So, What Do We Do Now?

Not just Esen—anyone who'd joined the expedition was bound to get rave reviews. Their opponent had been a horde of succubi who'd taken over the entire city. It was an expedition that had already failed by all accounts. The moment the male party members had been thrown in as fodder, it was game over. Common sense dictated focusing on survival rather than fighting back, and it wouldn't have been strange if every last one vanished without a trace on the way home. According to the supervisor, pulling off this miraculous comeback against a succubus swarm of that scale was unprecedented. Not only had everyone survived unscathed, but they'd reclaimed the city to boot.

"Sword and will to the lady! For the honor of Banir!"

Bourden raised the tip of his sword, pointing at Esen at the vanguard, and bellowed.

For the honor of Banir.

The Banir Lily party members echoed him in unison as they carved a path forward. Every time a silver-inlaid blade sliced through the battlefield, the succubi dissolved into smoke to evade, retreating helplessly. But the holy silver swords—lethal to demons—weren't the only threat they had to watch for.

Tomco's crew had stealthily slipped away to retake their ship and obliterated the catapult that had nearly wounded several allies with a cannon blast. Then they'd pulled off the insane feat of unhitching the guns from the vessel and dragging them onto land. Turns out they'd hidden an extra ship at the docks on top of the one we'd arrived on. No telling when or how the pirate vessel had tailed ours in secret. Pirate tricks, I suppose.

"Earn your keep, you bottle-washed scum floating in these waters!"

"Aye!"

"The women who fed us bread sacrificed their own party members to buy us this chance! If we can't even pay that back, how the hell do you expect to earn your pay? Any trash who takes even a step back gets strung up on the mainmast as chum for the sea goddess! Unlike you lot, she knows the value of a meal—she'll claim your worthless hides and trade 'em for a fair wind!"

"Aye!"

"Let's see who ends up as mast jerky! Fire!"

They ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say that when black powder was first invented, someone declared it would one day end the age of mysteries. There was truth to that. Succubi who once lorded over neighborhoods like local gods had to scamper like alley cats before the thunderous roar and firepower of gunpowder.

The power of hero aptitude holders like Bourden and Captain Tomco went beyond innate combat prowess and leadership. Their unique abilities were throwing the succubi into disarray. Bourden, the swift-sword hero, honed his followers' swordsmanship sharper than flowing water. Tomco, the gunpowder hero, made cannon fuses burn bright even in the fiercest downpour.

That was the absolute might this world bestowed on chosen heroes—the power to turn the tide of battle. The blessing of enhancement upon the armies they led.

"Goddess of Banir Lake, protect our territory from the foe!"

"Mother of storms, Cardibris—bring down my enemies' masts!"

The heroes' prayers echoed across the field, but that day, they weren't the stars of the show. The battle dragged on endlessly between the succubi horde that kept reforming from smoke and the party members blessed by heroic power. It ended when Esen broke through the encirclement, sniffing her way forward, to claim the finale.

She'd tracked down the succubi's ringleader somewhere in the city.

"Smelled like mating season horniness."

In the outskirts of the port city stood a Mitra prayer hall. Esen kicked the doors open and froze at the sight of people sprawled across the vast interior. Every man in the city was gathered there, lost in blissful dreams, wasting away bit by bit. Exhaling violet mist turned to essence.

The winged succubus perched on the bishop's throne, inhaling the mist, startled when her eyes met Esen's.

"What are you? You the 'Succubus Queen'? Pirate dude said grabbing the queen would sort the rest out."

Esen grinned.

"Your minions are busting their asses outside, and you're just chowing down? Real laid-back for a boss bitch, huh?"

Succubi could turn to smoke for protection without dying. But not the queen. Even in bees, the queen's the biggest and strongest, but too fat for acrobatic flight.

The paling queen tried to unleash magic first. She'd siphoned so much essence from the citizens that a full-powered blast might've wrecked the town. But Esen had an effective counter for mages: preemptive strike. A knee to the temple first, and spells meant jack shit—that was universal truth.

When the dented-headed Succubus Queen was dragged out onto the battlefield, the succubi knelt in surrender, sobbing.

"Yeah, your queen bee sister's life is in my hands! Pull any shit, and you're all done for!"

Her gangster swagger drew cheers from the fighters. Total party victory.

"And you sealed them all in here, huh."

Esen pulled out the crystal orb to show me. Inside the monster-sealing sphere coated in white magic by the professors, the succubi—shrunken to ant-size—were clamoring to be let out.

