Ch.11 The New Village Council

The meeting hall of Karven's City Hall buzzed faintly with whispers.

"Miss Valkira, as you requested, I don't have gathered all the important figures of this village," said the old man, Dave.

I was nervous at first, but seeing more than half the seats empty made me feel more concerned for the villagers than for myself.

I raised my hand before the meeting could begin.

"Excuse me, but where are the others? Are they not coming?" I asked, concerned.

"No, human," Dave replied calmly. "These are the only ones with any fighting experience. The rest are just ordinary demon villagers."

"I see… hahaha…" I gave a weak laugh, though my concern grew. There were only four others present, and three of them looked like kids—about Verixa's age.

I glanced at Alira; she seemed to be thinking the same thing I was.

"If everything is settled, let's begin the meeting. But first, it would be good for everyone to introduce themselves," Valkira said.

The muscular one stood up. He had blond hair, brown eyes, and wore nothing on top except a green diamond-shaped pendant. Scars covered his chest.

"Name's Ken. Strongest demon of all. That's all you need to know," he said sharply, glaring at me. "But First, What's a filthy human doing here?" He began cracking his knuckles.

I flinched slightly, but before he could say more, a voice from the side cut in.

"Huh? Didn't a filthy human defeat you before? Oh, sorry—I forgot… you're thick-headed," chuckled a red-haired demon girl, as a brown-haired boy tried to calm her.

"Hey! You brat!" Ken took a step forward, but the blue-haired demon standing between them pointed his trident at him.

"You want to fight, huh?" Ken growled, cracking his knuckles again.

"Hey! All of you, stop this! Don't embarrass me in front of the Demon Queen!" Dave interrupted.

"Tch." Ken clicked his tongue and sat back down.

"Now, I'll introduce myself. I am—" the red-haired girl began, but the brown-haired boy interrupted.

"She's Siriel, that's Liriel, and I'm Tez. Nice to meet you," he said, bowing slightly.

"Hey! Brother, that's not fair! I was introducing myself!" Siriel protested.

"You always do this," Liriel added with a pout.

"I know, but this isn't the time to play around. We're sitting in front of the Queen," Tez whispered to them before turning serious again.

"So, Chief, why have we been called here?" he asked.

"I'll answer that," Valkira said in a firm tone. "We wish to restore the pride this village once had. And to do that, we need your help."

"I understand, ma'am," Tez replied, "but with only the few of us here, it'll be impossible to go up against them."

"I understand, but—" Valkira started, only to be interrupted by Verixa, who slammed both hands on the table.

"Don't worry about that! We have a special weapon. We'll definitely win!" she declared proudly, puffing her chest.

"A special weapon?!" everyone echoed in surprise.

"Hey! Don't say that—it'll cause trouble," I whispered to Verixa.

"Don't be like that!" she said with a grin.

"So, a secret weapon, huh? What is it?" Siriel asked.

"Here," Verixa said, pointing her finger at me. "Zacken is our special weapon! With him here, we can free the village from the humans!"

The room fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter.

I covered my face, already knowing this would happen.

"What's so funny?!" Verixa shouted.

"Hahaha… You really think a human can do what we demons couldn't? That's hilarious," Siriel laughed.

"Hey! Siriel, stop it!" Tez scolded, but Liriel added,

"But Brother Tez, she's right! How can a mere human help us?"

"I know, but…" Tez fell silent.

"Hah, if you called us here for this joke, I'm leaving," Ken said, standing up.

Alira slammed both hands on the table. "Please, don't laugh at Zacken!"

"Alira?" I muttered, surprised.

"I know he's human, but he helped us save my village," she said firmly.

Valkira smiled. "Indeed. He is human—but you're mistaken if you think he's ordinary. He's an Earthling."

"Earthling? You mean, like the heroes summoned by that human princess?" Tez asked.

"I see. That explains his strange clothing," Dave murmured.

"If he's an Earthling, then maybe there's a chance we can free the village," Liriel said hopefully.

"I guess," Siriel nodded.

Ken leaned forward, glaring at me. "Whatever he is, it doesn't change the fact he's still a filthy human."

