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

"You wish to know more about Petyr Stormcloud?" Gretchen put the storybook she was reading to Suvee and Kanade, and both of them let out an exasperated groan.

"Mom, it was getting to the good part! I need to know if Knight Arvald survives the dragon's fire breath!" Suvee complained.

Kanade nodded right beside her looking just as peeved.

The two were wrapped up to their necks in their own blankets, lying together like a pair of cocooned caterpillars in the middle of metamorphosis. A fire occasionally cracked from the hearth. Judging by the commotion and sweet smell from the kitchen, the staff was running around to bake the kids snacks to eat.

"Suffice to say, fighting Petyr was tough. We almost died. Hell, she was able to take on all of us easily! Claudia and Minestra are tougher than nails. Against her? I've never seen them fold so fast," Kanae explained.

"Petyr Stormcloud, the Knight of Gold, Star of the Stormcloud Family… The most spoiled, miscreant of a brat I have ever had the misfortune of meeting! Oh, how I want to throw her into a bath of corrosive slime!" Gretchen's nails dug into the cover of the book.

"I… I take it you don't like?" she hesitated to ask.

It took a few deep breaths and moment of meditation before Gretchen recomposed herself. She placed a hand over her chest as if to command her heart to stop beating so fast.

"In Ortesia," Gretchen began spitefully, "she is called the Princess. Not out of affection, mind you. Petyr comes from one of the most powerful families in the empire. The Stormclouds have a long history of being members of the High Clerics, a theocratic political sect who decide on the empire's laws. Her family in particular is more prideful than succubus are lustful. Unfortunate are we that she has yet to inherit her father's dukedom and become a lord herself. She would have been wasting away on a lavish gilded seat than be here. Until then, she is beholden to serve the imperial lords."

"Can I be a princess?" Suvee asked.

"You already are." Kanade squinted at her sister in disbelief.

"Oh, right! Hehe!" She rolled around happily in her burrito wrap.

Petyr probably had a lot riding on her shoulders. Young, powerful, set to a lot at a tender age. Huh. Kanae and Petyr were a lot alike— though, their personalities couldn't be more different.

"You must've kept an eye on her when she attended Knights' Academy, right? Esta didn't seem to know she was a woman, and was apparently ordered not to speak. Any idea what was up with that?" Kanae asked.

"Hah! The one time I ever seized victory over that entitled beetle. The Ortesian lords came to learn of her insolent behavior very early into her enrollment. They demanded that she not speak when away from the empire to avoid damaging their relationship with Radevic. What a glorious day it was to hand Petyr their decree." Gretchen clenched her fist in triumphant as if living that moment again.

"Great… and here I thought it was something profound… Anything else? Like her strength? How to deal with her?"

Her demeanor clouded over. "For one, you know Petyr is a paladin. A high level one at that. Following her inheriting the mantle of Gold, Ortesia gifted her a powerful weapon known as Shifting Steel. They constantly sent her on dangerous missions in order to nurture her strength. She hated that. Petyr thinks herself an actual princess. It's not that she wants to be spoiled and treated like royalty. She expects it. Perhaps the key to facing the brat is to exploit her temperament."

"Moooom! Knight Arvald! The dragon's breath!" Suvee threw a tantrum.

Kanae picked up her daughter, blanket and all, and sealed the top. She squealed and fought back in a bout of giggles. 

"Just one more thing, Suvee! Gretchen, is there anything you can tell me about the One-Eyed Cross? Or an item in Ortesia's possession that can ressurrect someone?" Kanae asked.

"That's two things," Kanade said.

"You said one!" Suvee slipped her tail out to wag in Kanae's face.

"Okay, you smart-asses. Two things." Kanae closed up Kanade too, and now she had two squirming cocoons in her arms.

"Don't worry, children. The story isn't going anywhere. Unfortunately, my queen, Marwin Fransk's musings of the One-Eyed Cross are the extent of what I know. The tool of resurrection, too, I am not familiar with. There are many things in the empire that are only privy to the greater families of Ortesia. Redbaron is not one of them…" She clicked her tongue.

Well, Gretchen could probably only know so much being away from Ortesia for so long. Kanae gave her kids a bear hug before putting them back down. They popped their heads out again as their caretaker continued the story where it was left off.

Right now, the only lead on the resurrection item was Chappy. Kanae ascended the castle to where Lani had been staying. She paused at the door of the room and listened in. Aside from a little shuffling sound, it didn't seem like they were doing their usual thing.

