The four girls looked very similar to each other, with mouse-like ears on their heads and small tails on their backs. They placed their left hands on their chests, bowed, and greeted Lilia and the others.
"The Shadow Guard... What brings you here?" Savage immediately asked upon seeing the girls, clearly recognizing them.
"Under the orders of the Queen and the Great Mage," the shadow guard at the forefront swiftly responded, "we have been dispatched to extend an invitation to you, esteemed Heroic Overlords, for a gathering at the Royal Palace."
"What? Heroes?" Savage repeated incredulously in disbelief upon hearing this revelation.
As everyone knew, Heroes were always human!
Yet here, not a single human could be found; all present were demi-humans.
Could... Savage's gaze shifted towards Liliya and Rozaliya standing beside her. Were they the Heroes?
But in tens of thousands of years, this world had never once witnessed a Hero who was not human!
However... if they indeed were Heroes, then her defeat would at least be justified.
"Both of you... you're Heroes?" Savage asked, her astonishment tinged with anticipation.
"Indeed we are! How could the lords I follow be anything but extraordinary!" Cellinia thought, now fully convinced that the two she had been accompanying were indeed the Heroic Lords.
After all, the "Great Mage" wouldn't be wrong about such a matter.
If the Great Mage declared the Twins to be the Heroes, then it must be true.
"Huh?" Liliya and Rozaliya both froze in surprise.
"Don't just say such things! That's not true at all! We're not any Heroes..."
"The Great Mage and the Queen will explain everything to you two Heroes. So for now, we hope you'll come with us to the palace."
Savage and Texas are welcome to join us too," the four mouse-eared girls pleaded earnestly.
Savage and Texas are welcome to join us too," the four mouse-eared girls pleaded earnestly.
"This..." Liliya and Rozaliya hesitated, feeling somewhat bewildered. They had barely been here two days, and now they were being asked to meet the queen of the country... It all seemed...
However, Lilya had another question she wanted to ask.
"Lady Liliya, Lady Rozaliya, the queen and the Great Mage are both very kind," Cellinia whispered, standing beside Lilya. "They wouldn't harm you; you can trust them completely."
"I can vouch for that!" Savage declared from the side, pounding her chest. "I'll stake my reputation on it!"
"Very well... I suppose we should go meet them," Lilya decided after a moment's thought.
Even if there were issues, the unlucky ones would be them. Sacrificing Rozaliya once seemed a small price to pay to give these rulers a taste of Heavenly Fire's might.
"Please, Heroes, come with us," the four mouse-eared girls sighed with relief as Lilya and Rozaliya agreed.
After all, dealing with Heroes was nothing like messing with that foolish human kingdom...
Had the Shield Hero at the time not been such a coward, the kingdom would have been lost long ago when any other Hero would have been in charge.
Heroes could slay Demon Lords and giant dragons! If they decide to topple a whole country, they have the means and power to do so.
"Lead the way."
-
Under the guidance of four elf-eared maidens, Liliya's group quickly arrived at the palace of the half-beasts. Savage and Cellinia accompanied them as well.
Throughout their journey, Liliya and Rozaliya insisted that they were not heroes, merely ordinary Valkyries. However, Cellinia and Savage remained unconvinced, convinced that these two were the legendary... half-beast heroes, the true protectors of their kind.
-
The outer perimeter of the royal palace was guarded by numerous soldiers, each clad in full-body armor without exception.
They appeared formidable, but their racial characteristics were far from uniform. The most common features seemed to be wolf ears, dog ears, and bull horns... among a few other types.
"Here we are, mighty heroes. Please rest here for a moment while we inform Her Majesty the Queen."
The four attendants led Lilya and her group to a study, poured water for them, and prepared to take their leave.
"Oh, I see..." Rosaliya nodded, curiously examining their surroundings. There didn't seem to be anything particularly special about the room.
"Liliya's so sleepy..." Liliya walked over to Rosaliya, draped herself over her back, and looked utterly exhausted.
Several hours had passed since they'd woken up, and now Lilya was starting to feel drowsy again.
In the Honkai world, Liliya had grown up under the protection of her elder sister, Rozaliya, due to her frail health.
Compared to Rozaliya, Liliya's "healing" seemed incomplete; she relied on small devices to support her combat alongside her sister.
After undergoing Honkai genetic augmentation experiments by Cocolia, Liliya's post-experimental side effects made her fall asleep easily. However, compared to her past self, constantly plagued by illness, this limited freedom, though restricted by her need for rest, left Liliya feeling quite content.
The sudden waves of drowsiness that hit every day were always unpredictable, but Lilya wasn't afraid at all, because Rozaliya was always by her side.
"Have some water..."
Rozaliya gently stroked Lilya's head, then passed her own water cup, which she had already taken a sip from, to Lilya.
Lilya didn't mind and swiftly emptied the cup in one gulp.
At that moment, Cellinia hurried over to Lilya's side, took the cup, and offered to refill it for both of them.
Cellinia had fully embraced her role as their personal servant.
Only Savage sat off to the side, observing Cellinia's actions. She couldn't imagine that the famous young lady from the Texas family, who had grown up living a life of luxury, would now be so adept at taking care of others.
If the men who had previously pursued Cellinia could see her now, their eyes would surely pop out of their sockets...
However, becoming a follower of the Hero also held a great appeal for Savage...
Even ordinary people who followed the Hero could become incredibly powerful. Although being at the Hero's side was risky, those who survived would not only have their abilities far surpass most others' but also be recorded in history by nations worldwide.
Savage desired power greatly, but she knew she wasn't particularly skilled at caring for others.
Would the Hero disapprove of her clumsiness?
-
"Cellinia, do you know who that Great Mage is?" Rozaliya asked curiously, taking a sip of water handed to her by Cellinia.
"Oh, I know her! Her name is Eyjafjalla, one of the most powerful mages among us demi-humans. Only another mage named Ifrit can rival her."
"Not only that, Eyjafjalla has a prophetic gift. She can foresee many things, and everything she predicts comes true."
"But her ability to predict is passive..."