"I wouldn't get angry... I even wonder, what kind of image I have in your minds."
Yila somewhat helplessly pressed her hand against the blade placed on her neck.
"How many magical creatures have you killed? Hope Yila you have some sense of that…"
"..."
For some reason, Yila felt the voice sounded very familiar. His gaze shifted from the Ghostly Knight and the gigantic Insect Man to the direction of the voice, and he saw a pale-skinned woman wearing a wizard hat.
"Vera…"
Yila called out her name, frowning, unsure of what to say.
"Miss Vera, do you know Mr. Yila?"
Satan Ye said as he walked out from behind Yila, waving his hand to signal the leaders of the magical creatures to put away their weapons.
"She is a traitor to the empire."
Yila said.
"I was Yila's colleague for ten years."
But Vera gave a different account.
"Witch Demon… You said you came from the empire, but you never mentioned you held a high position there."
The gigantic Insect Man with an exoskeleton that looked like armor said, his reflective black eyes staring at Vera skeptically, looking at his colleague who had joined decades ago.
"Not exactly a high position…"
Vera said simply.
"She was a Court Magic Advisor and Isabella's magic teacher, just decided to become a Witch Demon."
Yila then interrupted.
"..."
Although the atmosphere seemed cheerful, unknowingly it had become extremely tense. Even though the various leaders had put down their weapons, a sharp blade still remained in their hearts.
It wasn't that they didn't want to drop their hostility; they just didn't dare.
"So, did the Demon King let you out? To take revenge on the empire?"
Vera's forehead was sweating, though she didn't understand [Governor] very well, Yila undoubtedly had Satan Ye's mana flowing in his body now. It wasn't a good sign.
Either Yila stole it, or Satan Ye gave it to him... the former seemed more likely.
"Or did you decide to join us? The Demon King is pretty cute, right? I remember you're a lolicon?"
Yila immediately shook his head decisively and said: "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't betray the empire like you did. I was betrayed by the empire… I'm heading to Silver Moon Tree Court afterward."
This was the best choice Yila could think of at the moment, although the elves of Silver Moon Tree Court didn't have a good relation with the empire, he had good personal connections.
If he were to take refuge, it obviously wouldn't be a problem.
"Betray the empire? Yila, you dare to say that... I didn't plan to hide my transformation into a Witch Demon, I was just working well in the empire."
Vera, who looked young and beautiful, said, sighing: "I was betrayed by the empire too. Why can't the empire tolerate Witch Demons? Just like it can't tolerate you."
"..."
This left Yila in silence.
The empire couldn't tolerate residents transforming into magical creatures, it was the founding principle. Vera was undoubtedly sophisticating. *But at this moment, he couldn't think of any retort... couldn't find any meaning in rebuttal.*
"I'm leaving... Anyway, thank you for your help, Demon King."
After such a brief thank-you, Yila lightly chanted in the hall of the Demon King City: "First Wing Pilon·Crimson Dragon·Wing Spread."
With the serene chant, crimson wings appeared behind Yila. Under the vigilant gaze of all magical creatures in the hall, he looked at the night sky outside the window.
It was a beautiful scene; the mana transformed into a colorful stream of light from the spine into the wing bones, then quickly filled to form the shape. The ethereal wings, with gentle flapping, scattered specks of red dust.
In battle, such a chant usually accompanied slaughter and death, so no one had the mood to appreciate it... It only brought fear, deeply burying that fear in every magical creature who had witnessed the massacre.
"Wait, Mr. Yila, you were unconscious for three days, don't you feel hungry? The banquet ordered by the Demon King…"
Hilena, the succubus, called out to stop Yila from flying, but he didn't care about the banquet, even though he indeed felt a bit hungry now.
*He wouldn't care... probably.*
*...*
*So hungry, want to eat something.*
A somewhat embarrassed Yila stopped his action of taking off. The crimson wings folded behind his back and returned to his body. He turned to look at the perplexed magical creatures, saying: "Apologies for the trouble... consider it a favor I owe you."
"..."
Vera: By the way, the proposal for fine dining and meticulous cooking was made by Yila.
———Dining Separating Line———
The banquet at the Demon King City... was a feast lacking the atmosphere of magical creatures.
Each magical creature leader would typically head to their respective areas to eat and handle some tasks, so usually, only those in the Demon King line, as well as stewards and maids, would manage the banquet-related matters.
Calling it a banquet would be better described as a family gathering... especially today with all the leaders staying, it seemed even more so. Otherwise, if only Yila and Satan Ye ate, it would seem more like a candlelight dinner than a feast.
"The chosen salad isn't fresh enough, and the snake fruit tastes overly sour, don't you think?"
Yila commented on the salad, and the Insect Man he was asking could only nod in agreement.
Because Yila was right.
"The main dish is mushroom; this is quite strange. All species need to ensure good carbohydrate intake."
Regarding Yila's words, Vera nodded in agreement... though Witch Demons only tasted food and didn't need to actually eat.
"The steak is too tough, and without any side dishes, it's overly monotonous. Even with the Crimson Dragon's teeth, it's hard to swallow!"
Yila frowned and complained, unable to understand why the chef could be so careless with food liked by the Demon King. In everyone's gaze, he stood up and asked: "Who can take me to the kitchen?"
Though it was phrased as a question, it was undeniable in tone, as if he were the owner of the Demon King City.
"Yes... Mr. Yila, please follow this way."
Hilena, standing aside, twitched her lips and respectfully led Yila away from the table, towards the room on the other side of the hall, leaving Satan Ye and the other leaders staring at each other.
"Witch Demon… So, is that Yila Elkaras always like that?"
A girl with small bat wings on her back asked Vera.
For some reason, everyone felt there was something different about Yila's image, compared to what they knew of him as an enemy.
"Yes, he indeed gets pedantic in strange places... Hopefully, Mr. Lime can fend for himself."
Vera said, squinting her eyes slightly. She shared her thoughts: "I've always heard a rumor… Yila is not purely a loyalist as imagined by the people of the empire, but rather a paranoid dreamer."
"You are, say, ing, what?"
Facing the question of a Demon Statue speaking haltingly, Vera showed a sly smile, looking at Satan Ye, saying: "Demon King, the future of magical creatures depends on you~"
"Hmm?"
Satan Ye tilted his head in confusion, showing an innocent expression.