Chapter 71: Masochist Dragon Reina and the Disgraceful Hero’s First Brainwashing Experience

The neutral commercial city of Bere.

This special city, situated between the Empire and the Kingdom, was in a position that should have made its very survival difficult. Yet, perhaps because it served as a meeting place for both nations and because they shared a common enemy in the Demon King’s army, it had remained untouched by either side until now.

“The lord is a noble recognized by both nations, but his influence in either is negligible. He doesn’t have enough of a voice to assert his own opinions. I guess neither side can shake their suspicion that he’s a spy for the other, so his position is barely acknowledged. In return, he periodically presents fine goods to the leaders of each country, so the royal families apparently look upon him favorably. And since he supported the war effort against the Demon King’s army with the money he earned, they had no grounds for complaint.”

“So he’s just a bat, then. A damn bastard who sucked up to both nations before finally siding with the Empire.”

“With the war over, he must have felt the heat. Once the Demon King’s army was gone, the two neighboring countries would start eyeing his territory, so he might have joined hands with the Empire beforehand. If Noah’s information is correct, remnants of the Demon King’s army have infiltrated the Empire and are trying to seize control from within…”

“So, the plan is to meet the lord, find out what he knows about the Empire’s internal situation, and confirm whether he joined them knowingly or not. Is that it?”

“Yes. If he’s willing to meet with us, things should go smoothly, but…”

A large city, high walls, magnificent buildings, and clean roads bustling with merchants. It was filled with people who had come to Bere to make their fortunes. The Hero and Reina, hidden in the shadow of a coachman they had hired in a nearby town, observed the state of the city. On the surface, everything seemed fine, but the moment the Hero’s eyes flashed red and then back to blue, she shook her head twice with a grim expression.

“What is it?”

“There’s a large-scale barrier around the city. It’s transparent, so you can’t see it, but the proof is that clouds aren’t gathering near the city and birds are avoiding it. It might be difficult to sneak in.”

“Hmph… It wasn’t here last time, was it?”

“A barrier large enough to envelop an entire city is usually for wartime; they wouldn’t normally use it. The fact that they’re using such large-scale magic might mean they’re wary of us. This could mean one of two things: either everyone here, including the Lord of Bere, has fallen into the hands of the Demon King’s army, or they’re being deceived.”

“There’s also the possibility that he was a traitor from the start.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, this city tolerates criminal activities that are forbidden in other countries, like slavery and drugs. Given the nature of this place, isn’t it highly likely the lord is that kind of person?”

“I may hate this city, but I don’t want to doubt a person’s character just because of that. There might be cases where they have no choice because of money.”

“What, don’t you remember how things were? You hated it the most. You were the one saying you wanted to crush this city yourself if you could…”

“In my case, I have Tanjelo now.”

“…Ah.”

She chuckled, saying she’d had a change of heart because of him. The Hero, now free from Tanjelo’s grasp, had been taking the mission seriously, but the mention of his name prompted her to pull a strange-looking talisman from her bag.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a protective talisman to use in place of a chastity belt. I’ve been thinking about it ever since we left, but I have a feeling that no matter what we do, traveling with you will inevitably lead to that kind of situation.”

“Don’t use me as an excuse! Your body and mind are the ones that are a mess! You learn fast, but I bet even you didn’t know you’d pick up that stuff so quickly!”

“That’s why I need to protect them. Tanjelo’s child, my own chastity, and my loyalty to the man I love.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to pour your power and my power into this talisman to create a powerful protective shield. If I make it so strong that even I can’t remove it without your help, then even if I get horny, I’ll have no choice but to give up, right?”

“So you’re going to protect the hole with the baby in it. What about your butt hole?”

“…My butt hole is just a cute little bonus.”

“You really do have a screw loose, don’t you?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you of all dragons.”

Telling her to stop talking nonsense and help, the Hero held out the talisman. Reina, despite her disgruntled expression, grabbed the other end and poured her energy into it. As the dragon’s red energy trickled in, the bizarre pattern on the talisman flashed brightly.

