In a quiet courtyard within the Imperial Capital, the grass exuded a fresh fragrance, and wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze.
Zeroy sat on the soft grass beneath an old tree, sunlight filtering through the leaves and scattering dappled patterns across her golden hair.
Her emerald eyes glowed warmly in the soft light, and around her, a group of little ones had gathered.
One sat on her lap, clutching a crystalline exotic fruit with both hands, curiosity written across her rosy face.
Another rested gently in Zeroy's embrace, soft hair brushing her arm, a pale little hand gripping her clothes tightly as if afraid she might leave at any moment.
On her left and right, two more lolis pressed close, their petite bodies nearly leaning against her.
Children's clear laughter echoed in her ears. Their innocent smiles bloomed like flowers in the sunlight, radiating pure joy.
Zeroy's gaze softened, her lips curling into a warm smile.
This—this was the beauty she sought to protect.
"Big Sister, this tastes amazing!"
The little one on her lap lit up like she had found treasure, eyes shining like stars in the night sky.
She eagerly held the exotic fruit up to Zeroy, clearly impatient to share it with her.
Zeroy lowered her head and took a light bite—the flavor was sweet and refreshing, with a rich strawberry taste. Truly delicious.
Of course, she had long since tasted these fruits herself. After all, since she brought them back, she had tested them to make sure they were safe before giving them to the children.
However, now she feigned surprise, her voice cheerful as she praised, "Mm, it really is incredible."
She reached out to ruffle the child's hair, and the gentle praise made the little loli's smile even brighter.
This scene sparked the enthusiasm of the others. Three small hands rose at once, each holding a different colored fruit, crowding toward Zeroy.
Crisp, childish voices chimed in one after another, filled with expectation and dependence:
"Master, please try mine."
"Goddess, this one's really tasty!"
"Lady Zeroy, try mine too."
Three little faces gazed up at her, big moist eyes brimming with trust and affection.
In that instant, something deep in Zeroy's heart felt as though it had been struck directly.
Everywhere she looked was brimming with cuteness and beauty. Surrounded like this, her heart felt ready to melt.
Children really were too adorable~
If she weren't worried about frightening them, Zeroy probably would have scooped them up and smothered them with affection already.
…
After spending some time with the little ones, Zeroy finally got down to business.
The main reason she had returned this time was to explain a few things—
"While Patchi and I are away, Little Esdeath, as the elder sister, you must take good care of your younger sisters."
Zeroy reminded Esdeath.
When she and Patchouli went hunting outside, the environment was filled with dangers and uncertainty, so she hadn't taken Esdeath along. Instead, the girl stayed home to look after and protect her sisters.
This would remain the case going forward.
As for the loli trio, Zeroy had originally intended to send them back to their homes, since their parents were still alive.
Regardless, the three lolis refused. They wanted to stay—partly to repay Zeroy for saving their lives. One of them even began calling her "Master," a name entirely of her own choosing.
Zeroy had tried to correct her, yet every attempt only left the child looking heartbroken and desperate, as if she were about to be abandoned.
The other reason was that, after what they had been through, they too wanted to become stronger, just like Esdeath.
Zeroy didn't accept their attempts at repayment, but she didn't force them to leave either. Instead, she told them that staying here wouldn't bind them, and their futures would still be their own choice.
"Now, as for this—"
Zeroy produced a cup filled with blood.
The Imperial Arms, [Demon's Manifestation: Essence of the Demon God], granted its drinker the ability to manipulate ice.
Zeroy vaguely remembered that Esdeath specialized in ice, so she had paid special attention to finding an ice-based Imperial Arm.
Among them, Patchouli had helped her locate the strongest one—[Demon's Manifestation: Essence of the Demon God], which appeared as blood from a Danger Beast stored in a container.
It was one of the rare Imperial Arms Zeroy actually approved of. Most of the others, she dismissed as flashy but meaningless—too limited, too weak.
Anyhow, the one she would give to Esdeath was not the original [Essence of the Demon God]. The original was indeed powerful, ranking among the strongest of all Imperial Arms.
Albeit it wasn't strong enough.
So they tracked down the source of this blood and enhanced it, raising its upper limits and abilities.
The enhanced [Demon's Manifestation: Essence of the Demon God] was useful even for Zeroy herself. She had already drunk a cup and gained a new skill: [Ice Control: LV1].
"This Imperial Arm should suit you perfectly."
Even better, this was one of the rare Arms that wasn't just borrowed power.
Once the blood was consumed, as long as the drinker could withstand its strength, the power would become fully theirs, fusing with them in a way no one could take away.
Of course, she couldn't show favoritism.
So Zeroy let the other three lolis choose one Imperial Arm each.
There was still plenty of the Demon's blood, but unfortunately, the three were far too weak to handle it. Even Esdeath might not be able to endure it yet, even though it was meant to be her future weapon.
That was why Zeroy would have to watch carefully as Esdeath drank.
In the end, the three little ones chose differently: the water-based [Dragon Possession: Black Marlin], the restored lightning-type [Thunder God's Fury: Ademiller], and… the armor-type [Noble Chariot].
The quiet, blue-haired child chose [Dragon Possession]. The lively, blonde-haired child picked [Thunder God's Fury]. The last one, with long pink hair and a gentle personality, was the eldest of the three, faintly taking on the role of a big sister.
Zeroy couldn't quite understand why such a gentle girl had chosen an armor-type Arm.
She could only hope that the child would one day change her mind—or at least, if she truly grew into a knight, she wouldn't turn into a boisterous, rough warrior. If she was to be a knight, she should at least be a graceful, elegant knight princess.
...
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