103. Dream

103. Dream

Dreams reflect many aspects of a person.

Countless memories intertwine and are revealed without order, making dreams a place where hidden memories, proud memories, happy memories, and sad memories are all revealed equally.

Therefore, succubi who wander through dreams often inadvertently peek into people’s memories.

“This is the dream world…!”

However, Yume, who had never worked as a succubus before, had no experience with such common knowledge. She only had instinctual awareness.

Yume looked around the dream world with sparkling eyes.

A fluffy landscape, as if on clouds. A sky emitting a strange light, as if a mixture of various colors. Even the white ground, bright despite the absence of a light source.

The shimmering heat haze and the unstably shaking space indicated that this was a dream.

Yume’s heart pounded at the sight of the dream world, something she had never seen before.

Even though she had entered not by her own will but by coercion, shouldn’t she enjoy it now that she was here?

[If you do anything suspicious, you’ll die immediately….]

“Oh, come on! I’m Yume the succubus, and I’ll do my best to help your sister!!”

Freya’s voice echoed in Yume’s mind. It seemed the instant-death magic she had been subjected to earlier had formed a kind of communication link.

“Let’s see… where might my sister be….”

Yume walked forward, stepping on the fluffy ground. The vital energy filling the dream world was incredibly tempting, but as long as Freya was watching with her piercing eyes, she couldn’t do anything about it.

Later, I’ll have to beg her for just a little… But is vital energy normally floating around like air?

According to her common sense, vital energy should be extracted through ‘certain acts.’ After pondering for a moment, Yume concluded that this must be how it looked in reality and continued walking.

“Ah. Found her.”

Yume discovered a mirror-like curtain dividing the space. Inside this was the true dream Skadi was having.

Yume threw herself forward without hesitation.

“Whoa, it’s cold!!!”

What greeted Yume as she parted the curtain was snow piled so high that her feet sank into it.

At the sudden, harsh cold, Yume jumped and screamed, and at the same time, a fierce blizzard sent her flying into the sky.

“?!??!!”

Dreams are unpredictable.

Yume etched this fact into her mind as she looked down at the ground from 20 kilometers above the snowfield.

“Since it’s a dream, I won’t… die, right?”

A clear blue sky with the sun shining brightly, as if the blizzard from moments ago were a lie.

Her pink hair spread out as if reaching for the sky, and Yume plummeted.

——

“Ugh… Why does it hurt even though it’s a dream?”

Yume groaned, clutching her throbbing head. As if the dream had changed in the meantime, she found herself waking up in a warm bed.

She hadn’t even found the owner of the dream yet, and she was already in this state. How embarrassing it would be if other succubi saw her.

“Hoo… Okay, next time I’ll prepare more thoroughly….”

“You’re awake?”

“Hieek?!”

Startled by the sudden voice of a young girl from beside her, Yume grabbed the blanket and shot up from the bed.

Yume, holding the blanket in front of her as if to protect herself, realized who was beside her a moment later.

“Y-your sister…?”

“Hmm?”

A small, white-haired wolf beastman, shorter than Yume’s chest.

It was a young Skadi.

[What, you found my sister?]

“Ah, yes, just a moment….”

“Um… Did you hurt your head? You’ve been talking to yourself since earlier….”

As Yume was about to report the situation to Freya, young Skadi reached out with a worried expression.

“No, no, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Yume quickly averted her eyes and denied it. As someone who needed to cast mental magic on Skadi, she didn’t want to arouse suspicion and strengthen her mental defenses.

“Really? More importantly, I was surprised. I was training, and suddenly something fell from the sky… This world is truly amazing. People fall from the sky.”

[I’m telling you again, if you try anything suspicious with my sister, you’ll die immediately….]

“Yes, yes, yes. Of course, of course.”

Yume vaguely replied to the noisy voices of the sisters coming from both directions.

She had no intention of doing anything suspicious anyway. If she did, she would be killed by the crazy wolf beastman mage outside without leaving a trace.

Skadi said.

“I’ve never seen anyone other than the people in the mansion before. Where did you come from?”

“Yes? Ah, me? Um, well… you see, do you know the Marquisate of Louer? I came from around there.”

Yume said, recalling her fake identity. Of course, her actual origin was elsewhere, but since it was a dream, there was no need to tell the truth.

“Oh… Where is that?”

“It’s far away.”

“I see!”

Young Skadi, who looked about 8 years old, exclaimed with sparkling eyes. Yume didn’t know what was so surprising about the words she had spoken, but she applauded and responded.

… Her eyes are sparkling, but her expression is terrifyingly blank.

Yume thought that if it weren’t for those bright, intelligent eyes, she might have been terrified.

“Want to come with me for now? I’ll introduce you to my sister– – -.”

“Huh? Huh? Ah, the dream….”

The space shimmered, and the location changed. Yume, who had been lying in bed, was now standing in the mansion’s corridor.

In front of her, young Skadi walked down the corridor, holding a sword in her arms. A person who appeared to be a servant followed Skadi.

