Finally some Action

It was time for the new owner of the castle to finally get some information about the outside world and the reason why they decided it was a good idea to attack her. All the time she had spent getting things in order in the castle, plus the amount of time spent finding books and information about who she was and her situation, reading about magic and local history, all of that on top of her own research on her own abilities didn't leave much time to travel outside the castle.

To be sincere, she could be honest about the situation and say that in some way she was nervous about abandoning the castle and adventuring aside, sure, she had proof that her own stats dwarfed most people, at least that’s what it seemed like, but that didn’t mean that she was ready to just walk out and say hello to the nearest person in hopes that they will be able to fill her up on the latest gossip, she was a demon after all and powerful or not she didn’t want to make her introduction to this world something that would trigger a war or a holy crusade against her… current guests notwithstanding.

Speaking about such guests, they were just about to come out of their nap time, there was a spell at work that she felt had been activated with her arrival, probably something to accelerate questioning… or make the demon lose less time when it came to jumping directly into torture, whichever case seemed possible.

Jumping slightly upwards and using her own powers, she twirled slowly in the air and stood floating, her legs cross and her wings extended, making it seem as if she was on top of an invisible chair; when she had been researching about her wings and her ability to fly she had found out that the ability was linked to her magic, not anything physical; yes, the wings were powerful and could carry her or at least allow her to drift through the air, but it was her magical power that made it possible for her to fly, so she had found usage of this power to gain the ability to just float around when she needed to pick a book or clean something out of reach, it also let her take a pose that was absolutely badass so there was something to gain.

While the trio of stooges began to survey their surroundings and the situation in which they were, the succubus had already begun to study their status screens, specifically the new tab called traits. If her newly unlocked skill had been correct, their defeat had triggered the so-called Royal Mandate, making so that they were the victims of a new negative trait, and there they were, written with dark red letters for all to see, or at least those that could scan and appraise these things.

Isabella Stafford-

Trait Acquired: Subservient.

In desperate need of acceptance, they will seek the approval of the one that defeated them in any way or shape.

Toby Dalton-

Trait Acquired: Masochist.

Pleasure and pain have basically been turned into the same thing.

Karla Foles-

Trait Acquired: Resentment.

The injustice of their situation and the unfairness of their life has made them turn against those closest to them.

By the placement of the screen Isabella must be the name of the mage, a girl that seemed completely out of shape, her body big and her belly protruding, but her tights, ass and chest were something pretty nice to see, but what an interesting trait they had been the target of, subservient to the succubus then? And the other two, seems that their relationship from now on would be very different.

“What… what happened? Where am I?” After blinking a couple of times, the swordsman, the so called Toby had finally figured out what was going on, quickly trying to fight against his bonds and free himself making the succubus roll her eyes at the futility, still, she couldn’t blame him for trying to do something against his situation. For their part, the two girls were acting completely different to each other, with the blonde glaring at with venom powerful enough that it could melt the bars of her cell, while the dark haired mage seemed to be on the edge of a mental breakdown.

“We are in a cell you fucking idiot, what does it look like? That bitch kicked our asses,” wow, that girl was definitely a brat with that kind of attitude, and it seemed that her newly acquired trait was already making her act like the description, or maybe she has always been like that “so what’s gonna happen now? Your boss is going to kill us or something?”

“My boss? I have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about my dear, like I was telling you before I was so rudely interrupted in the form of an arrow, extremely ineffective by the way, I still don’t know why you three decided to invade my newly acquired castle,” the traits were interesting, but she needed more, she needed to know what was going on, “now that you have seen how pointless the whole thing was, are you ready to tell me what is going on with you three?”

“I’m not going to tell you anything demon!” Oh my lord, did that guy just really tell her that? By the look of things she wasn’t the only one that had reached this universe, because their names did not sound like anything from the books she had read about old kings, wizards and important people, and if that was true then this guy was basically talking as if he was inside a game, just her luck.

“I will,” a timid voice made her turn and look at the mage who was about to start crying, she was looking at the succubus with fear, but also there were other feelings on her eyes, probably a little bit of hope considering the trait she had gained, “but please don’t hurt me!”

“You fucking traitor! Are you going to betray us?” The aggravating voice of the blonde was a little bit annoying, and even more so when she was screaming like this, definitely getting unhinged due to the trait.

“Betray? The only thing you two have been doing since we arrived in this world is bully me! Always forcing me to do what you wanted! I was happy in the city. I was going to learn real magic, but no, let’s become adventures, we were brought here so we were chosen, well, look what happened, please, I never wanted to fight, I just wanted to learn!” The succubus was quite sure that if the mage had been able to walk or move freely she would be at that point be kneeling in front of her with how much she was pleading her case.

Did they think that she was going to kill them? Sure, they had attacked her as if she were just another mob to grant them experience and loot, but she was not without mercy although she was sure that the demons that lived in the castle before her… ‘creation’ let’s put it, probably had several plans about all mortals that they could get their hands on.

The most important thing however was that she had been correct in her first analysis, they came from the human world, probably the one where she came from? Maybe, maybe not, is not as if she was thinking on going back home, there was no need for that considering the way her previous life ended, besides there was nothing to come back to that world, not until she was sure she won’t start the last World War, better to get more power before deciding something so big, better to start deciding something smaller, like what to do these three idiots that had bit more than they could possibly chew.

“It was fortunate then that I was the newest owner of the castle, if the previous occupants were still around something much worse than being thrown into the dungeons would have been your fate, tell me, what made you believe that you would be able to survive the night attacking this place?” Looking directly at the obvious leader of the intrepid party, this one simply looked at every single stone brick in the walls instead of looking directly at her, it must have hurt deeply to lose in such fashion, but instead of him telling her anything, the mage kept making her case by simply giving it all away.

“People in the village were saying that there was a sight of demons nearby, so Toby decided that we will be the ones to defeat them,” and then, as clockwork, the blonde decided to add her piece, once more confirming her suspicions about how the new traits worked.

“Yeah, and look at what this genius just did, push us directly into a trap, great job you fucking loser.”

“You were on board with the plan too Karla, all because you wanted more gold and jewelry,” she left the couple to their bickering, for now she had something else to do. Using her legs once more, the succubus -she still hasn't decided for a new name for herself- marched into the cell of the mage girl, already deciding what to do with her.

“You girl, you keep saying that you will do anything to avoid the destiny that hangs upon your comrades, or better said, your previous comrades, what do you plan to do?”

“I… I will serve you if you allow it, my lady!” And like, just with a few words, a new system had been unlocked on her own screen, a new tab called Retinue, so with just a snap of her fingers the door to Isabella's cell was opened and the spells that kept her immobile.

“If that is your wish my dear then come, l welcome you into my service!”

“Yes my lady, please, tell me your name.”

“My name,” well, it was about damn time someone asked her name, not that she didn’t have a long time to think about it “call me Lilim,” and with that, three words appeared in the middle of the air for all to see written in dark red energy in the traditional demonic language used in all kinds of spells.

Complete The Ritual

What in tarnation?