The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!

They devised a plan to be executed at night. Kanae, Renya, and Arenade would hand-deliver the bait to the Cerulean Palace. When the patrolling harpies followed after them, that was Thored's cue to slip into the port with the real Sceptre of Want contained in another box. There, Renya's people were going to bring him aboard the Songstress. Once the rest of them reached the palace, a big fight was likely soon to follow.

"How are you feeling?" Kanae asked after pulling Theena to the side.

"Better, I guess. I'm sorry, Kanae. And… Thank you. I had no idea Seven and Kara cared about me that much. I just… Everyone, including my family, have to live off scraps while the Harpy King and his viziers gorge themselves fat. When I finally got the chance to make a difference for my parents… I leapt at the chance," Theena explained without making an excuse for herself.

"The Harpy King took advantage of you. I don't blame you. I promise to help your family somehow. But I need you to work with me. Is there anything you can tell me before we attack the Cerulean Palace later? We want to be completely prepared."

Theena hesitated to speak, but she ultimately resolved to confess.

"I mean, after seeing how strong you all are, I don't think you're going to have a problem. There is a harpy to worry about. Her name is Praijya. She's a potent fighter. I've never seen anyone move like a blur before. But I think you're more than able to handle yourselves," Theena said.

"I'll keep an eye out. Thanks, Theena. Before you go, no more secrets. You're on thin ice with Seven and Kara. I have two friends, Arenade being one of them, who matter a lot to me. We piss each other off a lot. Tease each other just as much. We made mistakes along the way, but we eventually grew stronger because of them. You can be better, too." Kanae rested a hand on her head and smiled.

"Thanks." She returned a grin.

Before leaving, Theena also revealed that there were exactly 30 agents of the Harpy King in Kandis, the majority of which resided in the Cerulean Palace to keep Vizier Duran in check. As far as Kanae could tell, she had a change of heart after Seven's heartfelt plea to her. In the meantime, the three Rookies returned to the adventurers hall so as to not appear suspicious.

Unable to leave the in and with little left to do other than to wait for nightfall, Kanae entered the bath for a nice hot soak. Getting fucked so hard in the Necro Lord's Tomb might have knocked some bones out of place. She was still tingly from Thored's thorough pounding, too.

"Make way for royalty and divinity!" Arenade announced as she entered with her new staff, Great Retort.

"Why are you carrying that around?" Kanae ducked to avoid being hit in the head when her wife descended into the bath.

"I'm still trying to get used to it. The damn thing is tricky. I can't get it to convoke the elements I want properly! Probably because this is originally a staff meant for spellcasting mages of the elemental variety. You know, like fire, cold, and lightning. As a priest, all I have are fire and holy spells. I guess I have Create Water, but…" She cast the spell, and suddenly the staff was shooting water out like a cannon at Kanae and waterboarding her.

The priest panicked. She pointed the staff in another direction, only to get the entire bathroom wet. When that didn't work, she dunked the staff into the water, and it was beginning to overflow.

"CAST ANOTHER SPELL, YOU IDIOT!" Kanae screamed as water flowed over the edge.

"LIKE WHAT— Oh!" Arenade incanted the spell of a weak Holy Blast, then lifted the staff out of the water to find its cupped hands holding a golden flame.

"If you don't get that staff under control, I'm confiscating it from you!" she warned.

"Don't you dare! Look at this thing. Doesn't it just scream 'divinity' to you? It was meant for me!"

It screamed 'dangerous' in the hands of incompetence…

Well, at least Kanae was squeaky clean now after getting beamed down by a column of water. The two of them climbed out to rejoin Renya and Thored, who were in the middle of going over the finer details of their attack plans.

This was for sure going to draw the ire of the Harpy King. They already foiled Cerberus by defeating the Ortesian force sent to retrieve Seven and the artifact. The only one they hadn't pissed off yet was Vizier Duran and his cousin, Sultana Dudula. It would really bite if she turned out to be the bad one in all this…

"By the way, we still have this feral minotaur. What do we want to do with him?" Thored thumbed to the charmed monster at the corner of the room.

"I could think of a few ideas." Kanae nibbled on her lower lip.

"No, you don't." Arenade clocked Kanae over the head with her staff. "If anything, we can use the minotaur as extra muscle. Theena said there was what? 30 agents of the Harpy King? That's a lot of fighting between the three of us."

"How about four?" Renya conjured a clone. "Or five?" And another. "Surely six!" She created one more clone and made them all shrug.

"Okay, wise guy… How about you go take care of all those harpies yourself?" The high elf folded her arms.

They did get an upgrade in the equipment department. It also wasn't as though they were pushovers either. Having fought the likes of Petyr Stormcloud, Roshasha, and Ambrosia, everyone else has looked like minor inconveniences to Kanae.

Crunch.

Everyone snapped to Thored, who had half a fried fish in his mouth. He returned their stares awkwardly before continuing to crunch down on it.

"What? I'm famished. You have no idea how poorly I ate in that musty old tomb," Thored said.

"Why don't we eat downstairs?" Kanae suggested to them. "It should be dark by the time we're done, and we can put the plan into motion then."

