Liliana

Meanwhile, back at Erica's villa, she was making the most of the time while Eriri and the others made their way over, focusing on using her points to enhance her strength.

A Godslayer's power had its limits. No matter how many Heretic Gods they killed in the future, they would only gain new authorities, but their magical energy wouldn't increase by much.

Take Duke Voban, for instance. As the oldest Godslayer of the era, he had killed numerous Heretic Gods, yet he still fell at the hands of Erica, who had just become a Godslayer. Even with Eriri's invincible defensive barrier aiding her, this showed that the gap between Erica and Voban wasn't as vast as it seemed, at most a few small levels.

However, with the help of points from the chat group, this issue could be resolved. By continuously using points to strengthen herself, Erica could eventually break through the limits of a Godslayer. Surpassing the King Who Manifests at the World's End or even the gods of the divine realm would no longer be a distant dream.

"Ah..." Letting out a soft breath, Erica opened her eyes. In just under an hour, she had broken through another small level, going from Fifth Level, First Stage to Fifth Level, Second Stage, spending nearly one million points in the process.

She could clearly feel her increased strength. If she were to face Duke Voban again, she was confident she could defeat him in half the time it originally took.

If she ascended one more level, she believed she could match Voban even without Eriri's defensive protection. And if she continued to push forward, she would undoubtedly become the strongest among the Godslayers.

Feeling eager, Erica was about to use her remaining points to continue strengthening herself when she sensed two familiar presences approaching, causing her to halt her training.

Leaving her room, Erica headed to the villa's living room, where two young girls stood. One was Karen Jankulovski, Liliana's maid who had left not long ago, and the other was none other than the Fairy Knight herself, Liliana Kranjcar.

Liliana, whose beauty rivaled Erica's, had her long silver hair tied into a ponytail, giving her a cute and delicate appearance. Her ocean-blue eyes were pure like the sea, and her finely sculpted face resembled a porcelain doll. She wore a black dress, and her slim legs were covered in white stockings, further accentuating her elegance.

"Lily, you're here," Erica greeted with a cheerful smile as she looked at the serious-faced Liliana standing in the living room.

"Erica... Lady Erica!" Liliana replied, her expression conflicted, eventually addressing Erica with a title of respect. While she used to treat Erica as an equal, now that Erica had become a Godslayer, such familiarity seemed inappropriate.

Steadying her emotions, Liliana spoke again, "Lady Erica, I am here on behalf of Bronze-Black Cross to pledge our allegiance to you."

After the news of Erica's success in becoming a Godslayer and her defeat of Duke Voban spread, Bronze-Black Cross abandoned their enmity with Copper-Black Cross. Even seeking protection from Italy's other Godslayer, Salvatore Doni, seemed pointless. They believed that Erica, who had slain Voban, was beyond Doni's ability to defeat.

Thus, they decided to pledge their loyalty to the new king, Erica Blandelli. For the survival of their organization, becoming a vassal of Copper-Black Cross seemed a small price to pay.

"Oh, Lily, don't be so stiff," Erica said, sitting down on the couch opposite Liliana. "I don't mind accepting your allegiance, but on one condition. If you agree, I will treat Bronze-Black Cross the same as Copper-Black Cross. What do you think? Tempted?"

"Really? Whatever the condition, we will accept it!" Liliana replied excitedly.

Before arriving, she had already resigned herself to the possibility of Bronze-Black Cross becoming a vassal of Copper-Black Cross, or, in the worst case, being absorbed entirely. Now, the opportunity to stand on equal footing was an offer she couldn't refuse.

"Well, it's nothing too difficult. If you agree to become my maid, I'll accept Bronze-Black Cross's allegiance and treat you equally. How about it?" Erica said playfully.

"What? A maid..." Liliana was stunned, letting out a gasp. Knowing Erica's personality, she realized Erica was deliberately teasing her, and the suggestion left her conflicted. "Couldn't I serve you as your personal knight instead? A maid is just..."

