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

Kanae stood beside her fellow Knights of Colors in the tribunal chamber. To her left were Estaline von Cleisseldor, Dalu'luna Mello, and William Bellevue. A few paces to the right and the eight Saint Priests were in a line of their own. At long last, the three high seats behind both groups had been occupied. King Turren in one, Grand Eye Analise in the center, and their newest Archbishop Patrice in the third.

Apparently, there had always been a short ceremony to induct someone into the Knight of Colors. Grand Eye Analise had forgone the tradition due to extenuating circumstances surrounding Kanae, Dalu, and Will at the time. Today was the first time in a long while they could do it again thanks to a more or less peaceful time.

The chamber doors groaned open, and in came Garuda of the Emeraldscales and Wendy Ironspear of the Lights of Ehmvier, formerly Lights of Capillis. Both of them stopped at the raised podium and kneeled. Well, Wendy kneeled. Garuda bowed as low as she possibly could as a lamia.

Analise began, "The Knights of the Order of Colors is still a young organization. But in such a short time, it has produced the finest Radevic has ever seen in its long history. You will represent the greatest qualities of your kind and serve as their ambassadors. It is for that reason Radevic is the most diverse metropolis of the world. As a Knight of Color, you shall not only serve Aidenhall, but also the people across the land. For it is neither the crown nor scepter that makes a kingdom, but its people. With my fellow King Turren and Archbishop Patrice, as well as the Saint Priests and Knights of Colors, to bear witness— I here establish the Knight of Umber to lamiakind."

Each of the three rulers signed a single scroll. Archbishop Patrice turned it in the direction of Garuda and Wendy. Unfortunately, Kanae couldn't see it with her back to Radevic's leadership. She did hear the crinkle of smoldering fire against paper, followed by a smoky scent.

"The high elves of the Empire of Ortesia do not represent high elves across the world. Wendy Ironspear, will you vow to serve Radevic, its people, and become an exemplar to your fellows?" Archbishop Patrice asked.

"Yes, Archbishop! I shall also remove the stain that the former Knight of Gold had left behind on the mantle!" Wendy exclaimed.

"And Garuda, will you rise to represent the best the lamia race has to offer as Knight of Umber?" King Turren asked.

"The world won't know a stronger serpent than me!" Garuda smirked.

Kanae shook her head and sighed. She had told the lamia to behave earlier…

"We shall see." Grand Eye Analise chuckled. "We welcome you, Garuda and Wendy. Your two-year training begins tomorrow. In six months, you will have your own order hall to recruit as you see fit. Kanae Toyomi, our Knight of Amethyst, spoke well of you two. It is because of her you have been granted this honored opportunity. We expect great things to come from you both."

"And with that, the induction ceremony is adjourned until our two candidates have either completed their training or failed. Dismissed!" Archbishop Patrice bellowed, her words echoing loudly across the chamber.

The Saint Priests and Knights of Colors broke off from formation to congratulate the two initiates. It was a little too crowded, so Kanae held back. She turned her gaze up to the high seats and found Patrice staring back. The archbishop gestured in the direction of the Grand Eye, who was in the middle of speaking with King Turren.

Kanae nodded.

"Ivory, can you come here for a minute?" Kanae hollered to the elf.

"Sure thing." Dalu squeezed out of the group.

As Grand Eye Analise descended from her high seat, Kanae grabbed her, too.

"Yes, Amethyst, what is it? Shouldn't you want to be celebrating with Garuda and Wendy?" Analise asked.

"There's something important I want to bring up. I'd like to take Ivory's place to search for the Knight of Red in Savir," Kanae explained.

"You want to go in my stead?" Dalu gasped.

Both Dalu and Analise were taken aback. The Grand Eye shot the Knight of Ivory a look, only for her to shrug.

"Amethyst, explain yourself," Analise urged. "Ivory and her hall have made all the necessary preparations to leave. A change in such short notice will cause delays we're not even sure we can afford."

"It's not because I don't think Ivory is capable. Dalu'luna Mello is probably the most capable knight in the Order of Colors. I just believe that if we're searching for someone, a succubus' compulsion is the best course of action. I also have a rapport with Vizier Duran, who can get me in with his cousin Sultana Dudula," Kanae explained.

