From then on, the world had one more heartbroken person.
Roa noticed Claire's changes. Although he was focused on eating, it didn't mean he wasn't paying attention to what was happening around him.
Roa easily captured the changes in Claire's expression.
However, there was nothing Roa could do about Claire's sadness.
When someone wins, someone else naturally loses. He was the victor, and Claire was the loser.
After finishing their meal, Roa and Iris walked together. Claire had already left the room, realizing that this place wasn't suitable for her.
Iris's gaze remained fixed on Roa, and she seemed quite oblivious to Claire's changes.
Iris's focus was primarily on Roa.
A maid came to clear the table, and Iris lazily reclined in her chair, adopting a posture remarkably similar to Roa's earlier "salty fish" pose.
The young man looked at the petite girl with amusement. Both of them were leaning back in their chairs in the same way, exuding a lazy aura.
If Claire were there, Iris would surely receive a lecture.
But Roa wasn't Claire. Roa simply shrugged, not caring about it. He directly asked, "Iris, where do you want to go?"
Iris raised a slender finger and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She hesitated and said, "Me? I still want to go somewhere farther away."
"Somewhere farther away?"
Roa frowned. The term "somewhere farther away" was too vague, and he couldn't figure out what Iris meant.
Iris tentatively asked, "Hey, brother, do you think we could become adventurers?"
As expected.
Hearing Iris's words didn't shock Roa. Her previous actions had already indicated that she wanted to become an adventurer.
Seeming to realize that her request was a bit excessive, Iris quickly added, "Of course, going to town is also nice. Last time I went to town, the shopkeepers gave me so many toys."
However, as she finished speaking, Roa calmly said, "Okay."
Iris was stunned, her face showing surprise and joy. She stood up and looked at Roa with excitement, asking, "Really?"
Roa repeated his words, "Okay."
Iris cheered instantly. She went to Roa, grabbed his hand, and exclaimed, "I knew it! You love me the most, brother!"
Roa helplessly patted the girl's head, stood up, and said, "In that case, go get ready quickly."
The Royal capital definitely has adventurer guilds, and quite a few of them.
There are also monsters outside the Royal capital, also in large numbers, and their levels are relatively high.
Despite the peaceful and prosperous appearance of the Royal capital, it's actually the towering city walls that separate the inside from the outside world.
It's not a joke that the Royal capital lacks manpower.
Iris is indeed strong, but she hasn't really fought much. She's still young, only twelve or thirteen years old. Although in this world, fourteen is already the age for marriage,
she's still a girl. The Royal family doesn't want to use Iris as a weapon.
So, unless there's a particularly big problem that requires Iris's intervention, they generally don't let her go to the battlefield.
The reason they keep Iris in the Royal capital is to deter their enemies.
A descendant of a hero and a holy sword – the meaning of this to those who attack the Royal capital every day is self-evident.
This is also the real reason why the demon lord army's executives only launch small-scale attacks on the Royal palace.
If Iris weren't stationed in the Royal capital, and the demon lord army's executives saw an opportunity, they would attack the Royal capital like sharks smelling blood.
It's because of Iris that the demon lord army has only harassed them so far.
Iris was very happy, and Roa gave her two hours to prepare.
Two hours was too much for Iris.
For a moment, she didn't know what to do. After thinking for a long time, she slapped her forehead, picked up a pen and paper, and started writing.
The letter roughly said that she had gone out to play and that everyone shouldn't worry. She had the Royal guard Roa with her, and his strength was enough to protect her.
She didn't say where she was going or when she would be back.
Even if she didn't say it, she would probably be back before dark, as Iris didn't want everyone to worry too much.
Roa was her partner, and to some extent, Iris's actions were partly due to Roa.
Roa was definitely not an outsider.
But if she told those people her exact location, this trip would surely end in failure.
She wanted to become an adventurer and experience the life of an adventurer, not be surrounded by a group of knights who treated her like a child.
The letter had very few words.
Iris had thought about sneaking out before, leaving a note telling everyone not to worry, explaining why she was leaving, where she was going, when she would be back, and apologizing for making her parents worry.
But when it came down to it, the letter was quite short.
Iris remembered what Roa had told her.
They are not Iris, you are Iris, you know what you want.
Iris thought about it and ultimately wrote only a few words.
She placed the letter on the table in the most conspicuous place, then picked up her favorite storybook and used it to hold the letter down, revealing the words on it.
Iris didn't leave immediately but simulated several times whether a servant passing by the room would notice the letter on the desk at first glance.
She adjusted the position a few more times before nodding in satisfaction.
She had left what needed to be left. This time, she would be willful.
The girl went to the closet, opened it, and the antique closet with a faint sandalwood fragrance revealed rows of dresses.
There were many clothes, and even hidden in the closet, the silk garments looked exquisite.
Some were formal dresses, most were for everyday wear, and some were for special occasions.
Looking at these clothes, the girl was stumped for the first time.
