Chapter 131: Merleen, Fenrir, and Lilith (2)

I gave them a nod and replied, "Yes. Lilith and I are friends. We established our goals, which also aligned with the betterment of this world. Listen, I will summarize everything and tell you what we've learned."

"Established goals? What the heck are you saying, Arthur? Do you even know the meaning behind those words? That girl you just called friend is a demon! The vile creature that scorched the land with their motives is beside you, Arthur! If all of us could just trust sweet words, we wouldn't have this war!" Fenrir claimed, with her grating voice echoing around us. "I know you're a kind man, Arthur. But there should be a limit to your kindness. You can't save everyone, and not everyone would save you."

While Fenrir said all of those words, she glanced beside Lilith. That demon killed dozens of goblins, which made Fenrir more hostile against Lilith. But even without those dead corpses, I doubted Fenrir would have had a change of heart.

Lilith was a demon. And those demons did something grim in this world. Even though I vaguely remembered what they did in the game, these NPCs knew everything. Those non-player characters were the ones who suffered in the hands of those demons.

But even after hearing those words, I refused to give up. I wanted to prove to Fenrir….to everyone that there's still hope inside of us. People can change. All of us could change for the betterment of ourselves, including demons.

At least, that's what society shaped me….not until this game arrived.

"I know that! You don't have to tell me twice!" I retorted. "But at least we need to try! If Lilith is not the individual we think she is, we would just have to fight her! And if Lilith really wanted to, she would have killed us all already."

"But she didn't! Lilith watched over us even if we're sleeping! If I was in her shoes, I would have killed everyone already! And Lilith didn't!"

"Do you think that's the only thing that could prove her innocence, Arthur?" Fenrir pressed her claims more as the conversation progressed.

Lilith and I fell silent after hearing those words. But she can't do anything about it but listen. She knew what Fenrir yelled was the truth. 

I couldn't give Fenrir any more reasons to defend Lilith, since I would have also said the same thing. If the situation had reversed, I would be the one saying all those words. But I wasn't. 

And why would Fenrir even make those lies without facts backing her words up? Fenrir wanted nothing but to protect everyone and herself from this demon.

However.....

"Give her a chance, Fenrir. Not everyone is what you think of," I pleaded, while gazing into her eyes. "Here me out. If Lilith went rogue, you have the privilege to kill me or do whatever you want with me. I don't care as long as it satisfies you! But please….Please, Fenrir. Give Lilith a chance to explain herself. We can talk all day and pursue the roads tomorrow."

"Arthur!" Merleen cried, while tugging my leg. "You don't have to do all that! And Fenrir, please give them a chance….We are a team, after all."

Fenrir couldn't help but to accept her defeat. She went to the log and sat on its flat surface, with her eyes staring into mine. 

That wolf girl crossed her arms and demanded, "Like I've said before. The two of you should explain everything you know. That topic includes your plans, backup plans, and other miscellaneous stuff. If you can't move me, I will travel alone."

Upon Fenrir's suggestions, Lilith and I sat in front of the campfire and met Fenrir's gaze. Even though Lilith got a scolding from Fenrir, she kept a blank face and continued explaining everything to Fenrir.

"I am a demon who came from a high ranking nobles….I am actually the demon lord's daughter. You know, if you met a noble and acted like that, those demons would have already killed you on the spot?" Lilith asked, while flashing Fenrir a grin. "Don't worry, wolf. I am not threatening you with examples and imaginary scenes. But you need to keep your tone in check in front of a real monster."

Fenrir cleared her throat and shut her mouth, knowing what she did in that situation. However, I told Lilith that it wasn't her fault she acted like that. Anyone could have done the same thing as Fenrir did, since she had just woken from her sleep. And when she opened her eyes, a demon greeted her face. 

After countless debates with Lilith, the demon accepted my apologies on behalf of Fenrir. We finally resumed telling the tale that led Lilith in our team.

...….

It took a couple of hours before Lilith could end the narrative. She told everyone what Lilith explained exclusively to me, while hiding some other details. 

After Fenrir digested that information, she couldn't speak for a few minutes. Fenrir told everyone that she needed a brief break to organize her thoughts.

I shared the same experience after hearing Lilith's plan for the first time. A demon who wanted to stop the war and unite the two factions seemed unbelievable at first glance. But upon reviewing Lilith's eyes, our perceptions changed.

"I want to end this war. It's not an easy task, but we could do this with your help. And I need all the help I could get from everyone who shares the same goal as mine," Lilith continued, and gazed into our eyes.

Fenrir finally broke her silence and said, "Sorry, Lilith. But I can't accept that offer….yet."

"My goal is to meet your father, the demon king and ask about the agreement between the dire wolves and his words. Your father told me that he would supply us with food and protection. However, after a few years, those resources never came inside my hometown. My pack and I survived in the wild with nothing to eat but mushrooms and dry herbs. The other wolves left the weaker hounds, saying that they did not need any more mouths to feed besides their own. Do you have any clue about this conflict, Lilith? Did your father say anything about this to you?" Fenrir added, while glaring at the campfire.

As soon as Fenrir said the latter lines, Lilith shook her head and replied, "It's fine if you haven't decided yet with your decisions. As long as you're ready, Arthur and I will always welcome you in the team."

"About the contract that my father made between the dire wolves….Apologies, but I haven't heard about it. There were some hints that showed up from my father's castle, but I have already left my home. Since then, all the news my father made did not reach my ears. I didn't want to follow my father's footsteps. So I decided to leave and carve a path of my own," Lilith confessed. "I am not sure, but I might have a lead. It's not one hundred percent accurate. However, someone might have pulled some strings and did what they wanted to do with the contract. Those resources seemed valuable assets. And it's a no-brainer that someone would steal it, which turned out to be your pack."

"WHO WOULD HAVE DONE SUCH A THING!?" Fenrir growled, while revealing her claws. 

After realising what she had done, Fenrir retracted those nails and returned to her seat. She apologised for her undisciplined action and continued listening to Lilith's story.

That wolf girl knew that she couldn't get angry at Lilith, since she knew nothing about this problem. Fenrir recognized that Lilith was an innocent demon who could become an ally to our cause. 

"Who would have done such a thing? And can you do something about this too, since you're the daughter of the demon lord?" Fenrir asked, while lowering her head.

"Lift your head up before I could accept your request," Lilith requested, which Fenrir humbly obliged. "You're a friend of Arthur. So you're also my friend….That's what Arthur had taught me. I don't know if I still have the power for that, but I will try. Those resources that belonged to you might have been snatched by someone else. Since the world is experiencing a famine, those foods and other trades never reach your hands." 

"I do not know who's responsible for that, but I will find it. I will track that demon down even if it's the last thing I'd do," Lilith appended, while giving Fenrir a reassuring smile.

"Thank you….Thank you," Fenrir said, and repeated her lines.

That request was the only reason Fenrir joined my team. She wanted to know what happened to those resources the demon lord promised. Because of the loss of those products, their pack diverged. After their separation, Fenrir witnessed the death of her pack members. 

Fenrir also told me the story of their group. But she never explained everything to me.