The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!
Chapter 397 – Morning After the Attack

Kanae hadn't slept all night. She stayed awake, waiting in the lift underneath Odika's manor for everyone to return. Alicia managed to slip into slumber seated beside her, head on her shoulder, and their hands clenched tightly together. The succubus' eyes were red from sobbing. Eventually, the pulleys and gears started to move again, signalling to Kanae that someone was coming up.

When the lift came to a stop on this floor, it was Rasheena who emerged. She looked surprised to see them for a second, then threw both arms out in a celebratory manner.

"My friends! I heard there were some hiccups, but the attack was a resounding success. No one suspects our involvement. The viscount even recalled seeing the Left Talon of the Harpy King flying around last night. Your assistance is truly—"

Kanae got up, grabbed Rasheena by the embroidered tan tunic, and slammed her into the wall. Alicia snapped to consciousness, and the resistance members who had come up with the hell hound woman drew their weapons in confusion.

"Because of you, Claudia was taken!" Kanae growled.

"I don't understand. What happened?" Rasheena asked.

"You didn't let me Enthrall Grahib and Sofisa. Ambrosia, the succubus priestess of the Cult of Lust and Depravity who was here last night, found and took control of them instead. We ended up having to fight more than we bargained for! I don't know if we can trust you anymore. Either your dungeon security was lacking… or you let the Dervishes be taken on purpose," she accused her.

"Don't try it." Alicia pressed an envenomed dagger to Rasheena's throat, then motioned Kanae to look down. The hell hound had two paws of sharp claws poised to sink into her abdomen.

However, Rasheena wasn't stupid. She relaxed both hands and the claws went away. One nod to her resistance members, and they also sheathed their weapons.

"How could I have known?" Rasheena started softly. "I was waiting at the lighthouse ever since we arrived in Sultan's Wake. I'm sorry they took your friend." And to Alicia, she said, "I'm sorry they took your sister. But if a powerful succubus decides to stroll into the edirashem and charms whomever they want, then there isn't much we can do about it, is there? Yes, I miscalculated. I didn't want them falling to your control for fear of what you may leverage against us. Now, there is something we can do, and that is to reach Avanesse in time for the Meeting of Sands."

Neither Kanae nor Alicia were satisfied. At least not yet. They exchanged glances and nodded. The two had agreed last night after the end of the battle to not just come clean, but also get some answers from the leader of the resistance.

"We went through Odika's diary," Kanae said.

"Wait!" Rasheena gasped sharply, and her eyes snapped open wide. "You have put me at a disadvantage. I should have known you succubi were a sly thing. Perhaps we can take this to a more private quarter?"

"Just know that we can seize control of you at any moment. We haven't out of Kanae's courtesy to you, which you should know, is now running thin." Alicia cracked a devious smirk.

"Lady Rasheena?" One of the guards piped up nervously.

"There appears to be a misunderstanding that needs to be addressed. I'm going to put our succubi companions' minds at ease. Return to your posts. That's an order." She glared at them until they hurried out the door.

Kanae and Alicia followed Rasheena to the top floor of the manor. They didn't enter Odika's bedchamber though and instead went into a separate room. Unlike the lavish accommodations and furnishings of an edirashok, the floor was filled with coarse sand, a sandstone slab with only a single cushion, and bones from a large dire beast pocked with bite marks.

"You read the journal in Odika's room? Let me guess: the succubus rogue managed to sneak through our enchantments. What a blunder." Rasheena sighed.

"All this time, you wanted to kill your nephew. Was all that talk about being loyal to Sultan Cerberus just grandstanding? Why lie to us?" Kanae asked.

"So that the Demon Queen of the Commonwealth of Sin can genuinely say she didn't know. Regicide is no simple matter, before and after. If Savirans were to find out you abetted in his assassination, what then? If you were deceived by a scheming, power-hungry family member of the sultan's… well, that would make for the perfect excuse, yes?"

"Do you really expect us to believe you did this for our sake?" Alicia folded her arms.

"No." She shook her head. "But we didn't need to further complicate international relations than it already is. Ortesia, Commonwealth, Radevic, the succubi cultists… What's next? Will Artaggon ride down here with an army of demons?"

Kanae would rather not admit it, but Rasheena had a point. Savir's three kingdoms were already spiraling into an inevitable civil war. To make things worse, hands from multiple countries decided to meddle in it at the same time.

Damn it. This was just supposed to be a simple mission to find the Knight of Red! How did it come to this? Maybe Dalu'luna would have done better. No. Things could have gotten much worse. It had to be Kanae and Amethyst Hall.

"What about your nephew? Are you really going to assassinate him?" Kanae asked.

Rasheena looked like she had a harder time broaching this topic than the one before. She collected herself first.

"Cerberus is a weak sultan. Too young. Too green. Too malleable. See what Ortesia and the cultists have done under his rule. They kidnapped half the citizens in Vanuis! For what, I can only fathom. Avanesse needs a strong leader, who will bring the aristocracy in line, and who will not bend or bow when the puppet strings are pulled," Rasheena explained.

"That strong leader being you." Alicia burrowed into her with a burning glare. "Then should we also presume you were never going to sacrifice yourself to end the curse over Avanesse?"

