Ch.167167. Selling My Name Because You Got Caught?

“Hey, are you really dead?”

“….What?”

“Even if you arrived early, how can you sleep without taking a break?”

Rebecca, who had been lying in front of the boulder, sits up with a bewildered expression.

“W-what on earth are you talking about…?”

“We’ve already arrived at the Succubus Sanctuary.”

“….How long have I been asleep?”

“I don’t know either, since I passed out with you after drinking whiskey.”

Rebecca wipes the drool from her lips as she gets up.

Then she looks around and speaks with an astonished expression.

“But how could we have arrived so quickly…?”

“To be honest, I haven’t been awake for long either.”

“Where’s the little girl who was with us?”

“I dropped her off at the domain inn up ahead. The Succubus Sanctuary is too dangerous for a child.”

Rebecca looks at the entrance to the Succubus Sanctuary without suspicion.

A thick fog had settled over the area.

“Where is Serion Lycus?”

“Well, in his letter he said he’d wait at the entrance, but I don’t see him.”

“Then I guess we should go in a little and look.”

The situation was going more smoothly than expected.

I kept my mouth shut and quietly followed behind her, knowing she would faint from shock if she found out we had arrived at the Succubus Sanctuary on the back of a dragon.

Caw! Caw!

Caw! Caw!

The thick fog made it impossible to see even a step ahead.

Despite it being daytime, it was as dark as night from the entrance, and the cries of crows filled our ears from the sky above.

“I see a light over there.”

After entering and walking a short distance, a red light flashed.

Rebecca and I cautiously moved toward the light with vigilant postures.

“Y-young master!!”

Luna was the first to greet me, as expected.

Judging by her expression, I was relieved that she didn’t seem to suspect much about my relationship with the succubus.

I struggled to free myself from Luna, who had thrown herself into my chest, and turned my attention to Serion Lycus.

“I’ve arrived safely.”

“Lord Selden Alphonse, you’ve arrived earlier than expected.”

“By the way, where is Rio?”

Following the direction of Serion Lycus’s finger, I saw Rio Sergeang resting with his back against a tree.

Rebecca quickly assessed the situation and approached Rio to treat him.

Well then.

Now it was time to meet that damned Evarin.

I gritted my teeth and put on an artificial smile as I faced Serion Lycus.

“Where is the succubus?”

“As a precaution, I tied her up with Pale Fruit rope. But how do you know a monster like a succubus?”

Noticing Luna perking up her ears behind me, I carefully began to speak.

“She’s a succubus I met in the Forest of Death. We made a deal. I said I would spare her life in exchange for her continuously providing me with information about the Forest of Death.”

“Ah… so that’s why she threatened to expose your relationship…”

“It was all for the sake of Lake Domain, so I wouldn’t mind if it became known, but I came to the Succubus Sanctuary to explain directly since it could easily be misunderstood.”

Serion Lycus nods and jerks his chin in the direction opposite to where Rio is.

“I tied her up over there. Let’s go check. She might not be the succubus you know.”

“May I go alone? It would be easier for us to talk privately.”

“Very well.”

Serion Lycus steps aside to make way.

As I slowly walked forward, I could see the figure of a succubus tightly bound with rope.

However, it wasn’t the Evarin I knew.

“…You came?”

I glanced behind me once, then turned back to look at the succubus.

“Do you know me?”

“I am Evarin.”

“Evarin? Then what’s with this appearance?”

“I changed my face temporarily because that injured man over there might recognize me. We’ve met once before.”

Come to think of it, Evarin would have seen Rio with me in the Forest of Death.

I nodded, then furrowed my brow.

“Was Rio your doing?”

“N-no, absolutely not. He seemed to have already been attacked by another monster.”

“Really? Anyway, you said you were going to rescue your subordinates, but once you got caught, you sold me out?”

“I had no choice. It’s practically your fault I was captured.”

“Explain quickly what happened. I’ll decide whether to kill you or not after I hear it.”

Evarin’s story went like this:

Just as she was about to enter the Succubus Sanctuary to prepare to meet her subordinates, she heard a human voice.

There she saw Rio Sergeang, whom she had seen once in Lake Domain.

