“Mmm, I had the weirdest dream. I was in some stupid video game world and the ugly girl from my office was super pretty but kind of mean,” Cassie blathered without opening her still sleepy eyes.

“Unfortunately for you, that wasn’t a dream, and your repulsive coworker isn’t in a good mood.”

Cassie’s eyes shot open at the realization that she said all of that out loud. The look on Selene’s face sent shivers down her spine and she instantly regretted ever learning to talk. She had just gotten on her good side, and she had to go and mess it all up.

“A-are you going to kill me?”

“You’re so dramatic. Come on, get up. The ugly girl from your office is in a hurry.” The words she said were dismissive, but her tone was horrifying.

“You’re so kind! Oh, and really beautiful!”

“Oh,” Selene asked with an evil grin. “If you think I’m so beautiful, then you wouldn’t mind proving that.”

Selene grabbed her by the chin and leaned forward like she was going in for a kiss. She froze right before she made contact and stared into Cassie’s frightened eyes.

“U-umm… I-if it’ll make you forgive me.”

“Heh.” Selene chuckled as she moved away from Cassie. “You’re too easy. It didn’t take much to convince you to kiss me. There’s no way I would have my first kiss because I forced you to. Do you really like my new body that much?”

“W-well I didn’t want you to stay mad at me… Wait! You’ve never been kissed!?”

“S-shut up! You know how I was! That’s why I asked for a new body!”

“There’s the nervous girl!”

“Stupid dummy! Get dressed and meet me downstairs!”

Selene stormed out of the room, thoroughly embarrassed by her actions. She got carried away with her roleplay and did something crazy again. The roleplaying mindset she utilized was that of a charismatic heroine. Being confident and daring was how she imagined her ideal self, but her real personality was the exact opposite.

I can’t believe I almost kissed her, she screamed internally. What was I thinking!? I don’t want to kiss her; she annoys the hell out of me! This roleplaying thing is hard to keep up, but I can’t be a nervous demigod!

Out of frustration, Selene began beating her head against the wall of the next-door building. As she was still getting used to her new body and its abilities, she didn’t notice the crater she made until it was too late. Luckily, the majority of her powers needed to be activated before she used them. Plus, as a gaming veteran, she was adept at nerfing her abilities to allow for fun gameplay.

“Geez, the building didn’t do anything to you,” said the familiar voice of a certain elf.

“Ah! Rena! W-when did you get here!?” Selene was caught totally off guard and hadn’t gotten back into her roleplay mindset.

“About the time you started bashing your brains in. What made you upset enough to do that?”

Before she could answer, the cause of her destructive behavior came out of the inn with a yawn.

“Oh. Never mind, I figured it out.”

“What are you yapping about, shorty,” Cassie snapped back.

“Who you calling a shorty!?” Rena pulled out her slingshot and shot a pebble at Cassie’s arm.

“Oww! What was that for!? Are you trying to piss me off!?”

“So what if I am, what’re you gonna do ‘bout it?”

‘’Why you-“

Before Cassie could attack the impish elf, Selene grabbed the back of her collar and dragged her down the street.

“Stop playing around. We need to get you some gear so you can start your training. Rena, can you show me to the best place to get some affordable gear?”

“No problem, Selene! …So, did you two made up?”

“Something like that. She wants to become an adventurer but doesn’t know how to hold a bow let alone how to fight. Would you mind if we took her out to hunt some slimes before we go on a contract? She’ll be tagging along, and I don’t want to take care of her the whole time.”

“I’m right here, y’know!? Can you not talk about me like I’m a child,” Cassie said while being dragged helplessly behind Selene.

“What of it? You’re only here because you know you can’t live without me, don’t act like you want to hang around us out of genuine interest.”

“Is that seriously the only reason she’s here? I figured she was your sister or girlfriend based on how you talk to her.” Rena’s confusion was justified, especially since they hadn’t even defined their relationship themselves.

“Definitely not her girlfriend,” Cassie remarked defiantly. “She was drooling over that barmaid last night. You might want to watch yourself around this one; she’s got a thing for cute girls.”

