Free Web NovelChapter 14: The Scout and the Succubus Accusation
The continuing fight in the forest was nothing short of a total slaughter. Vee continued to tear through the snow wolves faster than they could possibly react.
"Huff, huff... whew! Now that was one hell of a workout," Vee chuckled, casually tossing another wolf carcass onto her growing pile. She wiped a stray flake of snow from her rabbit ears, her mind drifting. ’I wonder if there are any more of those Holy Order knights lurking around in this forest.’
"System."
[Yes?]
"Tell Yuki that I’ll be back in a bit. I’ve got some scouting to do."
[I would highly recommend against doing that,] the System warned instantly.
"Oh, relax. I’m not doing anything dangerous," Vee said, waving a dismissive hand before turning and leaping deeper into the frozen forest.
[You literally just scolded Yuki for doing the exact same thing, and now you are doing it yourself. Truly, these two idiots are made for each other,] the System muttered casually to itself.
When Yuki was informed of Vee’s sudden scouting mission, he didn’t panic at all. He simply followed her instructions, staying put to continue butchering and preparing the salamander and wolf materials to sell.
[You shouldn’t just let Vee do whatever she wants. You are her master, after all,] the System prodded.
"I know that," Yuki said, tossing a chunk of wolf meat into his small inventory slot. "But unless she’s about to do something genuinely reckless, there’s really no point in stopping her. Besides, she can handle herself. You did say her new avatar was incredibly powerful and optimized for hand-to-hand combat."
[Yes, it is,] the System replied. [However, that was not my initial plan when I suggested you purchase that specific package. I simply knew that Vee likes rabbits, and that she would not mind you choosing it since the avatar automatically customizes itself according to her deep-seated psychological demands.]
"So what did you intend for her avatar to be used for?" Yuki asked innocently, tilting his head.
[...] The system interface glitched for a microsecond. [Do not worry about it. It is no longer relevant. Just focus on your tasks.]
"Will do!" Yuki said cheerfully, diving straight back into his butchering work.
Deep in the distance, tucked away under a rocky ledge, two Holy Order soldiers sat tending a small campfire. The orange flames danced merrily, reflecting off their polished silver chest plates.
"A trial by strength, huh?" the first soldier muttered, poking a stick into the glowing embers. "This order intended for us to die out here."
The second soldier turned to his comrade, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean this entire mountain range is crawling with high-level demons and feral beast-kin, not to mention the territorial monsters. Most, if not all of our platoon, will be dead within the third week. I... I just think it’s completely pointless for us to be doing this."
"I don’t think so," the second soldier countered righteously, his eyes burning with zeal. "We were chosen by God himself! This trial is meant to prove our worth to Him, to show that we are strong enough to receive His Divine blessings!"
"Sigh... I don’t know, man. Dying out here doesn’t really appeal to me. I just want to go home."
"We will, brother. We will," the second soldier promised, placing a reassuring hand on his comrade’s shoulder.
Crunch.
The sharp snap of a twig made both men snap their heads instantly toward the dark tree line. Stepping into the faint light of their campfire was an incredibly elegant woman with an alluring, hourglass figure, striking purple eyes, and flowing black hair. Her pointed ears twitched slightly against the cold breeze as she casually strolled into their camp.
"Hello," she said smoothly.
The two soldiers leaped to their feet, stumbling backward as their hands flew to the hilts of their swords.
"W-Who go there?!" the first soldier demanded, his voice visibly trembling.
"It’s a vile demon!" the second soldier shouted, his eyes widening as he took her in.
"Look at her! Pointed ears, a long, sharp, arrow-tipped tail, and a... a completely scandalous figure! She’s nothing but a wicked seductress sent to corrupt us!"
Carmilla stared at him, her expression dropping into utter deadpan. "I am Carmilla. And I am not a demon. I am a demi-human."
"Lies!" the second soldier bellowed. "Do not speak, foul creature! Your words will not tempt us!"
