The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

The capital of the Olmec Kingdom, Taralos.

The walls of Tararalos, like a giant dragon, wind across this fertile land. They are the capital's shield, a solid defense against external enemies. The walls rise high, piercing the clouds, as if reaching for the stars in the sky. Their grandeur is enough to inspire awe in any first-time visitor.

Meanwhile, an impressive caravan arrived at the outer perimeter of the city walls, ready to enter the city.

The caravan consisted of several sturdy carriages, each pulled by four robust magical horses whose manes gleamed in the sunlight.

The carriage in the center was particularly eye-catching. Its carriage was made of dark wood and covered with thick iron armor. The windows were tightly closed, with only a small crack allowing a faint light to pass through. Seated inside was a distinguished guest of great importance, whose significance cast a tense and solemn atmosphere over the entire convoy.

The soldiers escorting the convoy were dressed in uniform dark blue battle robes with gold badges embroidered on their chests, appearing both imposing and dignified. Longswords hung at their waists, spears were in hand, and their sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, leaving no potential threat unchecked. The soldiers were arranged in two rows, positioned on either side of the convoy, forming a solid defensive line.

At the very front of the caravan was a knight in full armor, riding a tall, imposing black horse. He gripped a long lance, bearing the heavy responsibility of guiding the caravan and commanding the entire escort.

"What a terrifying display!" some uninformed people remarked, marveling at the sheer scale of the horse-drawn carriage procession.

After the leading general showed the garrison the clearance documents, the entire convoy entered Taralos.

The motorcade drove through bustling streets and past lively markets, heading straight for the palace.

The palace of Taralos, hailed as a shining jewel of the Olmec Kingdom, is located in the heart of the city and is a magnificent, mysterious, and luxurious building.

Philippa opened the car window and looked at the familiar building in front of her. Unlike other first-time visitors who felt a sense of awe, her eyes seemed to reveal a sense of disgust towards the place.

Indeed, from childhood to adulthood, she had been confined to this palace almost the entire time, and the furthest she ever went outside was never beyond the capital.

Upon entering the palace grounds, Philippa immediately jumped off the carriage.

The soldiers guarding the area immediately became alert, fearing that Philippa might try to escape.

Seeing the soldiers' wary expressions, Philippa curled her lip: "If I really wanted to run away, why would I obediently follow you back to the capital?"

“I apologize, Your Highness,” the leading general replied, “We are only doing this to ensure the success of our mission to escort you. Please understand.”

Philippa ignored them; she didn't want to get angry with these guys who were just following orders.

“She’s back again,” Philippa sighed softly.

These past few days, the birds that once soared high seem to have been caged again.

With a large number of maids and guards, she was watched by countless people wherever she went, and she couldn't express any of her own thoughts.

That's why Philippa hated being in the palace.

Compared to this, Philippa longed even more for that kind of unrestrained life.

Okay, we'll leave as soon as the old man brings over the teammates he's chosen!

A general in armor stepped forward and said in a respectful tone, "Your Highness, please come with me."

Following in the general's footsteps, and protected by soldiers, Philippa walked forward listlessly.

If you ignore her delicate and pretty face and figure, she looks like a walking corpse at this moment.

The old man should have finished his court session by now, which means I'll go see him directly later.

Good, the sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can make our escape.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Philippa looked up and stared directly at the "old man" on the throne, while glancing out of the corner of her eye at two somewhat familiar faces, a man and a woman, standing to the side.

Before Reginald could express his joy at seeing her, Philippa immediately decided to speedrun and spoke first: "These are the two teammates you chose for me, right?"

Her tone showed absolutely no reverence for the ruler of the Olmec Kingdom and her father; instead, she became more polite when mentioning the man and woman beside her.

It is said that daughters tend to dislike their fathers at a certain age.

Philippa was probably the only person in the entire kingdom who dared to speak to Reginald in such a defiant tone.

Reginald showed no anger whatsoever, acting like a doting father.

"That's right, these are the future members of the Hero Squad. Let me introduce them to you."

Reginald pointed to one of the girls dressed in a nun's habit and said, "She is the current Holy Maiden of the Holy Light Church, Sophia Aurora. Holy Maidens of the Holy Light Church have always been a standard feature of the Hero's Squad."

Saintess Sophia smiled and stepped forward to grasp Philippa's hands, saying warmly, "Please take care of me, Miss Hero."

Philippa was a little overwhelmed by Sofia's enthusiasm.

"Um... hello..."

What Philippa didn't know was that the saintess Sophia's eyes were dull and lifeless before she entered, but the moment she saw her, her eyes not only regained their clarity but also seemed to show signs of ecstasy.

Philippa only felt that the saintess Sophia was looking at her strangely, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

Did she... squeeze my hand...?

After Sofia stepped down, Reginald began introducing another person.

"This is Taric Novak, the son of Count Novak. His father was a hero on the battlefield."

The handsome young man, Tariq, bowed to Philippa, unlike the saintess Sophia who directly grasped her hand.

"This is a normal person," Philippa concluded in her heart, "but that saintess is still somewhat strange."

However, this person's name and surname seem familiar...

Oh, right.

Philippa recalled the list of candidates for the prince consort, and Tarek Novak was one of them.

Philippa didn't find the person in front of her as annoying as Lucas Valestrid, but she couldn't help comparing him to Gray.

Hmm? Why would I think of Gray at this time?

“Hello,” Philippa replied politely.

Reginald had a specific purpose in arranging the members of the Hero Squad.

Saint Sophia is a tradition that cannot be changed.

Taric was specifically arranged by Reginald.

When the idea of ​​finding a husband for Philippa was first proposed, Philippa showed strong resistance.

Reginald believed this was because Philippa was not yet familiar with these people, and felt that Philippa should get to know them and work with them for a period of time so that goodwill could develop.

In the Hero Squad, Philippa is a half-swordsman and half-mage who is proficient in both physical and magical attacks, while Sophia is a mage who can provide buffs and has offensive capabilities.

They were missing a tanky warrior, and that's how Taric came to stand out.

Reginald's idea was good, but...