“Oh, you mean Catarina? I can’t blame Selene for that, she’s quite the cutie. Why are you so worried about your companion’s interests? You probably have nothing to worry about; you’re kinda plain.”

“What did you say, you runt!? Don’t let these rags fool you, I could bag this hottie if I wanted to!”

Selene giggled at her pathetic rebuttal. “Didn’t you call me ugly this morning? I think you’ve disqualified yourself from that ever happening.”

Rena glared at Cassie, “You’re such a brat. Your standards are too high if you think she’s ugly.”

“Oh please. I’m not into girls, of course I wouldn’t be attracted to her.”

“You’re really annoying, no wonder Selene pretended not to know you. Oh, we’re here!”

The three stood in front of Briggs’ Armory, where every adventurer went for quality gear. Suits of armor sat outside on display to demonstrate the quality and utility of the gear they sold. In the store window sat a series of swords and axes, all with varying levels of quality and strength.

“Come on, let’s find this ungrateful jerk some armor.”

Selene dropped Cassie and followed Rena into the smithy. She used to frequent the crafters regularly in her gaming days, so she had a basic understanding of how things worked.

“Ah, new customers! Welcome, welcome,” A grizzled, yet jolly, dwarf greeted them. It was a bit cliché for the smithy to be run by a dwarf, but they were natural metalworkers and adept craftsman, even in this world.

“Hello! My name is Selene, I’m an adventurer that recently came to this city. Do you have any starting gear for my associate here.” She jabbed her thumb in Cassie’s direction who was looking especially rough after being dragged through town.

“Of course! What kind were you thinking?”

“Oh, that’s a fair question,” Selene said, glancing over at the petite girl in rags. “I think ranger gear would be good.”

“Good choice! Give me a moment, I have just the set for you.”

The burly dwarf disappeared behind the curtain that separated the store from the workshop. A few moments later, he returned carrying a set of leather armor and a thick woolen cloak. It looked to be the kind of fantasy armor that looked more stylish than it should.

“Equip this, miss, and see how it fits,” Briggs said as he handed the gear to Cassie.

“Ehh, alright…”

She pulled up her inventory, just like Selene had shown her, and equipped the armor set. It fit snuggly, following her natural curves like it were made just for her. The breastplate had a simple design that looked better than she thought it would. The cloak was heavy, but she could tell it would keep her warm as well as keep her protected from the elements. The armguard on her right arm extended to the back of her hand and over two of her fingers. It looked neat but she wasn’t sure of the functionality of the design.

“Well, what do you think? It’s some of my best work, a bit of a pet project of mine that I had been working on for a situation like this. You’d be surprised how rare it is that I get requests for ranger gear.”

“It’s perfect! It’s more stylish than I thought it would be and it’s not too heavy. It feels warm but it breathes the perfect amount to not be unbearable. Amazing… You really made this!?”

Cassie was not accustomed to such intricate leather work, nor had she ever thought of armor as an attractive accessory. It was unlikely that she would find a high-fashion store that sold the kind of clothes she wore in her old world, so she needed to adjust to the fashion of the times. And since there was no chance of technology progressing past the point it was, it made sense to find something that was a compromise of function and fashion.

“Yup. I make everything myself and I guarantee that you’ll get quality gear. I’ll even show you have to care for it, but you may need to bring it to me if it gets really damaged.”

“It’s nice, but how much is it? We’re kind of on a budget.”

 Selene threw the cold water at Cassie’s excitement. Since she was broke, she had no say in the matter, but she was hoping for a miracle.

“Hmm… Since it’s unlikely that anyone will ask for such a set for a while, I can let it go for two hundred.”

“…What about weapons? I think a bow and knife combo would be best.”

“Ah, a true ranger! We have some strong recurve bows and steel daggers that I’m sure will fit your budget. What about you? Don’t you need a sword or ax?”

Selene grinned and pulled out her longsword from her inventory in a flourish. “Thanks, but I’m set.”

