Chapter 14. Temptation (2)
Chapter 14. Temptation (2)
In the ten days before Berdia proposed this drinking session, Serika's conditioning had been progressing remarkably smoothly.
At first, I simply seized every opportunity to violate her body, stimulating her erogenous zones as much as possible to make her hyper-sensitive.
When she came out of hypnosis afterward, her memory would have been wiped — but she must have felt unfamiliar sensations all over her body.
With no idea why, Serika would naturally touch her own sensitive spots, awaken pleasure, and — utterly absorbed in stimulation she'd never felt before — lose herself in touching herself.
If her reason had been fully intact it might have been different, but she had already climaxed over and over in our sessions.
Even without the memory, her body had subconsciously accepted those sensations without resistance. So once repeated climaxes left her half-mindless, she would inevitably become more honest about relieving her sexual urges.
The end result was exactly what happened: her crudely pleasuring herself alone in her room. Even without me applying hypnosis, Serika had reached the stage where she was developing her own body.
And once her body heated up even more in that condition, she would no longer be satisfied by touching herself — she would start to lean on a man. The man she would naturally choose, of course, would be me, the only man nearby.
But just when that moment was one step away — I could never have imagined an unexpected ambush would strike at that exact moment.
"What's wrong? Do you dislike alcohol?"
"No, I like it. It's just that I'm a little worried whether I'm allowed to drink such expensive wine..."
"There is no need to hold back. If I can't do at least this much for someone who will be traveling with me, my honor means nothing."
Berdia. One of the Ten Strongest of Humanity — the woman who single-handedly defeated a senior officer of the Demon King's army.
There was no way she had arranged this drinking session out of pure goodwill.
I might lack physical strength, but I had just as much field experience as she did, having lived by my wits. I could tell purely on instinct that this woman was wary of me.
If so, why was she wary of me? My first impression had gone over relatively well — could she have noticed the changes in Serika?
Like, perhaps she saw her crudely masturbating through the crack of the door...
Damn. Letting her develop herself while half-mindless wasn't entirely a good thing. Who would've imagined she'd get so into it that she wouldn't even lock her door?
"Yes, then I'll gratefully accept."
"I hope it suits your taste."
But even if that were the case, it would only be out of a concern like protecting the hero — who had just awakened to sexual desire — from men.
At the very least, she wouldn't have reached the conclusion that I was a spy for the Demon King's army or that I was hypnotizing Serika.
Of course, even so, that would only be marginally better than the worst case. From the start, my goal was to condition Serika and — even without hypnosis — make her depend on me, so that the party's course would turn toward crushing that fucking bitch.
If Berdia, out of concern for Serika, decided to reluctantly expel me from the party... shit.
"...The wine tastes excellent."
I kept my irritation from showing on my face and resolved to go along with her conversation for now.
Hypnotizing her in this situation was out of the question, but refusing her invitation would seriously damage my standing in the party — which I needed if I intended to stay long-term.
So, in this conversation, what I needed to do was avoid being swayed by the alcohol and somehow seize the initiative.
If I let her control the conversation simply because she was one of the Ten Strongest, I might make a slip of the tongue and unintentionally say something I shouldn't, or fall for whatever trick she was playing.
"By the way, Lady Berdia..."
Having made that judgment, I set my glass down as my opening move. The moment I tried to keep my composure—
-Thud.
The table shook violently, and a sudden force coiled through the hand I had been about to set the glass down with.
"...Huh?"
What in the world just happened?
Puzzled, I looked across the table and saw Berdia slumped forward, her head against the table.
"...My apologies. I seem to have lost my balance for a moment."
"Ah, yes. Just a... moment. Right?"
"Yes, do not concern yourself."
She said that, but Berdia was clutching her head and gripping the wine glass on the table.
I could hear hiccups coming from her mouth, and the swaying she had claimed was momentary kept happening again and again.
"What's the matter?"
"No, nothing..."
No, it wasn't nothing.
Right now, Berdia was unsteady. Hard as it was to believe, the sight before me was exactly that of a drunk person.
But could that even be plausible?
One of the Ten Strongest of the continent, unable to handle the intoxication from a single glass?
"...Dave."
While I was entertaining that absurd possibility, Berdia, her face flushed, opened her mouth and began to voice her admiration.
"Impressive skill. I never imagined you could use doppelganger techniques as well."
...Oh, hell.
She's seriously drunk.
"Um, Berdia? Are you perhaps bad with alcohol...?"
