Succubi Chapter 7. Lilith's Charm
"Stop it," I groaned, physically dragging him upright. "You're gonna die laughing, or Ares is gonna kill you."
At the mention of his name, Ares' glare snapped to Leon instead of me.
For once, I was not the primary target of his unwavering, knightly rage.
Leon, of course, did not care.
He straightened, still grinning, and tilted his head at Ares. "What, you wanna fight me now?"
Ares didn't even hesitate. "One way or another, you're going to duel me."
Leon's expression darkened immediately. The joking air around him vanished in a second.
"Yeah, see, normally I wouldn't care," Leon muttered, rolling his shoulders. "But that guy—" he jabbed a thumb at Ares, "—clearly attacked me in your duel."
His eyes flashed with something colder.
"And I need to give him a good payment for it, right?"
Ares heard that.
And yeah. He was absolutely ready to throw hands.
I sighed, already feeling my headache worsen. "Can we go five minutes without trying to murder each other?"
Before the inevitable could happen, a smooth, elegant voice interrupted us.
"My, my," the voice said, carrying just the right amount of amusement. "This year's new student admissions must be particularly busy… and very excited, huh?"
I turned, already recognizing her voice before I even fully processed her presence. Lilith.
And yeah, she was smiling again.
Which immediately put me on edge.
That smile meant trouble.
I straightened my posture out of pure survival instinct. "Ms. Avarosa."
Lilith's eyes twinkled with interest. But before she could say anything— Something clicked in my brain.
Wait.
Avarosa.
My eyes darted toward Gladia's retreating figure, then back to Lilith standing in front of me.
'Wait… that's her daughter?' I thought.
I blinked.
No, that didn't make sense.
Lilith didn't look old enough to be a mother. She was probably around thirty at most.
'Maybe her sister then,' I thought again.
Still. Too much of a coincidence.
Lilith tilted her head slightly, watching me like she knew exactly what I was thinking.
Then, like she was correcting me, she said smoothly, "Mrs. Avarosa."
Oh.
That meant she was married?
That thought barely had time to process before my brain registered something else entirely. Even though she looked strict, her beauty radiated effortlessly.
And for some insane reason, I found myself staring at her lips.
What?
I mentally punched myself in the face.
Why the hell was I looking at her lips?!
It wasn't like I was hypnotized or anything. But something about her aura pulled at me, made it impossible to ignore her.
Lilith smiled knowingly.
I forced myself to focus.
She gestured lightly. "You should all be going now. It's time to collect your belongings and head to your respective households."
I sighed in relief. "Sounds like a plan." I was about to say more when I realized something weird. I was the only one who answered her.
I glanced to my side.
Leon?
Completely frozen, eyes locked on her, looking like he'd just seen a goddess descend from the heavens.
Ares?
Same reaction.
I snapped my fingers in front of Leon's face. "Yo. Earth to dumbass."
Nothing.
Ares' usual judgmental, knightly rage? Gone. Instead, he looked… well. Dazed.
What the hell was happening?
I was about to test if Leon was still breathing when Lilith stepped closer to me.
She rested a hand on my shoulder, her touch light, almost teasing.
"Sorry," she said softly, "I can't accompany you around or to our household, Evan. But I'm sure you can handle it."
Then— I swear she winked at me. Again!
And again—no one reacted.
'Huh? Why?!'
I stared at her, trying not to let my face do anything embarrassing.
Was this a test? A joke? A power move?
I had no idea.
So I just smiled politely and said, "No worries. As long as the Academy has informed the household members that a guy would be staying there, and I don't end up getting attacked or called a pervert, I'm good."
Lilith went silent.
She just… stared at me.
Like she was thinking about something.
For way too long.
The air around us felt different for a second, but before I could figure it out, she nodded once.
"Okay," she said, her voice unreadable.
Then she turned and walked away.
Leon, who had been stuck in a lovestruck trance, finally breathed again.
Then, as soon as she was out of sight, he muttered, "Holy shit."
I clicked my tongue, grabbed his sleeve, and yanked him forward. "C'mon, dumbass."
Leon stumbled along, still dazed. "She is… unbelievably beautiful."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
As we walked, one single thought stuck in my mind.
This Academy was not normal.
And somehow—I was at the center of whatever was happening.
I sighed, rubbing my face as Leon and I made our way to the lobby where all new students' things were stored.
It was a massive hall, lined with rows of shelves and stacks of crates, all neatly organized by student numbers. A few staff members stood behind the counter, efficiently handing out belongings as students stepped up to claim their things.
I eyed the crowd, noticing how most of the girls carried an absurd amount of luggage. Suitcases, duffel bags, backpacks—some even had multiple trunks stacked together.
I raised an eyebrow. "Damn. Did they pack for war?"
Leon, standing beside me, adjusted the strap of his backpack while rolling his suitcase. "Bro, that's normal compared to your sis."
I snorted. "Fair enough."
"Besides," Leon continued, grinning, "you're one to talk. I bet you brought, like, five bags."
"Nah." I held up my single suitcase. "Just this."
Leon stared. "…That's it?"
"Yup."
He gave me a suspicious look. "Dude. Are you secretly homeless?"
I groaned. "No, you idiot. My evil little sister stole most of my stuff before I left."
Leon choked. "Wait—seriously?"
"Yup." I dragged my suitcase forward as we moved up in line. "I swear, I had everything packed and ready, but the moment I turned my back, she just raided my bags like some kind of loot goblin. And you know what my mom said?"
Leon smirked. "Lemme guess. 'You don't need it in a battle academy?'"
"EXACTLY!" I threw up my hands. "And I mean, sure, she's kinda right, but that doesn't mean it's not unfair and annoying."
Leon laughed. "Bro. That's tragic."
"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, stepping up to the counter.
A staff member glanced at my student ID number, then efficiently put the tag on my suitcase, meaning they already check it. "Here you go."
I dragged my suitcase, muttering, "Thanks."
Leon snorted as he got his own stuff. "So, is that the reason you chose this academy? To escape your little sister?"
I dragged my suitcase along. "What do you think?"
Leon grinned. "Smart man."
The staff near the exit clapped their hands to get our attention.
"Alright, listen up! Each household is located in the residential districts surrounding the Academy grounds. Once you step outside, you'll see the paths leading to each one."
I frowned. "Wait. You mean we have to walk there?"
Leon nudged me. "Bro, this is a prestigious Academy. What, you thought they were gonna roll out golden carriages to carry you to your dorm?"
"I was hoping for at least a teleportation circle or something," I muttered.
We both sighed before stepping outside.
Behind the Academy, the landscape completely changed.
Instead of the sleek, futuristic battle halls, we were now in a beautiful residential area, lined with cobblestone paths, cherry blossom trees, and well-maintained courtyards.
The entire district looked like a high-end fantasy village, except with training arenas, combat facilities, and weapon storage houses scattered between the estates.
Leon whistled. "Damn. This place is nice."
I nodded slowly, taking it all in. "Yeah. It almost makes up for my horrible day."
Leon patted my shoulder. "And yet, you're still about to be thrown into an all-girls dorm with no escape."
I groaned. "Don't remind me."
Leon smirked. "Alright, bro. This is where we part ways. I go to the male section, and you… well."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered.
Leon grinned. "Try not to get murdered on your first night."