The room fell silent after I told my companions about the conversation I overheard between Lady Isabel and Carmela. It was evening by this point, though it was still light out since it was summer. The rays of the setting sun filtered through the room's window, casting shadows everywhere. Considering the topic of our conversation, this felt appropriate.

When I finished speaking, I leaned back in my chair. I still felt weak from the poison. However, since drinking it helped Anna and I leave Sandstrike Castle without arousing suspicion, it was worth it. Anna, who sat next to me, grasped my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. When I looked at her, she gave me a soft smile.

"This is worse than I thought," Cally said, a grim expression on her face.

"Which part?" I asked. "The fact that Lady Isabel consumes succubi? Or the fact that she can use demon magic?"

I hadn't thought about it at the time, since I was too angry, but enthralling was a form of demonic magic. Lady Isabel shouldn't have been able to use it. Only demons could. Well, demons and fiends granted the ability to enthrall. However, no demon would ever grant this power to a fiend.

Why? Simple. Demons weren't immune to enthralling. They were as susceptible to it as everyone else. Demons consumed and controlled others. They wouldn't give one of their servants a power that could be turned against them.

In that case, how was Lady Isabel able to enthrall people? Was it because she consumed succubi? It made sense. Succubi were quite adept at enthralling people. This was one of the reasons why they were so dangerous. Perhaps Lady Isabel gained the ability to enthrall by eating succubi.

"Both," Cally said. "I don't think you grasp just how dangerous it is for humans to consume demons."

Leroy frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "The idea is sickening, yes. However, it doesn't seem any more dangerous than when humans become fiends."

Cally shook her head.

"No," she said. "It's not the same at all. Demons create fiends by sharing a portion of their power by using blood as a medium. In essence, it's a contract. There are measures in place to protect the demon and, to a certain degree, the prospective fiend." She frowned. "When it comes to eating demons, there are no such measures. Most of the time, if a human eats a demon, they will die in horrific agony. If they somehow survive, they become twisted monstrosities that go on a rampage and destroy everything around them."

I nodded. While I never observed this phenomenon myself, I read documents about it back on Earth. When the interdimensional portals known as Gates first appeared, in an event called the Calamity, some deranged idiots thought it would be a good idea to consume monsters in order to gain their power. This included demons, since some Gates led to the Infernal Lands.

The majority of these people died. The rest became twisted parodies of their former selves, beasts full of rage and fury. In many ways, they became bigger threats than actual demons!

It became so bad that the various nation states and guilds of Earth banded together and passed laws that forbade the consumption of monsters and demons. Anyone caught breaking these laws were executed on the spot. That's how serious it became.

After these laws were passed, the number of incidents died down. However, there were still some idiots who thought they knew better. It never ended well for them, or those around them.

"It's clear that Lady Isabel is a special case," Anna said. "She consumed a succubus, or maybe even multiple succubi, but somehow retained her humanity."

I snorted.

"I don't think you can call anyone who eats demons human anymore," I said.

Anna nodded in agreement.

"True," she said. "Regardless, Lady Isabel didn't become a twisted monstrosity. Instead, she gained power."

"Could it be the method you mentioned before?" I asked Cally. "The Demon Devouring Art?"

Cally mulled it over for several moments.

"It's possible," she said. "According to the tome I read, the Demon Devouring Art was used to steal youth and vitality from others. However, the tome was damaged and incomplete. It's possible that the missing pages detailed other uses for the Demon Devouring Art."

I shook my head.

"Whoever created the Demon Devouring Art must've been a madman," I said. "No one in their right mind would ever think about eating a demon."

The mere thought was enough to make me nauseous. While it wasn't cannibalism, since demons weren't human, it was still a vile practice. In fact, perhaps it was even worse than cannibalism.

"You'd be surprised by what people are willing to do when they're desperate," Anna said in a quiet voice. "In the First Timeline, as we lost more and more ground to the demons, people resorted to drastic measures in order to stem the tide. Consuming demons was mild compared to some of the things I witnessed."

Silence fell over the room. There was nothing I could say. There was nothing any of us could say. The First Timeline truly sounded like hell on earth.

So, I gave Anna's hand a brief squeeze, offering a modicum of comfort. She gave me a grateful smile.

"If Lady Isabel used the Demon Devouring Art," Cally said, breaking the silence before it grew awkward. "How did she get her hands on it?"

