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

From morning to night, Edina had been summoning and sending endless armies of undead eastward. Kanae watched as the next batch of a thousand, consisting of skeletal warriors, bone brutes, and monstrosities, began their march. The Pillar of the Damned had been staked into the ground in front of the necromancer, and although the skulls no longer spoke to her, she still commanded its powers.

In order to sustain all the mana being consumed, Lani and Eliza erected a magic circle around Edina. It was process known as 'assisted spellcasting'. Since maintaining her undead depleted a lot of mana, others could share the burden by lending their magic. Several crowned spellcasters from the adventurers hall assisted throughout the day. They didn't need to cast or know the necromantic spell Edina was channeling. But it only helped so much, so in order to further supplement her…

"Next!" Edina shouted.

Two Sisters of Sin raced into the circle and carried away a charmed Ortesian prisoner drained to unconsciousness. A third shoved another from a line of captives into the circle. Edina proceeded to sit her already cum-soaked pussy down on the next dick and rode it.

"You've been going through them like candy!" Kanae exclaimed, coming to check on her.

"Before, getting low on mana just meant I got tired and winded. As a succubus? Sheesh! The more my mana dwindles, the hornier I get. My tight squirreling pussy milks them off so easily, too. They cum right away!" Edina licked her lips.

"Welll, I'm glad you're having fun… How's the fighting going anyway? Learn anything?"

"Zadris was right," the necromancer began. "There's a fuckton of Ortesians. My undeads destroyed a lot of smaller outposts. Practically forced them to stay clumped behind pallisades now. But there was what? Like some number over ten-thousand out there, and they ain't screwing around."

In addition to the giant army to the east, reports have been coming in all over the Commonwealth that smaller cells of Ortesian forces were disappearing. Chances were they didn't vanish. They most likely rejoined their main armies. The Queen-Mother's new domains, Highgreen, and east of Ehmvier, too. Ortesia might be running out of time.

If Kanade and Suvee hadn't been captured, they could have waited out this war and watched the Ortesians starve from being cut off by Radevic. Unfortunately, the longer this went on, the more in danger Kanae's daughters might be in. Gold already gave her an ultimatum, too…

"Mmm… Fuuuck!" Edina squealed as she humped the high elf under her to climax. "Hey, you serious about leaking the sunken temple?"

"I have to. They have Kanade and Suvee. What happens to them if they find out I'm lying?" Kanae sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to put the little tykes in danger," she said.

Kanae placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder and nodded. Her touch made Edina shudder like crazy.

"Hey, hey, hey! No threesomes. I gotta concentrate, man!" Edina chuckled.

"I'll leave you to it." Kanae smiled and flew back into Ehmvier.

If they were to bait the Ortesians into the temple, it had to be the perfect trap. Petyr Stormcloud, the Knight of Gold, was so strong she could easily defeat Minestra, who took the combined strength of Kanae herself, Esta, Eliza, and the lamia chiefs to beat. That put the paladin in a league of her own. 

There had to be something— wait! Petyr did have a weakness. Kanae recalled what transpired at Rudura, and what she saw in her tent at the Windy Bog encampment. The Knight of Gold wasn't an upstanding, pious knight at all.

Kanae descended to a brothel of Dead Man's Gamble. The place was completely intact. When she strolled right in, a elven woman at the front desk greeted her.

"Oh, my! Queen Kanae, what an honor to have your presence grace this establishment!" she exclaimed.

"I figured the high elves would've stomped a place like this out of existence. How did you all survive the attack?" Kanae asked.

"We're not so sure ourselves. The high elves took one look at us, and we thought we were done for. However, they stared at us with disgust for a second and turned the other cheek."

Leave it to high elves to be so prudish about going near a brothel that they inadvertently allowed its continued existence.

"Thank goodness for their mercy then. I'm looking for the incubus, Vesh. Is he here?" Kanae walked up the woman and placed down a few coins.

"I'm afraid Vesh is with a client at the moment. If you like, I can vacate—"

"That won't be necessary. Just give me the room number," she said.

The receptionist gave it up in an instant. Kanae marched down the halls of the brothel to the designated room number. There was a lot of giggling behind the door. Using the key given to her, she opened it to the sight of Vesh and a naked human Sister of Sin in bed together. The incubus had his back to Kanae. The turned succubus hadn't noticed her yet either.

"Your hazel eyes are like faceted emerald gemstones. I can't help but stare," Vesh whispered seductively while caressing her cheek.

"You're such a tease, V… I love your touch— eep!" The succubus finally noticed Kanae and gasped.

"Eep?" He turned around, immediately regressing into a child-like state. "EEEEEEEP!"

The Sister of Sin shot out of bed, bowed to Kanae, and raced out of the room with a pile of clothes pressed to her chest.

"Come on! There's like hundreds of high elven prisoners you can bang. You could have gone to my brothers, too. Did you have to come to me?" Vesh trembled.

