The Sword God style was all about delivering a single, decisive strike. If Roa could awaken Moment, he could confidently say that he would become the top figure in the world of swordsmanship.
The awakening of a spirit was bound to be a lengthy process, and Roa wasn't in a hurry to use it.
He opened the World Capture option again, which displayed [Soul Projection] and [True Body Crossing].
This time, Roa decided to try True Body Crossing. After all, the last world's soul projection hadn't yielded much in terms of rewards—only the system's dragon blood and spirit were noteworthy, but the time investment had been considerable.
He clicked on True Body Crossing, which showed that he could adjust the world's time flow, but it would still consume temporal energy.
Roa tried tweaking it and found that, unlike the adjustment cost in Sword Art Online, this one was quite steep.
Looking at the World Capture page, Roa's finger hovered over the interface and clicked.
The system's cold voice rang out.
[Two-Star World Detected: ???]
[Time Ratio Between Two-Star World and Current World: 4:1]
[World Coordinates Located]
[Please Choose Your Entry Method: 1. Soul Projection (Requires Control), 2. True Body Crossing]
[Note 1: Death in Soul Projection Only Causes Soul Damage; Death in True Body Crossing Is Permanent]
[Note 2: Soul Projection Only Grants Partial World Experience Upon Completion (Distributable)]
[Note 3: Please Participate in the Plot as Much as Possible to Gain Significant Temporal Energy for Future Crossings]
[Note 4: Your Small World Is Incomplete; You May Need a Large Amount of Origin Energy]
Roa clicked on True Body Crossing, and another system prompt popped up.
[Do You Wish to Enter the World at the Current Time Flow Ratio?]
[You Will Consume 1,000 Points of Temporal Energy. Proceed?]
Roa didn't click to continue. He was just testing the waters. He still had things to take care of, at least until after Eris's birthday. If he left before her birthday was over, he could already imagine the cold shoulder she'd give him in the future.
He let out a slow breath and then went to bed.
Eris's birthday arrived quickly, just a month later. During that time, Roa had been recuperating his spirit, occasionally stepping out to guide Eris.
Her magical talent had improved, going from small fireballs to large ones—a truly commendable achievement.
The entire mansion was filled with a festive atmosphere that day.
On Eris's birthday, the mansion's grand hall and the courtyard leading to it were opened to guests.
Gifts poured in from all over the territory, and nobles from the town were invited.
Since Sauros was a no-nonsense military man, the original plan had been to host a casual, buffet-style event. However, Philip suggested making it easier for the local middle-class nobles to attend, so it was changed to a ball.
That day, the mansion was a hive of activity as everyone prepared for the banquet.
Cat-eared beast-girl maids could be seen running through the halls.
Normally, maids would be strictly forbidden from running, but this was a special occasion. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, even the maids were sprinting at full speed.
Roa, of course, sat calmly to the side, watching the busy crowd.
He was dressed in a rather formal outfit for once—a noble's suit with golden patterns. According to Philip, as Paul's son and Eris's tutor, attending the ball was a must.
So, a servant had taken him to get a suitable outfit.
And that's how he ended up like this.
Roa's natural demeanor only enhanced the noble aura of the outfit.
His slender, well-proportioned figure, sharp features, and the elegant yet unyielding air about him.
Just sitting there quietly was enough to attract the admiring gazes of many girls.
Some of the early-arriving nobles couldn't help but glance in Roa's direction. Roa sat with his legs crossed, completely unbothered by proper etiquette. Yet, even in such a casual posture, there was a unique kind of beauty to him.
In short, handsome people exuded charm no matter what they did.
Soon, a noble lady dressed in silk brocade approached Roa. She seemed to have mustered a great deal of courage to strike up a conversation. Roa merely glanced at her and sat up slightly, asking with a hint of curiosity, "Can I help you?"
He didn't ask for her name, just a simple "Can I help you?"
This pretty much shut down any potential conversation. The noble lady felt a bit awkward. She pursed her lips, gave a shy smile, and said, "N-no, nothing. I just wanted to know your name."
The girl's cheeks were burning, and she quickly realized her mistake, plunging herself into further embarrassment.
Roa thought for a moment and then said, "Roa. Just call me Roa."
The girl's heart leapt with joy, and she was about to say more when a calm voice interrupted.
"Roa, where's my gift?"
The voice, of course, belonged to Eris.
She was the only one who called him by his full name. Roa smiled and stood up from his chair.
At 1.75 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure and a face that still held a hint of youth, Roa flashed a charming smile. "The gift? Well, I'll give it to you later. It's a surprise, so I'll keep it a mystery for now."
After saying this, Roa took a moment to observe the girl before him.
To his surprise, she looked quite beautiful.
Today, Eris wasn't her usual lively self. Instead, she was dressed in a blue-themed gown.
Her hair was tied up, adorned with floral accessories, making her look incredibly cute. Her usual boisterous personality was tempered by the elegance of the blue gown.
In short, Eris looked absolutely adorable today.
Roa, who never hesitated to praise cute things, smiled and said, "You look very cute today, Miss Eris."
Eris's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment, but she accepted it with her usual straightforwardness.
Her eyes swept over the girls gathering around them, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, letting out a cold snort. She then said to Roa, "Come with me. I have something to say."
Without giving Roa a chance to respond, Eris grabbed his hand and led him outside.
The noble ladies in the hall fell silent, exchanging glances.