It was as if a rallying cry had sounded. Another minotaur slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "So that's it! Now I know who stole the six hundred pounds of rabbit meat from the warehouse last month!"
A middle-aged female minotaur stood up with a furious curse. "I'd always suspected she was the one who took those fifty stomping forward hammers, but I never had proof and couldn't believe it!"
"And the thirty barrels of lard!"
"And the ton of pickled radishes I picked last month!"
"She even seduced my husband!"
"She seduced my father, too!"
"She seduced my son!"
"That's right, honey, look—she's a succubus, she's got magic! Can't blame me, I never stood a chance!"
"Chief, you see, I really am innocent! I didn't embezzle that seven hundred gold—the succubus took it, not me!"
...
Not everyone was irrational, and not everyone failed to suspect Ines. The things she did were always in plain sight, and among the higher-ups, Willo's reputation carried much more weight than Ines's. So when Willo exposed Ines as a demon, most of the middle-aged minotaur directors had already been halfway convinced.
Still, none wanted to speak first, and they were more than happy to watch their hot-headed young bucks go after the Liberl Port intruders—why risk being the killjoy to stand in their way?
But Charles's words reminded them: this was the perfect chance to wipe the ledger clean. One by one, they seized the moment—and their condemnation poured forth.
With these highly respected leaders now at the front, public sentiment shifted in a heartbeat.
The main chorus of voices flipped as well. Just moments ago, Ines's supporters had been mostly young men; now, her accusers were leaders of every department—and a chorus of minotaur women.
At the back, Willo looked astonished. She'd always worried that Ines's reputation was too strong to be challenged, but she never expected to see her treated like a rat in the street, condemned and reviled by all.
Then again, Willo was a satyr, distant from the minotaur's daily lives. She had only witnessed Ines's glory, unaware of the dirty deeds lurking beneath the surface.
It was true: by using her body as bait, Ines had snared the vast majority of lust-driven minotaur bulls. But every tribe had more than just men—her tricks were never exactly secret, so by now she'd managed to offend nearly all the women of the Highmountain tribes, too.
The women had seethed against her for ages, powerless only because of her title. Ines had been teetering at the edge of the cliff for a long time, needing only the smallest push.
So when Charles delivered it, she went off that edge instantly. A tsunami of criticism and outrage erupted, drowning out any other voice. Any hot-blooded young bull who tried to speak up was instantly silenced by the elders and the women—none dared challenge the new order.
Down on the ground, still bound, Ines was dumbfounded. Even she had never seen anything like this.
Wait—those things, I didn't do them!
Six hundred pounds of rabbit meat, fifty hammers, thirty barrels of lard, a ton of pickled radishes…
I'm a succubus, for crying out loud! What on earth would I want with any of that?
It wasn't me! It was your own greed—don't you dare pin this on me!
She began struggling furiously, moaning and grunting, trying desperately to plead her case. But with her mouth still gagged, not a sound could escape her.
Anno, born into a noble family, easily understood Charles's strategy. After all, an established spy caught red-handed was the perfect scapegoat for those wanting to balance the books.
Blame everything on Ines, and every level of alliance bureaucracy could claim to be fair, impartial, and unsullied. They could keep their posts, sleep easy at night.
She saw right through it; after all, back in Sein's Empire, she'd heard such stories a hundred times.
She'd thought such corruption was a unique feature of that decaying, fractured northern empire. She'd never expected to find the same sort of thing deep in the mountains.
Wait—if it's a universal thing, then is it like this in Liberl Port as well…?
Or even my father…?
She dared not finish the thought—her heart quivered with anxiety.
"Look! Now that her crimes are revealed, she's panicking!" Charles hollered, pointing to the gagged, struggling Ines. "Fiends must be purified immediately. Paladin Anno, step forward!"
Anno straightened, bracing herself under her Charles's command. "Here!"
"Gather a few women and drag Succubus Ines to the plaza—she's to be burned in public!" he declared.
Anno wanted to protest. Was all this really necessary—why not just kill her on the spot? But before she could speak, a group of plump minotaur aunts charged forward, spitting and cursing. "Here, let us help you! Burn her!"
"That's right, burn her! Reduce her to ashes!"
"It's her just reward!"
...
The women might not truly have believed Ines was a succubus, but they were more than happy to see this homewrecker burned—just as women in Sicily once dealt with their own legendary beauties. Only this time, the victim really was a fiend.
They didn't need Anno's leadership. A handful of female minotaurs hoisted the vine-wrapped Ines, carrying her through the surging crowd to the dais where she'd always given her rallying speeches.
In their rush, they couldn't find a cross—so they just held her up by the arms, shouting, "Go find firewood!"
Charles strode forward, quick to act. "No need! Fire can't kill a demon—let me purify her!"
With that, he summoned his pact longsword. Channeling an elemental weapon spell, he sheathed it in roaring magical fire.
His expression was pious as he drove the blade upward, piercing Ines through the back. Inside, he silently intoned: "Purified!"
Buzz——
In the misty white light, Ines's body writhed in agony. Her skin began to crack, and beneath the surface, a faint violet glow marked her true, demonic nature as a succubus.
Her long-held disguise ripped away at last, she revealed her true form: faint violet skin, twisting horns, bat-like wings, a slender, heart-shaped tail, and cloven hooves—an alluring demon's figure.
Her outfit was skin-tight and scandalous, scarcely covering anything; most of her shoulders, cleavage, midriff, the upper thighs and much of her hips were bare, and a pink, glowing rune pulsed on her stomach.
Men in the crowd sucked in their breath, while the women's faces reddened in anger and disgust. "Shameless! Exactly what you'd expect from a succubus—let her burn."
Adele, meanwhile, searched the succubus up and down, finally stopping at her chest. Suddenly her eyes lit up, a wild joy sparkling across her face.
So that's why—when she took on minotaur form, she gave herself huge breasts. Her real body…is actually flat like mine!
Ha! She's just another poor soul, with no confidence in her figure!
For reasons she couldn't explain, Adele's mind cleared completely—relief swept all sorrow aside.
Theresa, meanwhile, watched with a hint of pity. In her view, Ines was actually quite a talent. If circumstances allowed, she'd have liked to see Charles add this succubus to his harem—to bring her under his sway.
But that was pure fantasy; the Infinite Layers of the Abyss held no shortage of succubi, and they wouldn't miss this one.
Regardless, Charles did not pause; the cleansing continued. White, misty radiance poured into Ines's body. At the edge of death, Ines flashed a cold, twisted smile—her mouth shaped the words, "Until next time."
A demon cannot truly be killed in the Material World. Her soul would return to the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. Her presence here was only a projection.
So she didn't fear true death—her plans would be lost, that's all.
She would rise again in the Abyss and plot revenge anew.
She etched Charles's face into her heart—along with his soul's scent. When the time came, she would rip him limb from limb, twist his soul into the ugliest Dretch, and toss it to the goristros for torment.
You'll pay for this, you despicable Sein dog!
With that, the cleansing light entered her, and a tremor stole through her soul—fear like she'd never known.