HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

"Come to think of it, Rem and Ram," Liliya suddenly recalled Hoshiguma and turned to the two sisters, "do you remember having an aunt? She's likely your mother's younger sister."

"Aunt..." The mention of this left Rem and Ram exchanging puzzled glances, each as confused as the other.

"She calls herself Hoshiguma. Does that ring any bells?" Liliya prodded further.

"..." The young Rem's face was still a mask of confusion as she gazed at Ram on the bed.

"Hoshiguma... I think I heard Mother mention that name before," Ram pondered for a moment, slightly nodding.

"Yes, this is the letter she sent to you." Liliya produced the letter she had obtained from Rozaliya and handed it to Ram.

"Rozaliya and I were entrusted by your aunt to deliver this letter to you. Upon arrival, we discovered your village engulfed in flames."

As Ram accepted the letter, Liliya once again explained their presence among the Oni Clan.

"I'm sorry, Liliya," Rem said apologetically, her voice laden with remorse. Earlier, when Liliya had come to rescue them, Rem had mistaken her for an antagonist.

"It's alright..." Liliya looked down at the young Rem and gently stroked her head.

In response, Rem's expression became utterly adorable, cherishing the moment of Liliya's comforting touch.

On the bed, Ram watched the interaction between Rem and Liliya, managing a strained smile on his face. Suddenly, Liliya placed her other hand on Ram's head. Startled, he froze, stopping just as he was about to open an envelope.

"Why don't you see what it says inside first?" Liliya suggested after a moment.

"Okay." Ram opened the envelope, took out the letter, and began to read.

Despite her young age, Ram could already read.

"What does Hoshiguma say? Can you tell us?" Liliya curiously asked, observing Ram finishing the letter.

"It's okay; Hoshiguma—Auntie says—we should visit her in the demihuman kingdom when we have time. She wants to see us." Ram handed the letter to Liliya, his expression turning somewhat sad because... their mother had...

"I see... Don't be too sad. Your mom is watching over you from the heavens now," Liliya consoled the twins kindly.

"Yes."

"What do you two think now? Do you want to see Hoshiguma? Even though Mommy and Daddy aren't here anymore, you still have Auntie, who loves you very much. She'll be delighted to see you," Liliya said, skimming the letter roughly. It was clear from the content that Hoshiguma still deeply cared for Ram and Rem and desperately wanted to see them.

"I don't know..." Ram sounded somewhat bewildered.

"I want to stay with Liliya," Rem declared, gazing earnestly at Liliya.

Liliya, not one for smiles, managed a forced grin upon hearing Rem's words. "How about this? I have some tasks to attend to, and it wouldn't be safe to bring both of you along. So, I'll stay here with you two for a few days, then have Savage and the others escort you to your Auntie's home.

"You can wait for us there, okay?"

Given their young age, it wasn't feasible to bring Ram and Rem on any missions.

"But I want to follow—" Rem protested slightly.

""Mm-hmm, Ram and Rem will listen to Lilya," Ram said, taking hold of Rem, displaying remarkable maturity.

"Good girls."

Ram only needed her mana replenished once a month, and a month was more than enough time for that.

-

The next morning...

In Liliya and Rozaliya's room...

Liliya stood by the window, gazing absently at the street outside, her thoughts a mystery.

Rozaliya, Cellinia, and the others had taken Ram and Rem shopping for clothes, leaving Liliya behind in the room. Naturally aloof and unmoved by such things, she preferred not to exert herself unnecessarily.

To Liliya, this quiet reverie had become an unremarkable norm.

Although Ram and Rem were closest to Liliya, they showed no aversion to Rozaliya either. Of course, this was probably mainly because Rozaliya looked exactly like Liliya.

Meanwhile, the energetic Rozaliya, being more genuine in her docile demeanor than the fake Liliya, naturally bonded better with the little girls.

-

"Liliya, Liliya, what are you thinking about?"

While Liliya was lost in thought, Rozaliya had somehow slipped back into the room. Seeing her friend in a daze, she instinctively threw herself onto Liliya's back.

Wrapping her arms around Liliya's torso and resting her small head on Liliya's shoulder, she asked curiously.

Liliya felt Rozaliya's arms around her and suddenly felt relieved that she had removed the massive thorn from Liliya's chest earlier. If I hadn't, she thought, I wouldn't have known how many times I'd be stabbed by it today.

"I was wondering... what would dragon meat taste like? Would it be tender or tough? If it's really tough, how would we make it more palatable?" Liliya turned to gaze at the adorable, lively Rozaliya perched on her shoulder. Her face remained utterly impassive... as she spoke with remarkable composure.

