The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?! Chapter 504 – Caged Pet

The party returned to Ehmvier victorious. Defeating and capturing Charlotte, the Mistress of Excess, ultimately dealt a major blow to the Cult of Lust and Depravity. No doubt they were going to retaliate in ti. Kanae headed straight to Elizabeth Bedlam's tower with Motta, Vesh, Petyr, and Gretchen. Edina returned ho, citing a need to make a new soul cairn.

When they arrived, Kanae was surprised to find Alicia having tea with Eliza on the library floor. The infant, Dawn, bounced playfully in the sorceress' lap.

"You're back." Eliza smiled as they ca up the stairs. "I presu you were successful, seeing as everyone is in a chipper mood."

"We are. Charlotte is Elirashj's pet now." Kanae lifted the oil lamp.

Alicia's gaze snapped in their direction. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of relief and conflict. Relief, because the very sister who tried to kill her and Dawn was captured. Conflict, because Charlotte was still her sister.

"Kanae, I wish to see Charlotte," Alicia said.

"I'm not so sure visiting the domain of an elental lord who wants succubi is a good idea…" Kanae winced.

"Please," she rose from her seat to grab Kanae's hands.

Even Dawn had stopped giggling and paid attention to them. It was believed that children, even in their earliest ages, were very attuned to their parents' emotions. She must have sensed her mother's distress.

"We'll leave that to you. I don't need Elirashj to covet an incubus." Petyr hugged the regressed Vesh from behind.

"Wait… am I in danger, too?" Motta, who was also still in his regressed form, anxiously searched them for answers.

"I'll accompany you, just out of an abundance of caution," Gretchen said.

"As will I. I'm very interested in this micro-realm that the elental lord has created for herself," Eliza added with scholarly curiosity.

For so reason, the orc incubus hadn't been able to turn back. It perplexed Vesh, too, and he chalked it up to being Motta's first ti. That was just going to have to be a problem Kanae addressed later. For now…

"Alright." Kanae relented and placed the oil lamp on the table. "Elirashj, I know you can hear us. We'd like to pay your new pet a visit."

Petyr stepped back, pulling Vesh and Motta away. Alicia picked up Dawn in both arms. Gentle winds swelled in the library. A few loose papers swirled up to the ceiling. Mists billowed out of the golden spout and enveloped them.

In the next instant, Kanae blinked once and had been transported into Elirashj's sky palace. They stood behind a gated balcony outcrop, which soon creaked open to let them into the exotic garden courtyard.

"Ah, I see. I'm reminded of artificial Rifts. Except the ones Aidenhall and I create are temporary. Foreign magic holds this place together," Eliza said, sniffing the air deeply.

"How are you able to detect that from sll alone…" Kanae squinted at her.

"Greetings, my honored guests!" Elirashj manifested before them at a modest height, adorned in her finest purple gown with silvery accents. Her eyes fell upon Eliza, flared with blazing fury for just a mont when she waved back, and then recomposed herself. "You have brought several new faces, I see. One not so welco, but I welco nonetheless." She cruised up to Dawn with a smile, but Alicia held the girl more tightly.

Kanae stepped between them.

"You have your succubus. Leave them alone," Kanae growled.

"As you wish. I am nothing but grateful to you for the newest addition to my exhibit. You wish to see her, yes? Follow ." Elirashj whirled around and led them into the towering palace.

This had to be a different floor compared to when Kanae first entered. The exhibits here were behind a glass wall and took up entire floors. Gretchen and Eliza peered into a jungle bio, only for a giant serpent to slam against the pane. It shook off its daze and slithered off.

At the end of the hall, they stepped onto a round dais carved with runic symbols. Unsurprisingly, Eliza produced a paper and pencil to start jotting them down. Their host, Elirashj, twirled her finger once. The dais beneath their feet hissed and began to lift.

The humming makeshift elevator rose for a few seconds, bringing them to an upper floor that contained a village, furnished with ten cabins and even a well. Beastn and elven villagers carved out a life for themselves here, which included a large farm plot and ranching pigs. Blue skies dotted with clouds shifted above them. Verdant grass swayed to the breeze. Kanae could have easily mistaken this for the countryside in Radevic.

