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

Kanae awoke with a killer headache, lying underneath a pile of naked men and women clinging to her. The early morning rays peeking through the tent flap across the room seared her eyes. She turned away, only to come faced with Sheeba, who was clutching her arm and fast asleep. The lioness was also naked.

”Mmm… Your Majesty’s tongue… feels so good…” Sheeba purred in her slumber.

What should have been a great memory of their orgy was just a fragmented recollection of a drunken night. Kanae remembered only bits and pieces. It was the damned Hellfire drink from the garam melon. Everything afterwards became hazy.

”Ugh. I’m not drinking again for the rest of the year…” Kanae croaked, leaving the pile of bodies and stumbling unsteadily on shaky legs.

After a quick glance around, it looked to be a large round tent. A yurt. Large overlapping leathers and rugs paved the floor. Animal bones hung from the ceiling just above Kanae’s head, but she needed to duck under some to avoid her horns catching them. Her belongings had been thrown atop a pile of other clothes near the entrance, as though it was the price of entry.

Kanae donned the Matron’s Regalia back on. She panicked for a moment when her weapons were nowhere to be seen, only to remember they had been left inside Chester. All she had brought was a wand.

Someone else stirred awake. Sheeba rose from the grave, stretching her arms and cracking her neck. Nothing indicated that she was suffering a post-party headache, and Kanae distinctly recalled the beastman drinking a lot more between the two of them. The morning light reached her glorious femininely muscular body, revealing all the creases and definition that befit a sculpted Greek statue. Kanae cursed the world for not remembering the night of sex they just had.

”Damn. Looks like you beat me to waking up first, Your Majesty!” Sheeba twisted her waist and popped her spine.

”Not by choice… and please, not too loud either. Everything still hurts.” Kanae groaned.

Sheeba got dressed quickly, and they emerged from the yurt to a chilly morning. Kanae shuddered. The highlands were close to the snowy mountain range, separating the Commonwealth from Artaggon. Downwinds brought with it the frigid embrace for the early part of the day. She almost wanted to return inside, where a dozen sleeping people’s body heat radiated in an enclosed space, until a heavy pelt draped over her.

”Keep it. I’m used to the cold up here, and I can always hunt another later.” Sheeba grinned.

”I don’t remember you being this smooth.” Kanae pulled the pelt tightly over herself, soaking in warmth the lioness left on it.

”Well, you’re not up in Talahurah often, Your Majesty.” She shrugged.

Kanae grabbed the back of Sheeba’s head and pulled her down until their faces were within an inch of each other.

”Maybe I should come more often,” Kanae whispered seductively.

”Your Majesty…” Sheeba leaned closer until a commotion deeper within the city startled them.

Trumpetting fanfares, heavy drumming, and bellowing chorus echoed across the mostly empty early streets of Talahurah. Citizens stumbled out of their homes, complaining about the ruckus. Those already out and about casted miffed looks in the direction of the noise. Kanae winced. Her hangover intensified.

”What’s going on? You guys have another event this morning?” Kanae squeezed her ears shut.

”Not that I know of! It’s coming from the Oaken Amphitheater though,” Sheeba explained.

They raced over in a hurry. Kanae struggled to keep up with Sheeba, who sprinted on foot. Those powerful legs of hers crossed a hundred meters in a few seconds. She got there first, to no surprise, and waited for Kanae to catch up.

The Oaken Amphitheater was a grove of large oak trees arranged in a tight ring. Thick shrubs filled in the gaps between them. One oak, whose roots formed an archway underneath the trunk, gave way into the grove. The fact that the cacophony was louder here meant they had found the source.

Kanae and Sheeba entered the short torch-lit tunnel, coming out to an amphitheater with cascading seats that led up to a stage at the center. Ambient sunlight and an open canopy provided light to the confined getaway, but lanterns hanging from tall branches did most of the heavy lifting, appearing like flickering stars in the day.

Below, however, Arenade and Bright Cloister were giving an unwanted performance. With her Halo of Holy Radiance at full luminosity, the high elf stood center stage with her arms outstretched under a column of light. Her followers had no coordination, so the music sounded disjointed and directionless. But for better or for worse, Arenade still achieved what she was hoping to do— attracting citizens of Talahurah. People filed into the Oaken Amphitheater just to see what was going on.

”Oh, my lost flock. Once you were gone, now you are found and home. The light of Demigoddess Arenade’s embrace is never too far from reach. Come! Take a seat! Join us as we bathe in the origins of her luminescence!” Arenade preached.

