>>6019837What you can't figure out is why she's blushing so hard as she's doing this. Underneath the gore of black Wyvern blood and her own is the telltale pinkish hue of a flushed face of discomfort.
"I don't suppose you could cover up a bit more before we start fighting? I see London, I see France, but I can't see your underpants."
You blush fully red and rearrange your cloak to better hide your nakedness and Peacemaker. How are you going to negotiate without dying of personal embarrassment?
"You can't be serious! To get out of here, we have to find the other monster trapping us here."
"A likely story."
"Meep, Ser Gareth?"
"If I were powerful enough to trap you here, why would I bother being in here with you!? That's insane. I would just let you rot and starve to death instead."
"Meep, your Majesty?"
You bite your tongue as you realize your mistake. Logic doesn't work against emotion, and you made an implied threat to someone who is already suspicious. In most cases where you have to persuade suspicious people, you never use logic but work to reassure them and listen to them. Ask a few questions, let them tell you how they feel, and work to shift those feelings in a positive direction.
"I don't make assumptions about the sanity of the Accursed. You are a parasite feeding on unsuspecting people. Not one Accursed from Avalon ever remains sane or who they used to be. You must realize this by now, King Lot. Have you ever found yourself saying or doing things you never would before? Or how easy it is to harm people and not feel guilty? What about those three girls you attacked last week? Gawain says you were out trying to collect Mana. Do you think a sane and normal high school girl would go around attacking people without hesitation!?"
You are not insane, and you remain who you are. You are Kuroda Haruka, not that you would tell Gareth your True Name. Telling her that you didn't reap Mana from your former classmates is probably unbelievable from her perspective. It's also true that you didn't lose much sleep after harming the abusive asshole Keisuke or attempting to harm NHK man last week. Yet you can easily explain why you don't feel guilty about that; they deserved it! The most important issue right now is establishing a basis of trust and cooperation with the Knight.
Gareth turns her glaring eye on the two veteran Baphomets still on their guard, waiting for your orders.
"You there, goats! Have you not told your King about the side effects that Avalon has on her? Don't make excuses by saying 'the Lady wills it' or 'the King is the King' or such rot!"
The leader of the warriors coolly lifts his spear at her, ready to fight, as an answer to the question. Given the strength disparity between him and the Knight, it's a bold move.
"If you explain---" You try to coax Gareth to talk. The longer she talks, the greater the chances she might be open to negotiation.
"Enough! Raise your spear! I, Gareth, challenge---"
