Ep. 19 - Muse (2)

**Muse (2)** is the nineteenth episode of Eros Conquers All. It was released on June 10th, 2022.

## Plot

Belial asks Sophie if she is on break. Sophie, terrified by the illusion Belial has trapped her in, cowers away without responding. He notices the documents in her hand and asks if she needs help understanding the benefits of the unethical proposal with a sinister expression. Sophie quickly tells Belial that she is on her way out and flees the scene, trying to convince herself that what she'd seen wasn't real.

Belial whistles as he walks away, wondering if he scared her too much with a laugh. He opens a door that glows with a green sigil and enters his domain, which manifests in that moment as a large and dark room. He walks along a thin bridge to a platform as gigantic gears float in the air around him. Upon reaching the platform, Belial begins inputting a combination into a safe, causing the floating gears to turn as he turns the dial. He unlocks the safe, which turns into a door as he opens it and walks through. Inside the door is a luxurious multi-story apartment with modern decor, punctuated by an elaborate chandelier and glass decoration. Belial descends a grand staircase and regards the room as home.

After night falls, Belial makes a glass of wine and turns on his laptop. Distorted colorful shapes can be seen outside the apartment. Belial lounges on a couch before noticing a plush of Strawberry Junior. He stashes the plush behind a cushion and puts on his mask before turning on a TV connected to his laptop. The screen displays a video call with four shadowed figures. After trading pleasantries, Belial tells the people about Sarnai Asset Management Co., implying that they should invest in it. Though they initially seem doubtful, they ultimately trust Belial's recommendations as they have never failed before. One of the figures mentions a company called Hjerte, saying he got a tip that its stock price would soon significantly increase. Suspicious, Belial inquires about the source of the tip, but the man is unable to place it. Belial quickly looks up the company and realizes he has already invested in it. He advises the man to sell his stocks, saying that its unstable reputation makes it a liability. He instead tells each person in the call to invest ninety percent of their funds into Sarnai Co. They balk at the suggestion, but Belial reassures them that its stock price would go up at least three hundred and thirty percent in a month's time. Belial begins to preach about the "god of abundance" (likely referring to himself), reminding them that they are receiving his advice because he has deemed them worthy. He panders to their greed and promises the world to them, causing them all to agree to his suggestion. The funds immediately appear in Belial's bank account, and he thanks them for the meal in his head.

He launches into an internal monologue, insulting his investors and claiming that he would soon control the human domain. He reveals that he is officially the god of greed, but argues that greed is merely a tool, and that it is more accurate to call him the god of value. He eats whatever it is humans value, which is usually money. Belial believes that he is the shepherd to their flock and views his guidance as benevolence, comparing their desire for power to gods' desire for the same. He posits that if he can control what is valued, he can control humans. He reveals that his actions are for the sake of proving himself to the unnamed god that he worships, who has yet to return.

## Characters

*Characters are listed in order of appearance.*

* Belial
* Sophie

## Notable Locations

* Sarnai Asset Management Co.
* Belial's Domain

## Trivia

* The webpage showing Belial's bank account is written in German.