Seeing Liliana's embarrassed and flustered reaction, Erica couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

"Hahaha... Oh, Lily, you should have seen your face!" Erica's laughter echoed through the room, tears of amusement forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Eh?" Liliana was left speechless, utterly bewildered by Erica's sudden outburst.

"Haha... Alright, alright, Lily, I was just messing with you. Don't worry, I won't force Bronze-Black Cross into submission. You don't need to become my maid," Erica said with a mischievous grin.

In truth, Erica had never intended to subjugate Bronze-Black Cross. The idea of making Liliana her maid was just her way of teasing her longtime friend.

"Really? That's such a relief! Thank you, Erica!" Liliana's heart swelled with joy at the unexpected kindness, and for a moment, she couldn't help but think how lovely Erica seemed. But that sentiment was quickly dashed when Erica continued.

"No need to thank me. However, if you want to show your gratitude, you could always write more romance novels. Your latest work wasn't half-bad, though..." Erica began to tease.

Before she could finish her sentence, Liliana's shout cut her off.

"Ahhhh!"

Liliana rushed up to Erica, grabbed her by the shoulders, and shook her furiously, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"How did you find out again? Where did you even see it?" Liliana was utterly devastated. Despite her best efforts to keep her romance novels private, Erica always managed to get her hands on them. She couldn't fathom how her most recent work had leaked.

Unbeknownst to Liliana, her trusted maid Karen, who stood nearby with a satisfied smile, was the one responsible for passing on the novels to Erica.

After some playful bickering, Liliana finally calmed down, thanks to Erica's reassurances.

Leaning closer to Liliana, Erica whispered conspiratorially, "Lily, don't say I never do anything for you. Later, I'll introduce you to a very important person. If you can earn her approval and become her knight, she might even help you become the seventh Godslayer."

"A very important person? Could it be... Eriri-sama?" Liliana asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Exactly. Eriri-sama is the one I serve. With her help, I was able to slay a Heretic God and become a Godslayer."

Hearing Liliana mention Eriri by name, Erica raised an eyebrow in slight surprise but quickly realized what had happened. When she and Arianna had discussed Eriri earlier, they hadn't been discreet, so Karen had likely shared the information with Liliana.

That was indeed the case. After leaving the villa earlier, Karen had called Arianna to gather more details. Thus, Liliana had already learned a bit about Eriri.

Liliana had been intrigued by the idea of meeting Eriri, someone powerful enough to aid Erica and earn her respect. So, when Erica offered to introduce her, Liliana couldn't help but feel tempted.

"If I can become a Godslayer, I'll finally be able to close the gap between myself and Erica."

If Erica had known Liliana's thoughts at that moment, she would have simply smiled. With the chat group's existence, the gap between them would only grow larger, even if Liliana did become a Godslayer, unless she too joined the Multiverse Same-Sex ♀ Friendship Group.

Liliana spent the next hour asking Erica for details about Eriri, preparing herself mentally for their upcoming meeting.

...

Another hour passed, and Arianna had finished preparing the twenty-person feast. The enormous table was laden with dishes, filling the dining hall with a delicious aroma.

Erica and Liliana were lounging on the couches in the living room, awaiting Eriri and the others' arrival.

Suddenly, Erica stood up and walked toward the villa's entrance, leaving behind only the words, "They're here."

Hearing this, Liliana quickly rose to her feet, her nerves increasing with every step she took toward the door.

Seeing the mistress leave, Arianna and Karen exchanged glances before hurrying after them.

Five minutes later, the rumble of car engines echoed down the nearby road. Soon, led by a pink sports car, a convoy of six luxury vehicles slowly pulled into the courtyard of Erica's home, stopping right in front of her and Liliana.

The car doors opened one by one, and from inside stepped eleven vibrant young women and one adorable little girl.

At the front was a blonde twin-tailed girl so stunning that even the confident Liliana couldn't help but stare in awe.

This was Eriri and her group, who had spent two hours driving over mountains and across water, finally arriving in Milan, Italy, from Sardinia.