Leon's Scent
"So, you're really not a hero, then."
"That's right. A real hero wouldn't be this weak to begin with."
"I suppose that's true, but..."
Aisha nodded in agreement with the man's words, yet a lingering doubt refused to fade from a corner of her heart. Of course, she knew that the new hero had no direct connection to the previous one. And now he was saying he wasn't even the new hero. But... then what was this intense scent of Leon wafting so strongly from his body?
"Is there someone you're looking for?"
"..."
"Someone who looks a lot like me, huh?"
"..."
Had she unconsciously made a sad face? The man spoke to her as if trying to comfort her, but she gave no reply.
Yeah. Meeting him again was impossible from the start. She knew that.
"Hmm... Speaking of heroes, something does come to mind."
Aisha's eyes widened at the man's next words.
"When I was a kid, my grandfather told me a story like that. He claimed he was a hero. Of course, I thought it was just senile nonsense..."
"!"
"After coming here, I started thinking maybe it wasn't nonsense after all. But he told such absurd stories... He even said there was this cute girl with cat ears, just like you... Um... are you crying?"
His words convinced her. This man was Leon's descendant. Nothing else could explain the scent.
"Sob... Leon... Leon..!"
"..!"
Her pent-up emotions finally burst. Just like the first time she saw him, Aisha threw herself into the man's arms. This time, he didn't push her away. He simply patted her back with his hand.
...
'Success..!'
As Minwoo stroked Aisha's back, he inwardly cheered in triumph.
'Worth all the effort.'
He'd been truly startled when he pretended to wake up and got restrained immediately. He'd even dropped the glow stick in his panic. But in the end, things had gone exactly as he'd planned. He'd successfully manipulated her senses, making her mistake his body odor for Leon's.
This incident had given Minwoo a clearer understanding of the mechanics of brainwashing. He recalled his initial experiments on Ernate and Siola, where certain commands or brainwashes simply didn't stick. Orders to attack each other, or for Siola to serve him instead of the Demon King. Those had failed. But anything sexual-related had worked perfectly. He'd even briefly concluded that only ero commands worked.
With Aisha, though, sexual brainwashing had barely worked at all. What caused this difference?
Fortunately, extracting info in a hypnotic state was easy, so he'd formed several hypotheses based on that. And he'd reached one clear conclusion.
The reason Ernate and Siola didn't attack each other. The reason sexual brainwashing failed on Aisha. It all tied to the target's "precious thing."
For now, Minwoo dubbed this "precious thing" a Prize. A Prize could be a value the target held dear, or a person, or even an object. For example, the Demon King Ernate treasured her loyal servant Siola. Siola served Ernate wholeheartedly. They were each other's Prize. That's why commands to attack or switch allegiance failed.
On the other hand, neither saw sex as particularly special. Indifferent, really. No strong resistance to sexual acts. So ero brainwashing slipped right in.
Aisha, however, harbored a man named Leon in her heart. Even if their love could never be, she wanted to preserve her chastity for him. She'd remained a virgin for over a century. As a beastkin with heat cycles, that was no easy feat, yet she'd held out for more than a hundred years.
Aisha's Prize was Leon. She loved him and cherished those feelings above all. As a byproduct, she wanted to reserve her body for him alone, upholding her chastity. That's why sexual brainwashing failed on her.
So what now? Was Aisha just a pie in the sky?
Minwoo discovered a new concept. Similar to Prize, but different: what the target currently didn't prize, but deeply desired or yearned to achieve deep down. He called it Desire.
For Demon King Ernate, her Desire was defeating the hero. Her wish, obsession, grudge. Distinct from her Prize.
This Desire was the key to brainwashing. Coincidentally, Minwoo had already used it on Ernate and Siola—framing brainwashes as necessary to defeat the hero.
Using Desire as a pretext let him indirectly undermine a Prize, even if he couldn't alter it directly. Like this:
Minwoo had brainwashed Aisha: 'From now on, you'll perceive my body scent as Leon's. It's a clue to reuniting with him. Nod if you understand.'
Aisha had nodded. And this was the result.
'Step one: success.'
First, become someone approachable. The simple idea that animals were sensitive to smells had yielded beyond expectations. He'd already quizzed her extensively via Q&A. Not every case had just one Prize or Desire. As he patted her back, Minwoo flashed a wicked grin.
...
It took Aisha a while to calm down. She wiped her tears and pulled away from Minwoo.
"Sorry. Showing you such an ugly side on our first meeting."
"No, it's okay. That can happen."
Minwoo said that, but Aisha shook her head.
"No. Including when I tackled you earlier—I'm really sorry. I know it's an excuse, but after smelling Leon's scent on you, I couldn't think straight."
"..Is my scent really that similar to this Leon guy's?"
Minwoo feigned ignorance, and Aisha nodded vigorously.
"Yeah. You have to be his bloodline. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. Even your hair color's the same."
"..I see."
Hair color was black everywhere Minwoo came from... but he didn't mention that.
Aisha continued. "Anyway, you... Minwoo, right? What do you plan to do now?"
"Well..."
She was asking about his future plans. Aisha believed Minwoo's fabricated tale: he'd come to his senses in this strange world, wandered aimlessly, and barely reached this village.
"Honestly... I have no idea. I can't impose on this inn forever, but going out there powerless like me is too dangerous..."
As Minwoo made a gloomy face, Aisha tapped her chest confidently.
"Minwoo. How about traveling with me?"
"With... you?"
"Oh, right... I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Aisha. As you've probably guessed from my actions, I'm a hero who fought alongside the previous hero to defeat the Demon King."
"I see. That explains your extraordinary movements. But traveling with you...?"
Aisha grinned at his question. "Come to the capital with me. Just my hunch, but I think you got caught up in the hero summoning. That's how you ended up here. The empire's mages performed the ritual, so consulting them first might show a way out."
Her words sounded plausible, but really, Aisha just wanted an excuse to stay with him. Knowing he was Leon's descendant, she couldn't leave him behind. She already saw him as a stand-in for Leon.
"I see... But you don't need to go that far for my sake... Plus, I can't even pay proper compensation."
Aisha waved it off. "Compensation? Nonsense! Consider it atonement for my earlier rudeness. Besides, I was heading to the capital anyway. Two birds with one stone."
"I suppose... Hmm..."
Even after that, Minwoo's hesitant look made Aisha anxious. Her long tail swished wildly, mirroring her mood.
"If you insist that much... alright. I'll go with you. Looking forward to traveling together."
Minwoo smiled and agreed, and Aisha's face lit up.
"Great! Smart choice! Let's head out tomorrow!"
"Haha..."
Humming cheerfully, Aisha slipped back to her room through the window. Watching her go, Minwoo thought, What a strong-willed girl. Of course, to Minwoo, any woman tasted good regardless of personality.