“Like this?”

“Yes. Make it sturdy. Pour in an almost excessive amount.”

“OK. That’s my specialty.”

Following the Hero’s wishes, Reina mindlessly dumped her energy into it, and the Hero added her own blue energy, filling the talisman. It was a charm co-created by the two most powerful heroes in this world. The energy filling the paper-thin talisman not only changed its material, giving it a coated finish, but the red and blue energies also mixed, amplifying their power and transforming it into an object that looked dangerous to anyone who saw it.

“Whoa… Are you sure this is okay? This talisman looks like it could be used as a weapon.”

“It’s better than I expected… Hmm… This is actually a good result. With this, I can protect my vagina no matter how horny I get.”

“Which means…”

The carriage’s cargo area was enclosed by cloth, providing enough privacy for her to open her legs. The Hero lifted her armor, pulled down her panties, and pressed the talisman onto her exposed vagina with a squelch, holding it down with her palm. The special talisman, soaked with their energy, somehow stuck fast to her vagina, leaving only a small opening connected to her urethra so she could urinate, but otherwise guarding her completely.

“Is that it?”

“Yes… Want to try touching it?”

“Don’t mind if I do…”

Ping!

“Ooh?!”

The moment Reina’s fingernail touched the talisman, it slid off the thinly coated defensive barrier. She had only touched it for a split second, but the energy infused within was so intense that her nail throbbed with pain.

“It’s real… Hmm… I don’t think we can break through this unless we combine our powers.”

“The problem is that I can’t take it off by myself either, but that’s how my chastity is guaranteed. Tanjelo will be at ease with this, and I can still have a little fun.”

“See, you were planning to have fun all along.”

“But now, if I don’t get tormented for even a day, my body gets all tingly… Ugh… Look what you and Tanjelo have done to me…”

“Don’t blame us! Anyone can see you brought this on yourself! You pervert! You disgraceful, trick-performing Hero!”

“I don’t want to hear that from you! You masochist dragon! You pain-addicted punching bag!”

They poked each other’s cheeks, teasing one another. Then they moved to chests, to swollen bellies, and between legs. For a simple game, the sexual atmosphere was off the charts, but with no one to call them out, it went unchecked. As they fooled around, the carriage they were in continued to move up the line. Their objective was to infiltrate Bere, meet the lord, and discern his intentions, so they planned to slip in disguised as ordinary adventurers alongside the merchants undergoing inspection.

“Hero-nim! We’re almost at the checkpoint!”

“Ah, yes! Sorry for the trouble.”

“Not at all! You paid me handsomely, and if it’s an order from the Kingdom, of course I must obey! As you instructed, I’ll turn the carriage around and head out as soon as you two are inside, just in case. Should I wait a day as you said?”

“Yes! I’ll pay you extra, so could I ask you to deliver a letter to the Second Prince in Tripol?”

“That’s no trouble at all! Hahaha!”

The coachman laughed heartily and steered the carriage toward a group of women who were separating merchants and travelers in the middle of the main road. Normally, the soldiers guarding the area would handle such a task, but the atmosphere and methods were different. The Hero and Reina peeked out from the cloth covering the cargo bed and looked at the women conducting the inspections. They were like combatants stamped from a mold, all wearing the same outfits and hairstyles, deliberately made to be “de-individualized.”

“Reina, were those things here last time?”

“Are you stupid? If I’d seen them, there’s no way I’d forget such de-individualized women! I have no memory of them at all!”

“They’re wearing slave collars, so I guess they might be Bere’s public slaves… What a taste…”

The full-body black leotards they wore were so ridiculously thin they were like body paint, clinging so explicitly that every contour of their bodies was visible, making them look practically naked. People seemed to accept it because of the slave collars around their necks, but that wasn’t what bothered the Hero and Reina.

“…Is that face the lord’s preference?”

“I’d rather not think about that…”

They all had the same face.