"My nephew… will be remembered for his sacrifice, to atone for the wrongs he committed to Avaneese and its people," she said firmly.

Something about this didn't sit right with Kanae. Cerberus was young, wasn't he? Only recently came of age. He had been orphaned, manipulated, and used for most of his life. It sounded more like Cerberus was a victim than a perpetrator. She looked Rasheena in the eyes, who returned the gaze, and casted Charm on her.

"What… now?" Rasheena asked past a clenched jaw.

"Was everything you told us just now the truth?" Alicia asked.

"Yes!" she answered.

"And your nephew. Do you even really care about him?" Kanae asked.

"I held him when he was a pup. His father— my older brother— asked me to look after him if anything happened to them. Of course, I do. But these are desperate times, and Avanesse risks being buried in the dunes of Savir," she replied somberly.

Kanae was taken by surprise. There was a bone in Rasheena's body that genuinely cared for Cerberus. She had hoped the aunt would be evil to make their future decisions easier. Satisfied, Kanae finally released Rasheena, who dropped to her knees gasping for breath.

"Your call, Knight-Commander." Alicia searched her for further instructions.

"Call?" Rasheena glanced up anxiously.

"We were thinking of seizing control of the entire edirashem. Alicia and I are enough to charm you, Odika, and the wagon conductors. Edina and Petyr have plenty of firepower against your edirashem guards. But I figure we still need each other, and you were being truthful without me needing to charm you. Our common enemy is still Ortesia and the succubi cultists." Kanae extended a hand down to the hell hound, and she clasped it without any claws showing.

Well, then. Shall we get going to Avanesse, the Ruby Jewel?" she pulled herself up and asked.

Citizens of Odika's edirashem were eager to leave Sultan's Wake after the attack on the city last night. They shuffled aboard in a hurry. Newcomers bound for Avanesse filed in, too. Kanae had sent Praijya back into hiding within the dungeons. She didn't need her anymore, but an asset like that shouldn't be wasted. A crowned Spellbreaker was going to be useful when they inevitably face Ambrosia again in Avanesse.

Kanae took a gander at the destroyed docks as the edirashem ventured back into the Saviran dunes. Small boats sailed out to salvage the remains of Ortesian vessels. The empire would be out a port for most of the year now. This wasn't intended to be a permanent solution. At the very least, it significantly slowed Ortesia down in sending forces to Avanesse. They still had Arnault Pyrelle and his cell of high elves to deal with though.

Back at the mansion residence, the others were pooped beyond belief. Petyr laid sprawled out face down on the couch, Renya and Edina were slumped over at the wine bar with the overflowing Chalice of Endless Booze, and Kris had curled up on a lounging chair hugging a journal.

"Looks like everyone had a productive night!" Kanae clapped once.

All four of them jolted awake and groaned. Renya and Edina had it worse, hands pressed to their heads.

"I'm begging ya… not too loud…" Edina croaked.

"Were you drinking all night?" Kanae asked.

"Course, we did." Renya didn't care and scooped up a glass of alcohol from the enchanted chalice for another drink. "Hadn't felt that good in years. I miss being a raider, I'll tell you what. Sitting behind a desk writing contracts all day doesn't give the same thrill. The Ortesians had no idea what hit 'em until BOOM!"

Edina winced and shot Renya a dirty look.

"You two are back. But where's Claudia?" Petyr sat up to ask.

Alicia walked off. The others watched her go, and Kanae waited until she had gone upstairs before answering.

"Ambrosia was here last night. She took Claudia and left for Avanesse. We're going to get her back," Kanae said.

"Damn." Edina grimaced. "How's Alicia taking it?"

"Not great… but also not too bad." She looked towards the stairs.

Kanae climbed up to Alicia's room which the sisters had shared. The door had been left ajar. When she peeked in, Alicia was sharpening her daggers with a whetstone over a bucket of water.

"Still hung up on Claudia? I'm sorry for holding you back," Kanae said on the way in.

"Don't be. If you hadn't stopped me, Ambrosia would have us both. It stings a little though. You chose me to be Vice-Captain of Amethyst Hall, and I almost messed up. Perhaps Petyr would make a better second-in-command." Alicia frowned.

"Definitely not." She pulled up a chair next to her. "You've seen the way Petyr handles her emotions! Besides, I understand how you feel. My daughters would do anything if one of them ended up taken away."

Finally, Alicia smiled. They stared each other in the eyes and drew closer. Their lips were within an inch part when Alicia pulled back. 

"Sorry. Did I… read the mood wrong?" Kanae asked.

"No, you didn't! I want to… It's just, my heart isn't in the right place while Claudia is missing. I wonder if this is how she felt when I was gone? But she had to deal with it for centuries…" Alicia accidentally let the whetstone slip from her grasp. It dropped into the bucket of water with a quiet dunk!

Kanae reached in and picked it up. However, Alicia didn't take the whetstone. She put the daggers down and wrapped both arms around Kanae. It was a tight full-body hug, one that squeezed all the air from her lungs.

"Thank you for always being there for me," Alicia said.

"Hehe. You bet." Kanae hugged her back.