"Lady Isabel mentioned something about killing a group of demon worshipers," I said. "Maybe she got it from one of them."

Anna frowned.

"That doesn't make sense," she said. "Demon worshipers consider demons as sacred beings. To them, eating a demon is blasphemy. Why would they have something like the Demon Devouring Art?"

True. Why would a group of demon worshipers have something like the Demon Devouring Art?

"Maybe they weren't actual demon worshipers?" I offered. "Perhaps they were demon summoners?"

"Does it matter?" Leroy asked. "We don't know for certain that Lady Isabel acquired the Demon Devouring Art. Even if she had, it doesn't matter how she acquired it. What matters is what she's using it for."

The rest of us nodded. Leroy was right. Figuring out how Lady Isabel got her hands on the Demon Devouring Art was a secondary concern. Our ultimate goal was to stop the disappearances from occurring and deal with the demonic threat lurking beneath the surface of Eastwatch. This included the succubi and Lady Isabel, who I considered more of a demon than a human by this point.

"Lady Isabel won't be easy to deal with," I said. "In addition to her thralls, she has House Sandstrike on her side. Assuming Lord Sandstrike isn't under her control, they won't stand idly by while we attack their former matriarch. If we want them to turn against her, we need to expose her crimes."

Cally smirked.

"We could always bring Lord César over to our side," she said in a joking tone. "You just need to bat your eyelashes at him and give him a pitiful look."

I sneered at her.

"Keep dreaming," I said. "I'm never dressing up as a woman again if I can help it."

"Well," Anna said. "Bringing Lord César over to our side isn't a bad idea. As a scion of House Sandstrike, he has greater access to Lady Isabel than we do."

Cally and I looked at her in surprise.

"You can't be serious," I said. "You want me to charm Lord César?"

Anna shrugged.

"I mean, if it helps us deal with Lady Isabel, why not?"

I gave her a pained look.

"Please don't make me do this."

"No one is making you do anything," Anna said. "I'm just pointing out the benefits. Look at what we accomplished today. While we failed to lure a succubus into our trap, we ended up learning more about Lady Isabel."

That… was a good point, as much as it pained me to admit.

"We'll talk about this later," I said. "What about the succubi? They're a serious threat as well. We know that there are at least five of them in Eastwatch, perhaps more. That's more than we can handle. Facing them head on is suicide."

Cally gestured to the runic circle on the ceiling.

"We still have this," she said. "While we failed today, we can still try and lure a succubus here." Cally smirked at me. "Which means we need you to keep cross-dressing for a while yet."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"I hate you," I said.

Cally threw her head back and laughed.

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"Why do we need to deal with the succubi ourselves?" Leroy asked. "Why not ask for help? We're powerful, but succubi are insidious foes. Why not ask for help from the Church of the Sun?"

I mulled over Leroy's suggestion.

"That won't work," I said. "Rather, it would, but it would take too long. The Church of the Sun has people who specialize in dealing with succubi. However, they would have to come from the Grand Temple, the church's seat of power. It would take two weeks for a message to reach them, and another two weeks for help to arrive. And that's assuming they send help right away. They may not."

As for the local priests and priestesses, I decided not to bother with them. According to Leroy, who visited the local Church of the Sun, the most powerful among them was equivalent to a Third Ranked Awakened. Not only that, but the local priests and priestesses were all healers. They wouldn't be helpful, and may even cause problems for us.

"However," I said. "Your suggestion just gave me an idea, Leroy."

Cally raised an eyebrow at me.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"We're faced with two groups of enemies that are too powerful for us to deal with by ourselves," I said. "So, why don't we turn them against each other? Lady Isabel and the succubi are already in conflict. We can fan the flames and get them to fight each other. Afterwards, we'll deal with any survivors."

The others wore thoughtful expressions on their faces.

"That could work," Anna said. "In fact, that's probably our best chance at dealing with both groups. If we turn House Sandstrike against Lady Isabel, that would be even better."

Cally held her chin between her thumb and index finger.

"You mentioned that Lady Isabel is looking for the succubi's hideout," she said. "If we found out and leaked it to her, she'll attack and try to wipe them out. Not only are they her competition, but they're also her prey.

I sighed.

"Which means I need to lure one of the succubi here," I said.

Why did everything come down to me cross-dressing?

