■ Hypnotic Pure Love □
I watched the hero fall into what seemed like a trance state as described in the book on hypnosis, and I swallowed my saliva.
To be honest, I didn’t think it would work on the first try.
Since she was a fairly high-level mage, I assumed her magical resistance would be quite strong.
Once again, I realized that the banned book wasn’t called “banned” for no reason, and I read through the warnings written in the book.
“This hypnosis is not permanent. Manipulating someone’s emotions and memories can backfire on you, so absolutely do not use it for such purposes. -Nakamura”
If he knew this, he shouldn’t have published it at all, mister.
And that infernal demon blade from the previous time—I wonder what else this Japanese reincarnated guy created back in the day.
While grumbling to myself, I still followed the book’s instructions to construct the magic circle.
As I did, a small magic circle floated above my palm.
Barnett, who was standing nearby, asked with curiosity evident on her face.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to alter the hero’s common sense. First, I need to make her cooperative.”
According to the warning in the book, the duration of the hypnosis lasts up to 48 hours.
After that time has passed, the hypnosis wears off, and she regains her original memories.
Of course, she will forget everything that happened during that period. But for now, just being able to put a leash on the hero feels sufficient.
I turned the hand holding the magic circle to the right while saying,
“From now on, your ‘hostility’ toward me will change into ‘liking.'”
The foundation of hypnosis lies in keywords.
It starts by imposing constraints on the other person’s thoughts by presenting specific conditions.
In this case, the more general the keyword, the weaker its effect becomes, whereas the narrower its meaning, the stronger the effect.
“And you won’t be able to attack me. Instead, you’ll feel ‘dependent’ in situations where you’re psychologically unstable.”
“And this ‘dependency’ will gradually transform into ‘love.'”
Is this enough?
I decided to finish the hypnotic spell.
“Hold on.”
“What?”
Barnett, who had been standing beside me, asked with a sullen expression.
“Why specifically love?”
“Well… it’s the easiest emotion to exploit?”
There’s no better feeling than love when it comes to mentally binding someone. The book explained this sufficiently.
“Will you tell Ozma about this?”
“Ahh, could you please overlook this one?”
As I said this, I looked at her pleadingly, but Barnett turned her head away with a huff.
“You know I only like the four of you.”
“Four people?”
“Of course, among them, you’re my favorite.”
Even though I knew it was flattery, calming Barnett down felt more important right now.
And since Barnett, who tends to be emotionally weak, seemed receptive to such flattery—her ears perked up slightly.
“How about a date this weekend? I heard there’s a great new restaurant.”
“…Alright. I’ll let this slide this time.”
Barnett replied with an expression showing how pleased she was.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, why don’t you go upstairs first?”
“Is that okay? You never know what might happen without me.”
“As if I’m the kind of person who gets beaten up everywhere I go.”
As I emphasized my biceps in a pose, Barnett nodded in agreement.
“Then I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
After replying, I saw her off as she went back upstairs.
And then I resumed my focus.
“Let’s begin.”
I rubbed my hands together and infused a large amount of mana into the spell I had started earlier.
Sophia, the hero, opened her eyes about five minutes later.
“Huh… Where am I?”
She blinked repeatedly, seemingly unaware of her memory right before falling under the hypnosis.
Honestly, thank goodness for that.
It’d be troublesome if she noticed she was under a spell and caused a commotion.
“You’ve awakened.”
I casually said this, standing with my hands behind my back as if nothing had happened.
Realizing my presence belatedly, Sophia glared at me with wide eyes.
But thanks to the spell I just cast, the venom in her gaze seemed much diminished.
Following my suggestion, her hostility toward me should have transformed into liking.
“How long was I unconscious?”
“About five minutes? …Also, your words seem rather curt. How old are you?”
Tied to the bed, Sophia answered hesitantly.
“Twenty years old…”
“Excuse me, young lady, speaking disrespectfully to an elder isn’t appropriate.”
As I naturally slipped into the role of a condescending adult, the shoulders of the warrior shrank in response.
Still, she didn’t give up completely and protested timidly.
“But we’re enemies, aren’t we?”
