Standing under the sun after a long time, looking at the towering city walls, Roa stepped forward.
As per usual, the mercenaries checked Roa's package. They didn't say anything, as there was nothing inappropriate in the package, and they directly allowed him to be searched.
The mercenaries were two young men who opened the package, took a look, and found only ordinary clothes. They nodded and prepared to let him pass.
However, when they raised their eyes to see the young man, their expressions instantly froze.
"Magic Swordsman Roa?"
One of the guards slapped his partner on the forehead, looking very displeased as he shouted, "Are you blind? How could you be so rude to our esteemed Magic Swordsman?"
After saying that, he secretly glanced at Roa. Although the soldier loudly reprimanded his reckless partner, he was actually covering for him.
Small characters naturally have their own ways of survival, and there are many rules and regulations.
Roa had not yet reacted when he suddenly remembered what he had done recently, and couldn't help but chuckle. The soldier in front of him was indeed a bit interesting, but Roa didn't feel much concern.
In this world, there are two types of people who earn others' respect.
One type is those with exceptional strength, and the other is those with high status.
Both types have their own pride, and not everyone would obediently line up like Roa and wait to be searched.
Some strong individuals or noble lords are quite arrogant, and doing so would undoubtedly be akin to slapping them in the face.
So, many times, when facing those famous adventurers or noble lords who come from above, the guards would directly let them in.
The queue for entry and inspection is more aimed at merchants and ordinary people like Roa.
Those powerful adventurers would almost always proudly announce their names and walk directly into the city, while the nobles would be even more dismissive, not even glancing at the guards as they passed by.
And for these individuals, the guards wouldn't stop them.
Of course, this situation only applies in normal times; if it were during a time of war, it would be a different story.
As for Roa's reputation, although he had only revealed a bit of strength, even that little bit was enough for this group of leisurely adventurers to boast about for an entire day.
Adventurers are undoubtedly the most numerous people in this world, and their news is very well-informed. Recently, in taverns, they have been boasting about Roa's strength to the point of exaggeration.
Roa shrugged and smiled, "So, can I go in now?"
The pedestrians behind him showed surprised expressions upon hearing Roa's name, some with strange looks.
Ignoring the surprised and curious expressions of the crowd, Roa picked up his package and walked toward the inner city.
Stalls lined the roadside, displaying all sorts of items, with various goods casually placed on tables, and vendors calling out on both sides.
As autumn approached, many fruit vendors appeared.
The fruits were mostly strange varieties, and just by looking at their appearance, it was impossible to tell how they resembled anything from Roa's memories of his past life.
Although this town was not particularly prosperous and was not the capital of a country, it was indeed lively.
There were many pedestrians, among whom were some adventurers dressed in armor, with long swords hanging at their waists, looking around.
The cat-eared beast girls on the street would instinctively avoid their gazes and hurriedly distance themselves from these individuals.
Of course, there were also some bolder ones among them, who glared back at the adventurers with fierce expressions.
This had nothing to do with Roa; he merely glanced a few times before heading straight toward the palace at the top.
The distance from the bottom of the city to the top was not far, but Roa still took about half an hour.
Having not seen familiar sights for a long time, spending a little time on the road was worth it.
Familiar sounds filled his ears, with rough men calling out, and life continued as usual.
When Roa arrived at the entrance, the guards stepped forward and blocked his way.
Just like what happened at the city gate, upon seeing Roa, the two servants lowered their heads and bowed, saying, "Young Master Roa, welcome back."
Roa was somewhat surprised by the servants' address; he didn't remember when he had become their "young master."
However, he didn't bother to correct their titles; if they wanted to call him "young master," so be it. He didn't mind the change in address.
Roa nodded and walked directly into the mansion.
Upon entering the main door, he was greeted by familiar scenes. According to his memories, he walked through the corridor and headed straight for the living room.
Recalling the memories in his mind, his room was in the upper right corner of the living room. He could go upstairs directly to reach the room he had lived in for a while.
However, when he arrived at the living room, he was noticed by someone.
"You're back, Roa."
Sitting on the sofa, a handsome young man leaning lazily against the chair spoke up.
Roa nodded, thought for a moment, and performed a noble's greeting, saying, "Good morning, Mr. Philip."
It had been a while since he used noble etiquette, and Roa felt a bit rusty.
Philip smiled, pointed to the sun that was almost at noon, and teased, "It's not really the time to say good morning now."
After saying that, he winked at Roa.
Roa remained indifferent to Philip's teasing and did not respond to his banter. Instead, he curiously asked, "How's Rudeus? He hasn't caused you any trouble, has he?"
Philip shrugged and casually replied while sitting on the sofa, "Rudeus? He should be training at this time."
Roa lightly responded with an "oh" and prepared to continue walking forward.
"Wait a moment."
Philip called out to Roa, whose forward motion slightly paused as he turned to look at Philip.
"Is there something you need?"
"After such a long time away from home, don't you want to sit for a while?"
Philip pointed to the chair placed in front of the table.
Roa nodded, picked up his package, and sat down in the direction Philip indicated.
The chair was made of mahogany, and while Roa couldn't discern any special qualities about such furniture, just looking at the patterns and exquisite craftsmanship made it clear that it was quite expensive.
Once Roa was seated, Philip called for the butler to prepare a pot of tea.
