Chapter 371

I froze, a bit unsure of how to react to Ashe's second words for a split second. Li li... Did my smart girl recognize that my name was Lilith? I wasn't the only one shocked by my smart baby girl. The others all looked at Ashe with shocked looks.

"That's right, Ashe. I'm your Lili," I said happily. I took Ashe from Bella and leaned in to kiss her on the nose.

"Lili!" Ashe giggled and tried to grab at my horns again. I leaned forward a bit to let her reach, and she laughed happily as she gripped and ran her hands across them.

From there, Ashe's words became less clear and shifted into the same baby noises she usually makes, but two times in a row wasn't a fluke. She had apparently decided to call me Lili for now, and it made my heart melt.

"Ashe does seem quite smart for her age... All three of these children should be about the same age, but she's already speaking," Oceane observed.

Grace bounced Cinnamon in her lap. "Come on, dearest, say mama for me." Her tone was gentle and patient, but I could see the hope in her eyes.

Bella and Oceane started talking about their exact ages, and it soon dawned on us that all three children had been born on the exact same day despite the difference in their time of conception. Ashe should have been born last, and Cerulean should have been born first, if we went by order of conception.

"That makes me think that something... I don't know, supernatural is involved in their births," I said with concern.

All three children were resting against their mother's chests now, feeling drowsy after all of the attention. A sudden pang of jealousy shot through me. I kind of want to be a mother too. Not in the, uh, fatherly sense, but I realized that I wanted to carry a baby as well... I shook the thought away, surprised by my sudden shift in desires. Not long ago I still felt a bit turned off by the idea, but being in a room full of mothers holding their babies... I couldn't help but feel a bit of longing.

Bella was smiling down at Ashe, playing with her little horns as she snoozed. "I agree that it is a bit too strange to be a coincidence, but everything about our children is peculiar. We're not even fully sure how succubus children work yet. We don't know if they are true succubi who haven't grown into their racial abilities yet, or something else entirely."

"It would be quite difficult to deal with, if lilim were born in waves," Grace said quietly. "If the children are staggered, then the girls will be able to cover for each other, but if they are born all at once, then it will be far more difficult to coordinate their schedules."

Oceane nodded. "Let's hope that this is a strange occurrence due to these three being the very first of the lilim, and not because of something that will happen with regularity. I think that it's very possible that Lilith's status as the origin may have had some influence here."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

With a shrug, Oceane continued. "Sometimes, things that are seemingly strange matter when it comes to magic, so I've been told. Names, particular places, specific times and events. Because you're the origin, the first of the lilim might mean something significant in relation to you. Even though you and Bella conceived later than us, Ashe's status as the very first of the lilim, the child between the very first two succubi, might be important."

"It may also have an influence on her growth and strength," Grace added. "She seems to be an especially smart child for her very young age. Her first words being only a month and a half from her birth is quite significant."

I glanced around at our children. "All of the children seem to be well developed for their age though. They look like they're a year old already."

"True," Oceane agreed. "It makes it a bit hard to judge what kind of milestones to anticipate. I wouldn't have really expected any of our children to be speaking so soon, but here we go," she said, gesturing to Ashe. "They may also develop at different rates. It isn't that strange for a child to speak a bit earlier or later than usual. We'll just have to keep some records of the children as they grow older."

"I think it may have to do with their physical development," Grace added. "They look about one year old, and many one-year-old children can already say mama and dada."

Bella smiled. "To say something like Lili, though... that seems quite rare."

Grace nodded with a matching smile. "She is smart, I agree. Children about their physical age should start to pick up more words soon. But for her second words to be something so close to your name... I look forward to seeing how she grows."

"All of our children have been female so far," Oceane said. "It makes me wonder if that's a pattern that will remain true, or if lilim will all be female like the succubi."

I sighed. "I'm not sure. If they turn into succubi without intervention, then it would be strange if they were born male. If we have to turn our children into succubi using the same rituals we use for others, then it would turn the males into female succubi, and that wouldn't be ideal either."

"Lilith, didn't you say there was a male equivalent of succubi? If they don't need intervention and just grow into becoming succubi later, wouldn't it make sense for the males to turn into the male equivalent?" Bella asked.

"Incubi? Hmm... maybe. I'm not sure. I guess if they grow into succubi later, then it would stand to reason that males would turn into incubi instead. But the rituals we do haven't seemed to work that way, so I have no idea," I replied.

Oceane nodded. "Again, it seems we will just have to wait and see. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the girls who have children would like for their children to eventually become succubi someday in the future, but that's quite a long way off. If they do not turn into succubi by the time they become adults, I'm sure it will come up."

"What do you two think? Would you like for your children to become succubi?" I asked.

