Chương 183: Succubi!

With all personnel assignments concluded late into the night, the officials took their leave from the Supreme Commander's Residence. Li Qinwu prepared to turn in for the evening. Between endless design iterations and hands-on assembly for the steam engine, he had been working continuously without sleep for nearly a week. Even with an exceptional Vitality stat of 30, a full week of nonstop strain left him feeling a hint of fatigue.

He planned to get a solid night's rest before plunging right back into another high-intensity work week. Just as he was settling into bed, Gob-Frenzy, his personal bodyguard stationed outside, shouted frantically through the door:"Boss! That human merchant is here, and he brought a bunch of females with him!"

"Huh? Jin Lanbo is here? Females? What is he up to?" Li Qinwu sat up straight. Was Jin Lanbo trying to test his moral integrity with bribes? He pulled open the door, only to find Gob-Frenzy standing outside with bloodshot eyes, a flushed neck, and bulging veins across his forehead, visibly struggling to restrain himself. Li Qinwu glanced down at Gob-Frenzy's fully erect 75mm caliber main gun and winced. Didn't this guy receive the Suppress-Desire Spell from the Kobold shaman?

How did he revert to full hyper-testosterone mode? Breathing heavily, Gob-Frenzy begged in desperation: "Boss! I... I don't think I can hold this in much longer! May I request a day of leave?!" Li Qinwu waved a hand in disgust.

"Get out of here! Request granted. Head over to the livestock enclosures and find the Earth Drakes—see if you can sire a few more berserk offspring!"

"Yes, Boss!" Gob-Frenzy sprinted off like a man possessed.

"Hey! Tell Jin Lanbo to come inside first!" Li Qinwu yelled after his receding back, wondering why the guard was in such an extreme state. Did the Kobold shaman's spell wear off, or is there something severely wrong with the women Jin Lanbo brought? Did that slick merchant seriously bring me a bunch of succubi?! A few minutes later, in the reception chamber, Li Qinwu stared at the five succubi before him, sinking into deep silence.

He turned to look at Jin Lanbo, who wore a obsequious grin, completely at a loss for words. Damn it! Just the other day I was reading "The Knight of Flowers" and wondering where one might encounter succubi, and now this guy delivers them right to my doorstep? The five succubi before him fit every ideal standard of beauty—stunning, exquisitely drop-dead gorgeous to the point of feeling almost otherworldly. Their hair was vivid and striking, sporting vibrant shades of purple, gold, red, blue, and pink.

Li Qinwu genuinely wondered how humanoid organisms could naturally grow hair in such brilliant, diverse hues. Their facial features were flawlessly sculpted, framed by demon-like vertical slit pupils that seemed to subtly daze anyone who stared into them for too long. Their figures were even more remarkable: towering over 1. 8 meters tall, with athletic builds, hourglass proportions, and exceptionally long legs.

Pairing with their striking looks were two translucent purple bat wings folded neatly behind their backs and a thin, flexible tail ending in a spade tip extending from the base of their spines. They wore sheer, lightweight silk drapes adorned with golden jewelry, giving them an aesthetic reminiscent of desert dancers. More critically, all five succubi radiated a dense, overpowering scent. It wasn't a simple perfume—humanoid bodies couldn't naturally secrete artificial fragrance.

Smelling it closely, Li Qinwu recognized it as a complex fusion of light sweat and potent pheromones, fermented into a unique, heavily seductive aroma. It was extraordinarily rich and complex; virtually any male creature would find it nearly impossible to resist. Even Li Qinwu felt his pulse quicken slightly. It was no wonder Gob-Frenzy had nearly lost control outside—had it not been for system constraints, the goblin guard would have snapped on the spot.

Li Qinwu took a deep breath of the heavily charged air, his gaze sweeping across the iron collars and manacles securing their necks and wrists, before finally resting on the grinning merchant.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jin Lanbo was thrown off by Li Qinwu's composure. Why hadn't this goblin chieftain instantly pounced on them? These were real succubi! Even he found them difficult to resist, so why was a goblin—a species infamous for reckless impulses—sitting there like a stoic monk?

