The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?! Chapter 520 – Planning the Ball

Ho at last, Kanae took in the hubbub of her beautiful city. Renya's clone had since disappeared, the magic keeping it alive ran its course. The Rown carriage rolled right through the gates, left open to allow trade to flow freely to and from. Trade and rchant caravans brought their goods in by the truck loads. Many more continued north upon the Imperial Span. With luck, Renya would have finished the repairs before travelers reached the broken section in the Talahurah Lowlands.

Castle guards opened the carriage door to find Kanae inside. She hopped out amidst their bows but was too distracted by the thought of putting a ball together. In fact, her mind had been in turmoil the entire ride. Dealing with the aristocracy and nobility was not her strong suit.

"Let's get you down first." Kanae opened the back trunk and unloaded Chester, then turned to the anxious guards. "Find so servants to bring my mimic back up to my room, please."

"Yes, Your Majesty." One one of them split from the group to do just that.

"Have any of you seen Zadris?" she asked the rest.

"With First Sister Lilith, taking audiences from the empire's citizens in the throne chamber," another explained.

Kanae thanked them and entered ahead. The throne room had few people in line. Zadris and Lilith were standing side by side, clipboard in hand, addressing the concerns citizens had brought forth to them. Everyone kneeled when Kanae strolled in, but she motioned them back to their feet.

"Your Majesty, you've returned! Is Empress Arenade not with you?" Zadris bowed.

"Arenade wanted to stay in Talahurah for a little while longer. Zadris, Lilith. I have a favor to ask of you. Have either of you ever put together a ball?" Kanae asked.

"A… ball? Like to play with?" Lilith knitted her brows.

"No, my sweet. Her Majesty ans a party of formal gathering. The attendees are typically of the courtly and high-bred kind. I have on several occasions under my Ortesian lord, yes. Why do you ask?" The human half-succubus already seed to correctly suspect why.

"Arenade asked to hold a ball for our aristocracy. Can I leave the logistics to you? Draft letters to the prominent mbers around Ehmvier; you don't have to write as far as Talahurah and Highgreen. I'll take over for the rest of the audience today and join you after," she explained.

Her eyes started glistening. "It would be my pleasure! Ohh, we will need to tailor you a new gown for the occasion. For Princesses Kanade and Suvee, too. My white-clads and I get started right away. You will not be disappointed, Your Majesty. The ball shall be the talk of the empire for years to co!"

"I-I don't know if it needs to be that special… but I did say I'd leave it to you…"

Zadris left with a spring in her step. Kanae and Lilith exchanged glances, with the latter shrugging.

It wasn't long before Kanae finished seeing to the needs of her people. They were humble farrs, facing pest problems in their fields, who needed help paying the reward to adventurers. n of affluence that asked her to diate a dispute with another. And tradesn asking permission and land to establish their business in the city. Many of these issues would have been resolved on their own if Ehmvier had ministers, but the Commonwealth was still a young country going through its growing pains.

After finishing up in the throne room, Kanae and Lilith headed up to Zadris' bedroom. They found the Sister at her desk, the hand which held a quill was flying across letters. She finished penning one, set it aside to dry, and produced another parchnt to write on. The white-clad Sisters of Sin dusted the letters and sealed them with wax.

"Ah, you two have finished?" Zadris didn't so much as look up at them. "I'm still in the process of drafting letters. My subordinates have dispersed across the city per my orders to acquire the necessary food, gifts, decorations, and find musicians and entertainers to perform. I've already ascertained that the courtyard and the castle's reception chamber, right through the foyer, will be the most spacious places to hold the ball."

"Thank god we have you around." Kanae sighed.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Lilith asked eagerly.

"No."

"Oh…"

Kanae picked up one letter from Zadris' desk. It was addressed to Lady Mabelle Arindale. Another letter, to Master Jon Corridge. She didn't recognize any of these nas. These people could have easily been made up by Zadris, and Kanae had no choice but to believe they were real. Fortunately, the half-succubus was mostly no-nonsense when it ca to work.

"So, these are all aristocrats?" Kanae wondered aloud.

"Not necessarily. There are trade barons, adventurers of great renown, academic intellectuals, and more. The aristocratic elites will make up the bulk of our attendees though. I've compiled a list of so that you should familiarize yourself with before the ball. Included are their interests, whether or not they are crowned, and positions in the Commonwealth." Zadris spared a mont from writing letters to hand her a folder containing several pages, scribbled from top to bottom with information.

