Chapter 33: You’re asking for my opinion
In the end, Erik and the others had to leave the Teleportation Center through a private exit.
Even as the security door had begun to close, the reporters’ voices still continuously carried from behind.
"Sir Erik! How many floors did you clear?"
"What rank is your Heaven Gate?"
"Who is the blonde Succubus beside you?"
"Please, just answer one question!"
Click.
The door closed.
The noise from outside immediately dropped away.
Erik breathed out.
"Finally some quiet."
Walking ahead, Meira heard that and turned her head, the corner of her mouth curving up slightly.
"You should start getting used to it."
"I don’t plan on becoming a celebrity."
"I’m afraid that’s no longer up to you."
Erik shook his head helplessly.
To his right was Felyn.
Her hand rested in Erik’s. Whenever stairs appeared ahead or someone passed by, he would slow down on his own and give her hand a gentle tug so she would know how to walk.
To his left was Elowen.
Since the moment he returned, the Elf Succubus had refused to be more than half a step away from him. One hand hugged his arm, her soft body pressing so close that with each step, her full chest gently brushed against the muscle of his arm.
Felyn couldn’t see any of that.
But a Succubus’s ears were very sharp.
She could hear the sound of fabric rubbing on Erik’s left side, and the hand resting in his unconsciously tightened a little.
Erik immediately leaned down.
"Does your foot hurt?"
"No."
"Then what’s wrong?"
Felyn hurriedly shook her head.
"Nothing."
Erik looked at her for a few seconds before continuing to walk.
Elowen on the other side had seen all of it.
Her jade-green eyes narrowed slightly.
Then she too hugged Erik’s arm tighter.
He turned.
"Elowen?"
She smiled, utterly gentle.
"Is something the matter?"
Erik: "..."
Walking ahead, Meira caught the scene through the reflective glass panels on the wall, and the corner of her mouth curved up in spite of herself.
At least the girl still knew how to compete.
...
Meira’s private car was already waiting behind the Center.
The compartment was nearly as spacious as a small room, with two long seats arranged facing each other, and a low table of dark wood in between.
After the door closed, all the noise from outside instantly vanished.
Meira sat in the seat opposite.
The moment Erik sat down, Elowen naturally claimed the spot on the left.
Felyn was helped by him to sit down on the right.
In just a few seconds, Erik was once again sandwiched between two Succubi.
Elowen still hugged his arm, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. Her soft silver hair fell across Erik’s arm, and the full thigh beneath her skirt was practically pressed against his leg.
Felyn, on the other hand, sat very properly.
Both hands on her lap, her spine slightly tense, clearly still unaccustomed to the unfamiliar surroundings.
The car began to move.
At the first turn, Felyn tilted to the side, her shoulder bumping into Erik before she immediately sat upright.
The second time was the same.
By the third time, Erik broke into a laugh.
"Felyn, come a little closer."
Her face immediately grew hot.
"I’m sitting fine."
"You’re about to fall over."
"I can—"
Erik directly looped his arm around her waist and pulled her in.
"Ah!"
Her soft body slid right up against his side.
Felyn’s hands reflexively braced against Erik’s chest, and her full chest also pressed lightly against his arm.
Her whole body went rigid at once.
Erik said calmly:
"Sitting like this is safer."
"Mm..."
Felyn’s voice dropped to almost nothing.
The hand resting on Erik’s chest slowly withdrew, but her body obediently stayed right beside him.
Elowen looked at Erik’s arm wrapped around Felyn’s waist.
Then she silently shifted even closer.
Erik felt the softness on his left suddenly increase, and the corner of his eye twitched.
Sitting opposite them, Meira had to raise her teacup to hide her smile.
The atmosphere inside the car finally grew lighter.
Only then did Erik begin recounting what had happened inside the Trial Space.
He told it from when Elowen stayed behind in the rest room, how he continued on alone, and then met Felyn in the forest.
The old hut.
The key.
How Felyn had lived there for fifty whole years.
He also told them about the two of them following the stream and reaching the final gate.
As for the meeting with the Primordial Succubus along with the Mirror of Myriad Worlds, Erik kept that entirely to himself.
Some secrets were better known by as few people as possible.
Meira had already watched most of the footage and so only listened quietly.
Elowen was different.
The moment she learned that Felyn had walked barefoot in the forest, foraging for wild fruit to survive, her expression immediately changed.
The small jealousy that had appeared moments ago quickly faded.
After Erik finished, the car was quiet for a few seconds.
Then he turned to Elowen.
"I want to ask your opinion about something."
Elowen was slightly stunned.
"My... opinion?"
"Mm."
She looked at Erik.
The expression on her face clearly turned strange.
Erik thought perhaps he hadn’t been clear enough.
"About Felyn."
Elowen didn’t answer right away.
She truly needed a few seconds to confirm that Erik was serious.
"You’re... asking for my opinion?"
This time it was Erik’s turn to be confused.
"Of course."
Elowen stared at him.
In this world, a man who wanted to bring another Succubus into his life didn’t need anyone’s permission.
Especially one who had already signed a formal Contract.