"Your... Your Majesty," Jin Lanbo stuttered, rubbing his hands together.

"These five succubi are a token of gratitude from our chamber of commerce, appreciating your permission to establish a regional branch on your lands.

"They hail from the Northern Demon Realm. Captured during the war against the Elves, they were brought south through slave traders.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty! The manacles binding them bear magical suppression runes. They cannot possibly harm you. You may do whatever you wish with them— hehehehe!" Li Qinwu turned his gaze back to the five succubi. Their exquisite features looked like finely sculpted works of art, yet their eyes bore a deep, inescapable sense of humiliation and despair—the quiet grief of being reduced to mere property. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

After a long pause, Li Qinwu frowned and turned to Jin Lanbo.

"The key." Believing Li Qinwu had accepted the gift, Jin Lanbo's smile broadened with sly delight. He stepped forward and placed a small key onto the desk. Just as he was about to explain how the control key functioned, Li Qinwu's sharp command cut him off: "Remove their manacles." Jin Lanbo froze, assuming he had misheard. Li Qinwu tapped his knuckles heavily against the desk. Thump. Thump. Thump.

"I said, remove their manacles!" Jin Lanbo's confident composure completely shattered. Even the five succubi, who had remained silent since entering, looked up with stunned expressions.

"Your... Your Majesty! We can't do that! If we remove the magical restraints, they won't be controllable anymore!" Li Qinwu fixed Jin Lanbo with an intensely cold glare.

"Jin Lanbo, if I recall correctly, I had a copy of the Alliance Legal Code delivered to you. The Alliance does not tolerate slavery. Slavery in any form is a severe crime on our territory.

"Any foreign slave entering Alliance borders is automatically granted full status as a free person the moment they cross the line. This is explicitly stated in our laws. Tell me—are you eager to test the consequences of violating Alliance law tonight?" Cold sweat instantly drenched Jin Lanbo's back. Dashing forward, he dropped to his knees with a loud thud.

"Ah?! I... Your Majesty! I... I only wished to express my gratitude! They were meant purely as a gift..." He stammered in complete terror. Li Qinwu had indeed provided him with the legal text. As a trader, inspecting local laws was standard practice whenever entering new markets, and he had practically memorized the brief document—he just hadn't taken it seriously.

He was well aware of how goblins typically behaved; to him, presenting five succubi to a goblin king seemed like a foolproof way to secure favor and smooth out future commercial ventures across the realm. How could he have anticipated that this particular goblin king possessed such ironclad self-restraint? Had Li Qinwu known what the merchant was thinking, he would have scoffed: My mind is set on grand conquest—how could I lose myself to fleeting temptations?

In truth, Li Qinwu viewed his personal marital status as an important political asset. He had previously toyed with the idea of pursuing a relationship with Lady Hana. However, as the Alliance grew into a regional power capable of reshaping international dynamics, he no longer saw such a match as strategic. Lady Hana offered little leverage regarding state interests or geopolitical alliances.

To catch his interest, a union needed to bring substantial political benefits; he viewed marriage primarily as a diplomatic bargaining chip. While ruling nobility across the realm might currently scoff at the idea of marrying into a goblin line, what about ten years from now? Once steam-driven machinery entered mass production, plunging the Alliance into a full industrial age with mechanized armies sweeping aside traditional powers, how would the world view him then?

He had even envisioned a scenario: should the Alliance eventually conquer the Kingdom of Sarthos, securing a peaceful transition of power might involve marrying a princess of the Sarthos royal line, absorbing the kingdom through a diplomatic union. Therefore, his personal status carried immense strategic value! The five succubi exchanged subtle glances with their striking eyes, silently communicating before focusing their attention on the goblin who held their fate in his hands.

Li Qinwu looked down at the trembling merchant kneeling on the floor.

"Enough. Seeing as this is your first offense, I won't impose the maximum penalty. Pay a fine of 1, 000 Mana Crystals, release them immediately, and get out of my sight.