"I'm not here to get a fuck in with you," Kanae assured him.

"Oh." He returned to his adult form.

"But I do want to use you and your brothers on Gold," she said.

Vesh reverted again and choked on his spit. He gathered his clothes, then threw open the window. Kanae caught on that he was trying to escape and yanked him back inside.

"As in… that big scary high elf in gold armor? I saw her massacre Claudia, the Mistress of Pain into a pulp at the front gate, then your slave Gretchen Redbaron in the town square! I don't want to go anywhere near that bitch!" Vesh cried.

"Yes, you will. Now go convince your brothers, or I'll also put a charm on them." Kanae compelled him with magic.

"Yes, Queen Kanae… I'll convince them…" he replied, his dejected intonation showing very clearly.

One by one, they went to the other rooms to fetch the reluctant incubus brothers. Given their race, the other four were just as popular among women as their eldest brother. No wonder Edina employed them to her brothel. They made bank off being suave and handsome.

The second Kanae explained what was going on, they all shrunk into younger forms. That made things easier. It wasn't magic, so no one could dispel their appearances. Gold was terrifying simply existing, so they would perpetually stay in that form and not worry about reverting.

"It'll be an evolving plan," Kanae began. "This is something only you five can do. The first is whether or not I can trade you for my daughters and Gretchen back. They kidnapped them for a reason, so it probably won't happen. Secondly, should the first prove impossible, find a way to free my kids. Lastly, steal the One-Eyed Cross and Gold's weapon, Shifting Steel. Don't try your usual incubus shenanigans of bonking someone like her unconscious to work. You'll just die."

"You didn't need to add that last part!" Vesh fired back.

Kanae sent a harpy messenger ahead first to petition an audience with the Ortesians. Esta was reluctant about letting her go alone, but she had to take any small chance of rescuing Kanade and Suvee. Bringing any more people than necessary might be seen as an act of aggression.

Flying to Barkwen, the extent of Edina's attacks were great. Many smaller camps were dismantled. Bones and broken weapons were strewn all over. Kilometers of grass had been matted down from both marching undead and Ortesians alike.

Waiting down below in the field were three riders, including a small group knights behind them. Kanae and the incubi descended to meet them. She was surprised to find Avaline, Gold, and an unfamiliar regal-looking high elven man together. Gold, however, had her eyes on the incubi that were behind Kanae.

"You must be the Queen of the Commonwealth! What a pleasure it is to finally meet you. I am Errenard DeSalle. Your country and its denizens have been very accomodating! Worry not. We have been showing your daughters, the princesses, our own hospitality." The elf bowed from atop his horse.

"If you lay a finger on their hair…" Kanae growled.

"Your kids are safe." Gold cleared her throat. "Kanade is something special. Could have fooled anyone if she told them she was from a great house. So, what are you doing here? Not to fight, clearly. Those undead you've been sending don't even make for great warm-up. Maybe you're here to give up the ankh?"

"I want my children back. Gretchen, too. You're not getting the ankh back, but I know what your predilections are. I'm willing to exchange these young demons for them. This is an offer to you and not the other two, because you have the strength to back it up," she explained.

Avaline bellowed with laughter. "Hah! Of course my daughter's master is cunning. Kanae's right. If Petyr were to take charge, there would be little we could do about it. Bargaining with her instead makes the most sense!"

To the side, DeSalle clicked his tongue.

"Petyr, you can't be serious… With demons?" DeSalle turned to her in disbelief.

"But… They look so sweet and pure… Those horns, those tails…" Gold gulped hard and panted even harder.

It was working. Take the damn offer already!

"Remember what you have to gain at the end of this war. A Lord Council's seat awaits!" DeSalle reminded the paladin.

"Kuh!" Gold clenched a fist in front of herself. "I… cannot… Is there anything else we give you?"

"I figured as much. Can I at least see my children?" Kanae asked.

The three of them swapped glances, then nodded. Avaline whistled sharply and beckoned one of the knights in the back over. He was actually a mage behind all that armor and performed a spell that created a pane of water. Through it, the images of Kanade and Suvee were playing together inside a tent while being supervised by several Ortesian knights. A great sense of relief washed over her, then the image disappeared.

"I find it hard to imagine that you defeated my Gretchen, seeing as how you have bungled through this war. I'm doubly frustrated that you have placed her under an enthrallment spell. Mark my words, I will find a way to break it and have her back at my side," DeSalle said mockingly.

"Good luck with that. I doubt Gretchen cared about you to begin with. She has a new love though, and it isn't me. Don't believe me? Bring a stallion to her," Kanae taunted in return.

"Is this supposed to be a crude, succubus joke?" He rolled his eyes. "It matters not. You're a succubus. Your kind surround yourselves with those charmed by your magic. No one truly cares to love or obey you otherwise. Can you truly say you know what she wants? Once Gretchen is freed from your foul magic, she will want nothing more than to finish what she started in Aidenhall."

