Chapter 118: Erik is also a man

Another woman said coldly, "I’ve fought for seventeen years." She looked up at the gate. "And he has never gone outside the walls even once."

More and more voices began to rise. Emotions that had been suppressed for too long were like something torn open by a small hole, impossible to stop afterward.

"Kill them."

"Yes."

"If we don’t need men anymore, why keep them?"

"Kill them all."

"Enough."

Velyss’s voice was not loud, but the entire yard immediately quieted.

She stepped forward. She did not look at the two heads, nor did she look at the sphere. Her gaze merely swept across the Succubi who had shouted the loudest.

"You have only just discovered that you have another choice. That does not mean you have already won."

One woman frowned. "But..."

"How many people do you have?" Velyss asked.

No one answered.

"How many weapons?"

There was still silence.

"How many people do you have who can stand against an entire city?" she continued. "You don’t know?"

The expressions of several people began to turn unpleasant. Velyss’s lips curved slightly. "Then don’t be so quick to talk about killing everyone."

Karin, standing beside her, frowned slightly. "I think their spirits aren’t bad."

Velyss turned to her, her voice unchanged. "You want to stir up a group of people who just escaped oppression and let them rush out to die?"

Karin immediately retorted, "I never said they had to go right away."

"You were smiling very happily."

"I was encouraging them."

"You’re very good at encouraging others to go die."

Karin was left speechless. After a moment, she turned her face away. "I can’t be bothered to argue with you."

Velyss did not care. She looked at the Succubi before her. "If you want to come with us, first learn how to survive."

No one objected again.

Karin returned the sphere to her spatial ring. The moment the violet light vanished, a thin black line suddenly appeared on Lira’s wrist, like a tree root. It showed for less than a second before sinking beneath her skin.

Lira did not notice. Neither did the people around her.

Only Velyss, standing nearby, narrowed her eyes slightly. She watched for a few more seconds but said nothing.

...

Nearly an hour later, most of the work had been handled.

The supply warehouse was opened so the Succubi of the garrison could divide its contents among themselves. Those who wanted to leave were given food. Those who wanted to remain could stay. Those who decided to follow Karin’s team were told to bring only what they needed.

Karin was sitting on a metal crate, wiping her dagger while eating a piece of dry cake, when one member of the team walked over.

"Captain."

Karin looked up. "What?"

The woman held out a small device. "There’s a new data package from the southern contact point."

Karin took it. "For our team?"

"Not exactly. It’s a general update package for the teams operating in this region."

Velyss, standing by the window, heard this but did not turn around.

Karin opened the device. Most of it was familiar information: troop movements from several Councils, increased patrols in certain areas, and two crystal transportation routes that had changed.

Then, a name appeared.

Erik.

Karin’s finger stopped. "A man?"

The communications officer nodded. "A new observation target from Silver Moon."

Karin immediately lost interest. "Why put a man in this package?"

She was about to scroll past it, but the image beside the name made her stop.

A black-haired man with striking features, a tall body, and a calm face.

Karin looked for two more seconds and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Only then did Velyss turn around. "What is it?"

Karin immediately lowered the device. "Nothing."

Velyss walked over. "Then why were you looking for so long?"

Karin frowned. "I was reading the information."

Velyss looked at the screen, then looked at Karin. "Ah."

Karin’s cheeks immediately reddened slightly. "What does ’ah’ mean?"

"Nothing."

"You’re clearly thinking something."

Velyss did not answer.

Karin irritably handed her the device. "Read it."

Velyss took it. The faintly teasing expression on her face vanished the moment her eyes swept over the report. She read it carefully, and Karin beside her began reading it again as well.

The information was not long, but every line made Karin frown more deeply.

Erik had publicly confronted a man to protect a Succubus. He worked for himself. He was not financially dependent on any Partner. He knew how to cook and care for others. He was extremely close to several powerful Succubi. Recently, he had even appeared at an outer outpost, staying directly on the battlefield and participating in rescues instead of retreating to the safe zone.

The final line was marked.

[According to accounts from several Succubi in nearby areas, Erik’s appearance has caused a noticeable change in the morale of the entire outpost.]

Karin stared at it before laughing. "Nonsense."

Velyss did not answer.

Karin continued, "Just because he cooks a few meals, says a few pleasant things, and stands near a battlefield once, he becomes a good man?"

The communications officer standing nearby said, "The rumors also say he treats his Partners very differently."

Karin looked at her. "How differently?"