"If you ever transport slaves across our borders again, you will be arrested and charged with trafficking intelligent beings!" Relieved as if spared from execution, Jin Lanbo scrambled to his feet, hurriedly unlocked every set of manacles with the key, and backed out of the reception room, closing the door behind him. Clearly, the merchant still failed to grasp the core issue, half-expecting Li Qinwu to drop his stern act once the door was shut. Li Qinwu shook his head and turned to the newly freed succubi.

He carefully gauged the magic flowing through their bodies—it was potent, but nowhere near enough to pose a threat to him. If necessary, he could draw dual hand cannons from his inventory and neutralize all five in less than a second. Relaxing back into his seat, he observed them with detached curiosity. With their restraints removed, the dormant mana within the five succubi began to circulate once more. They huddled close together, seeking mutual comfort.

Apprehension filled their eyes; none of them had ever encountered a goblin radiating such an intimidating aura. His sheer presence rivaled that of a Demon General from the Demon Realm. They felt genuinely unnerved. Goblins inhabited certain mountainous regions of the Demon Realm as well, occasionally raiding remote villages. Knowing the predatory nature of typical goblins, they feared this chieftain would leap at them the moment they were alone.

After observing their figures for a moment, Li Qinwu found his interest fading. No matter how attractive, it was just physical form. He found far more satisfaction in reviewing economic reports—seeing how much territory the Alliance had expanded today, how many new villages had been integrated, or how many infantry companies had finished training. Waving his hand, he activated a translation spell and spoke calmly:"I'll have guards escort you to quarters to rest.

Once you understand your current situation, you may choose to remain in the Alliance, obtain citizenship, and take up employment—or you may leave, in which case I will arrange an escort to guide you to the border.

"However, keep this in mind: you must strictly obey our laws and refrain from harming any Alliance citizen. Violations carry severe penalties, up to and including execution. Furthermore..." Li Qinwu twitched his nose, sniffing the dense concentration of pheromones lingering in the room.

"Take a proper bath and change into standard clothing. In your current state, you are just as likely to cause trouble for others as you are to bring harm upon yourselves." With that, Li Qinwu stood up, pushed open the door, and returned to his bedroom to sleep. He still had to inspect the development of practical steam engine models tomorrow, and check whether rail track production and locomotive designs could be initiated.

If a railway line could connect Goblin Keep directly to Steel City, cutting travel time down to a few hours, logistical efficiency across the realm would skyrocket! Left behind in the reception room, the five succubi looked at one another in utter bewilderment, their faces blank with confusion. The red-haired succubus spoke up in disbelief: "Ah... were we just completely ignored by a goblin? Shouldn't he have pinned us down and done... that? Why isn't he interested in us at all? Has our charm magic faded?"

The blonde succubus murmured, equally lost: "Could the rumors be true? Are goblins actually green-skinned sub-variants of Elves, sharing their high moral virtues?" All five stood completely puzzled. Finally, the purple-haired succubus—the tallest and most gentle among them—broke the silence.

"Regardless of why, we are free now. Our priority should be finding a way back to our homeland..." Yet the moment the words left her mouth, hesitation washed over the faces of the others. Even the purple-haired succubus fell silent. They hadn't been captured on a battlefield—their own homeland had sold them off as political bargaining chips. Was there any point in returning to a nation that had discarded them?

While they stood caught in uncertainty, two duty officers from the Guards Regiment entered the room to escort them out. Both officers were Tier 5 veterans. While the concentrated succubus pheromones provoked a natural physiological response, their iron military discipline kept them completely composed. The two officers conferred in low tones:"Their scent is way too strong.

We can't bring them into the main barracks or residential districts—the younger recruits won't be able to handle it, and if anyone breaks discipline, they'll face a firing squad." The other officer nodded in agreement.

"Let's hand them over to Lady Hana. They're all female, so affected reactions won't be an issue." And so, the five succubi were delivered straight to Lady Hana's estate.