"Hmm. Your grace, I'm inclined to side with Amethyst. Her hall also boasts several members who can fly. Surely, that is an advantage that cannot be overlooked in a search mission," Dalu humbly conceded.

The Grand Eye sighed out her nose. She nodded once to give her approval, and Kanae felt the weight on her shoulders vanish.

"If the one I initially tasked to do this believes so, then I have no choice but to agree. In that case, Ivory and her hall will remain in Radevic to assume Amethyst's duties of monster hunting. Amethyst and her hall shall bear the burden of Ivory's search for Red. I leave it to you two to exchange information and resources. Oh, and Amethyst? Please bring Siv back. She is a dear friend," Analise said and held her gaze for a few seconds longer before leaving.

The tribunal chamber cleared out quickly after the Grand Eye left. Garuda and Wendy left with Archbishop Patrice in finalizing some paperwork. All eight Saint Priests split up to guard their assigned leader for the day, and the remaining Knights of Colors returned to their duties.

Not Amethyst and Ivory though. They headed to the Ivory Hall, so Dalu could give Kanae a briefing of the search mission. Her hall was a garrison situated near the coliseum, and its members were comprised of mostly common elves. Many worked behind oakwood desks, writing reports and filing documents. A pair of Ivory knights wrangled in an unruly high elf, likely an Ortesian spy, and led him downstairs into the garrison dungeon.

From what Kanae had learned before, the Ivory Hall's primary duty involved securing the city from internal threats as a sort of military police. It was an ironic responsibility, given that she had been imprisoned for being part of Gretchen Redbaron's insurrection.

Thanks to Dalu though, Radevic had seen a sharp decline in crime. Her duties and workload gradually became less hectic, and it was why Grand Eye Analise originally tasked her to search for the Knight of Red.

Now, that mission fell to Kanae. The Ivory Hall breathed a sigh of relief when their Knight-Commander explained that they wouldn't be going to Savir anymore. Kanae was feeling pretty good about this until an elf rolled a cart up to her.

"What is this?" Kanae asked.

"Everything you're going to need to read up on about Savir." Dalu snapped her fingers, and a conga line of people stuffed a massive assortment of books, documents, and scrolls into the cart.

"What is this?!" she cried again.

"You weren't planning on going in blind like you did in Artaggon, were you? Savir whole chunk of land the size of the Commonwealth. Get to reading." The blindfolded elf patted her on the back.

Kanae grabbed a tome from the pile. It was filled with text from page to page. A few sketches offered her some semblance of relief that this might not be all reading. Still, there was a lot of information to sift through.

"Thanks… So, what can you tell me about the Knight of Red? I realized we don't really know much about her," Kanae said.

"We don't," Dalu corrected her. "Grand Eye Analise does. Word among the clergy is that they were like sisters. Sivvy Brenhallow, the Knight of Red, joined the order ten years ago at the age of 17. 17! The youngest someone has ever earned any colored mantles. Before Analise rose to power, an archaeology guild in Savir reached out to Aidenhall and asked for help in uncovering an artifact. The previous Grand Eye sent Red. I mean, it was the first time the reclusive Savir reached out to anyone in such a long time. Radevic thought it was a good chance to build a friendship with another nation. But her reports eventually stopped coming in. Analise became Grand Eye and had been sending letters to the three Sultans of Savir for years. None of them have responded. Her grace puts on a brave face, but she is definitely worried."

"I see…" She glanced down at the book and frowned.

Analise had referred to Red as 'Siv'. They must be good friends. Ten years ago today would put her at 27 years old. She and Kanae were close in age.

"I'll bring Red back for sure. I can't wait to see how surprised she'll be to learn all that's happened." Kanae giggled.

"That would be nice. Good luck, Kanae. Leave the monster-slaying to me. I'll be sure not to kill too many, and leave some behind for your other predilections." Dalu flashed an impish grin.

"H-Hey!" She pouted.

Kanae pushed the heavy cart all the way back to the Amethyst Hall and got started on reading. In between books, she had to consider who to bring on the mission. It wasn't as if she could bring the entirety of Amethyst Hall. That would just look like Radevic wanted to declare war on Savir. She would have to bring a modest cell, yet strong enough to face any challenges thrown at them.

