The Margrave's Token
"Undead monsters ahead!"
The moment the crow Mingming reported the undead, everyone scrambled into combat readiness.
Lilith, however, had already climbed onto the wagon. She drew her bow, formed mana arrows, and loosed more than a dozen in a single second.
Sssseeeek—thud-thud-thud-thud!
What looked like wild, indiscriminate fire proved anything but. Every arrow punched clean through an undead skull. Because the shafts were pure mana, the impact was devastating; all but a handful of the creatures toppled at once.
"Whoa. From that range?"
"Has to be five hundred meters at least…"
The mercenaries gaped in admiration, yet their awe was premature. Lilith never stopped. Arrow after arrow streaked out without pause until the entire horde—nearly a hundred strong—lay shattered. A few still twitched; the mercenaries finished those with casual sword strokes.
"She wiped out that many by herself…"
"How the hell did the captain talk someone that strong into joining us?"
Some simply marveled at her power. Others began to think further.
"Hey… looks like we really hit the jackpot this time."
"You thinking the same thing?"
"Once we carve territory out of the Saryeong Kingdom, the captain becomes a lord, right? Not all of us, but a few of us could end up knights."
Even if Lillian became a lord, holding the land was another matter entirely. Yet with two Master-rank warriors, Kaisent filling the mage role, and a dark-elf archer who casually erased a hundred undead, the four of them could easily defend a modest fief. Hope kindled in the mercenaries' eyes.
To become a knight you need real skill, of course.
We're supposed to train at Margrave Akina's domain, right?
Get stronger here and the odds of knighthood go way up.
Once a man was knighted, other knights might sneer at a former mercenary, but he still stood far above commoners. Feeling the real possibility of land and status, the company's mood began to shift.
"Haaah…"
Lilith, having cleared the undead, made no move to claim loot with the others. She simply steadied her breathing.
I have to reach Margrave Akina's territory as soon as possible. Otherwise…
After a full night of Arty's relentless torment, the urgency burned in her.
A sharp throb.
"Nngh…♥"
The memory alone made her cock and prostate twitch.
I scrubbed and scrubbed, yet the smell of cum still clings to me.
Arty had aimed that synthetic cock at her face and forced dozens of loads out of her; every breath still carried the thick scent of semen.
More undead packs appeared later. Each time Lilith unleashed her full strength so the column never slowed. Even so, no single archer could turn an army's march into something superhuman. Night inevitably fell.
She braced for another hellish evening, yet neither Arty nor Kaisent approached her. For three full days she traveled untouched among the mercenaries, and gradually things she had never noticed before began to register.
"Everyone, eat up."
"Smells great again today."
"Right? I put a little extra effort in."
Kaisent ladled soup for the men, chatting easily, a natural smile on his face as though the simple work genuinely pleased him.
Why does he bother with such menial chores?
He possessed mana dense enough to shatter her arrows with an ordinary low-conductivity bow, plus magic, archery, and a subspace warehouse—any one of which could make others dance on his fingertip. Yet here he was cooking, even serving soup by hand.
Fine, cooking for taste made sense. But ladling soup? Anyone could do that. The boy still wore an unfeigned smile, as if the humble task delighted him.
A short while later Kaisent approached Lilith carrying a tray loaded with food.
"Eat. Even a summon needs to be seen eating."
She took the tray in silence and set it before her. Kaisent placed his own opposite hers.
"We're going to be seeing a lot of each other. I don't want things awkward between us."
When her eyes asked his intent, he answered at once. He told her to enjoy the meal, moistened his throat with soup, and began eating. After a brief hesitation Lilith decided the fastest way to send him away was to eat, so she lifted her spoon.
The bread, smoked meat, and ham tasted exactly like preserved rations—nothing more, nothing less. The soup, however, was different. Seasoning and vegetables were perfectly balanced, coaxing every last bit of flavor from the ingredients. It was more than mere knowledge of ingredients; though she was no critic, she could feel a gentle warmth crafted for the eater's comfort.
"I've been thinking it over by myself."
"Hm?"
"Your impatience feels like more than just being separated from your Master. This is only a guess, but before you fell into this world… was your Master in serious danger? Or trapped in some crisis?"
"…You're right."
Lilith sipped the comforting soup and felt her shoulders loosen a fraction.
"My Master was a half-blood of demon and human. Even with outstanding talent, neither the light nor the dark ever welcomed him."
By chance he had become her new Master. Until then every previous Master had only tried to exploit a Lost Heroic's power; she had kept her distance. Yet this one had declared he would grant her wish, and through every hardship he had worked to fulfill it.
"Then that damn bitch… while I was drawing enemies away to protect him, I fell into this world."
"Damn bitch?"
"…You wouldn't know even if I told you."
"Tell me anyway. You can't just stop after coming this far."
Lilith clicked her tongue softly and scowled. Merely recalling the "damn bitch" was enough to make her seethe.
"There's another Lost Heroic—a half-blood of a light-side god and a high elf. Born that way, she was respected by everyone, never knew a single hardship."
"Didn't you say you're a half-blood of a Demon King yourself?"
"My situation's different. The one I can call father, Demon King of Lust Asmodeus, mutual-killed with one of the light gods and was annihilated. No one respects the descendant of a dead divinity."
She explained that the "damn bitch" had been born around the same time and had been her constant rival.
"I became a Lost Heroic because she cornered me in battle. What I still don't understand is why someone who lived loved and happy would ever become a Lost Heroic. What could she possibly have lacked?"
