The Hero Became a Succubus! - Chapter 86 (Patreon)

Alt link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BPU06JFjrPA6UB-a1UpdfF1YWbGxEg5iqZwcAQ7_CB4/edit?usp=sharing

Chapter 86

"Uhmm… Why am I coming with again?" Parn sighed, eyes jerking in every direction as the party of three made headway for Grell's settlement.

"They aren't going to be okay with just letting succubus stroll in. Besides, we needed someone to take us there. I heard from Nelly that your village traded with Grell and Talon. What more can you tell us about them?" Kanae asked.

Together with Parn and Lilith, they had departed from the village in the morning. The fog was light today, and so made the most sense to get an early start. Kanae steered the gorag, pulling their wagon to avoid a rotting animal corpse. It looked to be a fresh kill.

"I can tell you, forming an alliance with Grell over Talon will be easier. That man may have a rough exterior, but he doesn't treat kindness with disrespect. Sending gifts was a good move. Talon, on the other hand, is a battle-obsessed eagle," Parn explained.

"Mistress, why do we not just subjugate the leaders?" Lilith asked without a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Because we don't know what they're capable of. I made that mistake with Lady and Bardell, and they got the better of me because I thought I could handle it when the time came. Now we're out here fending for ourselves because I underestimated the Outriders," Kanae answered spitefully.

First, they needed to get a scope of what they were dealing with. The group that had gone to Grell's settlement said it was predominantly inhabited by dark elves, with a population size much larger than their own. What struck Kanae the most, however, was that they were treated well. Hopefully, that would be true for them, too.

"By the way," Parn began, "how did you manage to tame so many gorags again?"

"Huh? Oh, I mated with the lone gorag and made babies with my offsprings. This one right here is my eldest son and also a father of two. You're a sweet boy, aren't you?" Kanae cooed from the wagon's seat, drawing an approving grunt from the gorag.

Parn's jaw unhinged.

They crossed the forest's threshold and emerged to a sparser woodland area, where the terrain was much more uneven. A cool breeze blew through and seemed to sing a melodic tune to them. It wasn't until Parn pointed to the tree branches above did they see why. Wooden wind chimes whistled a hymn from even the lightest draft.

"That's how I know we're getting close to Grell and his people," Parn said.

Something about the wooden make reminded Kanae of the bead bracelet on her wrist. Parn did say that it was likely made by dark elves.

"Halt!"

In a matter of seconds, a dozen arrows were trained on them and their wagon. Dark elves emerged from atop branches, bushes, and behind trees. Lilith jumped to her feet, bangs bared and hand on the whip.

"We're not here to fight!" Kanae announced to the elves. "We seek an audience with Grell!"

"You're from the village with the succubus?" someone asked.

"Wait, I recognize them. Lower your arms!" A dark elven man leapt down from the nearby tree. His head was crowned with short and messy white hair. Although he wore a cloth mask up to his nose, Kanae gathered, by the round, chestnut-colored eyes and voice, that he was young. In spite of such tender age, the others who appeared much older, heeded his command dutifully.

"You recognize me?" Kanae asked, hopping off the wagon as the elf approached.

"You are the one who saved me and my group when we were attacked by a gorag." The corners of his eyes wrinkled in what looked like a smile.

"That was you?" She gasped.

The elf pulled away his mask to reveal a youthful and handsome countenance.

"My name is Ori, son of Grell. Allow me to bring you to Highgreen," Ori said.

They were guided the rest of the way to the dark elven settlement, the size of which brought Kanae to shame. Almost every building was built round and mostly out of wood. Trees weren't cut down, but instead used to build raised garden beds and tanning racks around the trunks. Judging by some of the smoking forges, they had working smithies to produce metal out of their ore.

This village must be prospering with the resources from the enchanted writ, too.

On the other side of the village, a large section of the wall had collapsed. Discarded and broken weapons showed signs of an attack. By Talon? Or something else?

Ori paused in front of one such round cabin and pulled open the curtain that served as their door. Inside the circular abode was a spacious room with leather pelts surrounding a central fire pit, upon which a bubbling cauldron was cooking something. Stairs along the side of the building led to a second floor.

"Visitors again so soon?" Grell asked from a workbench, carving wind chimes with a series of sharp instruments.

"I've come myself this time to ask to form an alliance. You treated the people I sent leagues better than Talon, and I bet even you have qualms about her more violent tendencies," Kanae said.

"She is the one I told about you who saved my life, father. They have also come in good faith, bringing a wagon full of iron ore. High in quality," Ori added.

