Chase couldn't help but grin at Laila as she entered the ship's hull and vanished down the hallway, the sight of her leaving an indelible imprint on his psyche. His mind raced as he replayed the scene of their encounter. The memory of her striking face, her delicate features framed by a curtain of silken red hair, stirred within him feelings of desire and longing that he had never experienced before. Her emerald-green eyes, flecked with gold, seemed to peer into the depths of his soul, revealing his deepest secrets and desires. Her full lips, tinged with the slightest hint of crimson, had been inviting, and the urge to taste their sweetness had been almost irresistible. Even now, the mere thought of her was enough to make his heart skip a beat, and a surge of electricity coursed through his veins, filling him with an indescribable sense of euphoria.
'Damn... What a funny woman. It's been so long since I've talked to someone as cute as her. Maybe this isn't so bad after all... Urgh. I mean, this would be fun if not for all the death and destruction inside this fantasy world... Haah, but she is so beautiful... So strong and sweet unless assholes are involved. And at the same time, she might be a little too serious. Maybe I can help to loosen her up a bit?... W-When the time is right, of course,' Chase thought to himself, a wry smile crossing his face as his mind drifted to all the possible scenarios he could imagine with Laila.
With a content sigh, Chase stood by the stairs and began to think about the future. His thoughts were a jumbled mess of half-formed ideas and uncertainties. He would have stayed like that forever until a curtain-floating book approached him.
"So? Is she a keeper?" Eve asked as it looked at its master, who wasn't acting like any Demon Lord she was familiar with.
"Yeah. I can see myself with her," Chase said blankly while staring at the doorway that led into the ship's hull. He wasn't thinking clearly and just answered whatever his subconscious was telling him.
"Great! So what now? You gonna fuck her?" Eve asked bluntly.
"Gah!... Eve!? When did you get here!?... You know what, never mind... Haah. I don't know if she sees me like that. She is very kind, and she has a good heart. And I think I could fall for her... But she has gone through a lot, and many people she knew died today. She could still be in shock. Or, maybe she's not ready for a relationship," Chase responded, his gaze softening.
The floating book fluttered slightly, its spine arching as if to shake its "head" at Chase's words, clearly brimming with frustration.
"So? She's a succubus... She needs sex and lots of it to survive. Also, you need Lust Point to get stronger. What are you going to do when another Demon Lord shows up and kills you to become that Demon King? Hell! What if an army of humans shows up and kill you!? Huh!? How will you defend yourself?! Do you even have a plan?" Eve retorted, her voice laced with impatience.
"Whoa! First of all, that's for her to decide. So, if she wants me, then I won't hold back. And second, I'm an incubus, right? But I don't have the urge to have uncontrollable sex with everyone. If anything, it's the opposite. So, I'll try to talk with her. Maybe we can work something out. I want her to love me for me and not have sex with her only because she's a succubus. Lastly, I don't care about getting these Lust Points; if it's going to hurt my friendship with her, then I'll find another way to get stronger," Chase replied firmly, his jaw set and his gaze unwavering.
Eve shook her body again, "That's not how a Demon Lord acts, Master. You're supposed to take what you want; damn the consequences. I don't understand the point of waiting. I think you should fuck her and be done with it. She's a minion, nothing more."
Chase sighed and rubbed his temples, his irritation growing with Eve's constant pushing, "Eve... I want a partner... A lover… Not a slave to use as a sex toy. I want her to love me, not fear me. Plus, Laila is strong. And I think she could kick my ass if I upset her, even with that weird thing that stops her from attacking me."
Eve slumped in defeat, her pages drooping as she sighed, "You are a strange one, Master…" Then the Grimoire straightened up enthusiastically and quickly flew towards Chase's face and stopped. "Well, all of your inaction would be stupid if you weren't getting these weird experience points from something called love?... You mentioned it before, but I still don't understand it."
Chase was startled by the incredible speed at which Eve darted toward him, her energy almost palpable. Just inches away from his face, she nearly bumped into him, prompting him to instinctively take a step back as his heart raced, "Ah, Eve. You should warn me before you fly at me like that... You really don't know what love is?"
"Nope, not a clue," Eve answered plainly.
'I guess Eve has never experienced love due to being a servant to so many demon lords before me. Maybe I can give her a bit of an understanding. It's not easy to explain, but I'll give it a shot.'
"Love is... Hm. Well, it's something like... Huh... I got it. Love is a very complicated thing. But in its simplest terms, it's a powerful emotion," Chase said as he recalled all his past relationships.
"Like anger or sadness?"
"Well, kinda. It's more like... Hmm... Let's see... It's a feeling. Love is a special connection between two people. It's the feeling you get when you're with someone special, and you want to be around them more. You'll feel a warm and tingly feeling through~," Chase paused mid-explanation, his gaze drawn to the floating book before him. It hovered uncertainly as if caught in a whirlwind of its own bewilderment. The way it swayed slightly suggested it was just as perplexed by the conversation, piquing her curiosity further.
"I guess it's tough to feel something when you're just a book. Anyway, just know that Love is the opposite of hate. Love is something you feel when you care deeply for someone, and they feel the same about you. You'd do anything to protect that person, and you care about the other's feelings. Love can sometimes be fleeting, and you have to work to keep the love between two people," Chase said, his tone becoming somewhat sad and distant.
Eve stared at her master, trying to process what he was saying. She hovered there for a few seconds as the silence grew between them.
"...That doesn't make any sense. You just explained love, and now I'm even more confused. How can I possibly gain anything from that?" Eve replied, her tone filled with disbelief.
Chase grimaced and scratched the back of his head, "Look, you don't have to understand it. All you need to know is that it exists and is very important in life, especially to me. I'm not saying you need to feel it. Just don't question me when I mention it. Okay?"
"Fine. I'll just ignore the nonsense words for now... Hopefully, these 'Love Points' or whatever they are can be used to unlock something powerful for you. Let me show you your stats page and how many experience points you've earned."
"Sure. Bring it up."
The ancient Grimoire, its pages worn and delicate, turned on its own, revealing a specific section that detailed Chase's statistics. The ink glimmered faintly, casting a mysterious aura as it showcased his strengths, weaknesses, and unique abilities.
< Demon Lord Lv.1 >
< Chase Saunders >
< Race: Greater Incubus Lv.1 >
< Alignment: Untainted >
< 2392 Love Points >
"Okay? I can see how many Love Points I have, but I don't know if that's a lot or a little," Chase asked as he looked at the page.
"Well, usually you would get Lust Points from sexual acts, and you can use them to unlock a new ability, or strengthen an attribute, or, if you want, you can strengthen your minion. But these Love Points are different… They seem to come from that girl just by talking to her. I have no idea how you've been gaining these points or if they can even unlock anything... They're probably worthless, but we should see if we can use them to unlock some abilities or skills," Eve stated.
"Alright... Well, what can I buy? Any recommendations?" Chase asked as he looked at Eve's pages.
"Here… Just pick the ones you want on the list. And I'll list the requirements for unlocking them," Eve said as she flipped a few pages. Chase scanned the extensive array of skills, his eyes widening in anticipation at the possibilities that lay before him.
"Okay. Let's see what I can afford," Chase muttered, his eyes roving over the countless options, his mind racing as he imagined the different scenarios he could use his skills in.