Astral Odyssey: Dying Ember

World 4.27: Vanora

**Disclaimer: Triggering sexual content in this chapter. Do skip the chunk if it's too much.**

A month passed by uneventfully.

Rosa has not been seen in this one month so Vanora started to relax a little. She could never be too careful with how she could never beat the plot. Vlad was probably aware of her ever present anxiety because since that day, whenever they slept in the castle he would always assure her that there can never be anyone one else in the castle, and whenever they were to sleep in the open due to Raven's absence, he would insist that she slept in his arms. She initially gave in only because she knew that the hell beings would not dare to touch their demon lord. This would mean that sleeping in his arms would increase her security when its at its lowest. Only after she experienced how much safer she felt falling asleep in his arms and how much better it made her sleep, did she begin doing so more willingly.

The female hell beings had tried to ask Vanora where she went to unwind with Vlad. Believing that they were not acquainted with Rosa and that it was impossible to track her down anyway, Vanora honestly told them that she went to a hot spring. She did not forget to emphasize how she went in alone when the female hell beings started asking her raunchy things. She also admitted not knowing where exactly it was at.

Unbeknownst to her, during this 1 month, these females have gotten acquainted with Rosa at the pub by pure coincidence. However, Rosa intentionally maintained contact with them when she heard them talking about being part of the war with the great Lord Vlad. She acted with pure intentions then subtly made suggestions about what they could ask Vanora while activating her power of suggestion. Unfortunately, Rosa was so skillful that they did not realise that they were acting on suggestion. It happened so naturally so natural and part of the conversation, as if those were the most obvious things to ask Vanora and that they were the dumb ones for not having asked her yet.

Rosa stopped contacting them after getting the information that she wanted then went around looking for a place with really good hot springs that Lord Vlad could possibly bring Vanora to. She believed that Lord Vlad would only go to the best so followed the rumours and recommendations of the powerful. It took a lot of sleeping around, suggestion, charming, and persuasion to finally find the hot springs that Vlad has been secretly visiting.

Almost a month has passed before she met the son of the innkeeper of the inn that Vlad visited. He had been bragging about the quality of his hot springs and she pretended to become interested in his passion to take over his father's job. She acquainted herself with him then slept with him a few times. Through her interactions with the son, she managed to coax out the deepest secrets that his inn held, one of which was the existence of a room reserved for Vlad to visit whenever he wanted.

She kept up her relationship with the son for access to the inn and patiently waited for the right time to act. Right after the father and son cleaned the hot springs as per their routine, Rosa secretly led several men who has the same kind of wings and tail she has into the room meant for Vlad. She then doped the hot spring with a scentless and colourless aphrodisiac that could make even the strongest demon lose their rationality. She also doped it with another potion specifically made to weaken demons of wrath. Confident that the aphrodisiac and potion would last till the next time they cleaned the bath and hot spring, she had been liberal with the amount she poured in before leaving with a smirk.

"Make sure she enjoys herself thoroughly. Or she'll be the ruin of our Lord Vlad." Rosa told them in a bewitching manner.

They nodded resolutely then turned invisible by camouflaging themselves against the background with the use of the power of illusion that incubus has. All of them proudly took part in this scheme because they have been led by Rosa to think that Vanora was a lowly demon trying to lead their demon lord astray and away from his duties and his people, that Vanora wanted him solely to herself. They would never let such a vile woman attach herself to Lord Vlad, so was determined to show her true colours to Lord Vlad as what Rosa has suggested.