Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 372 Serve Me (Bonus Chapter 211/212 for 8K Chapters)
"I plan to summon a group of heroic spirits to temporarily meet the Eldar's labor needs."

Before the few remaining high-ranking officials in Eldar, the wise Lord Herbert put forward his grand vision—we need more Heroic Spirits!

"Let those heroic spirits assist the gray dwarf architects and help build more temporary strongholds."

Using a group of powerful heroic spirits as labor is naturally a temporary solution that only addresses the symptoms and not the root cause, and is somewhat too extravagant.

Eldar territory needs continuous development, but the number of Heroic Spirits is limited, and it's impossible to devote all our energy to it.

The construction of Elda town, Elda city-state, and even the future Elda kingdom cannot be accomplished by the heroic spirits alone.

Currently, it's just a transitional phase; sooner or later, it will need to absorb a group of real residents.

Even so, as long as the needs can be met in the short term and we can get through the most difficult initial step, that is enough.

"What do you think?"

After listening to Herbert's explanation, the three people present looked at each other and fell silent for a moment.

"..."

The mushroom merchant squinted, silently sizing up Herbert, secretly speculating in his mind.

Summon heroic spirits?
Strictly speaking, paladins do have some summoning abilities.

However, generally speaking, heroic spirits are not within the scope of paladins' summoning.

Those righteous and glorious beings are more adept at summoning celestial creatures like Pegasus, and only the most righteous heroic souls have a chance of responding to their call.

This is not a power that a paladin should possess.

Only priests possess the ability to be empowered or commanded by the spirits of the fallen—and this power does not originate from themselves, but from the deity they serve.

Through divine favor, priests are able to command the spirits of the dead and make them serve them.

Is this a shortcut? It definitely is.

With the grace and reward of the gods, priests can easily summon heroic spirits of the same rank as themselves as henchmen.

If you're willing to pay a price (offering your soul to the gods after death, lending your body to a heroic spirit, etc.), it's not impossible to summon a more powerful heroic spirit of a higher rank!

Misser had no doubt that Herbert possessed the special ability to summon heroic spirits.

A strong person like Herbert would never speak without reason. Since he said so, he must have his own confidence and assurance.

Perhaps he possesses a special blessing, or perhaps he was born with extraordinary abilities.

None of this matters.

The important question is, just how far can he actually go?
She still had some doubts about how many Heroic Spirits Herbert could actually summon.

Under normal circumstances, a spell to summon otherworldly creatures can only summon a dozen or so at most, and that's only if you pay a heavy price.

In most cases, you can only summon one or two.

She exaggerated Herbert's abilities, suggesting he was exceptionally gifted, possessing mental strength several times greater than others... twenty!

To exaggerate even further, thirty of them!
Even if you could summon thirty heroic spirits, what would be the point of those short-lived beings?

The summoned spirits will eventually return to the divine realm; they cannot stay here for long.

We can't possibly go through all that trouble to summon it every time we need to build something, can we?

That kind of operation is really too much trouble, isn't it?
This is so unreasonable.

Misser didn't think Herbert was such a stupid guy.

Since it is illogical, there must be other explanations.

After thinking for a while, she finally fixed her gaze on him.

"Hmm, I guess he probably has other sources of confidence."

In fact, it wasn't just Misser who made this guess; Joanna, standing to the side, also frowned and nodded silently.

Joanna was initially skeptical of Herbert's words.

She was a priest, and a priest favored by the gods. Even she couldn't summon a large number of heroic spirits to work for her, so she didn't think a paladin like Herbert was qualified to do so.

Rather, the fact that Herbert was able to command a legendary centaur hero for such a long time was itself puzzling to her.

After racking her brains, she could only speculate that the god standing behind Herbert and cooperating with her goddess was in charge of everything.

"..."

However, before questioning him, Joanna recalled Herbert's previous behavior and the terrifying dragon he had summoned...

She had never seen an epic dragon before, but based on the information she had read, epic dragons were definitely not that exaggerated in size.

Surely it's not a giant dragon of saintly level?
After struggling with the decision for a while, she finally decided that it probably wasn't that exaggerated.

I guess it was just a special individual with an exceptionally large size?
Perhaps it's a legendary special entity!

In short, to show her respect for Herbert, Joanna obediently kept quiet.

She felt it was best not to say anything more.

After all, the goddess once said that silence at the right time is more precious than gold!

