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

Rosaline closed shop early and joined Kanae, who had since changed out of her school teacher attire, in heading to the castle to visit Elizabeth Bedlam. In the meantime, Arenade made a trip to Ehmvire’s adventurers hall to ask if Shatiel or any spellbreakers were currently in the city.

”You seek to remove a brand, hm?” Elizabeth Bedlam sipped on her cup of tea.

When Kanae and Rosaline arrived, the sorceress was in the middle of enjoying her quiet evening in the study. Eliza had a stack of dusty tomes on the desk that she wanted to read until they interrupted her.

She continued, ”It warms my heart that my dear apprentice came to see me, but unfortunately, the removal of a brand is no simple task. I’m sorry, Amethyst.”

”Is there really nothing you can do on your end?” Kanae asked.

”Afraid not.” The sorceress shook her head. ”Brands and Cursemarks are two very different things.” She stood up and rolled a blackboard out from behind a bookshelf. ”Time for a lesson!”

”Pardon, Master. But we don’t really have time for a lesson,” Rosaline protested.

Eliza ignored her. She picked up a fresh stick of chalk and wrote both words on the blackboard.

”Brands and Cursemarks are similar in that they are inflicted upon a victim by someone. However, like Amethyst’s Cursemark of Horniness, the affliction requires a minor ritual and prerequisite conditions to be performed. You have agency in inflicting Cursemarks, and they are categorized as curses and are spells that cause an effect. Brands, on the other hand, are inflicted passively whether by a caster or a spell itself. They are not curses. They are an extension of a spell effect and are triggered by a cause,” Eliza explained.

”Uhh…” Kanae scratched her horn. ”Let me get this straight… The effect my Cursemark of Horniness inflicts is the constant mana drain and the need to have sex once a day or die. Brand of Eros makes me horny like my cursemark, but the trigger is if I don’t have sex with the one who inflicted on me, I get charmed? So, it’s a spell in waiting.”

The sorceress applauded. ”Correct, Amethyst! Full marks! Brands are really just spells waiting for a trigger to activate. Cursemarks are not. They are a constant effect. Cursemarks are either removed by their original caster or upon their death. Brands care not for either. It is a spell that has not yet been casted.”

”Which also means I can’t cast Dispel, because technically there is technically no spell to nullify yet?” She groaned.

Eliza nodded.

Then how could they rescue the other women inflicted with Brand of Eros. It wasn’t as if they could fetch more Enchanted Ink to tattoo Steel Mind on them with.

”No dice.” Arenade let herself into the study coming up the stairs. ”Shatiel’s party went to Kandis for vacation. The adventurers hall also confirmed there aren’t any other Spellbreakers in Ehmvier.”

”Fret not, my friends, for there is another method. We may not be able to lift the brands off the incubus’ victims, but I have a way to stop the charm inflicted on them,” Eliza explained.

”Why didn’t you open with that sooner?!” Kanae pressed a hand to her face.

”Suspense is key to a good impression! The answer is anti-magic runes. The same ones used to imprison Aidenhall’s most dangerous prisoners. Amethyst, you were placed in a cell covered with them on then-Archbishop Gretchen’s orders. I invented them!” She puffed her chest out in pride.

Right. It wouldn’t eliminate the Brand of Eros, but getting them in a room together could open their eyes to what was going on until Kanae got a handle on things.

The four of them started hashing out a plan. Finding all of the branded women was next to impossible, especially in a growing city as large as Ehmvier. Instead, Kanae planned to bait them out by trapping Motta. With the potions gone, he was undoubtedly going to try and steal more from Rosaline’s atelier. To that end, they were going to ’forget’ to lock the basement hatch outside. Eliza would inscribe anti-magic runes into the walls of the basement to be activated on her command.

As for Arenade… She decided to hide home for now, unable to face her followers after the massive Bright Cloister orgy at Parn Park.

Next morning, Kanae headed to Brightwind Academy disguised as a teacher again. She and Instructor Alisyn continued teaching the cooking class, and Motta was surprisingly in attendance today. However, he looked anything but pleased.

During passing, when students moved to their next classes, Motta shot Kanae a look. It wasn’t the expression of wanting sex. He wanted to talk instead. They walked to the top of the stairs that led to the rooftop of the school building. No one ever really came around here except for delinquents and was often deserted.