“Did your family tutor teach you that it’s fine to speak rudely to enemies?”
“No, they didn’t…”
“Even if we’re enemies, respecting your opponent is the true mark of a hero, isn’t it?”
Faced with my unbeatable logic, Sophia shut her mouth.
It seems she belatedly realized that heroes are always at a disadvantage in moral debates.
With my arms crossed, I stared silently at the hero and asked.
“At least, you must understand your current situation, right?”
Sophia nodded resolutely.
“After persuading me multiple times, my answer remains the same. I have no intention of joining the side of demons. Feel free to roast or boil me as you wish.”
I corrected her misunderstanding.
“No, no, I didn’t ask you to join the demons’ side. I just want you to be on my side.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“I’m bound by a contract with the Demon King. He promised me half of this world once global domination is achieved. So, if you help me, ultimately, you’d be working for humanity.”
“That’s sophistry.”
“But the truth is, there’s no better alternative, right? Do you really believe the current Oz Kingdom offers any hope? If Prince Tipetarius hadn’t been dethroned, things might have been different, but now Oz is in a precarious state. If the Demon King’s Army hadn’t taken control under the name of the Governor’s Office, rebellion would have already torn the country apart.”
“So, you’re arguing that you’re a necessary evil?”
“From the start, there’s no such thing as good or evil in this world. That’s just empty rhetoric from those in power.”
I work solely for myself.
That principle hasn’t changed from the beginning to the end.
“Have you ever thought about why demons and humans are constantly at odds? And why, whether the Hero kills the Demon King or the Demon King kills the Hero, there’s always a new successor?”
While some Demon Kings have lived long lives killing countless Heroes, others have been assassinated within a year of ascending to the throne.
Likewise, the same probably applies to Heroes when considered the other way around.
“From the beginning, the roles of Demon King and Hero were merely pawns in the goddesses’ long-term game. And at least the current Demon King, Nero Zoroaster, wishes to end this thousand-year-old tradition of corruption. Are you truly going to package stopping the Demon King as justice? That’s nothing more than blind fanaticism.”
Sophia trembled and spoke.
“That statement is blasphemous.”
I smirked upon hearing that.
“If faith means blindly believing whatever they do, then that’s just nonsense. Would such an extraordinary goddess kill a Hero with her own hands?”
“Huh? What does that mean…?”
I revealed the truth to her.
“The previous Hero, Arthurius, his life was ended by the Goddess of Courage herself.”
Because if he had lived, it would have hindered the birth of a new Hero.[[#]]
Hearing that the previous Hero was killed by the goddess herself, Sophia’s face became vacant.
Was this revelation so shocking?
If I were in her position, I wouldn’t easily trust the words of an enemy, yet Sophia seemed far more innocent than I anticipated.
Worried unintentionally, I asked,
“Hey, are you alright?”
Startled, Sophia lifted her head and said tearfully,
“I don’t believe your words.”
…Yet, for someone who claims not to believe, she certainly looks quite shocked.
I scratched my head and said,
“Well, whether you believe me or not is your choice. I just wanted to let you know that just because something is labeled as divine doesn’t necessarily make it correct.”
Still, it seemed like her guard against me had significantly lowered.
There was some merit in having such a meaningless conversation.
Anyway, the interrogation must continue.
“Who exactly was the previous Count Glorious who entrusted you with his lineage?”
“I can’t say.”
“Then why were you trying to steal our family’s incense tablets?”
“I can’t say that either.”
“…If you keep being uncooperative like this, I won’t sit idly by.”
To which Sophia responded haughtily,
“I’ve already built up tolerance to pain. Partarth, you won’t extract a single truthful word from me.”
“What if it’s not pain?”
“Pardon?”
“Is it really true that all forms of torture involve causing pain?”
As I said this, I stepped closer to Sophia.
Surprised by the sudden proximity, she shouted,
“W-What are you going to do!?”
I pressed my index finger firmly on her navel and said,
“Sensitivity multiplier: 3000x.”
At that moment,
“AHHHHHH♥♥♥”
A sweet voice unfamiliar to her own escaped her lips, and the leather pants she wore became damp.