"He doesn’t see them as tools."

Karin snorted. "And you believe that?"

The woman immediately fell silent.

Karin folded her arms. "A man is still a man." She pointed at the screen. "And this one is even more suspicious."

Only then did Velyss ask, "Why?"

Karin looked at her as though the answer was obvious. "Because he’s trying to do the complete opposite of the Council."

"And?"

"What else is there?" Karin braced one hand on the table. "The Council is hated by Succubi. He appears at exactly the right time, acts kind, protects Succubi, doesn’t take money, and even deliberately stands near the battlefield." She laughed coldly. "He just wants to win people over."

Velyss did not argue. She continued reading. "When did he appear?"

The communications officer answered, "Information about him only began drawing attention in the past few months."

"Relationship with the Council?"

"Bad."

"Family?"

"No significant influence in the past."

"Wealth?"

"It’s increasing."

Velyss continued, "The Succubi around him?"

The woman thought for a moment. "Quite a few notable ones. Elowen, Meira, Laviana... There are also several unconfirmed names."

Karin raised an eyebrow. "See?"

Velyss still did not look at her. "A man with no great family, who does not rely on the Council, yet is building a reputation for himself. Powerful Succubi are voluntarily standing by his side."

Her violet-pink eyes gradually grew colder.

Karin leaned closer. "You think he wants to compete for power too?"

Velyss fell silent. Only after a while did she say, "Maybe."

Karin immediately laughed. "I knew it."

A Succubus who had just decided to join the team, standing nearby, heard this and hesitated. "But... what if he really is a good person?"

The air went quiet.

Karin was almost about to answer immediately, but Velyss raised one hand to stop her.

She looked at Erik’s image for a long time.

A calm face. No arrogance. Nothing like the men who had just died at the garrison.

But that was precisely why he was difficult to read.

Velyss said softly, "A person who uses a whip is easy to recognize."

Karin raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Because everyone knows to avoid him." Velyss lightly touched the screen with her fingertip. "The person who reaches out to caress you is the one most likely to make others willingly put on a collar."

Karin’s eyes immediately brightened. "I like that line."

Velyss glanced at her. "I didn’t say it so you could memorize it."

"I still like it."

Karin did not care.

The newly joined Succubus would not let go of the question. "But what if he isn’t pretending?"

Velyss looked at her. "I have never met a man like the one described in this report."

She did not say such a man could not exist. She simply said, "Never met one."

That difference made Karin frown slightly. "You want to investigate?"

Velyss nodded faintly.

Karin immediately stood. "Then let’s go to Silver Moon." She spoke as though it were very simple. "I’ll ask him myself."

Velyss looked at her. "You’ll ask him?"

"Mm." Karin placed her hands on her hips. "If he lies, I’ll kill him."

"Very subtle."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

Karin: "..."

Several team members lowered their heads again to hide their smiles.

Velyss turned off the screen. "We’ll go to Silver Moon."

Karin immediately stopped being angry, and an interested smile returned to her face. "Then kill him?"

Velyss passed by her. "If he’s acting."

Karin followed. "What if he’s using Succubi to compete for power with the Council?"

Velyss pulled up her glove, completely covering the small crescent moon shape beneath her wrist. "Then we should let him continue even less."

Karin nodded.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back to look at Erik’s image that had been saved in her personal device. Karin stared for two more seconds before muttering, "But he really is handsome."

Velyss stopped walking.

Karin immediately froze, her ears turning slightly red. "I was only making an objective assessment!"

Velyss turned around to look at her. "I didn’t say anything."

Karin blushed even more. "You’re thinking something."

"Mm."

"Delete it immediately."

"I can’t delete a thought."

"Velyss!"

Karin’s voice rang through the garrison yard, making several people laugh.

Velyss only smiled faintly before continuing to walk.

Near the gate, she stopped.

The two heads still hung above it. Beyond them, night stretched endlessly to the south. Silver Moon was very far away.

Velyss looked in that direction. "Inform the team."

Karin immediately turned toward the people under her command, the embarrassment from earlier vanishing quickly. "Pack up before dawn."

One member asked, "The old route?"

Karin looked at Velyss.

Velyss answered gently, "Change it."

"Where are we going?"

She did not answer immediately.

The face of the man she had just seen appeared in her mind again: a man praised by Succubi, a man unlike the Council, a man who was making more and more Succubi voluntarily stand by his side.

If it was all an act, Velyss would tear off that mask with her own hands.

She said softly, "Silver Moon."