Afterward, she tried to quickly escape to ask me what was going on, but ended up being captured by Serion Lycus.

“Hah… and that’s why you sold me out?”

“I could have resisted plenty, but I surrendered willingly because it involved you.”

That must be true.

When I first met Evarin in the Forest of Death, she was quite skilled.

Befitting a former Succubus Queen, she was able to overwhelm Rio, who lacked training.

The fact that she was captured without resistance meant she was thinking of me.

I had intended to kill her when we met… but it seems she had her reasons.

“Even so, did you have to threaten to expose our ‘relationship’?”

“You would have felt just as wronged if our positions were reversed. It’s practically your fault I was caught.”

“Even if you had resisted, you would have been captured anyway. There’s a very strong person over there, Serion Lycus.”

“I know. I sensed a man with powerful energy… but I could have at least disrupted their forces.”

I grabbed my throbbing head and continued speaking.

“Hah… you could have just said you were Evarin. Why did you have to act in a way that would make people misunderstand?”

“If I hadn’t spoken like that, you’re the type of human who would have abandoned me without a second thought.”

How well she had figured me out after seeing me so little?

I barely managed to swallow the exclamation that almost escaped my lips.

“B-but we have a connection. How could I do that to you?”

“You probably came here to kill me now. To silence me…”

Still, I was impressed that she hadn’t counterattacked after seeing Rio Sergeang.

Evarin was the former Succubus Queen and a monster.

Attacking humans was, in a way, her instinct.

The fact that she had restrained herself was commendable.

“Just wait for now. I’ll go talk to them and come back.”

“Alright.”

As I was about to turn away, I looked back at Evarin.

“And next time, no matter what happens, if you threaten me again, I’ll cut your throat without mercy.”

“…I understand that too.”

Taking a deep breath, I walked toward Serion Lycus.

He seemed to have been waiting for my conversation with the succubus to end.

I sighed briefly and put my acting skills to work.

“She is indeed the succubus who gave me information about the Forest of Death.”

“…I see.”

“She’s a succubus who has never harmed humans.”

“It seems so. She was captured by me without the slightest resistance.”

“Could you release her for my sake?”

“Very well. Let’s do that.”

With less resistance than expected, I got permission from Serion Lycus and headed back to Evarin.

As I untied the ropes binding her body, I spoke.

“Soon, the Succubus Sanctuary will be turned into a wasteland.”

“I expected as much, with you coming to the Succubus Sanctuary as well.”

“No, I don’t plan to participate in this battle at all. It’s a result they need to achieve on their own.”

Evarin nods as she rubs her body where the ropes had tightened.

“Then I should leave the Succubus Sanctuary as quickly as possible with the succubi who follow me.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Half a day should be enough.”

“I’ll buy you as much time as I can. Consider it the last favor I can do for you.”

“…Thank you.”

After looking around, Evarin plants a light kiss on my cheek.

To think the day would come when I’d receive a kiss on the cheek from a monster.

Still, with the thought that this was truly “goodbye,” I forced the most artificial smile I could.

“Go, and don’t let Moranas catch you.”

Evarin immediately spread her wings and flew toward the Succubus Sanctuary.

After making sure she had disappeared, I turned and headed toward Rio.

He appeared to be resting after completing his treatment.

I nodded and gave him a concerned look.

“Rio, are you alright?”

“Y-young master…”

Despite his injuries, he struggled to get up when he saw me.

I held out my palm toward Rio, gesturing for him to stay calm.

“It’s fine, just stay seated.”

“…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be showing such a pathetic state…”

“You can get hurt when hunting monsters. How’s your body?”

“Lady Rebecca treated me, so I think I’m much better now.”

Well, someone with Rebecca’s skills could save almost anyone as long as they weren’t instantly killed.

In the original story, she saved her companions from the brink of death several times.

Anyway.

I needed to buy time for Evarin to lead her subordinates out of the Succubus Sanctuary…

What would be a good method?

While I was deep in thought, an idea suddenly flashed in my mind.

I immediately turned to Rio with a mischievous smile and spoke.

“Hey, do you know how to fake being sick?”