Lin Qingyue didn't even understand how she had moved.
Her body acted before her mind. With a single step, she crossed over ten meters, appearing beside Ilanier in an instant.
She extended her strong arms and, just as the Queen was about to collapse, firmly caught the soft, fragrant body, pulling it into her embrace.
A perfect princess carry.
Holy shit!
Lin Qingyue's inner alarm bells—no, celebratory cannons—were firing!
This texture... this scent... Does this count as an SSR-grade humanoid accessory dropped by a wild BOSS?
The body in her arms felt as soft as a cloud warmed by the sun.
Every inch was perfectly plump and full, enveloped in a sweet, delicate fragrance reminiscent of rain-kissed flower buds that tickled her nose.
The weight was also unbelievably light.
Lin Qingyue subconsciously gave a slight, almost imperceptible bounce with her arms.
Hmm, perfect.
At that moment, she was immensely grateful for being a cloth-armored Priest, allowing her to experience this sensation so directly.
Ilanier leaned weakly in Lin Qingyue's arms, her consciousness hazy.
The aftereffects of spiritual power exhaustion left her limp, making even lifting a finger feel like an immense effort.
All she felt was herself falling into a firm, warm embrace.
The profound, grounding aura emanating from the earth enveloped her, and her nerves, stretched to their breaking point, finally found a sanctuary they had never known.
So safe...
Who is this?
She struggled to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Lin Qingyue's profile, bathed in the Primordial Radiance, appearing exceptionally divine and majestic.
"Qingyue... Miss?"
Her voice was faint, laced with the exhaustion and confusion of someone who had just been pulled back from the brink of death. It sounded like the whimper of a frightened kitten.
"Yes, it's me."
Lin Qingyue glanced down at her. Her voice was calm and deep—a young woman's tone, yet imbued with the steady gravitas of "Zhongli."
"You've overexerted yourself. Rest for now."
This sudden turn of events plunged the entire battlefield into another eerie silence.
"Sis... Sister..."
Lin Xiyue had been about to charge forward with her shield, ready to smash the Goblin's ugly face again, when her sister suddenly teleported and caught the Queen in her arms.
Her [Immovable Mountain] shield clattered to the ground, her jaw dropping wide enough to fit an egg.
This is... too smooth!
So, Sister's type is the aloof, high-and-mighty Queen?
Su Wan subconsciously pressed a hand to her throbbing forehead, her gaze fixed on the scene with a complicated expression.
On one hand, she breathed a sigh of relief for Queen's safety.
On the other hand, she gazed at the figure holding the Queen in a princess carry, radiating divine majesty, then looked down at herself...
The tiny flame of "rebellion" deep within her heart flared up with a whoosh.
Why?!
Why does she get to be so cool?!
Coach! I want to learn this! (☆_☆)
Xia Lian's cheeks burned, feeling her entire worldview shatter.
"G-girls... can actually princess-carry other girls...?"
Meanwhile, the two Legion Commanders, Aeldara and Baroque, were completely dumbfounded.
Aeldara was in pure shock.
Teleporting to save the Queen, and in such an intimate pose...
She subconsciously glanced at Her Majesty's pale yet serene face, and a thought took root in her mind: The Queen... is in danger! From a... girl!
Paladin Baroque, however, was in a state of pure fervor.
A god!
This is a god descending to the mortal realm!
That pure power of protection, that indestructible golden shield, and now this magnificent figure saving the monarch from peril!
Wasn't this the ultimate form that Paladins pursued their entire lives?
"A miracle! This is truly a miracle!"
He trembled with excitement, his gaze fixed on Lin Qingyue with a fervor as if he were gazing upon the divine statue in his own temple.
The ordinary Elf Soldiers, meanwhile, had already begun to see Lin Qingyue as a guardian deity descended to the mortal realm.
"It's the Priestess! She saved the Queen!"
"The golden shield... I feel filled with strength!"
"The gods have not abandoned us!"
At that moment, the morale of the entire Elf Army soared to its peak.
And Gyrus the Goblin, the focus of all this, was utterly dumbfounded.
He stared at the figure holding his "future Queen Consort," then at his two subordinates, still entangled with the enemy, and finally at his own psychic attack, completely nullified.
An absurd feeling of So I was the clown all along washed over him.
"Damn you! Let go of my Queen Consort!" he shrieked, his voice twisted with jealousy, and launched another psychic assault.
However, the Jade Shields protecting Lin Xiyue and the others didn't even flicker.
"Your opponents are us!"
Lin Xiyue snatched up her shield, her spirits soaring, and charged forward once more.
"You ugly green-skin! How dare you get distracted? Eat shield!"
"So you like using Psychic Assaults! So you like using Mind Control! So you like calling us 'Dowry Slaves'!"
