'Gathering another 2,000 Aether isn't difficult, but creating a Grimoire… that will be the real obstacle,' Richard thought as he examined his data.

However, compared to becoming one with the world, creating a Grimoire probably wouldn't take too long.

It wasn't something that required enlightenment—it was about uniting all of his foundations to produce something greater.

And he already had everything necessary to create that Grimoire.

Of course, the process had to be done slowly.

Richard would think about it later.

"Nine years—one year faster," he murmured with a faint, satisfied smile.

Even though it was close to ten, it was still nine.

However, his age had technically just passed eighteen by a few days.

Whoosh!

He took out a large mirror and placed it beside him, looking at the reflection of his grown-up self wearing a plain black robe—his Phantom Robe, adjusted to his adult body.

His appearance genuinely surprised him.

His father, Edward Skylight, was the most handsome man he had ever seen, but without a doubt, his own face was even more striking.

Most importantly, he hadn't inherited his father's lean frame. His body was well-built, with a broad chest, firm skin, and muscles that looked solid and strong.

There was even a change in his hair—it was still black, but now faintly streaked with silver.

Richard wasn't sure how that happened.

Of course, it didn't matter.

"How has the world changed after all this time?" he wondered aloud.

For the powerful, ten years didn't mean much. Even a hundred years would be a more noticeable change for them.

But for those who were young ten years ago, they would now be adults.

The children from the orphanage, for instance—by now, they probably had their own lives, maybe even married with children.

Except for Augus, perhaps none of them had particularly exciting lives.

Richard didn't know what had become of that boy—whether he had risen in glory or fallen into ruin. Who knew if he'd managed to win over Emma, the commander's daughter from the Sky Armor Legion—the red-haired girl from back then.

But the person Richard was most curious about was his adoptive mother's daughter, Grace Moonshadow.

She couldn't possibly still be a little girl now—she must have become a grown woman.

Richard also thought of his old enemies—Prince Charles, Duke Ethan Holystar. Surely they had grown stronger as well over these years.

But Richard believed the gap between them had narrowed.

Whoosh!

Richard stepped out of the Dragon Hall, leaping straight up from underground.

"Ohhh…"

The forest by the river, where the old cabin stood, looked almost unchanged.

Richard saw no development around his ancestral home.

Nor did he sense his ancestor's presence.

But the red-haired woman was still there, sitting behind a table, relaxing with her legs crossed as she enjoyed the view, sipping chilled wine.

Richard could tell that she no longer carried the weight of her past—or at least, after nearly ten years of seclusion, she had let go of her identity as a slave.

It seemed she rarely met Aldric anymore, so her inner pressure had faded.

The moment Richard appeared, the Fire Spirit Queen looked at him with a rare expression of shock.

Of course, someone at her level could recognize him instantly through his aura, despite the changes in his physique.

She seemed genuinely surprised that the little boy from back then had grown into such a handsome, imposing man.

And, more importantly, that he had advanced to the World Realm.

The Fire Spirit Queen could still roughly gauge Richard's strength.

She could feel that it had truly skyrocketed—to the point of being worthy of the word evolved.

Richard took a step forward, walking on air—an experience even more wondrous than flying.

With each step, his speed increased drastically, allowing him to traverse great distances effortlessly.

He arrived before the Fire Spirit Queen and casually sat at her table—since it only had one chair.

After sitting down, Richard grabbed her cup and took a sip of her wine.

With his adult body, he had no problem drinking it.

Besides, it was light wine—not intoxicating, merely rich in flavor.

The Fire Spirit Queen frowned at Richard's utterly disrespectful behavior.

Even in her worst imagination, she had never thought that a Queen who once fought for the World Magic Aether would be treated this way.

Unfortunately, she couldn't protest—she could only suppress her anger.

"Queen, has anything major happened while I was training?" Richard asked.

"In my eyes, even if this kingdom were destroyed, it wouldn't be a big deal," she replied coldly.

Richard rolled his eyes but held himself back from scolding her.