The goddess also said that choosing to believe in others is a praiseworthy virtue!
The goddess also said... when faced with a situation that is beyond our control, never act rashly.

Um... cough cough.

This isn't cowardice; it's simply following the goddess's teachings.

That's right, that's it!
For various reasons, Misser and Joanna chose to remain silent, their gazes falling on the only person present who might speak.

Sophia, let's go!

Stop being silent, it's time to speak.

It's time for you to speak.

It's your turn to shine!

However, facing everyone's gaze, Sophia remained silent, lowering her head and pursing her lips, seemingly lost in thought.

"..."

Herbert didn't care about the other two's feigned indifference; he hadn't expected them to offer any profound insights anyway.

He raised an eyebrow, looked at the silent centaur hero, and asked softly, "Sophia, what are you thinking about?"

Herbert asked a question, but the centaur spirit remained silent, his lips pressed even tighter.

Ok?
Herbert frowned slightly at her strange behavior, put his hands behind his back, and said calmly, "Raise your head and answer my question."

The words were plain, and the tone was not harsh.

But even such gentle whispers made both Misser and Joanna flinch, realizing that something was wrong.

!!!

This is not a request, it is a command.

"..."

Upon hearing the order, the centaur spirit stiffened, realizing Herbert's displeasure.

Even so, she remained silent for a long time before slowly raising her head and looking at Herbert.

"My lord, I..."

She was about to explain something when she suddenly stopped and silently looked at the other two people watching the show.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, could you please leave this place to me for the time being?"

The other two, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, nodded shrewdly.

"Ah."

"Ok."

The two immediately turned and left, leaving Herbert and his companions alone.

The sound of their departing footsteps even carried a hint of joy.

For some reason, Herbert's demeanor this time felt quite different to them.

They seem much stronger than before, and the pressure they feel is much greater than in the past.

In Miser's view, Herbert had simply revealed more of his true strength and no longer considered himself a high-ranking paladin.

Although it still follows the "pretending to be weak to fool others" formula, at least the acting isn't as exaggerated.

In Joanna's eyes, Herbert had received a tremendous boost, advancing from high-level to legendary.

Unlike Misser, who was automatically influenced by her mind, Joanna knew Herbert's true age, identity, and experiences.

To be able to advance to such a legendary level at such a young age and in such a short time... that's simply insane.

Could an ordinary genius do that?

Is this possible through ordinary opportunities?

It can't be done!

There have been legends in this world who were Herbert's age, or even younger.

Some special children blessed by the gods are even born with the ability to tear apart wild beasts with their bare hands.

However, without exception, all of them had already shown amazing talent at birth.

There is only one possibility in this world for someone to make a comeback halfway through and achieve their next goal.

Divine grace.

Only the grace of God can bring about such a miracle.

Herbert's ability to advance from an ordinary mortal with no power to a legendary figure in such a short time at such a young age is a miracle in itself!
It can be said that Herbert was the embodiment of the divine power behind him.

This world has never been fair.

Fate's gifts are never reasonable.

There are many sects that study fate, especially after the fall of the goddess of fate and the birth of the goddess of destiny. These sects have not completely submitted to the new goddess.

Most of them chose to break away from the Church of Destiny and become secretive sectarian organizations.

Among these religious groups, there is one called "The Predestination of All Things," which holds the view that "the fate of all things is predetermined from the beginning and cannot be changed by them alone."

They believe that everything has its predetermined destiny.

They believed that the fate of all things was determined the moment the soul broke free from the constraints of the chaotic sea, and that all "futures" were already predetermined facts.

There is only one way to change one's predetermined fate—through the gods.

They believe that gods are the freest beings in the world!
They believed that the gods were variables outside the river of fate.

Whether it's being watched by the gods, being interfered with by the gods, or even being favored by the gods... whatever the method or process, as long as it involves the uncertain factor of the gods, the fate of mortals can be influenced and changed.

Yes, this sect, which believes that everything is predetermined, loves to defy fate and change destiny.

However, perhaps because their minds weren't quite right, their methods for changing their fate were somewhat...unconventional.

They still maintain their ancient faith in the goddess of fate and will not convert to another religion.

They always like to find shortcuts to put themselves in the sight of the gods.

For this reason, this sect often does some strange things that puzzle even the gods.

For example, massacring believers in a city-state in order to provoke the wrath of their god.

