After the Fall of the Demon Race, Reincarnated as a Demon Girl - Chapter 42

Antina and her group spent the entire afternoon racking their brains but still couldn’t find an effective way to make Matthan abandon his protection of Berriet. After all, as long as Matthan and Berriet invoked their noble “privileges,” they could easily smooth over any trouble.

True, Antina had the ability to pressure Matthan through her intricate network of connections, but doing so would not only mean owing favors but could also tarnish her reputation. It was truly the worst option.

In the end, everyone looked at each other, and it seemed they had no choice but to adopt the plan proposed by Renith.

“I have a question.”

Luo Jiani raised her hand, breaking the silence.

“How do we actually get Berriet to attend the meeting? Even if he’s a playboy, it doesn’t mean he’s stupid enough to walk into such an obvious trap. And we absolutely cannot implicate ourselves. Getting labeled as rebels would make the whole endeavor worthless.”

Luo Jiani’s question hit the nail on the head, but after reviewing the materials everyone had gathered, Renith already had a plan forming.

“Berriet is fond of frequenting taverns and gambling dens, he acts flamboyantly, and he has a preference for women who appear slightly more mature, like Angelica. This might be connected to him losing his mother at a young age.”

“Are you suggesting we use a ‘honey trap’ to lure him into willingly attending the meeting? But what if he gives us away during interrogation? And the only one here who fits the ‘slightly mature’ look would be… me?”

Antina looked suspiciously at Renith.

“The candidate isn’t decided yet,”
Renith responded calmly.
“What we need is Berriet’s characteristic flamboyance. And… how much do any of you know about the Empire’s interrogation methods?”

Wistah and Luo Jiani shook their heads in confusion. Only Antina had some idea:
“It seems to involve extracting confessions through torture?”

“Times may have changed, but I believe that method hasn’t. Newspapers here are full of reports complaining about injustices. I’m sure many of them are true.”
“The police or the Imperial guards always prefer the path of least resistance. They use torture to force confessions and then publicly pronounce guilt.”

Renith’s tone was matter-of-fact, but it sent a chill through everyone in the room. She was peeling back the layers of this seemingly pleasant world, revealing its cruel reality.

“So you mean… as long as Berriet is involved and they get their hands on him, he’ll have to confess whether he wants to or not?”
Antina pondered.

“Exactly. And someone like Cork, who values his achievements so highly, won’t easily let go of those who disturb the peace. Furthermore, Berriet, as a noble, can become a pawn for Cork to use against other nobles. If Cork has any brains, he definitely won’t miss this opportunity.”

“What if Cork doesn’t have any brains?”
Luo Jiani suddenly interjected.

“That makes it even simpler. While Berriet is imprisoned, we publicize his misdeeds widely, seizing the narrative. That will give us a stronger position if it ever goes to court, right?”

After hearing this, Antina fell into deep thought.

“Alright, time is short.”
“Wait, who exactly is the candidate then? It’s not an outsider, and it’s not me… could it be Luo Jiani?”
Antina suddenly stopped Renith, her gaze falling on Luo Jiani.

Luo Jiani, who had been snacking, blinked for a moment before processing the question.
“Be with that fat pig? No way!!”
she quickly refused.

“Who said anything about you two going? The candidate, of course, is me.”
Renith said, pointing at herself.

“Huh?”
“Huh?”
“?”

The trio exclaimed in unison, especially Luo Jiani, who began sizing up Renith from head to toe. Apart from Renith’s voice sounding somewhat mature, nothing else about her seemed remotely close to a mature woman. She clearly looked like a young girl, only about 160 cm tall.

“Please… I can manage for a dozen or twenty minutes, no problem. If necessary, I can even take a potion.”
As she spoke, Renith cast the [Light Bender] magic. This time, she conjured an illusion based on her memory of the Lust Demon General. The equipment and demonic features were too complex to replicate fully, so she could only manage a rough human form.

Seeing the voluptuous figure of the Lust Demon General illusion—the mature physique and face, along with those captivating pink eyes—Wistah could hardly look away. Even Luo Jiani felt a twinge of jealousy.

It was Antina who promptly intervened, and Renith dispelled the [Light Bender] magic. Everyone in the room finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Alright, alright. We’ll leave it to you then.”
Luo Jiani, still mesmerized by the scene, muttered to herself,
“Magic is so amazing…”

“Then, one person will come with me to the bar Berriet frequents. The other two should think carefully about the testimonies. We’ll briefly go over them when we get back.”

Luo Jiani was the first to raise her hand again:
“Me, me! I want to go!”

Antina was about to object, but then reconsidered. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely inappropriate for Luo Jiani to go. Luo Jiani was an adult; going to a bar out of curiosity was plausible. And as the factory owner’s daughter, her father could ensure her safety…

No, she shouldn’t think that way.

