Ellyn smiled, her eyes reflecting the soft blue sky as she gazed out of her bedroom window. Her fingers gently traced the surface of the Pinky Promise Ring, its faint glow shimring under the sunlight.
"I wonder..." she murmured, tilting her head. A playful smirk crept onto her lips.
"What would Uncle do if he knew he only needed to wait two years instead of eight?"
She giggled softly, her tail swaying in amusent. Hazuki, in all his cluelessness, genuinely thought she was a child. He had no idea that she was actually only two years away from adulthood. She could already picture his panicked face once he found out.
"Hehe... I bet he’d freak out."
Her gaze drifted down to the ring on her finger. It was proof of their bond. Proof that she had tied herself to him, even if he didn’t fully understand it yet. She wanted to see him again.
But—
A shadow of worry flickered in her eyes. If she left the palace and went searching for him... there was a risk. A big risk. There were still people hunting her. People who wanted to use her power. People who wouldn’t hesitate to kidnap her the mont she let her guard down.
Her fingers tightened around the ring.
Even though she knew the risks... a part of her still wanted to go. To see him. To tease him. To be near him again.
"Hmm... maybe I should give Uncle a little surprise soon~"
anwhile, in the throne room—
King Lioness III sat upon his grand golden throne, his sharp, lion-like eyes scanning the reports handed to him by his advisors. His expression remained unreadable as he flipped through the docunts.
"Is this true?"
The advisor before him bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The King’s fingers tapped against the armrest of his throne, deep in thought.
"Hmm... so the Human Kingdom has summoned heroes from another world?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The King’s eyes narrowed.
"How many?"
"Five individuals." The advisor hesitated before adding, "All of them... girls."
A heavy silence filled the throne room. The other advisors shifted uncomfortably, so letting out quiet sighs.
"Haa... those humans and their obsession with summoning only won."
The King pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. He set the report aside and picked up another docunt.
"And this... the Elven Kingdom?"
The advisor nodded again.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The King’s gaze hardened.
"They also summoned heroes?"
"Indeed." The advisor continued. "It appears they have successfully summoned three heroes from another world."
The King leaned forward slightly, his claws tapping against the throne.
"How do you know they are from another world?"
The advisor bowed slightly.
"Our intelligence stealth unit successfully infiltrated and gathered intel regarding the summoned heroes."
The King nodded slowly.
"Impressive."
"Additionally, it is not a secret." The advisor continued.
"The Elven Kingdom has been openly celebrating the arrival of their heroes, and the Human Kingdom is keeping theirs under strict protection."
The King humd in thought.
"Two kingdoms have already summoned heroes..." His eyes glead with calculation.
"It seems a new power struggle is beginning."
The advisors remained silent, waiting for his verdict. After a long pause, King Lioness III set the reports down and crossed his arms.
"I don’t like this."
His voice was calm but heavy, carrying an air of authority that made the entire room feel tense.
"Tell more about these heroes. Their abilities, their purpose, and whether or not they pose a threat to our kingdom."
The advisor cleared his throat before listing them out.
"According to our intelligence unit:"
One is a Mage—capable of wielding powerful spells beyond normal human limits.
One is a Paladin—blessed with divine protection, strong in both offense and defense.
One is the Sword Hero—specializing in close combat, their skill with the blade is unmatched.
One is the Saint—a healer, possibly with blessings from a divine entity.
And one is a Magic Bow User—wielding a crossbow infused with magic.
King Lioness III raised an eyebrow.
"Magic Bow User?"
The advisor hesitated.
"It appears they use a crossbow, but with magical enhancents. We are unsure what class title to assign them."
The King leaned back, exhaling.
"Hmm... for now, just label her as a Magic Crossbow Hero."
The advisor nodded.
"Understood, Your Majesty."
The King then flipped to the next report, his eyes sharpening.
"And the Elven Kingdom?"
"Unlike the Human Kingdom, they successfully summoned only three heroes."
The King humd.
"And all of them were n?"
The advisor nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty. However, there is a major difference."
The King narrowed his eyes.
"Explain."
The advisor adjusted his papers before speaking carefully.
"When the Human Kingdom summoned their heroes, they remained human. However, when the Elven Kingdom perford their summoning ritual... their summoned heroes turned into elves."
The King paused. His clawed fingers tapped against the throne’s armrest.
"Interesting... So, the heroes they summoned were originally human... but upon arrival, they were reborn as elves?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The King exhaled deeply, his mind racing with possibilities.
"And their purpose?"
The advisor shook his head.
"Unknown, Your Majesty."
The room fell silent. Then, the King narrowed his eyes further.
"None of the kingdoms are at war with each other."
"That is correct, Your Majesty."
King Lioness III leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with calculation.
"Then why?"
The advisors remained silent. No kingdom was at war. There were no great conflicts. So why summon heroes now? Sothing wasn’t right. And King Lioness III knew that whatever was coming... would change the balance of the world.
The throne room remained tense, the weight of the conversation settling over the gathered advisors. One of them hesitated before stepping forward.
"About that, my lord..." the advisor spoke carefully. "Would you also wish to partake in summoning heroes from another world?"
King Lioness III rested his chin on his fist, deep in thought. His eyes scanned the reports again, but no matter how much he considered it...
"Hmm... I don’t know."
His tail flicked behind him, betraying his unease. The other kingdoms had already made their move. If the Beastkin Kingdom did nothing, would they fall behind? Or worse... would they beco the target of those summoned heroes?
His clawed fingers tapped against the throne. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Call Ellyna here."
The advisors exchanged glances but nodded.
"Perhaps she can help us with this one."
One of the knights imdiately bowed before turning to leave.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
As the doors closed behind the ssenger, King Lioness III leaned back, exhaling deeply. Ellyna’s Absolute Eye saw things no one else could. Perhaps... she had already foreseen sothing important. And if that was the case—
He needed to know.
( End Of Chapter )
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