Oceane chuckled. "There's no way to know yet, if I'm honest. I wouldn't want Cerulean or Cinnamon to be forced to become succubi if they didn't enjoy what that entails, but it's not strange for children to follow in their parents' footsteps. We'll see when they get old enough to make the choice for themselves. I would certainly approve if they wanted to become succubi, on a basic level, but only if it's good for them." Grace nodded in agreement. The two have likely already had this conversation before.

"How about you, Lilith?" Bella asked. "Would you like for our children to eventually become succubi?"

I shrugged. "I don't really think it's necessary exactly. I guess it kind of depends on how the lilim develop. If they're not as strong as succubi, then we might need to continue turning people into succubi to protect them. If they're just as strong, but different, then it might not be necessary."

"We will just have to wait and see how our children grow," Grace said with a smile. "Either way, we will have to have lots of children to firmly establish our new race in this world. Especially if not all of them become succubi naturally."

Bella looked at me with a teasing smile. "I'm sure there will be plenty of children on the way. Not only do I still 'owe' Velenthel quite a few more, but there was a bit of a baby craze after the local succubi got to see Ashe. Lilith likely sired quite a few additional children in the orgy that followed shortly after."

I coughed, caught off guard by Bella bringing that up right now. "You're one to talk. I know for a fact that you sired a few that night as well."

Bella turned away with a blush. "All of us got a little worked up, I admit. Even Torien is likely to be a father with some of the girls that night."

Oceane suddenly gained a predatory grin. "Even Torien participated in something like that? I wouldn't have guessed based on the way she acts. Perhaps we should be even more active in creating the next generation of succubi. Quite a few of the girls in the brothel might be interested in having children after hearing about your exploits. Maybe that's something that should be arranged here as well..."

I stiffened. It's not that I didn't think this could be a possibility after experiencing the adoration of some of the girls back in Traehall, but it felt a bit... indulgent. It already felt strange that I had so many lovers and secondary sexual relationships with my friends, but going out of my way to have children with so many other women to expand my race felt a bit wrong... In a way, I know that you could say it's my duty, but it still felt weird... But part of the remnant taboo from my past life that I was struggling with made the entire thing rather thrilling as well. My feelings on it were complicated to say the least.

The idea of having children with people I don't even know would be a bit more off-putting if it wasn't for the strong connection that all of the succubi now shared. Everyone who's joined has taken well to the new family dynamic we've cultivated, so I know that any children I have with other succubi will be well taken care of even if something happens to me or one of them. It worries me a bit when I look at Ashe and think of all the children who might not have me in their lives as much as I will be for the children I have with my lovers, but I also recognize the pragmatism of spreading my race as the origin title. The more people I specifically have children with, the more powerful our race as a whole will be, thus improving all of my children's lives.

"I'll take your silence as interest and set something up," Oceane said with a bit too much glee. "We can talk more about the specifics when the time comes, but I'll schedule a private orgy for succubi only within the next week. It's been a little while since we've done something like this, so it'll be good for morale, and I know a lot of the newer girls would love to get to know you more intimately. I know you're going to be busy in the coming days, but be sure to get to know some of the newer succubi in the brothel and the area in the city we've claimed."

"There are many that would love to get to know you better," Grace said with a nod and a smile.

I sighed and scratched the base of my horn. "Well, it's not as if orgies are uncommon for us in Traehall, though The Sleeping Lion is a lot smaller than The Ruby Vixen. It might be a good opportunity to have some fun with everyone while we deal with some of the more stressful meetings coming up in the next few days. There's a lot to do, but... family bonding seems like a good thing to make time for."

Bella snickered at how easily I rolled over at Oceane's prodding, but I did think it was a good idea, truthfully. I don't, and probably won't, spend as much time in Goldenhearth as I do in Traehall, so I should make an effort to strengthen my ties with the people here while I have the chance. While Traehall is shaping up to be the home capital of the succubi, there might always be a larger presence of succubi in Goldenhearth just because of Oceane's ambition and management.

The succubi are creatures of sex, and we communicate, feed, and bond through sex. It's important to create strong connections with each other, so it makes a lot of sense to share myself with as many people as I can while I'm here. I'm just thankful that my lovers are here to help me along. While there is a lot of joy involved in having sex with strangers, there's a lot more satisfaction in the experience when I can lie down with my friends after we've all enjoyed ourselves afterward.

"Alright, I agree. It's a good idea to strengthen my bond with the people here. We're family, and I want to make sure that the people here, especially the ones I haven't already met, have a chance to enjoy some time with me. Both sexually and non-sexually. If everything goes well in the castle, we'll at least have the entire winter to strengthen our bonds with each other," I said.

Oceane grinned. "That's excellent. I'll make sure to talk with everyone and set something up. I know that there are a lot of things to do, but I believe this will be a valuable use of your time as well."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. What a weird world I live in.