Succubus World - Start with Incubus System

The smile on Erik’s face gradually faded.

He lowered his gaze and read the letter again. The white paper was thicker than ordinary stationery, and the lines upon it were written in pale gold magical ink. From the material to the crown-shaped seal, everything showed just how highly the sender regarded their own status.

Erik folded the letter and looked up.

”What exactly is this Council?”

Meira was still staring at the insignia on the edge of the envelope. She stayed silent for a few seconds before sitting down, the earlier cheer gone from her green eyes.

”It’s not an organ of the Government or the Awakened Association.”

Erik raised an eyebrow slightly.

”Then what gives them the right to invite me over for questioning?”

Meira caught the irritation in his voice. She explained slowly:

”A few decades ago, a group of men from the city’s old families came to believe that men’s status was being eroded by the rise of female Awakened. They banded together to form the Council, declaring their purpose to be protecting men’s rights, preserving etiquette, and reforming the culture surrounding men.”

Sarna frowned slightly from where she stood. Elowen also unconsciously hugged Erik’s arm tighter.

Meira noticed but didn’t comment, continuing:

”This kind of organization doesn’t exist only in our city. Several other major cities and safe zones have similar Councils. They don’t belong to a single unified system; most operate independently. Some are merely social clubs for upper-class men, but others interfere very deeply in culture and daily life.”

Erik propped his elbow on the armrest.

”How do they interfere?”

”They dictate which behaviors are considered befitting of a man of status. They encourage families not to let their men do any labor themselves, and they oppose men taking up professions deemed lowly. If they decide a Partner isn’t treating her man with proper etiquette, they’ll even pressure that Succubus’s family.”

Meira paused for a beat, her gaze shifting to the letter in his hand.

”They also pay particularly close attention to how Succubi conduct themselves before men.”

Erik grasped the problem immediately.

”So me kneeling to propose to Elowen didn’t sit well with them.”

Meira didn’t answer directly, but her silence was clear enough.

Erik looked at the crown-shaped seal, the corner of his mouth twitching. A group of people who held no governing authority over the city, yet set their own rules and expected everyone to follow them. Just hearing about it was enough to annoy him.

”They really have too much time on their hands.”

Seeing that he said nothing more, Meira thought Erik was taking the matter lightly and gave a serious reminder:

”The Council has no administrative power, but don’t underestimate them either. Many of their members come from long-established clans. They have connections with major corporations, the Pairing Center, the Awakened Association, and even people within the government.”

”Meaning they can’t arrest me, but they have plenty of ways to make my life difficult?”

”Exactly.”

Erik tapped a finger lightly against the tabletop.

”Are the Council members themselves Awakened?”

”Some have Awakened, but most don’t fight directly.” Meira shook her head slightly. ”What’s truly concerning are the clans behind them. Every household has its own team of Awakened, not to mention the Succubi who’ve signed Contracts with the members. If a real conflict breaks out, the ones who strike won’t necessarily be the ones who sent the letter.”

Erik committed that warning to memory. He wasn’t afraid of a meeting, but he had no intention of walking into it unprepared.

Erik nodded. That made more sense than some unfamiliar organization having actual authority to summon him.

He was about to put the letter away when he noticed the atmosphere around him was still very tense. Elowen sat pressed against his side, both hands wrapped around his arm. Sarna stood behind Meira, her face colder than usual. Even Meira was carefully observing his reaction.

Erik looked over the three of them.

”What else are you worried about?”

Elowen shook her head at once.

”Nothing.”

”Your lying is getting worse and worse.”

Elowen pressed her lips together and quietly glanced at her mother. Erik turned to Meira as well. She was calmer than her daughter, but after a moment she still let out a soft sigh.

”We’re not worried about them hurting you.”

”Then what?”

Meira looked straight at him. The light from the crystals overhead reflected in her green eyes, revealing a worry she couldn’t fully conceal.

”I met a few men before they joined Councils like this one. In the beginning, they still walked on their own, ate on their own, and occasionally even visited the family company to review business. But after a few years, they began to believe that doing anything for themselves was beneath their station.”

She didn’t need to say more. Erik understood what the three of them feared.

He turned to Elowen.

”You’re afraid I’ll turn into that kind of person too?”

Elowen wanted to deny it, but when their eyes met, she could only lower her head.