"Eh…" Reading big blocks of texts was never Kanae's fortitude. "I'll… get to these before I go to bed."

"Finished! Right then, shall we take to the seamstress to find you and the princesses new dresses?" She put the quill down and cracked her knuckles.

"You're done already?!" Kanae and Lilith gasped.

They went to pick up Kanade and Suvee from school. Gretchen had long since returned to Goldridge, but given that she was made a lord, she would likely attend the ball as well. The girls were ecstatic to see Kanae back, although Kanade was a bit disheartened that Arenade wasn't. Their dewy eyes brightened upon learning what they were going to do.

Zadris knew of a fancy tailor that catered to the upper class in Heartgrove district called Gilded Needlework, owned and run by a herzulith of all people. Inside, all of the best and most beautiful gowns, tunics, and suits were displayed on countless mannequins in nurous poses. Racks upon racks of finery put Kanae's own wardrobe to sha. At least she knew where Arenade got her most expensive stuff from. So, who were in the middle of browsing, stopped to marvel at the royal family's arrival.

"Yvaern!" Zadris tapped a counter bell at the front.

A tall herzulith man erged from the back. He sported dark eye shadow upon his ashy complexion. His gold and black tunic with floral patterns must have been the tailor's own making. As was usual of his race, he had four arms. One pair was currently embroidering the image of a lion on a shirt, and the second pair held a box of spooled thread. When he turned to Kanae, his eyes widened with surprise.

"Zadris, my dear. You have brought quite the guest today. Your Majesty, I am pleased to et your acquaintance! Your daughters as well. I am Yvaern, and I welco you to Gilded Needlework." Yvaern bowed without missing a beat on his embroidery.

"Aside from Minestra, I haven't t another herzulith outside of Artaggon. How did you co to work here?" Kanae asked.

"People are always surprised when they see that the best tailor in Ehmvier is a herzulith. Yes, I do indeed hail from Artaggon. I ca to settle in your fine city years ago with my craft." He smiled, extending his current work across the counter for them to see.

"Yvaern is exceptionally skilled," Zadris chid in. "So much so that Ortesians swallow their pride to request soone of Demon Ancestry tailor their finest clothes."

"Fortunately, I do not receive their work orders anymore since the invasion. It is more of a loss for them than I. There's plenty who wish to dress their best here. But enough about . You've co because you wish to dress your best, am I right?" He arched his brow.

"For a ball, to be exact." She nodded.

"Oh, oh! I want a big cute bow on my back!" Suvee jumped up and down waving her hand.

"I trust Yvaern to provide sothing my mom would be proud of," Kanade said.

"Perfect! Let us take your asurents while you tell all about the kind of gown you wish to wear!" The tailor beckoned them to the mirrors.

As it turned out, Yvaern wasn't the only one around. As soon as they stepped onto a block in front of mirrors, he called forth a fleet of apprentices, who sward them with asuring tape. Kanae had gone through this before when getting fitted for a wedding gown. Suvee, however…

"Hehe! That tickles!" Suvee couldn't stop fidgeting when the asuring tapes wrapped around her.

On the other hand, Kanade was in her elent. Regal in poise, she held her head high and stood as still as a statue. Yvaern's apprentices absolutely adored her.

"You're so well-behaved!"

"Your bright blonde hair is beautiful!"

Each complint wore down Kanade's stoic and mostly stone cold expression. Even she couldn't withstand taking joy in their praise. Her lips twitched into a proud smile.

"Suvee, you need to hold still or they won't get your asurents right," Kanade warned.

"How can I— ahaha! Why aren't you ticklish? That's not fair!" Suvee pouted, but another wave of giggles washed over her.

"Kanade, you've been here with your mom before, haven't you?" Kanae asked.

The high elven girl nodded.

"Multiple tis," Yvaern added. "Kanade understands the need to dress like royalty as her mother does!"

"I'm a princess after all." Kanade lifted her nose.

Hearing that, Suvee tensed up as stiff as a stone. She did her best not to move a muscle, pursing her lips tightly together to grit through the asure tapes' ticklish onslaught.

Since Kanade had finished first with her asurents, she tiptoed over to her little sister with an uncharacteristic mischievous look on her face. Suvee was still trying to stand still. Their eyes locked together, sohow managing to speak more in the silence.

