Chapter Seventeen
After hearing Lisbeth’s words, everyone present stared at her as if she were a stranger. In their eyes, Lisbeth had previously been no different from an imbecile, but just now, an inexplicable aura had suddenly emanated from her as she spoke.
Although such an aura could neither be seen nor touched, for a fleeting moment, Lisbeth had indeed made everyone present feel a sense of oppression.
Witnessing this, Sid, who had been outmaneuvered by Lisbeth, did not back down. Instead, he took a deep breath and spoke coldly: “Hmph, what meaningless pride.”
“Don’t forget, you are merely Lady Christy’s maid now, nothing more than a prisoner! No matter how noble your former status, you are now just a…”
“Sid, don’t say another word.”
Just as Sid was about to berate Lisbeth further, Meyfield, who had been seated all this time, suddenly waved a hand, cutting off his speech.
He then slowly addressed him: “Sid, I understand your dislike for humans, but don’t forget, I traveled all the way from the central continent of the Demon Race specifically to meet her.”
“Therefore, the more you insult her here, the more you tarnish my reputation. Do you understand that?”
“…”
Meyfield’s words plunged Sid into momentary silence, for Meyfield was right; his current behavior was indeed unbecoming of a noble.
To serve as a high-ranking attendant to a Demon General like Meyfield, one’s family background and status had to be exceptionally noble.
Yet, despite his excellent upbringing, he had momentarily brought shame upon his master, a fact Sid could not accept.
After a brief moment of reflection, Sid nodded: “Lord Meyfield, I was mistaken. I will accept any punishment you deem fit upon our return.”
“And Miss Lisbeth, I offer my sincerest apologies for my rude remarks just now. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Mm, that’s good.”
Indeed, Sid proved himself a well-bred noble. Despite his reluctance to humble himself before Lisbeth, his unwavering loyalty to his master compelled him to apologize.
Upon hearing his words, Lisbeth magnanimously waved her hand: “As long as you understand. I hope you won’t repeat such behavior next time.”
With Sid’s apology, the tense atmosphere immediately eased considerably.
Simultaneously, Hilda, ever astute, picked up the nearby teapot and, retrieving a fresh teacup, poured new tea for both Meyfield and Lisbeth.
Once the atmosphere had finally returned to a gentler state, Meyfield smiled and began: “My apologies for that spectacle, Lisbeth. Now, let us continue.”
“Mm, alright.”
As Lisbeth nodded, Meyfield gently closed his eyes, speaking slowly as if lost in thought: “Lisbeth, do you know why I specifically came all this way to meet you?”
“It’s because you are perhaps the most capable human hero I have ever encountered. While I know you are celebrated as humanity’s strongest hero, the ‘capability’ I speak of isn’t merely your personal combat prowess, but also your leadership ability.”
Having finished speaking, Meyfield suddenly opened his eyes, staring intently at Lisbeth as he continued: “While a general must possess immense personal strength, no matter how powerful an individual, they are ultimately just one person.”
“In my understanding, previous heroes would only seek out a few exceptionally skilled humans as companions, then attempt to assassinate high-ranking demons, including the Demon Lord herself.”
“Throughout the long current of history, some heroes succeeded, while others failed, yet this never altered the significant erosion of human territory.”
“However, with your appearance, this situation was instantly overturned.”
As Meyfield spoke, an even more excited expression spread across his face.
Perhaps due to his growing fervor, a subconscious smile touched his lips as he continued: “Before your emergence, our Demon Race had occupied a full third of human territory, and the encroachment was steadily continuing.”
“But with your arrival, within just three short years, all the lands we had claimed were not only reclaimed, but this very Demon Lord’s Castle, which should have been impregnable, was nearly overrun.”
“Thus, I desired to see for myself, to truly understand what kind of being could achieve such a feat in such a short span of time.”
“This, too, is one of the reasons I wished to meet you today.”
