Chapter 3: Walking Away

On the way back, even though he took a careful detour, Astaroth was still stopped. Bad luck really did follow a person around; when it rained, it poured.

"Hey, what are you holding? Let me see." Kalpo walked over at an unhurried pace, his handsome face carrying a vulgar, street-worn charm.

Astaroth instinctively took a step back and shielded what he was holding, pulling his clothes tighter over it. "Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m going back now."

"Don’t be stingy. Let me have a look!" Kalpo rushed forward to block him, tugging at his clothes to see what was hidden.

What the hell was this? That annoying Kalpo. I clearly went out of my way to avoid your territory, and you still came looking for trouble. And at this hour, what are you doing out here anyway? Don’t tell me you’re like me, unable to find a customer and with no business?

Not getting his way, Kalpo looked a little disappointed, but he seemed to catch on to Astaroth’s thoughts. "Look at that stupid face of yours, and I can tell what you’re imagining. I’m not like you..." He showed a smug, superior grin, spreading his hands and shrugging. "I’d already finished with an old regular and was on my way back. You don’t think I only wander around one fixed spot, do you?"

Astaroth rolled his eyes and couldn’t be bothered to answer. He had no interest in those pointless side details, and even less interest in letting Lilith’s existence be exposed, so he hurried to leave. "I get it. Then I wish you a pleasant life! Goodbye!"

Just as they were about to pass each other, Kalpo shoved him hard and, in one smooth motion, yanked the bundle out of his arms.

"Look at this. What is it, a baby?!" Kalpo was visibly startled, glancing from the little creature in his arms to Astaroth sprawled on the ground.

"Give it back!" Astaroth sprang up at once and tried to snatch Lilith back. "This is the blessing the Mother of Desire gave me!"

"Huh?" Kalpo lifted the child-like little demon up overhead. "Don’t move! Careful I don’t slip and accidentally..."

"Don’t..." Astaroth froze and didn’t dare act rashly. "Kalpo, please don’t do this... We may not get along, but it doesn’t have to come to this. We’re both succubi struggling at the bottom to survive. You’re better than me, stronger than me, a male succubus better than me in every way. You proved that long ago, didn’t you?"

Seeing him lower himself so completely, Kalpo seemed satisfied. He set the little creature down and rocked it gently in his arms, proudly and curiously asking, "Of course, that’s the truth. I just want to know where you got this little thing. You didn’t give birth to it, did you? I’ve never heard of succubi being able to have children..." He deliberately put on an exaggerated expression of shock, as though he had uncovered some great truth. "Don’t tell me you stole it? You want to use the child to blackmail customers into giving you 'food,' Astaroth. You’re despicable!"

What a vicious slander!!

But Lilith’s origin really was nothing to brag about, and telling the truth would only make things worse.

"No, I found her. She’s a poor little demon who was abandoned by someone. She was just lying by the roadside..."

"...I see." Kalpo teased Lilith with a finger. "Such a good little thing, not crying and not making a fuss, and very pretty too. Too bad life treated her badly... Here, take her back. I suggest you don’t raise her. You can’t even take care of yourself. You’re hanging on the edge of death every day. Returning her to this land is the place she belongs."

That was a bit exaggerated. Going a few days without customers wouldn’t kill him, unless he was cursing him to die?

Even if it wasn’t entirely true, this was still the first time Astaroth had received the slightest bit of goodwill from Kalpo. Holding Lilith, he froze for a moment. "...Thank you, but I don’t think so. I think this is a blessing the Mother Goddess gave me, a purpose for my life."

"Is that so? Hmph. Then I hope you’ve got the ability to keep it up..." Kalpo yawned, waved a hand, and left.

"Harden, could you help me out..." Astaroth asked the owner of Midnight Revel, Harden, in a humble tone.

"Sigh... Astaroth, you can’t keep coming to the same few regulars. You’re going to wring us dry..." Harden was teasing Lilith, who clutched at his thick fingers and even tried to stuff them into her mouth.

"Well now, what a fragrant little demon. So adorable. Come here, let Uncle hold you~"

"Haa~ ee-ya~ gahh~" Lilith seemed delighted, making strange little noises and splitting into a grin.

"When you head out to work, just leave Lilith with me. No problem at all. I can look after her. But you can’t keep failing to find customers and then coming back to squeeze energy out of the same few people. You need to... mm, open up a new market."

...A new market. Open up a new market?

Astaroth fell into thought.

How could that be so easy?

If it were easy to open up a market, he would have done it long ago. If it wasn’t working, then his strength just wasn’t enough. When it came to competing, he couldn’t beat the others anyway... Demon society was really too brutal. It simply didn’t suit someone weak like him.

...

If demonkind wasn’t the right fit, then what if he left... and went to the human realm?

He had never been to the human realm, but he had heard that the quality of desire there couldn’t compare to that of demonkind at all. It would be much worse, and there was also racial discrimination, but now... a desperate man had to try anything. If he worked a little harder, maybe it would be enough?

Use quantity to make up for quality. Then he wouldn’t starve, and he could support both himself and Lilith.