Chapter 14-2 (Our Goddess)
The preparation was complete. Gin— Ginova, the one claiming herself to be a goddess of salvation, has begun to execute her plans to dominate Karda.
‘It isn’t a complicated plan. Rather, it’s quite straightforward. Unlike before when I first came into this world, I don’t have to be so stealthy or tactful with my approach.’
Ginova, wearing simple leather armor with a hood on, stood before the entrance of the village. Behind her were a newly turned hermaphrodite by the name of Reol.
"Your highness, we have arrived in Karda."
Reol was previously Treo, an ordinary human being who once served as a soldier for the kingdom. Skilled with the sword, a teacher to both Wyca and Sera, and also the one possessing vital information regarding the outside world. Now she stood with Ginova as her loyal servant, both an important advisor and guardian to the goddess.
Unlike her previous male self, Reol has shed off her masculine and stern looks. Now she possessed fair skin, short light brown hair, and sharp facial features that made her look delicate yet fierce. Her eyes reflected the same color of her hair, piercing like two polished gems. A light freckle covered her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, and unlike most girls of Laim, her face lacked any blush of pink. Instead, she wore the marks of someone who has spent her lifetime under the burning sun, training under the heat.
A light tan was permanently etched onto her skin and a faded scar across her left cheek which only added to her fierceness. Despite her womanly beauty, the aura of her masculinity remained. The way she held her posture and how she talked reminded the villagers of a man they once knew. But at the same time, the villagers have witnessed a certain softness that can only belong to a woman. Treo—Reol, once looked masculine and scary. But now, she possesses a beautiful androgynous face that could stir people's lust, whether they be men or women.
However, although she has acquired new assets, her body remained chiseled with lean muscles and a hardened physique. Unlike the other hermaphrodites that Ginova transformed, her breast remained on the average size, complimenting her slim and muscular build. Her buttocks too, remained firm and toned instead of round and plump.
Reol's charm lies not in her feminine appeal but of her perfect mix of masculinity and femininity. Possessing both male and female's virtue, she became both handsome and beautiful, charming and fearsome, lovely and vicious, seducing and dominating. She is an ultimate ideal for those who wished to possess both genders' appeal without sacrificing either side of the coin.
Ginova nodded at Reol, a sense of pride welled up in her heart.
'Treo was quite special. He was a soldier, a good fighter supposedly. I never saw him fight for real though. He was kind to the villagers but stern towards the children and his pupils. His knowledge regarding warfare, weapon handling, his familiarity with the world outside of Laim, as well as his loyalty make him someone that I cannot afford to lose. It took a while for me to get to him since I wanted to enjoy myself a bit longer with the others. That one week orgy I had with Teressa, Collette, Sera, and Wyca garnered me tons of Faith points.'
That period of time where the five of them fucked each other's holes earned Ginova over 30K of Faith points alone.
An unprecedented amount of points she'd ever gotten during a whole week period. She realized that her subjects' love for her has grown tremendously. It was not her usual corruption anymore. No, those ladies fell in love with her and willingly offered their body and soul to the goddess. The hypnosis has bloomed from a mere suggestion into a flower of lust and desire.
The reward she gave them wasn't truly necessary to keep them happy. But she wanted to do it anyway just so they could have fun together. She transformed them into hermaphrodite, increasing their stamina and recovery by manyfolds, and multiplied the stimulation they received from sexual activity. There was no reason for them to resist her temptation, and so they accepted it with 'pleasure'.
'Well, I also enjoyed it. Being a hermaphrodite itself isn't so bad. Filling other people's holes was fun, but having my own holes filled was great as well. The feeling of having my penis deep inside another girl while my pussy and asshole being penetrated by my fellow hermaphrodites, getting stimulated by both front and behind, and watching the same pleasure reflected in their eyes...that was something I'll never forget.'
Going back to Reol, Ginova planned her to be a bit unique from the others. Her physique was more androgynous, more balanced compared to Collette and Daria— who are excessively feminine except for their male genitals. This created an enticing balance that would capture the attention of the masses. Especially for those who found beauty in both masculinity and femininity at once.