Same, same, same, same, same, same faces and appearances everywhere.

Since they were different people, variations in their figures and bodies were unavoidable, but to hide this, they wore heavy makeup, with identical lipstick and eye shadow. Worst of all, even their hair, which could be called a woman’s lifeblood, was uniformly styled into a mushroom cut.

A mushroom-haired woman in the same outfit here, another one there. Here, there, here, there. The full-body leotards even corrected their figures, so aside from their hair color, there was almost nothing to distinguish one individual from another. It was as if the genre known as “de-individualization” had been brought to life; the women, stripped of their individuality, all maintained the same smile as they guided the people.

“It seems adventurers and merchants are being separated. You’ll go into that tent made of magic tools, have your identity confirmed, and after a simple inspection, you’ll be allowed in. I’ve registered you both as adventurers hired as my escorts… I trust there won’t be any problems?”

“It’s fine.”

“You did well.”

“Is that so… Then I’ll stop the carriage here, so…”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Be careful on your way back, just in case!”

“Yes, ma’am… You two, please be careful as well. The atmosphere feels very unsettling.”

As the coachman led the carriage toward the merchant inspection area, the two women who had disembarked onto the main road came face to face with a guide slave. As expected, she too was a de-individualized slave in the same outfit and hairstyle. Her needlessly bright smile grated on Reina’s nerves, and the Hero felt she would never get used to that creepy expression.

“Those of you here as escorts, please come this way. There will be a simple inspection and an ID check.”

The Hero and Reina didn’t answer as the woman, after her one-sided declaration, entered a tent next to the gate first. It was a lavish tent, a world apart from the one the gatekeepers who had sexually harassed Reina once used. Inside, wooden partitions were lined up, reinforced with magic so that the voices of people in the adjacent stalls couldn’t be heard. It was a bit cramped for the two of them, but not so much that their bodies touched. Beyond the desk in front of them, a de-individualized, mushroom-haired woman was waiting for them, also wearing a smile.

“Welcome to the neutral commercial city of Bere. I am No. 0965, and I will be handling your entry screening. First, I will conduct an ID check, so please present something that can verify your identity.”

“Here.”

“Here you go.”

“Received. I will now verify them, so please wait a moment. Along with the identity check, I will also be checking for any dangerous items, so please do not be alarmed.”

Beep.

The moment she finished speaking, the entire partition glowed red, enveloping the Hero and Reina.

“What is this?”

“This entire partition is a body-scanning magic tool. It’s an excellent device capable of checking everything from your three sizes under your clothes to any blades hidden inside your equipment. Neither of you seems to be hiding any dangerous items. Besides your armor and underwear, the only thing is the sword the blonde woman is wearing… Hmm?”

The woman standing before the Hero and Reina conducted the body scan via a display floating above her desk. No matter what, she kept smiling, so it was impossible to tell what she was thinking from her expression. However, the way she repeatedly checked their IDs and exchanged glances with her de-individualized colleague next to her gave them a strong premonition that something was wrong from the start.

‘…Have we been found out?’

‘It can’t be me. I got my ID from Orbie before coming here.’

‘Then it must be because of my ID. I had the Prince prepare mine in a hurry, so there might have been a sloppy part somewhere.’

‘Considering the commotion in Tripol, maybe they’ve already taken countermeasures?’

‘That seems plausible.’

As they exchanged glances, considering whether to force their way through if necessary, the woman in charge of the inspection finished her silent exchange with her colleague and smiled brightly again.

“Excuse me. Something urgent has come up. Would you mind waiting there for a moment?”

“Urgent? So suddenly?”

“I am truly sorry. It seems the inspection device has malfunctioned, and I need to repair it myself. It should only take about ten minutes, so I would appreciate it if you could wait inside the inspection booth.”

“If that’s the case, it’s fine, but… H-Hey? Excuse me?!”

“Please wait a moment, then.”

Before leaving, she put up a partition in front of her own desk, trapping the Hero and Reina inside the inspection booth, and then disappeared. Trapped in the square, sealed room flickering with crimson light, the two crossed their arms, overcome with a bad feeling.

