The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!
Chapter 430 – Undercover

Calm returned to the association soon after they put out the fire. That was the easy part. Much of the first floor lobby was damaged in the attack. Furniture had been burned beyond use. The common area where association members gathered to lounge together was completely destroyed. Thanks in large part to Delayn and Archbishop Patrice, they were able to mend the seriously injured with healing magic. The others also pitched in to help.

By evening, everyone just wanted to forget what had happened and move on. But the fear of another attack weighed on their minds. An incident like this should have attracted city guards, and while a few harpies citizens from the upper city did fly low to get a look, no one offered to help or investigate.

Kanae was helping to carry burnt furniture out of the lobby when a thin moustached human tripped over some debris. She put the remains of a broken chair down and offered him a hand. He clasped her hand to pull himself up and smiled. Ashes dusted his brilliant gold and white tunic. Some of his hair had even become wiry from being singed by the fire earlier.

"Thank you. I don't know who you strangers are, but your timely assistance is well-appreciated. I still haven't learned your name. You are… an outsider?" He rubbed his chin in thought.

"From Bravost. We're association members, too." Kanae revealed the platinum token with a diamond inlay The Mamba had given her.

The man choked on his spit gasping. He took a step back and bowed low, both hands extended out to the side.

"I-I did not mean offense by calling you an outsider! How foolish of us to expect your help. You must be tired after a long journey from Bravost. Please, allow me to show you and your companions the appropriate accommodations instead!" he insisted strongly.

The sudden deference stunned Kanae. Just what the hell did The Mamba give her? When she and Sadul took a job to help him in the past, he offered a similar token but with a sapphire instead. The look on Sadul's face was that of sheer shock. If the difference in value of diamond compared to sapphire was anything to go by…

"We can save that for later. I want to speak with whoever is in charge of this outpost first," Kanae said.

"As you wish. That would be Shaheed Moran. If you will follow me inside." He continued keeping his head low leading her into the building.

They ascended the association tower to a floor that hadn't been touched by the fire or fighting. The mess ended around the second floor. On the third and fourth, it was business as usual. Members went about their night lounging around by the balcony, but the topic of what happened earlier in the day were more than just whispers. People were having shouting matches over what to do about it.

Before long, the two had stopped in front of a door guarded by heavily armed men, the four-pointed star crest emblazoned over their gambeson suit. Kanae's guide took a deep breath and cleared his throat first, then knocked on the door.

"Mr. Moran, a member of the association wishes to meet with you. She and her fellows were the ones who repelled the attackers and… has in her possession a diamond-centered platinum token," he explained.

Both guards snapped in Kanae's direction, seemingly shocked to hear it.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Send her in!" an impatient voice shouted from the other side.

The man opened the door for Kanae to enter, but he didn't come in himself. As soon as she stepped into the office, the guards closed the door behind her. Only moonlight illuminated the room from the wide open windows. Their silken drapes swayed listlessly to the cool winds blowing in.

Smooth marble tiles replaced the sandstone that was commonly treaded upon in the rest of the building. There was little furniture, but multiple rings of cushions surrounded hookahs. It looked like a hookah lounge, if it wasn't for the other doors in the room left open. Kanae caught a glimpse of one left ajar, where a bedroom with several women were lying inside. A middle-aged dark elf smoking from a hookah beckoned to her. His right ear had been clipped, but now healed to the point of not being pointed. A sun earring hung from his left earlobe. Unlike the others downstairs, his pure white robe, a bathrobe probably, was completely unstained. He must have been up here all this time, even during the attack. Attractive women in belly dancer outfits, some of whom were vying for his attention, sat beside him, danced for him, and one even had her hand on his groin.

As soon as they saw her, their expressions wrinkled almost… enviously.

"Come sit. Show me your token." Shaheed gestured for the cushion across from him.

Kanae sat down and slid the platinum token around the hookah, then grabbed a pipe for herself. The vapors were sweet, like drinking honey. When the taste passed, a high enveloped her brain in a warm embrace. This was too strong for her… but Camilla and Renya would definitely like it.

