Chapter 112: The road back to the City

The armored vehicle slowly left the outpost area, following the old road back to Silver Moon. After the battle, most of the road was still largely intact, but every stretch that passed through the forest was covered in branches, rubble, and traces left by monsters. From time to time, the vehicle had to slow down to avoid a large crater or a fallen tree lying across the road, making the cabin shake slightly.

Erik sat by the window, watching the dark treetops gradually slide past. Ever since they had left the forest, he had been feeling a little strange. All he had wanted was to expand the safe zone, find a suitable area to grow cotton, mine minerals, and slowly build a new settlement.

Yet in a single day, he had watched an entire outpost nearly get crushed by monsters, seen Meira sweep the battlefield clean by herself, and then been practically forced away from danger by more than twenty Succubi looking at him with almost reverent eyes.

Thinking of the female captain clutching the corner of his shirt and begging him to go back, Erik could not help sighing. "Am I really so weak that they worry about me that much?"

Elowen, who was seated across from him, immediately looked up. Before she could answer, Meira beside him folded her arms and looked at Erik seriously.

"It’s not that you’re weak."

Erik turned to her. Meira continued in a tone entirely devoid of humor. "Master is much stronger than most men at the same level now, but that doesn’t mean you should use your hands to stop the leg of a monster over twenty meters tall."

Erik raised an eyebrow slightly. "You were caught at the time."

Meira’s Elven ears immediately turned red. She clearly remembered why she had been caught in spider silk, and the imposing air she had just put on quickly weakened a little.

"That..." Meira coughed softly. "Your little dog knows she was wrong."

Elowen immediately looked at her mother. "And you still dare bring it up."

Meira turned to her daughter. She looked a little guilty, but still tried to maintain a calm expression. "I’m only saying that Master shouldn’t rush into danger."

Elowen folded her arms across her chest. "Then next time, remember to turn off what shouldn’t be on before you fight."

Meira fell silent. Erik turned toward the window, trying not to laugh.

Laviana, sitting beside him, noticed immediately, and the corners of her lips curled upward. She leaned slightly closer, her long red hair slipping from her shoulder and brushing against Erik’s arm. "If you want to laugh, just laugh."

Meira immediately looked over. "Laviana."

Laviana was not afraid of her at all. Instead, she smiled with clear amusement. "I wasn’t talking about you."

"There’s only one person in this car who just did something embarrassing."

Elowen calmly added, "Twice."

Meira: "..."

Erik finally laughed. Meira immediately turned to him, her green eyes full of grievance. "Master."

"Sorry." Erik raised one hand. "I couldn’t hold it in."

Meira looked at him for a few seconds. In the end, she was not truly angry. She merely huffed softly and turned toward the window, though the corners of her lips had unconsciously curved upward.

The atmosphere in the vehicle lightened considerably because of that.

Laviana looked at the three people before her, her gaze gradually softening. Not long ago, she had never imagined herself sitting in a vehicle like this.

It was not a meeting. Not a contract negotiation. Nor was it sitting beside a Partner in name only, someone with whom neither of them wished to exchange more than three sentences.

It was simply four people returning together after a long day, occasionally talking about meaningless things and laughing.

It was very ordinary.

But that very ordinariness made Laviana’s chest feel warm.

She slowly shifted closer to Erik. Erik, who had been looking out the window, noticed immediately. "What are you doing?"

Laviana did not answer. She looped an arm around his, pressing her body closer. Her full breasts gently pressed against his shoulder, making Erik tilt his head and look down at her.

Laviana’s expression remained completely natural. "I’m tired."

Erik looked at her. "You’ve been sitting in the car since the beginning."

"I did a lot before that."

"Such as?"

Laviana thought for a moment. "Flying to the outpost."

"And then?"

"Hugging you."

Erik: "..."

Laviana thought a little more. "And watching Meira miss her attacks."

Meira immediately turned around. "Laviana!"

Laviana laughed. Then, before Meira had a chance to retaliate, she simply tilted her head and rested it on Erik’s shoulder.

Erik shook his head helplessly, but he did not push her away.

Sensing that, Laviana’s eyes immediately curved into crescents. Her pale pink, long tongue slowly slipped out and gently swept across the skin exposed above Erik’s collar.

Erik shivered slightly. "Laviana."

