Chapter 265 : Commendation
"Wuu... Elucia, that's so mean..."
Having been tormented so excessively, even when walking out of the room the next morning, Lonis still felt soreness in her rear, causing her to walk with a wobbling gait.
"Hmph, you're so slow. Hurry up and come eat breakfast."
Elucia snorted coldly, sitting in the dining room making sarcastic remarks... However, considering how beautiful her wife looked today, Lonis didn't talk back.
Because Elucia was actually wearing a magnificent uniform today.
It was probably like the kind of clothing a handsome girl would wear in anime, right? The suit jacket was both formal and gave Elucia a cool yet adorable temperament.
The short skirt reached about mid-thigh, with high-denier black stockings that looked completely opaque.
Simply put, Elucia looked just like a young goddess of war—both cute and incredibly handsome!
...
"Elucia, about breakfast... it's not made from Tree of Causality fruits, right?"
"Hmph, of course not. Princess Sethilu will have business with you later."
"Oh..."
Hearing Elucia say this, Lonis breathed a sigh of relief. Little did she know that her relieved expression looked as cute as a pet in Elucia's eyes.
So...
Elucia smiled mischievously and ruffled Lonis's silver hair.
"Lonis, now that the war has come to an end, you should know what we need to do next, right?"
"Is it... about the Bright Ember Temple?"
"That's certainly something we need to do, but before that..."
"Eh? Master, what are you going to do?"
"The little fox ears and tail are absolutely essential, hehe~~~"
And so, Lonis could only put the fox ears and tail back on and go meet Princess Sethilu together with Elucia.
However, Lonis hadn't expected that the place where Sethilu would meet her and Elucia wouldn't be the usual private side hall.
But the most magnificent and formal great hall!
The high dome ceiling was dozens of meters tall, and the spacious venue could accommodate over a thousand people.
Normally, this was a place only used when Prince Ruowei Palace held state ceremonies, yet at this moment, Princess Sethilu was sitting on the throne.
(This... this is...)
Sethilu's attire was incredibly formal and magnificent, like a great elf from fairyland. Her pure white gown flowed freely down to her ankles, highlighting her ethereal and splendid figure.
On both sides of the great hall, whether government representatives or military representatives, all stood solemnly on either side.
Having once been a substitute princess, Lonis knew their identities were quite high-ranking—almost all the important figures of the Bright Ember Kingdom had gathered here.
But besides these, there were also civilian representatives, soldier representatives, and even many cute girls... Many of them were Sword-Shield Guards who had removed their armor to attend this banquet in formal dress.
...
(Sethilu, what is this about?)
This sudden situation left Lonis somewhat confused, but Elucia simply stepped forward and said, "Princess Sethilu, Lonis and I have arrived."
"Yes, Elucia, thank you very much for yours and Warrior Lonis's dedication. Today, I will represent the royal family of the Bright Ember Kingdom to formally bestow upon Miss Lonis the title of Hero, and grant Elucia the title of Hero's Companion."
"Wh-what?!"
...
Lonis was stunned, finally understanding why this scene felt so familiar!
Because this was exactly the final scene she had experienced in the Land of Ends!
At that time, it was also such a scene...
The magnificent hall, warm sunlight gently streaming through the carved stained glass.
The hazy yet substantial light illuminated the velvet red carpet, as people gazed at her with joyful and respectful eyes, watching her go forward to receive that supreme honor.
And now,
had everything actually become reality?
...
(Wuu?)
Realizing this, Lonis's cheeks immediately flushed red.
This was not only because she felt somewhat undeserving... After all, most of the plans were arranged by Elucia, so calling herself a hero was a bit too much praise. Elucia should be receiving the main commendation!
But also because Lonis was currently a girl with fox ears and a fox tail.
With every step she took, her big tail would sway back and forth.
Her bottom ached faintly, and under the gaze of so many people, Lonis instinctively felt very guilty.
Since Elucia hadn't told her, Lonis was completely unprepared... Her expression just now must have looked particularly foolish, completely unlike a hero!
...
However, Sethilu simply smiled gently.
She didn't mind whether Lonis's behavior was improper.
The princess simply walked down from the throne step by step, holding an exquisitely crafted ceremonial sword before Lonis.
...
"Lonis, thank you very much for your dedication to this country. If you hadn't taken on the princess's duties during this time, the order of the Bright Ember Kingdom would never be what it is today."
"Ah?!"
"What?!"
This time, it wasn't just Lonis who was surprised.
Even the people standing on both sides showed astonished expressions... It seemed people only now noticed how remarkably similar Lonis and Princess Sethilu's appearances were.
...
"Princess Sethilu..."
"No wonder I always felt Princess Sethilu's temperament had changed a bit. Could it be..."
People looked at Lonis with sudden understanding, and being watched by everyone with such surprised gazes made Lonis even more at a loss.
...
Princess Sethilu simply bowed,
Using the highest courtesy symbolizing the Bright Ember Kingdom, she placed the ceremonial sword into Lonis's hands:
"Yes, that's right! Everyone, during this time it has been Hero Lonis who has been carrying out the princess's duties in place of the injured me... So today, I will not only bestow upon Lonis the title of Hero, but also grant Lonis the title of Acting Princess of the Bright Ember Kingdom."
"!"
"From now on, Warrior Lonis is the Honorary Princess of our Bright Ember Kingdom. I will have a statue built for Warrior Lonis to forever commemorate her achievements."
"Warrior Lonis..."
"Let us all remember the contributions of Princess Hero Lonis."
"Remember the contributions of Princess Hero Lonis!"
The Sword-Shield Guards chanted in unison, their resounding blessings echoing through the sky.
...
(Wait, wait! It doesn't need to be so grand!)
Seeing such a magnificent ceremony, Lonis really wanted to tuck her tail between her legs and run away... Originally, as a grown man disguising himself as a princess was already shameful enough.
Now they were even going to build a statue, permanently preserving her image as a princess.
Where was she supposed to put her face!
In her panic, Lonis cast a pleading look at Elucia beside her... but all she received was a mischievous smile.
"Lord Hero Lonis, isn't this quite nice?"
"Eh?"
"After all, this is a commendation you should have received long ago."
Elucia smiled gently, as if she had expected this all along.
...
...