After listening to Meyfield’s elaborate explanation, Lisbeth merely offered a faint smile.
She then slowly remarked: “To think I could be held in such high regard by you—it is truly my honor. However, no matter how much you wished to meet me, I doubt you would have come personally if it weren’t for something truly important, would you?”
“Mm, indeed. You are a clever person, after all.”
After hearing Lisbeth’s astute observation, Meyfield nodded and continued: “I came today primarily to discuss two matters.”
“Firstly, I wish to ask, what exactly did you do to allow the human race, which was on the verge of despair, to become so powerful in just three short years, and to stand against us once again like a formidable lion?”
Truth be told, the question Meyfield posed was one Christy herself had longed to ask.
As the Demon Lord of this fiercely contested Demon Lord’s Castle, she had witnessed firsthand how suddenly and dramatically the human armies had transformed into formidable warriors, and she was equally eager to understand the answer to this mystery.
However, Lisbeth merely shook her head gently.
She then slowly stated: “I didn’t actually do anything particularly special. But if I had to name one thing, it would probably be that I value my own life more than any hero of previous generations.”
“Hm?”
As Lisbeth’s words faded, everyone present showed expressions of bewilderment, yet not a single person spoke.
Instead, they waited quietly for Lisbeth to continue. Lisbeth offered a slight smile and then proceeded: “I believe you all know that heroes can be resurrected indefinitely, which is another way of saying that heroes do not fear death.”
“However, even if a hero themselves doesn’t fear death, it doesn’t mean everyone else shares that sentiment.”
“Everyone fears death, but what happens when a person who doesn’t fear death commands as a general? It largely leads to a disregard for the reality of death, especially the lives and deaths of others.”
“On the battlefield, because heroes are fearless of death, they can charge forward recklessly, even devising many tactics that are utterly unreasonable—tactics that would simply send their soldiers to their deaths.”
“While such tactics aren’t entirely useless, the cost is an immense number of casualties. Therefore, when you mentioned that most heroes only engaged in assassination, it wasn’t because they merely wanted to eliminate high-ranking demons; it was because leading an army would be utterly meaningless for them.”
“Furthermore, you might have always perceived human armies as weak, but that’s not actually the case.”
“Remember, even in times without a hero, humanity still managed to repel your invasions and hold onto two-thirds of their territory through their own strength. Their power is not inherently weak.”
“What humanity truly lacked was merely a focal point, a leader who could inspire hope and wouldn’t carelessly send their soldiers to their deaths.”
Perhaps Hilda and the others couldn’t grasp the full meaning of Lisbeth’s words, but after hearing her, both Meyfield and Christy fell into deep contemplation.
They appeared to be pondering the profound implications of her statement.
Soon enough, Meyfield raised his head and nodded: “Indeed, you are a truly unique individual.”
“You see, when a person possesses an ability that others lack, they subconsciously tend to abuse it.”
“However, you, on the contrary, possess such self-restraint—that, too, is a talent of yours.”
“No, actually, I don’t possess such a talent; it was simply one person who made me understand this point.”
As Lisbeth spoke, she subconsciously glanced at Christy beside her.
Meyfield then let out a hearty laugh and added: “Alright, while your answer might not be what I expected, sometimes understanding what should be obvious can indeed significantly change an individual, or even a group of people, or an entire nation’s perspective.”
“So, I’ve learned something today as well.”
Meyfield understood then: while the preciousness of life is something everyone should inherently grasp, if a leader fails to recognize this, then nothing else can truly begin.
After another nod, Meyfield slowly declared: “Very well, then let me now tell you about the second reason I specifically came to see you.”
“To be honest, I initially assumed you would be imprisoned in the dungeons of the Demon Lord’s Castle as a captive.”
“For safety, I had planned to transfer you to the central continent of the Demon Race for strict supervision. But now, I have changed my mind.”
“Lisbeth, will you become my general, and fight alongside me on the battlefield?”
“Huh?”