"Kanade…" Kanae scolded preemptively.

The girl didn't listen.

Kanade got on her toes and, with the plainest expression on her face, said, "Poop."

"Pfft—" Suvee doubled over in juvenile laughter, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Where's Arenade when I need her? Zadris, co get Kanade before she kills Suvee with a childish joke," Kanae said.

"Co, Kanade. Let's look for so new clothes." Zadris grabbed Kanade's hand and pulled her away.

With Kanade gone, it seed like Suvee had grown sadder. Her laughter subsided. The tickling stopped affecting her.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Kanae asked.

"I'm a princess, too, right? I don't feel like one like Kanade…" Suvee hung her head.

"Of course, you're a princess. Being a princess doesn't an you have to act a certain way. I don't feel like a queen or empress, but I am one. Deep inside , I still feel like an adventurer." She pinched the girl's cheek.

"But I don't know what I feel like inside." Her daughter frowned.

"The noble heart of a knight, I imagine."

Both of them turned to find Petyr looming over, and Vesh waving from behind her.

"A knight? You really think so?" Suvee bead.

"And who better to think that than , who was the Empire of Ortesia's greatest knight?" Petyr smirked.

"We're done!" one of the apprentices announced.

Suvee hopped down from the podium and said, "Hehe. I'm going to tell Kanade that Petyr thinks I have the noble heart of a knight!" Then raced off to find her sister.

"Thanks for that. Suvee was looking a little down. But I figured you were the last person to encourage children down the path of being a knight," Kanae said.

"I'm against it if they don't have a choice in the matter. If they were coerced into it without realizing what it entails. Now stand aside. I received Zadris' letter informing about your ball. Vesh and I are here to get our asurents taken. You're in the way." The paladin growled.

Kanae threw her hands up and left the room.

The others were waiting by the counter. Kanade and Suvee chased each other around the shop, hiding inside clothing racks, and in a better mood than before. Zadris had just finished paying Yvaern and received a receipt in return.

"I just saw Petyr walk in. The bitch didn't give you any trouble, did she?" Lilith glared in the direction of the asuring area.

"The opposite actually. And that's the Supre Commander of the Commonwealth's forces you're calling a bitch. Sooner or later, we're all going to have to get along," Kanae said.

"Haha! I feel right at ho having high elven patrons. At any rate, Your Majesty, thank you for your patronage. I will send an apprentice when you and your daughters' gowns are ready. You will not be disappointed!" Yvaern bowed low.

Kanae had Lilith take Kanade and Suvee back ho to the castle first. She and Zadris had more matters to attend to regarding the ball. The white-clad Sisters of Sin could only do so much when representing the crown. They were out well into the afternoon, with mostly Zadris talking Kanae's ears off on how to conduct a lavish party.

The two returned to the castle in the evening, convening with the cooks about what they needed to feed a party of several hundred. All of the head chefs were well compensated. Arenade made sure of that, just so she could dine on the best possible als. This undertaking, however, would require them to put their backs into it and require hiring so additional hands.

Of course, all of this ca out of the royal coffers. While the Commonwealth was flushed with wealth in the form of gold, silver, gems, excess foodstores, crystallized mana, and more, it still made Kanae wince at howmuch was being spent.

As the night winded down, Kanae prepared to leave the castle again. She dressed warmly now that the weather was shifting to be more chilly. When she was about to leave, soone knocked on her door.

"Mitty!" Kanae embraced her goblin lover.

"One of the guards out front told you returned. I was helping Takumi and Ingrid with the new mine tunnels all day. Were you about to go sowhere?" Mitty asked.

"To check on Eliza. I dropped a gift on her while I was up north, but I didn't have a mont of free ti until now. Since you're here, let's go together," she suggested.

They strolled down the castle and walked around back to Eliza's tower. There was light only on the upper floors. Kanae let herself in. They climbed up to the laboratory floor, where the sorceress was ordering the large wolfman Yordo around and cleaning up the place.

"Athyst, am I glad to see you. I'd thank you for this surprise guest, but our first eting wasn't exactly a stellar one." Eliza folded her arms.

"Where am I, succubus?! Where have you sent ? This crazy woman has been forcing to work for her against my will!" Yordo cried.

"Sounds like you had a nice ti in Talahurah." Mitty laughed into his hand.

"You don't know the half of it…" Kanae heaved a sigh.