Su Wan and Xia Lian quickly recovered, unleashing a barrage of ice and arrows in coordination with Lin Xiyue's charge. Once again, they dragged Gyrus into a frantic, chaotic melee.
"You lowly Dowry Slaves!" Gyrus shrieked in fury, but he was utterly helpless.
Meanwhile, a stunning transformation was unfolding along the Elf Army's front lines.
An Elven Ranger watched in astonishment as his arrow, which previously would only spark against a Frost Troll's tough hide, now sank deep into its flesh!
A front-line Knight, swinging his sword with practiced force, was nearly thrown off balance when the Skeleton Soldier before him shattered like rotten wood under the blow.
The Mages said nothing, but the increasingly brilliant elemental radiance they commanded spoke volumes.
As the elves' strength surged and the enemy's waned, the once-stalemated battlefront instantly tilted into a one-sided rout.
The Elves discovered that the monsters, who had seemed so ferocious moments ago, had suddenly become fragile and easily defeated.
"Brothers! These monsters have gotten weaker!"
"It's that Lord's power! It's a miracle!"
"For the Queen! For Silvermoon City! Charge!"
The Elf Army erupted in a deafening roar. Their battle line surged forward like an unstoppable silver tide, steadily advancing and forcing the endless horde of monsters back into the dark cavern from which they had emerged.
In a corner of the battlefield, Lin Qingyue held Ilanier in her arms, leisurely watching the spectacle unfold.
The Queen had already recovered in her embrace.
Ilanier could clearly hear the frantic pounding of her own heart and feel the strong, steady arms holding her. Even through their clothes, she could sense a warmth that made her blush and her heart race.
She tried to struggle to her feet, but her body was still limp and powerless.
Worse still, she could feel the gazes of nearly everyone on the battlefield drifting toward them.
She even overheard her own Royal Guard knights—usually so stern and formal—whispering among themselves.
"Is this the confidence of the truly powerful? Just standing there, she can protect the entire army..."
"Her Majesty looks so at ease in her arms..."
Ilanier—over five hundred years old—felt her face flush crimson in an instant.
The blush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, even tinting her fair neck an alluring shade of pink.
At ease? she screamed internally. This is far beyond 'at ease'! This is overwhelmingly stimulating!
As Queen, she was always the one others relied on, the pillar of her people, the symbol that could never fall.
But now, she was being held like a lovesick maiden.
This feeling of completely entrusting her safety to another... she hadn't experienced it since the day she donned the crown.
It was unfamiliar, yet... damnably flustering.
"Miss Qingyue..." she murmured, her voice carrying a hint of weakness she hadn't even noticed herself. "You can... put me down now. I can stand on my own."
"Hmm?"
Lin Qingyue looked down, meeting Her Majesty's watery, wine-red eyes, which held a touch of stubbornness.
Oho? Is Her Majesty getting shy?
Lin Qingyue was inwardly delighted.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. To think she's lived over five hundred years and is still this pure?
Didn't they say she was quite wild in her youth? How can she get so flustered from just being held?
No, no, I can't let go yet. I have to savor this precious expression a little longer!
She pretended not to hear, deliberately adjusting her posture to hold the Queen more securely and comfortably.
"Rest a little longer," she said, her voice low and magnetic, carrying an undeniable sense of reliability. "The battlefield hasn't been cleared yet, and the ground is cold."
Ilanier felt her cheeks burning.
In all her long life, this was the first time since adulthood that she had been held like this... by a woman... with such an excuse.
And all under the watchful eyes of her entire army!
Her queenly dignity was utterly shattered today.
But... this feeling... it wasn't... unpleasant?
"I... I'm really fine now!" she protested softly, her voice weak and utterly unconvincing.
"Don't move," Lin Qingyue stated succinctly.
Ilanier: "..."
Resigned to her fate, she stopped struggling. Instead, she shifted slightly, nestling her head deeper into the crook of Lin Qingyue's neck to find a more comfortable position.
Forget it. Let the world burn. Just get it over with.
Since I can't fight back, I'll just pretend I'm an ornament.
Lin Qingyue held her contentedly for a few more moments. Sensing that any more teasing might cause the Queen to actually shut down on the spot, she reluctantly prepared to let go.
"By the name of the contract, Form!"
The ground trembled slightly as a throne of pure Geo element, carved with magnificent cloud patterns, rose from the earth.
She carefully and gently placed Ilanier onto the throne.
"Sit here for a moment. I'll go take care of the last piece of trash."
With that, Lin Qingyue turned, her gaze locking onto the green-skinned goblin being toyed with by her sister and teammates.
Her eyes instantly turned glacial.
It was time to end this farce.