A Heroine Flag?

"A heroine flag?"

The space that opened up beyond the door was a bedroom, nothing particularly special. A single candle flickered, casting a dim glow across the vast, dark chamber.

"You're here, Darling?"

A woman caught my eye, sitting on the edge of the bed and playfully swinging her legs. Two demonic horns sprouted from her head, and leathery, bat-like wings draped behind her. Her pale skin, contrasting sharply with the darkness, along with her crimson lips and eyes, possessed a mesmerizing, hypnotic allure.

Rosesha approached with a seductive smile, wearing a sheer, see-through nightgown that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. It was classic Rosesha, so I wasn't particularly shocked.

The aura she exuded was entirely different from Calandas's. Unlike Calandas, whose chilling presence made it hard to even look at him, Rosesha commanded absolute attention and seduced simply by existing. However, if I let myself succumb, I would undoubtedly become her plaything. If I weren't undead, I might have fallen for it, but currently, I was a passionless undead. At least I didn't feel the same suffocating tension I had felt with Calandas.

Rosesha stood before me with her hands clasped behind her back. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around the back of my neck and pulled me down toward her face. Rising on her tiptoes, she brought her face so close our noses almost touched. Just like our first meeting, I found myself staring into her eyes, our foreheads pressed together in an awkward embrace.

"I missed you."

"..."

I couldn't say a word. A whirlwind of questions was spinning in my head.

The Rank 6 boss of the Mugan 7 Palaces was only level ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠73? She looked exactly like her in-game graphics, so I almost fell for it.

Is she still keeping her guard up?

Rosesha distrusted me. Otherwise, she wouldn't have met me with a clone even after dragging me into her bedroom. This was a disaster. The purpose of my visit required mutual trust, but it seemed like it was going to fail from the very beginning. As it stood, even if I trusted her, she didn't trust me. Forget a temporary alliance; even securing solid support seemed out of the question.

Currently, her level color was a light green. Did that mean she had goodwill, but it was mixed with distrust? I calmly raised my chin.

"I believe I said we would meet in person next time."

"Hehe. You didn't fall for it after all. I prepared so much this time, too."

She certainly had. Looking at her outward appearance, she was practically indistinguishable from the real thing.

"I have my reasons. I'll show you my real face when there's a chance later, okay? Is that alright, Darling?"

"Rosesha. Though it was only our first meeting, I had a rather good impression of you."

I couldn't back down here. A clone meant distrust. Trying to negotiate with this Rosesha was fundamentally flawed. If it were a trivial matter, it wouldn't be a big deal, but the situation was different now.

Rosesha parted her lips slightly in surprise. Soon, she clasped her hands behind her back again and leaned forward, arching her waist. She gave her signature seductive eye-smile. As her face drew closer, I almost turned my head away instinctively.

"Mmm... a good impression. I wonder what that means?"

"If there were no trust, I wouldn't have walked in here of my own accord. I came all this way to establish a friendly relationship with you. Yet, what is the meaning of this obvious trickery?"

Rosesha stared at me in silence, her gaze searching, as if trying to read my true intentions.

"Darling. Aren't you moving a bit too fast?"

"You were the one who showed interest in me first. You even provided support without asking for anything in return. Rosesha, I am not as rigid as the other bosses. I remember my debts and favors clearly, and I still remember the grace you showed me."

"It wasn't that big of a help to me. What if that decision was just a whim?"

"If that were the case, I wouldn't be standing here right now. You called me here because you are interested, did you not?"

"Mmm. Darling, you certainly have manners, don't you? You're right. A man and a woman can't share a bedroom unless they have a special relationship."

Fortunately, there was no tedious push-and-pull as I had feared.

"In the end, you just want to see my real self, right?"

Her sudden, direct question caught me slightly off guard. I nodded cautiously.

"I think I know why you want to see it. It's that, right? Hehe. I didn't know you had a naughty side, Darling."

I had no idea what she was thinking, but she was completely off-track. Regardless, things were going well. Judging by the flow of the conversation, Rosesha would return to her real body soon. After that, I just had to keep the conversation pleasant, get a positive confirmation, and everything would be settled.

"I'm sorry, but still, no."

"..."

So she wasn't an easy woman after all? Judging by her attitude, she seemed incredibly easy, but once I tried to peel back the layers, she was an iron fortress. True to her reputation as a virgin succubus, her defense was no joke.

"I told you. I have my reasons."

"What reasons?"

"If I tell you, they wouldn't be reasons anymore. It's just... something like that."

I wondered for a moment if she meant some dirty, suggestive reason, but that didn't seem to be it. The playfulness drained from Rosesha's face, leaving only a serious expression. But if I backed down here, everything would go down the drain.

"I have no strange ulterior motives. I simply wish to build trust through an honest conversation."

"..."

"But it seems you do not feel the same. If you insist on keeping a false doll before me, I see no room for dialogue. I shall take my leave."

If you refuse to show yourself, then I'll play hard to get.

I turned around coldly, acting as if I had absolutely no lingering attachments. Though, internally, I was desperately praying for her to stop me.

"Darling, you're a really difficult man. Fine. Wait."

The light faded from the eyes of the succubus doll in front of me. Outwardly expressionless, I cheered inwardly. I didn't know what her reasons were, but if she was willing to overcome them to meet me, then we had built sufficient trust.

"Over here."

I turned around at the sound of a voice behind me. There stood a succubus, gently waving her hand.

Rather than her appearance, it was her level that convinced me she was the real body. Rosesha grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand up to her face. Then, she poked her cheek with the tip of my finger. The sensation of her soft skin transmitted even through my skeletal joints.