They agreed. The four ordered a feast's worth of food that put Coral's staff into high gear. Unsurprisingly, Arenade picked the most expensive cuisines on the menu. Thored stuffed himself so full, Kanae worried if he was going to make it to Renya's ship later.

They were just finishing up when a harpy duo entered the dining area and waltzed right up to their table.

"We see you have returned safely from the Necro Lord's Tomb," one of them said with her head bowed.

"Have you succeeded in obtaining the artifact? Vizier Duran eagerly awaits you at the Cerulean Palace," the other added.

It was the harpies who sounded impatient, not Duran. Kanae could tell by the subdued strain in their voices from being made to wait all day. As if they hadn't been keeping tabs since she returned to the city…

"Oh, yeah. We have the artifact." Kanae nodded. "We're just having dinner before going to visit Vizier Duran. That won't be a problem, right?"

The harpy pair exchanged relieved glances, then bowed again with their arms and wings outstretched.

"Of course. Please, enjoy your dinner. We look forward to receiving you at the Cerulean Palace soon," they said at the same time.

Kanae watched them intently until they were out of the restaurant. The rest of her companions expelled their stale breaths.

"Those birdies keep a closer hawkeye than I do on my operations. Learn to relax a little. Sheesh!" Renya sat back and lifted a glass of wine to her lips.

"It sounds like they're getting desperate. Really makes you think why they want that sceptre. Nothing good has ever come from devils. Ugh. Saffronesse yelling so much did a number on my brain… I don't know how Edina dealt with it for as long as she did." Arenade shuddered.

Kanae licked the sauces on her plate clean. She and Arenade still had some time left on their honeymoon before needing to return to Radevic. When they finally kick out the Harpy King's infiltrators, the two of them could get back to being a lovey-dovey, newly wed couple.

Until then…

"Alright. Everyone ready to go kick some ass?" Kanae asked.

Renya and Arenade were raring to go. As they rose to their feet, Thored pointed to the basket of garlic bread on the table.

"You three won't be finishing that, will you? I'll just…" Thored glanced left and right before nabbing the entire basket.

"Talk about a glutton. My crew will be here in a jiffy. You'll know who they are when they show you their tongues. Should have a tattoo like mine." Renya stuck out her tongue to reveal the tri-dagger mark.

Thored adjusted his glasses to get a better look and commit it to memory. The rest of them set off into Kandis, the Sapphire Jewel draped by a cloudless starry night and full moon.

When they arrived, a dozen harpies were waiting for them at the entrance of the Cerulean Palace. Unlike the dinner with Vizier Duran, not a single harpy was armed. Each one wielded a pike. Granted, not in an aggressive manner but as a guard standing watch. Some were perched on outcrops along the walls.

It was Renya who held the box containing the bait. Harpies near and far were zeroed in on the container like vultures over carrion. Others, without weapons, emerged from the palace with the platform seats. Kanae, Arenade, and Renya took one each, and just like last time, the harpies lifted them all the way up to a garden terrace this time. Unlike last time, those armed guards from below had followed them up.

Flowers and shrubs swayed to the gentle winds. A leaf rolled across Kanae's feet. Vizier Duran, escorted by harpies of his own, nearly choked on his spit when we saw them. He looked exasperated and in disbelief like they had betrayed him.

"D-Dear guests, I see you have returned… with the artifact," Duran said with a hint of disappointment.

A large harpy woman by the vizier left his side to come over. Fiery red plumes made her look like some kind of phoenix. She stood in front of Renya with both hands outstretched, expecting to receive the container.

Kanae gave Renya the cue by placing a hand on her shoulder and infusing her with Bond before doing the same with Arenade.

"Change of plans, Vizier. We're gonna keep this," Renya said.

"You will?" Duran gasped in relief, only to clear his throat a split-second later. "I-I mean, what? How dare you! We had a deal!"

The harpy snarled and took a swipe at Renya. She sidestepped the attack, drew a flintlock in her other hand, and fired a magical blast. Her attacker went flying off the palace. All of the harpies lunged at once, and a big battle broke out.

"Wait, wait, wait! You're going to start a fight HERE?" Vizier Duran cried and dove into the safety of a bush.

"Just stay there and keep your head low!" Kanae flourished her whip, striking indents into the ground and catching a harpy by the leg, and she came crashing down.

Most of the harpies targeted Renya. Every time one got close, she would blink away in laughter, appear behind the aggressor, and put a bolt of magic into their back. Half a dozen harpies managed to surround her, and instead of blinking to safety, she created just as many clones to mow them down.

Meanwhile, Arenade had mastered control over Great Retort in the short time that she wielded it. The holy flame within the cupped hands of her staff roiled with the intensity of a sun. She set divine fire to the garden, and expelled a nova of energy that blasted attacking harpies away.

More arrived to reinforce the defeated ones. The battle up here had caused enough of a commotion for them to come and investigate. Good. That was exactly what Kanae wanted to happen. By now, Thored should be well on his way to Renya's ship. All that was left to do now was defeat the remaining harpies to free Kandis from the Harpy King's grip.