"We appreciate your sacrifice," Anna said, patting me on the back.

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Don't forget to keep your promise," I said. "That was the only reason I agreed to cross-dress in the first place."

Anna gave me a lascivious smile.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," she said. "If you want, we can start tonight."

"I suggest you hold off on that," Cally said in a dry tone. "Right now, Gabriel isn't in much condition to do anything."

I sighed. True. While I took the antidote, the poison's effects still lingered.

"A shame," Anna said. "Perhaps next time."

"On that note, we should get some rest," I said. "It's been a long day."

My stomach rumbled, but I ignored it. I hadn't had lunch or dinner today, but I was too tired to rectify that. Right now, I just wanted to get some sleep.

"Don't forget about your appointment with Lord Dominic in a few days, my lord," Leroy pointed out.

I nodded.

"I had almost forgotten," I said. "Thank you for reminding me."

Lady Isabel's thralls had invisibility bracelets, which made dealing with them annoying. However, with the enchanted items that I commissioned from Lord Dominic, dealing with them would become much easier.

With that, the four of us turned in for the night. Rather than head back to the Southside Inn, we decided to stay here. I mean, we already rented all the rooms. We might as well put them to good use.

Leroy and Cally headed to their own rooms. Anna and I changed out of our disguises, before we went to bed and fell asleep in each other's arms.

To my surprise, and dismay, an unexpected guest arrived at our inn the next day. When I woke up that morning, I still felt a little weak from the poison's effects. Since that was the case, my companions and I decided to spend the day resting and preparing. Anna and I enjoyed a quiet morning together as we ate breakfast in our room. The innkeeper, who returned earlier, cooked it for us.

However, just as we finished eating, the innkeeper returned with some bad news. Lord César was here, and he wanted to see "Lady Gabrielle". The innkeeper didn't know who that was, but he figured it involved us somehow. Since we were such generous guests, he decided to inform us.

When I heard the news, I closed my eyes and sighed. While I planned on disguising myself again and charming Lord César, I didn't think I'd have to do it again so soon.

"Thank you for informing us," I told the innkeeper. "You may go now."

The innkeeper nodded, before walking away.

"Do you need me to help you get dressed?" Anna asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

I shook my head.

"I'll ask Cally for help," I said. "In fact, I have an idea."

I headed over to Cally's room and knocked on the door. When she answered, I explained my idea to her.

"You want me to act as your maid?" Cally asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

It wasn't unusual for a lady, even one from a minor noble family, to have a personal maid. This would give me an excuse to bring Cally downstairs. While I doubted that Lord César had any ill intentions towards me, it didn't hurt to be careful, especially in my current state.

"Yes, please," I said. "Anna can't do it, since Lord César has already seen her, so that leaves you."

Cally sighed.

"Very well," she said. "I've helped Kaylee get ready before, so I'm not a complete novice. Let's see what we can do with you."

With Cally's help, I managed to get ready within a few minutes. We decided to keep things simple. After all, "Lady Gabrielle" got poisoned.

When I finished getting ready, I headed downstairs. In keeping with my disguise, I acted frail and delicate. Cally tagged along, pretending to be my maid, while Leroy followed along behind me.

After what happened yesterday, it would make sense for "Lady Gabrielle" to bring a bodyguard with her everywhere. Besides, Leroy refused to leave my side. He feared that if he did, something else would happen to me.

I asked Anna to stay upstairs, out of sight. I wanted her to pretend that "Lord Andrew" was out on some business. Why? Simple. It was part of my plan to charm Lord César.

We found Lord César waiting for us in the inn's main room. Other than the innkeeper, he was the only one there. He stood in the middle of the room with a worried expression on his face.

When we arrived, Lord César turned towards us. His eyes widened when he saw me. I wore a simple dress and little make up. I wanted me to come across as a delicate, almost sickly, lady who was recovering after getting poisoned.

A few moments later, Lord César shook his head and gave me a bright smile.

"Lady Gabrielle!" he called out. "You're awake! I was so worried about you that I couldn't sleep last night. It warms my heart to see that you're well."

I gave him a small smile.

"Thank you for your consideration, Lord César," I said. "Would you like to join me for a cup of tea? This inn isn't much, but their tea is decent."

Lord César studied the inn with a critical eye.

"Yes," he said. "I'm surprised that you and your fiancé are staying in such a… humble place."