"Hey, wait, I don’t actually think she’s a demon," the first soldier whispered, tugging his comrade’s sleeve skeptically.
"She is! Look at her!" the religious zealot insisted, pointing a shaking finger. "She’s most definitely a Succubus!"
"Don’t Succubuses usually have horns and spade-shaped tails?" the first soldier asked, squinting at Carmilla’s arrow-like tail.
"Like I said before," Carmilla snapped, her brow furrowing in irritation, "I am not a Succubus, nor am I a demon."
"If that’s true, then why the hell are you dressed like that?!" the zealot protested, gesturing wildly at her exposed legs. "It’s freezing out here! Why would any respectable person wear that?"
"It... actually looks like standard, high-mobility clothing for combat adventurers and mages," the first soldier reasoned weakly.
"Then explain why her breasts look like that?!" the zealot roared.
"That’s just how standard clothing forms around larger breasts," Carmilla muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"Tch. You may have seduced my companion, but you will not get me!" the zealot yelled.
Carmilla let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. "Look, I just want to know if you passed a dungeon entrance on your way through this sector."
"We won’t tell a filthy bitch like you anything!"
Carmilla’s eyes narrowed dangerously, her pride thoroughly stung. "Now that is just plain rude."
"We attack on three, got it?" the zealot whispered frantically to his partner.
"I really don’t think that’s a good idea..." the first soldier stammered.
"Just shut up and follow my lead! For the glory of God!" the zealot screamed, drawing his sword and dashing straight toward Carmilla.
But before either soldier could take three steps, a smooth, drippingly playful voice whispered from the shadows directly above them.
"No... I don’t think so."
The two men froze in absolute shock, their eyes darting upward just a fraction of a second before two jagged spears of pure darkness plummeted from the canopy. The magic pierced cleanly through their helmets and skulls, ending their lives before they could even hit the ground.
Thud.
"Well, well. That went exactly how I said it would," a tall, shadows-cloaked figure chuckled softly, dropping down from the branches. Malakai stepped into the firelight, his pale hair contrasting against his dark cloak, a thoroughly mischievous smirk plastered across his handsome face.
"Yes, it did," Carmilla said, her tone instantly turning icy. She looked up at the massive demon, folding her arms tightly. "Are you happy now?"
"Immensely," Malakai purred mockingly. He closed the distance between them, leaning his tall frame down until his face was dangerously close to hers. Before she could snap at him, his warm tongue darted out, executing a slow, teasing swipe up the curve of her cheek.
"What the—! Stop that!" Carmilla shrieked, her face exploding into a flustered crimson as she slapped his chest away.
Malakai merely chuckled, completely unbothered, licking his lips with an amused glint in his golden eyes. "Calm down, my little master. Besides, I sense an approaching presence. It feels like a familiar belonging to a demon candidate. Perhaps they can help you find your precious little playground."
Carmilla composed herself, straightening her clothes while trying to ignore her racing heart. "There’s no point. A mere familiar won’t know anything about high-tier dungeon locations. Let’s just go."
"Understood, Princess," Malakai drawled, rolling the title off his tongue like a dirty secret.
"Mal."
"Yes, Carmilla?"
"Why won’t you just tell me where the dungeon is? You already know, don’t you?"
"Now, why on earth would I do that?" Malakai asked, suddenly blurring forward to appear directly in her personal space. He loomed over her small frame, a deeply wicked, tempting smile on his lips as he twirled a lock of her black hair around his finger. "I gain absolutely nothing from helping you... unless, of course, you and I form a binding contract. What do you say to that, hm?"
Carmilla felt her breath hitch for a split second before her pureblood pride kicked back in. She stepped back out of his grasp, glaring at him. "I am not signing a demonic contract with an ancient entity like you. I’m not an idiot."
Turning her back to him, she began walking away through the snow.
Malakai watched her retreat, his eyes trailing down her figure with an amused, possessive hum. "Sigh... very well. Have it your way... for now."