“By the Gods! I’ve never seen a blade like that! May I?” The dwarf had worked with all the known metals on the continent and had imbued some of the strongest enchantments, but he had never seen a glowing blade.

Selene handed him the sword and he immediately set it on the counter to closely observe every detail of the mighty weapon.

“This is amazing. The enchantment on this weapon is unlike anything I’ve heard of, and this metal is incredibly strong yet light… How did you come to own such an unusual sword?”

“Uhhh, let’s just say it was a gift from God.”

Briggs carefully handed the sword back to its owner, dumbfounded by the unique composition. “You must be that new adventurer Beatrice told me about. I thought she was just exaggerating but here you are… Well, that changes some things. I’ll let you have the armor and weapons for a hundred-fifty silver.”

“Huh? Why the discount?” Selene wasn’t a fan of being given special treatment because of her power. She didn’t ask to be OP to take advantage of simple craftsmen and kind innkeepers.

“Someone with your abilities can take down the strongest creatures with ease. That means an influx of rare materials and a chance of finding unique gear that may have similarly unique compositions as your sword. Everyone benefits!”

Selene looked over at Cassie who was ogling the leather armor, obviously in love with it already. She couldn’t bear to disappoint her by refusing a discount that would save her a little amount of money. She glanced at Rena who was hopping excitedly at the thought of taking on high level enemies.

“Alright, you have a deal. Today we’re training that newbie, but we’ll be going on a high-rank contract in the next couple days.”

“No rush, I trust that you’ll keep your word! And please come back if you ever need some armor repaired or improved!”

Selene handed him the payment and took the weapons from him since Cassie was preoccupied with studying her new gear. She knew that she splurged on someone who only pissed her off, but they would probably be stuck together for a while.

Selene strapped the quiver of arrows to Cassie’s hip and slung the bow over her back. The pair of knives she got from Briggs fit snuggly in the sheaths attached to the thigh pads of her armor. Cassie looked like a proper ranger, despite her extreme lack of skill.

The three exited the shop and headed down the street towards the main gates. Now that Cassie had everything she needed, they could begin training her to use her weapons. It was just the start of what would assuredly be a long day.

“Your gear looks really good on you,” Rena complimented.

“I know, right!? I never thought I would love armor so much! Who needs some fancy divine armor?”

“Don’t forget who bought you that armor and where I got that money,” Selene shot back annoyedly.

“Don’t spoil my fun! Why do you have to be such a buzzkill!?”

Selene rolled her eyes at the bratty attitude that was the cause of her migraine. Before she rebutted her snappy comeback, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye and grinned to herself.

“You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up in a moment.”

She dashed into a store, leaving Cassie and Rena alone. They hadn’t gotten off on a good foot and there was a strange awkwardness between them. The only thing that they argued about was Selene, but since she was gone, there was nothing to talk about.

“…What happened this morning,” Rena asked the worst question possible to break the ice.

“Errr, I may have said she was ugly because of a dream and then she jokingly asked me to kiss her. Then she got upset when I didn’t object.”

“And you have no feelings whatsoever for her? Are you sure you’re just using her?”

“Let’s just say we’re kindred spirits in a way, and it’s better that we stick together. We’ve known each other for a few years, and she wasn’t always as gorgeous as she is now.”

Rena looked up at her skeptically. She wasn’t buying Cassie’s dismissive answer. In her mind, there was definitely something between them, but she needed some more evidence.

“So, because she wasn’t attractive before, that means you can’t be attracted to her now?”

“I’m pretty sure the damage is done. It would be shallow of me to dismiss her when she wasn’t pretty but suddenly show interest when she looks better. Besides, I’m pretty sure she just tolerates my presence.”

“Do you think someone who only tolerated you would pay for you to stay at an inn and buy you such nice armor? Most adventurers don’t spend more than fifty on starting gear. Plus, she’s taking the time to teach you how to fight. She may not show it, but she cares about you in her own way.”

