HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

Did she predict that I would be the Hero?

How astonishing!

"It's not just that. Eyjafjalla is a powerful fire mage. I still remember that time when a demon general led countless demonic beasts and magic beasts to attack one of our demi-human cities. With a single Meteoric Fire Shower, Eyjafjalla wiped out tens of thousands of demons," Savage said, her voice filled with admiration, interruption Cellinia's explanation.

"..." Rozaliya.

Was it a legendary forbidden spell?

-

"Queen Amiya and Great Mage Eyjafjalla have arrived," a voice announced. Before long, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps, two... young girls? arrived at the door, flanked by seven or eight guards.

The guards immediately took up positions outside, while the two girls entered.

One of them was the queen whom Rozaliya and Liliya had seen in books and posters—Amiya, with her donkey? rabbit? ears.

Her ears look more like donkeys' than anything else, thought Liliya.

The other girl seemed to have demon horns, but upon closer inspection, they appeared to be more like the horns of a European bighorn sheep, along with similarly sheepish ears.

"Your Highness, Great Mage!" Savage and Cellinia sprang to their feet, addressing the pair.

"It's such a relief to see you're safe, Cellinia dear," the donkey? rabbit? eared girl, Amiya, said with a warm smile, her eyes fixed on Cellinia.

"My thanks for your concern," Cellinia replied, her face mirroring the Queen's smile.

"I hope you'll forgive me for summoning you without your consent, Heroes," Amiya said, turning to the horned girl. "But after hearing about your deeds from Great Mage Eyjafjalla, I couldn't wait to meet you."

The apology seemed directed at Rozaliya, but her gaze lingered on the horned girl, her expression a mix of regret and curiosity.

"Uh... would you believe me if I said we're not actually Heroes?" Rozaliya looked at Amiya before her and managed to get out that line.

But wait... shouldn't the kings and queens of demi-humans usually be lions, tigers, or dragons?

Why does it have to be a donkey? Or in this case, a rabbit?

Can a rabbit and a donkey really manage all the other demi-humans? Rozaliya couldn't help but stare at Amiya's ears.

"My Lord Heroes seem to be thinking something impolite," Amiya said, her eyes shifting as she looked at Rozaliya.

"Ah ha ha, no... you're overthinking it." Rozaliya laughed nervously, Her senses are quite sharp.

"There's no doubt that both of you are the Hero chosen by the Great Mage; his predictions have never been wrong. It's thanks to the Great Mage that we demi-humans have been able to maintain our presence on this continent all this time.

"As the Heroes of the demi-humans, it's our duty to do everything in our power to support the growth of my lords. Whatever you require, please don't hesitate to ask. We will fulfill any request within our capacity."

"...", Rozaliya still wanted to explain further, but she could see that no matter what she said, they wouldn't believe her.

"I don't require anything specific. If I must say, for now, I'm only lacking a place to stay," Rozaliya thought, reasoning that she wasn't short on money and asking for it immediately after arriving wouldn't be appropriate.

"That's easy enough to arrange. I'll have several estates prepared for the Hero right away."

"..."

Impressive, thought Rozaliya, quite generous indeed...

"Um, Your Majesty, if you don't mind me asking about something," Rozaliya finally couldn't resist inquiring as she gazed at Amiya before her.

"What is it? Feel free to ask anything," Amiya answered while picking up her cup to sip water.

"Er...are you...a rabbit? Or perhaps a donkey?"

Clack...

Amiya's cup dropped to the floor, her gaze shifting rapidly towards Rozaliya.

"Amiya is actually a chimera, a legendary magical beast you know..." Nearby, Eyjafjalla couldn't hold back a giggle, providing an explanation.

"A chimera..."

In Greek mythology, a chimera had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a serpent tail, but... weren't those clearly donkey ears on Amiya?

However, when a person's body contained four or more distinct sets of DNA, it was referred to as the chimera phenomenon...

So this Amiya before her, must be similar, right? With one of those sets being donkey genes?

"Ch... Chimera..."

Even on the side, Cellinia was astonished. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure about Amiya's exact race either. The most common guesses were that she was a mix of a donkey and a rabbit, and Cellinia had chosen to believe the latter.

To think she was actually some kind of divine beast, a chimera.

Then suddenly, she felt awkward. She and Miss Liliya had been talking about rabbits earlier.

Even among demi-humans, there couldn't be many who knew Amiya's true identity...

Amiya looked at Rozaliya, striving to control her emotions, repeatedly telling herself in her mind, She's just a demi-human Hero, don't get angry! Don't get angry!

Only after muttering it to herself for quite some time did Amiya finally regain her composure.

"Brave Heroes," Amiya began, her composure now steady. "Although your strength as Heroes will grow immensely in time, tending to trivial matters and personal affairs without assistance can hinder your development greatly. Therefore, I, along with Great Mage Eyjafjalla, wish to recommend two followers to you. Their talents and abilities will undoubtedly be of great help." Amiya glanced at Eyjafjalla before earnestly addressing Rozaliya once more.

"Followers..."

Is that what you've been heading for all along...?

Rozaliya studied Amiya and Eyjafjalla standing before her. On the surface, they appeared so cute, bubbly, and full of vitality, but it seemed they had their fair share of hidden depths as well...

Then again, it made sense. As the ruler of a nation, if they were truly as naive as they seemed, their country would have ceased to exist long ago.

Seeing Rozaliya's silence, Amiya feared she might have misconstrued their intentions. Hurriedly, she added, "Fear not, Heroic Lord. We don't wish to place anyone in your midst; we genuinely have your best interests in heart."

All Heroes have numerous followers at their sides, most arranged by local kings, which is a common and accepted practice. The positions of the Hero's followers are highly valued as they provide ample opportunities to grow stronger.

"So if I must be selfish... I simply want them to benefit from being near you and become stronger. If not for my current responsibilities, I would join you like Texas has." After pondering for a moment, Rozaliya responded. "It's not that I don't trust you... Alright! I'll take a look first. But if I don't find them suitable, don't blame me!" Direct rejection seemed unkind, so she decided to observe first. She would absolutely not accept anyone who didn't meet her standards.