Or they might loudly announce that they will offer a large amount of wealth to the Goddess of Wealth... then, after the church accepts it, they might collude with dragon bandits to steal the money back, offer it again, and then steal it again.

For example, there is a very important person.

There was once a member of the sect that believed in the immutability of all things. Instead of being eager for quick success like the others, he spent several years disguising himself as a famous socialite.

Like a devout follower of Cupid, he spent his days mingling at aristocratic balls, having affairs with nobles of all ages and social classes...

He did this so that he could be chosen by the church of the goddess of love and pleasure and become one of them.

He hoped to hitch a ride on Cupid's chariot and change his fate.

The problem is that his every move and his little schemes have already been exposed to the goddess.

The gods see all things, the gods express doubt, and the gods fall silent.

Ultimately, the goddess rejected him and did not approve his membership application.

Incidentally, the alias was correct.

It wasn't "she," but "he."

The burly man, who had bear-man blood, was three meters tall and weighed over half a ton, changed his appearance through special magic from the dark regions.

He transformed into a petite, 1.5-meter-tall, blonde, twin-tailed cat-eared loli, who would revert to her original form after the midnight bells rang...

No one understood what he was thinking.

I don't know what they're after...

He could have just made a show of it, but he insisted on personally participating and putting it into practice for everyone.

I guess she's awakened her inner femininity.

However, in a sense, he was also successful.

Because the goddess of love couldn't hold back any longer and descended in person to ask him... Why did you choose the Church of Love instead of other churches like the Church of War?
With his superior natural advantages, he could easily stand out in those churches and attract the attention of the gods.

Why seek something far away when you can find something nearby?
No, what exactly are you after?

The goddess expressed her incomprehension.

His answer silenced Cupid.

他 说:

"All I want is to be loved, meow."

The goddess said:
"You better speak properly."

It's unusual for Cupid to swear, but it's understandable.

After all, not everyone can accept a burly man with a full beard speaking such words in a hesitant, affected tone.

Even a well-traveled goddess couldn't resist... I've never seen anything like it.

Finally, this abstract-style otherworldly male-female character successfully changed his fate and advanced to legendary status the following year.

However, not long after changing his fate, he fell seriously ill and died due to the side effects of the transformation spell.

He died of illness earlier than the age he was originally predicted to die at... I wonder if he was tainted by another destiny after escaping one one.

In Joanna's eyes, Herbert was such a lucky man.

Influenced by the deity behind him, he changed his own destiny.

Although Joanna couldn't sense the divine aura emanating from Herbert, he concealed it very well.

But she believed that Herbert must have received a very deep favor from the gods!
If nothing unexpected happens, this is yet another person favored by the gods.

Coincidentally, Joanna's idea wasn't actually wrong.

It could be said that the entire derivation process was wrong, but the result was actually not far off.

Herbert was indeed favored by the gods, and his ability to change his fate was also related to them... Hey, what a coincidence. Joanna harbored no hostility towards Herbert; she only felt immense envy for his fortunate experiences.

Sour.

"When will I be able to become one of the chosen ones? Oh well, never mind."

But when she thought of her goddess's behavior, she couldn't help but sigh silently in her heart.

My goddess is perfect in every way, except for her unpredictable personality. She loves to travel (wander) and the blessings she bestows are also arbitrary.

Moreover, due to the limitations of Hecaias's own strength, He could not spare much divine power, and thus had even fewer chosen ones to bless.

"But if the goddess isn't suitable, then... what about that lady?"

After leaving the Ice Temple, Joanna kept pondering to herself.

She, or many others in the Church of Ice and Snow, did not see this as a betrayal of their own god.

We didn't seek refuge with anyone else; we simply returned to our ancestral roots.

Anyway, my goddess is just a plaything in that lady's hands, there's no difference... cough cough.

"Alright, they're all gone. Can you talk now?"

After the other two, Misérables and Misérables, left, the atmosphere in the space subtly changed.

Herbert smiled, no longer looking so imposing, but as casual and relaxed as before.

He sat leisurely on a chair made of ice, patted his leg, and waved to Sophia with a smile: "What are you daydreaming about over there? Come over here quickly."

When outsiders are present, he, as the person in a superior position, must maintain his authority.

Regardless of the reason why Sophia disobeyed his orders, he had to make a statement.

But when no one else is around, it's a private conversation with a close confidant, and there's no need to put on airs.

In front of outsiders, Gang.

