"Nene, Aya Aya, have you heard of the protagonist's halo?"
"..." The Dragon Sister glanced coldly at the princess, then turned her head away.
Tilan sighed, watching the sulking Aya, and apologized with folded hands, "Can't you forgive me? I really didn't expect Mimi to take it so seriously..."
"This is beyond just 'seriously'! I almost got killed by her!" When she heard the name "Mimi," Aya's body visibly trembled, recalling the experience.
Perhaps because she had just suffered an attack, Mimi's nerves were even more sensitive than when they were in the Beacon City. If Tilan hadn't arrived in time, Aya would have been hung up and beaten.
And even so...
Aya pulled the sleeve on her left arm down, revealing pale skin covered in red marks, all of which were caused by Mimi's silver whip.
Silently raising the warning level for the maid supervisor in her mind, Aya decided that she would avoid Mimi as much as possible in the future. Whenever Tiler's safety was involved, this maid supervisor was even scarier than a demon from the abyss!
"Do you think it's fair? With your strength, you don't need protection at all! Why do you treat me like this?"
After staying in the Hesse family's territory for three days following the attack, the convoy set off again. However, compared to the grand departure at the beginning, this time the entire convoy became low-key. The royal emblem on the carriage walls was covered, the flags were taken down, and even the knights wore cloaks to cover their shiny armor.
Although Tilan had stated in a letter to the capital that the attack had nothing to do with the Hesse family, the king still made some arrangements out of caution. All family members serving in the capital were temporarily transferred away, and even the current head of the Hesse family, Barifulia's father, who had already arrived in the capital to participate in the New Year celebration, had to leave the capital and stayed in a nearby fortress.
"So, Aya, have you heard of the protagonist's halo?"
"...Are you bored again?" Aya stared at Tilan like an idiot.
"No, no, I'm serious this time. Have you heard of it?" Tilan asked earnestly.
Seeing Tilan so serious, Aya also started pondering: "The protagonist's halo? I think I've heard of it before. It's a general term for the buffs on the main characters in legendary stories, right? Like a sudden increase in strength, incredible luck, enhancement of teammates' abilities, and the super powerful final boss suddenly revealing weaknesses and being defeated by the protagonist. Isn't that the type of stories that minstrels tell?"
"Oh, that's right! You do know about it!" Tilan nodded.
"Yeah, because it was mentioned in my little notebook." Aya nodded. "My parents told me about it. Dragons like us are often the bosses in many epic legends, so we always have to be careful with those guys who have the protagonist's halo. Otherwise, we won't even know how we died."
Halfway through her sentence, Aya suddenly fell silent. Her body trembled, and she stepped back until there was no more space against the carriage wall.
Oh my, I didn't notice before, but now that it's brought up, Aya realized that the princess in front of her, whether in terms of appearance, family background, or strength, seemed to perfectly fit the description of someone with a "protagonist's halo" in her little notebook.
...Oh my goodness! Ever since I met her, I've been experiencing all sorts of tragedies. It seems like I've encountered a "protagonist" in terms of emotions!
Gulp.
Aya, sweating, asked, "So, Your Highness, you're not one of those people with a protagonist's halo, right?"
"I think, indeed, I am." Tilan pointed her right index finger at her lower lip, with a slight smirk. "I made a deal with the gods, after all. If I'm not the protagonist, then who is?"
Well, what should I do if the potential boss encounters the protagonist? Waiting online, pretty urgent.
Now is the time to show your intelligence, Aya. Use your brain and think about how the seniors in those boring novels you've read before handled this kind of situation...
Hmm, killing off the protagonist definitely won't work. Rather, right now, Tilan could just wave her hand and kill me... I can't rely on leveling up like other novels where the protagonist starts weak and eventually defeats the boss. But now the boss has been cheated by the overpowered protagonist and became her maid. How do I deal with this?In this situation, there should be other ways to survive...
Aya's eyes brightened.
...
Tiran looked at Aya strangely as she suddenly retreated to the corner of the carriage, hugging her knees and pondering. Just as he was about to walk over and ask what was happening, Aya lifted her head, looking serious.
"Princess, do you still need a mount?"
"Are you out of your mind?"
Tiran was puzzled.
Half an hour later.
"Oh, I see. So the protagonist's halo not only brings various status enhancements, but also has a higher chance of triggering various events..."
"That's right, it's not as convenient as you think."
Wait a minute! Why are you two discussing this seriously?!
Of course, because we're bored, bored, and bored.
Just then, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
The two people in the carriage simultaneously opened their mouths, glared at each other, and unconsciously showed a strange expression.
Aya pushed open the window and peeked out. The road ahead was blocked by barriers, and dozens of soldiers in guard uniforms stood in front of the barriers, obstructing the way.
"Attention, front convoy! The front has been designated as a temporary war zone. Non-related vehicles retreat! I repeat, non-related vehicles retreat!"
The leading officer shouted loudly while holding his sword at his waist.
Closing the window, Aya pulled her head back into the carriage, looking at Princess as she blinked her eyes. "Now I seem to understand what you mean by the protagonist's halo. It really does easily trigger events."
"Uh..." Tiran felt vexed. She was just talking casually. Could it be that there really is such a thing as a protagonist's halo?
...
"Excuse me, who is in charge of this convoy?"
Knight Robert walked through several carriages, his gaze scanning the knights in robes with confusion. He couldn't see much from a distance, but once he got closer, it was easy to notice that these knights wearing robes were all wearing armor and carrying weapons beneath. Moreover, their demeanor indicated that they were elite knights.
A convoy protected by dozens of knights should have a high status, but he couldn't see any insignia or flags indicating their identity in the convoy.
He soon saw a man wearing a black butler's uniform stepping down from the last carriage of the convoy.
"Hello, is this your convoy?"
Robert saluted him and politely asked.
"No... I'm just a steward, but if there's something, you can tell me directly." Justin calmly replied.
"Well, the thing is..." Justin's gaze made Robert feel uneasy, "there's a problem ahead, and our guard is conducting a temporary operation. If possible, we would like to take a detour."
"If we have to take a detour..." Justin frowned slightly. Taking a detour would mean a much longer route, and the arrival time in the capital city would be significantly delayed.
"If that's not possible, then we can only ask you to wait here. The operation is expected to end in the evening."
"Hey, Sir Knight, can I ask what kind of operation it is?"
A soft and delicate voice entered Robert's ears. He subconsciously looked in that direction, then froze for a moment, followed by excitement. He knelt down on one knee, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed his head towards Tiran, who had poked her head out of the carriage:
"Your Highness Princess!"
"Ah, huh? Do you recognize me?"
Tiran was also bewildered. She was just curious and wanted to see what was happening, and then she... got recognized?
"Yes, I once served in the Royal Guards and had the honor of seeing Your Highness at the parade during the Summer Festival three years ago!"
"Ah... that time..." Tiran pressed her forehead slightly, feeling a slight headache. Shouldn't have shown her face, huh? She didn't expect to be recognized in a place like this...
