6.13.

With battered breaths, Schwii sprawled atop her bed with sweat trickling down her entire body. Her clothes disheveled, hair tangled into a mess. Her delirious eyes regained clarity, she got up and looked at her hands.

A sticky line of fluid between the fingers.

“I didn’t think it would work.”

Schwii had increased [Passive Trait: Self Indulgence] from tier zero to tier one. It was a skill which allowed her to quench this thirst of lust on her own, something inconceivable for any normal succubi.

The effectiveness of the gift went down in time as her body craved for something greater, it came to a point where the gift no longer worked.

Though it seems, all Schwii needed to do was raise it by a tier to regain its function.

“But it might stop working if I use it too much..”

Schwii had no idea what the criteria was to whether or not pleasuring herself would satisfy these occasional pangs.

The room was dark, the sweat on her skin shimming. She basked in the afterglow in view of moonlight.

“To think that her daughter would come here of all places.”

Schwii snapped to the source of the voice and conjured a ball of red flames.

Illuminated in red, a mature woman dressed in risque clothes leaned against the door.

“Auntie Lydiane..?”

Schwii got lost in playing with herself so much that she hadn’t noticed the presence of another demon lord arriving– or was it because she had always depended on Iona that she took for granted her safety?

Her eyes were just like Schwii’s, bright as fresh blood. Her white hair glowed subtly in the dark, matching her smooth pale skin. Two fangs could be seen pressing against her plum lower lips.

Lydiane Night. The vampire queen, and one of The Sovereign's first wives.

“Why are you here..?”

“How about you dear Schwii? Enjoying yourself in this room alone, why not do it with your partner.. though it seems he isn’t here.”

‘Is she aware?’

“Auntie Lydiane, I don’t plan to do it with him in a place like this. If it were a fancy room, then I might consider.”

“Quite a spoiled child. I know many of my friends who would prefer to do it in a dirty room, makes things more– obscene.”

Schwii’s heart quivered at those words. She was right, what succubus wouldn’t want to experience the vilest of sex.

“But didn’t come here with the intention to tell you this. Let’s recollect ourselves, Schwii, why are you here?”

“To help out a friend with something.”

“What may that be? Elaborate, would you?”

Schwii talked about Leticia and how she was related to the count. The connection between this domain with the rising Estia, and whether or not the return of Estia back to its rightful owner will be upheld.

“That’s quite ambitious, charging into the count’s home like that.”

“She’s actually an adopted child, so we can’t say that it’s trespassing.”

“That’s quite agreeable,” Lydiane leaned back with her hands extended.

“What brings you here then auntie?”

“Me? Simple reason being to meet my niece to ask how she’s doing. Speaking of which, have you met your mother? I heard she’s been released.”

“Really?!”

“Mn? Are you not aware?”

“I can’t be too sure.. because all this time I was concerned that the message had been hindered or fabricated by those bugs in my country. “

“What troubling days,” Lydiane showed a spry smile.

“Troubling days indeed.”

Lydiane held her knees close to her chest.

“Truthfully Schwii, I also came for another reason, no, two.”

“Hm?”

“Your mother was the one who asked me to check on your situation if I happened to come across you.”

“Ah.. “ Schwii felt like tearing up. She really wanted to see her mother again.

“The second is..” Lydiane’s expression turned grim, “I owe you an apology.”

“Why?”

“You were caught up in the plans of a New Dawn.”

“What do you.. mean?”

Lydiane shook her head.

“Behind the scenes, we had plans in motion in order to incite the humans to bring forth a new hero into the world.”

“..?”

“I heard that you’re colluding with them? Schwii, you must be careful.”

‘Careful?’

Schwii narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t get in ‘her’ way when she acts. You can very easily lose your life.”

“Her? Who is ‘her’?”

“Right, you’ve not been informed. ‘She’s’ been making clamor and chaos all around, it’s hard to reign ‘her’ in– almost impossible in fact,” Lydiane shook her head.

‘Choas?’

For some reason, Reese came to mind.

“The black knight who destroyed an entire nation. I can’t tell if it was done on purpose, or with some deeper intention. In the ende, we’re but tools in ‘her’ plans.”

“The black.. knight? You know the black knight?”

“Yes. That god-like existence is an imbecile. No mortals can fathom her plans. Feels to me like ‘she’s’ going to destroy the world again.”