“She just likes looking at cute girls, don’t read too much into it.”

“You’re such an idiot. Because she looks the way she does, it seems like she’s always flirting, right? To me, she’s just really kind and wants to help people. Take me for example; not a single adventurer ever wanted me in their party, but she asked me because she liked me, not because of what I could do for her. Her being super OP allows her to help people without worrying about herself.”

Cassie thought back to the previous night when she accused Selene of flirting with the barmaid. It was true that she never actually said anything that she would’ve interpreted as flirting if she was in her old body. Selene was still not used to her new appearance so she wasn’t aware of how her behavior would be seen by others.

“…I wonder if she was always this way and I never noticed. She said she liked looking at cute girls, but she never said anything about wanting to be with one romantically, I just assumed. She probably likes looking at them because they were what she wasn’t for so long. I’m such an idiot.”

Rena had about enough of Cassie’s self-loathing and pinched the flab on the back of her arm.

“You’re such a dummy. I’ve known her for a day and yet I can see that she’s not the kind of person you believe her to be.”

The two spent the rest of their journey to the field talking back and forth about various topics as Cassie attempted to learn more about the world. It wasn’t until they reached the slime fields that they realized Selene hadn’t caught up to them.

“Huh, I wonder where she went,” Rena asked no one in particular.

They were about to head back when they heard a loud screech come from the nearby forest. In a matter of moments, they were surrounded by an army of goblins. Their greenish-gray skin and oversized lower incisors were strangely intimidating despite their short stature. They wielded jagged, handcrafted weapons; an array of swords and spears pointed at the young adventurers.

“Um, Rena, you’re an adventurer, right? Can’t you take them out?”

“If it was four or five, I may have been able to, but not this many.”

“Damn. Now what?’

As they pondered their next move, a cry rang out from among the goblins. A flashing figure appeared and disappeared in a split second, killing the goblins in a swift and precise manner.

There was a flash to the right which resulted in several goblins being cut down. Before their bodies hit the ground, there was another flash to the left cutting down even more. This pattern repeated until there was only one left. A flash appeared in the air above the final goblin, which was soon on the receiving end of a sword that went through its head and out its back.

Selene straightened up from her kneeled position, pulling the blade out of the deceased goblin as she did so. She scanned the area for stragglers before sheathing her sword in the scabbard on her back.

“Sorry for being late, I got caught up with something.”

“…Holy shit! How did you do that,” Rena shouted excitedly.

“I just spammed my Shadow Step ability to quickly teleport between sword swings. I figured it would be safer since I didn’t want to hurt you two on accident.”

Instead of fawning praise or heartfelt thanks, Cassie threw her arms around Selene. “I knew you would save me. Please, never leave my side again.”

“Huh? I saved Rena as well and you don’t see her glomping me.”

“I don’t think Cassie would like if I did.”

“Huh? Why would she care?”

“Oh, no reason,” Rena said with a smirk. For a small elf who didn’t have many friends in the city, she was looking forward to watching the two newcomers.

“For now, we should keep moving,” Selene proclaimed, still not understanding what just happened. “Even though I can take on anything on my own, it won’t do Cassie any good if I just kill everything that might threaten her. You two should look for some slimes to kill, I want to try out a few things.”

With that, Selene vanished, leaving her party members to their own devices. She wanted to see just how powerful her abilities were, but she couldn’t test them out on low-level monsters like slimes. She was confident that Rena could teach Cassie the basics of fighting on her own. If Cassie wanted to improve her abilities, she couldn’t fall back on Selene to bail her out every time things got though.

The two had barely made any progress when they began to hear far off explosions and loud screeches from unknown monsters.

“Sheesh, she doesn’t hold back, does she? How is she OP and you’re totally useless when you’ve known each other for years?”

Rena was already annoyed that she was stuck with the newbie, and it only got worse when she imagined how much fun she would be having if it were just Selene and her. If it weren’t for the selfish brat who somehow convinced Selene to tag along, she would be off fighting a wyvern or a manticore. Instead, she had to how her how to use a bow.

