After Sistem and Liyakade had finished their conversation, the rumors finally came to an end.
They returned to the Palace as planned, to ensure their safety at night and prevent Darkness from launching a surprise attack under cover of darkness.
Originally, Liakade and the others planned to stay together in Field’s bedroom like during the cultural festival, since the bed and room were spacious. But at Sistem’s insistence, they ended up not sharing a room this time.
Sistem’s reasoning was solid—to supervise them and prevent any impure or forbidden acts. Although, from their conversations, it was obvious some impure exchanges had already occurred.
Still, just because it happened once didn’t mean it could continue, at least not before Liakade gained the recognition of His Majesty the King and Sistem.
Moreover, until Darkness, the hidden threat in the Academy, was dealt with, Liakade and the others had to return to the Palace to rest every night.
It wouldn’t do for them to all sleep in the same bed every night, would it?
Their bodies wouldn’t be able to take it.
Thus, Liakade and Alice were assigned rooms next to Field’s.
Field and Alice were both a little unhappy with this arrangement. But since Liakade was just next door, they could visit her anytime, and even had a chance to enjoy her company alone. So the two accepted Sistem’s decision.
These past two days had been exhausting—not only did they spend two days exploring the Nasca Labyrinth, but they also played a fierce duet with Liakade inside the Dungeon. Alice, whose physical strength was already lacking, still felt her legs tingling, and Field wasn’t much better.
Besides, in the Dungeon, they had to stay alert, and sleeping on tents and mats was uncomfortable. Now, back in the Palace with soft beds, Alice and Field quickly fell asleep.
In the neighboring room, Liakade had just stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a white towel, her delicate shoulders exposed. Her small, jade-like feet pressed into the carpet. After drying her hair, she lazily stretched out on the bed.
Thinking back on the past two days, Liakade still found it hard to believe she’d confirmed her relationship with both Field and Alice. Of course, she had enough affection for both—after all, they were the ones who believed in and helped her when she was isolated and alone.
Part of the reason Liakade struggled to sort out her feelings was her inability to choose between Field and Alice. But now, that problem was solved. Only children make choices—Liakade decided to have it all.
Another reason was her fear of same-gender love. In the world before she crossed over, her family and friends couldn’t accept such things. If she came out, those so-called relatives might even do extreme things to suppress her.
That’s why she understood why Field was so hurt during her confrontation with His Majesty the King earlier. They were family, yet she couldn’t live as she wished.
Once she broke the rules, her loved ones became enemies, binding her in unimaginable ways.
Fortunately, His Majesty the King was open-minded and deeply loved his daughter. After his initial shock, he quickly calmed down and considered Field’s true feelings and needs.
This world, much like in the game, treated such things as taboo, though no one really knew why. Even if someone liked a girl, people could still accept it.
Now, Liakade had another reason to defeat the Demon King. But without the Original Ritual, it would take ten years for the Demon King to revive. By then, Alice could easily crush the Demon King. Such a being was no threat at all, though it would be a long time before they could truly get married.
For now, dealing with Darkness came first.
As Liakade pondered the future, she slowly closed her eyes.
***
The crackling noise rang in her ears, and Liakade felt the temperature around her rising.
She opened her eyes abruptly, greeted by a vaguely familiar scene.
A sky as dark as ink, rivers of lava flowing endlessly.
But this time, Liakade was not sitting on a withered tree. She stood atop the Fortress, gazing out the window into the distance.
“It’s happening again?”
Liakade felt both confused and excited. It had been months since she last saw Korim. If not for the Demon Bloodline running through her veins, she might have thought Korim was a hallucination.
“Mhm. It seems your human blood has fused nicely with ours.”
A soft, seductive voice came from behind Liakade, accompanied by a gentle touch on her neck.
It was Korim’s tail.
She poked Liakade’s cheek with her tail, only to have Liakade flick it away with her own tail in annoyance.
“Don’t poke me! It tickles!”
After brushing off Korim’s tail, Liakade turned to face the figure nearly identical to herself.
“Wow, such a fiery temper for a child.”
Not far away, on the Throne, Korim lounged in revealing attire, a mischievous smile on her face. She absentmindedly licked her finger, sending a flirtatious glance at Liakade. The twin peaks of her chest pressed together, drawing Liakade’s eyes.
How could they look so alike, yet this woman had such a huge bust?
Liakade felt a little annoyed at Korim’s childlike yet voluptuous appearance—not from desire, but from jealousy over those curves.
“Hehe, never mind my temper. You haven’t shown up in ages! I have so many questions for you!”
“Sigh, it must be because you haven’t properly used our race’s power. That’s why I couldn’t reach you.”
Korim shrugged, her ** bouncing elastically as she sighed, her voice weak and helpless.
“It’s only now I finally managed to contact you. You must have been quite happy recently, Liakade?”
At this, Korim licked her lips with a slurp and descended from the Throne, approaching Liakade with a playful look.
“W-What do you mean!? Wait, does this mean you can only contact me when I’ve done that kind of thing!?”
Liakade stepped back, flustered. Though she didn’t know exactly which happiness Korim meant, her instincts screamed it was the ‘sexual’ kind.
“C-Could it be? Is the Demon Bloodline in me really that of a Succubus??”
“Hehe, what else could it be? My dear, Liakade.”