”Last night, when you were alone with my friend in my room, did anyone else come in?” Motta asked.

”No, why?” Kanae played dumb.

”My potions are gone! Wait… You didn’t take them, did you?” He turned to her suspiciously.

”Why would I? As soon as your friend passed out, I retired to the faculty office to help grade student assignments,” she lied.

The incubus paced back and forth, cursing under his breath.

”Tch. One of my guys must’ve taken them for himself… Damn it. The place I normally get it from is locked, too. How am I going to get more? Wait… Ms. Eileen, you’re a succubus! You can charm the alchemist to give you some,” Motta said.

”I’m not going to help you steal, Motta.” Kanae turned the other cheek.

”You aren’t?” He pinched her nipple piercing through the blouse and tugged.

”Nnh… I’ll tell her to unlock the basement, but that’s it. I won’t help you steal…” She trembled in pleasure, doing her best to resist.

Motta pulled Kanae down until she was eye-level with him and shoved his tongue into her mouth. They made out intensely even as drool slipped past their lips. She squeezed her thighs shut and nearly orgasmed.

”We’ll go after dark when it’s late. Then, we come back to my place, and I fuck you until morning class starts,” Motta said.

”Y-Yes…” Kanae answered, her tongue still rolled out and hoping for more.

But Motta left anyway. Kanae wiped her chin and smirked. The plan proceeded smoothly, and he didn’t suspect a thing.

Night fell, and the stars were out in force on the unclouded sky. Long after the school had shut off its lights, Kanae met Motta in front of the pub across the block. They made their way to Rosaline’s atelier together.

Kanae could see the lamia alchemist through the window as she approached it. From there, Motta broke off and tiptoed his way to the back. She entered, and the familiar chime of the doorbell welcomed her in.

”Hello! Have you come to buy a potion?” Rosaline asked stiffly, clearly having never acted before.

”Yes, I was just on my way to the school when I decided to pop by.” Kanae winked.

Time to put the plan into motion. Rosaline slipped past Kanae, locked the front door, and flipped the opened sign to closed. Around now, Motta should be sneaking into the basement while she supposedly keeps the alchemist busy with chatter. The lamia’s tongue flocked out as she tasted the air. She nodded to Kanae that someone did in fact enter from the back.

Now to go downstairs and confront the incubus. The two quietly descended into the basement. Motta had no idea. He was too busy rummaging through the shelves in search of the sex potions.

”Just where are they— huh?” Motta glanced over his shoulder and saw them. ”Oh, you came down with the alchemist? Great! Make her fork over the potions, then we can get back for a whole night of fucking, Ms. Eileen.”

Neither of them moved or did as he asked. The incubus stopped rummaging.

”What? Hurry up!” Motta groaned.

”The farce is over, Motta. I was never addicted to your cock. Okay, well… maybe a little. But you never had me seduced from the start.” Kanae folded her arms.

Motta tensed up. It finally dawned on him that this was a trap.

”Fuck you!” Motta pulled a box out and flung it at them before making a run for the basement entrance.

Too bad for him, they were prepared for that. Motta backed away from the stairs as Arenade and Eliza descended into the basement.

”This is the incubus bastard that swapped the potions? My prayer session turned into an orgy because of you!” Arenade beat a fist into her hand.

”W-What’s going on?” Motta cried.

Eliza tapped on her staff. A raven flew out from one end, then transformed into rope that bound the incubus’ wrists behind his back. He fell backwards onto his ass and scooted up against the wall.

”The women you have branded with the Brand of Eros, Motta. You’re going to free them,” Kanae said.

”Yeah, as if I’m going to listen to you. Why don’t you try and charm me since that’s what a succubus does best. Oh, you can’t, because I’m immune to it as an incubus. The only one that’s going to get screwed here is you. Wait until the school hears about a teacher kidnapping a student. This won’t end well for you.” Motta laughed.

”Maybe, if I really was just a teacher. Unfortunately, I’m not Ms. Eileen. There never was.’” She shedded her blouse and skirt to reveal the Matron’s Regalia underneath, let down her hair, and discarded the glasses.

He stared at her with squinted eyes and uttered, ”Who?”

Kanae nearly tripped over herself.

