The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!

Kanae awakened early in the morning as the sun was beginning to warm Savir up into a sweltering hell. She was lying alone at the back of the covered wagon. A thin carpet she and Sadul had been using as a blanket draped over her. Soreness nipped at her breasts and pulsing groin. The beastman had really gone to town on her last night.

Upon sitting up, a load of spunk flowed out of Kanae's upright womb. She casted Prestidigitation to clean it all up, then crawled to the back of the wagon and threw open the heavy cloth that covered their vehicle. The same old desert stretched into the distance. Grains of sand picked up by the dry winds flitted past her.

It shouldn't be much longer before they reached The Diamond. Kanae worried if her companions had gone ahead to Bravost instead with how long she had been missing. Well, Alicia was capable as Vice-Captain. They should be in good hands. The problem was Petyr picking a fight from the slightest offense… and Edina openly practicing her necromancy… and Claudia being Claudia…

"Oh, god. I'm actually super worried now." Kanae groaned.

Something hidden in the glare of the rising sun approached the wagon. Kanae almost scrambled for her weapon until she realized it wasn't a harpy. She squinted to get a better look. The figure was a lot smaller. A black raven nosedived into Kanae, knocking her flat on her back in the wagon.

"Ow… What the hell was that?" Kanae complained and sat up to find the raven hopping around.

What was something like this doing in a Savir? Ravens weren't native animals here. Actually, it looked familiar. Elizabeth Bedlam often transformed into similar ravens to do battle. She reached for the critter until it began to flutter its wings.

"Hellooo! Can you hear me?" the voice of Patrice Starborne came through the raven.

"Archbishop? What are you doing here?" Kanae asked.

"I'm not here here, silly. Madam Bedlam kindly lent one of her familiars so that I might commune with you. Have you reached Savir? Made any progress in subjugating the country yet?" she questioned her like a teacher would single out a distracted student.

"No… You know what you're asking me, right? As if taking over a country is that easy. I'm on my way to The Diamond. I want to make a stop there before heading to Bravost. Apparently, Cerberus of Avanesse and Ortesia formed an alliance to stage a coup against her. The Amethyst Hall and I plan to put a stop to that."

Archbishop Patrice fell silent. There were a few 'hms' followed by the sound of a quill scribbling on parchment. Kanae couldn't get a read on this woman at all. She was about as cryptic as Alicia's poker faces despite having laid her interests bare already.

"What if you were to allow that coup to come to pass?" Patrice brazenly suggested that even Kanae was taken by surprise. "The way it stands now, you must defeat three countries' worth of leaders. With Sultana Dudula defeated and Bravost falling to Cerberus, you need only face two."

"I can't believe how easily that came out of your mouth… This isn't a chess game. Real lives and livelihoods are at stake. I'm not going to let a coup happen, especially not before I even have a grasp of the situation. At the moment, Cerberus is my enemy because he's in bed with the Ortesian Empire. I appreciate you checking up on me. But you asked me to come here. So let me do what I do best." Kanae's tail sneakily picked up her wand and casted Dispel.

"Oh, you did not just cast Dispel on me! Young lady, I'll have choice words for you next—" The raven vanished before Patrice could finish her sentence.

Kanae exhaled a deep breath. Dealing with teachers was a whole different brand of misery. School had done a number on her back when she was still a student.

The front window slat slid open, and Sadul peered in.

"Did I just hear another woman's voice in here?" Sadul asked suspiciously.

"Just your imagination." Kanae got dressed and flew out the back to join her traveling companion in front of the wagon. "How much farther are we from The Diamond?"

"Take a gander with your own eyes, my fair lady!" He gestured ahead and smiled.

Their ronoas trotted right up to the edge of the cliff. Situated below in the valley was a walled city. Four massive spires towering over the desert stood erect, arranging itself to appear as its namesake— The Diamond. Smaller pockets of communities had been set up outside each tower, mostly consisting of large tents and wagons.

They descended along a ramp against the side of the cliff. Other vehicles came and went as soon as they got onto the main road. Closer now, Kanae was able to see the magnificent mural on the walls. The beautiful paintings, their colors worn by time and weather, depicted numerous themes at different heights. At the bottom, vague figures conducted trade on soil. Some had been graffitied, and a few had penises that probably didn't originally belong on them. Higher beyond the touch of vandals who couldn't fly, the mural was much more vibrant and unblemished, showing the backdrop of Savir with all its dunes, cliffs, and the enormous sun illuminating the country.

Kanae shrunk as they neared the gates. The Diamond's guards wielded spears with crescent blades and dressed in gambeson. But it was the four-pointed star crest on their tabards that stood out. Footsoldiers of the East Saviran Trading Association. After the commotion at an outpost, she might not want to cause any more trouble. Sadul already had help from Mortus in giving him a clean slate. The last thing she wanted to do was to jeopardize their entry into the association's banquet.

Fortunately, Kanae didn't need to do anything. They rolled right into the city unopposed and unbothered by the guards. That didn't stop them from giving her the stink-eye though, but what did a succubus expect? She was a rarer sight than a high elf from Ortesia here.

"Do you smell that?" Sadul breathed deeply as they crossed the threshold into the city.

