Volume 9 Chapter 5 Princess Asura’s Designs
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”We’re meeting Lady Kispe, so you’ve gotta get cleaned up,” Alice said.
”Yeah, Klock, you reek,” Athena added, sniffing him playfully. “Phew~♡” she teased in his ear.
Klock flushed, embarrassed, but couldn’t protest. He sighed as the girls giggled mischievously. They’re relentless, he thought. Succubi, it seemed, couldn’t resist teasing boys. And Klock was their only target.
Outside, the world matched the view from the window—endless grasslands. Klock stripped and sank into a nearby river. This is a dream, he reminded himself. Not real. Does this river even exist? Does washing matter? Shouldn’t I just… wake up clean? What even is a dream?
”Come on, Klock,” Alice called. “I’ll scrub you down.”
He let her take over. Alice, bare and rabbit-like, approached, her chest exposed as she washed him. Her curves, soft yet firm, stirred him instantly. She’s too much, he thought, noticing her hardened peaks. Desire flared.
He wanted her. I want Alice. As if sensing it, Athena slid in, her mouth enveloping him with a wet, teasing pull.
”Ugh, Klock!” Alice laughed. “Always ready for fun, huh?♡”
It’s not my fault. Or is it? Klock wondered. He’d stopped blaming their provocations. Maybe it was their nature—or maybe it was him. Either way, he reached for Alice, her soft skin filling his hands. No more pretending. He leaned in, seeking a kiss from the Rabbit Beastkin. The kidnapped boy was now the one pursuing her.
Alice grinned, mischievous. “What’s this? Falling for me?♡”
”Yeah,” Klock admitted.
”Well, guess I can’t say no~♡” she chirped.
A soft kiss followed, sweet like lovers, then another, and another, each one lingering. Klock groaned, lips locked with Alice as Athena pressed closer below, drawing out his essence. It vanished into her, not a drop wasted in the river’s flow.
They let him touch them freely. They indulged him at every chance. Empty moments were filled with intimacy. I’m not a prisoner anymore, Klock realized. He was theirs—completely. His will to escape had crumbled. The Succubi owned him.
”Lady Kispe~!” Alice called.
”Well met, Alice,” came the reply.
Klock stepped into a room that could only be a castle’s throne hall. After a dizzying journey through incomprehensible paths, he stood in a space of overwhelming grandeur.
Before him sat a girl with amethyst eyes, more radiant than any gem. Her smile was angelic, disarming. Klock’s knees buckled. Despite the Succubi he’d been with, his gaze locked onto her. She’s… everything, he thought, heart stolen in an instant.
”Uh… ah…!” he stammered.
She was too perfect. Yesterday’s indulgences, his sweet moments with Alice, his entire life—everything faded, colorless before her. What was my life before this?
”Klock!” Alice yelped. “Don’t fall for Lady Kispe!”
”Yeah,” Athena added. “You’re living with us. No naughty thoughts about her!”
”I-I didn’t…!” Klock protested, flustered.
They saw through him. They know I’m smitten. He scrambled for an excuse, but it was pointless. Lady Kispe—this impossibly beautiful girl with an impossibly beautiful name—saw right through him.
”Oh, don’t be harsh,” Kispe said, giggling. “I was born with a sin: being too beautiful. Every boy falls for me. It’s only natural he would too.”
Her laughter was light, teasing. She’s right, Klock thought. I can’t help it. I’m not wrong for this. Her words justified him, deepening his affection.
”Did you fall for me?” Kispe asked, eyes sparkling.
”Yes!” Klock blurted, voice fervent.
Kispe, Alice, and Athena giggled. He felt mocked, yet obeying Kispe felt… right. It’s not normal, he knew, but he couldn’t stop himself.
Kispe rose from her throne, each movement graceful. Klock’s heart raced. She approached, kneeling before him. Her slender neck, her delicate arms, her cute skirt and ribbon—everything was perfect. Her floral scent enveloped him, his pulse pounding.
Her hand reached for his trousers.
”Ah…” he gasped.
He’d been ready since the moment he saw her, his body straining. Her finger traced him through the fabric, slow and deliberate.
”You like me that much?” she whispered.
”I do…!” he confessed.
Her voice turned soft, teasing. “Why show it off like that? Hardening in front of a girl is like begging for intimacy. It’ll scare her off. You’re supposed to hide it until you’ve charmed her to bed. Showing it so blatantly…”
She giggled, a soft “Hehe~♡”
Leaning closer, her breath grazed his ear. “Gross~,” she whispered, just for him.
Klock’s body jolted, her words stinging yet thrilling. She laughed, delighted by his reaction.
”Well, I’m satisfied,” Kispe said, standing. “As promised, he’s yours, Alice. Live happily together~♡”
”Yay!” Alice cheered, bouncing. “We get to stay together, Klock! So happy!”
She hugged him, nuzzling close. Klock, dazed, patted her back, her rabbit-like warmth grounding him.
As Kispe turned away, Klock snapped back to reality. His feelings for Alice, his attraction to Athena—they flooded back. What just happened? he wondered, still reeling. He returned Alice’s affection, stroking her gently.
Athena led him away. Glancing back, Klock saw Kispe, eyes closed, ignoring him completely. She got what she wanted and moved on, he realized.
”Why does it work now…?” Kispe murmured.
”Huh?” Alice tilted her head.
”Nothing,” Kispe said, dismissing it.
Athena tugged Klock along, while Alice looked puzzled. Kispe’s tone shifted, authoritative. “Alice, manage him as planned. Do as you wish, but don’t kill him. And keep him hidden.”
”Got it~,” Alice chirped.