“She was a dork! Just so you know, that front she puts on is totally fake. She’s really the most insecure and gloomy girl I’ve ever met, she’s just pretending to be confident and charismatic,” Cassie retorted. She knew how Selene really was and she was sick of people fawning over how cool and strong she was. In her mind, Selene was still the uncomfortable loner that she always knew her to be.

“You’re not a nice person, are you? So, what if it’s a front? She’s not hurting anyone by acting in a way that gives her the courage to overcome those faults. Weren’t you just fawning over her? Do you only like her for what she can do for you and not for who she is?”

“Why are you on her side!? Aren’t you mad that the person you admire and want to follow is a fake?”

“There’s nothing to be mad about, she’s still a kind person at heart, no matter how afraid she is to show her true self. If anything, I want to get closer to her so that I may be able to see that vulnerable side of her. Do you think it’s wrong to feign confidence when the alternative is never trying at all?”

“…You’re kind of annoying, you know that?”

“Geez, why did I get stuck with you? I honestly feel bad for her because she had to deal with your ungrateful ass. Oh! There’s a slime! Quickly, get your bow ready!”

Cassie frantically attempted to untangle the bow from her cloak, making a less than complimentary first impression on Rena. After a minute of struggling, she finally freed it, and froze. She had no idea how to hold a bow, let alone use one!

“Uhh, how do you shoot this thing?”

Rena facepalmed at her question. She was starting to understand why Selene had left the training up to her. It was going to be a long and frustrating day and they hadn’t even started.

“…Hold the center of the bow in your left hand. Grab an arrow and notch it to the string. Then, squeeze the back of the arrow between the middle of your right index and middle fingers. Pull back on the arrow, aim, and release. Recurve bows require less arm strength so even you can do it.”

Cassie clumsily attempted to follow Rena’s instructions and soon had a very unsteady posture that she thought she needed to be in. From her point of view, it was a good first attempt. However, from Rena’s point of view, it looked like a crane trying to hold a stick.

“Like this,” she asked shakily as she pulled the arrow back halfway, the tip of it pointed downward at an angle because she forgot to steady it.

“…Ugh. This is going to be a long day. Selene owes me big time for this. Give it here, I’ll show you.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Phew! That makes seven! Golems are easier to kill than they look,” Selene exaggerated. She was neither winded nor fatigued in any way after obliterating the golems.

“That Immolate ability is way overpowered; everything I hit melts and explodes in seconds! Well then, I guess I should head…”

Just as she was about to rejoin her companions, she noticed a small fissure in the side of the mountain where the golems were. She went over to investigate and found that it was barely wide enough for a person to slip through. She could hear a draft from the other side, suggesting there was some kind of cavern on the other side of the stone wall.

“…They’ll be fine for a bit longer. This shouldn’t take too long,” she said to herself.

She side-stepped into the fissure and slowly slithered towards the other side. Had she been in her old body, she would’ve slipped through in seconds. However, her current body was a bit bigger in certain places, which made it a more difficult and slower process than she planned. While she could have used her sword’s ability to widen the gap, there was a chance of her causing a cave in and she also didn’t think of it until she was halfway through.

After a couple minutes, she finally reached the other side. Once there, she activated her crown’s night-vision ability. The gaudy headwear was far from practical, and not her style whatsoever, but it had some perks.

She found herself in the center of a long tunnel with no indication whether the left or the right would lead anywhere. It took a minute of pondering when she remembered that she had an ability that highlighted enemies. If there was anything worth looking for, it was bound to be protected by some kind of boss.

She looked all around, hoping to see some sign of an enemy. After her third scan of the area, she caught a glimpse of some unrecognizable form far down the tunnel to the right. It wasn’t much to go off of, but it was better than walking blindly through endless tunnels.

She started on her way, not worried about traps or pitfalls at all. Even if she fell into a pit of spikes, it would just be an annoying waste of time as opposed to a deterrent. There was a strange purple gas that filled the space as she got closer to whatever was at the end of the tunnel. Had she been a normal human, she would’ve succumbed to the fumes or run at the sight of them. Instead, she went along like nothing was different at all.

