The Succubus's Persuasion
The succubus Lilia's negotiation methods didn't take long to put the market to good use. Though Mother had scribbled something odd on the note listing what to buy, Ilena had already checked the warehouse herself. Thanks to her quickly locating everything we needed, the shopping trip ended far sooner than expected.
"That was much faster than I thought it would be."
"Most of the items were already decided. And besides..." Ilena glanced away. "It was my fault we were running late. So I made sure to stay focused."
"Good thing one of us kept a clear head. I was—"
"Ugh, be quiet!"
We were loading the purchases onto the carriage when a voice called out.
"Roen~!!"
Strange. No one in this village should know my name. Who could be calling me...? I turned around to see a village woman running straight toward me. Of course, she wasn't from the village at all. It was Lilia, her wings and tail hidden, dressed in ordinary clothes.
"You missed me, didn't you!"
Without hesitation, Lilia launched herself into my arms. But there was no chance of that happening—I simply stepped aside. She hit the ground hard, but managed to roll with the fall and avoid a truly embarrassing crash.
"Aww, why didn't you catch me?"
"Because I didn't particularly miss you."
"That's so mean. You're so cold..."
I brushed the dust off her clothes from the tumble. "As expected. That cold-but-somehow-endearing attitude is exactly what makes you so charming, Roen."
"What are you even saying? Don't do that again. I'm not catching you next time."
After dusting her off, I turned my head—only to meet Ilena's gaze. She was staring at us with a peculiar expression.
"You two seem closer than I thought."
"Me and her? No. We're not close at all."
"But I want to get closer to you, Roen!"
"What would I even gain from that?"
"Hmm..." Lilia thought for a moment, then licked her lips with a mischievous grin. "How about I give you dreams where you get to do whatever your favorite girl wants?"
"That actually sounds pretty good. Maybe we should get closer after all."
"Eek, you...!"
The moment I showed interest in Lilia's outrageous offer, Ilena jumped in alarm and shook her head vigorously.
"I knew it. You're a pervert."
"What's wrong with being a pervert? If people didn't follow their instincts, every race would have gone extinct by now. I'm just obeying the laws of nature."
"Even if you make it sound reasonable, it doesn't work!"
"Besides, it's not like I wanted to see you. You're the one who overslept and—"
"Waaah! Stop! Don't say another word!"
Lilia reacted to our exchange. "Oh? So something did happen between you and the Demon King, huh?"
"Nothing happened! More importantly, you're here to report, right? Stop wasting time and get on with it!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lilia straightened up and bowed politely. "I took care of the men you asked me to handle. In fact, they've promised to cooperate with us from now on."
"Cooperate?"
"They said if you ever need help in this village, they'll do everything they can."
"Just how did you handle them...?"
"I handled it my way! You trust me, don't you?"
Ilena narrowed her eyes at Lilia's bright smile. "It's true that you always get results, Lilia. It's just that your methods are... a little embarrassing every time."
"But Demon King, isn't it perfectly normal for a succubus to do embarrassing things?"
"That may be true... Lilia, come here."
"Yes!"
Lilia stepped forward without hesitation. "You don't mind if I look through your memories?"
"Of course not. I'd actually prefer it if you saw just how well I handled everything!"
"Ugh, that confidence is terrifying..."
Ilena's hand trembled as she placed it on Lilia's head. Not even five seconds later, she yanked it away with a scream.
"Kyaaah! What was that?!"
"What do you mean? That's how a succubus gets things done. It's the most effective method against men, regardless of race. I didn't even threaten them—I just suggested we do something mutually beneficial."
"Right, right. I expected as much, so..."
From the way Ilena was reacting, it seemed she'd seen something quite stimulating. I couldn't help but feel curious—extremely curious. As a man, how could I not be?
"What exactly did you do? Show me too."
"Y-You don't need to know!"
"I don't need to know? I'm the one who dealt with those guys first. If I run into them again when I come back to this village, I should at least know what happened."
"Ugh, uuu..."
At my serious tone, Ilena backed away in a panic. Lilia approached me with a suggestive smile.
