Since the others were unwilling, Kanae had no other choice but to allow herself to be possessed by Victa. The soul simply entered her body. It was a chilly feeling, like having drunk a cold beverage and knowing exactly where the contents were flowing down. That sensation stopped somewhere inside Kanae's chest, just beneath the heart. She flexed her fingers, but not of her own volition. They did so beyond her control.

"I'm… I'm inside your body! Wow. So you were a succubus? It's so lewd, and… I feel… I feel horny all the time." Victa exclaimed in Kanae's voice.

"Kanae, you in there? Hello!" Edina waved a hand in her face.

"Yeah, I'm in here." Kanae reflexively brushed the hand away in spite of the possession. "Wait, what? How do I have control of myself?"

"It's because I've not fully taken control of you. A more malevolent spirit might have," her extra passenger said.

Eliza was too busy jotting down her observations of them, hand flitting across the pages with a quill. They were like an experiment for the scholar.

"Incredible! This changes what we originally know of possession. Tell me, when both of you move, whose action takes precedence?" Eliza asked.

Kanae agreed to try and go left while Victa went right. Their body obeyed Victa instead. It seemed that only when the other soul had no will that Kanae had control. To what few people had been possessed before, it was more than likely against their wills. This might be the first time someone willingly allowed a spirit to enter their body.

"So, Victa wanted to experience some vices. First things first. I got just the thing to check off two: gambling and drinking. Follow me!" Edina exclaimed.

Intending to fly from the Amethyst Hall, they ran into Alicia and Petyr in the training grounds where it would have been easiest to leap off. The two were sparring. They each wielded a wooden training sword. Petyr swung madly every which way, but Alicia was much faster. As an assassin, she had speed on her side. Kanae wouldn't be surprised if her character sheet listed DEX at the highest possible attribute rank.

Alicia vanished every time Petyr was about to strike her. The battle came to an end when she appeared behind with the tip of the sword pressed to the elf's back.

"That makes 10 wins to me, and 0 to you. Would you like to go again?" Alicia asked.

"Tch!" Petyr threw the training sword on the ground and broke it into many pieces.

"Now this is a pairing I didn't expect to find. Are you two friends now?" Kanae made herself and her companions known emerging from the hall.

A sharp glare from Petyr sent shivers straight into Kanae's soul. But not Victa. She remained steadfast.

"Knight-Commander." Alicia nodded. "Petyr found me in the main hall and demanded that I spar with her. I thought it was just an excuse to kill me, but we've been using training weapons instead. Unfortunately, as you just saw, we're running low on training weapons."

Everyone took another look at the ground strewn with bits and pieces. All of the wooden training weapons were best used as kindling now.

"Who is the high elf?" Victa whispered.

"Petyr Stormcloud of House Stormcloud. Exiled now though. She was also formerly Knight of Gold. Possibly the strongest paladin in the world. Maybe even stronger than you," Kanae replied in a hushed tone.

Deep inside, a desire to meet a kindred spirit welled up. I didn't come from Kanae though. It came from Victa.

"That's enough training for me. I'll be inside." Petyr stormed past them, and Kanae sensed an urge from Victa to reach out but ultimately didn't.

"Who stuck a bone up her ass?" Edina remarked after the paladin left.

"It appears the rest of my afternoon has been freed up. You look like you were about to head out. I shall like to accompany you, if you do not mind a fourth." Alicia smiled.

Together, they flew from the Amethyst Hall to the Bonelands. On the way there, Kanae gave Alicia the rundown on what they were doing, Victa and all, but she didn't seem the least bit puzzled nor questioned it. Edina brought them to another Dead Man's Gamble. Kanae knew there was one in Lograin, so it seemed like she was franchising now.

Skeletal minions dressed in tuxedos served as dealers at every table. The larger bone brutes, capable of taking on the average adventurer and thug, stood guard as bouncers. They worked alongside living employees, who delivered drinks and manned the front desk. Money flowed as freely as beer, and Edina was probably making a lot more money than ever.

Victa was bouncing around inside Kanae's chest like a child in a candy shop. This must be new to her if she was acting this way. Talk about an innocent lifetime.

