CH 54.2

6-7 minutes

A few days after Bash’s departure, the Succubus Nation was enveloped in a somber atmosphere.

The long-lasting rain had ceased. What remained, however, were the remnants of the disturbances, the tarnished succubus pride, and the destroyed Sanctuary.

The sanctuary was an important place for the succubi. For a long time, they had been taught to protect it, and they had obeyed. Although the details of its purpose had not been passed down, there were many succubi who considered it an object of faith.

And that had been lost.

Succubi were a relatively short-sighted species. Therefore, they could forget everything within a few years. But regardless, most of them now looked the same as the day they accepted peace after losing the war.

Especially Curly Kale, the succubus queen, seemed particularly depressed. What the succubi had defended for so many years had been lost in her generation. She had even lost her subordinates, who had been with her for many years, due to her careless instructions. Remorse had made her feel blocked, and her fine wrinkles had increased.

“Haa…” She had let her guard down because the war had ended. They had been too careless. Somewhere in her mind, she thought they couldn’t sink any lower.

She was wrong. She knew that, didn’t she? Defeat attracts defeat. It was because they had lost, because the present was painful, that the only thing they could do was accept it.

She didn’t know the details of why the sanctuary had been destroyed. According to a report from the scouts, who were sent back because the extermination group had not yet returned, it seemed that those who killed the succubi and devastated the sanctuary showed signs of having fought Bash. They didn’t know how the battle ended. However, the only bodies found were those of the succubi guarding the sanctuary, and there were no corpses of Bash or his companions.

In light of this, it was likely that Bash had unilaterally annihilated the enemy and either let them go or took them with him after r̲a̲ping them all. Normally, she would have wanted the heads of the perpetrators to be delivered to the Succubi, but it was customary for orcs to take defeated women back with them. It was inevitable. Rather, Curly Kale could only be grateful. If that perpetrator had been left unchecked, everything would have ended in a much worse way.

Sir Bash left saying he couldn’t do anything, but still took care of the villain who attacked the sanctuary… Judging solely from the situation, it wasn’t difficult to see that Bash and the invader could be accomplices. But Curly Kale’s pride was not so shallow as to make such an inference. Even if that were the case, it would be a fair retaliation from Bash, who was almost devoured in the Succubus Nation. He would have to be forgiven.

Well, aside from that, the current situation in the Succubus Nation after Bash’s departure was terrible. It was fortunate that there had been no damage to the “food” due to the riots, and the food supply had a little more leeway thanks to the decrease in the number of people who could afford to eat. However, it wasn’t something they could rejoice about, and the fact that the food situation was desperate hadn’t changed at all.

“Your Majesty, a messenger requests an audience.”

At that moment, Nio, a close aide, arrived with such a report.

“A messenger? Who is it at a time like this? I’ll eat them if it’s some nonsense…”

Curly Kale said, venting her frustration. Defeat attracts defeat. She thought that, under the current circumstances, there was no way any good request would reach her.

“Well, how scary. Should I go home then?”

With these words, a young man entered the room. Queen Curly Kale knew his name.

“Prince Nazar Gainius Grandorius…!?”

“This is our first meeting, Succubus Queen Curly Kale.”

Nazar said, but Curly Kale had already seen this man several times from afar. He was the most famous man among humans. How many times during the war had she dreamed of capturing him and devouring him to death while crying?

If they were in the midst of war right now, she would have said, “You’ve delivered yourself on a silver platter,” and her charming magical eyes would have gleamed, and she would have sucked him dry and sent back his bones and sticky skin covered in saliva and the like to the humans. But not now. It wasn’t the Curly Kale who didn’t know what would happen to her if she messed with Nazar, the human prince. At least, that’s what she said with a haughty tone.

“Don’t you think it’s rude to enter like this, out of nowhere?”

“I’m sorry. To be honest, I’m not even an official emissary yet…”

Surreptitiously entering a succubus’ room was like asking to be eaten. However, we were talking about Curly Kale. She wasn’t a woman who would fall for such an obvious ploy.

“So, what do you intend to do? If you want to talk, we can go to the audience chamber.”

“This is what I came to tell you.”

Nazar snapped his fingers. Then, more than a dozen men rushed in. Apparently, they had been traveling for several days and hadn’t bathed, filling the room with a strong masculine fragrance. Nio, a member of the queen’s entourage, smelled it and hurriedly asked Nazar.

“What!? What are you thinking?! Sneaking these men into the Succubus Queen’s room…”

“Oh, excuse me. I was very rude to you ladies, wasn’t I? But…”

“It’s not a matter of being rude or not! But it’s like bugs drawn to a flame! Keep them under control as long as we have patience. Oh, look, I’m drooling…” Nio was also a proud succubus. However, since her beloved sister died the other day, she had lost her appetite due to grief. But when she was hungry and a feast was laid out before her, she couldn’t hold back.