After All, I'm Not Really a Demon

Without asking for the opinion of the Fox Tribe elder, Eriri directly decided Reina's future.

After comforting Reina, Eriri looked around the conference room, releasing an intimidating aura. The beastmen who met her gaze instinctively lowered their heads, unable to meet her eyes.

Eriri placed one small hand on the conference table, gently tapping her fingers on the surface. "Speaking of which, I do have two objectives for coming here."

Seeing the beastmen elders' expressions subtly change, Eriri continued, "But don't worry, these objectives won't harm you. In fact, they might change the fate of the beastmen."

Hearing this, the elders of the beastmen all sighed in relief. As long as it didn't negatively affect them, they could accept it. As for changing the fate of the beastmen, they didn't take it seriously. After all, the Holy Church, which represented the Lord of Creation Ehit, was the one who discriminated against them the most.

To them, the God Ehit was the creator of this world, an omnipotent and invincible being. Although Eriri gave them a strong impression, they didn't believe she could surpass the Lord of Creation.

The elder of the Forest Tribe, Elfreich Hephaestus, looked at Eriri and asked, "May I ask what your objectives are?"

"You recently expelled the Rabbit Tribe from Verbergen, correct?"

"That's right. The Haulia Tribe harbored a Forbidden Child, a grave sin. They are unworthy of living on this sacred land," Elfreich nodded.

Hearing this, Eriri's face showed displeasure. "Hmph, Forbidden Child? Just because they can use magic that beastmen cannot? It seems to me that you were simply jealous of their talent."

Though Eriri hadn't met Shea yet, she had a favorable impression of her based on what she knew. Moreover, the discriminatory attitude of the beastmen made Eriri uncomfortable.

Seeing that Eriri seemed displeased, Elfreich quickly explained, "My lady, it's not as you think. The Forbidden Child is an ominous existence with traits similar to monsters. We had no choice but to expel them, or we would be exposing Verbergen to danger."

Eriri sneered, "And what makes you so sure that the so-called Forbidden Child would bring disaster? Your meager imagination?"

Before the beastmen could respond, Eriri continued, "In my view, what you call a Forbidden Child is more like a Chosen Child."

Her words left the hall in a brief silence. The Fox Tribe elder, Rua, then spoke up, "But this is a decree from the Lord of Creation Ehit, delivered through the Holy Church. It's a truth known by everyone in this world."

"Such ignorance," Eriri shook her head. "I have no interest in arguing with you. I'll be straightforward—my first objective is for you to reinstate the Rabbit Tribe."

"However, you can rest assured, I can enforce this, and you have no room to refuse."

After a pause, Eriri continued, "But I'm not a demon. I can promise that if Verbergen reinstates the Rabbit Tribe, I will rescue all beastmen enslaved by the Hoelscher Empire and ensure they never capture another beastman. What do you say?"

"This..." Eriri's words made the five elders exchange glances. Truthfully, they weren't eager for the Haulia Tribe to return to Verbergen.

"What? Do you need to think about such a good deal? I hope you don't make the wrong choice."

"My lady, are you sure you can achieve this? The Empire is the most powerful nation in the world," Elfreich asked. Though they knew Eriri was powerful, they still considered the Empire to be beyond comparison to their own nation.

Eriri scoffed, "The Empire? What a joke. Even your so-called Lord of Creation Ehit is nothing in my eyes."

"May I ask why you are helping the Haulia Tribe and us beastmen? After all, you appear to be human," asked the elders, voicing the question that had been on their minds.

"Seems like I won't be able to ease your minds without explaining," Eriri sighed. "First, I have a good impression of the Rabbit Tribe's chieftain's daughter, the one you rejected as a Forbidden Child. Second, I can't stand what the Empire is doing. And now that Reina is one of my own, I don't want her to be saddened by her tribe's fate."

Upon hearing Eriri's final statement, Reina's eyes sparkled. Though she was only six, her experiences made her more mature than others her age. She understood Eriri's care for her and felt deeply moved.

"I see..." Elfreich and the other four elders exchanged glances before finally making up their minds. "My lady, we agree to your request. We will immediately lift the punishment on the Haulia Tribe. Please, save our people."

"Don't worry, it's no difficult task," Eriri waved her hand dismissively. "Now, I'll bring the Rabbit Tribe back."

Using her awareness, Eriri had already located the Rabbit Tribe within the Sea of Trees. She waved her hand over the nearby clearing, and suddenly, spatial ripples appeared above the clearing. A circular portal about two meters in diameter opened in mid-air, and members of the Rabbit Tribe began falling through the portal as if it were raining.

…

During the time they were exiled from Verbergen, the Rabbit Tribe had been wandering around the outer edges of the Sea of Trees. Due to their timid nature, they had almost no combat power, so whenever they were attacked by monsters, casualties were common. At this rate, extinction seemed inevitable.

Just moments ago, as they were resting together, a circular light appeared above each of their heads. Before they could figure out what these mysterious lights were, they were sucked into them, terrifying them into thinking they were doomed.

But the expected death did not come. Instead, they landed on the floor of a large room. Quickly, they huddled together, nervously surveying the unfamiliar space.