A harpy tried to go for Kanae's throat. She waited for her to draw closer and casted Charm. The spell seized hold of her, and Kanae directed her aggression at the others instead. One by one, the weakened harpies fell under Kanae's control.

"Kanae, one of them is about to cast a mass heal!" Arenade shouted, who was being bogged down by two harpies.

Kanae followed Arenade's gaze to a harpy chanting the words to a magic spell. She held an open tome and was reading off its pages.

Now might be a good chance to make use of Doom & Gloom. Kanae cast Necrotizing Touch. Her hand gassed off a dark, necromantic mist. This spell was more of an attack and required physical contact to work. With her new earrings, she channeled the spell into Doom. It granted her an augmented version. [Necrotizing Touch (Area)].

As the harpy unleashed the healing spell, Kanae activated Gloom. Necrotizing Touch blighted the entire terrace, killing all of the plant life. Ghastly hands reached up to grab each harpy. When the blanket of healing magic spread across them, it did absolutely nothing to restore their wounds. Their relief turned into despair.

"It's no good! They're too strong!" an injured harpy cried.

"One, two, three… That's 24, six of which are under Kanae's control. Those five over there are the only ones left. Where's the last one? DId I count wrong?" Renya asked while a little over a dozen harpies laid unconscious at her feet.

"You definitely counted wrong! Count again," Arenade suggested.

Renya sulked. But it didn't look like they needed to. Even in the dark, a shadow soared past them. Glancing up, they had just missed it.

"Look out!" Vizier Duran warned.

It happened in a blur. A figure bodied Renya off the palace, and the box skidded right up to the ledge.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck! I didn't put my brown pants on!" Renya screamed as she plummeted.

Kanae was about to dive off the palace to get Renya until the same figure barrel-rolled and kicked her back. She guarded herself with both arms just as the leg made contact.

"Ow… that stung…" Kanae darted back to get a look of who it was.

The harpy was about as tall as Arenade. She was dressed in light leathers around her chest and a feathered waistcloth. Large, dark brown feathers granted her a massive wingspan. Her hair was snow white and made into a single, long and thick braid that ended with a spiked blade. A wicked and wide smile adorned her otherwise battle-hardened mien. In each hand, she wore gloves with four foot-long claws that looked like they could shred meat right off the bones.

"I thought I wasn't going to get in on any of the fun. Harpy King told me to just chill and not make a peep unless shit hit the fan. Judging by the number you did on my squad, I'd say a brick of shit hit the fan real hard!" She bellowed with laughter.

"You must be Praiyja," Kanae said.

"Not sure how you know my name, but if I had to guess… It was Theena. One of mine saw her coming back with your group. Figured you must have made her talk. Shame. We'll just have to make her family pay for her failures." Praiyja shrugged.

Arenade incanted a spell that created multiple golden rings which tightened around Praijya's body. Even the harpy wasn't sure what had happened.

"Or, we can hold you ransom for them! Try to break out of that." Arenade taunted.

Praijya smirked. She squeezed her eyes shut and flexed, letting loose a bestial roar. Her muscles bulged. Her feathers puffed out. The magical bindings began to crack and splinter until they finally shattered.

"You just had to open your big mouth…" Kanae sighed.

Arenade's jaw dropped. "I didn't think she would actually break free! That's one of my highest level spells! You, harpy. How in three hells did you manage to brute force out of Repentant Shackles?"

"Praijya, the Left Talon of the Harpy King, crowned Spellbreaker! I'll be taking this. You have my thanks for bringing it directly to us." Praijya picked up the box with her talons and whistled sharply.

A dispelling wave of magic rippled outwards from her. Kanae sensed the harpies she had charmed return to their senses. They picked up their more injured fellows and joined Praijya in the sky.

Kanae and Arenade were about to give chase, but a volley of thrown spears and javelins forced them to hide behind a tree. When the attacks ceased, they peered out of cover. The harpies were flying at breakneck speeds away from the city.

"You idiots! They got away with the artifact!" Vizier Duran ran to the edge of the terrace and dropped to his knees.

"The artifact wasn't in there. An old magic staff is," Kanae explained.

"Eh? R… Really?" He glanced up at her.

"Yep! We just gave them the old bait and switch." Arenade puffed out her chest in a job well done. "The real one is in our hands."

All the weight lifted from Duran's shoulders. As soon as he stood up, he dropped onto his ass. Color returned to his face, and he looked a lot more calm than before.

"But that doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet. When they realize it's not the artifact, they will come back. We'll probably be long gone by then though. But you have some explaining to do. That wasn't just some magic-less heirloom. It was the Sceptre of Want, an ancient weapon that contained the devil of envy, Saffronesse," Kanae said.

"Kuh… So, you know… I hoped it would have been a simple search and retrieve quest. It comes as no surprise that someone as capable as yourselves found out. Very well, I shall tell you everything inside, but… is your dark elven friend okay?" Duran asked.

Kanae and Arenade snapped to the edge Renya had been knocked off from. They raced over to peer down. The two breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the pirate lord lying flat on a lower terrace a few floors down, and not a red splatter at the bottom of the palace.

"Uugh…" Renya squealed in agony. "Note to self… the ability to blink does not soften or break a fall…"