Only a few took her up on the offer. Most remained standing. Kanae and Sheeba made their way up to the stage.

”Arenade, get down from there! You’re causing a disturbance, and my hangover is kicking my ass because of you,” Kanae said.

”Kanae! Perfect timing. You get up here, too!” Arenade urged.

”Why…”

”Bright Cloister and I spent all night preparing for this impromptu stageplay. We’re going to show the life and story of Arenade Ehmvier, the selfless, altruistic, beautiful, and stoic high elf who sacrificed everything for her people and became a demigoddess, played by none other than yours truly! I just need a succubus to beat up in the last act to show how strong she is!”

Kanae folded her arms.

”How about no,” Kanae suggested.

”Please? Don’t you love me?” Arenade batted her eyelashes, but when Kanae didn’t budge, she offered instead, ”I’ll let you have sex with me with the Cock Ring of Hardening on…”

”Deal.” She extended a hand to shake on it.

Arenade explained when exactly Kanae needed to get up. The scene would be extremely short. A very brief battle ended in Kanae’s defeat. Really, she just needed to get hit by a spell and fall unconscious.

For the time being, Kanae and Sheeba sat in the front row to watch Arenade’s stageplay unfold. Members of Bright Cloister assumed multiple roles. Most of the story, people who were remotely religious already knew. Arenade Ehmvier, the high elven duchess, whose charity to the poor drained House Ehmvier of its wealth. Her brief beef with then Duke Ruedegard Ducante, now known more commonly as Saint Rue. The other high elven houses conspired against her and ultimately struck the Ehmvier name from its records.

What no one knew, however, was what happened after. Kanae and a few others knew the truth that Arenade’s brother Charron Ehmvier’s grudge against the high elves, later the Empire of Ortesia, led him to becoming the Demon Lord of Artaggon. But Arenade’s story thenceforth until her death was shrouded in mystery.

”The yet-to-be demigoddess had become but skin and bones from starvation!” Arenade exclaimed, then made sure to add, ”But of course, she was still very very beautiful. One day, on her last legs, a succubus came to her with an offer!”

That was the cue.

Kanae flew onto stage. She was instructed to just stand there and look menacing, and so did her best impression with gropey hands.

Arenade continued, ”The succubus wanted a high elven slave! To defile the beauty and grace of Arenade Ehmvier. ’Be mine, and I will grant you life!’ so the succubus said. Arenade rejected her and summoned what little magical strength she had left.”

Holy energy coalesced into an orb atop the priest’s palm. She fired it at Kanae, and it struck her square in the chest.

”Arrghhh! Curse you…” Kanae collapsed to the ground, and a round of applause erupted across the amphitheater.

”I would never fall to temptation, you sex fiend!” Arenade exclaimed.

Although Kanae hadn’t been alive at the time, she felt this had gone from an autobiographical account to pure fiction a while ago.

”Who stands over who now, demon?” Arenade planted a foot on top of Kanae’s chest, and she didn’t recall her saying this was part of the script. ”My people might be afraid of your kind, but I’m not. Because I’m—”

”You may have bested me, high elf… but I’ve already won,” Kanae went off script and said.

The crowds gasped.

”N-Nonsense. I’ve defeated you. Stay defeated!” Arenade growled, doing her best improv to salvage her story.

”See, before you defeated me, I placed a curse on you! A sex curse, where you are unable to resist goblin dicks!” Kanae guffawed.

Arenade turned bright red.

”Is that true?”

”The Demigoddess Arenade is into goblins?”

”Hehe. Maybe I gotta start worshipping her!”

Spectators muttered amongst themselves at this revelation.

”No, it’s not true!” Arenade snapped at the audience, then cleared her throat. ”W-What I mean is…” She levelled her staff at Kanae. ”Nice try, but your bluff doesn’t faze me!”

Kanae focused on Arenade with Identify Kink. ”Oh, it’s not a bluff. I can see it with my skill. You’re even getting wet thinking about it~”

[Arenade’s kink: Vanilla, rough, worship, praise, goblins.]

”A-And thus, the story of Demigoddess Arenade comes to an end! Thank you all for coming. Please, make sure to sign up for Bright Cloister at the exit!” Arenade took her foot off and bowed to the audience.

”Boo! Where’s the goblin sex scene?” someone in the crowd shouted.

”THERE’S NO GOBLIN SEX SCENE!” she yelled back.

