The Strongest Eriri in History

After rescuing the beastman children from the dungeon and arriving at the Haltina Sea of Trees, Eriri and Arifureta had only spent a few minutes in total, so they hadn't had a chance to converse with the children.

Most of these beastman children were girls, possibly because girls were considered more valuable.

During their captivity, the children likely endured harsh conditions, as they all looked extremely weak.

When they saw the familiar sight of the sea of trees, their eyes filled with joy, though they seemed too afraid of Eriri and Arifureta to express it openly.

The oldest among them was only about six or seven years old. Even though they knew that the two beautiful sisters in front of them were their saviors, they were still somewhat fearful of Eriri and Arifureta, who clearly appeared human—a species they had been taught to be wary of by their parents.

Eriri gently patted the head of a fox beastman girl who looked about six years old, lightly pinching the fox ears that stood upright on top of her head, and smiled softly. "Alright, little ones, you don't need to be so tense. I mean you no harm. Let's get you all back home."

Hearing that they were about to go home, the beastman children couldn't contain their excitement and cheered. The fox girl whose ears Eriri was playing with blushed deeply, standing frozen in place. For female fox beastman, their ears and tails were sensitive areas, typically not touched by outsiders.

Seeming unsatisfied with just patting the ears, Eriri directly scooped up the adorably cute fox girl into her arms, her mischievous right hand continuously stroking the girl's fluffy white tail. The girl's face turned even redder, and she went limp in Eriri's embrace.

Eriri was fully aware of the girl's current state but couldn't resist because the fluffy tail felt too good to the touch. So, for her own enjoyment, she decided to keep indulging, even if it meant the fox girl had to endure it.

Afterward, Eriri, carrying the fox girl, led the group of children toward the beastman settlement in the Sea of Trees, with Arifureta quietly following by her side, occasionally reaching out to pat the girl's ears.

"Chika Fujiwara: Wow, such a cute beast-eared loli."

"Asuna: I also want to pet her fluffy tail. Envious.jpg"

"Flower Hashira: Eriri, are these children...?"

"Kashiwagi Eri: Yes, they're the ones we rescued from the traffickers' base. We're taking them home now."

"Chika Fujiwara: Those traffickers again, they're despicable. They must not be let off easily."

"Kashiwagi Eri: Don't worry. The organization that captured these children no longer exists. Next up, it's the Hoelscher Empire's turn."

This was precisely what Eriri was thinking!

The Hoelscher Empire, a newly established nation founded by a mercenary group that had been active in wars centuries ago, is a militaristic country that values strength above all else. The citizens of the imperial capital mostly live by the sword, with a reputation for being bold—or, more accurately, a group of uncivilized barbarians.

Moreover, the empire adheres to a policy of resourcefulness, which has led to a thriving slave trade in the capital. Slaves are sold openly on the streets, with many people seen accompanied by slaves.

The empire doesn't regard beastman as human, and it even sends soldiers to capture them in the Sea of Trees. Captured beastman children are locked in cages with price tags and openly sold in the imperial capital. The entire country exudes a sickening atmosphere.

Eriri shared the details of the Hoelscher Empire with the chat group, sparking public outrage among the members.

"Chika Fujiwara: What a disgusting country. Angry.jpg"

"Asuna: Those poor beastman..."

"Flower Hashira: I knew the empire sent troops to capture beastman as slaves, but I thought it was just the actions of a few powerful individuals. I didn't realize the entire country was like this..."

"Arche Eeb Rile Furt: We don't have such vile countries where I'm from."

"Arifureta (Group Leader): Well, such countries aren't uncommon in the multiverse. Some are even worse. We might encounter them someday."

"Chika Fujiwara: I'd rather not. If I ever see a place worse than this, I might just lose it and give their king a good beating."

"Kashiwagi Eri: Ah... Chika-chan, are you sure it won't be the other way around?"

"Chika Fujiwara: Don't underestimate me! I'm already a First Level, Fifth Stage. Soon, I'll be taking off."

"Kashiwagi Eri: Hmm, just have a good sleep. Anything can happen in your dreams."

"Chika Fujiwara: Eriri... So love does fade, doesn't it?"

"Kashiwagi Eri: Chika-chan, love doesn't fade... but it does shift! Serious face.jpg"

"Chika Fujiwara: ..."

"Kashiwagi Eri: Alright, jokes aside, Chika-chan, if you want to reach your goals, you need to work hard to earn more points. Also, regular training will help you grow stronger."

"Chika Fujiwara: ...Yeah, you're right."

"Asuna: Wait, Chika-chan, you're already higher rank than me? I thought we agreed to level up slowly together. Now you're secretly leveling up behind my back?"

"Chika Fujiwara: Huh? When did we agree to that? And anyway, it's obvious... because I, Fujiwara Chika, am not a noob!"

"Asuna: Oh."

"Kashiwagi Eri: Oh."

"Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Oh."

"Arifureta (Group Leader): Oh."

"Flower Hashira: Oh, pfft... Sorry, Chika-chan, I couldn't help it. Holding-my-stomach-laughing.jpg"

"Chika Fujiwara: ..."

"Chika Fujiwara: Hey, can you all be a bit more serious?"

"Asuna: I was being very serious when I said 'oh'. Serious.jpg"

"Arifureta (Group Leader): You're the one feeling guilty, that's why you think we weren't serious."

"Arifureta (Group Leader): Except for Kanae, she really wasn't serious. Confident.jpg"

"Flower Hashira: Auretea... Are you really my good friend?"

"Kashiwagi Eri: Alright, alright, the conversation's getting off track again. Weren't we just talking about the empire? How did it suddenly shift to Chika-chan?"

"Chika Fujiwara: Humph, whose fault do you think that is...?"

"Kashiwagi Eri: No idea, as long as it's not mine."

"Chika Fujiwara: ...So frustrating!"

"Kashiwagi Eri: Don't be mad, let me soothe you. Patting-your-chest, patting-your-chest."

"Chika Fujiwara: ??? Eriri, are you actually lusting after my body?"