Hearing Niv's words, Hel couldn't help but shiver.
Just imagining Lily clinging to her leg all day with that lovestruck, obsessive expression made Hel instinctively shake her head.
"No. Absolutely not. She must never find out."
Seriously—if Lily ever learned that Hel had turned into a girl, that would be the end of her.
It wasn't even an exaggeration to say she'd get drained dry by that woman within a week.
"Niv, that's not funny," Hel muttered, glaring at her with a look that said 'If you breathe a word of this, you're dead.'
"Master, didn't you once complain to me that the people around you are loyal only to your family, not to you personally?
If you were to tell that perverted lady the truth, considering her obsession with Lady Angel, there's a high probability she'd transfer that affection to you instead.
If that happens, no matter who or what you are, she'll undoubtedly stand by your side forever."
"Is that so…?"
Hel looked momentarily tempted—but quickly shook her head.
"There's really no need for that, is there?"
She opened her system window, gazing at one of her copied traits—a black tag that read: [Hel's Zealous Follower].
It was a duplicate of Niv's original loyalty trait, copied before it mutated.
If she really wanted to, she could make anyone utterly devoted to her—turn them into mindless, unshakable loyalists.
But when it came to her own people, she wasn't in any hurry.
Lily and the others were already loyal enough. The only difference now was a matter of names and classifications.
And since Niv's loyalty tag could evolve, there was no reason the others couldn't as well.
She had both the time and the patience to let their loyalty transform naturally—to let them willingly become hers completely.
There was no need to sacrifice her humanity or brainwash them just to gain a bit of security.
"So," Hel said softly, smiling as she pulled Niv into her arms and buried her face in her silvery hair, breathing in her faint floral scent,
"There's no need to go that far just because I complained once, right?"
"But the perverted lady is a rare beauty," Niv said teasingly. "She's got those perfect curves, yet still has that cute doll-like face.
Surely that's the kind of woman you'd like, Master?"
"Uh…"
"What? You don't like her? Then it's confirmed—you really are a lolicon."
"I could sue you for defamation, you know."
…
Time passed quickly—about ten days.
During this time, the beastman army had become noticeably thinner.
Most of the stragglers still in the Mandrake territory were blocked east of Riverhold Fortress.
Meanwhile, in the nearby city of Linhe, the Grand Duke's eldest son had launched several raids with his knights, completely scattering the remaining beastman forces.
Now that the beastmen could no longer form any organized resistance, they were no longer a threat to the Mandrake domain.
And with that, the eldest son finally had the time to address another matter—his "half-blood" little brother.
He wanted to see for himself what gave that bastard Hel the audacity to repeatedly defy his orders.
Had he not beaten enough sense into him as a child?
Did becoming a lord make him think he could spread his wings and fly?
He would see for himself what gave Hel this newfound backbone.
Thus, the Grand Duke's eldest son led a company of elite knights, riding in a grand formation straight toward Heim Castle.
Hel, of course, noticed their movement the moment the cavalry crossed into Heim territory.
At that moment, she sat with her core team around the long table in the council chamber.
"Judging from this, it looks like Everton himself has come," Hel said lazily, drumming her fingers on the tabletop while resting her chin on the other hand. She didn't look particularly concerned.
"Master, should we drive them off—or kill them?"
That was Arwin, as straightforward as ever. Ever since following Hel, his philosophy had become simple: if a problem can be solved with violence, why waste words?
"Lord Arwin, please refrain from making rash decisions that would cause trouble for the young master," said Sebastian, calm and steady as always.
In his view, survival came first—hide your strength, avoid unnecessary fights. A lifetime of experience had taught the old butler how to navigate a dangerous world.
"Hehehe…"
And that laugh, of course, came from Lily—who was currently staring at Niv with hearts practically floating in her eyes.
A line of drool trailed from her mouth down to her ample chest, and she didn't even notice.
In one corner sat little Anna, the young maid, smiling nervously.
She had no business being in such an official strategy meeting, but since Hel insisted she attend, she had no choice but to come.
Faced with all this talk of military operations, she didn't know what to say—just sat quietly, lowering her head and trying to make herself as small as possible.
Even so, her upbringing as a proper young lady kept her posture immaculate, leaving her awkwardly stuck between bowing and sitting straight.
And finally, there was Niv—currently clinging blissfully to Hel's arm, her whole body limp and content like a cat in sunlight.
Hel looked around at the motley crew of misfits surrounding her and sighed helplessly.
"Perhaps we can ambush them before they reach Heim Fortress," she suggested. "Given that the land's crawling with beastmen, we can easily blame it on them afterward."
Just then—
Tap, tap, tap.
A sound came from the window.
"Excuse me, young master," Sebastian said as he opened it. "It seems we've received new information."
A pigeon flew in and landed on his hand—it was one of the soul-controlled messengers he used for reconnaissance around the domain.
Closing his eyes, Sebastian concentrated for a moment as he received the message through the soul link. Then he opened them and said gravely:
"It appears we'll have to confront the cavalry after all.
The earlier reports underestimated their speed—they're far faster than ordinary knights. They've already reached the outskirts of Heim City.
At this rate, they'll arrive in less than fifteen minutes."
"Well, so be it."
Hel pressed her hands on the chair and hopped down from it—it was a bit too tall for her new body.
Then, taking Niv's hand, she strode calmly toward the door.
"Let's go, then," she said with a faint smile. "Time to welcome our guests."
Her departure set the tone for the entire meeting. From the start, it was clear she'd been itching to meet Everton in person—after all, she'd never seen a commander so brainless as to walk willingly into enemy territory.
The others exchanged knowing looks and smiled.
If their young master wanted to make an impression, then they would make sure it was unforgettable.
Even timid little Anna straightened up, her eyes shining with confidence as she joined the group.
After all, the Heim domain of today was no longer what it once was—it had truly transformed.