"No..." Ignisarya whispered, her voice barely audible. "This can't be happening again..."
Kaelus, the Empire's best fighter, stared at Kaelen, his expression a stunned mix of shock and profound respect for what Kaelen had just accomplished.
However, the change in Isolde was the most dramatic.
She trembled visibly, her normally pale skin flushed a bright red.
Her wide, red eyes weren't fixed on Kaelen's formidable new black sword out of fear, but rather on Kaelen himself, gripped by a powerful interest.
His "Lust Aura" was still affecting her intensely.
Inside Kaelen's mind, Evelyn was cheering wildly.
[✿Big Brother! That was amazing! I knew that move would be a smash hit! Now, hurry! Look serious, get back over there, and tell them the plan I'm giving you right now!✿]
Evelyn's excited voice filled his thoughts.
Kaelen took a deep, steadying breath, consciously drawing the enormous energy of the black sword back, letting it subside to a gentle thrum just beneath his skin. He turned and walked slowly back toward the three figures.
'What plan?' Kaelen questioned her.
[✿Say that the Goddess Lilith has personally commanded you to begin the extermination of the humans camping on the west valley. Tell them you must leave immediately, and that the Goddess also commanded you to take Isolde with you for assistance.✿]
'Isolde?' Kaelen asked, surprised. 'Why her? She's practically in shock.'
[✿Precisely! She's already completely under your spell, Big Brother! This is the perfect moment to test your new power and start seducing her at the same time. She desperately wants to be near you, so this will be easy. Don't waste the opportunity! Go, go, go!✿]
Her impatience was palpable.
Kaelen sighed internally.
When a new quest appeared, his little sister was truly relentless.
He stopped directly in front of the group, resting the black sword casually on his shoulder.
"Ignisarya," Kaelen began, his voice completely steady and calm.
The Empress looked up, shaking off her confusion.
"A-Apostle... are you truly alright?"
"I am fine," Kaelen confirmed, meeting her eyes.
"The sword is now mine. However, the Goddess Lilith has just given me an urgent mission that requires immediate action."
Ignisarya instantly straightened up, a look of confusion on her face.
"A mission? What is it, Apostle?"
"I must depart right away to eliminate the remaining human camps located near the Western Valley," Kaelen announced.
He then shifted his gaze to Isolde, whose red eyes were still locked onto his face.
The vampire woman's breathing hitched when their eyes locked.
"For this specific mission," Kaelen continued, his voice even and authoritative,
"The Goddess has instructed me to bring Duchess Isolde with me. Her powers will be extremely useful."
Isolde blinked, her face reddening further.
Kaelus was about to protest, but Isolde spoke first.
"Me?" Her voice was soft and shaky.
"Yes," Kaelen confirmed.
Isolde swallowed hard, a quiet sound in the vaulted room. She glanced at her worried father, Kaelus, but the powerful attraction she felt for Kaelen won out over all common sense.
"I... I... Very well," Isolde said, slightly breathless.
"I will accompany the Apostle."
Kaelus tried one last time.
"Isolde, this is too dangerous, especially right after—"
"It is the Goddess's will, Knight Commander," Ignisarya firmly interrupted, stepping forward.
The mention of the Goddess immediately silenced Kaelus.
"If the Apostle desires the Grand Duchess's assistance, she must go. We will arrange their travel at once."
Evelyn, positioned next to Kaelen, gave a bright, satisfied smile.
"No need, Ignisarya! Big Brother and I can handle the travel ourselves right now."
Evelyn held up her hands, and the residual pink magic that still covered Kaelen rushed out, completely enveloping both him and Isolde.
"Goodbye, Ignisarya. We'll be back with wonderful news," Evelyn declared.
Before anyone could move or speak, the energy surrounding Kaelen and Isolde flashed brilliantly, and the two figures vanished from the vault in a spectacular burst of magic.
.
.
.
Kaelen felt solid ground beneath his feet, but the sensation of being stretched and squeezed was instantly replaced by something heavy colliding with his chest.
Isolde, totally unprepared for the instantaneous travel, had stumbled hard.
She cried out as her momentum sent her flying directly into Kaelen.
He reacted instinctively, dropping the black sword and wrapping his arms around the Duchess to steady her.
His hands naturally went for the nearest solid point of purchase, which ended up being directly underneath her large soft and squishy breasts.
His palms pressed deeply into the soft, yielding flesh of her underboobs.
Isolde let out a deep, guttural moan— not a sound of pain, but a raw expression of pure shock and intense physical pleasure.
Her blood-red eyes snapped wide open.
She leaned back in his arms, her black hair cascading over his shoulder.
Her pale face was completely, beautifully flushed a dark, painful-looking red, making her look simultaneously noble and utterly vulnerable.
"Ah! Apostle!" Isolde gasped, her breath hitching in her throat.
Kaelen quickly pulled his hands away, his fingers tingling from the warm, soft contact.
He helped her regain her balance.
"I apologize, Grand Duchess," Kaelen said, his voice level despite the sudden, intense encounter.
"We should have warned you. Are you injured?"
Isolde took a shaky step back, her hands immediately flying up to cover the area where his hands had been.
She avoided his eyes, staring fixedly at the dirt road.
"N-no, Apostle," she stammered, still breathing rapidly.
"I am quite alright. I... I apologize. I was the clumsy one."
"It's fine. Let's look around," Kaelen said with a nod.
He looked at the small village.
It consisted of simple wooden houses and market stands.
Smoke rose gently from the chimneys.
Children were playing on the dusty road.
There were no scorch marks, no signs of combat, no evidence of any recent trouble.
Everything was quiet, humble, and perfectly normal.
"This is the Western Village?" Kaelen observed. "There are no signs of attack here. It appears to be a normal, functioning town."
Isolde finally looked up, her intense red eyes still a little unfocused.
She was clearly still battling the desire caused by his Lust Aura, especially after their close contact.
"Yes," Isolde confirmed, smoothing down her dress.
"This is a secure village. The humen usually only bother attacking the mining areas and supply routes closer to the deeper valley."
She pointed down a dusty road leading away from the village and toward a wooded hill.
"We should begin our search by going that way. That is where the real problems usually occur."
"Very well," Kaelen agreed.
They began to walk down the dusty road, leaving the peaceful village behind.
Kaelen walked beside the Isolde, attempting to maintain a professional distance, but it was proving difficult.
Her full, shapely body was truly magnificent, and having physically felt the softness beneath her clothes, his mind kept replaying the sensation.
He glanced at her— her pale, noble features, the heavy, graceful sensuality of her hips as she walked.
He felt a familiar, uncomfortable tightness in his pants and silently cursed Evelyn.
[✿I told you so, Big Brother~✿]
The sudden, musical thought from Evelyn made Kaelen stumble slightly.
'Evelyn?' Kaelen thought, annoyed.
He quickly looked around the empty road, then glanced at Isolde to ensure she hadn't heard anything.
[✿Of course, I'm here, silly Big Brother! I am your system! I can control my main body from the palace, but I am entirely with you right now. No problem at all! I have to oversee your power test and your seduction mission!✿]
'But... if you're here mentally, why can't you just stay with your body?'
[✿Why would I need to? This is much better! Now, stop looking for my body. Look at Isolde! You need to take action! Open her profile again, Big Brother. Focus!✿]
Kaelen sighed internally, but he knew Evelyn was right.
He focused his mind and activated the system information screen for the woman walking beside him.
A bright pink data box instantly popped up over Isolde's side, visible only to him.