"Ah~ I love me the sight of people gambling their life savings away." Edina made a motion of brushing the air up to her nose, as if to sniff the killing she earned from running this place.

"Alicia, have you gambled before?" Kanae asked.

"You know I was trapped inside a temple of the Cult of Lust and Depravity, yes?" Alicia eyed her.

"Er…"

"Heh." She chuckled. "That isn't to say I haven't wagered anything prior to my capture. Casinos are nothing new to me. However, we did not gamble with coins or chips. We wagered slaves and thralls."

"Oh." They reacted in different ways, Kanae curiously, Eliza intrigued, and Edina in disinterest.

Alicia continued, "I was quite the proficient gambler. Because I was crowned an assassin, I excelled in subtlety. In any game of cards, I'd pull a winning hand from my sleeve. No one suspected a thing. In roulette, I have a skill invisible to the naked eye to nudge the ball into the right slot. I obtained quite the fleet of cattle in my day."

"What the fuck. You were just cheating then!" Edina exclaimed.

After everyone picked up chips, they decided to play their first game amongst themselves. Poker. They occupied their own table with an undead dealer, who began to draw out cards to them.

"Hey… You're not peering through your dealers, are you?" Kanae eyed the necromancer.

"Would I really do you dirty like that? Besides, I don't need to cheat when I've got Lady Luck on my side. And you. I'm watching you…" Edina warned Alicia.

The other succubus flashed an innocent smirk.

"Alright, Victa. I'm taking a backseat. This is all you. I'll advise you if you need it," Kanae said.

"My fingers are shaking… All these chips are worth a lot of gold, aren't they?" Victa asked nervously.

"Around 1,000, to be exact. Don't worry though. I own a kingdom's worth of wealth. Just play until you're satisfied," she insisted.

They explained to Victa how to play and did a practice round to get her used to the calls. At the end of the day, poker was just a game of chance and hoped their combination of cards had more value than others. The particulars became more complicated in higher skill levels, but players had little in the way of agency in casual play.

At the start of their first real game, Victa was dealt a terrible first two cards. It would be a miracle to get a good hand with this. Any decent player would fold.

That wasn't what Victa did. When it came around to her, she raised.

"Oh? You're going for a bluff?" I whispered.

"Hehe. Leave it to me, Kanae. I'll double your chips," Victa replied confidently.

But Victa did not, in fact, double the chips. Edina and Alicia did the smart play and folded early. Meanwhile, Eliza pulled a three-of-a-kind. Victa lost all of their chips, and they were empty-handed now.

"Aha! Your face is covered in sweat. I was able to read you from a mile away!" Eliza claimed the pot.

"Guh… I thought for sure I could bluff my way to victory… Next game. Next game!" Victa was eager for more.

"Well, we're out of chips because of your play… I'll need to pay for more," Kanae said.

Over the next few games, Victa proceeded to lose match after match. It didn't matter if it was poker, roulette, 21, or what… she didn't have Lady Luck on her side. Instead, Kanae ended up forking over nearly 10,000 gold worth of chips between the house, Eliza, Edina, and Alicia.

"Victa… you have to stop! I can't control my body if you're clinging on so tightly. I'm going to lose all my money at this rate!" Kanae complained.

"I can feel it, Kanae! If I put all the chips onto 0, I'll make back those chips and then some!" Victa exclaimed with the fire of an addicted gambler.

"At least split them over multiple sections for a better chance of winning!"

The dealer tossed the ball onto the spinning roulette. Victa held their breaths. It came to a stop on the number 7. Kanae gained enough control over her body to put a hand on her face. Tally that up to 11,000 gold now. Arenade was not going to be happy.

"Well, I had a good pay— I mean day!" Edina rubbed her small hands together over how much moolah she just got.

Same with Eliza and Alicia. Both of them got some pocket change out of Kanae from the poker game earlier.

"Since we've wrung Kanae dry without even draining her, what's next on the to-do list for this soul?" Alicia asked.

"Drinking, was it? An innocent enough pastime. Fortunately for us, this will be on Amethyst's coin." Eliza dangled the bulging pouch of coin cashed out from the chips won over in poker.