"Lani, Chappy! Can we talk?" Kanae rapped her knuckles on the door.

It creaked wide. A tentacle retracted from the door knob as Kanae entered. They weren't engaged in degenerate coupling, but Chappy was open and Lani stood in the middle of a chalk-drawn ritual circle. Her staff floated horizontally above her upwards-facing palms. Both were enveloped in a soft green light emitting from the runes in the floorboards.

"Hey, Kanae! Sit back and watch the show. Lani here is almost done, then we can get to the real fun. You can join, too!" Chappy exclaimed.

"You guys aren't having sex twenty-four-seven! Should I be worried?!" Kanae gasped.

The glow stopped at once. Lani caught her staff before it hit the ground. Chappy shut his pages and yawned.

"W-We're not always like that!" Lani protested. "We do other things, too! Like… going on dates—"

"And doing it afterwards," Chappy added.

"Reading ancient tomes together—"

"While I'm eight inches deep inside you," he added again.

"Chappy!" Lani's cheeks inflated.

"I believe you, alright? But what were you doing just now?" Kanae asked.

Lani walked up to the window and opened it. A flock of skeletal birds flew into the room. They perched wherever their little talons could find purchase. Few by few, they exploded into bone dust which drifted into the circle to form one complete eagle pecking at the ground.

"I sent familiars as far as I could to scout for Ortesian strongholds. I've found many. They have risen bases along oft-traveled roads. The Imperial Span, however, is suspiciously clear. With each passing hour, more and more Ortesians are entering the Commonwealth," Lani explained.

"Ortesia wants to hit us from as many places possible… It'll spread themselves thin, but I'd spread our forces even thinner trying to stop them all at once. That might be what they're hoping for. Thanks, Lani. I'm more informed now than five minutes ago because of you." Kanae smiled.

"I still don't intend to fight for you! I'll only help a little because they deserve payback for what happened during Arum Taum," she said.

"They stole the One-Eyed Cross from Aidenhall's vault. Don't you feel obligated to at least retrieve it?"

Although Lani didn't answer, the answer came in the form of a sustained glare. It took Kanae a second to realize that Thistle, the Matron's Regalia, which was also taken from the vault, was on her.

"I was nothing but kind to you, and you thanked me by trapping me inside that moaning maiden!" Lani stormed up to Kanae and cornered her against the wall.

"I'm sorry! I won't pester you to fight the empire with me anymore! Can you and Chappy at least help me find out where Gold, the One-Eyed Cross, and the resurrection tool is located?" Kanae pleaded.

When Lani turned to Chappy, the living grimoire shrugged his tentacles. He flipped hundreds of pages until stopping at a map of the Commonwealth. To Kanae's surprise, Lani unwittingly pointed to Necro Lord Cantu's tomb.

"I asked Chappy to find the One-Eyed Cross earlier. This is where he pointed out. When I sent familiars out there, I found not only Ortesian knights and Rotandrix dragoons stationed there, but also the Knight of Gold. Including the tool of resurrection. The Commonwealth is your domain. Is this place familiar to you?" Lani asked.

"That is a Necro Lord's Tomb! I explored that place with other people before. There used to be trapped spirits living there, but we've since exorcised it. The only resident now is Necro Lord Cantu. What's so important there?" Kanae wondered aloud.

"We will have to find out. But I'm only accompanying you to retrieve the One-Eyed Cross!" she emphasized.

"Aww, man. Going into dark, musty tombs isn't my idea of a nice vacation. The humidity in those dank places are going to ruin my pages!" Chappy groaned.

For this mission, Kanae gathered a crack team consisting of Esta, Edina, Minestra, and a of one-hundred succubi. Lilith's Sisters in Black and Claudia's faithful were among those numbers. The Mistress of Pain herself still needed time to recuperate, and Kanae preferred not to have another reckless incident like her battle against Gold. Fortunately, they were joined by Saint Priest Lanil Hammerthorn and Chappy, the living grimoire. Whether they like it or not, the two might have no choice but to fight later.

Kanae thumbed Eliza's parting gift, teleportation pellet tucked into her pocket. There was a chance they might not come back from this. However, the reward was too great. Whatever Gold wanted to find in Cantu's tomb, they had to know and possibly pretent it. They also needed that resurrection tool.

"Figured we scoured the shit out of the tomb last time we went. Something we missed?" Edina asked while scratching her squirrely ear.