”I’m KANAE TOYOMI! A founder of the Commonwealth of Sin? The queen, the empress? What do they teach you in school?” Kanae sighed into her hand.

”Like I give a fuck. Actually, maybe I do. I fucked this country’s queen? Hell yeah! What a slut!” Motta cackled even louder.

”This kid needs some proper punishment. Can I dish it out, Kanae? Let me at him!” Arenade thirsted for his blood after her humiliating incident.

”Enjoy holding me captive.” He leaned back and stopped struggling. ”You won’t keep me here for long. I’ve got help coming. Once I get out of this, I’m going to thoroughly turn you all into my sex slaves. Especially the elf with fat titties. I recognize you as the queen. Once I have both of you under my cock, I’ll rule this kingdom for myself with you two as my wives.”

”Your delusions of grandeur will be short-lived.” Eliza cracked a smirk.

The basement’s wooden staircase connected to the back of the atelier creaked. Several women entered wielding weapons. Their eyes were glazed over from a very obvious magical effect. As soon as they stepped closer, runes hidden on the basement ceiling activated. The women blinked a few times, dropped the weapons, and stared at them like deer in the headlights.

”What… happened?”

”Where am I? And how did I get here?”

More came with the intention of rescuing their incubus master, and they all walked under the anti-magic runes that severed Charm’s control over them. To Kanae’s utter surprise, even Alisyn came.

”You, too?” Kanae gasped.

”Ugh. I don’t want to talk about it…” Alisyn avoided eye-contact and blushed.

In total, 21 women had the Brand of Eros on them.

”What did you do? They were mine!” Motta yelled.

”You drugged them with sex potions and planted a spell that charms them. It’s over, Motta. Your harem never existed,” Kanae taunted.

”Th-That’s not fair! Why do succubi get to charm people, but I can’t?” He threw a tantrum now that all pretense was gone.

Never mind that the half-succubi of the Commonwealth didn’t go around charming anyone they wanted, but Motta also placed innocents under his control.

”Motta’s too dangerous to let back into the school. What do you plan to do, Kanae?” Alisyn asked.

”I didn’t want it to come to this, but you might have to expel Motta. I’ll conscript him into the army. Maybe boot camp will shape him up. I have some people I trust keep an eye on him,” Kanae explained.

”No! You can’t do this to me! I’m supposed to be the special one here! This world is supposed to bend over for me. What the fuck!” Motta complained.

Rosaline fetched a potion from the shelf, uncorked it, and shoved the vial into Motta’s mouth. He spat on the bottle and coughed violently, only to fall unconscious a few seconds later.

”What was that?” Arenade asked.

”The incubus was yelling too much. I figured he needed to take a rest.” Rosaline giggled to herself.

”Well, you won’t see me complaining. Let’s put out a request to the adventurers hall about having a Spellbreaker come to Ehmvier. The crown will pay a handsome reward to break the Brand of Eros on these women,” Kanae said.

They took the names down of the women who were branded, then sent them on their merry way. Arenade slinked back home, considering her next move on what to do about her next Bright Cloister meeting that was going to be extremely awkward. Kanae sent for Manabe to come by and apprehend Motta, and he assigned several male guards to watch over the incubus.

The very next day, Kanae recounted everything that happened to Headmistress Marnie, who was horrified by each detail and nearly had a heart attack.

”I’m saddened that the issue with Motta ended the way it did. I would have liked all students to graduate from Brightwind Academy. Unfortunately, we will always carry that stain of expulsion now. What do you plan to do with him now?” Headmistress Marnie asked.

”Conscription into the military. We’re going to try and reform him. Having an incubus in the Commonwealth is a huge boon for a number of reasons,” Kanae explained.

There was also the issue of Motta originally being from Earth. The guy still believed he was the only one, and that this world was supposed to be his plaything. Maybe Kanae and Manabe could leverage their shared circumstance to get him to open up.

”And what of you? Does this mean Ms. Eileen will no longer teach at this school?” Marnie smiled.

”We can probably come clean about my real identity. I think we need to make sure learning about Kanae Toyomi is part of the curriculum. I’ll teach for a little while longer. I’ve grown attached to some of your students, and I’m sure they feel the same way.” Kanae bit down on her lower lip.