The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!
Chapter 401 – Assassins

The Claw hardly changed even as night draped across the horizon. Alicia stalked the shady district cloaked in Magical Stealth. Rasheena turned out to be correct. It seemed the Ortesians and succubi kept their distance from this place. Every time a cell of high elves tried to march in, armed thugs chased them out. The inhabitants, hardened by the lawlessness and brigands that infested it, were no less welcome. People here dressed ready to shank another. She for sure saw a lifeless body slumped against a dark alleyway earlier.

Sitting atop the parapet of The Claw's tallest spire, Alicia eyed the grand ruby jewel on the royal residence Rasheena had called Isha Palace, whose luster hadn't waned one bit in the night. And above it, the accursed Cult of Lust and Depravity's floating temple. Claudia was somewhere in this city… in Ambrosia's clutches. The very thought made her blood run hot.

Only for Kanae's sake did Alicia hold back from going off in search of Claudia. But it was hard… They had been birthed from the same womb. From the same paternal parent. Not many of their fellow sisters could say the same. Mother discarded their fathers left and right like cattle.

Alicia violently shook her head. No. Not good. She couldn't think that way about the other races anymore. These… people, they had feelings. They were more than just livestock. Their lives should be cherished just as much.

"Oh, Kanae. What have you made me into?" Alicia sighed.

Eager to lay eyes on Knight-Commander Kanae, Alicia flew back to the tavern still invisible. She didn't enter from the front. Instead, she ascended to the second floor and counted the windows up to Kanae's room.

It had become a habit of sorts for Alicia. She enjoyed stalking prey. The hunt excited her. People and animals showed their true natures when left to themselves. Nothing was more interesting to watch than Kanae Toyomi.

Alicia peered through the wooden blinds to find Kanae on her hands and knees in bed. Five men of varying races surrounded her. One beneath, behind, in front of her mouth, and to either side of her. Taking five at once was bold. She moaned and bucked her hips like a wild animal. Kanae's face was flushed deeply red, soon to be drenched in the seed of her mates. The six of them began to shudder. They blew their loads inside and all over her.

Even Mother never took more than one mate at a time. To her and to their race, it was akin to a farmer jumping into a pig sty. But Kanae would gladly do so. And enjoyed herself. Just as she was enjoying fornicating with those men. There was no other succubus like her so degenerate and obscene.

That expression of sheer unadulterated ecstasy on Kanae was so lovely. Why did she have to be so beautiful and kind?

Alicia peeled away from the window and wiped the drool from her face. She must not act like this. She had an image to uphold in front of Kanae. That of the composed, capable, and unmoved assassin.

The air shifted suddenly. It was the same feeling of someone coming up from behind, but there was only empty space. Alicia stayed calm and descended to the surface. She walked into the backstreet behind the tavern created by an embankment leading to an elevated part of The Claw.

Alicia spun around and drew her dagger on the space in front of her that wasn't exactly empty. 

"Why are you following me, Romira?" Alicia growled.

"Alicia! Is that you?" Romira's invisibility faded to reveal an unfazed smirk, even with envenomed steel centimeters from her throat. "I sensed someone cloaked in magic moving towards the tavern. You could have been an assassin sent by the imperials, Sultan Cerberus, or the succubi. Had to be careful, you know."

"I could end you right now. Finish what I failed to do in The Diamond. How can I know for sure you aren't still working for the Ortesians?" she asked, keeping the blade up.

The beastman assassin ran a claw along the flat of the dagger. Dark cloudy venom gathered at the very tip which she lifted up to her nose to sniff.

"Black wyvern venom. Very painful. At least you don't hate me enough to douse your weapon in Viper's Kiss." Romira fearlessly licked the venom off her claw.

"I may yet." Alicia thumbed a small glass vial from a potion belt.

