I Became the Villainess, But My Beast Husbands Can Hear My Mind?!-Chapter 96: Judging Their Hearts (2)

Rilik said that he deserved to become the Commander because he was the biggest among all the candidates. He even claimed that lions were simply born to lead.

What a narcissist.

Because of that, Roxanna immediately crossed his name off her list.

Haka’s answer wasn’t that bad. When Roxanna asked him the same question, he said he wanted to become Commander because he wanted to protect the tribe and make sure everyone had enough food and safety.

Unlike Rilik, Haka didn’t speak with pride. He spoke with seriousness, like he truly meant it.

Still... Roxanna could tell something was missing.

Haka was reliable, but he didn’t have the sharpness she needed in a commander. He felt more like someone who would be a solid warrior, not the person who should lead everyone.

After that, Cyrus stepped into the hut. Compared to Azul, he looked much more relaxed, maybe because he already knew what kind of question Roxanna was going to ask.

The moment Roxanna asked her question, Cyrus answered without hesitation. "To be honest," he said confidently, "after thinking about it for a while... I don’t think I want to become a Commander that badly."

Roxanna was taken aback by his answer. She straightened her back and asked, "Huh? Why?"

Cyrus looked at her more seriously. "I just realized that instead of wanting to protect the whole settlement, I care more about protecting my little family."

His eyes stayed on Roxanna as he continued, "If the commander ever fails to protect everyone in the settlement, then at least I can do my best to protect you, and the others."

Some people might say that Cyrus was only taking this chance to look good in front of his wife, but honestly, Roxanna could tell that he truly meant it. Maybe, like Luan, he also hadn’t been able to protect his family from the demon beasts back then.

That was why he didn’t want to lose any more of his family.

"After all, someone has to stay at home so the ones working outside don’t need to worry about the people behind them," Cyrus said with a smile. "That’s what we call a team, right?"

Roxanna fell silent for a moment. She didn’t answer right away, but Cyrus could tell from her expression that his words had reached her.

"That’s true." Roxanna let out a deep sigh, then finally gave him a bright smile. "A family is just like a small team. We’ll do everything we can to protect our family."

Cyrus might not seem very ambitious, like someone who wanted a bigger role or higher position. But sometimes, protecting his family was already more than enough. At least this way, the other husbands could feel at ease when they were out on duty, because they knew the ones at home were safe.

"But I don’t regret joining the tournament," Cyrus added with a soft chuckle. "It was a great way to train my strength again after being idle for so long."

Roxanna’s smile softened even more when she heard that.

For a moment, she almost forgot how tense the day had been. The tournament, the shouting, the chaos, the heavy pressure of choosing the next commander, and yet Cyrus managed to make it sound like it was nothing more than a fun training session.

"You’re really something," Roxanna murmured, shaking her head a little.

Cyrus smiled proudly. "Of course I am."

Commander Marlow, who had been watching them quietly, let out another long sigh, as if his soul was slowly leaving his body.

This family always showed their affection in front of other people. They didn’t even have mercy for a widower!

Roxanna didn’t notice Marlow’s suffering at all. She was still smiling, her eyes slightly warm as she looked at Cyrus.

"Alright, my interview is over, right?" Cyrus asked as he stood up from his chair.

Roxanna nodded. "Yes. Please call Zeir when you go out."

A moment later, the last person—also the candidate Roxanna wanted to choose the most—entered the hut.

Zeir looked calm and composed. He didn’t even show any signs of nervousness at all. No wonder that during her welcoming party, some people often called Zeir a cold lizard.

But honestly, that coldness was only his exterior. If they got to know Zeir more deeply, they would realize that this lizard was anything but cold!

Even though he rarely spoke, it didn’t mean that Zeir didn’t care about the people around him. In fact, it seemed to be the opposite, he cared a lot about those around him.

When Roxanna met him for the first time in the cursed forest, Zeir had treated her with such gentleness. He even loosened his grip right away whenever he noticed she was uncomfortable, as if he was afraid of hurting her, even by accident.

After a moment, Zeir stepped closer and sat down across from Roxanna and Commander Marlow.

Roxanna cleared her throat. "Good evening, Zeir," she said.

Zeir nodded once. "Good evening, Leader."

"Like the others," she said softly, "I will only ask you one question."

Zeir didn’t react much. "Yes."

Then she asked, "Why do you want to become our tribe’s Commander?"

For a few seconds, Zeir didn’t answer.

He didn’t look away, but he also didn’t rush to speak. It was like he was choosing each word carefully, making sure he wouldn’t say the wrong thing.

Then he finally said, in a serious voice, "Because this tribe needs to change the rules."

Zeir continued. "Strength alone is not enough. This settlement has many strong beastmen, but because of some of the rules, we can’t perform as effectively."

"I don’t want to lead because I’m ambitious," Zeir said. "I want to lead because I can handle responsibility."

Previously, the rules in the Vixeria Tribe were made by Loba, and there were many things that actually harmed the warriors and made their performance less effective.

Some of those harmful rules were clearly made to control people rather than protect them. Roxanna could remember all of the rules, but the list would be long.