To achieve that goal, Ginova did her best to maintain as much of Reol's former masculine charms as she could while adding new feminine qualities to her physical appearance. In the end, Reol gained the perfect fusion of male and female's attractiveness. A person that is both gentle and wild. A being that's soft and hard. Reol embodied the character of a 'cool, strong, and independent’ beauty standard.
"So, this is Karda..."
"A peaceful village, just like ours. If not for the wild beasts causing troubles for travelers, this place would be an excellent trading hub," said Reol.
Reol patted her horse's neck before leading it past the archway entrance. Ginova followed suit. Their horses stepped onto the dirt road paved between two rows of wooden houses. There weren't many people on the street, but compared to Laim, this place was practically bustling with lives and activities. They were able to spot farmers transporting their goods on carts or carrying heavy sacks on their backs as they went here and there. Blacksmiths can be heard hammering at their anvils. Farm animals such as pigs and chickens roamed about freely, being watched by young boys or girls with large, woven baskets strapped across their shoulders.
'Oh, this view is completely different from Laim. There was barely a single person walking down the street there...'
Ginova's eyes lit with bright lights, taking in all of the sights in awe. Despite her godlike abilities, there were still things out there she has yet to see, hear, or experience. Reol, seeing this expression on her highness' face, couldn't help but smile. Although the goddess was a powerful entity with unfathomable might, she can still act so childish and innocent like this. She reminded her of her younger self when she first began her training as a soldier, full of spirit and determination to change her country and life for the better. However, like a rubber ball bouncing off a mighty stone wall, she soon came to realize that nothing has changed. Reality has been cruel, unfair, and absolute. That was the harshness of this world.
"Enjoying yourself, your highness?" asked Reol, stopping her horse by a house that seemed like a restaurant.
"Yes, I am."
A short answer, yet there was inexplicable joy and curiosity behind it.
'This is just like a scene from a fantasy movie or a novel... I wonder...'
Ginova took a deep breath before letting out a quiet sigh.
'...How is this place going to look like once I dominate them?'
—————————…
It was as Ginova suspected from the beginning, the existence of other religions exist in this world and Reol has confirmed it. The idea of worshiping other gods wasn't too unusual. After all, people do need something to lean on in times of need. Perhaps, in other worlds too, some form of religion has developed to ease human's psyche or even to provide solace, comfort, and peace of mind to believers. But as every human being with power and influence knows, not everyone's mind will share the same thoughts.
Various disputes have happened in her old world because of disagreement and dissent in belief. Just by looking at the history books, one can tell how complicated the concept of religious war truly is. It always begins with a slight misunderstanding before it turns into a massive conflict between groups of people or nations. Sometimes, there wasn't a misunderstanding at all.
People would use religion as an excuse to satisfy their greed and thirst for conquest. Religion, by nature, is a double-edged sword. Something that has both good and evil within itself, capable of bringing hope to people, and capable of creating despair and destruction.
Faith and belief was merely a concept in her old world. There really wasn't any god ruling over the world, at least none that she had met personally or seen with her own eyes while she was still alive. It wasn't until she met the goddess of virtue after her death that she believed that gods and goddesses do exist, although not in conventional ways that the common humans might believe.
What are gods? What purpose do they serve? These were questions she asked herself more than once. Were there actual gods living in her old world? She had no clue nor did she care about them. What mattered were the gods of this new world she transmigrated in. She knew for a fact that gods do exist, but where are they in this world? Do they know of her existence?
Reol spoke of one of the major religions in this world called the 'Aria Church', one that once spread over the continent and even well-known across the ocean. Their divine goddess, Aria, once walked among people, teaching the doctrine of love and righteousness and how to live a virtuous life. With the church's guidance, the many kingdoms and empires prospered, and the people thrived. It was only natural that the church, a symbol of benevolence and prosperity, become an icon to idolize and worship.