Edina suggested a dingy tavern in the Bonelands for some beer, but Eliza had other plans. The sorceress brought them to Brighton, where she was acquainted with a wine restaurant. A number of finely-dressed lords and ladies stood around small, circular tables in which servers delivered bottles of wine for them to drink. Kanae was intimidated for all but one second until she remembered her status as a queen and Knight of Color.

An elven server in a white shirt and black apron came by. His eyes were narrow like slits, but he carried himself tall and proud. Dirty blonde hair had been pulled into a tight tail in the back.

"I am Lucas. I'll be your server for today. Right this way, ladies." Lucas bowed and gestured into the restaurant.

They were brought to a table inside a very rustic setting. Eliza whispered into his ear before he had a chance to give them a menu. 

"Very well. It shall be right out in a moment," he said before leaving.

"What'd you say?" Edina asked.

"Only the best for the palate of a hero." Eliza smiled at Kanae and Victa.

"I'm getting a little nervous. I wonder how it will taste," Victa wondered aloud.

Kanae sensed the soul's excitement and anxiousness. She was even beginning to tremble because of it. When the server returned, he carried several glasses and a bottle of deeply red wine.

With a twirl of his finger, the cork popped off. Magic guided the wine from the bottle and into the glasses, filling them all at the same time. Everyone applauded. Performing this spectacle also aerated the wine.

"Fireberry Wine. Please, enjoy yourselves." Lucas bowed.

"Fireberry are hard to grow grapes. Only a single farm south of Lograin has managed to cultivate it successfully. There is a little spice to the wine, but the aftertaste is a pleasant sweetness," Eliza explained.

They gulped hard. No one could hold back anymore and tipped the glasses into their mouths. Sighs of bliss escaped their lips. The only one to hesitate was Victa, and Kanae was dying to try it already.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to drink?" Kanae prodded her impatiently.

"I-I don't know… I'm getting cold feet. Isn't alcohol basically poison?" Victa asked.

"Well… I guess so, but not enough to kill you. Here, just let me take control and drink it. You can just savor the taste," she insisted.

Victa gradually relinquished Kanae's body back to her. She picked up the glass, lifted it up to her lips, felt the cool wine touch her lips, and—

"BLEEECCCHH!" Kanae spat out wine all over the table and her companions, who were none too pleased.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Victa took control to apologize. "I just reacted as soon as I tasted it! I think alcohol and I aren't suited to each other after all."

A crestfallen Kanae sulked over not being able to enjoy a fine bottle of wine. After enduring the excruciating wait of watching her friends drink, they emerged from the restaurant with only three out of the five getting a pleasant buzz.

"Okay, well… At least I can have fun with the last thing. Which is to have sex." Kanae turned to her companions.

"I had enough for one day, thank you! Good luck!" Eliza mounted her flying broom and took off.

"I'm gonna go work on my next soul cairn!" Edina also flew away, leaving Alicia behind.

"Well, I fancy myself a potent lover." Alicia licked her lips.

"I-I prefer men, if that's alright!" Victa stammered.

Alicia expelled a disappointed sigh. She returned to the Amethyst Hall, too, leaving it up to Kanae.

"I'm guessing you died a virgin?" Kanae asked.

"Y-Yes…" Victa answered meekly. "I never found someone I love. I was always too busy. The brothels were intimidating, too. I think a few people expressed their fancy in me, but they weren't anyone I wanted to reciprocate those feelings for. However, I've long since abandoned the notion that I needed romance. But I do want to feel the pleasures of the… fle… flesh!"

"And you want it to be a guy, hmm. Oh, I know just the person then! Runald should be in the Silver Hall. He's a sweet, high elven boy who's probably in love with me. I'd suggest a languisteed or have Marwin take the body of a monster, but that might be too intense for you."

"L-L-Languisteed… m-m-monster? You're telling me—"

Kanae took flight back to Aidenhall. She landed in the wide open corridors of the palace in search of Runald… only to forget where the Silver Hall resided. Was it at the training fields? Or maybe at the armory? She descended the palace to check outside. A few classes were in session, and junior knights sparred against monsters under the supervision of an instructor.