"Does the succubus speak for you now? Or do you only speak at her behest, Parn?" the dark elven leader asked with patronizing intent.

"I, er… I… K-Kanae is the new village chief! I'm only here to observe!" Parn answered hastily.

"What?! You're going to pass leadership to me just like that?" Kanae groaned.

"It doesn't matter which of you leads. If it is an alliance you seek, then you have wasted your breath and efforts in coming here." Grell scoffed at the notion.

"You dare to speak to my mistress that way?" Lilith snarled.

Kanae stuck a hand out to calm Lilith down. The new succubus quietly apologized and backed away with her head bowed.

"Can you at least give us a reason?" Kanae asked.

"If I wanted allies, then I would seek a stronger faction," Grell said without so much as turning around. "Ori , give them food and a place to stay for the night, fill a cart to exchange their ore with, and send them away in the morning."

"Yes, father." Ori sighed after a pause.

They followed Ori out of Grell's cabin.

"I think that went well," Parn said.

"Be quiet," Kanae ordered, placing a charm to compel him into silence.

"Forgive my father. Recent attacks on Highgreen has left him in a precarious spot," Ori apologized on his old man's behalf.

"Attacks from Talon and her tribe?" she asked.

"No. From demons."

The three of them shuddered. No man's land did border the demon domains, so sightings of them shouldn't be a surprise. But for demons to attack must really mean Charron was mobilizing his forces. Maybe the Protectorates were necessary after all.

Ori continued. "I'm sure you mean well, but as you can see… allying with and putting his trust in a demon isn't exactly a priority given the circumstances. Letting two succubi into Highgreen has been enough of a risk."

When night fell, Kanae, Lilith, and Parn settled into a small cabin that Noah had given them. The home sported more decorations than furniture. A wind chime hung at the front door, dreamcatchers were placed around the circular room, and pelts were laid out to serve as beds.

"We came here to make allies, but instead found out that we might have more enemies to deal with… Parn, have you encountered many demons during your lifetime living in no man's land?" Kanae asked as they were getting ready for bed after a long journey.

"A few times, but they were stray beasts or small in number. Never in force to lay siege to anywhere. My village has always been safe with Grell and Highgreen, and Talon's many tribes that act as a buffer between us," Parn explained.

"Why would the demons suddenly start attacking? Could it be—"

The resources?

"Mm… M-Mistress… I cannot hold it any longer," Lilith mumbled, squirming with her thighs squeezed together.

"What's wrong?" Kanae asked.

"I would like a release… my body is so hot right now," she said.

Today was the day Lilith and the other succubi had their weekly gangbang with the goblins. Bringing her along denied that pleasure from her.

"May I, ahem… offer myself?" Parn asked as he stepped up to the challenge.

"Your heart is going to give out trying to take two succubus," Kanae taunted, reaching into Lilith's robes to stroke her clit and Parn's pants to clench his dick. They wriggled to her touch and sighed with ecstasy. She was about to grant them the pleasure they sought until a distance explosion startled them.

Kanae and Lilith threw themselves at the window. Armed elves were racing towards a cloud of smoke, rising to the canopy where the wall had been broken. Those without weapons ran the opposite direction in panic.

"Parn, stay here! Lilith, with me!" Kanae ordered.

"But my threesome?!" Parn exclaimd to their backs.

On the way out, they ran into an elven woman and her son being chased by a trio of cackling imps with pitchforks.

"Get back here!"

"Hahaha! Run you oversized monkeys!"

"Scream, scream! Ahaha!"

The pair tripped to the ground. When the mother saw Kanae and Lilith, she tearfully embraced her child.

"Please… don't hurt us!" she cried.

"We're not on their side," Kanae assured her, then casted a piercing glare at the imps.

They froze in terror.

"W-What gives? No one told us there were succubi here!" a red imp complained to the other two.

In their attempt to escape, Lilith captured one by the ankle with her whip, yanked him to the ground, and reeled him in like a fish.

"Hurry and get to somewhere safe." Kanae offered the woman a hand to help her up and smiled at the boy.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed before taking off running.

Meanwhile, Lilith was grinding a foot into the imp's face.

"Your stupid invasion interrupted my intimacy with Mistress Kanae!" Lilith growled with the feral fury of a succubus denied from sexy time.

"Get off me… you crazy bitch! I don't get off to being stepped on!" the imp cried in defiance.

As Kanae knelt down next to the imp, his shivering came to a stop from terror and was petrified down to his forked tail— he was scared shitless. This fear thrilled her.