She relented and said, "The Ortesians wanted to weaken the East Saviran Trading Company's influence in Bravost. Doing so would weaken Sultana Dudula's power in Savir. A man by the name of Arnault Pyrelle paid me very handsomely to reach out to the organization. Encourage them to do business with Avanesse instead, and introduce any that decline to an unfortunate end. Yes, a succubus named Elaine was present. The high elf sent her to make sure I did my part and to rescue me if things went awry— which they did. My failure ended our contract, so I went to broaden my horizons."

There was truth in Romira's words. But those words were spoken with a tone that deliberately omitted some details. Romira was an assassin who commanded Romira's Stalkers, a syndicate of killers for hire. In the past, Alicia was the same. But instead of money, she killed in the Queen-Mother's name.

Alicia put her dagger away. Doing anything to Romira would only complicate their current relationship with Rasheena, possibly jeopardizing the plan for later. As she turned to leave, the footfalls followed.

"Sparing you wasn't an invitation for you to continue following me," Alicia said.

"It's not often two crowned Assassins meet and don't shank each other. How about we go for a drink? Talk about our first kills, favorite venom…" As Romira listed out things to make conversations out of, Alicia tuned her out and continued down the street. "Or maybe I can tell you about the succubus that looked just like you. Almost thought it was you!"

"What do you know about Claudia?!" She whirled around and pushed the beastman woman up against the wall.

"Yesterday…" The assassin winced. "Sultan Cerberus had her punish traitors in The Royal Grounds. Quite the sight. Claudia, you called her? She spanked prisoners with something like a paddle. Made them orgasm in public."

That sounded like Claudia alright. At least she wasn't being held prisoner. Ambrosia must have had her hypnotized to do the Sultan Cerberus' bidding.

"They humiliate prisoners all day and night. Claudia might still be there. I can take you there," Romira offered.

"Do it." Alicia put her down.

Both Assassins draped themselves in Magical Stealth. Traveling by foot through an enormous city would take too long, so Alicia flew by the sky, while Romira leaped from rooftop to rooftop with feline dexterity. Her feet touched down on the clay-dabbled rooftops without so much of a tap, and she ran with an even lighter step. No wonder Romira had evaded them for as long as she did.

They eventually reached The Royal Grounds, the second largest of three districts. A fifty-foot wall separated it from the rest of the city sprawl which comprised mostly of The Commons. Alicia thought to give Romira a hand in lifting her over, but the assassin leaped from the last rooftop and cleared almost thirty feet. The crunching sound of her claws finding purchase on the coarse earthen wall suggested she hadn't fallen to her doom.

Too bad, Alicia thought.

Three bored guards regularly patrolled this short section of the ramparts. Alicia floated down in front of one unsuspecting dark elf, who was gazing out with a tired look. She flew to the nearby guard tower and dragged a shiv against the wall. They tensed up and ran to go investigate.

"How thoughtful of you," Romira said, cresting to the top.

They proceeded into The Royal Grounds, Romira by rooftop and Alicia by flight. It seemed every intersection had a garden of gigantic cacti and native desert flora. Some were even flowering. Small channels along the street curb fed water that came directly from the oasis, filling fountains and open bathhouses.

Buildings were wider than tall in these parts and afforded a lot of space. Each residence had its own plantation and slaves. Ortesians marched up and down the blocks, and succubi kept sentinel above. Alicia passed by just as high elves started harassing a merchant in his own shop.

"We're here." Romira pointed to a wide open square just before a land bridge that leads to Isha Palace.

Hundreds were trapped in pillories and chained to posts staked in the ground. The ones that had it worst hung upside down by their feet, seated on wooden horses, or whipped. Onlookers watched from behind a line of Ortesian and Avanessi infantry. Succubi handled the punishments, taking joy at inflicting pain and pleasure. Among them… was Claudia.

The two landed behind a row of tall, landscaped desert grass to get a better look. Crop whip and paddle in hand, Claudia took turns striking a human man from behind with both weapons. Her expression showed no joy or life in the act like she normally would. She was without question under Ambrosia's hypnosis.

Alicia drew closer until Romira pulled her back.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Romira asked.