"It's real…" Shaheed flicked the coin back, and Kanae caught it in time. "You don't look like an association member, but far be it from me to question your guild membership. Why would Premier Migo send someone of your stature here? It's become too dangerous in Elusis for even the most seasoned traveling merchant."

"Migo isn't premier anymore. Theo Mambahu is," Kanae said.

The elf's eyes narrowed into slits, only to erupt into bellowing laughter. When he had laughed enough and saw that Kanae was serious, his expression darkened. He shooed the women away, and they hurriedly exited the room. A few hollered for the rest in Shaheed's bedroom to leave. Once they were gone, the dark elf returned his attention to Kanae.

"Why is that snake Premier of the East Saviran Trading Association?" Shaheed demanded to know.

"Let's just say a lot has happened while you were here. The Mamba is Premier now. I'm here to help him root out any more traitors." Kanae let her Human Form drop, giving way to the true succubus form.

The hookah pipe dropped from his mouth. He tried to make a run for it, but Kanae was faster to charm him. She ordered the elf to sit back down.

"Before you make any assumptions— No, I'm not manipulating the association. But it's true that Theo Mambahu is the new Premier. He faithfully serves Sultana Dudula, unlike Migo. What about you?" Kanae asked, compelling an honest answer.

"I am… loyal to Sultana Dudula… to the association," Shaheed said stiffly.

Satisfied, Kanae released her hold on him.

"Honestly, I'm kind of disappointed. I was hoping to snip this at the bud. If you're not a traitor, maybe there are some members that you suspect?" Kanae suggested.

"To think, a succubus being in the association… I don't have the answer. There are exactly 50 members in Elusis, all conducting business on their own. Hm… But if Migo was bold enough to try and manipulate Sultana Dudula, it wouldn't surprise me if he and others were trying to curry favor with the Harpy King," Shaheed murmured to himself, then he recoiled a little. "Wait a minute. How do I know for sure you didn't manipulate Theo into the seat of Premier? You're a succubus, and you're not really an association member, are you?"

"I could put everyone here under my control and have them serve me, but I'm nicer than that. Listen, I just want to gain access to the upper city and lie low while in Elusis. Can you help me with that?" she asked.

"Tsk… You did aid us against those Consortium thugs. Very well. I would be remiss to repay the favor. I don't know your circumstances, succubus, but you're still in possession of a valuable token, and I owe you a debt of gratitude. But getting into the upper city is…"

After spending an hour with Shaheed, Kanae learned a little more about Elusis than before. Firstly, the harpy race reigned supreme here. Few other races could be found in positions of power. Wings were a status symbol, free from the confines of just walking on the surface unlike the wingless races.

Secondly, no one messed with people who had elemental powers. There was a good chance the Harpy King and his court of mystics infused them with the ability to control the elements. Consequently, it also meant those chosen were aligned with the Harpy King. And if the attack on the association was any indication, the Dryoak Consortium really had allied with him.

Finally, the upper city was inaccessible to most land-dwelling citizens. There existed no doors, stairs, or lifts to go up. They weren't designed with that in mind to begin with. As far as any harpy or upper city inhabitants were concerned, that was the true Elusis. Everything else below was just a trash heap. While harpies mostly inhabited the upper city, some of the other races did manage to climb up and carve a life for themselves through grit or connections. Even Shaheed, the top dog of the East Saviran Trading Association in Elusis, had few opportunities to go there.

Kanae returned to her group and relayed everything that she had talked about and learned to the others. They decided that the best approach was to explore the under-city first before taking any other action. Shaheed opened two guest suites, reserved for and befitting those possessing a diamond-centered token. Since Petyr was only willing to bunk with another high elf, everyone else was pushed to the remaining one. Fortunately, they were spacious and lavish enough.

In the morning, Kanae, in her Human Form, Patrice, and Delayn ventured into the under-city disguised as merchants. Shaheed promised to dig through his contracts for a way to get them into the upper city. So, they had time to get a more intimate feel of the land. The others were doing the same in other parts.

"How was it having Petyr as your roommate?" Kanae teased as they rode on the carriage into a market square.

