Just as the commotion settled, Ariana’s voice echoed through the magic link.

[Holy Hero: The believers have been summoned! When do we depart?!

Thorn Hero: I will return immediately.]

Moments later, Miruku arrived, her footsteps swift and urgent as she guided them with precision. Anyi remained in the room, his vigilant eyes never leaving the succubi, while Layton handled matters downstairs.

When a curious traveler wandered into the tavern, Layton swiftly sent them away with a fabricated explanation about the collapsed walls—"long overdue for repair," he said with a practiced ease. The customer, seeing the rubble, didn’t press further.

Upstairs, the air buzzed with tension. The succubi huddled in the corner, whispering nervously. To the untrained eye, it seemed like a simple conversation. In reality, Anyi was listening intently, his senses sharp.

"Sister, are we going to die here?" one of the succubi asked, her voice trembling.

"It’s hard to say," Rose replied, her voice hushed but steady. She had returned to her human guise, though her clothes—still gone from her earlier transformation—remained missing. Seated at the center of the group, she was a picture of calm, even as uncertainty loomed over them.

"I don’t want to die!" another succubus wailed, on the verge of tears.

Rose, ever the strategist, leaned forward and spoke softly. "Calm down. I think… they’re more likely to imprison us than kill us."

"Imprison?" The word hung in the air, and then, as if in unison, the succubi’s eyes lit up with a strange excitement. "Imprison?!"

Rose nodded, her tone thoughtful. "If they wanted us dead, they wouldn’t have bothered with so many words. We still hold some value to them. If they kill us, they lose a chance to extract more information. We still have some leverage."

The succubi exchanged uneasy glances but nodded, hope flickering in their eyes. One of them hesitated, then asked, "But… what if, after they get everything, they still kill us?"

"Then we don’t say anything!" another retorted quickly.

"But if we refuse to talk, they might resort to… extreme torture." The suggestion sent shivers through the group, though one succubus seemed oddly thrilled at the prospect.

"Enough!" Rose snapped, silencing them. Her eyes flickered toward the door, reminding them the enemy was still close. "Let’s not give them any ideas."

She softened her tone and continued, "I don’t want to betray the monsters either, but we have to survive. Being alive is what matters now. If we provide information—just enough—they won’t kill us. The living are always more valuable than the dead."

The succubi seemed to relax, nodding in agreement. "You’re right, sister," one murmured. "We’ll cooperate."

But behind Rose’s calm exterior, her mind whirred with darker thoughts. Cooperation? No. She had other plans. Just because the Heroes were immune to their charm didn’t mean ordinary humans would be. They would undoubtedly be imprisoned somewhere while the Heroes were off fighting monsters. And once it was humans standing guard... well, that was where their true power lay. A single glance, a hint of charm, and their captors would bend to their will.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

As for the chance of the Heroes killing them, Rose wasn’t too concerned. She had overheard enough of Anyi and Layton’s conversation to understand that they were both righteous types. As long as the succubi didn’t resist, they would be safe. The real danger, Rose realized, lay elsewhere. Her sharp instincts focused on the timid-looking girl, Miruku.

'That one', Rose thought, her eyes narrowing, 'is no ordinary coward. She won’t hesitate when it comes to killing.'

Anyi, still leaning casually against the door, remained silent as he observed the scene. He hadn’t heard their exact words, but he could guess well enough what was running through Rose’s mind. He had never underestimated the cunning of a succubus. Though the group was shaken, their naiveté in handling this situation didn’t mask their innate survival instincts. Rose, with her experience and sharp mind, was already formulating a plan.

But Anyi had plans of his own.

When it came to the decision of whether to kill the succubi, Anyi's instincts were clear—he wanted to. In his eyes, they weren’t just captives, they were fifteen bags of experience waiting to be claimed. If he slaughtered them all, he'd easily gain the power and confidence to lead his companions against the three Goblin Centurions without hesitation.

However, a different calculation nagged at him. There were things more valuable than experience. As much as killing them could boost his strength, sparing them offered other, more strategic advantages. A succubus in captivity, after all, had uses beyond their immediate value as prey.

Within twenty minutes, the believers arrived, their robes fluttering as they gathered around the scene with wide-eyed anticipation. Three carriages stood waiting—a sleek one for the heroes and two others, less ornate but large enough to carry multiple passengers. Anyi wasted no time in bringing the succubi down from the upper floor of the inn, their hands bound with slime swords and their heads covered with bags, pillowcases, and anything else that could conceal their identities.

The appearance of a succubus was a weapon in itself, capable of swaying the mind of even the most devout. For the sake of the believers, their beauty had to be hidden, their allure neutralized.

Rose, too, was shrouded under the makeshift coverings. With their charm neutralized, the succubi were surprisingly easy to handle. Weak in strength, a simple rope sufficed to keep them bound. Soon enough, the entire group was loaded into the carriages, and the convoy set off through the morning mist, heading away from the inn and toward whatever fate awaited them.

Inside the first carriage, Ariana sat across from Anyi, her eyes staring blankly ahead, a mixture of confusion and frustration clouding her face.

"Uh... Is this it?" Ariana muttered, glancing around the carriage as if suddenly realizing her purpose had slipped away. "Who am I? Where are we? What am I even here for?"

She looked up at Anyi, her expression plaintive. "Anyi, are we just heading back now?"

Anyi nodded, his usual calm demeanor unshaken. "Yes. We're going back."

Ariana frowned, searching his face for some hint of meaning. "Is there nothing you need me to do?"

"You’re doing just fine," Anyi replied, his tone reassuring, if a bit distant.

"But... I haven't done anything!" she exclaimed, her frustration bubbling over. "I get on the carriage, then we go back... that’s it?" Her voice rose, almost pleading.

Anyi gestured out the window. "If you’d prefer, you can always get out and walk."

"Ah—!! No thanks!" Ariana yelped, clutching the edge of her seat as if it would throw her out any second. "I can't sleep! But it's so boring in here!" She suddenly lunged forward, gripping Anyi's sleeve with a desperate look in her eyes. "Why don’t you ever bring me along for the fun stuff?!"

Anyi shook his head, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Next time, for sure."

Layton, ever the cheerful mediator, laughed and scratched his head. "Ha ha ha, sorry, Holy Maiden-sama. We went out for drinks, but... you know, we couldn’t exactly bring you with us."

Ariana’s eyes widened. "Drinking?! I’ve never even had alcohol before! You could have taken me!" She crossed her arms, pouting.

Anyi, still maintaining his composure, sighed inwardly. This conversation wasn’t getting any easier.

Miruku, seated beside them, raised her hand weakly, barely mustering the energy to join the exchange. "Uh... if you’re just eighteen, you really shouldn’t be drinking."

Ariana slumped in her seat, visibly defeated. "Fine..."

Sensing an opportunity to shift the conversation, Layton leaned forward. "Speaking of, Anyi, how did you figure out that they were succubi? I mean, they were pretty well disguised, right?"