"This is where you're keeping Charlotte? But where is—" Before Kanae uttered another word, a furious succubus slamd into the glass next to her.

"You think I'll be held in here long? Think again! When my sisters free , there will be hells to pay!" Charlotte bood, her fist pounding into the barrier.

"There she is, my succubus pet! How are you liking your new life here?" Elirashj cooed.

"These cattle do not suit my tastes. Especially not that goblin!" She jabbed a finger towards a little green guy licking his lips at her.

"I'm ready for you whenever, baby!" he shouted.

Alicia walked up to the glass, thick with condensation from Charlotte's panting. Even Dawn pressed a hand to it.

"I don't envy you, sister. Ambrosia trapped in a temple for countless years. I know how it feels," Alicia whispered empathetically.

"If you pity , then free . You're capable. You can slaughter an entire castle's worth of people in their sleep. We can return to Temptation together, as heroes," Charlotte suggested.

"I'm not going to do that. Your cult's foolish actions will only result in another Succubus War. I have loved ones to protect. A daughter to look after and raise. Perhaps a few centuries here will humble you." She peeled away from the glass and turned to Elirashj. "I'd like to leave."

"Very well." Elirashj exhaled a vortex that engulfed Alicia and Dawn, and they vanished when it subsided.

With the sister gone, Charlotte directed her seething anger at Kanae.

"Until you ca along with your plague, Temptation has been real quiet since the civil war in Savir. What is your family planning? They're waiting for Ortesia to settle its shake up, aren't they?" Kanae asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Their cattle squabble doesn't concern . Though I suppose it does concern the Queen-Mother and Ambrosia. Why don't you go and ask them? See what it's like living among your own and not in a sty with the livestock," Charlotte taunted.

"Elirashj, if Charlotte is ever ready to talk, please let know. I'm ready to leave, too," she said.

The elental lord exhaled again. Kanae and Charlotte held each other's gaze as the vortex enveloped their group. But before they were completely engulfed, the Mistress of Excess cracked a smirk.

Kanae and the rest of the group landed gingerly on their feet in Eliza's library. Alicia and Dawn weren't here. She panicked for the briefest of seconds, thinking Elirashj had stolen them away, until the Broodmother passive skill sensed her daughter on the upper floor.

"If you're looking for Alicia and Dawn, they went upstairs." Petyr, who was browsing a selection of books, thumbed to the ceiling.

Eliza nodded. "They moved back in while you had gone to Rainbrook. I'll be in my study if anyone needs . Visiting an elental lord's domain was a very enlightening experience that I simply must write about." She ascended the stairs with a spring in her step. "Ohhh, Patrice will enjoy what I have to say!"

Kanae chuckled. At least Eliza was back to her eccentric and mysterious self. Their brief trip to the ruins of Alleia had put a damper on her mood for a while.

"Well, what did the cunt say?" Petyr asked.

"Nothing worthwhile. Charlotte did imply that Queen-Mother Zariah and Ambrosia were making moves," Kanae said.

"While this may co as an outrageous suggestion, I recomnd infiltrating the Empire of Ortesia. I understand you have Lynn Alton transford and under your service, but her house doesn't hold enough influence to glean anything," Gretchen Redbaron explained.

"Gretchen makes a good point." The forr pride of Ortesia pulled out a book on high elven lineages, flipping to a page that depicted a drawn tree to illustrate hierarchy. "If you had to place House Alton anywhere, it would be here." She tapped a far off branch at the edge of the canopy. "They used to be tenth in line to the crown. That was decades ago, and had now fallen to twelfth. Low enough to be designated as a Lesser House."

"What's our alternative if we want to gain more insight into what's happening in Ortesia?"

Gretchen's eyes flicked to Petyr, who straightened her back.

"No! They're going to kill you!" Kanae exclaid.

"I'm not so easily killed," Petyr stated as a matter of factly.

"That's not the point. You're one person, against an entire empire. I don't want to risk a friend by sending her across the sea alone into enemy territory," she said.