Since Luo Jiani’s father had entrusted her to Antina, she had to fulfill her duty.

“Luo Jiani…”
Antina began, but Luo Jiani cut her off, continuing Antina’s sentence with identical words and tone.
“‘You’d better not go. Your father would be furious if he found out.’ I’ve heard that line way too many times.”
“I want to break free from my father, but he’s like a shadow that’s always clinging to me. In the past, it was him. Now, it’s you, whom he entrusted me to.” Luo Jiani’s tone held a note of resignation.

Antina slowly sat back on the sofa. Renith discreetly left Philofu in her bedroom, then went out with Luo Jiani.

“Sigh… It seems I still have shortcomings as a teacher,”
Antina sighed softly.

“Teacher, you’re already doing excellently,”
Wistah hurriedly stood up to mediate, but Antina knew her own mind.

“It’s fine. This isn’t self-blame, but motivation to move forward,”
Antina responded with a smile.

Luo Jiani walked ahead, familiar with the route, while Renith followed silently behind. Perhaps because of earlier events, Luo Jiani’s expression wasn’t very cheerful.

“Luo Jiani,”
Renith called softly, trying to offer comfort.

Under Renith’s comforting words, Luo Jiani’s expression gradually softened, and she looked at Renith with a hint of newfound closeness in her eyes.

“I’ve actually always been curious, why did you choose to leave home to chase this so-called freedom?”

“Because home was too suffocating. My father is a successful merchant. He always forced me to learn about business, hoping I’d take over. And my mother… she’s like a puppet on strings, with no will of her own. She just does whatever father says… it’s pathetic.”
Luo Jiani sighed and continued,
“In this era full of nobles, most women don’t end up well. My mother is like that, and I might follow in her footsteps… becoming a tool for marriage alliances between merchants and nobles.”
“So I ran away. I tried to avoid danger, kept trying to become stronger, so I could be truly free.”
That was how Luo Jiani explained it.

“But, I found I still haven’t escaped my father’s influence. He’s like a shadow I can’t shake off. No matter where I go, I can feel his presence. Even Teacher Antina is just another pair of eyes he sent to watch me.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. Even without Antina, even if you ran farther, left Mobius City, you might not truly escape your father or achieve real independence,”
Renith shook her head.

“Why?”
Luo Jiani exclaimed, clearly unable to accept this viewpoint.

“Where did your clothes come from?”
Renith looked at Luo Jiani’s dress.

“I bought them,”
Luo Jiani answered without thinking.

“And what did you use to buy them?”
Renith pressed.

“Money.”

“And where did that money come from?”
Renith continued step by step.

“It was given by my father…”
Luo Jiani’s voice trailed off as she seemed to realize something.

“Right. Now tell me, if you keep talking about wanting independence, why are you complaining about your home and father while still spending the money he gives you?”
Renith looked directly into Luo Jiani’s eyes.

Luo Jiani opened her mouth but couldn’t retort. She finally realized she was just being ungrateful, criticizing someone while still depending on their support.

Renith didn’t stop there:
“You shout ‘I hate my father’ and ‘I want independence,’ yet you live off your father’s allowance… Do you really think that’s independence?”

“No…”
Under Renith’s questioning, Luo Jiani lowered her head, her voice almost inaudible.

“Your father actually loves you very much. He’s been looking out for you. He understands it’s hard for you to survive alone in society. Why do you think that is?”
Seeing Luo Jiani recognize her mistake, Renith’s tone softened.

“It’s because I keep talking about independence but don’t actually have the ability to be independent, which just makes my father worry about me more…”

Renith felt relieved. It seemed this girl, Luo Jiani, actually understood her own issues quite well.

“Now you understand. To be independent, you first need determination. You haven’t fully prepared yourself. This is just impulsiveness from a rebellious phase. What you need to do first is achieve independence in your thinking, then material independence…”
Renith explained patiently.

As Renith spoke, Luo Jiani listened quietly. Although Renith didn’t know how much Luo Jiani absorbed, she seemed to be listening very seriously. Renith believed that in a few days, she too would change and become a truly self-reliant and independent person.

The sky gradually darkened. The two boarded a tram and soon arrived at the true city center of Mobius. Every street here was comparable to Rhine Street, and the real prosperity was on full display here.

“‘Moonlight Tavern.’ This is where Berriet often hangs out. By the way, my father’s house is near here.”
Renith nodded, then shrouded herself in a [Light Bender] illusion. The two entered the tavern together.

“No matter how many times I see it, this magic is still amazing,”
Luo Jiani couldn’t help but marvel.