[Lilian's POV]
I was excited to use my powers.
Growing up in a brothel, trained my whole life to become a courtesan, I was never allowed to do anything that could put my beauty at risk.
I couldn't afford to get hurt and end up with a scar.
My mother had made sure to teach me the mystical arts of our people, but I had never actually used what I learned from her in battle.
So this training meant more to me. It was a chance to reconnect with my mother, at least through her teachings.
"You're awfully quiet, Miss Lilian," Rose said, trying to start a conversation with me.
Funny, she's so quiet around Matthy, but from what I've seen, she's quite the chatterbox when he's not around.
Maybe that's how she is with all men?
"Sorry, I was just thinking about how much my life has changed these past few days," I replied.
"You used to be a courtesan, right?" Felicia asked.
"Felicia, you can't just ask someone that," Rose interrupted.
"Don't worry, I'm not ashamed of my past. And you don't have to call me Miss, just Lilian is fine."
Over the last few days, I'd talked to so many different people, I was starting to realize how small my world had been.
"Where exactly are we going?" I asked after a few moments of silence.
"There's a goblin infestation in the forest near the northern gate," Luna replied. "The guild issued an open contract to help the city exterminate them."
"We're going to use the goblins for training," Felicia added.
I had never stood face-to-face with a monster before.
Actually, this was the first time I had left the city walls since I arrived here as a little girl.
When we crossed the gates and I saw the vast horizon opening before my eyes, a mix of anxiety and excitement rushed through me.
The city of Astar was full of trees, with parks and gardens. But nothing compared to the breeze that came from the fields and forests beyond the walls.
The idea that I'd get to feel that breeze every day, in just a few more days, thrilled me.
"You look emotional, Lilian," Luna commented.
"I haven't been outside the city walls since I was a child," I answered.
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, Lilian? With non-humans, I can never tell," Rose asked.
She was brave, asking that kind of question. I didn't mind, but not everyone would take it so lightly.
"I'm 28," I replied.
"See? You never can tell. I wouldn't have guessed more than 18," Rose said.
"You're the same age as the captain," Felicia remarked. "Mister Matthew must be much younger, right?"
"Yes, he's ten years younger. Only 18."
"So you met him when he was just a little boy?" Felicia asked.
"Yes, I used to take care of him, like an older sister. In fact, he used to call me Big Sis until the brothel madam asked me to teach him our line of work. He ended up falling in love with me, and I with him."
I could tell they were a bit uncomfortable when I mentioned our profession. It was funny to see how people still couldn't talk openly about sex.
Our conversation was cut short.
We had arrived at our destination, and the first goblins were already appearing in front of us.
They weren't very strong; even someone inexperienced could tell they were no match for our group.
Still, I couldn't help feeling anxious.
I took a deep breath and tried to recall my mother's teachings.
I needed to harmonize myself, or my magic wouldn't be very effective.
So I focused on my breathing.
Felicia had already taken the front line, killing the first goblin.
Luna had assumed a defensive stance, ready to intercept any monster that tried to approach.
Rose was prepared to cast her first spell. She specialized in healing, but she also had a repertoire of attack spells.
I gathered my mana, just as my mother had taught me, and prepared my first spell.
The enchantments of the Succubus tradition were all silent, our invocations were performed entirely through hand signs.
At that moment, I was tracing the signs of a Plague Arrow with the fingers of my right hand.
"This next one is yours, Lilian." Felicia's command put me into action.
She let one of the goblins break through the defense line and come straight at me.
My spell was ready. I just needed to mark the enemy, and a dark magic arrow would hunt it down until it struck.
When I finally released my magic, the amount of mana drained in one go made it clear that I had overdone it.
A giant black energy arrow emerged from my hand. It simply vaporized the goblin in front of me and kept going into the forest, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
The girls looked at me in astonishment.
Luna was the one to break the silence.
"Next time, try to at least leave an ear intact," she said sarcastically. "Otherwise, we don't get paid."
We all started laughing.
I was clearly much stronger than I was used to.
I had never been able to produce anything nearly that powerful before.
And I felt like I could do something even stronger if I wanted to.
After a few more tries, I finally started to get the hang of it. I was able to fine-tune the power of my spells more easily.
I took the chance to test other spells in my arsenal. It had never been so easy for me to cast them all.
By the end of the day, the girls said it had been a productive outing.
But the truth was, I wouldn't even make half of what I'd earn in a single hour as a courtesan.
Sure, I had fun.
But that was definitely not a viable career option.
After we stopped by the Guild to sell the goblin parts we'd collected, I invited the girls for a happy hour at a tavern.
If my intuition was right, I wanted to give Leona a few more hours.