However, that was thousands of years ago. An era long forgotten and eroded by time. Records of the goddess Aria, who spread teaching of mercy, love and respect for other living beings, has slowly turned into an age of legends. Nowadays, the Aria Church is run by corrupt men and women who abuse the followers' faith for personal gain. They no longer preach the holy gospel of virtue and morality but instead the doctrine of corruption, which claimed that the 'Will of the Goddess' was for men to subjugate the weak and rule over the earth.
It was one of the reasons why Reol left the military. Her faith for the church crumbled after learning how corrupt they were. The organization she worked so hard for was nothing but a dogmatic group seeking supremacy by force. As a soldier, her hands were soaked with blood of both the innocent and the guilty.
As a soldier, she also killed the enemies of the kingdom, claiming land and resources under the banner of her monarch. At first, she held onto the idea of serving her motherland. She believed her efforts were for the future generations that will inherit the legacy of her country. But now, she doesn't know anymore. As she served her kingdom for years, the wars only grew more devastating and less beneficial to the people.
Unfortunately, Reol simply knew too much of the inner working of the military and government. Quitting wasn't as simple as turning in her resignation letter. Even so, she was determined to leave and escape. It came at a great cost, turning her into a 'disabled' person.
It was something Ginova had completely forgotten before, an exchange with Collette way back when she just arrived in this new world.
Magic does exist.
To what extent? She had no idea until Reol explained to her how magic works in this universe. A realm of possibilities which human minds of her old world could have never fathomed.
"I was marked. There was no other choice but to sacrifice my ability to use magic forever. Otherwise, they will find me and kill me. That's how I ended up in Laim. I decided to live the rest of my life in peace, teaching children how to protect themselves."
So Reol said. Ginova remembered seeing Reol's— Treo's body covered in black, veiny scars before they vanished and melted into her skin. A dead mana core. It will slowly deteriorate worse and worse, eventually rotting the body from inside.
Ginova turned around to look at Reol, then to the horse, who was standing still with its head tilted slightly to the side. She moved closer to pat the creature's long neck as she returned her gaze to Reol, "You are healed now."
There was a faint smile on Reol's lips, "Your highness, thank you for saving me."
Once Ginova learned of this information, she tried to restore the mana core inside Reol even though she had no idea what they are, their functions and uses. This resulted in a high cost of 10K Faith points. A great price to pay for her ignorance, but she could afford it. Ginova judged it would be in her best interest to bring Reol back to her prime.
"I'm the one who needs to thank you. Your knowledge will serve me well through this journey."
Reol's eyes shimmered under the sunlight, a clear hint of pride and gratefulness hidden beneath them.
"You have saved me and shared your blessing with the entire village. My life is yours, my one true goddess in this world."
"You flatter me," Ginova let out a faint smile.
It wasn't just hypnosis, but her Charm Stats also played a great role to entice people's awe, respect, and fear. Reol's respect came from the depth of her heart, there was little tomfoolery done to her mind. It was a pleasant feeling, having someone giving their heart to her willingly without the force of hypnosis, although the risk of betrayal still exists. Just in case, Ginova planted seeds into all of her subjects, to enhance their positive emotions of her using hypnotic suggestions.
'Well, a chance of betrayal is negligible. I doubt it would ever happen in a thousand years, but again if it does happen...'
Ginova had to stop her train of thoughts, getting distracted on giving out 'punishments' for disloyal subjects would come later on.
That day, Ginova and Reol spent the day together in Karda. Their plan was simple, to take complete control over Karda by putting them all under the goddess' hypnosis. In this place, everyone seemed to have very low Stats just like the people in Laim were.Their Strength, Agility, and Intelligence and others didn't surpass 10 points at all. They all seemed incomparably weak in body and mind.
'This seems to work in my favor, but I still shouldn't be rash.'
One of the reasons Ginova chose Karda as her second target was that the village was much larger compared to Laim. If she succeeds with her plan here, then she could get a steady delivery of supplies to develop Laim even further. In the future, she might want to consider spreading her influence to more villages to increase her reach and network.
'Though some questions still elude me.'