Petyr was taken aback. Her stoic and arrogant deanor faltered a bit, if that was even possible for a high elf. The gleam in her widened eyes softened.

"I… appreciate your concern. Maybe I was too hasty in my decision," Petyr conceded.

"Your status would an sothing, even if you're a traitor. However, you're anything but subtle. Spit it out, Petyr. Why do you really want to return to Ortesia?" Gretchen asked, having seemingly sussed her out.

"Riley," she answered curtly. "In that final fight against the Harpy King, I couldn't bring myself to finish her. She took the Dryoak Consortium and fled. But not before telling to visit her family's orchard for answers. I also found out that Ortesia is kickstarting the sa program that produced . Thousands of innocent children will die to produce the finest knights. I'm sick just thinking about it… I have to stop them."

"I'm with you on that, but we should monitor the situation first. Give so ti to think. Ortesia will get what's coming to them, I promise you that," Kanae said.

Petyr nodded. She shut the book and returned it to the shelf.

"Let's go, Vesh. Eliza's tower gives the creeps." Petyr whistled to him, and he ca back with a stack of books in his arms.

"Already? Aww. I wanted to read so more. There's a lot of interesting stuff in this sorceress' tower. Well, brother. I'll see you later. Good work back in Rainbrook!" Vesh put the books on a nearby table and patted Motta hard on the back.

"Oh, yeah. See you," Motta replied, unable to hide his excitent at making a new friend.

Petyr paused at the stairs.

"And Kanae? Friends would have built their friend a castle that was promised to them ages ago by now," Petyr left her with that.

"Co on. It's almost done!" Kanae shouted.

"I could tell her mine is nearly built, despite being granted one later than when she was promised. I'm sure that would go well with her," Gretchen whispered.

She rolled her eyes. "You're my vassal. Shouldn't you be on my side?

They were about to leave when Motta jumped in the way.

"Hey, hey, hey. What about ? Aren't we going to do sothing about this? I don't want to be stuck looking like a pint-sized pre-teen!" Motta complained.

"Why? I like you better this way. I'll even take you to bed with ." Kanae winked.

"O-Oh…" The incubus turned bright red and popped an erection. "Wait, it's not like I'm tempted or anything. As an incubus, I can have any woman I want. But no one's going to take seriously when I look like this!"

"Alright, fine. I'll figure sothing out. Your regressed form is magical in nature, so it shouldn't be too hard to solve. Let Manabe know what happened, and wait for back in the barracks," she said.

Motta sighed, but with nothing to be done for the ti being, he acquiesced and headed back to the city barracks.

In the anti, Kanae and Gretchen ascended to the top of the tower to check in on Alicia and Dawn. The mother had just put her daughter to sleep, humming quietly and rocking the crib. Skeletal woodland critters cuddled up next to the baby for company.

"I'll wait for you on the other side of the door. Take as long as you need." Gretchen bowed as Kanae entered the room.

Alicia lifted her head and smiled.

"Charlotte's the only other family I'd spoken to since Jhene, Elaine, and Ambrosia in Savir." Alicia frowned.

"Claudia and Hilde don't count?" Kanae teased.

"Aside from them." She giggled into her hand. "You know what I an. I hoped to find common ground. That maybe our blood would be stronger than the pull of the Devil of Lust. Getting the chance to speak with Charlotte only reinforced for that they can't be reasoned with. Not anymore."

Kanae felt the pain in Alicia's voice. The family that she once knew and loved weren't the sa people anymore. Pain like that couldn't be fixed by applying a palm or taking a potion. Kanae had no redy other than a hug, so she wrapped both arms around Alicia and held her tightly.

"It will be different for Dawn. I'll give her a future filled with only love. With you there. With your daughters. Claudia and Hilde." Alicia cupped Kanae's cheek with one hand.

"You can count on it." Kanae leaned in to kiss Alicia, who lted in her embrace.

For all the comforting words that Kanae could utter, they both knew deep down what it was going to take for that future to co. Everyone knew. And she was going to do everything in her power to make sure it does.