Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!-Chapter 403: Counterfeits

{Isabella}

Isabella walked toward the Royal Guard barracks with her sample case and her tits pushed up just right.

[Time to sell some wands to people who could probably bench press me.]

The building was exactly what she expected—big, grey, and full of muscular idiots who thought swords were personality traits. She pushed through the doors and immediately got hit with the smell of sweat and metal polish.

A few guards glanced her way. One guy stared at her chest long enough that Isabella checked to make sure her tits weren’t actually hanging out.

They weren’t. Disappointing, honestly.

She found the administration office and walked up to the clerk—a woman who looked like she’d been doing paperwork since the dawn of time.

"I’m here to see Captain Narim."

The clerk gestured at a door without looking up.

"Go ahead. She’s waiting."

Isabella knocked once and walked in.

Captain Narim sat behind a desk covered in reports, weapons mounted on the walls behind her. Grey hair cut military-short, arms that could probably snap Isabella’s spine, and eyes that said "I’ve killed people for less."

Hot.

"Miss Summer. You have fifteen minutes."

Straight to business. Isabella could work with that.

"Perfect. I’ll make this quick." She set her case on the desk and popped it open, revealing her collection of wands in different woods and metals. "I’ve invented something that’ll revolutionize how your guards cast defensive magic. Faster activation, better accuracy, and even your guards who suck at spellcasting can actually protect themselves."

Narim picked up one of the wands—sleek ash with bronze paint.

"I’ve heard about these. Sticks that draw spellsigns."

"Not just any sticks. Each wand is calibrated for specific spell types. A guard who can barely draw a fucking circle can cast a proper shield spell with minimal training."

"Guards have trained with traditional spellcasting for generations."

Isabella grinned.

"And that training takes years. My wands cut it down to months." She pulled out a practice wand. "May I demonstrate?"

Narim gestured permission.

Isabella stepped back, raised the wand, and channeled essence through it. The spellsign drew itself in the air—clean, precise, fast. A wind barrier materialized between them.

She flicked it away.

"Three seconds from thought to shield. Traditional casting? Five to seven for an average guard. In combat, Captain, those extra seconds mean the difference between blocking an arrow and getting skewered."

Narim’s face stayed neutral, but her eyes narrowed slightly.

[Got you interested. I can see it.]

"These aren’t cheap."

"Quality never is. But what costs more—my wands or funeral expenses?"

Narim actually smiled. Just a tiny quirk of her lips, but Isabella counted it as a win.

"Impressive work, Miss Summer. But the Guard doesn’t adopt new equipment because of a good sales pitch. I need testing, results, proof."

"Completely fair. I can arrange a trial—fifty wands, four weeks with your recruits. If they don’t improve casting times and accuracy, I’ll refund every coin."

"Bold."

Isabella leaned forward slightly, making sure her cleavage was visible.

"I’m very confident in my product, Captain."

Narim’s eyes flicked down for half a second before returning to Isabella’s face.

[Oh, you’re into it. Noted for future reference.]

"I’ll consider it. Leave samples and I’ll have my instructors test them."

Not a yes, but not a no. Isabella could work with that.

"Thank you, Captain. You won’t regret it."

She gathered her materials, left three wands on the desk, and shook Narim’s hand. The woman had a grip that could crush stone.

Isabella headed out feeling pretty fucking pleased with herself. The contract wasn’t secured yet, but she could taste victory.

Then she walked through the training courtyard and heard two guards talking near the equipment shed.

"—heard about those cheap wands from the market?"

"The ones that blew up in Carver’s face? Yeah. Dumbass tried to cast a fire spell and the whole thing exploded."

Isabella stopped walking.

[I’m sorry, WHAT?]

"Burned his eyebrows clean off."

"That’s what happens when you buy knockoff magic shit."

[Knockoffs. Someone is making fake wands. Someone is making shitty, dangerous, fake versions of MY invention and they’re exploding in people’s faces.]

Isabella kept walking, forcing her legs to move normally even though her brain was screaming.

This was bad. If people thought her wands were dangerous, if guards were getting hurt from counterfeits, her entire business could collapse before it even got started.

[Absolutely fucking not. I worked too hard for this. I invented wands. I built this from scratch. I am NOT letting some hack ruin everything with their garbage.]

She needed information. She needed to know who was selling fakes, where they were, and how bad the damage was.

She needed Kimiko.

---

Isabella found her mother exactly where she expected—in bed with Margaret.

Both of them were naked. Margaret’s massive tits were pressed against Kimiko’s chest, and from the way they were positioned, they’d definitely been in the middle of something.

"Mom. We have a problem."

Kimiko looked up, her expression shifting from horny to concerned in an instant.

"Isabella? What’s wrong?"

"Knockoff wands. Someone’s making fake versions and they’re exploding in people’s faces."

Margaret sat up, not bothering with the sheet.

"Oh dear."

"’Oh dear’ doesn’t cover it. I just pitched to the Royal Guard. I was THIS close to a contract. And now there are rumors about dangerous wands that everyone’s going to think are mine."

Kimiko stood up, her massive cock still half-hard and swaying as she walked over.

"I’ve heard the rumors. There’s a merchant in the lower market selling ’authentic Summer wands’ at half price."

Isabella’s eye twitched. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"And you didn’t tell me?"

"I was planning to bring it up tonight, actually. I wanted to verify the information first." Kimiko put a hand on her shoulder. "But if guards are getting injured, we need to move fast. Your reputation is everything right now."

"Where’s this merchant?"

"Lower market, near the textile district. Blue awning. Woman named Petra."

Isabella turned toward the door.

"Then I’m going there."

"Isabella." Kimiko grabbed her arm. "Don’t do anything stupid. If she’s selling dangerous products, you file a complaint with the City Watch—"

"The City Watch will take weeks. She’s destroying my business right now."

Margaret climbed out of bed, finally wrapping a sheet around herself.

"Sweetie, your mother’s right. You need evidence, witnesses, proof that her wands are defective."

Isabella took a breath.

[They’re right. Going in angry and just yelling won’t help. I need to be smart about this.]

"Fine. I’ll get proof. But I’m going today."

"We’ll come with you," Kimiko said.

"No. This is my business, my problem." Isabella headed for the door. "I’ll handle it."

"Isabella—"

"I’ll be careful. Promise."

She left before they could argue further.