The woman's thoughts were far too easy for Richard to read.

Even if she was a proud woman who had once stood at the peak of the world, how could she not fear something like this?

Her rosy lips parted and closed, though not too dramatically, after hearing his words. Yet, she quickly steadied her expression.

"You'd better not try anything strange," she said in a threatening tone.

Her cold eyes stared sharply at him.

But Richard only smiled.

He found it amusing—seeing this cold and arrogant woman panic.

Her beauty almost made him forget that she had once been an old, dying woman.

"You know, My Queen," Richard said with a playful grin, "it's really difficult at my age. Just so you know, 80% of what crosses my mind involves beautiful women. And you, of course, are one of the most distracting."

The Fire Spirit Queen: "…"

"But don't worry," Richard added as he noticed her blank, almost panicked expression, "I may make you do difficult things, but I won't defile you in any filthy way."

After saying that, Richard stood up and flew toward the Purple Rose Village, leaving the Fire Spirit Queen behind—her face frozen as if she couldn't think of anything at all.

With flight, it only took Richard a short while to arrive at Purple Rose Village.

It didn't look much different from before, but to his surprise, their orphanage had become massive.

It wasn't just one or two times larger—it was ten times bigger, with five floors, far more space, and many more children living inside.

He even saw nearly twenty sisters who seemed to share responsibilities.

And Richard quickly spotted Sister Lisa, who was teaching older children how to use swords and spears.

He was a little surprised when he saw her—she didn't seem to have aged at all.

Apparently, her mastery over the Heavenly Armor had improved to the point where she could fully merge with it, relying on that to resist aging.

Without thinking too much, Richard stepped toward her, appearing directly in front of her and startling the children who were training.

Sister Lisa was stunned, clearly on guard—but when she saw him, a sense of familiarity washed over her.

"You?" she said with a puzzled look.

"Sister Lisa, don't you recognize me anymore?" Richard replied with a chuckle.

"Richard?"

It didn't take long for Sister Lisa to realize who he was.

His facial structure was still the same, and though his voice had changed, it retained a familiar tone that anyone who had heard him often would recognize immediately.

"Of course, it's me. Sister, how have you been?" Richard asked warmly.

The young children—those who had once been like Richard—looked at him in awe when they heard his name.

Their eyes blinked rapidly, full of disbelief.

To the children of this orphanage, Richard was a living legend.

At their age, his name was already famous throughout the Holy Star Kingdom.

"Have you finished your training?" Sister Lisa asked instead of answering his question.

"Yes, I'm done. At least for now, I don't need to lock myself away for so long anymore," Richard replied.

"Thank goodness. You know, I thought you'd never show up again." Sister Lisa sighed in relief.

Richard rolled his eyes playfully at that.

"By the way, Sister Lisa, how did this orphanage become so big?" he asked.

"It's because of the war. Many children lost their parents and had to stay here. We received a lot of donations to expand the orphanage," Sister Lisa explained.

"Richard, Lilith asked me to tell you to see her as soon as you're done training," she added.

"Why?" Richard asked.

He wasn't surprised about the war, but he was curious why Lilith wanted to see him so urgently.

"That… I'm not sure, but she said it's something important." Sister Lisa shook her head.

"I see…" Richard nodded.

"By the way, Sister, would you like to come with me?" he asked.

With so many sisters in the orphanage now, Richard felt it wouldn't be a problem if Sister Lisa left whenever she wished.

When asked, Sister Lisa seemed hesitant—uncertain whether to go or to refuse.

Richard waited patiently for her answer.

He knew how deeply she cared for the orphanage, but he also knew she had a lingering desire to see the world beyond it.

At least, if she followed him, she could witness a far greater world—not just this kingdom.

After a moment of silent thought, glancing between the orphanage, the children, and Richard, Sister Lisa finally shook her head.

"Richard, you can go ahead first. I'll follow later. There's still some training I need to complete. If I succeed, I'll leave and join you," she said softly.

So, she simply needed more time. Richard nodded lightly.

"Then I'll go first, Sister," he said.

With so many changes to the orphanage, Richard couldn't help but feel slightly out of place.

That was why he wanted to leave—he knew he was destined to explore the world.

Sister Lisa said nothing, only watched him as he summoned his airship, which soared into the sky.

The orphans watched in awe at the sight.

Whoosh!

Richard leaped onto the airship as it ascended.

The ship didn't fly too fast; he still had something—or rather, someone—to find: his horse, Athena.

It hadn't gone missing, merely wandering freely.

During his training, Athena often roamed on her own to grow stronger.

Of course, she never went too far—always within a range that Richard could faintly sense her presence.

Thanks to their bond as man and beast, he could roughly perceive where she was.

But he needed to get closer for Athena to sense him in return.

Once she did, she would definitely come to him.

Whoosh!

Not long after, Richard spotted Athena flying swiftly in her smaller form.

Her appearance hadn't changed, but her aura was clearly stronger—her tier must have risen significantly, perhaps to Tier 48 or 49.

Relying solely on her Bloodline, Athena could continue to grow as long as she didn't grow lazy.

The horse quickly landed on Richard's airship, looking excited as she pressed her head against his chest.

Whether he was a boy or now a grown man, Athena never seemed to see him any differently.

Richard smiled faintly, gently stroking her head without saying a word.

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