"It seems the Demon King doesn't want to tell you. How about I explain it instead? What I did to those boys."
"Hearing it from you directly sounds good too. Go ahead."
Lilia grinned widely and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Well, you see, what I did was..."
"Aaaagh...!"
Tom, the leader of the thugs, had fled as far as he could. Only after reaching the forest outside the village did he finally stop to catch his breath.
'Bad luck is one thing, but this is ridiculous! How the hell did I run into someone that strong—and a mage on top of that?! Aaaagh...'
Once he calmed down a little, the pain finally registered. Roen's face flashed in his mind—the man who had given only one warning before mercilessly breaking his fingers.
'Still, this might be a chance to make something big out of this!'
Now that he was out of immediate danger, Tom's mind began to scheme. That strange sensation he'd felt when his body lifted off the ground had definitely been magic. If he reported the mage to the authorities, he could earn a hefty reward later. Sure, the female mage hiding out here would be dragged away, but that wasn't his problem. In fact, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get revenge for his humiliation.
But then—
"Hey there, handsome big brother?"
A voice from behind made his mind go blank. A young woman's voice, coming from the forest in the middle of the night?
"W-Who's there?!"
"Who do you think?"
Someone stepped out of the shadows. "Someone who likes handsome big brothers."
The woman who slowly emerged into the moonlight was the most beautiful Tom had ever seen in his life. Perhaps the most beautiful he would ever see. And that was how he knew for certain—she wasn't human.
"What are you?!"
"Curious? Then I'll tell you."
The moment she said she would, the woman unfurled a pair of large wings. Her slender, elongated tail swayed as she approached him.
"D-Demon!"
"That's right. A demon who's come to eat you up."
Realizing what she was, Tom froze on the spot. First he'd met an impossibly strong man, then a mage, and now a demon. His luck couldn't possibly get any worse.
The woman circled him, tracing a line across his body with her finger. "When I say 'eat you up,' I mean kill you, right?"
"That depends on you. Though either way, I will be eating you."
She stopped in front of him and lifted his chin with her finger. "Do you know who those two people you met today really are?"
"N-No."
"Of course you don't. But there's one thing you should know—they're very special. So from now on, I'd appreciate it if you cooperated with them whenever they come here."
"And if I don't, you'll kill me?"
"Hmm, I was going to, but now that I think about it, just killing you seems a bit boring."
Her finger trailed up his face and stopped at his forehead. Even in this terrifying situation, Tom couldn't help but notice how soft her touch was. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them with a grin.
"Tom. So that's your name."
"How do you know my name...?"
"And you're afraid of wolves. You were chased by one as a child and barely survived."
Tom couldn't believe what was happening. This woman knew not only his name, but also what he'd been through as a child and what he feared.
"I've decided. If you don't cooperate, I'll make you dream of wolves every single night."
"N-No! I'll cooperate! Please, anything but that!"
"Hehe, how cute..."
Tom begged, even using formal speech. The woman gently stroked his cheek and spoke in a pitying tone. "I haven't finished yet. I haven't told you what happens if you do cooperate."
"What will you do...?"
"Something you've always dreamed of."
Her hand slid slowly downward from his face—past his neck, his chest, his stomach, and lower...
"H-Hey, that's...!"
"How does it feel, being touched there for the first time?"
"Ugh..."
Tom was so overwhelmed by the sensation he'd never felt before that he couldn't even respond.
"Once a month, I'll come touch you like this. How about it? Feeling a little more cooperative now...?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
"Oh my? Hehe..."
Surprised by his eager answer, the woman gave his stiff cheek a light kiss. Then she stepped back, leaving him frozen in place. Even though she'd only touched him for a moment, Tom was still lost in the lingering sensation as he desperately asked, "W-Where are you going?"
"To meet your friends."
She spread her wings and began to rise slowly into the sky. "Oh, and my name is Lilia. Next time, call me by my name, won't you? See you in a month. Make sure to keep your promise!"
Lilia waved brightly and disappeared into the distant sky. Only then did Tom's legs give out, and he collapsed to the ground. For a long while, he kept repeating the name he knew he would never forget.
"L-Lilia..."