"Well, it's a big place and we weren't exactly thorough. I can't imagine it's Cantu they're trying to resurrect," Kanae said.

"Mistress, we've saddled the succubus force for you!" Lilith flew over to inform them.

"Thanks, Lilith. Where are— WHAAAT?!"

Each succubus was mounted on their own languisteed. Mounted, just like Kanae was during the last battle against the Ortesian forces. Many of them were shuddering in ecstasy to the languisteed dicks in them. They left behind a trail of sex juices, vaginal secretions and langui cum.

"Is something the matter? They were inspired by your show of depravity and wanted to follow in your footsteps! Sh-Should we not have? These succubus are all spellcasters. They won't be handicapped in battle!" Lilith stammered.

"He-He-Hey! We should strap you to me the way they are!" Chappy nudged Lani's blushing cheeks with a tentacle.

"Oh, my god…" Kanae put a hand to her face. "I have to take this fight seriously. We don't have time. I'm taking them with me anyway! Ride!"

The Necro Lord's Tomb wasn't too far. Without rest, they reached their destination right as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. Camped at the foot of the tomb's cliffside, where Edina had mistakenly exacavated with her undead minions, were hundreds of Ortesians and Rotandrix infantry.

"They fly the banner of a dragon's skull! My brother Darren must be here!" Esta growled.

Empire forces emerged to meet them head on. Kanae ordered the succubi to lay in on them with magical spells. Fueled by a languisteed dick in them, they lobbed unceasingly volley after unceasing volley into the camp and setting it ablaze. Their succubus magic might not be able to affect them, but they weren't resistant to getting hurt the usual way.

"I feel it, Sisters!" a black-clad succubus screamed zealousy.

"Queen Kanae's power flowing through me! This must be how she felt in battle!" another howled.

"No, that's just the spunk gushing inside you. Focus!" Kanae retorted.

"It is time, drakeling! Demonstrate the strength of your Loyalty Fixation and lay savage siege upon your enemies with me!" Minestra howled, carving a path through with four longswords.

"Sorry, I do not take orders from you. Only from my master, Kanae. You're on your own." Esta declined.

"Huh? You're just going to leave me here to fight on my own?!" the herzulith glanced back and cried.

Esta had the right idea. They were going to get hammered going in there to fight Gold. It was better to cut off her reinforcements and take their chances against her with fewer numbers.

"Minestra, stay out here with the succubi while the rest of us go in! Don't let them through under any circumstances!" Kanae ordered.

"Kanae is giving me orders… Mmmm! I see, drakeling. I see! This must be the ecstasy you feel. Very well, I shall do as you ask!" She vaulted off her devil mutt and dared the incoming dragoons to fight.

The succubus horde and their languisteeds galloped to a halt to form a defensive ring in front of the tomb. They let Kanae and her companions through.

"I'd wish Lady Luck be with ya, but I prefer her on my side instead. I'll leave you guys with a little help. See ya!" Edina summoned a death knight to stay behind, giving the empire's soldiers pause.

They raced through the dark caverns and descended the long, crumbling staircase. The gargoyles were missing from their pedestals. As the underground city and its zigguraut came into view, they also saw the stone-made gargoyles swarming a group of people below at the zigguraut doors. The Knight of Gold, a just as heavily equipped drakeling, and a dozen imperial infantry.

"Wow! I can't believe I'm in a Necro Lord's Tomb! This place must be filled with secrets waiting to be discovered." Lani's scholarly pursuits were reflected in her glinting eyes.

"Sorry, lady. We plundered this place already. Last time we were here, we ended up destroying the Scythe of Soul Reaping," Edina explained.

"EEHHHHH? Secrets… lost forever…" Her eyes were now tearing up.

"Edina, we need a ride!" Kanae exclaimed.

The necromancer cut a portal into the empty space before her, and a giant skeletal dragon flew out of it. Esta, Edina, and Lani jumped onto its spine. Kanae flew alongside it straight for the zigguraut.

"Huh. I'm shivering again! I don't like shivering…" Chappy tucked himself inside Lani's robe, much to her dismay.

Far in the distance, Gold turned in Kanae's direction. Streaks of light screeched across the cavern. Edina's dragon went into evasive maneuvers, barely avoiding getting struck by an arrows infused with divine strike.

"Ugh… It's times like these I'm glad drakelings do not possess wings. Can't you fly a little more steady?" Esta put a hand to her mouth.