"Well, for one, Petyr doesn't make for a great student. She turned in early. I was hoping to discuss with her the intricacies of Ortesian politics, and how it relates to their… shall we say, lordly arrogance. Can you believe she covered her ears with two pillows just to ignore me?" Patrice huffed.

"Yes, I do believe her." Delayn groaned aloud. "And I don't blame her. Amethyst, in the entire ride from Kandis to Bravost, the archbishop read through five different textbooks to us! FIVE! I finished school a decade ago and hoped to never open another book again!"

"Uh… My condolences…" 

They found an empty space in front of a butchery and between two vardo wagons, one selling miscellaneous trinkets and the other dried herbs. Kanae carefully parked beside them. The trio laid out a large carpet at the foot of the carriage, then displayed The Mamba's rubies and textiles for passersby to peruse.

Their goods drew a lot of eyes from the wealthier clientele base, who paused to take a gander of what they had to offer.

"My, this silk feels heavenly! Where is it from?" a canine beastman woman asked.

"Bravost," Kanae answered with a smile.

"These rubies are breathtaking. I must know where they are mined from!" an elven man exclaimed.

"They are, uh… They… Bravost!" she added again.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to repeatedly utter the name of another state like that?" Patrice whispered.

Whether it was a good idea or not, a crowd had quickly formed around them. Seamstresses, tailors, and jewelers wanted to get a better look at their premium quality goods. They attracted some unwanted attention, too.

A group of harpies descended from the upper-city. By the look of their fine clothes, they weren't soldiers or guards, but definitely of the wealthy class. Their ornate robes had holes in the back to accommodate wings. Some of them had hanging jewelry on their plumes.

Everyone made themselves scarce and left to make room for them. One particularly haughty man strutted up to the carriage with an air of self-importance. His wings were bright pink and claws filed to a fine sharp point.

"Since when did the association start shipping its finer textiles to Elusis?" the harpy man asked in a slow and nasally voice.

"Since yesterday. But I'm glad we caught your eyes. Interested in the finest fabric you will ever feel on your skin?" Kanae asked, lifting a long blue silk sheet.

A claw pierced through the fabric and sliced down the length of it. The five other harpies behind him laughed derisively.

"Oops," he said. "It looks like your second-rate material isn't cut out to be worn by us."

Kanae frowned at the two torn pieces of cloth in her hands. Their quality was actually pretty great. Arenade would love to have a dress made from these materials. She was about to say something until Patrice placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry to hear that then." Kanae bowed.

Not expecting the reaction they wanted, the harpy group went off to antagonize another merchant.

"I thought you were going to throw a punch." Patrice sighed.

"Who do you think I am? Petyr? No, I prefer to be a lot more vengeful in other ways." Kanae smirked.

"What are you planning…" the archbishop asked worriedly.

Kanae quietly casted Turn Horny at the harpy man. He was harassing a shoemaker and suddenly doubled over. Some among his group hovered over him with concern. She casted it again, and again, and again until he collapsed to the ground.

"Now, watch this." Kanae picked up the ripped cloth and rushed over to help. "Oh, my goodness! Are you okay?"

"Nnh… What… What happened… My body feels so… strange…" The twitching harpy stared up at her, eyes rolling in their sockets.

Using the blue cloth, Kanae wiped the sweat from the man's brow.

"It looks like you fainted. Maybe from heatstroke? Oh, but… What happened down here? Ew! This perverted man ejaculated on himself!" Kanae brushed the cloth across the crotch area of his robe, where a very obvious cum stain was growing bigger. In a huff, she let it drop onto his face and ran away. His posse hesitated to help, knowing that he came in his pants.

Delayn and Patrice were snickering when Kanae returned to them.

"Still vulgar. But I approve of the way you humiliated that asshole. Bravo, Amethyst." Delayn nodded in acknowledgement.

"Look sharp, you two." Patrice tapped both of them and pointed past the crowd around the premature-ejaculating harpy. "Those men over there. Do they not bear the same crest as the Dryoak Consortium?"

Kanae followed her gaze to a party of folks wearing the consortium tabard. Another group of harpies descended from the upper-city, offering them a hand to lift into the sky. Among them, their guildmaster Riley.