#2 How to Handle Holy Knights (Noa - Hypnosis Introduction) (5)
Something felt off about the King of Ruin. Just like his unassuming appearance, there was a strange pull in his words, a pressure that drew her in.
His proposal was utterly absurd and irrational on every logical level, yet she'd almost nodded along without thinking. But as a priestess of Goddess Bethel and a chosen holy knight, she couldn't yield to the King of Ruin.
So she barely managed to refuse, to reject it outright. And just like that, the air around the king shifted.
He stared into empty space, muttering to himself, waving his hands as if something were there. Then, suddenly, a die appeared in his palm. It wasn't some cheap magic trick. Why would he bother with parlor games while holding prisoners, anyway?
How long did he carry on like that alone? Finally, his gaze turned back to Noa. She flinched instinctively but held her composure.
Humiliation burned through her—this was the first time in her life she'd ever exposed herself naked to a man—but she shoved those feelings aside with a holy knight's iron will.
"Impressive, Holy Knight. Looks like convincing you won't be easy."
"Of course not. Kill me instead...! As a proud servant of our goddess, I will never become a minion of the King of Ruin."
"For starters, I'm not the King of Ruin, and I don't want you to become some Seed of Ruin with a scary name like that... We'll sort that out as we talk."
The King of Ruin reached out toward her, covering her head with his hand. In the next instant, a chilling dread pierced her skull, like icy fingers rummaging directly inside her mind. As if he had her brain in his grasp, rolling it around like a child toying with a plaything beyond the bone.
"Ah... A-ah... Aaaaaah...!!"
What was this? What was happening to her? Her throat scraped out a guttural rasp.
At the same time, her body betrayed her with bizarre reactions. Her nipples hardened instantly, her womb clenched deep inside, and juices gushed from between her legs, soaking through.
It felt like she might piss herself uncontrollably, but she had no spare attention for her body's revolt. Every ounce of focus went to resisting the shocking invasion in her head.
But it was futile. No matter how hard she fought, her head grew unbearably heavy in seconds, her vision swiftly drowning in black.
Not even a holy knight's formidable mental fortitude could withstand it.
"There are all sorts of ways to use Persuasion. It'll be fine, Holy Knight. If we take our time, I'm sure we'll reach a result that satisfies us both."
"S-stop... that... Don't... do... it..."
Resistance was meaningless. Though she tried desperately to hold out, she ultimately succumbed to that eerie power, her consciousness plummeting helplessly into darkness.
'Lemon... sis... ter...'
In her final moments before blacking out, the image that surfaced wasn't the goddess she believed in or her captured comrades... but the figure of a certain saintess praying for her safety.
The game EoR features a dice system. It's commonplace these days for SLGs—strategy simulation games—to incorporate some dice elements. Even in wars, a dominant force can lose if the dice roll poorly.
Diplomacy and negotiations yield wildly different outcomes under identical conditions based on the dice. A perfect victory from an impossible scenario is possible with good rolls, while bad luck turns sure wins into crushing defeats.
Barosy the orc got lucky. When I proposed negotiations, the dice hit max right on cue.
Exceeding the threshold with a high enough score grants special bonuses. That's why Barosy and his orc tribe felt an unnatural affinity and loyalty toward me.
The dice's power is absolute. But you can't rely solely on luck to overcome bad odds—requirements scale with the situation.
In evenly matched battles (say, 5:5 forces), the dice threshold splits roughly 50/50. If one side is overwhelmingly weaker, the bar rises accordingly.
In other words, your preparations can influence the dice threshold. Want to win a war? Gather more troops. Pick terrain and devise strategies to boost your odds further.
Persuasion works the same. To convince someone, prepare the right bait. Offers they'll like, tribute to build rapport.
And other methods besides—
.................
............
......
Noa's delicate eyelids fluttered, and her eyes opened. She looked dazed for a moment, unable to recall where she was or what she'd been doing.
Her confusion lasted only briefly. Taking in her surroundings and the man before her, she pieced it together.
'Right... I came here with my reconnaissance squad to subjugate the man in front of me... the King of Ruin...'
We fought, and I lost. She'd braced for death, but he demanded negotiations instead. His offer was unacceptable, so she naturally refused...
"Awake now, Holy Knight?"
"......King of Ruin..."
Now, Noa leaned against the lap of an orange-haired maid crouched beside her.
'Ah, right... I...'
During negotiations, she'd 'passed out from exhaustion.' Probably from the wounds in the earlier fight. But the pain was gone now; she seemed fully healed.
"Sorry to wake you when you'd probably rather sleep more, Noa Holy Knight. But could we finish our negotiations first?"
"...No matter what you say, I won't accept your demands."
"Come on, don't be like that. Won't you reconsider?"
"I told you to kill me! As a follower of the goddess faith, I will never submit to the likes of the King of Ruin...!"
"Hmm. But I'm not the King of Ruin, and I don't like seeing people die."
His demeanor didn't match a King of Ruin, but Noa didn't buy it. He might just be sweet-talking to deceive her.
She tried to let his words slide, but the next ones hit too hard to ignore.
"So what about your subordinates? Should I execute all those holy knights I have locked up too?"
"...Kuh...!"
Her captured reconnaissance team. And her vice, Reisi. The ones Saintess Lemon assigned—people she trusted implicitly. Not one was dishonest; they'd treated this inexperienced rookie kindly, without condescension.
They surely wouldn't accept this king's proposal either. As goddess followers, that was proper. But...
"......."
"What's wrong, Holy Knight? Say something."
Noa fell silent. She still lacked the experience and resolve. She could die for the goddess alone, but forcing that on her comrades? She was too young for it.
"At least you value your comrades. Good thing you're not the type to say, 'As goddess followers, we all must sacrifice our lives like me~' or whatever."
"...As if I could..."
"I'll give a holy knight like you a chance."
And the King of Ruin—Gaon—spoke.
"I'll give you a one-on-one duel. Beat me, and I'll free you and your comrades."
"...! What...?!"
"I like you, Holy Knight. But if I win, hear me out."
Gaon King's offer was outrageous. Of course, she had no gauge of his strength. Even up close, she couldn't read him—unlike the orc general or demon girl, whose danger screamed at her.
Still, if he proposed combat himself, he must have confidence. He wouldn't be called 'King of Ruin' if he were weak.
And even if she won, a fiend like him wouldn't honor it.
'But... better than doing nothing.'
Holy sword techniques wrecked evil. This man, steeped in malice, would be prime target. At worst, she could burn her life to wound him a little. Even if not, entertaining him might buy time for her comrades' lives.
Either way, no downside. No reason to refuse.
"Looks like you accept. I'll release your bonds then—just don't try anything stupid..."
Her restraints vanished. Noa struggled to her feet, knees wobbly from kneeling so long.
Gaon King stood before her. She wasn't short, but he towered half a head taller, looking down with a grin. Infuriating. She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.
"Alright. Let's start the duel. I'll even yield the first move."
"Hmph... Arrogant... I'll make you regret it...!"
Noa placed a hand on her chest as she spoke. To ready her armor—but realized she was already stripped to panties. Her pale, full breasts and untouched pink nipples fully exposed.
Only now fully aware, shame flooded her, but she endured for the 'duel.'
"H-here comes my attack. Brace yourself—I'll show you the power of the great goddess...!"
With that, Noa stepped closer for her 'attack.' Rose on tiptoe, cupped his face in her hands, and pressed her lips to Gaon King's mouth.