"This time, it's really me. Not a fake."

"...It seems so."

"You should know, Darling. I made a really big decision to show you this. None of the other Mugan 7 Palace bosses know. I'm showing you specifically because I have a personal interest in you."

Looking at her, I had absolutely no idea what her "reasons" could be. Was she bare-faced? Was her face bloated? Women are sensitive about those things, so maybe that was it. To my eyes, she looked like a goddess I was seeing for the very first time, so I had no such suspicions. If I weren't a literal undead, I might have had some wicked thoughts.

"Hmm? Don't tell me you don't recognize it, Darling?" Rosesha asked, looking at me expectantly.

A boss of the Mugan 7 Palaces can't even recognize this? Her look seemed to imply that, making me flinch. Looking around for a distraction, the accessory resting on Rosesha's chest caught my eye.

"The jewel is beautiful."

"I knew it. I knew you'd recognize it, Darling."

...I was just trying to change the subject, though?

Rosesha let out a deep sigh and gently touched the jewel.

"You're right. Because of this, I haven't met with any of the other bosses. It's probably been over fifty years."

Naturally, my gaze fixed on the jewel. While my ears were filled with Rosesha's voice, my vision was suddenly filled with a status window message.

What is this? It was an item even I had never seen before. Since it was an S-grade item, it had to be quite good, but it was a shame there was no information window.

"Darling. Do you know what this is?"

"It's Kalasutra's Binding Amethyst."

"You know about this too. You're exactly right. This amethyst is sealing my racial trait."

I almost blurted out, What did you just say? in shock. First, I was surprised that it wasn't just an accessory, and second, I was stunned by the fact that it sealed her trait. A Succubus Queen's trait would be Dream Mana—in other words, the power to interfere with dreams.

"I wish I had noticed it right away like you did, Darling... Well, it's a late regret."

In my 30,000 hours of gameplay, I had never seen this setting, let alone any lore hints about it. Come to think of it, Rosesha never used Dream Mana even when she entered Phase 3. I had simply assumed, based on her dialogue about letting her guard down, that she died before she could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠go all out because she underestimated the players.

"It was about half a century ago."

Interpreting my dazed stare in a different way, Rosesha continued.

"At the time, the Grand Duke of Kalasutra offered me a tribute. He gave me this, calling it a priceless gem, and told me to try it on."

Rosesha poked the amethyst on her chest.

"He said if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I placed it near my collarbone, it would attach itself. I thought it was neat, so I tried it right away. And then, do you know what? His attitude completely flipped. He told me to roll around in bed with him just once, and then he'd undo the amethyst's seal."

"...A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seal."

"So, do you know what I did? I lost my temper and killed him. I purged his entire bloodline, too. Oh, the current Grand Duke of Kalasutra is just a puppet I put on the throne."

The outline of her situation was finally becoming clear.

"Is there no way to resolve it after killing the Grand Duke?"

"Yeah. Exactly. Since then, no matter what method I've tried, I haven't been able to remove it. Magic, racial traits, nothing works. Even the Elder—ah, you probably don't know him. The Elder of the Ten-Tier Abyss, Rank 2, said even he couldn't solve this. He said I just have to live like this forever..."

"..."

"You're right. I wore an eternal sealing stone of my own free will. It was the biggest mistake of my thousand-year life. And my regret is just as massive."

Rosesha laughed self-deprecatingly. Her weak, hollow laughter was a far cry from her usual self.

Thinking about it now, in the hierarchy where Calandas was level 93, Rosesha was only level 90. For a difference of just one rank, the level gap was massive. I had assumed Rosesha was simply a boss who relied heavily on her subordinates, but that wasn't the case.

"Because of this jewel, my racial trait is completely sealed. I can't interfere with any dreams. Isn't it funny? A Succubus Queen who can't interfere with dreams. With my original power, I could have shown even an undead a wonderful dream... Don't you think it's a shame, Darling?"

Rosesha smiled, letting out a faint chuckle. It was obvious she was trying to brush it off as a joke because she had shown weakness.

"Without my dreams, I'm weak. Someday, I'll be killed by someone. Whether it's the Four Heroes or that skeleton. Mmm, in a few years, maybe our ranks will be reversed, Darling?"

"And you're fine with that?"

"Yeah. I think if it's you, Darling, I'd be fine with it. You've completely won me over. If it were any other skeleton, I'd rather die than let them see me like this, but with you, it's okay. The only ones who know my secret are my adjutant, the Elder, and now you. You'll keep my secret, right?"

Her face, which had been smiling brightly, suddenly looked incredibly serene and detached. Rosesha hadn't distrusted me; she truly had an unspeakable circumstance. A wave of sympathy washed over me. Feeling guilty like I was the bad guy for doubting her, I couldn't even think about negotiating anymore.

I tilted my chin slightly, looking at her chest. Sensing a sudden change, Rosesha flinched. When she looked down, the jewel that should have been there had vanished without a trace.

"...Huh?"

Rosesha looked back and forth between me and her chest, her face completely blank with shock.

Rosesha's level rose by one every second, finally stopping at 93. Seeing that it was the exact same level as Calandas, she had likely returned to her prime in an instant. Now *this* was proper normalization.

I shrugged as I met her dumbfounded gaze.

"It's resolved."

I was about to say something more, but my mouth clamped shut when I saw her level color change. It was a deep pink, richer than anything I had ever seen, surpassing even Charlotte's.

"Darling, do you want to get married?"

Looking at the sudden, dramatic shift in Rosesha's eyes, what I felt was an inexplicable sense of impending doom.