"You got to keep this? Not the party league supervisor?"

"He handed it to me. Out of respect for my skills, he even asked me to deliver it to the monastery for purification."

The league supervisor was so moved by Esen and our party's exploits that he'd entrusted it to her. It meant he trusted her that much. Plus, word of mouth would boost her rep.

But I narrowed my eyes, suspicion first.

"They didn't just dump the job on you?"

"Pretty sure he was genuinely impressed? Dude was shaking and hiding in the bathroom the whole time. If we'd lost, he'd have ended up essence-drained like the townsfolk..."

Esen shuddered in disgust. My face fell too.

Not just our expedition—none of the city's folk had died or gone missing, thankfully. But they all faced grim reality. Before the city fell silently to the succubi, wives and kids had evacuated thanks to the men's sacrifice. Returning, they were shocked. Their dads weren't dads anymore.

"Better if they'd died of exhaustion. But they got all their vitality sucked out, so now they're all... like that..."

"Turned into women? For real? So even... that part changed completely?"

"Yeah. Even I'm a girl, but it's too creepy to talk about. Stealing their balls too? There's thieving and then there's this."

Esen glared into the crystal.

"All of 'em sealed tight, right? What if a few slipped out?"

"Strays'll sniff their way back to the queen anyway. They'll follow the orb and drop dead from exhaustion or starvation."

"Kinda harsh, makes 'em pitiful."

"I'm more sorry for the gender-swapped citizens."

"Fair."

I took Esen's hand, helping her up as I staggered from the sickbed. Outside the storm-cleared hospital, the streets glowed bright. Sunlight pooled in puddles along the noon docks, abuzz with sailors prepping for departure. Not just our party's return noises—the Bitsurk port city's clamor mixed in.

"...Thought they'd all be moping. Quick to adapt."

"Gotta eat to live."

The all-female residents were easing back into routine. But their faces showed the mental scars wouldn't fade easy. Life reclaimed, but not their groins.

...Good thing the Monica sisters weren't that breed. I just ended up a bit drained. Crossdressing's headache enough—losing your identity like that? Hard pass.

"So, which church for purifying the orb? Mitra order?"

"Hell no. You think I'd hand my catches to those pricks?"

Same vibe from me. But logically, no better spot than Mitra church. Setting aside grudges with Christensen, they had the best prayer efficacy. Power like that has reasons.

But why hadn't Christensen and her dim squad used prayer power in the rain? The sisters' rites and other heroes' goddess-granted might worked wonders against succubi.

"Banir hero said if nowhere else, take it to Banir. Lake goddess rocks at monster purification, apparently."

"He liked us too, huh. Nice connection. Wonder if the goddess'll accept..."

...Wait. Goddess talk ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠jogged a memory. Ishtar said monster succubi were traitors' creations. Should I return them to her side? Or spare her hands and dump on another god?

"...Maybe show the sisters first."

Overhearing, the queen in the glass tapped the wall frantically. Like she had urgent words.

I carefully took Esen's orb, peering in with narrowed eyes.

"Whoa, careful."

"Got it. Won't get charmed."

No sound anyway. And no arousal possible at nail-size. Had to squint to read lips—practically needed a magnifying glass from my bag.

"What's she saying? 'Please don't hand me to that one...'?"

The queen's face was pure terror. 'Please don't give me to that one. Better hand us to another god for a clean death!'

...Sensed Ishtar's trace on me, huh. What hell awaited her return...?

Esen eyed my sweating, paling face weirdly.

"'That one'?"

"Y-yeah, y'know."

"You okay? Face is ghost-white."

"Uh, yeah. Better chat with an expert. Show Monica first."

"Hm. Monica sis is healer aptitude, not purifier."

"Still a priestess?"

"True. Ask her—and other stuff too."

Esen gave a troubled smile. I flinched—did I slip up?

Monica was as unscathed as me.

...As in, fresh from meeting a god in the afterlife.

"No spot that doesn't hurt."

Sprawled in the ship's cabin under every blanket available, Monica wore a melting, woeful expression.

Late first-time blues from brutal muscle pain? Our wild lovemaking left her wrecked, while Esen bounced back fine—she was the outlier.

I patted Monica's back as she leaned on my shoulder. Whispering she'd done great.

But my affection irked someone else in the cabin. Monica savored my touch on one hand, peeked guiltily on the other.

Esen scratched her fresh bandaged forehead and spoke.

"So, what do we do now?"