Kanae chewed on her lower lip. What if he was right? What if all this time Gretchen hated her deep down? No. She shook the intrusive thoughts away. He was just trying to get to her head.

"Why does Ortesia really want to resurrect Saint Rue? It's obvious you didn't need him to conquer the Commonwealth," Kanae asked, attempting to prod DeSalle's mind knowing full well he was protected by an anti-succubus magic potion.

DeSalle grinned. "You wish to know? Duke Ruedegard Ducante was robbed of deification. This war is more than just a cleansing of your sin-draped race. It is a symbolic one! The empire shall at last have her own deified servant, and with each step, the earth shall become hallowed beneath his feet."

"The empire will? Or the Cult of Lust and Depravity will?" She purposefully let slip name.

Errenard DeSalle's eyes twitched. Briefly. Only Kanae saw it because she was staring directly at him. Avaline and Gold, however, regarded cult's mention with a puzzling look. He knew something they didn't. That brought a smilel to Kanae's face.

"Is that supposed to be an off-shoot of your wicked religion, the Eminence of Sin?" Unsurprisingly, DeSalle tried to brush it off.

"I wonder? Well, I tried. Seeing that my kids were okay was enough." Kanae ushered the the Vesh and his brothers to the other side, and Gold swooped them into her arms like they were puppies.

"Ahh~" She buried her face into there hair and breathed deeply. "Ahem… I won't go easy on you because of a few gifts, Kanae! Don't think I've forgotten what you did to me last time. Your time limit is until we find Saint Rue's resting place. It's only a matter of time. Forfeit the ankh, and we will set your children free. If you do not, they will spend the rest of their lives in Ortesia."

"You mark my words: I'm going to take my kids back and make sex slaves out of you all."

Kanae took flight and returned to Ehmvier. The spies had been planted, and the Ortesians were none the wiser. Hopefully, that would eventually bear fruit. When she got back to the city, there was a commotion on the west side.

"Master, there are high elves at the western wall!" Esta warned.

High elves? There shouldn't be. Weren't they all focused on three key places in search of the tomb?

Kanae and Esta hurried over, but it wasn't the high elves any of them were expecting to find. Numerous succubi and harpies led by Claudia surrounded a squad of high elves riding on pegasi. They were hitched to something like a shed-sized mausoleum on wheels, levitating in mid-air. She recognized them by their winged helmets. The Lights of Capillis.

"Perfect timing, Kanae! Let's pay these high elves back and fuck them senseless!" Claudia beat her fists and smirked.

"Calm down your tits, sis. They ain't here to throw hands. Save that shit for pally cunt." Labelle caught up from behind with Talon in tow.

"Labelly?!" She gasped.

"Ah, great. Just when I thought one Mistress was annoying enough." Minestra groaned from the ground, a sword in each hand but disappointed there wouldn't be a fight.

When the entire group descended to the ground, one high elven knight took off her winged helmet. Kanae couldn't mistake the woman's shaved sides and beauty mark on her chin for anyone else.

"Kanae!" Wendy Ironspear, the Second Captain of the Lights of Capillis, dismounted and embraced her to the surprise of everyone around them. "Labelle and Talon explained everything. It was a little hard to swallow, but Zone of Absolute Truth cleared a lot of misunderstandings. Sire Amerys only allowed myself and a few Lights to travel here."

"If you're here, does that mean…?" Kanae shot a look to the mausoleum, but the Second Captain frowned.

"We tried to resurrect Arenade with the ankh. It didn't work. We exhausted everything. Sire Amerys believes certain conditions must be fulfilled for it to activate, and only those whom you stole it from will know. To think… you were Queen of the Commonwealth and an enemy to Lord Charron at the time… But I don't care. We're allied now. I'll do anything to right my wrongs and bring her back. I want to apologize and swear my allegiance to Arenade again!" she exclaimed tearfully, clutching the ankh so hard her knuckles turned white.

Arenade had sacrificed herself for the people she cared deeply about, and here was one of them, willing to do the same for her.

"Is she really in here?" Kanae asked, walking up to the mausoleum.

"Yes." Wendy nodded. "Her body has been sanctified. She rests peacefully within."

Kanae placed a hand on the stone make, carved with intricate designs all over that paid reverence to the one inside. It was like hugging that dumb demigoddess again. She could practically hear her making snappy comments about being dead for so long.

"I have an idea. It's going to be a long shot. We'll lure the Ortesians to the sunken temple as planned, but it won't be Saint Rue they'll resurrect. Since they know how the ankh works, we're going to trick them into resurrecting Arenade instead," Kanae said.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Claudia asked.

"Time for the biggest fucking concert yet!" Labelle threw an arm around her sister's shoulders.