Lilith tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
"What happens once a Lost Heroic's wish is granted?"
"They either ascend satisfied, or regain life in their current body."
Only then did Lilith realize how much she had blurted out.
Why did I tell this kid all that?
The easy atmosphere, the way his expression shifted with every word so that speaking felt rewarding—she had gotten carried away without noticing.
"What about you?"
"Pardon?"
"I've done all the talking. Fair's fair—you talk too."
"Uh… well… my story isn't really interesting…"
"I'll be the judge of that."
If they were sharing stories, both sides should speak. So Lilith listened to Kaisent's past. It was simple: terrified of fighting after seeing his father's strength, he had been coddled by his older sisters until the day he fell into this world. After that he had searched for the woman who saved him—Dang Seol-yeong—and trained relentlessly so he could take revenge on the man who forced their separation. When he spoke of that revenge, his face hardened into the resolve of a man, not a child.
Not just a little boy… a man with something he must protect.
And she finally understood why cooking made him smile so happily. The boy who once feared and hated battle still longed, deep down, for a gentle life of cooking for others and watching them enjoy it. The cowardice had faded only because he now had a reason to fight—not because he ever desired a life of struggle.
"Thanks for listening. Sleep well, then."
"Wait."
"Yes?"
As Kaisent rose with the empty tray, Lilith hurriedly caught his sleeve.
"Th-that is…"
"??"
Seeing the usually bold Lilith stammer and blush was strange enough, but then—
"I won't complain about you two having sex, but could you… keep it a little more moderate?"
"…What?"
The unexpected request left him looking blank.
"Call it a constitution or an ability—I can't explain it well, but I can feel it whenever you two… do it."
"I didn't know that."
"So just… moderately…"
"I'm sorry, but that's impossible."
"What? Why?"
"Neither of us wants to stop at 'just that much.'"
Lilith cursed them both as sex-crazed maniacs inside her head while desperately holding a polite smile.
"Then do it inside that dimensional warehouse of yours?"
"The atmosphere dies. I hate that."
"Grr…!"
She glared at him, face twisted with helpless irritation.
"Don't worry, big sister. Whenever you want, I'll make time for you."
"I-I don't need it!"
"Heheh."
Kaisent vanished among the mercenaries, leaving the flustered Lilith behind.
I never want another hellish night like that!
Remembering the six unbroken hours Arty had tormented her cock, Lilith shuddered as if chilled.
Right now she loathed that torturous pleasure. But once desire built up again, the memory would take on a very different flavor.
That big sister has both a cock and a pussy, so she feels male and female lust at the same time. And if she can sense me, Lillian, and Priscilla having sex, the excitement hits her twice as hard.
Someone as proud as Lilith had to be made to spread her own legs rather than forced. That was why he had strictly ordered Arty not to seek her out first at night.
I wonder how long big sister can hold out.
Kaisent smiled seductively, already looking forward to the moment Lilith's lust overcame her reason.
Time passed, and the Wolf Mercenary Group finally entered Margrave Akina's domain.
Dense forest flanked a well-maintained road. Traces of undead battles remained, yet the damage had been light; everything was neatly cleared. Without the gouged earth and the reek of rotten blood, no one would have known fighting had occurred here.
"Once we're this far, we should be fine."
"Whew, the forest makes it feel cooler."
The mercenaries relaxed completely, reassured by the Margrave's territory. Lillian and Priscilla, however, sensed something off and kept their guard up.
"Lillian."
"I know."
Someone was watching them from the trees, aura carefully suppressed. Hostile intent was absent, so they issued no alert to the company.
"Huh?"
Suddenly a shadow fell across the road. Mercenaries looked up and pointed in panic.
"M-monsters!"
"Monsters from the sky!"
Huge shapes descended; the mercenaries scrambled into defensive formation.
"Too late."
Fsssss—
Lilith, already aware of the watchers near the wagons, muttered that the mercenaries' reaction was hopelessly slow. As if to prove her right, lightly armored rangers with bows and swords emerged from the forest, surrounding them.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"Wasn't Margrave Akina's domain supposed to have perfect security?!"
The sudden ambush startled everyone. Only when the flying monsters landed did the mercenaries realize these were no ordinary bandits.
Massive, well-groomed griffins settled to earth, their riders armed with long lances and magic rifles.
"This is the territory of our lord, Countess Akina! Those who are not merchants may not enter without our lord's token!"
"Token?"
"What token?"
Lillian and Priscilla frowned. They had no memory of receiving anything of the sort from Countess Akina. Sensing their captains' confusion, the mercenaries could only roll their eyes, clueless.
Token? Ah—maybe!
"W-wait a moment!"
Something flashed through Kaisent's mind. He pulled a medal from his coat.
"Engrave."
At the command word a crest flared across the medal. He held it high for the griffin riders to see.
"That is the token."
The lead rider confirmed the seal and immediately dropped his fighting spirit. The rangers who had been aiming from the trees melted back into the forest without a sound.
"We welcome the guests of our lord, Countess Akina. This forest is under our complete control; simply follow the road."
With that the griffin riders rose again and dwindled to dots in the sky.
"…Damn countess…"
"So we're nothing but extras."
Lillian and Priscilla understood perfectly. From beginning to end, Akina's only interest was Kaisent; everyone else was disposable scenery. Hostility toward the woman who meant to steal him from them smoldered in their eyes, yet they forced calm expressions and ordered the column forward.