Be gentle in front of your own people.

The art of managing subordinates lies in combining firmness with gentleness.

"..."

Sophia was still a little hesitant, but under Herbert's gaze, she obediently nodded.

She walked up to Herbert, then knelt down on her horse, about to respectfully prostrate herself before him.

"My Lord..."

Halfway there, Herbert stopped her and made her cross her arms and rest them on his thighs, then rest her chin on his arms as a pillow.

Sophia: ? ? ?

Miss Centaur was a little confused about what was going on, but she didn't dare to struggle. She just looked up at Herbert in a daze.

This is?

"My lord? What are you doing?"

Herbert raised an eyebrow and smiled, placing his hand on her head and gently massaging her ear, asking, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

The original Sophia was somewhat transparent to Herbert; he could only fully touch her in his spirit form without penetrating her body.

But after entering the legendary realm, Herbert no longer had such worries, and even in his physical form, he could catch her so easily.

He originally wanted Sophia to rest her head on his lap, to give her a lap pillow service.

However, the centaur's body is not very convenient to operate, and it can only be done when she is completely lying down.

He had no choice but to settle for making her kneel before him and do what she did.

Comfortable?

Sophia blinked, feeling the gentle hand in a daze, pursed her lips, and honestly said, "It feels very comfortable."

Sophia nodded obediently and whispered, "It's comfortable, but... why is this?"

"Why is there any reason? Heh, it's just that I want to do it this way."

Herbert shook his head slightly, offering no further explanation. He gently stroked the centaur's smooth hair and asked softly, "Are you feeling uneasy?"

When Herbert proposed summoning a Heroic Spirit, Sophia's reaction was observed by him.

She felt a moment of joy, but it quickly dissipated, leaving behind more confusion and unease.

What is she afraid of?
What are you afraid of?

Herbert reassured the centaur and asked softly, "Sophia, are you worried about being replaced?"

As things normally would have it, after Herbert summoned the other Heroic Spirits, all of them would inevitably have been ranked.

As the only Heroic Spirit of Elda before, Sophia naturally felt a sense of crisis and worried that her position would be replaced.

This is human nature and can be understood.

Herbert was not angry about such things.

"If that's the case, you don't need to worry about such things at all."

"I will not change my attitude toward you, and you will not be replaced by anyone."

"You are you, and that will never change in my heart."

As his first follower, Herbert had an undisguised fondness for Sophia.

Sophia paused for a moment after hearing this, then hurriedly shook her head and explained, "No, that's not it. I'm not worried about that."

“My lord, whatever your decision or how you treat me, my loyalty to you will never change.”

She stared intently into Herbert's eyes and said in a deep voice:

"No matter what mission you ask me to perform, even if the only outcome is sacrifice, I will not hesitate."

She proved her loyalty without hesitation.

Absolutely genuine.

After a moment of surprise, Herbert shook his head slightly, pinched her cheeks with both hands, pulled them outwards, and said irritably, "What are you talking about? How could I possibly do that?"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to sacrifice you."

Am I that kind of person?
Even if you wanted to go, I wouldn't want to let you go, okay?

After squeezing the centaur's cheek, Herbert didn't let go, but held her face in his hands and asked, "If you're not worried about me abandoning you, then what makes you feel uneasy?"

What is the reason?

"You're not afraid of running into old friends, are you?" His casual remark unexpectedly made Sophia stiffen again.

"Hmm? You're worried about that?"

“…Hmm.” Sophia nodded silently.

"why?"

Herbert was somewhat confused and asked:

"Aren't you all former comrades-in-arms? What's there to be uneasy about? Do you have any enemies from the past? Yes... oh!"

Halfway through his speech, he suddenly realized where Sophia's unease came from.

It wasn't that she remembered her past enemies, but rather that she... couldn't remember anything at all.

She has forgotten the past.

She forgot everything; she remembered nothing.

Miss Centaur is now a blank slate; all past connections have been severed from her.

The only person she could rely on was herself.

Sophia spoke up just as he had expected: "They may indeed be people I knew in the past, but I don't remember anything about them."

"I can't help with this, and I can't share your worries."

She was feeling down and ashamed of her own shortcomings.

Herbert looked at her like this, and suddenly a strange smile appeared on his lips.

"hehe."

He looked at Sophia and asked with a hint of amusement, "Have you forgotten something important?"

"Ok?"