"Well, if it isn't Knight-Commander Amethyst!" a faculty-robed woman shouted.

"Sorry, I'm sort of in a hurry," Kanae said.

"You can surely spare a moment to mentor the students. I was just teaching them a common problem that adventurers and soldiers alike face in the wilds. That is, even monsters, dire beasts, and lesser-civilized races have skills of their own. If possible, I'd like your help in demonstrating this point since you're capable enough to withstand them," she explained.

"I don't see why not, Kanae. Our seniority demands that we impart wisdom to those who wish to learn from us," Victa whispered eagerly.

Kanae gave in and agreed to help. This was for the sake of Victa after all. However, the 'challenge' that the instructor brought out was no monster or dire beast. It was Thume, the ogre. He dragged his feet over to her, head and gaze cast to the ground in shame.

"What's going on? Weren't you going to bring out a monster to hit me with a skill?" Kanae asked.

"I did say, 'monsters, dire beasts, and lesser-civilized races'. Thume here is in hot water after barging into the pantry to steal food in the middle of the night. We know it was him, because there was an ogre-sized hole in the wall. He will make up for it by being the center of attention today," the instructor said.

"Eh… Are you sure you know what skills an ogre— ahh!" She squealed as Thume pinned her down with one hand and pulled aside her underwear with the other.

"Oh, no! Not with an ogre! Kanae, do something!" Victa cried.

Too bad for Victa, Kanae didn't want to do anything. Ogres were one of her favorites, and when Thume whipped out his massive cock, her pussy was getting wet with anticipation.

"Thume smash with Mating Press!" Thume bellowed, mounting Kanae and shoving his dick deep into her pussy.

"Aaaahhhhhh!" Kanae and Victa howled as one when the erect ogre cock pried them open down to the womb.

"Uhmm… Knight-Commander Amethyst? Isn't this where you fight back? I'm aware of your strengths, so I know you can easily overpower Thume!" the instructor exclaimed.

"Nnngh… aahhh! Mmmh… Sometimes… it's better— ahh! Better to… let it happen!" she quipped between heavy breaths.

The student knights paid more attention than ever, especially all of the women. Exasperated, the instructor pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"I'm so close, Kanae! I can't believe my first time… is with an ogre! Aahhh! It feels so good! I'm climaxing!" Victa screamed.

"Me, too… We're cumming together!" Kanae shuddered as Victa's orgasm reverberated through both of their souls.

Thume plunged his dick as deep into their pussy as possible, unleashing a flood of hot ogre cum. Kanae dug her nails into his arms as her womb bloated up from all the spunk. When he finally pulled out, her body stayed limp on the ground. She could hear Victa's whimpering from within.

"I… I don't know if it was because that was my first time… or because a succubus' body is just that sensitive… but sex is… amazing… I'm… plenty satisfied," Victa murmured.

In that case, they were able to cross sex off the list. That made everything, but for some reason, the soul hadn't passed on yet.

"As much as I appreciate your service, Knight-Commander… I must ask that you leave so as to not distract the class anymore," the instructor groaned.

"Oops. Sorry!" Kanae recomposed herself and hurried away back to the Amethyst Hall.

It shouldn't be long now before Victa passes. Something must be keeping her tethered. Maybe she still had a lingering regret. Hopefully it wouldn't be an impossible request.

"You're wondering why I'm still here, aren't you? I have one last thing I wish to do. If possible, I'd like to speak with the paladin from earlier in the day. Petyr was her name?" Victa recalled.

"Petyr? Why?" Kanae asked.

"Call it a fellow paladin's intuition, but I feel she is lost. Unlike other crowned classes, our strength comes from being strong of heart. We dedicate ourselves to a purpose and nurture strength from it. Perhaps you may know? Has anything happened to her recently that makes her waver?"

"Well… You know what? Sure, let's find Petyr," she said.

It wasn't hard to find the high elf. She was trying to meditate quietly in her room. 'Trying' did the heavy lifting. Petyr answered immediately when Kanae knocked on the door. Sweat beaded down her face. Her room was a mess, strewn with broken furniture that was going to need replacing.

"What is it?" Petyr snarled.