“It’s not a malfunction. For all her talk, the scanner is working just fine, isn’t it? From the feel of it, the person sitting next to her left as well.”

“Something’s definitely strange. You think she said that but actually went to call the soldiers?”

“That must be it… But if that happens, it’ll cause a commotion… Ugh, we might lose the lord.”

“Tch… It’s always been like this. Nothing ever goes smoothly…”

“…Huh?”

As the two were commiserating, the red-tinted room suddenly began to glow with rainbow colors.

“What is this?”

“Eh…”

Reina was puzzled, wondering if this was also part of the inspection, but the Hero’s face immediately soured. Unlike Reina, she seemed to know exactly what this was.

“What, what’s wrong? What is this?”

“If I’m not mistaken, it seems they’ve installed a brainwashing device in our booth along with the inspection tool. It’s activating now and trying to invade our minds.”

“Brainwashing? There’s no way that would work on us! Are they idiots?!”

“They’re desperate. They may be smiling on the outside, but two monsters like us have shown up, so they’re probably using it just in case. It seems they don’t want any casualties either.”

“Hah… To be this blatant about it, I guess they really are enemies. How about we just smash the walls and buildings and demand they hand over the lord?”

“That’s an absolute last resort. There are many ordinary citizens here, so let’s try to be as peaceful as possible. I can lower my own mental resistance, so I’ll be fine… What about you, Reina? Want to get brainwashed with me?”

“You mean we pretend to be brainwashed, and once the commotion dies down, we break free and contact the lord?”

“Exactly. Our actions will be compelled for a while, but I’ll set it up so we can break free at will.”

“Well, it’s not like we can fail, so I’ll gladly take it. Here, do it to me first. Let the great Reina calmly enjoy whatever kind of brainwashing these guys have in store.”

“You really are a pervert. Enjoying it is fine, but don’t get so into it that you do something stupid when it counts.”

“I know, I know! Just leave it to me!”

“I really don’t know if I can trust you…”

Despite her words, the Hero also seemed to have a part of her that was looking forward to it. She used light magic with both hands to drain the energy from Reina’s body. A green orb shot out from between her 130cm-bust and scattered into the air, signifying that Reina’s mental resistance had been lowered.

“─Uuugh?! Oh, ahh, it’s hitting me all at once!! Uhaaa~!! Byo, byobyobyo…!! Byobyobyo…! Byobyobyobyobyobyo…!!! My head… Oh… Byobyobyobyo… Obyo… Byobyobyobyobyobyobyo…!!”

The strength drained from her hands, and her eyes rolled back as if she were being hanged.

Then, the Hero cast the same spell on herself…

“Uuugh?! Ugh, ah, this… this might be dangerous… Ugh… Eh… Ubehee… Obyobyo… Obyohooo… Byo… Obyobyobyobyobyo…?! Byohooo… Byobyobyobyobyobyobyo………”

Like Reina, she let out bizarre noises, her eyes rolling back as she shook her body. She looked just like a zombie, swaying precariously without falling over.

“Obyobyobyobobobobobyobyobyobyo♡ Ubyobyobyobyobyobyo♡ Byobyobyobyobyobyobyot♡ Obyohyobyobyobyobyobyobyo♡ Ubyo♡ Ubyo♡ Byobyobyobyobyobyobyot♡”

“Ube♡ Ooh♡ Byo♡ Oboyobyo♡ Obyo♡ Obyo♡ Byobyobyobyobyobyobyo♡ Obyobyobyobyobyobyo♡ Byobyobyo♡ Byobyobyobyobyobyobyo♡ Byobyobyobyo♡ Obyobyobyobyobyobyot-♡”

A disgusting sensation of their minds remaining intact, yet something being overwritten.

The foolishness of being dominated by another, despite being ones who should never be dominated.

And so, making those idiotic noises, the two began the process of deliberately being brainwashed.