"Andrew and I decided to keep a low profile while on vacation," I said. "We wanted to avoid all the pomp and ceremony."

Lord César nodded in understanding.

"I see," he said. "In that case, yes, I would love a cup of tea."

Lord César and I sat at one of the tables in the inn's main room. He treated me with great care, as if I were a fragile flower. It appeared that the plan was working. However, what annoyed me was Lord César's attitude towards Leroy and Cally. He acted as if they didn't exist. While that was normal among House scions, it still irked me.

After sitting down, the two of us ordered some tea. While we waited for it to arrive, we engaged in small talk. Meanwhile, Leroy and Cally stood off to the side and seemed to blend in with the background.

When the tea arrived, Lord César and I took a moment to savor it. As I said earlier, it was decent.

"So," I said after taking a few sips. "What brings you here, Lord César?"

He gave me a charming smile.

"I wanted to see how you were doing, Lady Gabrielle," he said, before his expression grew serious. "I also wanted to offer my deepest apologies. You were a guest of House Sandstrike and we failed to protect you."

I felt a sliver of guilt at this. However, I banished it right away.

"Thank you, Lord César," I said. "I accept your apology."

He seemed relieved by this.

"As part of my apology, I wish to take you and Lord Andrew out on a tour of our fair city," Lord César said. "I believe I promised to show you the best places to go shopping."

I acted excited to hear this news, before I put on a disappointed expression.

"Thank you, Lord César," I said in a despondent tone. "I appreciate the offer. However, that won't be necessary."

Lord César gave me a concerned look.

"Why?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth, as if to answer him, before I closed it.

"I really shouldn't say," I said a few moments later.

Lord César reached forward to cover my hand with his own.

"You can tell me," he said. "We are friends, no?"

I put on a conflicted expression, before I nodded.

"Very well," I said. "It would be good to talk with someone about it, and you're the only one I can rely on." I wasn't looking at her, but I could almost hear Cally rolling her eyes. "Andrew… Andrew is often busy with his duties. So much so that we don't see each other often. Part of the reason why we came to Eastwatch was to spend more time together." I sighed. "However, despite this, Andrew still focuses more on furthering his family's interests than on me. Yesterday was an exception, and you know how that ended."

Lord César grimaced.

"Once again, I apologize," he said.

I waved off his concern.

"It's fine," I said. "If there was one benefit to the situation, it was that Andrew gave me his undivided attention. Well, at least for a time."

Lord César studied me for a moment, before he gave me a sympathetic look. However, there was something cunning and calculative about it. He reminded me of a fox that had sighted some interesting prey.

I resisted the urge to smile. It appeared that my plan was working.

My idea was a simple one. Lord César was a known playboy. I figured that if I acted like a lonely and neglected fiancé, he wouldn't resist the urge to try and seduce me. So far, it appeared that I was right.

"I see," Lord César said. "Forgive me for saying this, but Lord Andrew is a fool. If I were in his shoes, I would never leave your side." He made a show of looking around. "In fact, where is he? I want to give him a piece of my mind."

I gave him a sad smile and didn't say anything. That was answer enough.

"In that case, why don't we go out by ourselves?" Lord César asked. "Lord Andrew has no room to complain, since he decided to leave you here by yourself."

I pulled my hand away from his and gave him a worried look.

"We shouldn't," I said. "What would people think?"

Despite this, I pretended to act conflicted, as if I wanted to go out but dared not to.

"What do you mean?" Lord César asked with a knowing smile on his face. "There's nothing wrong with a pair of friends spending time together, is there?"

I resisted the urge to snort. While this was what I wanted, Lord César's audacity still amazed me. Spending time alone with another man's fiancé? While that wasn't such a big deal on Earth, at least in some countries, it was here on Lumina. Lord César really was a scumbag.

"I don't know," I said, still pretending to hesitate.

Lord César flashed me a brilliant smile.

"Lady Gabrielle," he said. "Trust me."

A part of me wondered about how many women he managed to fool with this bullshit.

"Very well, Lord César," I said, giving him an enthusiastic nod. "Give me a few minutes to get ready."

He nodded. With that, I headed upstairs to get ready for… Fuck me. I was going on an outing with a man. Oh well. The sacrifices we make for the greater good.

I rushed upstairs to get ready for my outing with Lord César, with Cally and Leroy following right behind me.

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