Richard's ship wasn't moving that fast. He didn't feel the need to rush—after all, he hadn't appeared in a long time.

Throughout the journey, he spent most of his time observing his surroundings.

At least in this province, he didn't see any destruction or traces of war.

However, it was clear that the population had drastically decreased, as if many had emigrated and abandoned their homes—the small towns he passed through looked much quieter than before.

When he entered the next province, Richard finally began to see traces of war—ruined cities, damaged forests, and even massive craters that seemed to be remnants of great explosions.

Some were so large that he thought he couldn't possibly create something like that himself.

"Mm…"

As he continued flying, he noticed a new border.

Several towers stood tall, each marked with the symbol of the Holy Light Kingdom.

Structures like these were usually royal border posts.

If he continued flying straight toward the capital, he would likely pass through the territories already occupied by the Holy Light Kingdom. After all, borders were never perfectly straight.

Richard saw several Magi and Soldiers guarding those towers, watching his ship closely and seriously.

Not wanting to invite trouble, he decided to take a detour. The most important thing was to avoid crossing the border.

If there wasn't a war, there were no real restrictions on crossing between kingdoms.

This world wasn't like Earth, where entering another kingdom required official permission—such restrictions only applied during times of war to prevent infiltration.

Seeing how chaotic the world had become, Richard decided to increase his speed.

Before long, he entered the One-Star Province.

Apparently, the Two-Star Province had already become part of the Holy Light Kingdom.

That meant the capital city had now become the new border.

Naturally, Richard passed over Star Lake, where he had once captured Sterling.

Unexpectedly, the lake had completely dried up—filled with holes and cracks.

He even saw an upside-down mountain, as if it had been thrown from somewhere else.

"Boy!" Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, making Richard's eyes widen as he saw an old, short man in a tattered robe appear before his ship.

"Master Alex," Richard said in surprise.

He hadn't expected to meet him here—let alone have him appear so suddenly.

"You've been gone for quite some time, but it seems you've truly advanced to the World Realm. Judging by the pressure of your aura, you're already close to its peak," the old man said as he landed before Richard, looking him up and down with a faint smile.

"Master Alex, your eyes are as sharp as ever," Richard replied, surprised that the old man could read his strength so clearly, even though he was suppressing his aura.

"But why did you come to see me?" he asked.

"Can't I come to see you when I just happened to spot you flying right in front of me?" Master Alex replied lightly.

"But you must already know the kingdom's situation now. Even the king has been killed," he added.

"I know… I could only mourn when I heard about it," Richard said quietly.

He knew that the late king had been both talented and powerful—among the princes of his generation, he had been the hardest to deal with.

Unfortunately, even he couldn't escape death.

As for the queen, she had been captured by the Holy Light Kingdom.

Richard naturally had thoughts of rescuing her, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. Even if he were to ask for help from the Fire Spirit Queen, there was a chance they would still fail.

The Holy Light Kingdom, still standing at its peak, clearly had Magi capable of opposing even the Fire Spirit Queen. Moreover, they possessed a number of extremely powerful Great Generals.

"Master Alex, how is Lilith?" Richard asked next.

If he wanted to know Lilith's condition, he had to ask someone who lived in the capital and held great influence.

At his question, Master Alex's brows furrowed slightly.

"Your fiancée's condition doesn't seem very good," Master Alex said. "She rarely appears in public, and whenever she does, she looks as if she's completely drained of power. I'm not sure what's happening to her. She's incredibly strong now—she can wield a Grand Weapon with ease and even suppress the Rulers. There's no reason she should have any problems without fighting… but that's what's happening. Some suspect she's having trouble controlling the royal inheritance, but from what I've observed, there's no such issue. The inheritance has merged perfectly with her."

"How could that be?" Richard muttered, clearly puzzled.

"It's hard to say… You'd better see her yourself," Master Alex replied.

Richard nodded, deep in thought.

It seemed that Lilith truly needed his help with this matter—which must have been why she had asked him to come to her as soon as he completed his training.

'It shouldn't be life-threatening,' Richard thought, 'since she's still able to appear from time to time.'

Before long, the capital, built upon the mountains, came into view.

There was no visible destruction—the city looked intact.

However, much like the other cities he had passed, the capital seemed to have suffered a population decline, clearly because many people had chosen to leave.

The capital, which was supposed to be the safest place, now bordered directly with the Holy Light Kingdom.

In peaceful times, this might not have been an issue—but sadly, everyone knew that war could break out again, especially if Prince Charles of the Holy Light Kingdom continued to be rejected by Lilith.

Richard decided to store his ship away and continue flying on his own.

"Boy, I won't go with you to the palace," Master Alex said.

Richard nodded and continued his flight until he reached the palace gates.

"Stop!"

A middle-aged man with a muscular build suddenly appeared before him, blocking his way.

"Who are you? What business do you have at the palace?" the man demanded sharply.

It turned out to be Paul, the commander of the Sky Armor Legion in the capital.

His sharp eyes scanned Richard, clearly not recognizing him.

"Commander Paul, have you forgotten me? I'm Richard. Of course, I've come to see Princess Lilith—no, I mean, Queen Lilith," Richard said with a polite smile.

This commander had helped him more than once, so Richard naturally remained respectful.

"Richard?" Commander Paul repeated, as if recalling someone from long ago.

For a moment, his eyes flickered in thought.

He looked Richard up and down, as though confirming the truth of his claim.

At the same time, he seemed to receive a message through his Sixth Sense.

That message made him nod immediately.

"Sir Richard, please enter. Her Majesty the Queen is waiting for you," he said, stepping aside and gesturing for Richard to proceed.

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