"This child…"
Ivsha's gaze locked tightly onto Erum, confusion surging through her like a rising tide.As a succubus herself, she could instinctively sense the unique aura radiating from the little girl. It was different—profoundly so—something she had never encountered in any other succubus before.
But what truly baffled her was this:
Why had Mr. Kurose Akira brought a young succubus back to the guild?
Had he… grown tired of her already?Was he looking to change his tastes?
Lost in those thoughts, Ivsha looked toward Akira in confusion. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with uncertainty and a trace of hurt as she tried to read his intentions.
Even if he was tired of me… isn't there still the Saintess…?
"?"
Akira noticed her gaze at once and quickly explained, "Ivsha, don't misunderstand. Erum is really just staying here for a couple of days."
"Mm~ I understand~ I'll do whatever Mr. Akira wishes~"
Akira: "..."
After a brief, awkward silence, Akira began introducing Erum to the other members of the guild. However, Erum seemed interested in only one person.
Her pink, crystal-like eyes stayed fixed on Ivsha the entire time, as though she had mistaken her for someone else.
It wasn't until Akira explained things to her that Erum finally realized Ivsha was not Idithes.
That moment made Akira sink into thought.
If Erum truly was the fallen Lust Demon King… then had she forgotten everything from her past?At least judging from her current behavior, she acted exactly like a newborn succubus.
"Ivsha, would it be okay if you took care of her?" Akira asked.
He could clearly tell that Erum became extremely shy when interacting with anyone other than Ivsha.
Letting Ivsha handle her was the best choice.
"Understood~" Ivsha accepted the task with a gentle smile.
Akira then turned his attention to the day's quest board.
There were still four D+–rank commissions available, each with a recommended level of 50 or above—none of them easy.
After careful consideration, he chose one titled "Black Marsh."
According to the description, a human village near a swamp had been hearing wailing cries every night. The villagers suspected a powerful monster was lurking nearby and wanted adventurers to investigate and eliminate it.
However, the description made Akira frown slightly.
Generally speaking, swamps were natural habitats for monsters. It was rare for human villages to be established in such areas.
"Lucía, Mare Rhine, Loserine—prepare yourselves. We're heading out," Akira instructed.
"Mm."
The three followed closely behind him. As white light flashed, they were instantly transported to a village at the edge of the swamp.
The moment they arrived, Akira's expression grew serious.
The villagers looked… unusual.
Every one of them had patches of multicolored snake scales covering their faces.
"Are you adventurers here for the quest? That's wonderful! Welcome, welcome!"
Several villagers greeted them enthusiastically, smiles warm and sincere despite their appearances.
Akira stepped forward and spoke with them, gathering more information about the village and the commission.
Through their conversation, he learned that the village had originally been founded by a human man and a serpentfolk woman. Over time, their descendants brought back more settlers, and after centuries of growth, the village had expanded into its current size.
Once Akira understood why the villagers had scales on their skin, he couldn't help but feel impressed.
That human ancestor must have been really desperate—he even went after a serpentfolk woman!
He remembered that serpentfolk typically had human upper bodies and snake tails below, somewhat similar to centaurs.
What a hero.
Afterward, Akira said to Lucía and the others, "Let's move. Other guilds have already reached the area."
"Mm."
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the swamp itself.
Five or six other D+–rank guilds had already gathered there, all of similar standing to Akira's.
Given the difficulty of the quest, most had dispatched their entire guilds.
After all, this was a D+ quest tied to promotion to C-rank. Most players took it extremely seriously, wanting to ensure absolute success.
Compared to them, a guild like Akira's—sending only three adventurers—was exceptionally rare.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out beside him.
"Holy shit—Akira?! What a coincidence!"
"Xia Yu?" Akira looked surprised. He hadn't expected to run into him here.
"How did you get promoted to D+ so fast?" Xia Yu walked over, astonished. The last time he checked, Akira had barely been E-rank.
"I just advanced recently," Akira replied casually.
"Since you're D+ now…" Xia Yu pulled out a familiar piece of equipment. "How about a Silver Scale Armor? Friendship price—only 2.5 gold!"
Akira glanced at the armor, then shook his head. "No thanks."
"What a shame." Xia Yu laughed, unfazed. "If you change your mind, come find me. Same friendship price!"
"Sure, next time," Akira replied with a smile.
At that moment, another man walked over and asked curiously, "Xia Yu, you know this guy?"
"Yeah," Xia Yu said with a grin. "He's my friend."
The man looked Akira up and down, then said, "If he's your friend, let him join us for this D+ commission. Those villagers are loaded—hiring this many D+ guilds."
Xia Yu nodded. "They really are rich. Their ancestors were probably nobles or wealthy merchants—left behind a huge inheritance."
Turning to Akira, he asked, "So? Want to team up with us? We've been here two days already, but still haven't found the monster."
"No." Akira shook his head lightly.
"Suit yourself." The man shrugged and led his team into the swamp.
"Akira, you sure you don't want to reconsider?" Xia Yu frowned slightly. "The terrain's nasty, and we have no idea how strong the monster is. Moving together would be safer."
Akira shook his head again. "Thanks, but I prefer working alone."
"Alright. I'll head out then." Xia Yu waved and left with his team.
Watching their figures fade into the distance, Akira didn't rush into the swamp.
He scanned the surroundings and noticed one or two other guilds hesitating nearby.
This quest was somewhat special—once you met the villagers and entered the swamp, the commission officially began.
As long as the monster disturbing the village was killed, any guild present could count the quest as completed, even if they didn't participate in the actual fight.
Of course, whoever personally slew the monster would receive extra rewards from the villagers.
After observing for a while, Akira turned to Lucía and the others.
"Let's go."
"Mm!"
Scene change.
Akira and his companions were now seated on the back of Mare Rhine.
In a treacherous environment like a swamp, riding a flying mount was the optimal choice.
That was also the reason Akira had refused to team up with Xia Yu—Mare Rhine would not allow anyone outside the guild to ride on her back.
Suddenly, Akira's gaze was drawn to a raised mound below.
It looked like a small hill.
Strange…Why would there be something like that in the middle of a swamp?
And faintly, he heard a deep, bubbling breathing sound.
Gurgle… gurgle…
As he focused intently, lines of information appeared before his eyes:
[Vernis (Legendary)]Level: 80 (0 / 72,000)Race: Black Dragon
Strength: ? / Agility: ? / Mana: ? / Constitution: ?
Growth: 12 (Gains +12 to all attributes per level)
Skills: (Expand)
Trait: [Mischievous]
Status: [Soul Contract (Source: You)]