Meeting the Succubus Queen
"Elf tribe's views on love..."
Though it was too dark to see, I knew Hagen was flashing that sleazy grin of his.
"Sig, you... got a thing for Altera, huh?"
Well, elves are pretty. But instead of just agreeing, Hagen started teasing.
"No way I'd peg you for a pervert who gets off on contempt."
"Hahaha, the world has all sorts of love, after all."
Now even Nibel jumped in on the ribbing.
"Aw, come on~ don't tease him so much~!"
The moment talk turned to me liking Altera, pure delight bubbled up in Siegfried's voice.
"Y-yeah, yeah~ fine, I'm the pervert, so spill it already."
Best way to kill a joke fast? Don't play along.
"Tch~ no fun."
Hagen clicked his tongue, then launched into his explanation of elves.
"Elves are the race of beauty."
"Altera's a bitch, sure, but she's pretty enough."
"Not just about looks."
Hagen clarified it wasn't that simplistic.
"As a race of beauty, they despise anything ugly. And their standards are sky-high—they even see ordinary as ugly."
That's why Altera treated us regular folks like dirt, he said, breaking down her prickly attitude.
"Dunno why she's like that with Sig, though."
I knew exactly why. It was a hunch, but I was damn sure. Her attitude toward Siegfried? Straight-up jealousy.
"Bottom line: wanna romance an elf who worships beauty? You need looks like Siegfried's. Otherwise, you can't even get close."
"For someone like that, Altera gets along fine with Nibel, though?"
Shit, realized too late. Sounded like I was throwing shade right in front of him.
"Kekekeke, that's 'cause I'm special to the elves."
Nibel explained he'd been a handsome devil in his youth, traded knowledge with them, spread new magic, and they treated him like a benefactor.
"You and I can hang with Altera 'cause we're in the hero party."
The more I heard from Hagen, the clearer it got: my plan to use Altera was pure idiocy.
"No other ways besides looks?"
I asked one last time.
"Hmm... there is one more. Legend, though."
Hagen dropped an unexpected tidbit.
"Ah~ you mean that one?"
Nibel chimed in like he'd heard it too, while Siegfried had already conked out, snoring away.
"The World Tree Branch."
Fantasy staple: elves and the World Tree.
"Legend says whoever holds the World Tree Branch can command elves."
Elves worship the World Tree as their god and revere its branch-holder as god's proxy.
"But adventurers heard the tale, poured their lives into the hunt, never found squat. Stayed a legend. So forget Altera."
World Tree Branch was a pipe dream, Hagen said—go find another girl.
He dozed off right after, and I closed my eyes too.
World Tree Branch... not a legend. It's real.
These kinds of tales usually are. Why? Fantasy games and webnovels—national rule that they're true.
Pondering how to snag one, I drifted off.
"We're heading to World Tree Village."
Altera declared it, massive hawk perched on her shoulder.
The elven capital, World Tree Village—legend said the World Tree itself built it. That's where we were bound.
"Suddenly? Detours the optimal path to Demon King Castle, though?"
Our route was the shortest to the castle. Fair question from Siegfried, and Altera cleared it up.
"One of the Four Heavenly Kings—Brynhildr—showed up there."
"That's bad news!"
Nibel reacted first—he had elf ties.
"Four Heavenly Kings... gonna be rough."
Hagen swallowed hard at the heavyweight matchup.
"...."
Cream stayed silent, tense as hell.
We hustled toward World Tree Village.
En route, Altera's anxiety cranked her bitchiness to eleven.
"Hurry up!"
She snapped at me—the slowest in the party.
Even on edge, she only unloaded on me, nothing much to Cream.
No slack in her mood, though—not exactly polite to Cream either.
"Try to understand."
Cream said it, but her face screamed the opposite. Affinity dropping like a rock.
The rest of us tiptoed around Altera's nerves.
A week later, we arrived.
"Everyone—!"