Laim and Karda were a frontier village, a part of the kingdom of Deltorra. Meaning, Even if she managed to take control of multiple villages, she would still fall under the kingdom's rule. Would the kingdom recognize her as one of their citizens or try to hunt her down as an enemy? Would they tolerate her religion that practices such perversion and degeneracy? How do the other kingdoms or empires react when they learn of her existence? Could her enemies resist her mind control?
Magic exists.
People of power do exist.
Ginova might have the advantage of the system, but the enemy had the power of familiarity, information, and magic on their side. Her small army of hermaphrodite soldiers wasn't enough to defend themselves against the overwhelming odds. Perhaps it will be, in due time, but not right now. Thankfully, Reol was here to aid her.
They chatted in the restaurant as they ate their meal.
"I was good with the sword and magic. I practiced and practiced, survived through battles and wars throughout my childhood and my late 20s. I stood many times in the frontline of the battlefield, spilling blood of the innocent and the guilty. I wasn't proud of it. Not after I learned of the politics behind the scene. I was... naive."
Reol took a sip of her ale, a hint of blush was evident on her beautiful androgynous face. A frown tugged at the corner of her lips as she gazed off into space, her fingers tapping on the rim of the wooden tankard as she contemplates on her past.
Ginova observed the former soldier as she listened to her story, eating her meals which consisted of a large roasted chicken with freshly baked bread on the side and a tall mug of milk. It was one of the more expensive dishes in the restaurant.
"I don't think I was that strong. I was just lucky to survive the bloodbath and escaped. There were many others like me who learned the truth and wanted to leave the military. But their fates weren't as kind as mine. They were branded as traitors and executed by the corrupted officers.
"I've heard some of their families were also captured and branded as the enemy of the kingdom. The men were sold as slaves, while the women and the children were taken and violated by the other corrupt nobles and officers before meeting the same fate."
Reol spat the word out with disgust. Ginova chewed her food before swallowing, her face remained neutral. "How did you know it was true?"
Reol stared at the goddess' pair of pitch black pupils for a moment, contemplating before she answered, "It's not a secret to us who joined the military from the border regions. The king and his advisers sent these types of missions often, and we were paid handsomely for doing their dirty jobs." The ex-soldier sighed. A flash of anger and pain was apparent on her face.
Meanwhile, Ginova nodded blankly to herself at her loyal servant's story.
'I wonder if Reol also realizes that I'm no different from those corrupt officials. I seduced the wife of my benefactor, brainwashed her into my cocksleeve and everyone else into my puppets. Not only that, I coerced a girl to rape another girl in public. I transformed multiple people into human cattle, serving as an outlet for sexual relief for the villagers.'Drinking her ale, she thought in silence.
'I did all of that for my own sake. To get stronger, to earn more Faith points, and to live out my own kinks of dominating and controlling people. I call myself the goddess of salvation in front of others, but I'm more of a demon lord than anything. All the sins of these corrupt people might not hold a candle compared to the sins I've committed in the past and the sins I will commit in the future.'
Even Mora, the girl who fell in love with Reol, was stolen from her into a 'milk dispenser'. The seeds she produced was a popular 'sweetener' that everyone uses as a common ingredient now. The villagers came by so often to her store to trade with her, giving out their 'service' to her in exchange for her fluids.
"What do you think about us, Reol?"
As a test, Ginova asked Reol a question of her own, wondering how she would react. Her moral and perspective was altered at the sword competition, witnessing the public rape of Sera, Wyca, and Daria, she became an active spectator and a willing participants in Daria's gangrape. Clearly, she was no longer the same person anymore, yet she still harbored resentment and hatred against the kingdom and the church who betrayed her faith and belief.
Unlike those people, Reol was a corrupted ex-soldier in a literal sense, who served a false goddess.
"...Pardon, your highness?"
"To expand our religion and spread 'salvation' we might have to commit to underhanded methods. Things you might or might not approve of and condone," Ginova responded with a matter of fact, a blunt and straight to the point response.