At that moment, Berdia violently poured wine from the bottle into her glass and then downed it in a single fierce gulp.
The way she drank was incredibly bold, but none of the resolute, dignified bearing I had seen from her until now remained.
"...What did you just say?"
"No, I asked if you can't hold your liquor..."
"What? Did you say you refuse my alcohol?"
I wasn't refusing it; I was asking if you can't handle it, you stupid bitch.
"How laughable. At a drinking session... hic! To dare refuse the drink I offer."
"Ah, no, that's not it — I was simply worried about you, Berdia..."
"Ha, worried about me? Who could possibly harm me? I am not one to boast of martial deeds, but I have traversed many battlefields. My blade vanquishes evil, and my shield is sturdier than any castle wall!"
That castle wall is collapsing under alcohol right now, you bitch.
Damn — the fact that she's gotten so talkative proves she's genuinely drunk.
So much so that I felt like all my tension had been for nothing and I was the only idiot here.
"Enough nonsense. Simply accept the drink I pour for you. This place is meant for you and me to speak openly from the heart..."
Still, Berdia rambled on as though refusing to acknowledge that she was drunk.
But all her effort was for nothing — her head gradually tilted.
-Thud!
Her head soon crashed fully onto the table, and even the wine bottle and glass fell beneath her.
The expensive wine spilled, and the scent of grapes spread everywhere. But at that moment, no one would call it a waste.
Because watching one of the Ten Strongest pass out after three glasses and plant her nose on the table was a spectacular sight no amount of money could ever buy.
"...Should I help you to the bed?"
"Urgh, ueh..."
Berdia let out a groan instead of an answer. Unable to just watch any longer, I reluctantly lifted her onto my back and carried her to the bed in the room.
As I carried her, all sorts of sensations stimulated my body, but more than those, the arms wrapped around my neck felt as if they might choke the life out of me at any moment.
It was like having a lion's fangs pressed against my throat. If she started thrashing in a drunken rage, my body would be torn to pieces.
"My head hurts..."
Oblivious to my feelings, Berdia, lying on the bed, let out a pained groan.
I wanted to tell her this was exactly what happens when someone who can't drink forces herself to, but there was no way someone like me could call her out like that.
All I could do was watch over her from a step away after laying her down.
The sight of a woman collapsed defenselessly in a thin white short-sleeved garment...
Seeing her like this made me realize anew that even the feared Ten Strongest was, at her core, just a woman.
Of course, I wouldn't dare lay a hand on her... but wait, what is that woman doing right now?
"...It's stuffy."
Muttering, Berdia began reaching for the clothes on her body.
The moment the thin fabric came off, revealing her bare skin and her underwear — when the black lace undergarment appeared — I instinctively covered my mouth with my hand.
Provocative lingerie that starkly contrasted with her porcelain skin...
And then...
"Hah..."
A deep sigh escaped her lips.
Along with it, her dazed eyes, clouded by intoxication, slowly moved toward where I stood.
Turning her defenseless, completely bare body toward me.
"...Dave."
The lips that had been so dignified parted, and she began to beckon me cautiously.
"Come closer."
"H-Huh? Yes?"
"I dislike repeating myself."
"..."
...Damn it. What the hell is this woman up to?
But flustered or not, this was one of the Ten Strongest, drunk. I had no idea what kind of sudden outburst might happen next, so to avoid provoking her, I had no choice but to obey.
"Dave."
As I drew closer, she asked me again.
"What do you think of Serika?"
"...What?"
"Since joining, have you two not spent a great deal of time together? I do not wish to intrude upon her personal affairs, but still, I am curious. What is it that you do when you are with her?"
Her swaying had subsided at some point, and her gaze fixed directly on me.
I found her stare so oppressive that I involuntarily looked away.
"I, I think she's a good comrade. Even when it's just the two of us, we mostly just talk about what lies ahead..."
"Then what do you think of me?"
As I fumbled my answer, the question came right back at me.
"...What?"
Momentarily unable to grasp her meaning, I asked again. Sitting on the bed, she looked up at me and spoke.
"Perhaps..."
-Gulp.
I swallowed nervously.
Then she said something I'd never have expected in this situation, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, in a light, offhand tone.
"Do you not have any desire to... hold me, right here?"
The moment the powerhouse, weakened by drink, unconsciously tempted me.
In a corner of my heart that had been steeped in fear, the desire to dominate her began to stir.