After reading a stack of books, the pile didn't look like it had diminished at all. She threw herself into bed to rest her stinging eyes for a few minutes. Savir was a massive desert, unlike the Commonwealth and Artaggon with their diverse landscapes. The southern tip of the continent, which was ruled by the Harpy King, boasted a lush rainforest. Aside from that, the rest of Savir was just desert, sand dunes, and canyons.

Feeling a little stir-crazy after staying cooped up for so long, Kanae headed downstairs. It was early in the evening. She wandered out behind the hall, to where they had built a modest stable for Petyr's pegasus Glory, Hilde's dreadmourn Ruin, and Titan. An open wall allowed them to come and go as they pleased, but at the moment offered a view of the sun setting behind the mountains. The three were lying down on bundles of straw, looking ready to knock out anyway.

"Hrm. I don't think we'll be able to bring any of you. Dreadmourns and pegasi aren't suited for dry places like Savir, huh?" Kanae wondered aloud and stroked Titan's snout.

Bringing Petyr meant they were going to have to travel on foot. Aisha could probably concoct a few potions of flying, but those would be better put to use when they were really needed.

"You think Arenade would go?" Kanae asked Titan as she laid down against his chest. "Probably not, huh? She's going to complain about 'my skin getting all dried and cracked' or something."

Titan whinnied in agreement.

Heavy footfalls entered the stables. Petyr stopped in the middle of the walkway on her way up to Glory, but she locked eyes with Kanae instead. A look of utter disgust fell over her face.

"Ugh. You better not be doing what I think you're doing." Petyr glowered.

"I swear, I'm just hanging out with my dreadmourn! Isn't that right, Titan?" Kanae asked the demonic stead.

The massive beast let out a disappointed bray like he was expecting something.

"Stop it… " Kana muttered.

"Well, keep it in your pants until I leave. I won't be long," Petyr said. She coaxed Glory to his feet and threw on a set of barding onto her pegasus. It was only then did Kanae notice Petyr in her new suit of armor.

"You're wearing the dragonscale!" Kanae exclaimed.

"I am. It fits me perfectly. I have to hand it to your orc blacksmith. He's extremely talented. Ortesia would do with some diverse hands like his, but they would never be humble enough to let an orc roam free," Petyr said.

When the paladin climbed onto her pegasus, both of them couldn't look any more majestic. The gold and lavender clashed with Glory's white coat and wings, but there was a beauty in it that stuck out.

Petyr steered Glory out of the opening in the wall. They flew a few circles before returning to the stables. She dismounted and nodded to herself.

"And it appears the barding also fits Glory perfectly. The smiths of Radevic are commendable, if not a little too cheeky for my liking. Carry on." Petyr took off Glory's barding and hurried out.

"Carry on?" Kanae repeated in confusion, then felt something hard poking her thighs and realized it was Titan's large cock. "I'll take care of you later!"

It didn't take long for Kanae to put together a list of people to accompany her into Savir. She went around Amethyst Hall, tapping them into the crew. Of the many capable individuals in the hall, her final roster included Petyr, Edina, Claudia, and Alicia.

"What? I'm as much a valuable member as my sisters. Why have I not been selected?" Hilde complained.

"It has to be a small group, and bringing two Seductresses won't do much for our overall strength. Amethyst Hall is also going to need a leader while Alicia and I are gone. That's going to be you. The Grand Eye or other halls might need help. They have you to turn to," Kanae explained.

"If you put it that way… very well. I'll stay. I'm bitter about it, but I'll stay put and look after the Amethyst Hall." She huffed.

"How long we gonna be in Savir, you think?" Edina asked.

"Hard to say. A few months at least. It's a country the size of the Commonwealth, and we're looking for a single harpy. And there are a lot of harpies living in Savir…" she answered dejectedly.

The Amethyst Hall meeting concluded, and Kanae gave everyone their orders. Alicia and Claudia were to secure a Rown ship to take them to Kandis, as well as a carriage to go from there to Savir. Petyr was tasked to work with Quartermaster Meidina in acquiring food, camping, and other supplies for the journey. Edina went to negotiate with Elizabeth Bedlam for some useful magical tools and armaments, and potions from Aisha. Finally, Kanae had a lot more reading to do.

Soon, Savir would meet the Commonwealth whether they wanted to or not. The future of Kanae's succubus empire lies in the success of her next mission.