episode_0009

“Please, help us!”

An old man suddenly appeared, dropping to his knees and pressing his forehead into the dirt. The two women, who had been roasting freshly caught rabbit meat over a campfire, widened their eyes in surprise.

Under their puzzled gazes, the elder belatedly explained his situation.

“I am Margen, the village chief from a settlement nearby. Our entire village is in crisis, and one of our residents spotted exceptional adventurers like yourselves—so I rushed here at once.”

It seemed someone from his village had likely seen Marin soaring through the air while hunting rabbits.

‘So much for not drawing attention.’

Arina frowned as the old man, unprompted, began earnestly recounting his troubles.

Liel Frost, the mage of the Hero’s Party, never hesitated to lend aid—but Arina the adventurer was different.

After all, the ultimate price for dedicating herself to saving people and the world was the miserable state she now found herself in.

Most mages didn’t believe in gods, but Arina, born and raised in the Holy Kingdom, had once offered prayers.

Partly because her friend was a saint, but also because if it meant even a slight increase in her party’s survival odds, why not?

Yet after that day, Arina abandoned the faith that had betrayed her. She resolved to live for herself rather than any grand ideals.

The village chief’s threadbare clothes spoke volumes—there would be no reward here. Wasting time and stamina without compensation was as obvious as staring into a fire.

She immediately wanted to refuse, but Marin, eyes sparkling beside her, cut in first.

“Of course we’ll help! Don’t worry—we’re super, super strong! Your village is really lucky we’re here!”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!”

The old man beamed, repeatedly knocking his head against the ground. Arina sighed.

Curious, naive, passionate, kind-hearted, thoughtless—Marin seemed like an unfailingly good person, but that last word changed everything.

Too trusting and eager to please, she was exactly the kind of person who got taken advantage of.

In fact, Marin had fallen into traps set by those feigning pitifulness more times than Arina could count. She only survived because her brute strength let her smash her way out of any predicament.

With Arina here now, at least, danger was unlikely unless their opponent was on the Demon King’s level.

But Arina had no desire to waste time here. Getting entangled in these kinds of matters inevitably disrupted even the most carefully laid plans.

She genuinely considered parting ways with Marin right then. Given everything Marin had shown her so far, Arina could likely walk away with a clear conscience.

Though she wasn’t entirely convinced yet…

While the chief elaborated on the village’s plight, Arina wrestled with her decision.

But something in the chief’s exchange with Marin seized even her attention.

“A succubus is causing havoc in your village? Why?”

“Well, she insists we bring her a man—a porter from the Hero’s Party—whose traces were found nearby. It’s true the Hero’s Party once passed through, but how can we produce someone who’s already left?”

“The Hero’s Party?”

Arina cut in, repeating the words.

“Yes.”

A succubus looking for the porter? That lecherous fool must’ve tried something with her and earned her wrath.

‘Would’ve been nice if she sucked him dry. Too bad.’

But how could a mere succubus overpower and chase after a porter who had traveled with the Hero’s Party? Succubi were weak—so much so they weren’t even incorporated into the Demon King’s army.

If even she couldn’t do it, how had a succubus succeeded? It was just speculation, but if there was even a sliver of truth, it might be worth investigating.

Seeing Arina’s sudden interest, the chief dared to hope.

“Will you help us?”

“First, tell me more.”

Succubi were weak for demons, but still stronger than ordinary humans. There was no way the village’s women and elderly could drive one off.

All they could do was watch helplessly as the succubus fed on the young men’s vitality.

With the village’s workforce bedridden for weeks, the already impoverished settlement teetered on the brink of starvation.

‘Weeks.’

Timing-wise, the Hero’s Party likely passed through while searching for her. The succubus must’ve tracked the porter’s trail here.

In a larger town or city, a lone succubus wouldn’t dare act so brazenly—but this vulnerable village made for easy prey.

The Hero’s Party had stopped here en route to finding Arina, and the succubus had followed the porter. Stretching the logic, Arina was tangentially connected to the village’s crisis.

‘Not that I feel responsible.’

A single weak succubus was hardly a challenge. Gathering intel while dealing with her wouldn’t take long.

Trailing behind the fervently righteous Marin and the beaming chief, Arina arrived at the village.

Immediately, the faces of women filled her vision.

With the men incapacitated, the women were laboring frantically. A few young boys and elderly men were visible, but the disparity was overwhelming.

Arina’s fur bristled, her body trembling. The sheer number of women worsened her mood instantly.

“As you can see, even the children are working. Given our circumstances, we can’t offer much in return—”

“I don’t expect rewards from a backwater like this. Just take us to the succubus.”

“Arina!”

Marin scolded, but Arina’s murderous glare silenced further protest.

Marin hastily apologized.

“Sorry! She’s not bad, just… eccentric.”

“No, it’s my fault for rambling when we’re the ones asking for help.”

The chief fell silent, guiding them through the village to the succubus’s lair.

The three stopped before a cave in a secluded forest. Arina, pale and tight-lipped, remained still while Marin asked,

“So the succubus is in there?”

“Yes.”

“Great! Let’s go!”

Marin rolled up her sleeves and marched in. Arina didn’t move.

“What’s wrong?”

“Succubi share most women’s sensibilities—aside from needing men’s vitality.”

“So?”

Arina shook her head, exasperated at having to explain.

“Most women are self-centered, vain, and think tears solve everything. They lack independence, never solving their own problems, yet expect the world. They can’t control their emotions, and—”

“Stop! Enough! I get it!”

Marin hastily cut her off as Arina’s eyes burned with hatred, her aura lashing out. By the time she regained composure, the surrounding trees and ground bore fresh scars.

The chief, cowering at a distance, stared at her in terror.

For a moment, Arina had become the very kind of irrational, emotionally volatile woman she despised.

Ironically, Marin—whom Arina privately called an oddball—now seemed far more composed.

Realizing this, Arina awkwardly scratched the back of her head. Marin, confirming she’d calmed down, pressed,

“So what were you trying to say?”

“…Succubi love luxury. They’d never live in a filthy cave like this—not when there’s a village right nearby.”

Marin, having never met a succubus, had to take her word for it. As Arina finished, both turned to the chief.

Under their sudden suspicion, he floundered.

“It’s true! The succubus said she’d stay here and demanded we bring the man to her!”

“He doesn’t seem to be lying.”

“Based on what?”

“A hunch.”

Anyone else would’ve dismissed it, but Marin’s hunches couldn’t be ignored.

Arina had disregarded them before—and paid the price dozens of times. She’d seen Marin dodge rocks thrown at her back hundreds of times.

At this point, denying it was just stubbornness. She’d long accepted Marin had preternatural instincts.

“Fine. If you say so, we’ll check for ourselves.”

With confidence they could handle any trap, the decision was easy.