As the audience shuffled out, Arenade pulled Kanae back up. Her pouty cheeks were bloated to their limits, and her eyes were misty.

”Don’t ever bring that up in public again, or I’m divorcing you!” Arenade threatened.

”Sorry, you were just getting so full of yourself. I couldn’t help it!” Kanae explained apologetically.

Several interested parties lingered behind, so Arenade’s stageplay clearly had some positive gain. Some were goblins, interested in hearing more about the demigoddess’ sexual penchant for their race. But Arenade quickly shut that down.

”Are you a part of Bright Cloister?” Sheeba asked.

”In name only… Their devotion is a little too intense for my liking, and I’m a founder of the Eminence of Sin.” Kanae sighed.

At least with the stageplay over, the commotion had also ended. Kanae left Arenade to her devices. She joined Sheeba for the rest of the morning in getting a clearer picture on how Talahurah was run. Before Talon’s rule years ago, the city was just a mid-point for disparate beastman tribes and clans to conduct trade with one another, then depart back to their own people. Only in recent times, thanks to the Writ of Divine Lease, did Talahurah explode in population as many came to settle permanently.

The sheer diversity in different kinds of beastmen also meant a just as diverse economy. Talahurah wasn’t a juggernaut in any one thing, but a true sum of all parts. Sheeba showed Kanae the many ledgers. A centaur tribe out west ranched free-range languis, who sold mature stallions and mares as far south as Radevic. Another tribe of long-eared feline beastmen hunted small critters like beavers and rabbits, skinning their pelts for trade. One of the largest clans of Talahurah, a race of owl harpies, lived closer to mountains and foraged chestnuts, hazelnuts, and loucans.

Their army was a coalition of warriors from every tribe and clan, ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice. Any tribe able to muster up a hundred warriors were granted a seat at the Chieftain’s Table, giving them a voice in contributing to the direction of Talahurah. Any who had provided a thousand warriors were named War Chief, and had the honor of leading what were called War Bands into battle. War Chiefs were the only ones with the right to lay claim to Chieftain of Talahurah, which Kanae felt was a silly rule in practice.

That proved to be true when Sheeba explained to Kanae that no such clans were willing to give Talahurah a thousand warriors. Therefore, Talahurah had zero War Chiefs.

”Who are the clans that can contribute that many warriors anyway?” Kanae asked as they went over documents with a couple of administrative clerks.

Sheeba whistled to a clerk and pointed to a specific shelf. ”There are two clans, Your Majesty. Black Wings, and Fang and Claw.” The clerk fetched her a dusty tome, and she opened it to a page of sigils. She pointed to a round crest with a pair of wings flared outwards. ”The Black Wings is Talon’s old clan. They make up nearly 50% of all harpies in Talahurah. Ever since you subjugated Talon, they have discarded her as their leader and elected another. Kaino Razortip. He and Black Wings regularly conduct trade with Talahurah.” She turned the page and directed Kanae’s attention to a simple drawing of a bloodied claw. ”Fang and Claw is an antagonistic but not hostile clan made up of wolf beastmen. Their numbers are great, but neither are willing to give warriors for fear of weakening themselves.”

”If they joined Talahurah on good terms, how much stronger would the city become?”

”Tremendously. Not just militarily, but also economically. Black Wings hold access to the Crescent Taiga, a boreal forest rich with sturdy and flexible lumber. Perfect for building ships and houses here. Fang and Claw warriors with Lycan Ancestry have a unique passive skill called Howling Rage. Makes them immune to mind-controlling effects. We’d be much better situated against the Queen-Mother and Temptation if their succubi ever attacked. Hells, Hilde wouldn’t have been a problem back then if they were with us.”

That was music to Kanae’s ears. Any edge against the Cult of Lust and Depravity was worth looking into. However…

”I’m already in Talahurah, so I’ll lend a hand. Sheeba, I want to know one thing though… These wolf beastmen… do their dicks have… knots?” Kanae gulped.

”Your Majesty…” Sheeba groaned in her hand. ”Yes, they do.”

”Score! Time to do some good old fashion succubus politics. I’ll goad Arenade into negotiating with Kaino and Black Wings in the meantime. Prepare us for a diplomatic mission to Fang and Claw, Sheeba. You and I are going to train some dogs into submission, or get fucked trying,” she explained.

”Guh. I don’t like dealing with them, but as you wish, Your Majesty.” The lioness sulked.