"I can break her free. Praijya… Kanae has enthralled a crowned Spellbreaker. If I can just get Claudia to—"

A succubus with flowing black hair swooped down next to Claudia and embraced her from behind. Elaine. Alicia's blood started boiling again.

"Sister, I see you're still hard at work punishing these misbehaving cattle. Ambrosia hasn't given you new orders?" Elaine asked into her ear.

"Ambrosia's orders are absolute. Now get out of my way so I can get back to work." Claudia shrugged her off.

"Ambrosia also told you to follow my orders. I demand your obedience. Hand me your paddle," she demanded.

Claudia did as instructed.

"And bend over." Elaine licked her lips.

As soon as Claudia braced both hands on an unoccupied post, Elaine struck her as hard as she could on the ass. The impact made a lot of people nearby flinch.

"What? Now that your sister's getting her ass blasted, you don't move an inch?" Romira asked in confusion.

"Well, I certainly dislike that Elaine is the one doing it. But Claudia isn't exactly against being hurt. In fact, she revels in having pain inflicted on her. If it is enough, that is," Alicia explained.

Romira squinted suspiciously, then flicked her gaze to Elaine and Claudia as the meaty applause of a paddle striking a rear end rang out. Hit after hit, the brand new Mistress of Pain swatted her predecessor. However, Claudia was unmoved. Bored even. She stood there, ass up, without so much as a flinch.

Slap! Slap! Slap! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! 

"Do you feel it now, Claudia? The pain you've been searching for?" Elaine taunted.

"I'm feeling the sand under my soles more than what you're dishing out. Are you even trying?" Claudia groaned.

Alicia giggled into her hand.

"Tch! Not even a wince? Argh!" Elaine swung and swung and swung until her arms gave out first, and she was panting for breath.

"There's only four people in this world that can hit me enough to give me pleasure, and you aren't one of them. Give up, Elaine. You're just too weak. You've always been weak. That's why you resort to dirty tricks, messing with people's minds. I just pity you." Claudia sneered.

Elaine flung the paddle away. It rolled across the ground and skidded up to the grass shrubs Alicia and Romira had hid behind.

"Fetch your toy and continue your duty," Elaine ordered and stormed off.

"Looking forward to your wedding, sis!" Claudia called back playfully.

They stayed as still as statues as Claudia strolled up to the shrubs to pick up her paddle. She stared longingly at it, rubbed her ass, and frowned.

"Why did I say four?" Claudia wondered aloud, scratching her head. "Ugh… And why can't I name them right now?"

There was no doubt in Alicia's mind that it was Ambrosia's crowned class magic at work. She watched her sister return to the shackled prisoners to continue inflicting pain. Her lips curved into a soft smile.

"It won't be much longer, Sister. We'll come rescue you, just as you and Kanae came to rescue me," Alicia whispered.

They returned to the inn, landing in the same dark alley they started from. Judging by the lack of moaning and rutting, Kanae must be done with the orgy. She was about to fly up and check on horny minx when Romira stopped her.

"Now what?" Alicia sighed.

"It's important we succeed. Seeing as we're the only two Assassins in town, our parts are pretty damn important. Take this." Romira handed her a vial containing viscous red liquid. "Magebane. Temporarily numbs someone's ability to cast magic. They go for 5,000 gold a gram. Use it sparingly."

"Why give me this? I hope you're not expecting friendship."

"If Rasheena pulls this off," the assassin began and rubbed two fingers together, "I'll have the coin purse of Avanesse's sultana in my hands. If she becomes Grand Sultana Savir, even better. In order for that to happen, we need to make sure the attack succeeds."

With that, Romira shrunk into the shadows and disappeared from sight. Alicia pocketed the vial of venom and casted Magical Stealth on herself again. She flew up to Kanae's window, pushed it open, and the musk of sweat and sex wafted out. The succubus was fast asleep with a satisfied smile in bed, clean and pristine. Not a trace of jizz to be seen. But all five men appeared to be drained to unconsciousness.

Alicia laid down in bed facing Kanae and fell asleep soon after.

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