"What? All the body odor from bad hygiene?" Kanae pinched her nose shut to a rank stench instead.

"No! The wealth, the economy, and the upward mobility every man has access to!" he exclaimed.

All Kanae saw were an equal number of beggars and merchants at every inch of the street. It seemed like the exact opposite of Ehmvier. Sandstone buildings packed so tightly together that narrow alleys became the veins of shady and lucrative dealings. Hopes and dreams perished at every dead end of the block, as evidenced by tattered tent dwellings. The poor pleaded for copper coins on the same sand-swept streets as sacks of gold exchanged hands. A constant drone of bartering and bickering gradually grew louder in a competition to outdo other merchants.

It was an odd feeling to be in the presence of poverty while lavish monuments like The Diamond's spires casted a shadow over the city.

Sadul purposefully ignored beggars as they passed with practiced skill. At the end of the day, he was a sleazy trader and willing accomplice to the misfortune through and through. The deeper into the city they went though, the less poor they saw. Behind more stable abodes, jewelers worked on the exact jewelry that the rich flaunted around. Weaponsmiths forged ornamental arms perfect for putting above a fireplace to spark soulless conversations.

But behind the veneer of wealth, there did exist an exceptional attention to detail in working artisans. They demonstrated a level of discipline that made them firm on the price of their products. Not a single home or building looked weathered. The roads, though dusted with sand, were pristine and polished. Even the poor weaved beautiful textiles, roasted the most mouthwatering cuts of meat, and carved statues with expert precision to partake in this cutthroat economy. The hardest working poor man of Savir had more heart than the hardest working rich man of Ortesia or Radevic.

"So, where are we to meet these companions of yours?" Savir asked as he rolled the wagon to a stop underneath the shade of a building.

"I'll have to search for them the hard way." Kanae sighed.

As Edina continued to become more undead in her path to lichdom, it was getting harder to track her using Sisterhood even though she was a half-succubus. Luckily, three out of the four members of Amethyst Hall were anything but quiet. In fact, they were the loudest of the bunch. Vizier Duran was with them, too. Kanae doubted they would stay anywhere that didn't have luxurious accommodations.

"Well, just leave finding them to me. You have a platinum token to earn, don't you? How are we going to get in contact with each other in this city?" Kanae asked.

"Each of those towers that form The Diamond is an association hub. I'll be staying at the West Spire, trying to schmooze my way to a platinum token. Are you sure you don't want to come with me? I… I was hoping we could continue to be more intimate…" Sadul stammered, pressing his index fingers together.

"After a whole past week of going at it constantly, and you still want more? I'm tempted, but let's keep things professional until after the banquet. By the way, can you point me in the direction of the adventurers hall?" She jumped off the wagon that had been her home and sex nest for days.

"Oh, alright… If it's the adventurers hall you're after, follow this road going north. You will come to an open-air bazaar, and there it shall be," he explained.

Kanae waved goodbye to her new friend for now and flew into the sky. The Diamond might not be the biggest city she had ever known, but it was dense. People were shoulder to shoulder in the streets as they shuffled through. There wasn't even an inch of space between merchant stalls and stands.

As the bazaar came into view, a group of harpies dressed in the association tabard suddenly intercepted her.

"Excuse me, miss! You can't fly in The Diamond. This is a restricted airspace," one guard warned.

"Restricted… what?!" It only then came to Kanae's attention that, for a country where harpies were a common sight, no one was in the air. "Ugh… Sorry. I'm new here. I won't fly again."

"That's great and all, but we still have to issue you a citation," another one said and whipped out a notepad.

"You've got to be kidding me." She groaned.

When they gave Kanae the ticket, she followed the writing down to the bottom of the paper. A penalty of 50 gold had been incurred for breaking the law. She facepalmed with a ticket in hand.

"You can pay this at the adventurers hall or at any of the four spires," the same guard who issued the fine said.

"Okay, but… Why can't people fly in the city?" Kanae asked.

"Sultana Dudula enacted new laws. Just follow them or pay the consequences. And, ahem… between you and me, I don't like dealing with reports that bodily fluids fell from the sky," he whispered.

"Noted." She gulped and squeezed her thighs to keep the last bit of Sadul's spunk from spilling out.

The squadron of harpy guards escorted Kanae back to the surface. They kindly let her go with a warning. Left with no other choice, she continued to the adventurers on foot. The road eventually thinned into a narrow alleyway. Her boobs made squeezing through a nightmare.

After escaping the passage, Kanae stumbled into the open-air bazaar. Countless stalls and carts arranged the plaza into a maze of merchandise. Nearby vendors saw in her a prospective buyer and started hollering.

"Hey, pretty lady! You look like you could use some new digs!"

"A foreigner? You simply must try some Saviran scorpion skewers!"

"Trinkets, trinkets!"

"I've got jewelry that will match the shine in your eyes!"

It was all so disorienting. Kanae repeatedly declined to buy anything, pushing her way past the market and towards the adventurers hall of The Diamond. By the time she made it out, however, her coin pouch weighed half as much and numerous goods clung to both arms.

"God damn it!" Kanae cursed aloud.