Altera finally cracked, showing raw emotion for the first time on the trip, and bolted into the village.
Destruction everywhere, scars of fierce battle.
"Oh my? The hero party's here."
A seductive voice from behind.
Sticky-sweet, laced with power to ensnare men.
"Shit—! Mental barriers up! Cream, purify!"
Nibel's urgent shout.
Hagen and Siegfried's eyes glazed over.
Only Nibel and I resisted among the guys.
Nibel's a mage, fine... but why me?
Questions later. Focus: Four Heavenly King Brynhildr.
Drew my waist sword and spun around.
A cat-eared stunner entered my view.
Beauty unlike Cream's pure innocence or Altera's thorny rose.
Brynhildr oozed ruler's arrogance, supreme dominance.
Hero party shows up? She just floated overhead, chill as ever.
Did nothing till Cream finished purifying.
"Fuck—!"
Clang! Veteran Hagen snapped out, assessed, drew sword. Siegfried a beat behind with his Holy Sword.
"Let's see how strong the famous hero is~?"
Brynhildr swung her massive spear—rocks spawned midair.
Nibel threw up a barrier.
Boom!
Kaboom!
Blocked the barrage.
Dust cleared; Brynhildr right at the barrier's edge.
Spear thrust—barrier shredded like tissue.
"That all from the great archmage~?"
Mocked Nibel.
His face soured, but no comeback—prepping next spell.
Siegfried and Hagen bought time. I synced with them.
I've trained too, y'know!
Land a hit on a Heavenly King? Major points with Cream.
Hagen and I slashed from flanks.
"Hyaa—!"
Siegfried thrust straight on.
Brynhildr bent backward like liquid, dodged, swept spear horizontal.
Abdomen gashed, bleeding—but Cream healed fast.
Swish! Altera's twin arrows flew at her eyes.
"This it? So boring~?"
Rotated spear, batted arrows aside, fake-yawned to toy with us.
"Not yet—!"
Siegfried charged, hot-blooded protag yell.
Holy Sword gleamed, responding to his spirit.
"Holy Sword... bad matchup for us demons, right? But..."
If it wasn't, it'd be useless anyway.
Dodged every Siegfried attack effortlessly.
"Now! Get clear!"
Flames erupted under her feet.
Siegfried rolled dodge by a hair.
"Haa... haa..."
Flat on his back, heaving.
"D-did we get her?"
Hagen spouted that webnovel classic: "Did we get her?"
"Not bad. Felt the heat~."
Brynhildr strolled through the fire unscathed.
Creepy smile, finger extended.
Shoved Siegfried's forehead as he rose.
Pink energy surged from her fingertip, tattooing his brow.
"Urgh... wh-what the hell—!"
Siegfried bit his lip till it bled, demanded answers.
"Know what a Yin Seal is~?"
Brynhildr replied playfully.
"I'm the Succubus Queen. Etching a Yin Seal? Piece of cake."
Effects exactly as I'd guessed.
"Boosts lust. Seems it's kicking in already~."
Her gaze dropped low.
To Siegfried's crotch—his bulging hard-on.
Siegfried ground his teeth in shame; Brynhildr cackled.
"Impressive willpower, though. Normal guy would've lost it and jumped a woman."
Holy Sword's doing? She pondered, but no reply.
"Anyway, even you have limits. Hero's downfall... can't wait~."
She backed off to leave the village.
"Like hell I'd let you...!"
Siegfried lurched up, staggering. Brynhildr flicked her arm—wind pressure floored him.
"I wanna see the hero corrupt~."
Utterly relaxed. But I saw through the bluff.
Didn't tell the party.
This works in my favor.
My goal's stealing the heroine—not dropping kings or the Demon Lord.
Siegfried rampaging from the Yin Seal? Music to my ears.
After the math, that's the play.
In the end, Brynhildr slipped away. We took our first loss—cursed with that Yin Seal to boot.