"I'm trying not to get my only dragon exorcised here! If it hasn't ocurred to you, we're on it. if my dragon bites the dust, what do you think will happen to us?" Edina fired back.

Weird. Kanae didn't recall Esta ever getting nauseous when she carried her in flight before. But now wasn't the time to worry about that. Gold and her group entered the zigguraut, leaving behind gargoyle rubble.

The dragon landed at the top of the steps. Massive wings, though its webbings were mostly in tatters, cleared away the gargoyle parts. One of them was barely intact, and its eyes glowed distinctly red.

"Oh, in Lord Charron's name. I don't know what you guys are doing here, but you have got to help me! There's a crazy high elf in here!" The voice of Necro Lord Cantu came through clear as day.

"Cantu? What do they want? Is the tomb hiding something important to the Empire of Ortesia?" Kanae asked.

"I was tasked to…" He held his tongue and hesitated to say more. "Never mind. It changes nothing that I need your help! Hurry, else they—"

Silence. The gargoyle's eyes no longer glowed. Its jaw had uttered its last and crumbled.

They gave chase, but Chappy was getting more nervous the deeper into the zigguraut. Kanae didn't recognize this giant corridor. When she came here before, it was through a different section. This place… the ominous feeling… She shot a look to Edina, whose jaw was clenched and brows were knitted.

This was the same sensation as when Haxgorah appeared.

The zigguraut corridor came to an end in a massive four-sided chamber. Torches burning with purple flames illuminated an enormous mural on the ground upon which Gold and her entourage stood. Cantu's headless body laid limp at their feet. Her guards drew their weapons at their approach. One drakeling, whose crimson-scaled, draconic features were similar to Esta except with a more masculine touch and bulkier build, stepped forward.

"Darren! You attacked Ehmvier, didn't you?" Esta asked, drawing her great weapons.

"Mother wanted me to test the capital of the Commonwealth's defenses, and I have found it lacking. If she was the one who attacked instead of me, the city wouldn't be standing right now. Stay back, Estaline. I know you're pregnant, and it is only because Mother would like to see her grandchild that I'll let you walk away," Darren warned.

"Your caution is unneeded, my dear older brother. Perhaps I should remind you that Mother birthed me in the middle of a battle. Unlike you, I am battle-born! So shall this child!" she bellowed.

"Wait, I don't know if I agree to our baby being born during a fight!" Kanae chimed in worriedly.

"Gold!" Lani pushed to the front. "As the extension of the Grand Eye's hand and will, I order you to stop whatever you're doing and return the One-Eyed Cross this instant!"

The Knight of Gold shuddered. Her shoulders were shaking. She erupted into a hearty laughter that echoed up and down the chamber.

"Order? Me? I operate outside the purview of the Grand Eye. As far as I'm concerned, that woman is an Ortesian dog who needs her collar tightened. The sooner I'm done here, the better. If only this damn undead would tell me where the altar is! TELL ME!" Gold lifted Cantu's head up and shook flung it around.

"That bitch cut off Cantu's head!" Edina cried.

"And I'm still very much alive!" Cantu yelled. "You're not getting a single answer out of me—"

"Zone of Absolute Truth!" An Ortesian cleric slammed the base of her staff on the ground, creating a field of influence magic.

"It's underneath us. Under this very chamber," he answered truthfully.

Kanae and Edina slapped a hand to their faces.

"Great! Now I don't need this anymore." Gold tossed Cantu's head and lifted her warhammer high.

"Stop her!" Kanae shouted.

They advanced at once, but Gold's warhammer came down on the floor so hard it cracked the stonework and mural. The ground gave in.

Everything and everyone fell through.

"Esta, Edina!" Kanae panicked, unsure of who to save.

"Forget me, I'll be fine! Get Esta!" Edina exclaimed as rubble showered them.

Kanae furled her wings inward and zoomed in to grab Esta's outstretched arm. She enveloped the drakeling and reached for the teleportation crystal. However, an image of Arenade flashed across her mind. Escape now to protect Esta and her child, but lose the chance to bring Arenade back. Or, risk them for a chance to save her.

The loyal drakeling knight saw it. Kanae's hesitation.

"I will never leave your side, Master. We'll descend and come out of this together," Esta said.

"I know. That's why you're going to have to forgive me for doing this." Kanae shoved Esta away, activated the teleportation pellet, and flung it at her.