The tunnel was longer than she expected, having multiple twists and turns that just meaninglessly extended the life of whatever was protecting what she hoped was worthwhile loot. God told her that there would be gifts in the world for her to find, but she never indicated where such things would be found. There was a possibility that she was wasting her time on some rare materials, but there was a slim chance that she could find armor that covered her chest! That alone was worth the excursion.

Two hours of wandering later, she finally reached an open cavern that was illuminated by a hundred candles. The ground was covered in rose pedals and red tapestries covered the stone walls. The scent of lavender and pomegranate filled her nostrils, stimulating her senses. A quiet tone hung in the air; a pleasant tune played on a lyre soothed her nervous mind.

“My, my, my, what do we have here,” a sultry voice licked Selene’s ears.

A gorgeous woman stepped out from behind one of the tapestries that obscured an offshoot from the main room. Curved horns poked up from the violet hair that flowed down her back, where a pair of black, bat-like wings and a spade-pointed tail grew. Her pale skin was covered only by a tight-fitting corset dress and stockings. The flickering candlelight glistened in her red eyes, making them appear to be dancing as they stared at Selene.

“…A succubus? Really? I followed a tunnel for two hours for a succubus. Shouldn’t you be somewhere where you can easily lure men into?”

“S-shut up! All the shorter caves were taken, this was the best I could find! Ah, I mean, was I not worth the journey?” Her sultry tone was somehow just her natural voice, regardless of what she was saying.

“I mean, I was expecting some kind of lava monster or giant spider. Don’t succubi get energy by draining the life from unsuspecting men that you lure with your appearance? I can’t imagine you get many visitors that survive the trip here.”

“I-I get plenty of men that come looking for me! Do not let the tunnel fool you, I get lots of visitors!”

“Ehh, I doubt that. There’s no bones or signs of past adventurers. I can’t imagine you lugging all that stuff out every time. Let me guess, I’m the first human you’ve seen.”

“…Maybe,” she admitted defeatedly. Her tail and fake smile drooped as she broke character. “All the other succubi make fun of me because I cannot lure men here. I have tried, I even put hole in the tunnel to attract attention.”

“That was you? Sorry to break it you, but that hole was guarded by a bunch of golems. Why don’t you just move?”

“Ugh,” she groaned as she collapsed onto her velvet throne. “Where am I supposed to go? It is not like I can rent an apartment in the city and all the good places have already been taken… Wait! Why are you not affected by my spells?”

“Oh yeah, I’m immune to all magic and curse effects. Unfortunately for you, the first human to find you is an OP immortal.”

“Seriously!? Dammit! I have the absolute worst luck! …Fine. What is it that you want? Are you just going to kill me and take my non-existent loot?”

“Hmm… I could, but I’m not sure,” she pondered.

Despite succubi being monsters that preyed on humans, she felt bad for the unfortunate monster in front of her. She had a feeling of comradery towards the pathetic and lonely succubus. She wouldn’t gain much from killing her, but letting her live would just make it so she would be alone for even longer.

“How about a compromise? If you promise not to use your life-drain on my friends and associates, you can come stay with me. It’s not a great solution, but you would be able to interact with people and it would give you the opportunity to look for a new place.”

“Eh!? Y-you would really spare my life and trust me not to betray you?”

“Would you really betray someone who could erase your existence in a moment?”

“G-good point… Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because I know how it feels to be alone and lack a reason to go on.”

“……………Would people try to kill me on sight?”

“Not if I’m protecting you. We can figure out the life-drain thing later, but I’d ask you to refrain for a while. Worst-case scenario, you can drain me. I’m immortal so I have plenty of life to spare!”

The succubus thought for a while. Monsters, even humanoid ones, didn’t get along with humans and were vilified by them. Leaving her cave would increase her risk of dying, but it would also give her the opportunity to live freely for the first time in her long life.