"There's someone that wants to talk to you. Believe it or not, it's the soul of a hero named Victa. She's currently possessing me," Kanae explained.

"Possessed by Victa?" the elf gasped. "There isn't a paladin alive who doesn't recognize that name! How? What did Kanae do to you? Should I beat you to within an inch of your life to exorcise her?"

"You just want an excuse to hurt me!" she fired back.

"Petyr, wait! Kanae's allowing me to possess her to help me move on! Speaking with you is the last thing I want to do. May we come in?" Victa asked.

Petyr glanced back into her messy room and frowned. She ultimately let them in, scooting aside the mess with her feet to clear a path.

"So, what does a long-deceased paladin hero want with me? Not that I mind, Victa. It's an honor to meet you." Petyr leaned against the back wall and folded her arms.

Kanae allowed Victa full reins to speak as she pleased.

"I caught a glimpse of you sparring with the succubus named Alicia. You looked troubled. Deeply so. As a fellow paladin, I couldn't turn a blind eye to you. If it is alright, would you share with me what makes you waver?" Victa asked.

"I…" Petyr was taken aback. "I turned my back on the empire. The empire turned her back on me. Since the day I was born, they trained me to become the greatest knight there ever was. To slay her enemies. I thought if I grit through it, I would finally obtain the luxuries and status I deserved. Now… I'm a pariah in a land that doesn't want me either."

Victa took a step closer with a hand to her chest. "That isn't true. I feel it in her own heart that Kanae is grateful to you. She wouldn't have asked you for help against Roshasha."

Those sharp eyes faced away and gazed out the window instead.

"We have a deal. It is the only reason I'm here. I'll have my castle and pegasus. Well, who knows. Maybe she won't even uphold her end of the bargain. I've been used before," Petyr grumbled.

That's not true, Kanae wanted to say.

"That's not true," Victa replied in her place. "Between Kanae and the Empire of Ortesia, who is more likely to grant you your wishes? You know. You need not answer, but you know. The anger you hold inside you will one day pass. When it does, you will need something else to occupy that emptiness before it begets more anger. For a long time, I resented the parents who abandoned me on the steps of a church. It wasn’t until I moved past that rage did I find purpose— to inspire those around me. You have a new life here, surrounded by those willing to fulfill what Ortesia could not. All I ask is that you give it some thought."

"Fine. But only because you asked me to," Petyr said while still facing out the window.

A profound sense of relief washed over Kanae, but it didn't come from her. It came from Victa. Everything felt light. A cool yet warm embrace wrapped around her began to gradually let go.

"It's finally time for you to go, isn't it?" Kanae asked.

“So it seems. The heavens open its gate for me, and I await to be judged by the Supreme One. Thank you for helping me to pass on, Kanae. And Petyr, may you one day inspire someone like I did for you," Victa said.

A faint light detached from Kanae's body. The previously brittle soul now looked tougher, like a freshly-forged weapon. What remained of Victa lingered for a moment. Kanae even caught a glimpse of Petyr glancing over her shoulder to watch. Then, in a blink of an eye, the soul disappeared.

"You're done here, aren't you? I'd like my privacy," Petyr said calmly.

"I'll have Meidina put in a requisition for new furniture." Kanae opened the door to leave and paused for a moment. "I know our arrangement isn't anything more than to get what you want, but for what it's worth, I think you're more than just a knight that Ortesia made."

Petyr didn't respond, but Kanae had the feeling that she got the message anyway. After stepping out and shutting the door behind her, Kanae ran into a rather nosy succubus, who appeared to have been eavesdropping.

"I'm beginning to understand why you're so popular," Alicia said.

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" Kanae asked.

"You're foolishly kind for a succubus.There's not a conniving bone in your body. You rage only when someone does you or those you care for wrong. It's an odd trait in a succubus, but I can see why Hilde and Claudia are smitten by you. Who knows. Maybe I am, too." She grinned and flew off.

Kanae wondered if it helped that she wasn't a succubus to begin with. Empathy was a very human trait after all. Wait a minute…

"What was that last part supposed to mean? And was that offer earlier still up for grabs?" Kanae chased after her.