"Master—"

Magic enveloped the drakeling along with pieces of falling stone, and she was gone. She and their unborn child should be safe now. All there was left to do…

Kanae soared over to Edina, whose eyes were closed and apparently chanting something.

"I'm dreaming of nuts! Gold! Nuts and gold as far as the eye can see! Damn this fucking fall is taking forever. Am I dead yet?!" Edina complained.

"Not yet!" Kanae swooped her up and careened away from the falling rubble. They rolled across the ground. A few smaller stones clocked them over the heads.

"You bimbo, I told you to save Esta!" The squirreling punched Kanae in the gut and knocked the wind out of her.

"Ow… I did save her… I sent her home with a teleportation crystal. I wasn't going to leave you and Lani behind…"

Wait. Lani and Chappy! Were they fine?

Speaking of the devil, both of them drifted down by the grace of Chappy's fluttering pages. Barely. The two hit the ground hard, leaving the Saint Priest with a bug bulge on her head.

They were in another chamber, one that was circular and which the braziers began to lit up one by one. Deep groves and patterns indicated that these were purposefully made. Ahead, Darren limped after Gold. She marched up a black obelisk with strange markings on it. Foul magic emanated from its stonework.

"This… This is an altar of Varren, the devil of Pride!" Chappy gasped.

"That's right," Gold confirmed. "What better way to cleanse the Commonwealth of sin and filth than with fire? Hellfire. That cheeky demon lord put a tomb over this altar. Pretty smart. No one would have found it. No one except the devil himself."

"As in Varren?" Kanae gulped.

Gold put her shapeshifting weapon away and drew the One-Eyed Cross. Its eye was, staring down at them with a look of pride.

"Gluttony!" A voice erupted from the crossguard like someone regarding an old, estranged family member. "Still up to your perverse predilections?"

"P-Pride… Varren, I don't know what sweet-nothings you whispered into these stupid high elves, but Lani and I aren't letting you get away with this!" Chappy hid behind his owner, pages scrunched up in fear.

"Gold, this is insane! Hellfire will destroy everything. If you intend to go through with this, I'll have no choice but to treat you as an enemy. I really don't want to!" Lani's staff bristled with ancient magic that made Kanae's hair stand on end, and even Edina to back away from.

The Knight of Gold shrugged. "Truth be told, I don't want to set the Commonwealth aflame. Hellfire will probably dry out my skin. Ugh. Too bad for all of you, I'm under orders to find the crypt of Saint Rue. Imagine my surprise when it wasn't actually underneath the Basilica of Saint Rue! Don't worry. I don't actually intend to bring the devil into this world. We just want to borrow the hellfire."

There had to be something that could stop Gold. Gretchen's words echoed in Kanae's mind. Exploit her temperament.

BUT WHAT?

"I… I have a hot spring!" Kanae yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Huh?" Gold spun around.

She continued, "I have a small village callled Rudura. It's famed for their hot springs. The steam exfoliates your skin. The hot water is like a massage to your muscles. It's heaven on earth! If you bring hellfire into the Commonwealth, you're going to destroy that. Conquer it instead, and you'll get to enjoy it as much as you want. I bet those Ortesian lords didn't tell you about that!"

It worked. Gold stood there speechlessly.

"Petyr, you can be serious…" Darren whispered.

"You stupid cunt, we have a job to do. Set it aflame. Watch the glory of my hellfire burn the Commonwealth into a crisp. Strike the crossguard against the obelisk like flint to steel. Do it!" Pride snarled.

"Heh… Hehehe! The imperial lords be damned. I deserve this! Very well, Demon Queen. I shall conquer this village called Rudura, and if it isn't at all like you describe, I shall return and incinerate your precious Commonwealth. But know this. You didn't win. Ortesia does not need hellfire to find the crypt of Saint Rue. It is only a matter of time. Come, Darren! The hot spring awaits!" Gold unrolled a scroll and incanted a few words that opened a portal.

Sighing, Darren followed Gold through, all the while the devil of pride complained until the portal closed shut and silenced them.

"I can't believe that fucking worked. My ass is puckered tight!" Edina socked Kanae on the shoulder.

"I'm glad, Amethyst. Truly. You averted a catastrophic crisis, but you didn't get the tool of ressurection. Thank you for your selflessness," Lani said.

"No, we didn't lose it. We know exactly where Gold is going, remember?" Kanae grinned.