"Hm?" she answered obediently, but her tongue continued moving. This time, it slowly licked from near his collarbone up the side of his neck, stopping just beneath his ear.

Erik’s breathing caught slightly.

Meira, sitting across from them, narrowed her eyes at once. Elowen was watching too.

Laviana did not care in the slightest. She even wrapped an arm around Erik’s waist, her soft body almost completely pressed against his, before leaning close to his ear and asking, "Do you remember what I said before?"

Erik knew she was referring to her idea for The Angel Succubus. "Having me lead a group of Succubi to fight men?"

Laviana immediately corrected him. "Not fight men."

"You said exactly that."

"I only said it that way to get your attention."

Erik turned to her. "It worked."

Laviana chuckled softly, her tongue brushing lightly against his ear again. "Then I’ll explain it properly tonight."

Erik raised a hand and held her chin before that tongue could continue causing trouble.

Laviana paused. She thought Erik was about to push her away.

But he only looked at her face, so close to his own, for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap.

Laviana was completely unprepared.

"Ah..." A very soft sound slipped from her lips. Her mature body immediately fell fully against Erik’s, and her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck. She looked up at him, red eyes slightly dazed.

Erik adjusted his posture so that she could lie more comfortably. "Sit still."

Laviana blinked. "You..."

Before she could finish, Erik’s hand had settled on her red hair and slowly stroked it.

There was no teasing. No intention of taking things any further.

It was simply an embrace.

Laviana fell silent.

After a while, Erik said, "You worked hard too."

Laviana’s eyes widened slightly.

Erik continued looking at her, his hand gently stroking the hair that had fallen over her shoulder. "Today, you flew from Silver Moon to the outpost, helped deal with everything there, and then followed me to the battlefield." He paused briefly. "You haven’t had much rest these past few days either."

Laviana did not know what to say.

She had wanted to tease Erik. She wanted to watch him become helpless when her tongue coiled around him. She had even thought that if the Elf mother and daughter reacted amusingly enough, she could deliberately go a little further.

But with one completely ordinary sentence, all of those thoughts disappeared.

Erik gently stroked her hair. "You don’t have to act like nothing’s wrong all the time."

Laviana pressed her lips together. Her throat suddenly tightened.

She was used to handling everything herself: managing companies, dealing with shareholders, taking care of Vylana, resolving disputes over property, media matters, and enormous contracts.

Even when the hunger caused by the Contract made her body nearly unable to endure it, Laviana could still dress neatly and go to work as usual.

Because no one cared whether she was tired.

Her former Partner cared even less.

In his eyes, it was only natural that Laviana could handle everything.

But Erik—

He asked.

No. He had not even asked.

He had simply seen it.

Laviana slowly lowered her head and buried her face in Erik’s chest. Her hands tightened around his waist. "I’m not tired."

Her voice was so quiet that only Erik could almost hear it.

He laughed softly. "Mm."

"Really."

"I believe you."

Laviana was silent for a few seconds. Then she lightly bit Erik’s neck. Not hard, just enough to leave a faint sting behind.

Erik looked down. "What are you doing?"

Laviana remained buried in his arms, her voice muffled with displeasure. "You spoil women too much."

"Do I?"

"Yes." She lifted her head. Her red eyes were slightly wet, but the corners of her lips were curved upward. "It’s dangerous."

"Dangerous for whom?"

Laviana extended her long tongue and slowly licked over the bite mark she had just left. "For you."

Elowen, seated across from them, finally could not hold it in any longer. "Laviana."

Laviana turned to her. Elowen looked at the tongue still resting against Erik’s neck. "Enough."

Laviana smiled. "Jealous?"

Elowen immediately blushed. "I just think you should let Erik rest."

Meira, beside her, rested her chin on one hand, her eyes full of interest. "I think it’s fine."

Elowen turned to her mother. "Whose side are you on?"

"Master’s."

Elowen: "..."

Erik looked at the three women and sighed softly.

But he did not feel annoyed.

On the contrary—it felt warm.

He remembered the Succubi at the outpost. The looks in their eyes when they stood before him with their heads lowered. Their thanks. Their pleas for him to stay safe.

Erik slowly looked at Meira, then Elowen, and finally Laviana lying in his arms.

"The Succubi in this world..."

All three of them looked at him.

Erik paused slightly.

Then he said, "They all seem to live very exhausting lives."