#4 Enjoyable Time of Internal Affairs (Lilith, Eve Illustrations) (5)
In the SLG game Empire of Realms (EoR), new mechanics get added as the difficulty ramps up. Chief among them are the Visitors, who show up randomly once you hit certain conditions or achievements.
These Visitors demand some kind of deal from the player, then bestow blessings and such on you and your nation in return. Each one has their own traits and personality, and the only way to figure out who they are is to invite them in and meet them—or scour the game for hidden clues.
That said, they're not always a boon. Sure, some bring good fortune and all sorts of bonuses, but others can flip your perfectly smooth playthrough on its head in an instant. So you have to be careful about letting them in, and I agonized over that choice plenty myself.
Still, I had no other option. We'd scraped by so far, dealing with problems as they came, but that was mostly luck—and I knew that kind of seat-of-the-pants play wouldn't cut it forever. On normal difficulty, yeah, we might've powered through like this. But anything higher? No way in hell.
Gamers who live for strategy guides can't even clear it first try; they retry a few or even dozens of times. For an average guy like me who barely played the game to begin with? Clearing it on the first go was a pipe dream. So, out of necessity, to boost my slim odds as much as possible, I had to bet everything on this gamble.
And the gamble paid off, at least for round one.
"Whoaaa. How many centuries has it been since my last summoning? Hey, everyone, miss me~?"
With a bolt of lightning from the sky, a demon appeared right before our eyes. Not just any demon, though—this was the succubus I'd been aiming to summon, my target Visitor.
"This time, let's really destroy the world together~."
The lewd-faced succubus flapped her wings and swished her tail, approaching with a gleeful grin.
* * *
"But seriously, what's with this? If you were gonna summon me, couldn't you do it in a bustling city full of hot guys? Not this barren wasteland."
The summoned succubus, Lilith, looked around and sighed in disappointment. But what can you do? I wouldn't have called her if we weren't in this mess.
"Sorry for dragging you out here."
"Ahem. So you're the one who summoned me? Hmm... Pass!"
"...Mind if I ask what makes me a 'pass'?"
My looks? Or did she peek at my dick size? Ever since coming to this world, my body—and my cock—had gotten bigger than before.
"Your soul's pitch-black filth. Love it. Maou-level quality."
"......."
Classic succubus—lies like breathing, and she scratches just the right itch.
"Haha, that 'what the hell are you talking about' face? King receive."
"'King receive'? Sounds like an old fogey trying to act young. Kinda cringey."
"......."
The succubus glared at me. I turned away to dodge her stare.
Comedy hour's over. I didn't summon her for pointless banter and hurt feelings.
"Anyway, fine. Scenery's meh, but you're a keeper."
"So—tell me, oh king. What do you desire? Wealth? Honor? Women? Victory? Just say the word."
"Lilith, little sister to the Succubus Queen and number two in the succubus world, will grant your wish."
"For a slight price, of course."
Accept Lilith's Proposal?
Yes / No
Succubus Queen’s little sister Lilith’s offer came with a message window popping up in front of me, asking if I'd accept. No other details, but oddly, a window showing my nation's total population floated right beside it.
Having read the strategy guides beforehand, I knew what it meant. Lilith's demand: sacrifice exactly half your citizens as tribute.
Not a fixed number—precisely half, no exceptions. If you've got 100,000 people, that's 50,000. If just 10? Five. Fair and impartial, every time.
No prior warning, just a straight yes/no? Pure evil. Brothels usually come late-game, when you've built a solid base and strategies are in full swing. Screw up here, and your population halves overnight—game over, flipped board.
Terrifying trap, but not always bad. Accept, and you get diplomatic bonuses galore—plus incorporating the special hero unit Lilith herself.
And right now, my nation's a tiny startup with under thirty souls total. Sacrifice about ten orcs? Labor hit, but breed more—got broodmares ready anyway. Orcs would die for me gladly, like at their funerals. They see it as joy.
Ten-ish orcs vs. Lilith plus bonuses? On a flat monitor, it'd be an instant yes.
"Sorry, but I'll pass on that deal, Succubus."
But I refused. Lilith shot me a puzzled look.
"For real? Not to brag, but this is a steal."
"Half the population as tribute."
"...You knew? Then why?"
Lilith glanced around. Her glowing red eyes seemed to scan not just here, but my whole nation.
"Twelve orcs... nah, eleven. Sacrifice 'em, and you get this Lilith's power?"
"Grunt—! My king! Use our lives as you will! We live for Gaon and die for Gaon!! Barosy gladly lays down his life for the king!!"
"Yeah, thanks. But Barosy, quiet down."
Shouting right in my ear hurts. Anyway, that's it. Succubus called my soul filthy black trash or whatever.
But mine's not black—I'm a kind, gentle modern guy through and through. Even in this game, I picked bloodless diplomacy over normal war strat.
Sure, if enemies invade like now, subordinates die—unavoidable. I'd honor them with funerals, respect their sacrifice. Turned their corpses into undead workers 'cause burning 'em to ash is wasteful—they're useful that way. Dead guys can't complain, and they'd prefer it.
But this? My choice makes them sacrifices. Even if they'd accept, I can't allow it. I'm good, moral, full of goodwill—the Salvation King who saves everyone for a happy end.
Me, sacrificing loyal followers? No shot.
"Hoo. Fair enough. Wasn't gonna force ya."
But that wasn't the end.
"—Wanna hear my second offer?"
And that was the real reason I summoned her.
* * *
....................
.............
......
Saintess Lemon dreamed again this time. Two dreams in a row, no less.
One was the usual, about the Bewitching Forest. The other, about her little sister-figure who'd eagerly volunteered for the expedition to ease Lemon's worries.
'Noa... is she okay?'
Not a good dream, probably. She couldn't remember much, just vague, sleazy, decadent vibes. Thinking of Noa's hazy nude form made her blush.
Even as a fellow woman, Noa stirred lewd thoughts sometimes. Stuck in a women-only zone as a saintess or apprentice priestess, a little sexual wiring gets twisted—happens often.
The Bewitching Forest dream... still fuzzy. But black light from before mixed with ominous red, forming something even more sinister.
She couldn't tell anyone—not that she had prophetic dreams. Was it real? No clue. And saintess words carry too much weight to blab carelessly.
People she could consult—elders, cardinals—were busy or dismissed her. Faith's the same, but factions and origins breed rivals who snipe endlessly. Became a saintess, learned the higher-ups are worse. Shocked at first, resigned now.
Anyway, no real talk meant worries snowballed, tanking her mass and lecture focus. Walking the hall post-lecture, she brooded over her slip-up.
In her room, she'd be smacking her head, mumbling "Stupid, stupid! I'm such an idiot!"
"Saintess Lemon."
"Eek?! I'm sorry!"
"...My apologies. Didn't mean to startle you."
The voice came out of nowhere, no footsteps. Lemon jumped and spun, sighing in relief at the figure behind her—one of the few she could truly trust.
"L-Lady Eve... You scared me...."
Tallest, strongest, most beautiful—the Holy Light Kingdom Berea's finest blade, the Most Noble Knight. Holy Knight Eve gave a wry smile at Lemon's flinch and bowed politely again.