"Enough, Ken," Dave warned. "Sit down."

Ken clicked his tongue again and sat back down, his eyes still on me.

The air in the meeting hall grew heavier as Valkira's gaze swept across the table. Her voice carried calm authority as she began, "Before we move on, there's something everyone here must understand. The reason Verixa and I managed to escape from the demonic capital was because of Zacken's quick thinking and tactics."

Many eyes turned toward me in surprise.

"My… tactics?" I asked, puzzled.

Valkira smiled faintly. "He coordinated diversions, mapped the escape routes, and bought us time to flee. Without him, neither of us would be standing here."

Verixa grinned mischievously, leaning closer. "He doesn't *look* like a savior, though. More like someone who needs saving!"

"Hey, that's unfair!" I protested,

Everyone laughs untill it faded when Valkira's expression turned solemn again. "Listen well. Zacken is not a filthy human. He is an ally—and more importantly, the reason why we still have a chance." Her Crimson eyes glimmered with certainty. "From today onward, this gathering will be known as the Village Council. Our first objective—freeing Karven from human control."

A murmur spread across the hall. Tez nodded with resolve while Liriel's eyes shone with cautious hope.

"Then we need a leader," Dave said slowly. "Someone who can guide us."

Everyone began to think in silence—until Ken slammed his palm on the table. "I'll take the job. The strongest should lead!"

Siriel snorted. "You mean the strongest ego?"

"Yeah," Liriel added slyly, "and the lowest patience."

Ken glared at the two. "Say that again, brats!"

Before the argument could escalate, Dave raised a hand. "No. The one fit to lead… is Queen Verixa."

The hall fell silent. Every pair of eyes turned toward the small girl, who blinked, startled.

"Wait—*Verixa* is the Demon Queen?" Siriel gasped.

"I thought Valkira was…" Tez muttered, confused.

Ken's mouth hung open, while Liriel froze mid-pout.

"Ehh?!What do you mean you think Valkira as the demon queen!" Verixa said quietly, her voice trembling just a bit. "You all thought I was Valkira's assistant, didn't you…"

A soft chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. Alira stifled her giggle beside me.

"I see you two find this amusing," Verixa huffed, crossing her arms.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty," I said teasing, still smiling. Alira bowed her head quickly, pretending to cough to hide her laughter.

But Alira's expression soon turned serious. "Still, she's too young for this kind of burden. I don't think Lady Verixa should lead a war council."

"Then who do you suggest?" Dave asked.

Alira looked at me. "Zacken."

"Wait, what? Me?" I said at once. "No, no, no—I'm perfectly fine being the guy who stands in the corner and says clever stuff once in a while."

"The village Chief is perfect for this" I added

"I'm too old for this," Dave said sternly. "And the others trust Valkira's judgment."

"I second the motion," Valkira added with a faint smile. "Zacken's the one who guided us this far. His strategies are… unconventional, but effective."

"Unconventional? You mean reckless," I muttered.

"Smart and unusual," Alira corrected. "You always think differently. We need that."

All eyes were now on me. Even Verixa nodded. "Fine. Since I'm the Queen in name, you can be my Council Leader."

"Great…" I sighed in defeat.

Ken snorted. "Hah! This is ridiculous. A human leading *demons*? I want to see that prove itself."

Before I could reply, Valkira stood abruptly. "If you wish to challenge him," she said coolly, stepping forward, "then you'll face me instead."

The hall filled with tense energy as they moved outside to the training ground. The crowd formed a circle as Ken cracked his knuckles again.

"I won't go easy," he growled.

"You won't need to," Valkira replied, smiling faintly.

The clash was brief. Ken lunged forward with brute strength, but Valkira's movements were fluid—almost ghostlike. A single dodge, a pivot, and her palm struck his chest with such force that he staggered back, landing flat on the ground.

Silence swept the yard. Valkira's voice carried firmly, "For now, Zacken stands as our leader—because even demons must learn when strength alone is not enough."

Ken groaned, rubbing his ribs but saying nothing more.

Verixa cheered, "Hooray for Zacken!"

"Please don't start that again," I groaned as laughter erupted across the council grounds.