The Story of an Arrogant Succubus Princess Who Always Looked Down on Humans as Mere Food, Until She Fell in Love With an Ordinary Man - Chapter 24.1

“Alright, let’s do this.”

After parting ways with Liliana, Asbel entered the city alone. He deliberately allowed himself to be spotted by a member of the knights in an area away from the pier.

“Huh? Wait, aren’t you…Asbel Khan, the wanted man?”

“Oh no, I’ve been caught. I better run.”

Asbel pretended to panic as he fled, distancing himself from the pier. He didn’t want to go too far, though; if the commotion didn’t reach there, he wouldn’t be able to help Liliana in an emergency.

He kept running while making sure not to get too far away.

“…Well, knowing her, she can handle some problems on her own.”

Liliana occasionally hit on truths about Asbel’s inner feelings, ones even he wasn’t aware of. She wasn’t just attractive and gifted with succubus powers; she had the ability to see through people’s true natures.

Also, that pixie of hers was skilled. Unless she ran into a particularly strong opponent, she’d probably manage.

“Okay, this should be far enough.”

Asbel stopped in an open square, where more than ten knights surrounded him, swords drawn.

“Give it up, Asbel Khan! You’re currently wanted by the knights for assisting a jailbreak!”

“Only the knights, huh? So they’re keeping it internal for now.”

Asbel sighed, wondering if that meddling captain had pulled some strings for him. Still, if he went wild here, he couldn’t escape at least a prison sentence. Even if he got off with just losing his position, the knights wouldn’t go easy on him.

“What’s the matter, Asbel Khan? Are you going to surrender quietly—”

“I’m alone, and there are over ten of you. Instead of talking, why don’t you try capturing me by force?”

“You…how dare you! You defiled the knights’ honor by being seduced by a mere succubus. I’ll make you pay for it!”

Several knights charged at Asbel at once. Their movements were far superior to the bandits he had encountered on his journey. These knights might not have seen war, but they were elite, tasked with guarding the country’s often troublesome borders.

Even a powerful orc wouldn’t stand a chance surrounded by knights like these.

“Alright, I’ll give you some training.”

“Ugh!”

Asbel’s fist struck the jaw of the first man to attack. A light, jab-like punch, but it was enough to knock the man out cold.

“D-don’t hesitate! He’s only one man! Surround him, and—”

“Don’t talk so much in front of your enemy.”

Another knight fell. In just a few seconds, the group of knights, once numbering over ten, was reduced to a single person.

“W-what is this…this monster…”

“What’s wrong? Are you going to call for reinforcements?”

Asbel let the rookie knight run off without chasing him, exhaling lightly. These knights weren’t weak by any means. Maybe they had been a little careless, but they were well-trained.

Even so, Asbel’s combat ability was among the top five in the entire kingdom.

He was a battlefield demon, who had shed more blood and sweat than anyone on the front lines and slaughtered countless demons. The knights, who saw this as a mere mission to capture a foolish man seduced by a succubus, were no match for him.

“There he is! Surround him! He’s not immortal! If we overwhelm him with numbers, we’ll take him down eventually!”

More knights arrived, double the previous number. These knights were clearly more serious than the first group.

“Round two. Come at me.”

Despite the situation, Asbel’s expression didn’t change. He raised his fists again.

◇

“I guess I’ll have to capture you.”

The blue-haired man who spoke to Liliana had a calm, piercing gaze, different from the other knights. There was a sharpness in his presence, distinct even from Asbel’s.

“Stay away from Lady Liliana! Ignis!”

Mimi fired a flame arrow, faster than a bullet. A single hit on a human would be fatal.

“Whoa, close one.”

Without even turning around, the man deflected the arrow with his sword. He was clearly experienced in fighting demons.

“Ignis! Ignis! Ignis!”

Undeterred, Mimi fired arrows of flame from all directions, but none of them reached the man.

“Lumina!”

Liliana invoked the light spell she had used earlier. A magic meant only to blind, but in this situation, if the man lost his sight, Mimi’s arrows wouldn’t miss.

But the man only smiled.

“Using the same magic again and again from the front isn’t exactly praiseworthy. If you’re going to try, you should be more creative.”

“L-Lady Liliana!”

Mimi shouted, but she was too late. The man’s fist slammed into Liliana’s stomach.

“Gah…”

“Okay, just take a nap.”

“You…!! How dare you touch Lady Liliana, you filthy human!!”

Enraged, Mimi drew a massive magic circle in the air, much larger than before.

“Ignis Clasmia!!”

A whirlwind of flames large enough to engulf the area formed. If it hit, even this man wouldn’t walk away unharmed. In fact, the entire area, including the nearby buildings, would be reduced to a sea of fire.

“But are you sure? Your princess is sleeping in my arms.”

“Ugh!”

The man grinned, using Liliana as a shield. No matter how skilled Mimi was, she couldn’t control a spell of that magnitude to hit only the man and not harm Liliana. The gathered flames dissipated like a popped balloon.

“Thanks for understanding. Now, I have no use for you, so if you want to run, I won’t chase you. The only one I’m ordered to capture is the princess here.”

“Don’t mock me, human!”

This time, Mimi cloaked herself in flames and charged at the man.

“You’re so predictable, it’s almost helpful.”

The man, as if expecting this, casually tossed Liliana aside.

“L-Lady Liliana!”