She usually didn't think much of these clothes, as she wore them every day, changing them often, sometimes even three times a day. Iris thought they were just ordinary.
But when she really wanted to go out, she realized how conspicuous they were. Wearing these clothes would be like telling everyone that she had run away from the Royal palace.
Iris wanted to be an adventurer and didn't want to be looked at with strange eyes.
After thinking for a moment, Iris finally chose a beige dress.
It was a one-piece dress, and the skirt wasn't too long, reaching her knees.
Iris didn't really like this dress. She usually liked to wear plain white dresses, but wearing a white dress to go on an adventure would seem too strange.
Iris took off her dress, revealing her pearl-white skin. Taking off the dress was a bit complicated, but fortunately, Iris was nimble. Although maids usually helped her change clothes, she could still take off this dress.
The dress fell to the ground, and Iris quickly put on the beige dress, glancing at the door from time to time.
The door was naturally closed, but for some reason, she always subconsciously thought that a maid would suddenly open the door and notice Iris's strange behavior, ruining her chance and getting scolded by her teacher and older brother.
Under this psychological pressure, Iris's heart beat rapidly.
Adrenaline rushed through her, and a few involuntary blushes appeared on her cheeks. In the silent room, only the sound of her heartbeat could be heard.
Iris had always been a good girl, and doing something so rebellious for the first time naturally made her feel very nervous.
What she worried about didn't happen. Everything went smoothly. She quickly changed into the short dress, and the door wasn't knocked on, nor did a maid suddenly burst in and catch her in the act.
Iris's nervousness gradually faded. She picked up the clothes that had fallen on the ground and, after thinking about it, placed them on the chair.
There was plenty of time. Even after doing all this, it hadn't even been half an hour.
Iris even had time to look in the mirror.
To Iris's surprise, the short dress wasn't as bad as she had imagined.
If the white dress gave others a feeling of elegance and composure, then this beige short dress was the type that exuded a lively and cute style.
Iris carefully examined herself in the mirror. She was wearing a beige short dress, and the pleated skirt swayed slightly with her every movement. Iris wasn't the same Iris as before. She hadn't worn this dress in a while, and this time, it felt a bit tight in the chest.
She pulled the dress forward a bit, but it didn't help much.
After thinking about it, she didn't seem to have any other clothes. The other dresses were either formal or looked very fancy.
Iris took a hat from the side and put it on. The white sun hat looked good and added a touch of etherealness to the girl.
She lowered her head slightly and pulled the brim of the hat down, so the white sun hat could hide most of her face in the shadows.
The girl wasn't very tall, and from this angle, most adult men couldn't see most of her face.
Iris looked in the mirror again, making a few cute gestures, looking very girlish.
She was in a good mood, walking around the room a few times, occasionally standing by the window and looking at the scenery in the distance.
From this position, she could see the garden in the middle from the floor-to-ceiling window.
Flowers were clustered together, and water droplets were thrown high, eventually falling on these colorful flowers, sparkling in the sunlight.
She didn't watch for long. Iris pulled down the brim of her hat, glanced at the long sword placed beside her, hesitated, picked it up, and prepared to leave.
The long sword was very ornate, with a gem on the scabbard and intricate patterns all over it, giving people a sense of grandeur at first glance.
Iris went out, quietly went to Roa's room, and knocked on the door.
Roa's voice quickly came from inside.
"Come in."
Iris took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
She saw Roa's handsome face.
The young man was sitting in a chair, flipping through a book, looking calm.
He didn't seem nervous at all, as if he wasn't the one who was taking Iris away. Roa looked up at Iris, nodded slightly, then stood up and said, "Are you ready?"
Iris nodded, still feeling a bit nervous. She had almost run all the way here, afraid of running into a maid.
"Then let's go."
Roa said to the girl.
He reached out and grabbed Iris's wrist, and a light quickly enveloped them.
This was the skill "Stealth."
Their bodies quickly became transparent, and their presence disappeared without a trace.
Roa's stealth had reached its maximum level, and with his strength, even if he was right in front of someone, he wouldn't be discovered unless he attacked.
Iris looked at her transparent body and gasped softly, feeling even more curious and excited.
Roa opened the door, took Iris's hand, and walked out of the palace openly.
The maids they encountered didn't even look at them.
After walking out of the palace and through a gate, Roa paused slightly and said to Iris, "Hold on tight."
"Huh?" Iris was confused, not knowing what Roa was going to do, but she obediently grabbed Roa's arm.
Roa put his right arm around Iris's waist to prevent her from falling.
Iris's cheeks flushed at Roa's action. Her modesty told her not to do this.
But she secretly hoped for this development.
This strong and powerful hand looked very reliable.
However, the next moment, Iris's vision suddenly flipped. Roa stood up and leaped up with a slight boost, and she heard the whistling of the wind in her ears. Her vision was constantly shifting as Roa accelerated forward with Iris.