Harbi's speed was remarkable, and in less than three minutes, Princess Michiole's castle came into Zhang Fan's view. A beautiful amalgamation of medieval European and modern aesthetics, the castle floated amidst the sky, embraced by a gentle breeze. Zhang Fan wondered when he too could soar with his own power.
"Princess has returned!" As Harbi descended to the ground, six maids, adorned in black and gray uniforms and sporting various animal ears – cats, dogs, foxes – appeared, a true spectacle of beast-eared maids. This was Zhang Fan's first encounter with such a sight.
"Lizelle, I entrust the Hero to you," Michiole addressed a rose-haired maid who exuded a sense of efficiency and beauty, always smiling radiantly.
"Understood, Your Highness. We'll have the Hero dressed in thirty seconds!" Lizelle, the head maid, promptly directed her team, efficiently divesting Zhang Fan of his Tokyo Martial Arts High School uniform in a whirlwind of activity.
"I can dress myself!" Zhang Fan protested, clutching his trousers. Never before had he experienced such a service, especially by a bevy of young, attractive women. He didn't need such royal treatment.
"Please, Hero, leave it to us," Lizelle assured, swiftly dressing Zhang Fan in a snug white martial outfit adorned with golden patterns, a black combat trouser, and metal boots that were surprisingly light, enhancing his agility. His wrist guards and belt matched in material and quality.
Clad in his martial outfit, topped with a white overcoat with black designs at the hem and a pink-based white cloak, Zhang Fan's heroic appearance was complete.
While dressing Zhang Fan, Michiole explained the rules of war: a point-based system where defeating ordinary soldiers earned one point, with higher ranks yielding proportionally more. The leader of the Gallet Lion Army was worth a whopping 350 points. It seemed the lower-ranked soldiers were always the most tragic.
"So, Hero, are you clear on everything?" Michiole asked after briefing him.
"Absolutely, I'm ready to embark at any moment," Zhang Fan replied with a confident smile, determined to win.
"Here is your weapon, Hero, the treasured Holy Sword Parathion of Biscotti," Michiole presented him with a silver ring set with a ruby, symbolizing the sword. It was promised to be his upon completing the main mission.
Zhang Fan focused on the ring, imagining a sword, but Parathion remained unchanged. Recalling the original story, he realized it initially couldn't transform into a sword either. Opting for a blade, the ring emitted a bright light, and Parathion morphed into a 150 cm long blade, similar to Lan Bao's weapon but shorter.
With some knowledge in blade wielding, Zhang Fan found Parathion, a weightless bronze-tier weapon capable of changing shapes, an excellent addition to his arsenal.
"Off I go!" After further instructions on emblem magic from Michiole, Zhang Fan set off for battle, aware that Biscotti's forces were struggling to repel the Gallet Lion Army's latest assault.
"Be careful, Hero," Michiole bid him farewell with concern.
"Rest assured!" Zhang Fan responded with a thumbs-up, then followed Lizelle's directions towards the battlefield.
Upon his arrival, the soldiers, having heard of a summoned Hero's assistance, eagerly anticipated Zhang Fan's performance.
At the frontline, Zhang Fan met with Roland Maldini, the leader of Biscotti's knightly order, a striking young man with coffee-colored hair and dog ears. While cute beast-eared girls charmed Zhang Fan, he found it harder to feel the same about beast-eared men.
"So, Hero, we await your display of valor," Roland earnestly introduced himself and patted Zhang Fan's shoulder, signaling the start of what was sure to be an eventful battle.