The Contract bound the Succubus far more than the man.
If Erik wanted to bring Felyn home, Elowen could be jealous, could be sad, but according to the common understanding, in the end she would still have to accept it.
A man only had to announce it.
Many didn’t even bother doing that much.
It was only when the new woman walked through the door that the existing partner found out she now had one more person to serve the man alongside.
Elowen had prepared herself mentally for that a very long time ago.
An outstanding man like Erik especially couldn’t have only one Succubus.
But she had never imagined he would ask her.
Not announce.
But truly ask.
Erik looked at the dazed expression on her face.
"Is something strange about that?"
Elowen’s lips moved.
"You... could have just decided on your own."
"I know."
"Then why ask me?"
Erik looked at her with an even more puzzled expression.
"Because you’re my partner."
He said it very naturally.
"If Felyn lives with us, your life will change too. Of course I need to know how you feel about it."
Elowen went completely silent.
A warm sensation suddenly spread through her chest.
Not the resonance of the contract.
Not the hunger of a Succubus either.
It was simply something she very rarely received from a man.
Respect.
Her jade-green eyes gradually grew moist.
Erik immediately knitted his brows.
"Why do you look like you’re about to cry again?"
Elowen hurriedly shook her head.
"I’m not."
But her voice trembled a little.
Beside them, Felyn had silently listened to the entire conversation.
Her heart was also beating faster and faster.
Erik continued:
"I brought Felyn out, so I want to take responsibility for her. But if you truly can’t accept it, we can figure out another way."
The moment Elowen heard that, she gripped his hand.
"I accept."
The answer came with almost no hesitation at all.
Erik looked at her.
Elowen drew in a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions.
"I’ll definitely be jealous. My man goes into the Trial Space and brings back a beautiful Succubus. If I weren’t jealous at all, that would be the strange thing."
Felyn immediately lowered her head.
But Elowen went on:
"It’s just that I can’t let her go back to that place."
She looked at Felyn.
"So I accept."
Erik smiled.
"Thank you."
Elowen instantly froze again.
"You..."
"What now?"
"You just thanked me?"
"Mm."
Elowen looked at him as if she had just heard something beyond belief.
A man thanking a Succubus.
In this world, the words "thank you" weren’t entirely nonexistent.
But when a Succubus accepted her partner’s arrangements, took care of him, provided money, resources, or fought in his place, most men viewed all of that as an obvious duty.
Elowen had been taught the same since she was small.
Caring for your partner was an obligation.
Providing him with the very best of everything was what she was supposed to do.
No one had ever taught her that in return, she would be thanked.
Those two simple words left Elowen momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
After a while, she finally said in a small voice:
"You don’t need to thank me."
But the hand holding Erik’s gripped even tighter.
Only then did Erik turn to Felyn.
"And you?"
Felyn startled slightly.
"Me?"
"Mm."
Erik looked at the bandage covering her eyes.
"I want to bring you back with us. But that’s my wish."
He paused for a moment.
"I haven’t asked what you want."
Felyn went completely still.
Erik continued:
"If after treatment, you want a place of your own, want to live alone for a while, or want to do something else, just say so."
"I won’t force you to stay by my side just because I brought you out."
Felyn’s lips parted slightly.
For a very long time, no sound came out.
"I... get to choose?"
Her voice was so small it was almost a whisper.
Erik knitted his brows.
"From beginning to end, it’s always been your choice."
Felyn lowered her head.
The fingers resting on her lap began to tremble.
Fifty years ago, when she was still powerful, countless clans had wanted to bring their men to pair with her.
Even then, many still believed that a Succubus would ultimately have to belong to some man.
Now she was blind.
Her aptitude was only Rank F.
She even needed someone to guide her just to walk.
Felyn had already come to see herself as a burden.
She had never imagined that after Erik brought her out, she would still have the right to choose.
He didn’t treat saving her as a debt she owed.
Nor did he treat her as a trophy brought out of a trial floor.
Felyn lowered her head even further.
A drop of water fell onto the back of her hand.
Erik was immediately stunned.
"Crying again?"
Felyn was crying and laughing at the same time.
"You really are very strange."
Erik grew even more confused.
"What did I do?"
Felyn shook her head.
After a while, she slowly reached her hand out, searching.
Erik took the initiative to hold it.
The instant she felt his hand, Felyn’s fingers immediately clenched.
"I want to stay with you."
This time her voice was very clear.
"If you’ll still allow it..."
Felyn’s face flushed slightly.
"I want to go with you."
Erik nodded.
"Then that’s settled."
He gently squeezed her hand.
"Thank you for trusting me."
Felyn instantly froze.
Her lips trembled faintly.
She didn’t know why the person who had been rescued was hearing a thank-you from the person who rescued her.
But that sentence made her heart go completely soft.
On the opposite side, Meira had stopped drinking her tea at some point.
She looked at Erik.
Then at Elowen.
Then at Felyn.
A feeling very hard to put into words suddenly rose inside her.
She seemed to be beginning to understand why, in such a short time, every Succubus who came into contact with Erik found it so very hard to stay composed.