This must also be Skadi’s dream, and at the same time, a past memory. Yume followed her out of curiosity.

[What are you doing? Why are you taking so long?]

“Yes? Ah, yes. As the saying goes, ‘Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.’ To properly manipulate your sister, I need to know a little about her past, so I was watching.”

It was a lie. Following Skadi was purely out of curiosity.

[Tsk… I won’t wait long, so hurry up.]

Yume followed Skadi, urged on by Freya.

Young Skadi walked with short steps, wagging her tail back and forth. She walked while swaying her body as if excited, looking just like a child of her age.

“Freya? I’m here, sister. Can I come in?”

Skadi stopped in front of a certain room and knocked on the door. Then, she opened the door and entered.

The servant did not follow Skadi inside but waited outside. Perhaps because the dream focused on the owner, the servant, who had moved away from Skadi, soon faded like a bubble and disappeared.

Yume crept forward and peeked into the room. In the dimly lit interior of the room, a black tail swayed weakly on the bed.

“Freya, does it hurt a lot?”

“Mmm… Sister….”

“Wait a moment….”

Young Skadi, with a serious expression, pressed her forehead against young Freya’s and pondered. Freya’s body was running a high fever.

“Mmm….”

If a fever is the problem, then it needs to be cooled down.

And what needs to be cooled is-

“Wait, Freya.”

“Mmm…?”

Young Skadi opened the window of the room and leaped out of it. Seeing the scene of the fall, Yume gasped for a moment, but then remembered it was a dream and quickly calmed down.

She wouldn’t have actually jumped, would she? This must be because it’s a dream.

The dream continued, despite a nagging doubt that she might have actually done it. A moment later, young Skadi leaped back through the window. She was holding a large handful of white material.

“Here, Freya! Apply this to your forehead!”

“Um, isn’t that snow, sister…?”

“Yes!”

Freya sighed at her sister’s confident declaration, holding the melting snow in her hand. Seven-year-old Freya, having experienced similar things several times, calmly admonished her sister as if she were used to it.

“Sister, you shouldn’t put snow on your forehead just because you have a fever….”

“Isn’t it nice because it’s cool?”

“Either way, it’s not allowed. Sister, think logically.”

“Mmm… Okay.”

Skadi shook off the melting snow and fell into thought again. Her white tail swayed slowly.

Time passed. Skadi was still thinking.

“Sister… you can just call someone to bring you a wet towel….”

“Oh!”

Young Skadi exclaimed as if she had heard a brilliant idea. Then, the scene of the dream instantly changed, and a wet towel was placed on Freya’s forehead. Skadi said.

“See, Freya, you’re so smart. Amazing.”

“Mmm… Hehe.”

Freya smiled weakly. She looked as if she didn’t have the energy to smile due to her poor health. Seeing her state, Yume thought to herself.

Was she frail when she was young…? She’s so different from the original outside.

Yume, flustered by the discrepancy, composed herself and looked at the beastman sisters again. Skadi sat by the bed, holding her sick sister’s hand tightly.

After a while, Freya spoke.

“Sister.”

“Hmm?”

“Does Father hate me?”

Skadi tilted her head and replied.

“Why?”

“Father only goes to see Mother. He doesn’t come to me.”

These were the words of a child’s complaint. To Freya’s words, filled with resentment towards her father, Skadi stroked her sister’s hand and said.

“But Mother is also very sick, so it can’t be helped.”

“Still, he could come just once.”

“Freya. Father is busy, so….”

“He’s always busy, always. Always.”

Freya said petulantly. Then, a moment later, she continued.

“I know Father is busy. I know he’s working hard to defeat the monsters coming down from above. But he could still come just once.”

“Freya….”

“… Sister, hug me.”

Skadi slowly hugged Freya. Gently, but with firm strength, hugging her until Freya was satisfied, Skadi stroked Freya’s ear and said.

“Freya.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll always be by your side.”

“….”

Freya, who had a sick mother and a busy father, could only rely on herself. Skadi vowed to Freya.

Freya asked.

“Will you stay by my side?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Always?”

“… As much as I can?”

“Say always.”

“… Yes, always.”

A child’s question and answer. Skadi lowered her head and kissed Freya’s cheek. Freya’s black tail swayed a little more energetically.

“….”

As Skadi’s lips moved away, Freya touched her cheek, which still retained the warmth. For some reason, her heart felt ticklish.

Meanwhile, Skadi raised her head and looked at the sword she had brought, placed on the wall. It was a simple iron sword. A short dagger made for a child to use. A training sword, still unstained by anything other than snow and dirt.

“Um, Freya.”

“Yes?”

“If Father were less busy, would he be able to come to Freya?”

“… Hmm?”

“Then… I’ll try harder, sister.”

“Huh, sister?”

Skadi made a firm resolution and smiled brightly at Freya. Her usual cold, expressionless face was nowhere to be seen.

Freya, unaware of anything, smiled back at her sister.

——

“Wow, is that really what she looked like when she was little? She’s so different from now.”

Meanwhile, Yume couldn’t help but admire the appearance of the pure-looking young Freya.