”I know you’re not like them, but... I’m still scared.”

Her voice was smaller than usual. Sarna said nothing, but the hand resting near the hilt of her weapon had tightened. She clearly shared the same thought.

Erik looked at the three women before him for a few more seconds, then burst out laughing.

Elowen looked up.

”What are you laughing at?”

”I was just thinking...” Erik raised the letter in his hand. ”If one meeting with them is enough to convince me that being unable to take care of myself is what makes a man noble, then my brain wouldn’t be worth saving anyway.”

Meira froze. Sarna blinked, and Elowen couldn’t hold back a laugh. The tension around the table finally eased.

Erik folded the letter and stored it in his spatial bracelet.

”I’ll go.”

Elowen’s smile vanished instantly.

”Erik...”

”I just want to know what they intend to say.” He leaned back in his chair, his expression still calm. ”I’ve lived in this city for five years, but I spent most of that time busy working to earn money. I’ve never dealt with men from that class.”

Nathan had already been eye-opening enough. Naron was even worse. As for a group that could make Meira issue such a serious warning, Erik genuinely wanted to see what methods they planned to use to persuade him.

Elowen still wasn’t at ease.

”Can I come with you?”

”The letter only invited me.”

”I can wait outside.”

Erik looked at her serious expression, then reached out and ruffled her silver hair.

”We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”

Elowen wanted to say more, but in the end she nodded. Sarna also slowly moved her hand away from her weapon.

Erik looked around the garden. Flowers still bloomed along both sides of the path. The magical crystals floating overhead hadn’t been taken down yet, glowing like small stars around the table. Tonight’s celebration had been such a joyful one, and yet a single letter had put all three of them on edge.

He picked up his glass.

”Tonight is a happy night. Tomorrow’s problems can wait until tomorrow.” Erik raised the glass, a smile returning to his lips. ”Don’t let people who haven’t even shown up ruin our dinner.”

Meira looked at him for a few seconds, then smiled.

”You’re right.”

She turned to a nearby handmaiden.

”Bring out the hot dishes.”

”Yes, my lady.”

The rest of the dinner passed far more comfortably. Meira had several dishes brought out that Erik had never tried before. Most of the ingredients came from farmlands reserved exclusively for Awakened, and the flavors were so good he had to admit the lifestyle of the wealthy was dangerously easy to get used to.

Elowen stayed pressed against his side. Every now and then, she would glance down at the ring on her hand.

By the fifth time he caught her, Erik finally couldn’t hold back.

”How much longer are you going to stare at it?”

Elowen immediately closed her hand.

”I wasn’t staring.”

Sarna, sitting across from her, calmly exposed her:

”You just did.”

Elowen turned to her.

”You’re keeping count?”

”No need to count.”

”You’re clearly jealous.”

The knife in Sarna’s hand paused.

”I am not.”

”Then why do you keep noticing the ring?”

”Because you keep waving it in front of my face.”

”I’m just eating.”

”You eat by holding your left hand up at eye level?”

Erik turned to look. Sure enough, Elowen had her left hand positioned very conveniently for the light to catch the ring.

She stayed silent for two seconds, then calmly lowered her hand.

”Coincidence.”

Meira burst out laughing. Erik shook his head helplessly as well, while Sarna simply went back to cutting the food on her plate in silence.

During the meal, Erik asked about Felyn’s condition. Meira said she was still at the hospital, but all her vital signs had stabilized. Tomorrow morning, the Healer team would conduct deeper examinations, focusing especially on the curse and the state of her eyes.

”I’ve arranged for someone to stay with her tonight.” Meira set down her glass. ”You don’t need to worry.”

Erik nodded.

”I’ll visit her in the morning.”

Elowen spoke up immediately:

”I’m coming too.”

”Don’t you have things to do tomorrow?”

”I do.”

”Then why are you offering?”

She answered with complete seriousness:

”They can be skipped.”

Erik looked at her matter-of-fact expression, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Meira’s laughter rang out again from across the table.

It was nearly midnight before the dinner truly came to an end. Before leaving the garden, Erik reached out and lightly touched his spatial bracelet. The Council’s letter still sat inside.

He said nothing more about it.

Tonight, he’d let everyone enjoy themselves.

Tomorrow, he would see for himself what those people wanted.