk about.
Almost reflexively, she covered Luo Ge's mouth, her face slightly flushed as if she were drunk.
Feeling guilty, Roxy glanced around. Luckily, she noticed that most of the people around her, including Elinalise and Nanahoshi, were no longer paying attention to them.
"Don't... don't say it... you can't bring up those kinds of things again." At this moment, Roxy's voice became a little more cautious.
"Yeah!"
"I will keep this secret for my teacher for the rest of my life."
Although she didn't look up, one could feel Roxy's heart pounding wildly, like a deer's tail.
He took a deep breath.
My nasal cavity was filled with the teacher's familiar scent...
It smells delicious and is very soft...
Luo Ge's lips curled into a slight smile, his face full of enjoyment... but his feelings at that moment were quite complicated.
Although he had told people around him about this experience more than once, this was the first time he had seen someone react like Roxy.
She was the first woman to voluntarily cry for herself.
Both Paul and Rudeus were overjoyed after hearing this, feeling incredibly proud of themselves and praising his good fortune and skill.
They believed that someone like Luo Ge deserved to survive; he was a genius... he was capable of all of this.
But no one else, after hearing her story, immediately offered comfort and a hug instead of praise.
Luo Ge felt Roxy's heartbeat...
This is the teacher's care for his student.
This pure... untainted concern filled Luo Ge's chest with an indescribable warmth.
Luo Ge also tried to make even bolder demands.
"Teacher!"
"I'm really tired today... so can I lean on your knees for a bit? Just for a moment."
Roxy, Luo Ge had always felt indebted to Luo Ge and wanted to make amends, responded with a helpless yet heartbroken tone upon hearing this.
"Sigh, there's just no way to deal with Luo Ge... You can do it."
"Teacher, you're so kind to me."
Just as Luo Ge was excitedly about to lean against those knees and close his eyes to rest, Luo Ge expression suddenly changed the next second.
It wasn't that Roxy suddenly changed her mind.
But in the dead of night, an incredibly loud shout rang out from outside.
"Brave!"
I've finally found you.
"Hahahaha! Brave warrior, the game of hide-and-seek is over! After searching for so long... I've finally caught you!"
The voice was loud and assertive, carrying a kind of exhilarating energy that made one's head throb. It carried all the way in from outside the tavern, making the paper windows tremble slightly.
Upon hearing the noise outside, everyone in the tavern's expression changed.
Even Luo Ge looked very displeased. Of all times to come, why did they have to come at such a crucial moment?
Interrupting her and Teacher Roxy's reunion was absolutely unforgivable and intolerable.
Who is it?
Who is it?!
Luo Ge stood up angrily... He was very angry.