Chapter 421: Meeting and Parting (Request Subscription)

Flora felt she had encountered a troublesome fellow.

That white-haired boy, though more beautiful than the vast majority of elves and possessing an especially noble and elegant aura,

was utterly unlike his appearance.

The boy who called himself Herbert was simply too loud.

“Oh come on, let me tag along with you—just add me in!”

“Besides, you don’t look like you have any friends. Why not let me be your friend?”

“Am I wrong? Oh, then where are they?”

“Are your friends all off at some banquet, and you weren’t invited?”

“You didn’t want to go to their party? Oh, I get it, I get it—you don’t need to explain, I understand completely!”

“Yes, yes, yes, you didn’t want to go—not that you weren’t invited! I get it!”

“How pitiful… oh, I didn’t say anything. You must’ve misheard.”

“Unhappy? Then tell me, do you have any other friends?”

…

Noise.

That fellow insisted on repeatedly bringing up things Flora did not wish to speak of.

It wasn’t that they excluded me—it was I who excluded them!

Who wants to go to their silver party anyway!

I won’t go!

Flora found Herbert’s teasing truly annoying, yet she could not reveal her true identity as a succubus.

So she could only endure his teasing helplessly, gritting her teeth, searching for an opportunity to properly punish him.

To find that opportunity, the embarrassed Flora ultimately agreed to his request to accompany her.

Perhaps, because she truly was as lonely as he claimed—because he had struck a soft spot within her, longing for someone to keep her company.

Or perhaps, because she wished to understand what “love” was, to try and draw that emotion from him.

Or perhaps… because when Herbert closed his mouth, he was a very pleasingly beautiful boy.

Hmm, even as a pet, he wouldn’t be bad.

Flora initially thought Herbert would follow her for only a few days before growing bored and leaving.

But she never imagined the time would stretch far longer than she expected.

One day passed, ten days passed, a month passed, a year passed… he still remained by her side.

And showed no intention of leaving.

On the day the year ended, Flora could no longer hold back and asked Herbert: “Herbert… you’re not leaving, are you?”

“Why would I leave?”

Herbert tilted his head with a smile, asking lazily: “Are you trying to kick me out? If you want me to go, just tell me.”

“Of course, even if you tell me to leave, I might not listen~”

The boy smiled, half-closing his eyes, gazing at her with deep, unreadable eyes.

“… ”

Flora felt something peculiar.

Though she sensed nothing from Herbert at all, she had the feeling he saw through every part of her.

In front of him, she felt utterly exposed.

Had he discovered her true form? Did he know her secret? Had he uncovered her truth?

If he knew all this, why did he still stay by my side?

What was he plotting?

What did he hope to gain from me?

Countless questions enveloped Flora’s soul, yet no answer came for a long time.

After a long silence, Flora finally sighed deeply and shook her head helplessly.

“… If you want to stay, then stay.”

And the boy’s reply remained flippant and casual.

“Alright~”

“Don’t worry—I won’t leave you easily.”

In the end, Flora could not bring herself to drive Herbert away.

Though she knew he carried secrets, understood he wasn’t following her without purpose… Flora still softened.

She was simply too lonely.

In the Abyss, among her own kind, she had always been an outcast.

Ununderstood, disliked, seen as a thorn in everyone’s side.

Even if someone luckily became her friend, they would eventually clash and leave her behind.

So Flora fled from there.

She escaped the Abyss and came to the mortal realm, hoping to find companions like herself.

But Flora was wrong—even in the mortal realm, she remained alone.

Different races, yet the same hostility.

Here, her loneliness did not lessen—it grew worse.

And this boy, though slightly different from her ideal companion and a bit noisy and loud,

was the first person ever willing to walk beside her.

Though Flora complained about him, she was deeply glad he had appeared.

Thus, the long journey gained companionship.

Flora and Herbert continued walking, traveling through the mortal realm, wandering together.

Their relationship grew increasingly familiar, no longer the cautious distance of before.

They bickered and laughed together, passing a hundred years.

Along the way, their companions multiplied, and their group grew larger.

There were wandering merchants, lost warriors, apprentice mages seeking trials, even druids trying to find themselves in the wilds.

Later, they even encountered a special black cat.

That talking black cat claimed to be some unspeakable great being, demanding they bow before it.

It was excellent at telling jokes, like the kind: “Give it a fish first, then when it recovers, it’ll grant you the title of Archangel in its divine realm!”

What Flora found slightly regrettable was that the black cat always clung to Herbert—either curled atop his head or hiding in his shadow.

It had little contact with her, never letting her stroke its slick fur.

Even when it did, it would size her up, then shake its head sadly and sigh dramatically.

Yet none of these people stayed with them to the end; after a period of time, they quietly departed.

Some returned to their city-states, some found their path, others were dragged back to their towers by their masters, some vanished into the forests.

Some came. Some left.

Along this journey, they experienced meetings—and partings.

The black cat was the last to leave.

On the final day of their separation, it gazed at her quietly, no longer sighing openly, but nodding and saying something inexplicable.

It said:

“Hmm. You’re not bad.”

After uttering this cryptic remark, the black cat vanished completely.

Flora felt regret over the departures of others, yet she could still accept them.

