Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!-Chapter 279: Loyalty, Part Thirty-Seven

{Armia}

Night had fallen by the time they made it back to camp. Armia's muscles screamed with every movement, a cascading effect of aches that resulted from blocking hits that could have shattered stone.

[Those darians...] Armia thought as she moved. [I've never seen darians that... that big.]

The healers were slowly making their way from one person to another. Armia realized then that when you're raised around nothing but sorcerers, you forget that magic isn't something every single person does, as she had.

Sure, lots of people know one or two important spells they use in their day-to-day lives, but: one, not everyone has a lot of Essence, and two, casting spells is hard. An aspiring mage makes one misstep in the process and they misfire. Not everyone is willing to commit to turning spellcasting into an automatic process like she and her friends had.

This was to say, it was sobering seeing how some of the soldiers had no option but wait for a healer to reach them. The commander's wound had been bandaged. Three men were being treated for serious injuries.

And, given that she could heal herself, all Armia felt was a growing desire to remain alive in the face of this ordeal.

Armia sat on a fallen log near the campfire, methodically cleaning her blade. Around her, there was all sorts of activity. Those healers mending flesh, soldiers checking equipment, others setting up tents for the night. Her muscles ached from the day's fighting, but the familiar motions of weapon maintenance helped steady her hands.

"That was some impressive spellwork out there."

She looked up to find one of the female soldiers – Fara? Farah? – standing on the other side of the fire. Even by human standards, the dark-skinned woman was tiny, barely coming up to Armia's chest even when Armia was sitting.

"Thanks," Armia managed, suddenly very aware of how the soldier's leather armor hugged her curves in the firelight. What she lacked in height she more than made up for in hips. "Just academy training."

"Does academy training involve lightning chains? You prodigies must be getting up to some super exciting stuff." The soldier's smile widened as she walked around the fire to Armia's side. "Or that thing with the ice. They teach you that? Very creative."

Heat pooled in Armia's stomach. Outside of her curves, the woman wasn't particularly beautiful – battle-scarred, missing part of one ear – but something about the way she moved, the confidence in her stance...

[Down girl,] Armia thought firmly, focusing on her sword. [You're here to fight. Not to lust after anyone.]

"Well," the soldier patted Armia's arm as she passed behind the log, heading toward the mess tent, "keep it up. We could use more mages like you out here."

The casual touch sent electricity through Armia's body.

[... What the actual fuck?]

She watched the soldier disappear into the mess tent, leaving Armia to contemplate her body's absolutely inappropriate reaction to a simple compliment. The sword lay forgotten in her lap, oil cloth dangling from her fingers.

[Is this some strange form of withdrawal?] she wondered, finally standing up from the log. [Am I actually so used to constant sex that basic human interaction is getting me worked up?]

Then again, considering how often Isabella and Melisa had kept her busy lately...

[Two weeks,] she reminded herself, gathering her cleaning supplies and heading for her own tent at the edge of camp. [Just two weeks of this. Though apparently, my libido didn't get the memo about the temporary celibacy.]

At least she had her letters to look forward to. Assuming Melisa's response didn't spontaneously combust from sheer horniness before reaching her.

---

{Vira}

The bar felt like a tomb tonight. Vira lounged at her usual spot, counting the cracks in the ceiling for lack of anything better to do. Usually, the place would be packed with nim from all corners of Syux – the free ones anyway – drinking, fucking, plotting revolution. Sometimes all three at once.

But tonight? Dead. Like someone had announced a citywide nap and forgotten to tell her about it.

In the back room, she could hear Koros and his little band of wannabe terrorists planning whatever stupid shit they'd come up with next. Probably another "statement" which would inevitably end with tensions getting even worse. She would tell them to just stop but they never listened to her.

[And here I am,] she thought, stirring her drink, [not getting absolutely railed. What a waste of a perfectly good evening.]

The door creaked open, letting in a blast of evening air and-

[Oh hello.]

Melanie sauntered in, and Vira's night suddenly got a lot more interesting.

The silver-haired nim had squeezed herself into a shirt that was more like a loose bra than anything else. That swing in those hips, hips Vira had gotten very familiar with over the last few days, was especially cocky tonight.

[Now that,] Vira thought, sitting up straighter, [is what I call proper evening entertainment.]

Vira reached over the counter and took a bottle of liquor, pouring herself a shot. Precisely what she needed, an excuse not to think for tonight.

[Maybe I can fix that "not getting railed" issue, hehe...]

And, she turned toward the woman.

"Looking for company?" Vira called out, not bothering to hide her appreciation of the view.

Behind her, Koros's meeting droned on, but suddenly revolution seemed a lot less interesting than whatever Melanie had planned for the evening.

"Always," Melanie practically purred, sliding onto the stool. The movement drew Vira's eyes to all sorts of interesting places. "Especially from my favorite drinking partner."

[Well fuck me,] Vira thought, already pouring a second shot. [She makes everything sound like foreplay.]

"Drinking partner?" Vira let her hand find Melanie's thigh, enjoying how the muscle tensed under her touch. "Is that all I am?"

"Mm, depends how generous you're feeling with that bottle."

[Gods, I like this girl. I like her a lot.]

Behind them, Koros's voice rose in that familiar way that meant he was about to suggest something monumentally stupid. But for once, Vira didn't care about whatever half-baked scheme her brother was cooking up.

Not when Melanie was leaning in close, those silver-dyed strands brushing Vira's shoulder as she whispered:

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"Soo, tell me about your day~"

[Fuck the revolution,] Vira decided, pulling Melanie closer. [This is way more interesting.]