"Huh? Liliya, you're already contemplating eating dragon meat?" Rozaliya looked at Liliya with great surprise.

"Are you not curious at all, Rozaliya?"

"Not particularly... But... compared to dragon meat, you're definitely more appealing, Liliya."

"...Dummy... Rozaliya," Liliya paused for a moment before responding with an indiscernible tone.

"The one calling others names is usually the foolish one. So, Liliya, you're the big dummy here."

"..." Liliya said nothing.

"Liliya..."

"..."

"Let's do something only adults should," Rozaliya suggested, stepping closer to Liliya and looking at her earnestly.

"What do you want to do, Rozaliya?"

"You know very well what I mean."

"Umm..."

In the end, the two adorable girls, their features almost identical, embraced each other.

-

"Liliya, Rozaliya bought Rem and Ram new clothes. Come, come, take a look if they look nice or not."

As the voice echoed, the door to Rozaliya and Liliya's room flew open. Two young girls, identical twins dressed in matching outfits, entered hand in hand.

Their jaws dropped at the sight before them, disbelief written across their faces.

Their two closest elder sisters... were engaged in such an activity.

"Ramram, what are Sister Liliya and Sister Rozaliya doing? Rem wants to try it too," Rem said curiously, gazing at the pair ahead.

"Remrem, they're doing dirty, grown-up things. Kids shouldn't watch," Ram hastily covered Rem's eyes.

"Liliya, Liliya, I think someone's discovered us." Upon hearing Ram and Rem's giggle, Rozaliya and Liliya quickly separated.

"Rozaliya, Rozaliya, we've been corrupting these young ones, haven't we?"

Liliya took a deep breath, a hint of helplessness in her expression, failing to notice Rem and Ram at all.

"RamRam, was Sister Rozaliya imitating our voices just now?" Rem asked curiously.

"RemRem, that's right. Sister Rozaliya was definitely mimicking our voices," Ram responded.

"All right, you two little rascals." Liliya approached Rem and Ram, her eyes brightening as she saw the two girls dressed identically in matching dresses. She couldn't resist patting their heads.

Even as young children, Rem and Ram were incredibly adorable!

"What were you doing earlier, Sister Liliya and Sister Rosa?" Rem inquired.

"It's a gesture to show closeness. Little Rem, don't dwell on it too much."

"But I've seen Mom and Dad do the same thing before. So it does mean showing closeness, huh... RamRam, let's try showing closeness too." Rem turned to look at Ram.

"..." The sensible Ram immediately fell silent, understanding the complex undertones.

"Alright, it's time to eat now. Let's go have our meal!" Liliya quickly changed the subject, but indeed, it was nearly time for lunch.

-

After staying a few days in the border town of the Cronis Eagle Kingdom, Liliya had Savage send Rem and Ram to the Demi-human Kingdom so they could meet Hoshiguma. From there, it would be up to Rem and Ram to decide where to live.

It was fine for them to live with Hoshiguma; Liliya could visit once a month to replenish their magic.

If they didn't want to live with Hoshiguma, or if its border guard duties made it inconvenient, she'd send them to her estate in the Demi-human Kingdom's capital. There, a few trusted individuals could look after them.

Finally, Savage could return to the Cronis Eagle Kingdom.

-

After bidding farewell to Rem and Ram, the remaining five—Liliya and her group—embarked on their journey towards the volcanic region near the borders of the Cronis Eagle Kingdom.

Although also considered a border area, it was still far from where Rozaliya's group had been stationed, requiring a considerable amount of time to reach.

-

After spending the better part of the day, Rozaliya and her four companions arrived in the vicinity of the red dragon's lair.

The dragon's home was a volcano, though it had been dormant for centuries, with snow blanketing its peak throughout the year.

As Rozaliya and her group approached the foot of the volcano, they felt no perceptible change in temperature.

"I've heard there are plenty of natural hot springs on live volcanoes," Rozaliya said, gazing at the massive mountain before her. "After we take care of the dragon and free the princess, let's go soak in those hot springs!" she couldn't resist saying, her voice filled with anticipation.

"Idiot Rozaliya, don't jinx us all the time," Liliya retorted. "With your luck, you'll be dragon food in the next breath."

Hearing this, Liliya immediately stared at Rozaliya, speechless. Why can't you stop tempting fate? Do you want to die that badly? she thought to herself.

-

(TL: Anyone else just go into the profiles of commenters to find new novels to read?)