As if remembering something, Philip asked, "What would you like to drink, Roa? Black tea or something else?"
Roa hesitated for a moment and said, "Black tea, of course, with extra sugar."
Roa didn't particularly like black tea, but it seemed that aside from black tea, he hadn't seen anything else in the residence.
The butler nodded and walked toward the kitchen.
For a moment, the living room was left with only Roa and Philip sitting across from each other.
Philip observed the young man he hadn't seen in a while, and a strange look appeared in his eyes.
This was a young man who resembled a noble more than any noble himself, both in appearance and in the aura he exuded.
There were very few people in this world with brilliant golden hair, but undoubtedly, those of Royal bloodlines all possessed such beautiful hair color.
However, what truly surprised Philip was not the young man's looks, but rather his aura.
Even though he was simply sitting there, and the young man didn't intentionally display any imposing presence, Philip inexplicably felt the need to lower himself in front of him.
Roa didn't speak, and Philip didn't rush to say anything either, suppressing the slight complexity in his heart as he leisurely savored the tea in his cup.
Philip's cup also contained black tea, and after sipping it slowly a few times, he finally spoke, "I heard you've been making quite a name for yourself lately."
Roa glanced at the man in front of him, unable to hold back his impatience, and directly asked, "What do you want to say?"
A smile appeared on Philip's face, his brown eyes narrowing slightly. He no longer beat around the bush and said directly, "What do you think of my daughter?"
Roa's expression turned playful, and he replied, "Eris is a nice girl."
Philip's lips curled into a faint smile as he continued to wait for Roa's words.
Roa paused for a moment and continued, "If anything were to happen to her, I would feel very sad. So, if I can help her, I will. What do you think, Mr. Philip?"
Philip's expression remained unchanged as he set down his teacup, still smiling.
"Your father, Paul, should inherit the legacy of the Greyrat family, but don't you think it's a pity that he was stripped of his position as the clan leader? That position was meant to be his, and it will be yours in the future."
Philip began to try to entice Roa.
Roa remained unmoved, his golden pupils staring directly at Philip as he said, "That was his choice, and Paul ran away on his own."
"But don't you have any thoughts on this? According to common sense, he is the next clan leader. He could have many things—power, wealth, everything would be within reach."
Roa's smile gradually faded, and he listened to Philip's words with a blank expression.
"So what?" Roa suddenly spoke.
"What do you mean, so what? The Greyrat family is a top noble family in the Asura Kingdom, and in the capital, the family has a significant voice. That's not something this small place can compare to."
Philip patiently explained, not at all minding the slight impatience in Roa's tone.
At that moment, the butler approached, carrying a pot of brewed black tea, and came to stand beside the two.
Philip sighed, closed his mouth, and rubbed his forehead, choosing not to continue speaking.
He poured the brewed black tea into Roa's cup and then scooped a small spoonful of sugar into it.
After finishing all this, Philip finally said lightly, "Butler, you may leave."
The butler nodded and exited, closing the door to the living room behind him.
Roa didn't immediately take the tea on the table but instead tapped his fingers on the surface, producing a crisp sound.
Philip frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with the young man's behavior. Roa glanced at Philip and finally asked, "Why do you think my father would give up that position?"
Without giving Philip time to respond, Roa continued, "I know my father well; he probably couldn't stand the tedious formalities and chose to leave home, right? All I've heard from you are the benefits of becoming the so-called head of the family, but do you really think those benefits are truly beneficial to me?"
Philip fell silent and didn't speak.
Roa continued, "We've never been from the same world. Just as this border town is too small for you, this country is the same for me."
"The position of clan leader in the Greyrat family is indeed tempting, but how does it compare to the Seven Great Powers?"
Upon hearing this, Philip wanted to mock the young man, but when he saw the almost smiling look in Roa's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say anything mocking.
The Seven Great Powers.
How many people in this world could be called the Seven Great Powers?
Those seven heroes standing at the very top of this world.
Reality is often more brutal than ideals; heroes are heroes because they accomplish feats that ordinary people can hardly imagine.
"Are you saying you could become one of the Seven Great Powers?"
Roa smiled without speaking, but his eyes held an unparalleled confidence.
Although Roa might still not be able to match the Dragon God, the few beneath the Dragon God were another matter.
Philip didn't speak again; his outstretched hand trembled slightly as he tried to pick up the tea beside him, the trembling hand indicating the excitement in Philip's heart.
Indeed, Philip was very excited inside.
A Sword King was enough to give Philip a great deal of confidence.
The arrival of Ghislaine had caused Philip's political enemies to retreat significantly.
Personal strength may not solve everything, but when one's power reaches a certain level, one has the confidence to turn the tables.
To become one of the Seven Great Powers, one must at least have a skill reach the legendary divine level.
Philip stood up, looking at the exceptionally handsome young man in front of him, and bowed deeply.
"Then, if anything happens to us, please protect Eris."
Roa looked at the man in front of him and found it somewhat amusing.
Was Philip the kind of person who would place great importance on his daughter?
No, while Philip would often yield to Eris in many matters, when it came to important issues, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice Eris to obtain what he wanted.
For example, the things he was currently plotting.
As Roa had said, this border town was far too narrow for him.
Smart people are always proud, especially someone as clever as Philip. He was confident that as long as he was given power, he could showcase more talents and create more value, rather than being a nameless little lord in a border town.