This was the moment of truth, and all those present at the table watched with serious expressions on their faces.
Eve, for the first time in her life, felt anxious.
This was a feeling she thought she would never experience, but currently, under the gazes of these people, it was unavoidable.
She slowly lifted her head, her crimson eyes meeting those seated at the table.
"I never betrayed humanity," she began. "Everything I did was a necessary evil."
Adrian’s face twitched as he tried to conceal his rage. It was safe to say that as the crown prince and future king of the Vermilion Kingdom, he was the most affected by Eve’s actions.
Of course, the citizens suffered too, but unlike him, they didn’t carry the burden of leadership.
Controlling his urge to lash out, he slumped back in his seat, watching Eve with a blank expression.
Meanwhile, the necromancer continued, "As the daughter of the Demon Emperor, I had two choices," she spoke in a calm voice. "It was either I slaughter every single person or I take out only the top."
"By the top, you mean the hero ranks?" Bridget asked, a small frown on her face.
Despite possessing the same class as this mysterious beauty, she had been easily overwhelmed.
And if not for the timely intervention of Jack, she would have long been dead.
"And the nobles, yes," Eve replied without much emotion. "The majority of the citizens are kept in prison and fed properly by my soldiers."
In the royal capital’s countless underground cells, skeletons wearing clothes to cover their bone frames walked around with trays of food, serving the prisoners.
"Finally! They took longer than usual!"
"When they captured us, I thought they’d do sick, vile stuff to us. Who would’ve thought they’d lock us up just to feed us?"
"SHHHH, don’t speak too soon. For all we know, we could be cattle they’re feeding, only to be slaughtered later."
Back in the large tent, Adrian’s eyes lit up as he sat upright in his seat. He wasn’t the only one—everyone present was equally shocked.
"Wait, you mean to say my citizens are safe and being taken care of by your soldiers?"
"My loyal undead soldiers," Eve corrected.
Jack, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke. "So let me get this straight—you killed all those people and even attacked the academy just to show loyalty to the Demon Emperor while secretly making plans to fight back?"
"Correct," she nodded, her fist clenched. "It was a necessary sacrifice. I knew I couldn’t take them out alone—I needed allies. However, I learned that Nox was currently away, so I kept my plans to myself."
"So after he returned, you..." Nyx furrowed her brows.
"Yes. First, I allowed Kira of the Flaming Rose to attack to gauge his strength. Then I allowed Prince Adrian to escape."
When Eve said this, Adrian’s expression turned red in embarrassment.
’I knew it was too easy!’ he thought to himself. ’So she deliberately allowed us to leave.’
His impression of the cold necromancer began to shift.
"In essence, we were all pawns in her chessboard," Ria, the priestess, mumbled to herself in a barely audible voice.
A small smile appeared on Nox’s face. He was right! There was a reasonable explanation for his master suddenly turning against humanity!
However, he didn’t interrupt her and let her continue her tale.
By now, it was safe to say no one was angry anymore. They were all looking at her with a complex mix of expressions.
"I knew the both of you would make great allies," she said, shifting her gaze between Nox and Adrian. "And after I was certain of your alignment, I decided to finally make my move."
"The soldiers you see outside are not demons—at least not anymore. Rather, they’re my loyal undead who would lay down their lives for my cause!"
There was silence, and everyone felt the sheer weight behind those words.
And finally, with busty—if violent—coughs, Nathan’s boisterous laughter echoed across the tent. "Over 300,000 undead demons on our side? Hahahaha! We can finally face these demons on equal ground!"
Everyone in the tent room was all smiles. With this new addition, their chances of winning this war and driving out the demonic invasion had increased tremendously.
While everyone was excited, Bridget frowned and said, "So we’re all just going to forget about the dozens of people she killed?"
"It was a necessary sacrifice," Boris replied, shocking her, because there was a high possibility they two could have been among those sacrificed.
Eve didn’t feel remorseful for what she did. Her expression remained calm. If she were given a second chance, she would do it all over again.
She would accept this approach rather than killing the citizens of someone so dear to her heart.
A few heads needed to roll in order for millions to survive.
Boris glanced at Bridget and said, "Headmistress, if I knew this was her plan from the onset, then I would have happily given my life too."
These words shocked some of those at the table. Bridget clenched her fist and stopped speaking, realizing there was nothing more she could do.
"Though I must admit—you made a big gamble trusting in Nox," Boris said looking at Eve.
A small, rare, and proud smile appeared on Eve’s face. "He’s my disciple, after all. If there’s anyone who knows what he’s capable of, then it’s me. Whenever he went on a trip, he always returned stronger than ever."
"I’m flattered," Nox said with a crooked smile. "With the demonic undead army, my beasts, and the soldiers from the capital, I think the time has come for us to reclaim the rest of the kingdom."
A look of determination flashed across everyone’s eyes. Their morale seemed to have increased, and they genuinely believed they could drive the demons away this time.
"But there’s a problem," Eve suddenly said, drawing everyone’s attention.
"What is it?" asked Nox.
Her expression darkened as she said, "My brother Noir will be returning soon—and he’s someone not even I can beat alone."
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