"Why are the demons attacking?" Kanae asked calmly.

"I-I'm just a grunt… they don't tell me anything…"

"Try again," she urged him.

"W-We're here to capture the Highgreen leader's son! I swear that's the truth!" he answered right away.

To capture Noah?

"Let's go, Lilith!" Kanae exclaimed.

Lilith twirled the wimp and flung the imp away, then grabbed Kanae's hand and flew towards the fires together. The cabins on this side were engulfed in flames. Dark elven spellcasters conjured water and frost magic to put them out, while others battled a horde of demons just beyond the broken wall.

Leading the defense was Grell, who fearlessly blocked a giant's bone-crushing club with a barrier of ice. However, unseen from the side, several humanoid demons leapt onto his back from behind and brought him to the ground.

Kanae flew between them to their shock and the club stopped inches away from her face. The fighting stopped at once, turning the heads of elves and demons alike in their direction.

"If we're talking about hierarchy, wouldn't I be at the very top here?" Kanae asked.

The giant reared back his club for a killing smash, but Kanae flashed a smirk and charmed nearby demons to dogpile their larger counterpart. At this level, she was vastly overleveled compared to the grunts of the demon army. She didn't even need to have a sexual encounter in order to control them either.

They couldn't resist and were all at the palm of her hand.

Kanae and Lilith forcibly charmed half the forces against each other. One by one they fell to their control and turned on fellow demons. Just like in Orturic, she couldn't take too many. Otherwise, they would start slipping.

Charmed imps and hounds swarmed the giants, and charmed giants swatted imps and hounds. They fought each other in a chaotic scramble, giving the elves ample enough time to recover and mount a counterattack.

"The demons!" Grell shouted from below. "They took Noah!"

"If I bring him back, will you consider an alliance with me?" Kanae bargained.

"How do I know you didn't plan this from the start?" he asked through a clenched jaw.

"Because I could have just let the demons overrun Highgreen and controlled your people by force."

Grell clicked his tongue. "Your kind… always resorting to underhanded tactics… Fine. I'll consider it."

"Good enough for me." Kanae grinned.

She and Lilith chased after a few retreating demons. They had to be going somewhere, an encampment or base of operations. No way this large force appeared out of thin air.

That hunch eventually proved right. Noah was bound and gagged on the back of a devil mutt. The group of demons were full speed ahead towards camp much farther in the distance, distinguishable by the many stacks of smoke from campfires. Kanae flew higher into the sky, and her confidence vanished.

The encampment stretched far and wide with hundreds of tents. They had to be preparing for an invasion.

"Mistress, watch out!" Lilith cried, pointing to a volley of fireballs which lit up the sky like fireworks.

"Oh, shit… Let's hope that new spell can save our butts— Dispel!" Kanae uttered the skill gained from Lilith after she drained the witch.

It was like someone had switched off the lights to some of the fireballs. Enough had been dispelled that they flew through the opening in the barrage of thunderous explosions.

The respite didn't last very long. An even greater volley of spells were launched at them, far too many to dispel. They were sitting ducks in the sky.

"I think we should take our chances on the ground," Kanae said, eyes lighting up from the incoming spells.

"Agreed!" Lilith nodded in panic.

When they tried to descend, a rogue blast knocked them to the earth instead. Both of them smashed into the foot of a tree, smoking like pieces of charcoal. The devil mutt rider glanced over his shoulder and laughed at them, free to return to the encampment in safety.

"I hate…" Kanae coughed out her lungs from the smoke. "I hate not having any offensive spells…"

They picked each other up and followed the rider to the edge of the treeline. Highgreen was leagues away now, and a demon encampment laid before them instead of an elven settlement. The rider was just now entering the camp with their prisoner.

Fighting through all that would surely end in their defeat.

"Should we go back and tell the others?" Lilith asked.

"No. We've been led to the best opportunity to form an alliance with Grell, and this is the biggest proof that we need allies. I say we infiltrate the demon camp, find out who their leader is, and save Noah," Kanae said.

"B-But how will we enter without drawing suspicions? They'll know we're succubi!"

Kanae squinted at the camp. Among the demons, there were females whose skin tones were tinged a great many shades of color. While they possessed horns and tails, common among demons, they were missing wings that made succubi stand out. She shedded her cloak to wrap around Lilith, hiding the wings. She then tweaked the Human Form skill to hide only her wings.

"We'll fit right in if we act naturally. After all… we're demons, right?" Kanae winked.