"Thank you."
"Everyone."
"We've joined."
"The Demon King Territory."
The wild little fairies who declared this were then led by the little fairy leaders of the Demon King Territory to familiarize themselves with the surrounding terrain and work in various parts of the territory... Although work was required in the Demon King Territory, it was relatively comfortable here.
There was no payment, but they gained safety, a good environment, a place to live, reasonable work and rest hours, and even exquisite food to eat.
*Wasn't this like going from Hell to Heaven?*
According to these wild little fairies, these wild giant bees were originally residents of the southernmost part of the forest, but for some reason, they chose to migrate north... towards Demon King City.
"Did something happen over there?"
Yila muttered to himself.
"Perhaps nothing at all."
The Black Flame Headless Knight said, her pleasant voice coming from where her head should be: "Giant bees have a habit of migrating; maybe their original home had fewer flowers."
If that was the case, it might indeed be true.
Not knowing much about giant bees, Yila nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Yila..."
While Yila was pondering, the Black Flame Headless Knight spoke, leading her horse and Yila back to the Demon King Territory, saying, "In this battle, the Headless Knights had zero casualties."
Hilena, who was riding beside her, and Satan Ye, seated behind Hilena, turned their heads upon hearing this.
"Our Insect-man Clan also suffered zero casualties."
The Insect Leader said, her pair of black eyes, like lychee seeds, looking at Yila with a touch of respect in her voice.
"The Insect-men's exoskeletons could largely withstand the stingers of the giant bees, and the armor of the Headless Knights left the bees with no way to attack. No casualties were quite normal."
Yila said indifferently. He had fully commanded this battle, and neither the Insect Leader nor the Black Flame Headless Knight had any objections—they were even happy to follow his orders.
But, in reality, casualties were the most normal occurrence. The giant bees' sharp wings were not just for show; they could easily sever the Insect-men's bodies. And, despite the Headless Knights' sturdy armor, the souls in their heads were still fragile.
Even though everyone was experienced, achieving *total annihilation* with *zero deaths* was already an impressive feat, and in this case, there were *zero injuries* as well—no one was hurt at all.
*Gradual advancement, slow encroachment... this style of combat was like a sharp blade, cutting into the enemy each time, taking only a piece of flesh but leaving no chance for the enemy to breathe or escape.*
*This was the Chief Governor?*
"Heh heh heh~"
Satan Ye looked at the little fairies sitting on the Headless Knights' warhorses, chatting away. She seemed to hear a joyful humming? The direction seemed to be...
Was it Yila humming?
Completely unexpected, Satan Ye's eyes widened slightly. In her and the other commanders' stereotype, Yila should be speaking seriously, sighing calmly, nodding helplessly, and killing mercilessly.
But definitely not someone who would hum a song and look happy.
So, everyone was quite surprised.
"Mr. Yila, you seem to be in a good mood?"
In response to Hilena's question, Yila first froze, then stopped humming, and continued to smile, saying, "Yes, this was the most enjoyable and satisfying battle I've ever fought."
This "war" had indeed allowed Yila to vent the frustrations hidden in his heart.
"You accepted me commanding the troops, and your individual abilities were very trustworthy. I didn't need to patiently explain why I used certain tactics during battles to colleagues, nor did I need to report back to the empire before and after operations."
Yila said, looking genuinely happy, and he hadn't finished what he wanted to say. He continued, "I could fully exert my strength without deliberately letting colleagues take the credit to prevent future dissatisfaction."
"I didn't need to patiently prevent other soldiers from looting and pillaging to protect the empire's honor, nor did I worry about whether my achievements were too great, leaving me with no rewards in the end..."
Yila's continuous remarks left all the other commanders, who didn't understand these intricate matters, stunned... They had never thought that someone like Yila, who seemed so invincible on the battlefield, actually had to consider so many things.
Moreover, to be so happy just because of an enjoyable battle—is Yila more endearing than imagined, or were the restrictions of the empire truly that frustrating for Yila?
During this time, everyone had come to understand that Yila was someone who followed rules strictly. He also adhered to some rules that were incomprehensible to the others in the Demon King Territory. So, it turns out the empire's rules were even more stifling?
"In short..."
Yila said, making his conclusion. "I now realize that the Demon King Territory suits me better, so I have decided to go all out here. Is that alright?"
"..."
"..."
In the solemn silence, including the now-quiet little fairies, everyone felt a certain inexplicable sense that—at this moment—when Yila said this, it might be a key moment etched in history.
And they would all be witnesses to this historical moment.
"Master Yila, have you finally made up your mind?"
Hilena asked.
"Yes, henceforth, I will not ask for instructions—I will not seek permission... I will steer the ship named 'Demon King Territory' and advance swiftly towards places you might not comprehend."
Yila said, though he himself wasn't sure if he could break the habit of seeking approval. He half-seriously, half-jokingly said, "If one day, you think I or the Demon King Territory have gone out of control, just don't regret it~"
Because, at this moment, everyone had granted Yila immense power. Though he was confident he wouldn't lose himself in it, because what he gained was not benefits but the freedom to really let go, the future was uncertain for anyone.
Yila's words made it difficult for anyone to make a firm decision, so everyone looked towards Satan Ye—those who usually didn't seek the "Demon King's approval" now wanted to hear the Demon King's response.
"Mr. Yila, feel free to go ahead! I won't regret it!"
Satan Ye said, seeing the smiling Yila in her eyes overlapping with another figure, a figure behind, extending crimson wings... the one who killed her father, now more like a qualified father.
With this vision and illusion, Satan Ye gently closed her eyes, her tail flicking joyfully and making crisp sounds on the back of the headless warhorse, lightly laughing and promising, "The Demon King Territory has long lost much. What more can it lose, but...?"
"Shedding its shackles."