“…Alright, I will go with you. I swear on my life not to use my powers unless you give me permission.” She held out her hand as a show of trust for the human.

“Cool. Then let’s head out. My friends are probably wondering where I am.”

Selene took her hand and smiled at the nervous succubus. She felt no fear, nor did she waver in her choice to protect what people believed to be a monster. The world may not agree with her, but she couldn’t watch something fall into despair because society thought it was the right thing to do. In her mind, monsters weren’t innately evil, especially ones that could think for themselves. Most were just misunderstood and demonized by the ignorant and afraid.

“Ehh, I don’t feel like walking all the way back. Hold my hand tight.”

“Huh!?”

Before she had a chance to object or question Selene, she was standing outside in front of the fissure she had made years before. On the ground were the molten remains of what she assumed were the golems that lived by the mountain.

“Oh sweet! I can teleport people with me! Huh? Since when is it evening!? I hope those two are alright.”

“Those two,” the curious succubus inquired.

“My friends; Rena and Cassie. Oh! That reminds me; what should I call you? I can’t exactly call you ‘succubus’ all the time.”

“Uhh, I do not think you would understand the name in my language, so just call me Lilith.”

“Sounds good! Let’s meet up with my party, Lilith.”

The two walked through the forest towards the field where she last saw her companions. Lilith was preoccupied with looking around, fascinated by the outside world she hadn’t seen in decades. The light was almost blinding, but she felt a happiness in her heart that she hadn’t experienced before.

Selene was about to use a search ability when she heard frustrated yelling nearby. Knowing her friends, she figured Rena had lost patience with the ever-annoying Cassie. It didn’t surprise her in the slightest that Cassie sucked, in fact, she expected it. She had hoped that Rena would have more patience than her, but that was probably unreasonable to hope for from anyone.

“Firmly grasp it! We’ve done this a thousand times, how are you still messing up holding the arrow!?”

“I’m happy to see you two are getting along,” Selene joked.

“It’s about time you showed up! Do you know how aggravating this… Who the heck is that!?” Rena wasn’t in the mood for surprises and a succubus far exceeded a surprise.

“Oh! This is Lilith, a succubus that I met! She’s going to be staying with me for a while!”

“Are you crazy!? Does she have you under her seductive spell!?”

“Umm, what’s a succulent,” a bewildered Cassie asked as she gawked at the scantily clad seductress.

“I’m immune to her spells, and a succubus is a type of demon that seduces people to drain their life force… Oh, but don’t worry, she swore not to use her powers without permission!”

“I understand your distrust, but please give me a chance to prove myself. This human was very kind to me and placed her trust in me, I would not betray her.”

“…Fine. Selene would rip you to shreds if you broke your promise, so I guess I have nothing to fear.”

“You can’t go anywhere without finding some pretty girl to flirt with, can you, Selene!? Was two not enough!? How can I compete with someone whose literal nature is to seduce people!?”

Lilith circled Cassie, looking at her up and down with shrewd eyes. “Are you sure you are not a latent succubus? You do not smell like a virgin like those two. You are quite young too… Impressive.”

Cassie was mortified but Rena couldn’t hold in her laughter.

“Pfftahahahaha! Okay, I’m totally on board with keeping her around as long as she roasts Cassie! She’s useless with a bow but she’s great to make fun of!”

“Hmm? What is this about a bow,” Lilith asked sincerely, not sure why her analysis was so funny.

Selene patted Cassie on the back to return her to life after being thoroughly embarrassed. “Cassie was learning how to use a bow while I was with you, but it sounds like she hasn’t made much progress. Come on, show me what you learned.”

Cassie numbly followed her command, grabbing her bow and attempting to notch the arrow. She just about had it when she lost her grip and dropped it on the ground.

“Maybe we should have started with an easier weapon. I thought a bow would be simple enough, but I guess I gave you too much credit.”

“You have no idea how frustrating this girl is to work with! No matter how many times I demonstrated it or walked her through and guided her hand, she never did it right.”

