The Young Demon Lord and her Maid-Knight

Despite her best efforts to control her fury, Lilith couldn't contain her rage any longer. She charged forward, slicing through goblin after goblin with ruthless precision, her mana saber cutting through them as if they were paper. With every kill, she shouted slurs, her anger boiling over with each goblin she brought down.

Her movements were swift, and before the goblins could react, she appeared right next to the war chief. He was larger than the others, a formidable opponent—but not fast enough. Lilith blinked behind him, her saber flashing with deadly speed. In an instant, she cut him down, her blade cleaving through his back.

The goblin king, seeing his war chief fall in mere seconds, let out a guttural scream of horror. "Noooo! Haaka!" he cried, his voice filled with disbelief. "Who is this human?"

Lilith turned, her smirk spreading across her face as she stood tall. "Oh, little old me?" she teased, her tone dripping with venom. "I'm just a mercenary."

The goblin king's eyes widened, his confusion evident. "You... you speak our tongue?" he stammered, still processing the situation.

"Ahh, yes, I do," Lilith replied, her voice mocking. "Though it's just an ugly tongue, I speak it."

The goblin king's confusion deepened. "How is that possible? Who are you?"

Lilith's smile faded, replaced by an icy anger. She blinked behind the goblin king, appearing right at his back. With a swift motion, she pierced his chest with her saber and whispered into his ear, her voice cold and laced with fury. "Yes, you see, I'm not from this world. And you just made me angry. You see, when I first came here, I was attacked by one of your goblins. That's fine. I look like a human. But then, when I came here and saw what inhuman things you've done to the females in the other cave…"

Her voice faltered for a moment as her rage built. "I just lost myself in anger. And the only way to get rid of it... is to destroy every single goblin here."

With a final, vicious slash, she drove her mana saber upward through the goblin king's heart, silencing him for good.

Without hesitation, Lilith conjured more ice spears, her mana swirling around her as she launched them at the remaining goblins. The spears pierced their bodies with deadly accuracy, cutting through their numbers swiftly.

When the last goblin fell, Lilith stood amidst the carnage, her breath steady but her heart still burning with fury. She looked down at the bodies of the goblin king and the war chief, her lips curling into a grin.

"This might give me a promotion. Thanks for that," she murmured, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she spoke to the lifeless bodies.

With a flick of her wrist, she severed all the goblin heads and placed them into a magical box, similar to the one she had used for the bodies of the captives.

As Lilith surveyed the carnage in the cave, a grim realization hit her. This place is going to smell and rot. The stench of death would linger, polluting the forest around it. She let out a sigh of disgust. Might as well burn them, she thought.

With a sweep of her hand, Lilith conjured a gust of wind that swept through the cave, gathering the fallen goblins' bodies into a tight mass. Her fingers snapped with a swift motion, and in an instant, flames erupted from the air, consuming the pile of corpses. The fire crackled and roared, quickly turning the bodies to ash.

"This is more than you deserve," Lilith muttered coldly as the flames danced, "but I can't let your bodies rot and poison the nature of this forest."

Once the fire was sure to have reduced the remains to nothing but ashes, Lilith turned her back on the blaze. She moved with purpose toward the cave entrance, her steps echoing in the silence left behind.

Outside, the elf and the other captives were waiting, their faces marked with gratitude, but also the exhaustion of their ordeal.

"Is it done?" the elf asked, her voice filled with cautious hope.

Lilith nodded, her expression unreadable. "Yes." She paused for a moment, then added, "Let's go outside. I'll destroy this cave, so no other goblins can use it as their base."

The elf nodded in agreement, and the small group followed her as they made their way out of the cave. Lilith raised her hand once more, channeling her mana. With a flick of her wrist, the earth trembled. A burst of energy radiated from her, and the ground began to quake violently.

The cave entrance collapsed in on itself, rocks and debris falling to seal off any access. When the dust settled, nothing remained but the ruined landscape.

Lilith turned to face the group, her expression softened slightly, though the cold anger still lingered beneath the surface. "That should keep any goblins from making this their home again."

The elf and the others exchanged looks of relief, and the elf stepped forward. "Thank you... for everything. We can never repay you for what you've done."

Lilith gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Just stay safe," she said, her voice softer than before. "That's all I ask."

And with that, Lilith began to lead them back toward the town, her thoughts still heavy with the events that had transpired. The forest would heal, but the memory of the goblins' cruelty would stay with her.

Got it! Here's an updated version that incorporates Maia's explanation about the magical boxes:

"If you're hungry," Lilith said, her voice calm but carrying a hint of consideration, as she conjured another magical box and sent it over to the elf, "there's food and water in this box. Eat as much as you need. It's going to be a long walk to Xahorb, and I'll need to take you all to the guild as well."

The elf, now clearly taking on the role of leader among the captives, nodded gratefully. She gave Lilith a smile, then turned to distribute the food, prioritizing the other females who seemed the most in need.

Lilith watched for a moment, her expression neutral, before turning her gaze back to the path ahead. The forest was dense and winding, and she could already tell this was going to be a long journey.

As Lilith had predicted, it took them five days to make their way out of the forest. She could have easily teleported them, but the World Tree's advice echoed in her mind: Don't reveal too much of your magic to others.

Lilith understood the importance of discretion. Even though teleportation was a powerful tool, she knew it could raise questions—and suspicion. Instead, she kept her use of magic minimal, relying on the magical boxes to store food and supplies, as Maia had explained that every mercenary could use them to store loot and food. These boxes are something everyone can use, she thought, so there's no harm in that.

The days passed quietly, with Lilith leading the group through the forest, keeping a steady pace. Along the way, the elf and the others gradually regained their strength, and the conversations between them were mostly calm and filled with gratitude for Lilith's help.

By the time they finally emerged from the forest, the elf approached Lilith with a quiet but sincere expression.

"Thank you for everything," the elf said, her voice filled with appreciation. "We couldn't have made it without you."

Lilith gave a simple nod, her face remaining unreadable. "It's nothing. Let's get you to the guild."

A raucous sound echoed as the group drew closer to the gate of Haxorb. Lilith furrowed her brow, intrigued by the commotion. "What's happening here?" she wondered aloud.

The elf woman, who had been walking quietly beside Lilith, spoke up. "Lilith, we might have to confront them. They're likely looking for me." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her tone a mix of concern and explanation. "You see, I was sent here with a group to do some tests in the dungeon. When I was captured, some beastkin ran ahead to call for help. I guess these are them."

Lilith considered the elf's words carefully, then nodded. "Alright. Let's see what we're dealing with." She adjusted her stance, ready for whatever was ahead.