"You have indeed forgotten, that's an undeniable fact, but... can they possibly remember everything completely?"

! ! ?

Herbert's smiling question stunned Sophia, who asked blankly, "What? You mean..."

Herbert nodded and smiled, "After everything they've been through, do you think their memories will be intact?"

"No, it's not just you. Everyone will forget, even me."

Memory is the easiest thing to beautify and blur.

People are good at remembering the good things, but forgetting the suffering they have endured in the past.

Many people say that after a breakup, the first thing to be forgotten is the flaws, and then the image of the person gradually becomes the white moonlight in their heart... until they are completely shattered when they meet again.

However, Herbert was not quite the same as most people.

He felt he was very petty, unable to remember the good things, only remembering the bad things others had done to him.

The main characteristic is holding a grudge.

"When everyone has forgotten about it, do you still think this is a very serious matter?"

"...I don't feel it anymore."

Sophia now felt a sense of disorientation, as if her previous struggles and anxieties were child's play and completely meaningless.

Yeah, what am I doing?
She bit her lip shyly, feeling a slight flush on her face—though she, as a spirit, shouldn't have such feelings.

"very good."

Herbert chuckled and patted her head, then countered, "Besides, is this the first time you've forgotten?"

"In the Pool of Heroes, you drink the wine of oblivion, bid farewell to your past selves, shed past memories, and gain a new life."

"And aren't you the same now?"

The way the heroic spirits are reborn in the Kingdom of God is by drinking the wine of oblivion, severing ties to the past, and starting a new life.

"You've simply skipped the step of drinking the wine of oblivion; otherwise, there's no difference."

"It is what it is."

"Now you don't have to worry about anything, you can proudly hold your head high and stand tall."

He looked tenderly at the stunned Sophia and said softly, "By my side, you have been reborn."

The boy calmly gazed at the heroic spirit kneeling before him and said gently, "Because it was I who gave you new life."

He declared in an exceptionally gentle yet domineering tone: "Right now, all you need to remember is me. You don't need to remember anything else."

"Since you no longer have a past, then I will become your past."

“Every moment you spend with me is a moment you will remember, the source of your no longer being lost.”

"If you still feel uneasy, then remember your mission."

"Sophia, do you know what mission you are carrying on your shoulders now?"

……mission?
Sophia snapped out of her daze, but instead of answering, she stared intently at the boy before her.

She felt a powerful attraction to Herbert.

It made her want to kneel down and entrust everything to him.

“My Lord, please show me the way, you lost lamb,” she asked devoutly.

She wanted to know an answer.

I want to find a goal for my new life.

Herbert's smile faded, and he said firmly, "Your mission is simple—me."

"Serve me, obey me, protect me."

"If you only want one answer, then your only task is to serve me."

He placed his palm on the centaur's head and said softly, "Apart from that, you don't need to think about anything else."

"Don't worry, don't fret, just do your job well."

"You don't need to worry about anything else; I'll take care of those."

Herbert didn't need others to be so willing to sacrifice so much for him.

This kind of love is too heavy.

too heavy.

Herbert would rather those people live for him than die for him.

The best way to repay him is to live on.

Herbert knew that his current actions were undoubtedly putting a shackle on Sophia, or rather, putting a saddle on her.

He made himself the master who restrained and manipulated her.

This is certainly not the best way to comfort them, but it is exactly what lost sheep need most.

Give them a reason to stop feeling lost.

"oh, I understand now!"

Sure enough, after thinking it all through and fully understanding her mission, Sophia regained her energy and spirits.

She tossed her single ponytail behind her head and said excitedly, "My Lord! I understand everything! I no longer need to worry about those forgotten past events."

"You gave me a new life, you are my everything."

"I will dedicate everything I have to serve you! To make you feel comfortable..."

Herbert initially smiled and nodded, thinking she was a promising young woman.

As he listened, he suddenly felt that something was off about her words. He raised an eyebrow and interrupted, "Wait, are you sure you understand?"

Comfortable?

Is this true?

Listen to this yourself, is that serious?!?
I'm a respectable person!
Sophia didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said. She blinked and asked seriously, "Hmm? My lord, is there something wrong with what I said?"

"Uh……"

Herbert looked at her earnest and innocent expression, his lips twitched slightly, and he changed his words, saying, "Well, no, it seems there's no problem."

Ok.

Sophia is right!
Yes, that's exactly the kind of service I want!
(End of this chapter)