“I’ve never done this kind of thing before, okay? Can we go home, I think I’ve been humiliated enough for one day?”

Cassie tossed the bow to the ground and started to sulk back to the city. A day of practice was wasted and suddenly there was another girl she would need to deal with. There was nothing that could make her day better.

“Hmm… Annoying human, would you like to try my bow?”

Lilith took out a white and gold bow from her inventory. It wasn’t just beautiful, but extremely powerful. The bow was deadly, no matter how skilled the person using it was.

Selene went over and checked it out on Cassie’s behalf.  “Let’s see what you have, Lilith… Cupid’s Bow; arrows seek the heart of any target… Holy shit, that enchantment is way too OP!”

Cassie zipped over, suddenly in a better mood at the prospect of getting a weapon that even Selene was impressed by. “Is that so? And you would just give this to me, Lilith?”

“Of course. It is the least I can do to show my gratitude for the kindness Selene as shown me. Besides, I do not need it.”

“Holy crap, I can’t believe this!”

Cassie took it from the kind succubus and immediately felt more confident in her abilities. Without thinking, she removed an arrow from her quiver and notched it to the string. The moment it was in place, the arrow transformed to look like the stereotypical Cupid’s arrow; red heart-shaped tip with a golden shaft and gold feather fletching.

Her hands seemed to move on their own as she pulled back on the arrow. Unlike the recurve bow she had been using, there was little resistance, and the tip touched her left index finger without any effort. She put the bow up and aimed at the slime that had been watching her mess up the whole day.

She loosed the arrow, sending it flying towards the slime. Even to her, it was obvious that she overshot it and would narrowly miss it. However, the arrow suddenly changed its trajectory and sunk into the center of the slime.

“…What was that? Did I just do that,” Cassie asked in disbelief of what she had just done.

“It seems that the bow boosts your archery ability in addition to its heart-seeking effect,” Selene explained. “With this bow, even someone who has low abilities can use it like a master… Perfect! Now we don’t need to waste any more time on training you to shoot!”

“Thank God! If I had to spend another day teaching this insufferable girl, I would’ve gone insane.” Rena liked Selene, but they weren’t good enough friends for her to put herself through self-inflicted torture.

“What was that, shortie!? Geez, why do I put up with this?”

“Because you can’t live without me,” Selene joked. “Let’s go back, dinner is on me! Come on, Lilith.”

Selene took the hand of the succubus and headed back to town. In her mind, holding her hand would be a good way to show that Lilith was under her protection. Unfortunately, it had the side effect of causing some misunderstandings.

“Hey, Rena,” Cassie called out in a harsh whisper. “Don’t you think those two are a little too close for just meeting?”

While Rena knew why Selene was holding the succubus’ hand, she was in a mischievous mood. The girl had mocked her height and yelled at her multiple times, and Rena wanted to have a little fun as payback.

“Well succubi aren’t known for taking things slow. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve already done more than just holding hands.”

“Eh!? Really!? B-but didn’t Selene say she was immune to its powers?”

“Think about it; Selene likes cute girls and Lilith is a cute seductress. Powers aren’t necessary for Selene to want to be with someone like her.”

Rena was thoroughly enjoying herself as she imagined all the ridiculous misconceptions that would come from her joke. She wasn’t worried about Selene, who was too dumb to understand why Cassie would be upset, she could take care of herself. The only one who would suffer would be Cassie from confused jealousy and eventual humiliation.

“Y-you think so?”

“Come on, look at that girl! You can’t deny that the wings and tail are super sexy on that body. But why do you care so much? Are you jealous? I didn’t think you liked her like that.”

“I don’t like her at all! It’s just weird to think of her doing that stuff with another woman,” Cassie desperately backpedaled. “She’s supposed to protect me, not sleep with random monsters that live in caves.”

“Oh. So, you would be fine if she slept with random monsters as long as you were there? Nice! I’ll let her know!”

Rena skipped ahead and jumped onto Selene’s back. She was having more fun than she had in years and things were only going to get better!