Now wasn't the time for discipline.

"I mean something major—from my point of view," he clarified.

"This kingdom has lost half of its territory," the Queen replied.

"What?"

Richard, who had just crossed his legs, immediately straightened up in shock.

"How could that happen?"

"They were invaded by the Holy Light Kingdom."

"The Holy Light Kingdom managed to take half of this kingdom?" Richard's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Why not? The Holy Light Kingdom is newly established but far stronger than the declining Starshine Kingdom, which hasn't produced a capable magus in years. Even their Second Grand Ancestor hasn't reappeared, while the Holy Light Kingdom has ten Grand Generals who once served under the Holy Light Grand Sovereign. Their foundation is formidable. The king was killed, and the queen became their captive. Right now, your fiancée is the reigning Queen. The only reason this kingdom hasn't been fully destroyed is that a prince of the Holy Light Kingdom has proposed marriage to her."

Richard: "…"

"You should be pleased—your fiancée has become incredibly powerful after merging with part of the royal inheritance. She's now a Lord capable of battling a Ruler-level opponent. With her Grand Weapon, she even killed two of the Holy Light Kingdom's Grand Generals."

"Anything else?" Richard asked calmly, relieved that Lilith was still safe.

"Your other enemy, Duke Ethan Holystar, became the Lord of the Crimson Veil. He was the one who helped the Holy Light Kingdom defeat the Starshine Kingdom."

Richard nodded at that.

He hadn't expected that man to become the Lord of Crimson Veil.

As for what happened to the previous Lord—he wasn't sure.

"By the way, there hasn't been any disturbance in my village, right?" he asked.

"The war never reached this place."

"How about my town?"

"It should've been destroyed a year ago, but a girl from the Moonshadow Family came to defend it with a powerful army."

"Ohh…"

Richard thought his ears were deceiving him, but that was impossible.

Who could that girl be?

Only one name came to mind—Grace.

Too much had happened, it seemed.

"What about my ancestor?" Richard asked, curious about his condition.

"He hasn't appeared for five years, but you don't need to worry. He went off to train after finding something valuable in the river out front."

That was good news. Richard stopped worrying about him.

He began to think about his next move.

But since everything seemed fine, there was no need to rush.

After being gone so long, a little more time didn't matter.

"Queen, do you still have any wine left?" Richard asked, crossing his legs again.

At that question, the Fire Spirit Queen frowned even deeper.

Still, she took out a luxurious clay jar inlaid with gemstones.

"Please!" Richard raised his cup, signaling her to pour.

The Queen looked even more annoyed, but powerless to refuse.

She poured the wine, which seemed chilled even from inside the jar.

Richard inhaled its rich aroma.

Aside from its pleasant taste, it was the kind of wine that made the body feel light and the mind slightly lifted—a confidence booster more than anything.

He drank it without hesitation. The coolness in his mouth turned into warmth in his throat—refreshing and smooth.

The Fire Spirit Queen watched him drink.

To her, perhaps these ten years felt short—but the boy who once gave her orders had now become a man.

Without the difference in power, they might even appear the same age.

After all, between eighteen and the late twenties, appearances hardly changed if one maintained purity.

And Richard was immaculate—he had never even broken a sweat during his seclusion in the Dragon Hall.

Yet to the Fire Spirit Queen, compared to a grown man, she still preferred being commanded by a boy.

As a beautiful woman, she knew all too well how dangerous young men could be.

Unfortunately, she wasn't just bound by a Slave Seal. She was tied by her own vow—unable to resist, unable to die.

Whatever this young man desired from her, she could not refuse.

As her mind began to fill with dangerous thoughts, the Fire Spirit Queen suddenly gasped when Richard looked straight into her eyes and asked—

"What are you thinking about, Queen?"

His sharp gaze struck her so hard she almost staggered.

The Fire Spirit Queen was a woman who rarely found herself in an awkward situation, yet for the first time, she looked genuinely flustered.

Richard merely smiled and added, "You must be worried that I'll do something indecent to you."

"…"

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