Somehow, they were able to get her. These merchants were dangerous in their own way. Kanae double-checked the stuff she had been lulled into purchasing. Bags of dry candy, fruits, a vibrant and skimpy belly dancer's garb, and a fragrant wax candle. Hopefully, she still had enough to pay the fine…

Pressing her way to the adventurers hall, Kanae came across another obstacle. A couple of rough men blocked the way in. One of them was a hulking centaur, who wielded a maul. They didn't look like guards for the hall.

"Rank?" a beastman harpy asked.

"Er… Rookie," Kanae answered honestly.

They exchanged glances with each other and sneered.

"Rookies ain't allowed in anymore. Beat it," he said, and the centaur behind him straightened his back to size her up.

"I see. Step aside," Kanae demanded, exerting Mass Charm on the crew to make way. "Before I go in, maybe I should ask: why exactly are you keeping Rookies from entering?"

"O-Orders came from the top, lady! And they get their orders from Sultana Dudula. I don't fucking know. They just paid us hired muscles to only let Seas and Vets in!" the elf sputtered in fear.

Ever since arriving, Kanae had continued to hear that Sultana Dudula's paranoia was growing. Almost like it was a common occurrence and expected. What did this even achieve? Or were these new laws just a byproduct of that?

Kanae ascended the steps into the hall and thumbed the hilt of Saint Priest Camilla's rapier. Theena and the others could have been here. But if they were giving Rookies the boot, then that dashed any hopes of coming across the trio. She entered anyway and found the layout similar to the one in Kandis. Three elevated levels accommodated the three ranks of Savir's adventurers system. Except, the first level dedicated to Rookies was completely deserted.

"Uh, Hello!" Kanae walked up to the canine beastman receptionist. "I'm here to… ugh, pay a fine. I was also curious to know if my friends Theena, Seven, or Kara had come by here. They're Rookies."

The man lifted his glasses to peer at her. "Rookies? Doubt it. If you're a Rookie, too, you shouldn't be in here. Tsk. Just what the hells are those guys doing out there? We'll get your fine sorted out, but you gotta take your leave right after."

As soon as Kanae paid the ticket, some high level adventurers came by to 'guide' her out. Talk about hospitality. She considered looking for her friends, but the unshakeable feeling of being followed burned into her back. They might be crowned Rogues, because she couldn't detect them in the crowds. She was in trouble if they were Romira's Stalkers. Sadul wasn't around to smack them in the back of the head for her.

But this was a good opportunity to get a handle of what was going on in The Diamond through the eyes of the underworld. Kanae wandered about the bazaar for a little while longer before leaving for a more deserted block. As expected, they continued to follow. She led them to a dead end and braced herself for a fight, but upon spinning around to face her pursuers—

"Knight-Commander." Alicia stood at attention and saluted.

"What the…?!" Kanae tilted to the side to glance behind the succubus.

A trail of unconscious bodies littered the ground from the alley all the way up to this block.

"Ah. Those amateurs? I took a gamble like Edina suggested and waited day and night at the adventurers hall for you. Before revealing myself, I noticed they began to follow you, so I dispatched each and every one of them." Alicia sheathed her two daggers and bowed.

"I'm not even going to question it. Boy, am I glad to see you!" Kanae threw both arms around the rogue, who returned the tender embrace.

"We never doubted you would be in danger. But you were gone for so long, some of us were beginning to worry. Namely, Claudia. That knucklehead wanted to return to where you had vanished from. Petyr remarked that it was 'no skin off my' if you died. Edina seemed the most confident about you finding your way to us eventually. Just what happened?"

"A lot…"

Kanae gave Alicia the short version of what transpired. She was mostly amused by the story, if not a little envious of Sadul for getting a piece of Kanae so readily. News of Avanesse and Ortesia's alliance did come as a surprise. Everyone suspected the empire's involvement, but not that it would be so soon.

"Well, there you have it. Where are the others anyway?" Kanae asked.

"I've had everyone investigate the city on their own. We discovered some things that your revelation has now pieced the dots with. There are in fact Ortesians in the city. More than just a handful. Remember the Sandstriders? How they and other lawless syndicates are being paid by Sultana Dudula to work under her? For some, I think that is merely a cover and their allegiances lay elsewhere. A man I charmed mentioned nothing more than a name— Dryoak Consortium, who are funneling a lot more money into the pockets of mercenaries. Tying in what you have added, this leads me to believe there's a tug of war between both factions. This consortium is possibly Cerberus' attempt to also seize the East Saviran Trading Company."

"Wow. You've been doing work!" she complimented, never more proud than having made her second-in-command.

Alicia blushed a little and smiled.

"I don't want to waste any more time. Let's regroup with the others," Kanae suggested.

Alicia snatched her arm. "Wait. It will be easier if we fly, but since there is a law against doing so, I'd like to share with you my Magical Stealth skill just in case."

"Oh, sure." She waited for Alicia to cast a spell, but the succubus pulled down her leather pants, braced both hands against the wall, and stuck her ass up instead. "Oh. That's what you mean. "If you're offering…" Kanae switched on Futanari. "Don't mind if I do!"