Because though many had left, one person had chosen to remain by her side.

Herbert was still there.

“Herbert… you’re not leaving, are you?”

A hundred years later, Flora asked the same question again.

And this time, before Herbert could answer, she already knew his reply—“Are you trying to kick me out?”

That noisy boy, unchanged after a hundred years, looked exactly the same, his aura unaltered.

He still remained by her side.

Herbert was the foundation that kept Flora from crumbling.

With him, she would not break.

Thus, having recognized her own heart, Flora spoke first: “No, I don’t want you to leave—I want you to stay, to remain by my side.”

And the boy’s smile remained warm as ever; he nodded gently and said: “Then as you wish.”

After the black cat’s departure, Flora and Herbert’s bond grew even closer.

In the centuries that followed, they continued walking.

Their group no longer changed—no new companions joined, only the two of them remained.

Though they met many along the way—enemies, allies—none left deeper marks in their lives.

And just as Flora believed everything would continue this way… they finally reached an ending.

After rescuing some pitiful slaves and inciting their rebellion, they withdrew to the mountaintop to rest.

They sat upon the mountain, gazing down at the city below ablaze with fire, admiring their handiwork.

They had freed those slaves, giving them a new choice.

Though it might mean death of the body, they gained freedom of the soul.

To others, this might be an unbearable gift—but to demons, it was already a rather decent choice.

It was at this moment that Herbert suddenly spoke.

“Flora, I’m leaving.”

!!!

The unexpected turn left Flora frozen in place.

“You… what?”

“You heard me. Exactly as you heard it.”

“…”

Flora fell silent.

No warning. No hint.

They had never argued. Never disagreed.

Yet the one closest to her now chose to depart.

“...Why?”

After a long silence, Flora asked, voice hoarse: “Is it because I’m a succubus?”

Herbert shook his head gently. “No. I knew your identity from the beginning.”

His answer only deepened Flora’s confusion.

If he had known all along, why leave now?

“Then… are you afraid I’ll betray you? Because of my demonic blood?”

“No, Flora. I never feared your betrayal.”

Herbert lowered his gaze, shaking his head softly. “It’s not because of any of that.”

“Then why?!!?” Flora demanded angrily, glaring at the cold-faced boy.

You know I don’t want you to leave!

You know I can’t lose you!

Why make such a heartless choice?

Yet before Flora’s sorrowful gaze, Herbert’s eyes remained unnervingly calm—just as deep as when they first met centuries ago.

Herbert gazed at Flora with his gray eyes and whispered: “Because this is your past alone.”

“I can’t walk with you to the end.”

!!!

The utterly unforeseen words struck Flora like a hammer to the skull.

Hum—

Her body swayed, stumbling back two steps before she barely steadied herself.

Clutching her head, she forced herself to look at Herbert and gritted out: “What… are you saying?”

“Don’t you understand?”

Herbert smiled, then stepped forward, gently wrapping his arms around Flora’s waist. “You will understand… Now, you will remember it all.”

As he spoke, he lightly kissed her forehead.

“You… ah.”

And just as Herbert said, Flora suddenly remembered everything.

The dream ended.

A centuries-long, immersive dream—suddenly awakened.

Waking from a nightmare brings relief, grateful that it never really happened.

But waking from a beautiful dream brings endless emptiness.

Flora sank into unbearable emptiness.

She suddenly realized: it was all false.

This long journey had never had anyone else.

No Herbert beside her.

Only herself.

She had endured those hard years alone.

“…”

Flora fell silent for a long while, then raised her head to look at Herbert, struggling to speak.

“Are you mocking me?”

She had been deceived.

She knew: this boy before her was no phantom of her dream—he was a real person who had intruded into her dream.

He had manipulated her memories, fabricating a false dream.

Yet at this moment, what rose in Flora’s heart was not anger… but sorrow.

More than questioning Herbert’s intent, she longed for those memories to be real—not hollow illusions.

Facing Flora’s accusation, Herbert remained calm, explaining gently: “Flora, you know I cannot change your past.”

“No matter how much I wished to truly appear in those days, I could not alter what had already happened.”

“During the time I was not there, you truly bore it all alone.”

“Loneliness. Sorrow. Heartache… You watched them come, and watched them go.”

He held Flora tightly, feeling her trembling body, his eyes half-closing.

Herbert took a deep breath, lowered his head, and looked into the succubus’s eyes, solemnly saying:

“I never existed in your first half-life’s memories—but I can remain with you for the rest of your life.”

“If relationships with others begin with meeting and end with parting…”

“Then perhaps mine with you can be reversed.”

“This time, I leave—but that is not the end.”

Herbert lowered his head, speaking softly yet firmly:

“Because having already known parting, our lives now hold only meeting.”

With that, he gently kissed her.

But the instant his lips touched hers, the dream shattered.

…

!!?

In the pool of magma, Flora snapped open her eyes.

Before she could even process her surroundings, she saw a face—close, impossibly close—Herbert again.

“Hn!!?”

Herbert paused, smiled at her—and Flora’s already wide eyes widened further.

Because Herbert, after greeting her, did not stop—he kept kissing her.

Try to escape?

Can you escape?

Flora: !!?

“You, wait… umm!!?”

(End of Chapter)