She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, eyes fixed on Reol who looked somewhat surprised, "Perhaps, I'm asking you to do things you find unpleasant. For example, murdering, torturing, violating another human being with your genitals for your own pleasure..." she added.
"But, isn't it for your goals, your highness? If we must stain our hands in order to fulfill your vision..." Reol frowned at first before nodding once and taking a quick glance around herself. Her voice dropped lower to avoid eavesdroppers.
The bar wasn't filled with many patrons, but some drunkards had gathered by the counter. Most were men who seemed to have finished their work today or were unemployed. Others were travelers, wearing worn out cloaks over their backs and mugs full of ale or wine by their hands. No one cared about a couple of ladies speaking at one of the tables in the restaurant, they were too busy enjoying themselves and their alcohol.
"...Wouldn't that be justifiable?" she finished.
Ginova crossed her arms, one hand on her chin as she pondered, "Hm... even if it means harming innocent people? Violating them to suit your own needs?"
"I believe in you, your highness. You have given me a second chance at life. A purpose to live again, to serve you. As your subject and your servant, I shall follow your will." Reol reached out and gently grabbed the goddess' hand before raising it to her lips. A faint smile curved upon her pink lips before she pressed them onto her knuckles. A genuine display of reverence and adoration for the one who saved her from death.
"No matter what you asked of me, I will do it. Anything. To kill, to steal, to violate. Who I was in the past is irrelevant to who I am now. I will change, for the better, or worse. As long as it benefits the one who I serve. Please forgive me for being so bold, your highness. But I wholeheartedly pledge my allegiance and life to you."
Ginova smiled, a sign of accepting Reol's affection, gentle touch, and devotion to serve her.
"Good... I feel relieved to hear that." She placed her other hand on top of Reol's, reciprocating the affection. Reol's beautiful long eyelashes trembled when she felt her highness' palm on top of hers. Her face became hot as blush colored her pale cheeks. Her pupils dilated when she lifted her head to meet the goddess' dark, bottomless eyes.
'It seemed like the hypnosis worked wonders on Reol. Her mind made a clear distinction of her past and her present self. Her moral standards and hatred for injustice remained, but since I 'saved' her through my 'blessing', her faith that I could do no wrong overpowered her conscience. As expected, Absolute Hypnosis is very strong. No matter what sort of life or moral ethics a person has, once they fall under my control, they will do anything for me with a smile on their face.'
Truth be told, Ginova knew that Reol was loyal from her maxed out Trust Stats, but hearing it from her own mouth was more satisfying and fulfilling. After all, none of her subjects were capable of lying to her. If there were any 'errors' in their answers, then Ginova would find out there was a hole in her hypnosis. She would correct them without a moment of hesitation.
'Having the power to control and dominate others is pretty nice...'
Looking around the restaurant, Ginova spotted one of the waitresses that caught her attention. A pretty young lady with a braid hanging over her shoulder tied by a pink ribbon. The tip of her hair curled up with a slight bounce. Her apron was clean and crisp as she served her customers their beverages.
But once she stopped at a table and bent over to put down a wooden tray with drinks, the eyes of the male patrons behind her shifted towards the exposed gap between her thighs and the skirt. Their noses were tinged red as their gazes fixated at her flesh, their mind wandering deep within the gutter. They were too cowardly to do anything as the tavern owner would drive them out with his knife. They simply opted to enjoy the sight instead.
'She looks pretty. Young and innocent. Hm...'
The goddess tilted her head, a faint smile rested upon her lips. The corner of her eyes softened along with her gentle expression. Then, as if an invisible thread attached itself to her fingers, she lifted her arm and gestured a wave towards the young woman with her finger.
"Excuse me... Miss."
The young woman paused before turning around, she seemed hesitant at first before responding to the stranger's call, "Yes?" She greeted both of the ladies at the table with a slight bow. Her voice was soft, lacking confidence, and possessed a tone of nervousness. The waitress probably assumed the two ladies were a normal patron or adventurer she needed to serve. She was truly oblivious of their true identity or their intention.
"My friend and I want to have some fun with you."