Schwii’s memories flashed back to the past– in a book she read once in her study– the myth of the Lost Era.

It was three centuries after the Last Era, the Lost Era was named as such because people of this age had almost no records of it. It was a war between man and the Goddess, the earth parted, the seas raged. A single existence threatened to topple the balance of an entire continent.

“I don’t know what you intend to do, but it seems the hero of this era has some effect on ‘her’. I had a clairvoyant look into the future, she saw a land of flames and blood.”

“Then.. war is..”

“It’s inevitable. I suggest you create plans to prepare. You’re still young Schwii, you’re our hope should anything happen here. For when a tree falls, a seedling must take its place. Your mother will have the details for you, so please return as soon as you can..”

“Then.. Sequencee.”

“Him? Bring him along with you– if you can.”

Schwii’s felt a knot in her heart.

“I pray for your safe journey.. I’ll send some aid to assist your friend in turning the county on its head, don’t worry about it. You have my full support, just have some restraint in making a mess. If this country falls, my businesses will be affected.”

“I-I understand.”

“Well then, till we meet again Schwii. Pass my regards to your friends– and to our future cooperation.”

In a puff of black mist, Lydiane turned into a bat and flew off.

– The black knight is an untamed existence capable of destroying the entire world.

– War will ensue with ‘her’ as the first spark, but the factions are undetermined.

– Colluding with the hero will lead them into direct involvement of war.

‘Why did they want a new hero?’

There were too many missing pieces of information to this, Schwii couldn’t make the necessary links.

“No. That’s not it.. the reason why she told me this is to act on the important points.”

Begin distancing themselves from the hero.

Return to the demon empire.

The thought of these two simple points appalled her. There’s no way she could have both while maintaining her relationship with Sequencee– and even if that was possible, so long as Sequencee remained as Evelyn’s fiance, his involvement in this would be inevitable.

‘Everyone needs to know about this..’

===

“It’s going as planned, sir.”

Leanne held a report out to Sean Stravince.

The first son of the count received it with a relaxed gesture. Folding his legs, he scanned through the list– a circle had been drawn where her name was.

It was the list of people who had green hair that had entered the county during the evening.

“Leticia Estia, she’s the girl, correct?”

“You’ve done very well to keep a record of this.”

“I don’t see any reason why she would not visit us having come to the county. I suggest you tell the maids to prepare for her arrival, and not forget to inform your parents about your plans also.”

“Don’t need that,” Sean tossed the file aside and rose from his chair. “I’ll call her brother instead. Do you have the approximate location of the inn she’s staying in?”

“No sir.”

“Then it doesn't matter. I’ll just have him play dress up for a bit,” a shrewd smile decorated his handsome face.

===

Lancet was out swinging his sword in the night. Wearing nothing but a pair of short pants, many light scar marks could be seen all over his body. Despite the recovery magic from the priests, they were not able to hide the wounds completely.

Swoosh–

A fluid strike forward.

– Imagine an enemy

A diagonal brought forth by the momentum of the rotation of his body.

– The enemy can use magic

He took a side step backwards and stabbed.

– A hail of earth bullets

Protecting his vitals, he swung his sword in accordance with the image in his mind.

– The enemy disappears.

He rolls, then turns around with his sword pointed towards his neck.

“C-Commander..”

“Good job. Ease up.”

“Yes sir!” Lancet lowered his sword and saluted.

Seam smiled with his canines showing.

“Your sister is coming tomorrow. You are to prepare yourself for her arrival.”

“.. What?”

“Don’t believe me?”

“T-that’s not the case sir! Why is she..”

“I don’t know. Perhaps to see how her brother is doing?” he remarked with an innuendo.

“.. What do you want me to do?”

‘This dog is growing up well.’

“Make her comfortable, try to convince her to return. She wouldn’t have come here without having such an intention, right?”

Lancet’s fist tightened, nails digging into his flesh. “If she doesn’t?”

“It’s not in your control isn’t it? Consider it a whim of fate.”

“Yes sir.”

“Consider your territory. Now that both my sisters are gone, if she doesn’t marry me or my younger brother, expect to be my servant for the rest of my life.”

Lancet trembled.

“Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Lancet crumbled to the ground, Sean figure moving further and further away.