”And about that Hero who slipped in,” Kispe continued, “she’s still missing.”
Alice tilted a teapot at a nearby table, the gentle clink of liquid filling a cup. She set it beside Kispe, who nodded politely. “Thank you,” she said, lifting the cup.
”The search is proving difficult,” Kispe said. “We know the danger of a Hero in Crimson Spire, but we haven’t found a single clue.”
”I went out of my way to mark her with my bite,” Alice huffed. “If she’s undone it, that risky move was for nothing.”
”Indeed,” Kispe replied. “We didn’t expect her to hitch a ride on my ferryboat. She’s not one to follow predictions.”
An unforeseen complication, Kispe admitted silently. Alice’s rabbit ears drooped in response.
”The ferryboat reached her happiest moment,” Kispe explained. “She reverted to her childhood, as expected, but we don’t know her current state. She was young to begin with, so she might look unchanged. Even if she reverted further, she could still be stronger than us.”
”Ugh, no way I’m getting near her,” Alice groaned. “Don’t wanna get my head chopped off again.”
”Exactly,” Kispe agreed. “We took every precaution to keep the Hero out of Crimson Spire, but here we are.”
Crimson Spire and the outside world had no direct gateway. Only Kispe’s Stellar Skill, a ferryboat, could bridge them. Succubi couldn’t leave otherwise, but Kispe’s ability made travel possible.
Yet the world was vast, and even Kispe couldn’t predict everything. A Hero, blessed by Goddess Teekua, might wield abilities to infiltrate Crimson Spire. To counter her, Kispe had planned meticulously: kidnap Klock Livorno, trap his mind in Crimson Spire, and use him as leverage to subdue the Hero.
But the Hero broke through, using means Kispe never imagined.
”She slipped in the moment I brought Klock on the ferryboat,” Kispe said. “She used my skill to enter Crimson Spire. There’s no doubt.”
”That’s wild,” Alice said. “But she’s here, so it’s true.”
”Yes,” Kispe nodded. “She appeared near his dream, but then vanished. Even Celestina’s ‘Delicate Index Finger’s Fang’—which should track her anywhere—lost her signal.”
”Celestina’s skill is supposed to pinpoint the Hero,” Alice said, frustrated. “But she’s gone. No idea what’s happening.”
They’d anticipated the Hero might reach Crimson Spire, but losing her within it was unthinkable. Despite her storm-like magical power, she’d vanished completely, possibly using a concealment skill. That’s dangerous, Kispe thought. We’ve let a deadly enemy into our castle. Her own death in Crimson Spire—where such a thing was possible—loomed as a risk.
”The moment we find her, she’s out,” Kispe declared. “She likely can’t enter Crimson Spire on her own. She used my skill. Send her back, and she’ll lose any way to reach Klock. Then we negotiate her surrender on our terms.”
”Got it,” Alice said. “I’ll lock the house tight to avoid her.”
”I’m counting on you,” Kispe replied.
* * *
Is Klock okay? Cianie wondered, her lover’s safety haunting her.
In this chaos, she knew she should worry about herself, but she couldn’t help it. They’d only just reconciled. I can’t stop thinking about him.
No way he’s caught up in this… right? She shook her head. If he is, I should find him.
But that seemed unlikely. This situation was clearly her own anomaly. Rugandia, a maid, belonged to this time. So did the other maids. Only Cianie held future memories. That means…
She gazed at the sky, sensing a warped presence. Winged figures—Succubi—soared above, their arrowhead tails unmistakable. She’d seen them before and recognized them instantly. Rugandia, when asked, saw nothing. I’m the only one who sees them.
This was Crimson Spire, one of the Nine Worlds from the Sage’s Records—a dream realm inhabited by Succubi. I’m inside a dream, Cianie realized.
”Sorry for the wait, Lady Sylvia!” Rugandia called, rushing over.
An older maid, the head, watched her with concern. They loaded a carriage, ready to depart.
”To Sand Village,” the head maid announced.
”Sounds good,” Cianie replied, as Sylvia.
Tomorrow, Sylvia would die when Croce’s Estate burned. Without magic power, Cianie’s only option was escape. She knew where and how she’d die, so fleeing to Sand Village would dodge that fate—for now.
”It’s a shame,” she thought. I can’t return to this estate. But it was just a dream. The real Croce’s Estate had long burned and been razed. This isn’t reality.
If Crimson Spire was a dream, what happened if she died here? Would she wake up? Or was it true death? She couldn’t rule it out. I have to survive, no matter what.
”By the way, what’s the girl’s name?” Cianie asked.
”Viola,” Rugandia replied. “She’s eleven.”
”Looking forward to meeting her,” Cianie said.
The name was new—someone she hadn’t met in reality. Her guess about the timeline felt right. If Viola declined the maid role or never met Sylvia, it explained the unfamiliarity.
For now, she’d avoid her fated death. But Klock—should she search for him? And how would she escape this world? I need answers, she thought, resolve hardening.
Notes:
• Alice – Rabbitkin adventurer; appears at the same Barreith gathering, playful and mischievous, interacts with Klock, part of recruited volunteers
• Athena – Harpies adventurer; appears alongside Alice at Barreith gathering, flirtatious, joins Klock and volunteers for upcoming battles
• Goddess Teekua – The deity who saved Sylvia after her death and granted her rebirth as a hero.
• Celestina – Another child from Kispe household, playful and mischievous, shows up with Alice Lau in recruitment scenes, frail but lively appearance, beast-like ears marking heritage.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Sylvia – The hero who accuses Klock of abandoning her in her past life. She was reborn as Anna after dying in a fire and holds a grudge against Klock.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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