Chapter 111: Please go back!

The woman standing beside her hesitated for a moment. In the end, her face turned red, but she still added, "And affection too."

Erik turned to look at her.

The female Succubus immediately blushed all the way to her ears, but she did not take back her words. She only stammered slightly, "I... I mean it."

The woman beside her could not help nudging her waist. "You’re really saying it that directly?"

The other woman’s face grew even redder, but she still tried to argue, "If I don’t say it, am I supposed to let him guess?"

The atmosphere, which had been so serious, immediately became strange. Several people could not help laughing softly.

The captain’s lips curved upward slightly as well, but she quickly remembered the main point. She looked at Erik and said, "So, Lord Erik, please return to the outpost."

Erik looked at her helplessly. "So we’ve come back to this in the end?"

"Yes." The captain nodded firmly. "If you remain out here, we truly won’t be able to focus on fighting."

Erik asked in confusion, "Why?"

The captain answered with complete seriousness, "Because we’ll constantly have to check whether you’re safe."

A Succubus behind her immediately agreed, "If a monster gets near you, all of us will definitely run over."

Another nodded. "The formation will break."

Erik looked at each of them, but he could not see anyone who seemed to be joking.

Only then did the captain take another half step forward. She hesitated for several seconds before carefully taking hold of the corner of Erik’s sleeve, as though she did not dare touch his hand directly.

"Lord Erik..."

Her voice softened completely.

"Please."

Erik felt that this plea was even harder to deal with than Meira acting spoiled.

Another Succubus stepped forward as well. She did not touch him, only lowered her head and said, "Please return somewhere safe."

The woman behind her immediately added in a gentler voice, "We still want you to keep cooking tomorrow."

Another woman laughed. "I still haven’t made it into the top ten."

"I haven’t received a reward yet either."

A few laughs quickly rang out. But before long, the Succubus who had spoken looked at Erik with great seriousness.

"So you still have to be there tomorrow."

A woman with an abdominal injury finally spoke from the back. Her voice was weaker than the others’, making everyone immediately turn toward her.

She was standing with the help of a companion, her face pale from blood loss, yet her eyes remained bright.

"Lord Erik." She looked at him and spoke slowly. "If you die today because you tried to save us..."

She paused for a moment before shaking her head.

"I don’t think I could ever forgive myself for the rest of my life."

The woman supporting her nodded faintly. "Me too."

"Me too."

"Same here."

More voices continuously echoed out.

Only then did Erik realize that he had been surrounded at some point. But the Succubi before him were not using strength or Contracts to force him. What kept him from ignoring them any longer was the concern in every pair of eyes.

Meira watched him for a moment before moving close to his right side. She wrapped both arms around Erik’s arm. Her soft body pressed lightly against him, but this time, there was no hint of teasing. She only rested her head against his shoulder and called softly, "Master."

Erik turned toward her. "Hm?"

Meira gently rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and said, "Let’s go back."

On Erik’s other side, Elowen immediately tightened her hold on his hand. Her eyes were equally resolute.

"This time, listen to us."

Erik looked at the two of them, then at the more than twenty Succubi in front of him. Some of the women were so nervous while waiting for his answer that they barely dared breathe.

At last, he slowly let out a breath.

"All right. You win."

Almost at the same moment, everyone around him relaxed.

One Succubus even raised a hand to her chest and let out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness..."

Erik looked at that reaction and said helplessly, "I only agreed to go back. It’s not like I just escaped death."

The woman answered seriously, "To us, it’s almost the same thing."

Erik could not find a way to refute her at all.

The brown-haired captain finally smiled for real. She released the corner of Erik’s sleeve, but before stepping back, she remained still for several seconds. Her expression clearly showed that she was hesitating over something.

In the end, she gathered her courage and called out, "Lord Erik..."

Seeing that expression, Erik immediately had a familiar feeling. "What now?"

The captain looked at the Succubi behind her, and her cheeks began to redden.

"Before you leave..."

She took a deep breath, then asked, "May I hug you one more time?"

Every gaze around them immediately turned toward her.

Erik fell silent.

Before he could answer, a quiet voice rose behind her.

"If the captain gets to, then we also..."

The captain immediately spun around, her face red as she snapped, "Quiet!"

But it was already too late.

Dozens of eyes turned toward Erik at once. There was anticipation, admiration, and obvious embarrassment in them. Some women were blushing so hard that they did not dare look directly at him, yet they still refused to look away.

Elowen immediately tightened her hold on Erik’s hand.

"Not all of them."

Meira, standing beside them, laughed and said generously, "Five seconds is fine."

Elowen immediately turned toward her. "Mother!"

Meira tilted her head as though she did not understand what the problem was. "It’s just a hug."

Elowen frowned. "Whose side are you on?"

Without even thinking, Meira answered, "Master’s side."

Erik rubbed his forehead.

If he let mother and daughter keep arguing, perhaps they truly would not need to go back tonight.

He looked at the captain and said, "Once."

Her eyes immediately lit up. "Yes!"

The captain stepped forward. This time, she was no longer stiff as she had been during the first hug. She proactively wrapped both arms around Erik’s waist, lightly pressed her body against him, and rested her face on his shoulder.

The scents of blood, sweat, and faint perfume mingled together, but Erik did not find them unpleasant.

The captain closed her eyes for several seconds.

Then she consciously let go.

Before stepping back, the woman leaned a little closer and whispered beside Erik’s ear, "Please, you must stay safe."

There was no desire or teasing intention in her voice.

Only sincerity.

Erik looked at her and nodded. "I’ll do my best."

The captain smiled. "That’s enough."

Meira immediately pulled Erik’s hand back to her side, seemingly feeling that he had given other people enough of his time.

"Let’s go, Master."

Elowen had no intention of waiting any longer either, so the three of them began leaving the battlefield.

But before stepping fully onto the path through the forest, Erik still turned back for one last look.

More than twenty Succubi remained where they were.

No one hurried to leave.

When one woman saw him turn around, she raised her hand and called out loudly, "Lord Erik!"

Erik stopped walking.

She smiled brightly. "Don’t forget to cook meat tomorrow!"

The woman beside her immediately shouted as well, "And the rewards!"

"Top five is still valid!"

"That’s right!"

Laughter quickly rang throughout the forest.

Erik laughed too and raised one hand. "I know."

The cheers immediately grew louder.

Looking at the faces that had been full of despair only hours ago, now able to laugh and compete over a reward that was not worth much, Erik suddenly understood a little more about what the System called Faith.

Perhaps he did not need to become a god. Nor did he need anyone to kneel before him.

If Faith was simply one person believing that Erik’s existence made tomorrow worth looking forward to, then Erik did not hate this feeling.

Meira gently tightened her hold on his arm.

Elowen moved closer as well.

At last, Erik turned around and said, "Let’s go back."

The three of them continued down the path out of the forest.

Behind them, the Succubi remained standing there until Erik’s figure had completely disappeared between the trees. Only then did the captain slowly place a hand over her chest, where the warmth from the hug a moment ago seemed to remain.

She looked at the empty path ahead and smiled faintly.

"Tomorrow..."

The hand resting over her chest tightened gently.

"...I have to win."

This time, she wanted to survive and return not because of an order.

But because tomorrow had something worth looking forward to.