Amon watched Alexandra's reaction closely. The girl couldn't hide her emotions, and the space marine was certain: the mercenary accepted his decision grudgingly.
'One problem down,' Amon noted with satisfaction. 'It's a good thing Alexandra is easy to handle. A perfect sword, just right for my hand!'
Amon realized he thought of the mercenary with a touch of warmth, like a favorite weapon that you cherish and take care of so it slices enemies more effectively.
'If I were on the Dark Truth,' the sorcerer thought, 'I'd promote her to adjutant, after she swears loyalty to the Chaos Gods, of course. She's easy... It'll be tougher with the priestess. I don't understand the psychology of monsters. It's easy to make a mistake, and that mistake could lead to a marriage. I wonder, can mamono magic restore reproductive function? I don't even want to think about it,' the sorcerer grimaced slightly.
"What's your name?" Alexandra asked the priestess.
"Camilla."
"Alexandra," the mercenary briefly introduced herself.
"Well, now we're acquainted," Amon said cheerfully. "Looks like I won't get any thinking done tonight. We'll all sleep together," he said to Alexandra. "Camilla will stay separately. It's too risky for her to be seen outside, so let her stay in the next room."
"Right," the mercenary agreed, looking pleased. "She might get clingy… I told you, mamono are everywhere!"
"You were right," the sorcerer agreed in turn.
"But how can that be, Amon?" Camilla asked in surprise, fluttering her long lashes. "The Goddess instructed me to be with you everywhere!"
"And also to obey me," Amon replied immediately. "Consider this an order. You'll sleep in the next room."
"As you command..." Camilla said, casting her eyes down sadly.
Alexandra looked approvingly at her partner. Her worries were gradually fading. Amon clearly wasn't falling for the beauty and charm of the "pious" succubus. That meant everything he had said about choosing a wife was true! The knight wasn't swayed by appearances, where she lost out to many ordinary girls, not to mention monsters.
"By the way," Amon suddenly remembered. "It slipped my mind—how did you get here? Did anyone see you?"
"No," the priestess smiled smugly. "I arrived in the city with a caravan…"
"You'll tell me about that tomorrow," the sorcerer interrupted her. "I meant the inn."
"Very simple," Camilla shrugged. "I came in through the main door, opening it with magic. The servant was asleep, so I quietly slipped past and came up to you."
"Some inn," Alexandra muttered. "Anyone who wants can just walk in. I saw the sleeping servant after my bath too."
"Excellent," Amon turned away to hide the crooked grin that crept onto his face at the wrong moment. "I'll need to have a word with him: a new person showing up could raise unnecessary questions. I think I'll deal with it right now, and wash up at the same time. You two—sit here, talk, but no violence," the sorcerer said, looking at Alexandra.
"Fine," the mercenary grumbled. "Though I can't promise anything about the no-violence part."
"And you—take a human form," the sorcerer nodded briefly at the priestess and left, closing the door behind him.
***
POV Camilla
Camilla began whispering a passionate prayer to the Fallen Goddess, rocking back and forth. Alexandra could barely make out a few words about temporarily concealing beauty, forgiveness of sins, and the female womb. The last phrase was repeated most frequently, and in the meantime, the priestess rolled her eyes dreamily and blushed.
Her movements became more rhythmic and rapid, as if the priestess were riding a horse. Beads of sweat appeared on Camilla's face, her breathing became hot and erratic, and then, with a faint squeak, she relaxed and sank to the floor.
Before the astonished Alexandra appeared an unusual sight—Camilla's legs had shortened slightly, her waist had widened, and her chest had slightly receded. Her clothes also changed—from tight-fitting, shiny black robes, they turned into loose, fabric garments that completely hid her body, head, and face.
"Ah…" the priestess sighed sweetly. "How delightful! How did I ever live without this?"
Alexandra remained silent. From a professional standpoint, the mercenary was curious about how the transformation took place. But from a personal one—it was unsettling. The priestess's magic looked far too much like intimacy, only without a partner.
For a while, they sat in silence, not daring to speak to each other. Alexandra held her sword by the hilt, drawing it out a few centimeters, then sliding it back with a metallic clink. The priestess, for her part, floated in the clouds, smiling only with her eyes.
"Did you at least eat the rations?" Alexandra asked gruffly, breaking the silence.
"Huh?" the mercenary's words snapped Camilla out of her sweet reverie. "Oh, were you the one who left me the supplies? Thank you! They really helped me. My head was hurting badly, but once I ate, it went away immediately. Thank you, kind girl!"
"Don't mention it," Alexandra grumbled and fell silent again. The girl had a forgiving nature, a broad and kind soul. Once she saw that Amon showed no warmth or tenderness toward the rescued priestess, she quickly calmed down. The knight was simply fulfilling a duty of honor, nothing more, nothing less.
The priestess, for her part, was just an ordinary monster. If she wasn't left alone with the knight too often, most likely nothing would happen. And if something did, Alexandra would be there to intervene.
"Have you known him long?" Camilla asked with interest about Amon.
"Longer than you," the mercenary declared. "Why?"
"You're so lucky," the priestess sighed. "To travel with a real hero! Few are granted such an honor. You must be a very pretty girl for Amon to have taken you along."
Alexandra snorted. She rarely received compliments, especially from monsters.
"We're just companions," the mercenary said unconvincingly. "He's my employer."
"I've seen how you look at him. Holding back your feelings is a sinful thing!" the priestess exclaimed. "Besides, it seemed to me that Amon speaks to you with great warmth."
"Nonsense," the mercenary muttered, blushing.
"That's just how it seemed to me," Camilla stubbornly repeated.
Alexandra suddenly had an overwhelming desire to drink. Of course, it was important to keep a clear head around mamono, but on the other hand, a couple of sips never hurt anyone, right?
The girl circled the room in search of a full jug. Finding some wine, she took a few gulps of the spicy liquid and, unable to resist, downed nearly a third in one go.
The mercenary sat down in front of Camilla, handed her the jug, and said seriously:
"Now—tell me exactly what you think you saw..."